Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis
Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.
Cautionary Statement Concerning Forward-Looking Statements
This report contains forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties. All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this report are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements discuss our current expectations and projections relating to our financial condition, results of operations, plans, objectives, future performance and business. You can identify forward-looking statements because they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. These statements may include words such as “aim,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “expect,” “forecast,” “outlook,” “potential,” “project,” “projection,” “plan,” “intend,” “seek,” “may,” “could,” “would,” “will,” “should,” “can,” “can have,” “likely,” the negatives thereof and other words and terms of similar meaning in connection with any discussion of the timing or nature of future operating or financial performance or other events. They appear in a number of places throughout this report and include statements regarding our intentions, beliefs or current expectations concerning, among other things, our results of operations, financial condition, liquidity, prospects, growth, strategies and the industry in which we operate. All forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those that we expected.
While we believe that our assumptions are reasonable, we caution that it is very difficult to predict the impact of known factors, and it is impossible for us to anticipate all factors that could affect our actual results. All forward-looking statements are expressly qualified in their entirety by these cautionary statements. You should evaluate all forward-looking statements made in this report in the context of the factors that could cause outcomes to differ materially from our expectations. These factors include, but are not limited to:
● global economic or other business conditions that may affect the desire or ability of our customers to purchase our products such as inflationary pressures, high unemployment levels, increases in gas prices, and declines in median income growth, consumer confidence and consumer discretionary spending;
● our ability to open new restaurants in new and existing markets, including difficulty in finding sites and in negotiating acceptable leases;
● our ability to compete successfully with other quick-service and fast casual restaurants;
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● our vulnerability to changes in political and economic conditions and consumer preferences;
● our ability to attract, develop, assimilate and retain employees;
● our vulnerability to conditions in the greater Los Angeles area and to natural disasters given the geographic concentration and real estate intensive nature of our business;
● the possibility that we may continue to incur significant impairment of certain of our assets, in particular in our new markets;
● changes in food and supply costs, especially for chicken, labor, construction and utilities;
● social media and negative publicity, whether or not valid, and our ability to respond to and effectively manage the accelerated impact of social media;
● our ability to continue to expand our digital business, delivery orders and catering;
● concerns about food safety and quality and about food-borne illness;
● dependence on frequent and timely deliveries of food and supplies;
● our ability to service our level of indebtedness;
● uncertainty related to the success of our marketing programs, new menu items, advertising campaigns and restaurant designs and remodels;
● adverse changes in the economic environment, including inflation and increased labor and supply costs, which may affect our franchisees, with adverse consequences to us;
● the impacts of the uncertainty regarding pandemics, epidemics or infectious disease outbreaks (such as the recent COVID-19 pandemic) on our company, our employees, our customers, our partners, our industry and the economy as a whole, as well as our franchisees’ ability to operate their individual restaurants without disruption;
● our limited control over our franchisees and potential deterioration of our relations with existing or potential franchisees;
● potential exposure to unexpected costs and losses from our self-insurance programs;
● potential obligations under long-term and non-cancelable leases, and our ability to renew leases at the end of their terms;
● the possibility that Delaware law, our organizational documents, our shareholder rights agreement, and our existing and future debt agreements may impede or discourage a takeover;
● the impact of shareholder activism on our expenses, business and stock price;
● the impact of any failure of our information technology system or any breach of our network security;
● the impact of any security breaches on our ability to protect our customers’ payment method data or personal information;
● our ability to enforce and maintain our trademarks and protect our other proprietary intellectual property;
● risks related to government regulation and litigation, including employment and labor laws; and
● other risks set forth in our filings with the SEC from time to time, including under Item 1A, Risk Factors in our annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 27, 2023, which filings are available online at www.sec.gov .
We caution you that the important factors referenced above may not contain all of the factors that are important to you. In addition, we cannot assure you that we will realize the results or developments we expect or anticipate or, even if substantially realized, that they will result in the consequences we anticipate or affect us or our operations in the ways that we expect. The forward-looking statements included in this report are made only as of the date hereof. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. If we do update one or more forward-looking statements, no inference should be made that we will make additional updates with respect to those or other forward-looking statements. We qualify all of our forward-looking statements by these cautionary statements.
Overview
El Pollo Loco is a differentiated and growing restaurant concept that specializes in fire-grilling citrus-marinated chicken and operates in the limited-service restaurant segment. We strive to offer food that integrates the culinary traditions of Mexico with the healthier lifestyle.” Our distinctive menu features our signature product--citrus-marinated fire-grilled chicken--and a variety of Mexican and LA-inspired entrees that we create from our chicken. We serve individual and family-sized chicken meals, a variety of Mexican and LA-inspired entrees, and sides, and, throughout the year, on a limited-time basis, additional proteins like beef and shrimp. Our entrees include favorites such as our Chicken Avocado Burrito, Pollo Fit entrees, chicken tostada salads, and Pollo Bowls. Our famous Creamy Cilantro dressings and salsas are
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prepared fresh daily, allowing our customers to create their favorite flavor profiles to enhance their culinary experience. We believe that our distinctive menu with better for you and more affordable alternatives appeals to consumers across a wide variety of socio-economic backgrounds and drives our balanced composition of sales throughout the day (our “day-part mix”), including at lunch and dinner.
Market Trends and Uncertainties
On September 28, 2023, Governor Newsom signed AB 1228 into law, which repealed and replaced the Fast Food Accountability and Standards Recovery Act (“FAST Act”) on January 1, 2024. Pursuant to AB 1228, the minimum wage at fast food restaurants that are part of brands which have more than 60 establishments nationwide was increased to $20 an hour on April 1, 2024, and a Fast Food Council created by AB 1228 will have limited power to approve annual wage increases until 2029. Under the law, the Fast Food Council will also have the power to develop and propose minimum standards for fast food workers, including standards for working hours, working conditions, and health and safety. As a result of AB 1228, we expect our labor and regulatory compliance costs will increase during the remainder of fiscal 2024 and that our results of operations and profitability will be adversely affected if we are not able to implement other measures to counter these increased costs.
Additionally, we have experienced inflationary pressures affecting our operations in certain areas such as food cost, labor costs, construction costs and other restaurant operating costs. We have been able to substantially offset these inflationary and other cost pressures through various actions, such as increasing menu prices, managing menu mix, and productivity improvements. However, we expect these inflationary and other cost pressures to continue into the remainder of fiscal 2024 and we may not be able to offset cost increases in the future.
Seasonality
Seasonal factors and the timing of holidays cause our revenue to fluctuate from quarter to quarter. Our revenue per restaurant is typically lower in the first and fourth quarters due to reduced January and December traffic and higher in the second and third quarters. As a result of seasonality, our quarterly and annual results of operations and our key performance indicators described below, such as company-operated restaurant revenue and comparable restaurant sales, may fluctuate.
Growth Strategies and Outlook
As of March 27, 2024, we had 495 locations in seven states. In fiscal 2023, we opened two new company-operated restaurants in Nevada, and our franchisees opened three new restaurants, one in California, one in Colorado and one in Utah. Additionally, during fiscal 2023, we completed the sale of 18 restaurants within California, Utah and Texas to existing franchisees. We plan to continue to expand our business, drive restaurant sales growth, and enhance our competitive positioning, by executing the following five key strategies:
● Brand That Wins;
● Hospitality Mindset;
● Digital First;
● Winning Unit Economics; and
● New Unit Growth.
To increase comparable restaurant sales, we plan to increase customer frequency, attract new customers, and improve per-person spend. The success of these growth plans is not guaranteed.
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Highlights and Trends
Comparable Restaurant Sales
For the thirteen weeks ended March 27, 2024, system-wide comparable restaurant sales increased by 5.1% from the comparable period in the prior year. For company-operated restaurants, comparable restaurant sales for the thirteen weeks ended March 27, 2024 increased by 3.8%. For company-operated restaurants, the quarter’s change in comparable restaurant sales consisted of a 2.5% increase in average check size and a 1.2% increase in transactions. For franchised restaurants, comparable restaurant sales increased 5.9% for the thirteen weeks ended March 27, 2024, respectively. Refer to Comparable Restaurant Sales definition in “Key Performance Indicators” section below.
Restaurant Development
Our restaurant counts at the beginning and end of each of the last three fiscal years and the thirteen weeks ended March 27, 2024, were as follows:
Thirteen Weeks Ended
Fiscal Year Ended
March 27, 2024
2023
2022
2021
Company-operated restaurant activity:
Beginning of period
172
188
189
196
Openings
—
2
4
2
Restaurant sale to franchisee
—
(18)
(3)
(8)
Closures
—
—
(2)
(1)
Restaurants at end of period
172
172
188
189
Franchised restaurant activity:
Beginning of period
323
302
291
283
Openings
—
3
9
2
Restaurant sale to franchisee
—
18
3
8
Closures
—
—
(1)
(2)
Restaurants at end of period
323
323
302
291
System-wide restaurant activity:
Beginning of period
495
490
480
479
Openings
—
5
13
4
Closures
—
—
(3)
(3)
Restaurants at end of period
495
495
490
480
Restaurant Remodeling
During the thirteen weeks ended March 27, 2024, we completed three company-operated restaurant remodels and 11 franchise remodels. The cost of our restaurant remodels varies depending on the scope of the work required, but on average the investment is $0.3 million to $0.4 million per restaurant.
Loco Rewards
Our Loco Rewards loyalty program offers rewards that incentivize customers to visit our restaurants more often each month. Customers earn points for each dollar spent and points can be redeemed for multiple redemption options. If a customer does not earn or use points within a one-year period, their account is deactivated and all points expire. When a customer is part of the rewards program, the obligation to provide future discounts related to points earned is considered a separate performance obligation, to which a portion of the transaction price is allocated. The performance obligation related to loyalty points is deemed to have been satisfied, and the amount deferred in the balance sheet is recognized as revenue, when the points are transferred to a reward and redeemed, the reward or points have expired, or the likelihood of redemption is remote. A portion of the transaction price is allocated to loyalty points on a pro-rata basis, based on stand-alone selling price, as determined by menu pricing and loyalty point’s terms.
In addition, customers can earn additional points and free entrées for a variety of engagement activities. As points are available for redemption past the quarter earned, a portion of the revenue associated with the earned points will be deferred until redemption or expiration. As of both March 27, 2024 and December 27, 2023, the revenue allocated to
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loyalty points that had not been redeemed was $0.7 million, which is reflected in our accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets within other accrued expenses and current liabilities. We had over 3.8 million loyalty program members as of March 27, 2024.
Critical Accounting Policies and Use of Estimates
The preparation of our condensed consolidated financial statements in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) requires us to make estimates and judgments that affect our reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenue, and expenses, and related disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities. We base our estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions that we believe to be reasonable under current circumstances in making judgments about the carrying value of assets and liabilities that are not readily available from other sources. We evaluate our estimates on an on-going basis. Actual results may differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions.
Accounting policies are an integral part of our condensed consolidated financial statements. A thorough understanding of these accounting policies is essential when reviewing our reported results of operations and our financial position. Management believes that our critical accounting policies and estimates involve the most difficult management judgments, due to the sensitivity of the methods and assumptions used. For a summary of our critical accounting policies and a discussion of our use of estimates, see “Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates” in Item 7, “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in our annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 27, 2023.
There have been no material changes to our critical accounting policies or uses of estimates since our annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 27, 2023.
Key Financial Definitions
Revenue
Our revenue is derived from three primary sources: company-operated restaurant revenue, franchise revenue, which is comprised primarily of franchise royalties and, to a lesser extent, franchise fees and sublease rental income, and franchise advertising fee revenue. See Note 10, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers” in the Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements above for further details regarding our revenue recognition policy.
Food and Paper Costs
Food and paper costs include the direct costs associated with food, beverage and packaging of our menu items. The components of food and paper costs are variable in nature, change with sales volume, are impacted by menu mix, and are subject to increases or decreases in commodity costs.
Labor and Related Expenses
Labor and related expenses include wages, payroll taxes, workers’ compensation expense, benefits, and bonuses paid to our restaurant management teams. Like other expense items, we expect labor costs to grow proportionately as our restaurant revenue grows. Factors that influence labor costs include minimum wage and payroll tax legislation, state labor laws (which, in California, may include AB 1228), overtime, wage inflation, the frequency and severity of workers’ compensation claims, health care costs, and the performance of our restaurants.
Occupancy Costs and Other Operating Expenses
Occupancy costs include rent, common area maintenance (“CAM”), and real estate taxes. Other restaurant operating expenses include the costs of utilities, advertising, credit card processing fees, restaurant supplies, repairs and maintenance, and other restaurant operating costs.
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General and Administrative Expenses
General and administrative expenses are comprised of expenses associated with corporate and administrative functions that support the development and operations of our restaurants, including compensation and benefits, travel expenses, stock compensation costs, legal and professional fees, and other related corporate costs. Also included are pre-opening costs, and expenses above the restaurant level, including salaries for field management, such as area and regional managers, and franchise field operational support.
Franchise Expenses
Franchise expenses are primarily comprised of rent expenses incurred on properties leased by us and then sublet to franchisees, expenses incurred in support of franchisee information technology systems, and the franchisee’s portion of advertising expenses.
Depreciation and Amortization
Depreciation and amortization primarily consists of the depreciation of property and equipment, including leasehold improvements and equipment.
Loss on Disposal of Assets
Loss on disposal of assets includes the loss on disposal of assets related to retirements and replacement or write-off of leasehold improvements or equipment.
Impairment and Closed-Store Reserves
We review long-lived assets such as property, equipment, and intangibles on a unit-by-unit basis for impairment when events or circumstances indicate the carrying value of the assets may not be recoverable. We determine if there is impairment at the restaurant level by comparing undiscounted future cash flows from the related long-lived assets to their respective carrying values and record an impairment charge when appropriate. In determining future cash flows, significant estimates are made by us with respect to future operating results of each restaurant over its remaining lease term, including sales trends, labor rates, commodity costs and other operating cost assumptions. If assets are determined to be impaired, the impairment charge is measured by calculating the amount by which the asset’s carrying amount exceeds its fair value. This process of assessing fair values requires the use of estimates and assumptions, including our ability to sell or reuse the related assets and market conditions, which are subject to a high degree of judgment. If these assumptions change in the future, we may be required to record impairment charges for these assets and these charges could be material.
When we close a restaurant, we will evaluate the right of use (“ROU”) asset for impairment, based on anticipated sublease recoveries. The remaining value of the ROU asset is amortized on a straight-line basis, with the expense recognized in closed-store reserve expense, in addition to property tax and CAM charges for closed restaurants.
Interest Expense, Net
Interest expense, net, consists primarily of interest on our outstanding debt. Debt issuance costs are amortized at cost over the life of the related debt.
Provision for Income Taxes
Provision for income taxes consists of federal and state taxes on our income.
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Comparison of Results of Operations
Our operating results for the thirteen weeks ended March 27, 2024 and March 29, 2023 and expressed as percentages of total revenue, with the exception of cost of operations and company restaurant expenses, which are expressed as percentages of company-operated restaurant revenue, are compared in the tables below.
Thirteen Weeks Ended
March 27, 2024
March 29, 2023
Increase / (Decrease)
($,000)
(%)
($,000)
(%)
($,000)
(%)
Statements of Income Data
Company-operated restaurant revenue
$
97,153
83.6
$
97,873
85.5
$
(720)
(0.7)
Franchise revenue
11,348
9.8
9,672
8.4
1,676
17.3
Franchise advertising fee revenue
7,652
6.6
6,981
6.1
671
9.6
Total revenue
116,153
100.0
114,526
100.0
1,627
1.4
Cost of operations
Food and paper costs (1)
25,619
26.4
26,902
27.5
(1,283)
(4.8)
Labor and related expenses (1)
30,580
31.5
31,541
32.2
(961)
(3.0)
Occupancy and other operating expenses (1)
23,865
24.6
24,886
25.4
(1,021)
(4.1)
Gain on recovery of insurance proceeds, lost profits, net (1)
—
—
(151)
(0.2)
151
N/A
Company restaurant expenses (1)
80,064
82.5
83,178
84.9
(3,114)
(3.7)
General and administrative expenses
11,925
10.3
11,199
9.8
726
6.5
Franchise expenses
10,602
9.1
9,032
7.9
1,570
17.4
Depreciation and amortization
3,851
3.3
3,637
3.2
214
5.9
Loss on disposal of assets
41
0.0
30
0.0
11
36.7
Gain on recovery of insurance proceeds, property, equipment and expenses
(41)
(0.0)
(242)
(0.2)
201
N/A
Gain on disposition of restaurants
—
—
(136)
(0.1)
136
N/A
Impairment and closed-store reserves
32
0.0
77
0.1
(45)
(58.4)
Total expenses
106,474
91.7
106,775
93.2
(301)
(0.3)
Income from operations
9,679
8.3
7,751
6.8
1,928
24.9
Interest expense, net of interest income
1,564
1.3
1,004
0.9
560
55.8
Income tax receivable agreement expense (income)
—
—
(122)
(0.1)
122
(100.0)
Income before provision for income taxes
8,115
7.0
6,869
6.0
1,246
18.1
Provision for income taxes
2,203
1.9
1,951
1.7
252
12.9
Net income
$
5,912
5.1
$
4,918
4.3
$
994
20.2
(1) Percentages for line items relating to cost of operations and company restaurant expenses are calculated with company-operated restaurant revenue as the denominator. All other percentages use total revenue.
Company-Operated Restaurant Revenue
For the quarter ended March 27, 2024, company-operated restaurant revenue decreased $0.7 million, or 0.7%, from the comparable period in the prior year. The decrease in company-operated restaurant revenue was mainly due to a $5.0 million decrease in revenue primarily from the 18 company-operated restaurants sold by the Company to existing franchisees during the prior quarters and a $0.1 million decrease in revenue recognized for our loyalty points program . This company-operated restaurant revenue decrease was partially offset by $0.8 million of additional sales from restaurants opened during or after the first quarter of 2023 as well as an increase in company-operated comparable restaurant revenue of $3.5 million, or 3.8%. The company-operated comparable restaurant sales increase consisted of a 2.5% increase in average check size due to increases in menu prices and an approximately 1.2% increase in transactions.
Franchise Revenue
For the quarter ended March 27, 2024, franchise revenue increased $1.7 million, or 17.3%, from the comparable period in the prior year. This increase was primarily due to a franchise comparable restaurant sales increase of 5.9%, three franchise-operated restaurant openings and 18 company-operated restaurants sold by the Company to existing franchisees in each case, during the prior quarters.
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Franchise Advertising Fee Revenue
For the quarter ended March 27, 2024, franchise advertising fee revenue increased $0.7 million, or 9.6%, from the comparable period in the prior year. As advertising fee revenue is a percentage of franchisees’ revenue, the quarter-to-date period fluctuations were due to the increases and decreases noted in franchise revenue above.
Food and Paper Costs
For the quarter ended March 27, 2024, food and paper costs decreased $1.3 million, or 4.8%. The decrease in food and paper costs for the quarter resulted primarily due to a $1.5 million reduction related to the sale of 18 company-operated locations to franchisees, partially offset by commodity inflation. For the quarter, food and paper costs as a percentage of company-operated restaurant revenue were 26.4%, down from 27.5% in the comparable period of the prior year. The percentage decrease for the quarter was primarily due to an increase in pricing, partially offset by commodity inflation.
Labor and Related Expenses
For the quarter ended March 27, 2024, labor and related expenses decreased $1.0 million, or 3.0%, from the comparable period in the prior year. The decrease in labor and related expenses for the quarter was primarily due to a $2.0 reduction in labor related costs resulting from the 18 company-operated restaurants sold by the Company to existing franchisees during the prior quarters. The decrease in labor and related expenses for the quarter was partially offset by a $1.1 million increase primarily related to higher wage rates during fiscal 2024 and 2023 and other labor wage increases as a result of competitive pressure and legislated increases in the California minimum wage.
For the quarter ended March 27, 2024, labor and related expenses as a percentage of company-operated restaurant revenue were 31.5%, down from 32.2% in the comparable period in the prior year. The percentage change for the quarter was driven by higher menu prices, partially offset by the cost increases highlighted above.
Occupancy and Other Operating Expenses
For the quarter ended March 27, 2024, occupancy and other operating expenses decreased $1.0 million, or 4.1%, from the comparable period in the prior year. The decrease was primarily due to a $0.5 million decrease in occupancy costs, a $0.2 million decrease in utility costs and a $0.2 million decrease in repairs and maintenance costs primarily driven by the sale of 18 company-operated locations to existing franchisees, partially offset by the two new company restaurant openings and increases in other operating expenses.
For the quarter ended March 27, 2024, occupancy and other operating expenses as a percentage of company-operated restaurant revenue were 24.6%, down from 25.4% in the comparable period in the prior year . The decrease resulted from the cost decreases highlighted above.
General and Administrative Expenses
For the quarter ended March 27, 2024, general and administrative expenses increased $0.7 million, or 6.5%, from the comparable period in the prior year. The increase for the quarter was primarily due to a $0.5 million increase in restructuring costs related to certain positions in the organization and a $0.6 million increase in executive transition costs. The increase in general and administrative expenses for the quarter was offset by a $0.3 million decrease in legal fees.
For the quarter ended March 27, 2024, general and administrative expenses as a percentage of total revenue were 10.3%, up from 9.8% in the comparable period of the prior year. The percentage increase for the quarterly period is primarily due to the cost increases noted above.
Gain on Disposition of Restaurants
During the thirteen weeks ended March 29, 2023, we completed the sale of one restaurant within California to an existing franchisee. We determined that this restaurant disposition represents multiple element arrangements, and as a result, the cash consideration received was allocated to the separate elements based on its relative standalone selling price. Cash proceeds included upfront consideration for the sale of the restaurant and franchise fees. The cash
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consideration per restaurant related to franchise fees is consistent with the amounts stated in the related franchise agreements, which are charged for separate standalone arrangements. We initially defer and subsequently recognize the franchise fees over the term of the franchise agreement. This sale resulted in cash proceeds of $0.2 million and a net gain on sale of restaurant of $0.1 million for the thirteen weeks ended March 29, 2023. Since the date of their sale, this restaurant is now included in the total number of franchised El Pollo Loco restaurants.
Impairment and Closed-Store Reserves
During the thirteen weeks ended March 27, 2024, we did not record any non-cash impairment charges. During the thirteen weeks ended March 29, 2023, we recorded non-cash impairment charges of less than $0.1 million, primarily related to the carrying value of the ROU assets of one restaurant in California . Given the inherent uncertainty in projecting results for newer restaurants in newer markets we are monitoring the recoverability of the carrying value of the assets of several restaurants on an ongoing basis. For these restaurants, if expected performance is not realized, an impairment charge may be recognized in future periods, and such charge could be material.
When a restaurant is closed, we will evaluate the ROU asset for impairment, based on anticipated sublease recoveries. The remaining value of the ROU asset is amortized on a straight-line basis, with the expense recognized in closed-store reserve expense. Additionally, any property tax and CAM payments relating to closed restaurants are included within closed-store expense. During both the thirteen weeks ended March 27, 2024 and March 29, 2023, we recognized less than $0.1 million of closed-store reserve expense related to the amortization of ROU assets, property taxes and CAM payments for our closed locations.
Interest Expense, Net
For the quarter ended March 27, 2024, interest expense, net, increased $0.6 million from t he comparable period in the prior year. The increase in interest expense was primarily related to the higher outstanding balances on our 2022 Revolver (as defined below) as well as the higher interest rates in the fiscal 2024 periods versus t he comparable periods in the prior year .
Income Tax Receivable Agreement
On July 30, 2014, we entered into the income tax receivable agreement (the “TRA”). The TRA calls for us to pay to our pre-IPO stockholders 85% of the savings in cash that we realize in our taxes as a result of utilizing our net operating losses (“NOLs”) and other tax attributes attributable to preceding periods. For the thirteen weeks ended March 27, 2024, we did not record any income tax receivable agreement income or expense, and for the thirteen weeks ended March 29, 2023 we recorded income tax receivable agreement income of $0.1 million .
Provision for Income Taxes
For the quarter ended March 27, 2024, we recorded an income tax provision of $2.2 million, reflecting an estimated effective tax rate of 27.1%. For the quarter ended March 29, 2023, we recorded an income tax provision of $2.0 million, reflecting an estimated effective tax rate of approximately 28.4%.
The difference between the 21.0% statutory rate and our effective tax rate of 27.1% for the quarter ended March 27, 2024 is primarily a result of state taxes , a non-deductible executive compensation, partially offset by a Work Opportunity Tax Credit benefit .
Key Performance Indicators
To evaluate the performance of our business, we utilize a variety of financial and performance measures. These key measures include company-operated restaurant revenue, system-wide sales, comparable restaurant sales, restaurant contribution, restaurant contribution margin, new restaurant openings, EBITDA, and Adjusted EBITDA.
System-Wide Sales
System-wide sales are neither required by, nor presented in accordance with GAAP. System-wide sales are the sum of company-operated restaurant revenue and sales from franchised restaurants. Our total revenue in our condensed
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consolidated statements of income is limited to company-operated restaurant revenue and franchise revenue from our franchisees. Accordingly, system-wide sales should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for our results as reported under GAAP. Management believes that system-wide sales are an important figure for investors, because they are widely used in the restaurant industry, including by our management, to evaluate brand scale and market penetration.
The following table reconciles system-wide sales to company-operated restaurant revenue and total revenue:
Thirteen Weeks
(Dollar amounts in thousands)
March 27, 2024
March 29, 2023
Company-operated restaurant revenue
$
97,153
$
97,873
Franchise revenue
11,348
9,672
Franchise advertising fee revenue
7,652
6,981
Total Revenue
116,153
114,526
Franchise revenue
(11,348)
(9,672)
Franchise advertising fee revenue
(7,652)
(6,981)
Sales from franchised restaurants
170,737
155,614
System-wide sales
$
267,890
$
253,487
Company-Operated Restaurant Revenue
Company-operated restaurant revenue consists of sales of food and beverages in company-operated restaurants net of promotional allowances, employee meals, and other discounts. Company-operated restaurant revenue in any period is directly influenced by the number of operating weeks in such period, the number of open restaurants, and comparable restaurant sales.
Comparable Restaurant Sales
Comparable restaurant sales reflect year-over-year sales changes for comparable company-operated, franchised, and system-wide restaurants. A restaurant enters our comparable restaurant base the first full week after it has operated for fifteen months. Comparable restaurant sales exclude restaurants closed during the applicable period. At March 27, 2024 and March 29, 2023, there were 478 and 468 comparable restaurants, 168 and 181 company-operated restaurants and 310 and 287 franchised restaurants, respectively. Comparable restaurant sales indicate the performance of existing restaurants, since new restaurants are excluded. Comparable restaurant sales growth can be generated by an increase in the number of meals sold and/or by increases in the average check amount, resulting from a shift in menu mix and/or higher prices resulting from new products or price increases. Because other companies may calculate this measure differently than we do, comparable restaurant sales as presented herein may not be comparable to similarly titled measures reported by other companies. Management believes that comparable restaurant sales is a valuable metric for investors to evaluate the performance of our store base, excluding the impact of new stores and closed stores.
Restaurant Contribution and Restaurant Contribution Margin
Restaurant contribution and restaurant contribution margin are neither required by, nor presented in accordance with, GAAP. Restaurant contribution is defined as company-operated restaurant revenue less company restaurant expenses which includes food and paper cost, labor and related expenses and occupancy and other operating expenses, where applicable. Restaurant contribution therefore excludes franchise revenue, franchise advertising fee revenue and franchise expenses as well as certain other costs, such as general and administrative expenses, franchise expenses, depreciation and amortization, asset impairment and closed-store reserve, loss on disposal of assets and other costs that are considered corporate-level expenses and are not considered normal operating costs of our restaurants. Accordingly, restaurant contribution is not indicative of overall Company results and does not accrue directly to the benefit of stockholders because of the exclusion of certain corporate-level expenses. Restaurant contribution margin is defined as restaurant contribution as a percentage of net company-operated restaurant revenue.
Restaurant contribution and restaurant contribution margin are supplemental measures of operating performance of our restaurants, and our calculations thereof may not be comparable to those reported by other companies. Restaurant contribution and restaurant contribution margin have limitations as analytical tools, and you should not consider them in isolation, or superior to, or as substitutes for the analysis of our results as reported under GAAP. Management uses restaurant contribution and restaurant contribution margin as key metrics to evaluate the profitability of incremental sales
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at our restaurants, to evaluate our restaurant performance across periods, and to evaluate our restaurant financial performance compared with our competitors. Management believes that restaurant contribution and restaurant contribution margin are important tools for investors, because they are widely-used metrics within the restaurant industry to evaluate restaurant-level productivity, efficiency, and performance. Management further believes restaurant level operating is useful to investors to highlight trends in our core business that may not otherwise be apparent to investors when relying solely on GAAP financial measures.
A reconciliation of restaurant contribution and restaurant contribution margin to company-operated restaurant revenue is provided below:
Thirteen Weeks Ended
(Dollar amounts in thousands)
March 27, 2024
March 29, 2023
Restaurant contribution:
Income from operations
$
9,679
$
7,751
Add (less):
General and administrative expenses
11,925
11,199
Franchise expenses
10,602
9,032
Depreciation and amortization
3,851
3,637
Loss on disposal of assets
41
30
Gain on recovery of insurance proceeds, property, equipment and expenses
(41)
(242)
Franchise revenue
(11,348)
(9,672)
Franchise advertising fee revenue
(7,652)
(6,981)
Impairment and closed-store reserves
32
77
Gain on disposition of restaurants
—
(136)
Restaurant contribution
$
17,089
$
14,695
Company-operated restaurant revenue:
Total revenue
$
116,153
$
114,526
Less:
Franchise revenue
(11,348)
(9,672)
Franchise advertising fee revenue
(7,652)
(6,981)
Company-operated restaurant revenue
$
97,153
$
97,873
Restaurant contribution margin (%)
17.6
%
15.0
%
New Restaurant Openings
The number of restaurant openings reflects the number of new restaurants opened by us and our franchisees during a particular reporting period. Before a new restaurant opens, we and our franchisees incur pre-opening costs, as described below. New restaurants often open with an initial start-up period of higher-than-normal sales volumes, which subsequently decrease to stabilized levels. New restaurants typically experience normal inefficiencies in the form of higher food and paper, labor, and other direct operating expenses and, as a result, restaurant contribution margins are generally lower during the start-up period of operation. The average start-up period after which our new restaurants’ revenue and expenses normalize is approximately fourteen weeks. When we enter new markets, we may be exposed to start-up times and restaurant contribution margins that are longer and lower than reflected in our average historical experience.
EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA
EBITDA represents net income (loss) before interest expense, provision (benefit) for income taxes, depreciation, and amortization. Adjusted EBITDA represents net income (loss) before interest expense, provision (benefit) for income taxes, depreciation, amortization, and other items that we do not consider representative of on-going operating performance, as identified in the reconciliation table below.
EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA as presented in this report are supplemental measures of our performance that are neither required by, nor presented in accordance with, GAAP. EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA are not measurements of our financial performance under GAAP and should not be considered as alternatives to net income, operating income, or
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any other performance measures derived in accordance with GAAP, or as alternatives to cash flow from operating activities as a measure of our liquidity. In addition, in evaluating EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA, you should be aware that in the future we will incur expenses or charges such as those added back to calculate EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA. Our presentation of EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA should not be construed as an inference that our future results will be unaffected by unusual or nonrecurring items.
EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA have limitations as analytical tools, and you should not consider them in isolation, or as substitutes for analysis of our results as reported under GAAP. Some of these limitations are (i) they do not reflect our cash expenditures, or future requirements for capital expenditures or contractual commitments, (ii) they do not reflect changes in, or cash requirements for, our working capital needs, (iii) they do not reflect the significant interest expense, or the cash requirements necessary to service interest or principal payments, on our debt, (iv) although depreciation and amortization are non-cash charges, the assets being depreciated and amortized will often have to be replaced in the future, and EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA do not reflect any cash requirements for such replacements, (v) they do not adjust for all non-cash income or expense items that are reflected in our statements of cash flows, (vi) they do not reflect the impact of earnings or charges resulting from matters we consider not to be indicative of our on-going operations, and (vii) other companies in our industry may calculate these measures differently than we do, limiting their usefulness as comparative measures.
We compensate for these limitations by providing specific information regarding the GAAP amounts excluded from such non-GAAP financial measures. We further compensate for the limitations in our use of non-GAAP financial measures by presenting comparable GAAP measures more prominently.
We believe that EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA facilitate operating performance comparisons from period to period by isolating the effects of some items that vary from period to period without any correlation to core operating performance or that vary widely among similar companies. These potential differences may be caused by variations in capital structures (affecting interest expense), tax positions (such as the impact on periods or companies of changes in effective tax rates or NOLs) and the age and book depreciation of facilities and equipment (affecting relative depreciation expense). We also present EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA because (i) we believe that these measures are frequently used by securities analysts, investors and other interested parties to evaluate companies in our industry, (ii) we believe that investors will find these measures useful in assessing our ability to service or incur indebtedness, and (iii) we use EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA internally for a number of benchmarks, including to compare our performance to that of our competitors.
The following table sets forth reconciliations of our net income to our EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA:
Thirteen Weeks Ended
(Amounts in thousands)
March 27, 2024
March 29, 2023
Net income
$
5,912
$
4,918
Non-GAAP adjustments:
Provision for income taxes
2,203
1,951
Interest expense, net of interest income
1,564
1,004
Depreciation and amortization
3,851
3,637
EBITDA
$
13,530
$
11,510
Stock-based compensation expense (a)
920
771
Loss on disposal of assets (b)
41
30
Impairment and closed-store reserves (c)
32
77
Gain on disposition of restaurants (d)
—
(136)
Income tax receivable agreement expense (income) (e)
—
(122)
Special dividend (f)
—
129
Special legal expenses (g)
—
298
Gain on recovery of insurance proceeds (h)
(41)
(394)
Executive transition costs (i)
643
Restructuring charges (j)
551
—
Pre-opening costs (k)
23
5
Adjusted EBITDA
$
15,699
$
12,168
(a) Includes non-cash, stock-based compensation.
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(b) Loss on disposal of assets includes the loss on disposal of assets related to retirements and replacement or write-off of leasehold improvements or equipment.
(c) Includes costs related to impairment of property and equipment and ROU assets and closing restaurants. During the thirteen weeks ended March 27, 2024, we did not record any non-cash impairment charges. During the thirteen weeks ended March 29, 2023, we recorded non-cash impairment charges of less than $0.1 million, primarily related to the carrying value of the ROU assets of one restaurant in California.
During both the thirteen weeks ended March 27, 2024 and March 29, 2023, we recognized less than $0.1 million of closed-store reserve expense related to the amortization of ROU assets, property taxes and CAM payments for our closed locations.
(d) During the thirteen weeks ended March 29, 2023, we completed the sale of one restaurant within California to an existing franchisee. This sale resulted in cash proceeds of $0.2 million during the thirteen weeks ended March 29, 2023 and a net gain on sale of restaurant of $0.1 million for the thirteen weeks ended March 29, 2023.
(e) On July 30, 2014, we entered into the TRA. This agreement calls for us to pay to our pre-IPO stockholders 85% of the savings in cash that we realize in our taxes as a result of utilizing our NOLs and other tax attributes attributable to preceding periods. For the thirteen weeks ended March 27, 2024, we did not record any income tax receivable agreement income or expense. For the thirteen weeks ended March 29, 2023, income tax receivable agreement income consisted of the amortization of interest expense and changes in estimates for actual tax returns filed, related to our total expected TRA payments.
(f) During the thirteen weeks ended March 29, 2023, we encountered costs related to a special dividend declaration. On October 11, 2022, the Board of Directors declared a special dividend of $1.50 per share on the common stock of the Company. The special dividend was paid on November 9, 2022, to stockholders of record, including holders of restricted stock, at the close of business on October 24, 2022.
(g) Consists of legal costs related to the share distribution by Trimaran Group of substantially all of the Company’s common stock held by Trimaran Group to its investors, members and limited partners, which occurred on March 28, 2023.
(h) During fiscal 2022, one of our restaurants incurred damage resulting from a fire. In fiscal 2023, we incurred costs directly related to the fire of less than $0.1 million. We recognized gains of $0.2 million, related to the reimbursement of property and equipment and expenses incurred and $0.2 million related to the reimbursement of lost profits. The gain on recovery of insurance proceeds and reimbursement of lost profits, net of the related costs is included in the accompanying condensed consolidated statements of income, for the thirteen weeks ended March 29, 2023, as a reduction of company restaurant expenses. We received from the insurance company cash of $0.4 million, net of the insurance deductible, during fiscal 2023.
(i) Includes costs associated with the transition of our former CEO, such as severance, executive recruiting costs and stock-based compensation costs.
(j) On March 8, 2024, the Company made the decision to eliminate and restructure certain positions in the organization, which resulted in one-time costs of approximately $0.5 million.
(k) Pre-opening costs are a component of general and administrative expenses, and consist of costs directly associated with the opening of new restaurants and incurred prior to opening, including management labor costs, staff labor costs during training, food and supplies used during training, marketing costs, and other related pre-opening costs. These are generally incurred over the three to five months prior to opening. Pre-opening costs also include occupancy costs incurred between the date of possession and the opening date for a restaurant.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Our primary sources of liquidity and capital resources have been cash provided from operations, cash and cash equivalents, and our 2022 Revolver (defined below) . Our primary requirements for liquidity and capital are new restaurants, existing restaurant capital investments (remodels and maintenance), legal defense costs, lease obligations, interest payments on our debt, working capital and general corporate needs. Our working capital requirements are not significant, since our customers pay for their purchases in cash or by payment card (credit or debit) at the time of sale. Thus, we are able to sell many of our inventory items before we have to pay our suppliers. Our restaurants do not require significant inventories or receivables. We believe that these sources of liquidity and capital are sufficient to finance our continued operations, including planned capital expenditures, for at least the next 12 months from the issuance of the condensed consolidated financial statements.
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The following table presents summary cash flow information for the periods indicated (in thousands):
Thirteen Weeks Ended
(Amounts in thousands)
March 27, 2024
March 29, 2023
Net cash (used in) provided by
Operating activities
$
11,163
$
3,819
Investing activities
(4,121)
(5,680)
Financing activities
(5,209)
(13,843)
Net (decrease) increase in cash
$
1,833
$
(15,704)
Operating Activities
For the thirteen weeks ended March 27, 2024, net cash from operating activities increased by approximately $7.3 million from the comparable period of the prior year. This change was due to favorable working capital fluctuations and higher profitability compared to the same period in the prior year.
Investing Activities
For the thirteen weeks ended March 27, 2024, net cash used in investing activities decreased by $1.6 million from the comparable period of the prior year. This change was due to a decrease in purchase of property and equipment mostly related to restaurant remodeling during the thirteen weeks ended March 27, 2024 when compared to the prior quarter.
Financing Activities
For the thirteen weeks ended March 27, 2024, net cash used in financing activities decreased by $8.6 million from the comparable period of the prior year. The change was due primarily to a decrease of $4.7 million in repurchases of common stock coupled with $4.0 million decrease in net pay downs on the 2022 Revolver during the thirteen weeks ended March 27, 2024 compared to the repurchases of common stock and net pay-downs during the thirteen weeks ended March 29, 2023.
Debt and Other Obligations
The Company, as a guarantor, is a party to a credit agreement (the “2022 Credit Agreement”) among EPL, as borrower, Intermediate, as a guarantor, Bank of America, N.A., as administrative agent, swingline lender, and letter of credit issuer, the lenders party thereto, and the other parties thereto, which provides for a $150.0 million five-year senior secured revolving credit facility (the “2022 Revolver”). The 2022 Revolver, which is available pursuant to the 2022 Credit Agreement, includes a sub limit of $15.0 million for letters of credit and a sub limit of $15.0 million for swingline loans. The 2022 Revolver and 2022 Credit Agreement will mature on July 27, 2027. The obligations under the 2022 Credit Agreement and related loan documents are guaranteed by Holdings and Intermediate. The obligations of Holdings, EPL and Intermediate under the 2022 Credit Agreement and related loan documents are secured by a first priority lien on substantially all of their respective assets.
The special dividend announced by the Company’s Board of Directors on October 11, 2022 was permitted under the terms of 2022 Revolver pursuant to both subclause (iii)(d) and (iii)(e) of the following sentence. Under the 2022 Revolver, Holdings is restricted from making certain payments such as cash dividends, except that it may, inter alia, (i) pay up to $1.0 million per year to repurchase or redeem qualified equity interests of Holdings held by our past or present officers, directors, or employees (or their estates) upon death, disability, or termination of employment, (ii) pay under its TRA, and (iii) so long as no default or event of default has occurred and is continuing, (a) make non-cash repurchases of equity interests in connection with the exercise of stock options by directors, officers and management, provided that those equity interests represent a portion of the consideration of the exercise price of those stock options, (b) pay up to $0.5 million in any 12 month consecutive period to redeem, repurchase or otherwise acquire equity interests of any subsidiary that is not a wholly-owned subsidiary from any holder of equity interest in such subsidiary, (c) pay up to $2.5 million per year pursuant to stock option plans, employment agreements, or incentive plans, (d) make up to $5.0 million in other restricted payments per year, and (e) make other restricted payments, subject to its compliance, on a pro forma basis, with (x) a lease-adjusted consolidated leverage ratio not to exceed 4.25 times and (y) the financial covenants applicable to the 2022 Revolver.
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Borrowings under the 2022 Credit Agreement (other than any swingline loans) bear interest, at the borrower’s option, at rates based upon either the secured overnight financing rate (“SOFR”) or a base rate, plus, for each rate, a margin determined in accordance with a lease-adjusted consolidated leverage ratio-based pricing grid. The base rate is calculated as the highest of (a) the federal funds rate plus 0.50%, (b) the published Bank of America prime rate, or (c) Term SOFR with a term of one-month SOFR plus 1.00%. For Term SOFR loans, the margin is in the range of 1.25% to 2.25%, and for base rate loans the margin is in a range of 0.25% to 1.25%. Borrowings under the 2022 Revolver may be repaid and reborrowed. The interest rate range under the 2022 Revolver was 6.92% to 6.96% for the thirteen weeks ended March 27, 2024 and 5.69% to 6.30% for the thirteen weeks ended March 29, 2023.
The 2022 Credit Agreement contains certain customary financial covenants, subject to certain exceptions. We were in compliance with the financial covenants as of March 27, 2024.
At March 27, 2024, we had $80.0 million in outstanding borrowings under the 2022 Revolver and one letter of credit in the amount of $9.8 million outstanding, and as a result, we had $60.2 million in borrowing availability.
During the year ended December 28, 2022, we refinanced and terminated our credit agreement (the “2018 Credit Agreement”) among EPL, as borrower, the Company and Intermediate, as guarantors, Bank of America, N.A., as administrative agent, swingline lender, and letter of credit issuer, the lenders party thereto, and the other parties thereto, which provided for a $150.0 million five-year senior secured revolving credit facility (the “2018 Revolver”) and entered into the 2022 Credit Agreement. See Note 4, “Long-term debt” for additional information.
Material Cash Requirements
Our material cash requirements as of March 27, 2024 have not changed materially since those disclosed under “Material Cash Requirements” in Part II, Item 7 of our annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 27, 2023. Our material cash requirements relate mostly to future (i) debt payments, including expected interest expense, calculated based on current interest rates, (ii) restaurant operating lease payments, (iii) purchasing commitments for chicken, (iv) restaurant finance lease payments, and (v) capital expenditures .
Share Repurchase Program
On November 2, 2023, we announced that our Board of Directors approved a share repurchase program (“Share Repurchase Program”) under which we are authorized to repurchase up to $20,000,000 of shares of our common stock. Under the Share Repurchase Program, we are permitted to repurchase our common stock from time to time, in amounts and at prices that we deemed appropriate, subject to market conditions and other considerations. Pursuant to the Share Repurchase Program, we are authorized to effect repurchases using open market purchases, including pursuant to Rule 10b5-1 trading plans, and/or through privately negotiated transactions. The repurchase program does not obligate us to acquire any particular number of shares. The repurchase program will terminate on March 31, 2025.
Further, on December 4, 2023, we repurchased 1.5 million shares for a total purchase price of $12.6 million under the Stock Repurchase Agreement with FS Equity Partners V, L.P. and FS Affiliates V, L.P. Following completion of this repurchase, approximately $7.4 million of our common stock remained available for repurchase under the share repurchase program at December 27, 2023.
For the thirteen weeks ended March 27, 2024, we repurchased 136,400 shares of common stock under the Share Repurchase Program, using open market purchases, for total consideration of approximately $1.2 million. Following completion of these repurchases, approximately $6.2 million of our common stock remained available for repurchase under the Share Repurchase Program at March 27, 2024.
Text extracted from the filing as submitted to EDGAR. Formatting, tables and exhibits are simplified for reading; the original document is authoritative for anything you rely on.