NATHANS FAMOUS, INC. - Quarter Report: 2007 December (Form 10-Q)
FORM
10-Q
SECURITIES
AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington,
D.C. 20549
(Mark
One)
x
|
QUARTERLY
REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE
ACT OF
1934
|
For
the quarterly period ended December
23, 2007.
|
o
|
TRANSITION
REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE
ACT OF 1934
|
For
the transition period from ___________
to
___________.
|
Commission
file number 0-3189
NATHAN'S
FAMOUS, INC.
(Exact
name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Delaware
|
11-3166443
|
(State
or other jurisdiction of incorporation
or organization)
|
(I.R.S.
Employer Identification
No.)
|
1400
Old Country Road, Westbury, New York 11590
(Address
of principal executive offices)
(Zip
Code)
(516)
338-8500
(Registrant's
telephone number, including area code)
________________________________________________________________
(Former
name, former address and former fiscal year, if changed since last
report)
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to
be
filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during
the
preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required
to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements
for
the past 90 days.
Yes
x
No
o
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an
accelerated filer, or a non-accelerated filer. See definition of accelerated
filer and large accelerated filer in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
(Check
One): Large accelerated filer o
Accelerated filer o
Non-accelerated filer x
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule
12b-2 of the Exchange Act).
Yes
o
No x
At February
1, 2008, an aggregate of 6,095,683 shares of the registrant's common stock,
par
value of $.01, were outstanding.
NATHAN'S
FAMOUS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
INDEX
Page
Number |
||||
PART I. | FINANCIAL INFORMATION | |||
Item 1. |
Consolidated
Financial Statements (Unaudited)
|
3
|
||
|
||||
Consolidated
Balance Sheets - December 23, 2007 and March
25, 2007
|
3
|
|||
|
||||
Consolidated
Statements of Earnings - Thirteen Weeks Ended
December 23, 2007 and December 24, 2006
|
4
|
|||
|
||||
Consolidated
Statements of Earnings - Thirty-nine Weeks Ended
December 23, 2007 and December 24, 2006
|
5
|
|||
|
||||
Consolidated
Statement of Stockholders' Equity - Thirty-nine
Weeks Ended December 23, 2007
|
6
|
|||
|
||||
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows -Thirty-nine Weeks Ended December 23, 2007 and December 24, 2006 |
7
|
|||
|
||||
Notes
to Consolidated Financial Statements
|
8
|
|||
|
||||
Item 2. |
Management's
Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition
and Results of Operations
|
15
|
||
|
||||
Item 3. |
Quantitative
and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk
|
21
|
||
Item 4T. |
Controls
and Procedures
|
21
|
||
PART II. |
OTHER
INFORMATION
|
|||
Item 1. |
Legal
Proceedings
|
23
|
||
Item 1A. |
Risk
Factors
|
23
|
||
Item 2. |
Unregistered
Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds
|
26
|
||
Item 6. | Exhibits |
26
|
||
SIGNATURES |
27
|
|||
Exhibit Index |
28
|
2
PART
I.
FINANCIAL INFORMATION
Item
1. Consolidated Financial Statements
Nathan’s
Famous, Inc. and Subsidiaries
CONSOLIDATED
BALANCE SHEETS
(in
thousands, except share and per share amounts)
|
December
23, 2007
|
March
25, 2007
|
|||||
(Unaudited)
|
(Note
D)
|
||||||
ASSETS
|
|||||||
CURRENT
ASSETS
|
|||||||
Cash
and cash equivalents
|
$
|
10,143
|
$
|
6,278
|
|||
Marketable
securities
|
23,141
|
22,785
|
|||||
Accounts
receivable, net
|
4,111
|
3,261
|
|||||
Note
receivable
|
594
|
-
|
|||||
Inventories
|
798
|
790
|
|||||
Prepaid
expenses and other current assets
|
947
|
994
|
|||||
Deferred
income taxes
|
987
|
1,174
|
|||||
Current
assets held for sale
|
-
|
1,539
|
|||||
Total
current assets
|
40,721
|
36,821
|
|||||
Note
receivable
|
1,461
|
-
|
|||||
Property
and equipment, net
|
4,418
|
4,222
|
|||||
Goodwill
|
95
|
95
|
|||||
Intangible
assets, net
|
1,756
|
1,781
|
|||||
Deferred
income taxes
|
1,151
|
990
|
|||||
Other
assets, net
|
272
|
178
|
|||||
Non-current
assets held for sale
|
-
|
2,488
|
|||||
$
|
49,874
|
$
|
46,575
|
||||
LIABILITIES
AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
|
|||||||
CURRENT
LIABILITIES
|
|||||||
Accounts
payable
|
$
|
2,121
|
$
|
2,298
|
|||
Accrued
expenses and other current liabilities
|
4,814
|
4,767
|
|||||
Deferred
franchise fees
|
292
|
375
|
|||||
Current
liabilities held for sale
|
-
|
2,006
|
|||||
Total
current liabilities
|
7,227
|
9,446
|
|||||
Other
liabilities
|
1,567
|
873
|
|||||
Non-current
liabilities held for sale
|
-
|
377
|
|||||
Total
liabilities
|
8,794
|
10,696
|
|||||
COMMITMENTS
AND CONTINGENCIES (Note I)
|
|||||||
STOCKHOLDERS’
EQUITY
|
|||||||
Common
stock, $.01 par value; 30,000,000 shares authorized;
|
|||||||
8,091,683
and 7,909,183 shares issued; and 6,091,683 and 6,018,083
|
|||||||
shares
outstanding at December 23, 2007 and March 25, 2007,
respectively
|
81
|
79
|
|||||
Additional
paid-in capital
|
47,047
|
45,792
|
|||||
Deferred
compensation
|
(
82
|
)
|
(
136
|
)
|
|||
Retained
earnings / (accumulated deficit)
|
2,994
|
(2,654
|
)
|
||||
Accumulated
other comprehensive income (loss)
|
126
|
(
44
|
)
|
||||
50,166
|
43,037
|
||||||
Treasury
stock, at cost, 2,000,000 shares at December 23, 2007 and 1,891,100
shares
at March 25, 2007.
|
(9,086
|
)
|
(7,158
|
)
|
|||
Total
stockholders’ equity
|
41,080
|
35,879
|
|||||
$
|
49,874
|
$
|
46,575
|
The
accompanying notes are an integral part of these statements.
3
Nathan’s
Famous, Inc. and Subsidiaries
CONSOLIDATED
STATEMENTS OF EARNINGS
Thirteen
weeks ended December 23, 2007 and December 24, 2006
(in
thousands, except share and per share amounts)
(Unaudited)
December
23,
2007 |
December
24,
2006 |
||||||
(Note
D)
|
|||||||
REVENUES
|
|||||||
Sales
|
$
|
7,775
|
$
|
7,695
|
|||
Franchise
fees and royalties
|
1,267
|
1,151
|
|||||
License
royalties
|
924
|
844
|
|||||
Interest
income
|
287
|
176
|
|||||
Other
income
|
27
|
10
|
|||||
Total
revenues
|
10,280
|
9,876
|
|||||
COSTS
AND EXPENSES
|
|||||||
Cost
of sales
|
5,883
|
5,689
|
|||||
Restaurant
operating expenses
|
715
|
715
|
|||||
Depreciation
and amortization
|
190
|
186
|
|||||
Amortization
of intangible assets
|
8
|
9
|
|||||
General
and administrative expenses
|
2,172
|
2,051
|
|||||
Total
costs and expenses
|
8,968
|
8,650
|
|||||
Income
from continuing operations before provision
|
|||||||
for
income taxes
|
1,312
|
1,226
|
|||||
Provision
for income taxes
|
435
|
406
|
|||||
Income
from continuing operations
|
877
|
820
|
|||||
Income
from discontinued operations before provision
for income taxes |
-
|
407
|
|||||
Provision
for income taxes
|
-
|
166
|
|||||
Income
from discontinued operations
|
-
|
241
|
|||||
Net
income
|
$
|
877
|
$
|
1,061
|
|||
PER
SHARE INFORMATION
|
|||||||
Basic
income per share:
|
|||||||
Income
from continuing operations
|
$
|
.14
|
$
|
.14
|
|||
Income
from discontinued operations
|
-
|
.04
|
|||||
Net
income
|
$
|
.14
|
$
|
.18
|
|||
Diluted
income per share:
|
|||||||
Income
from continuing operations
|
$
|
.14
|
$
|
.13
|
|||
Income
from discontinued operations
|
-
|
.04
|
|||||
Net
income
|
$
|
.14
|
$
|
.17
|
|||
Weighted
average shares used in computing income
|
|||||||
per
share
|
|||||||
Basic
|
6,092,000
|
5,892,000
|
|||||
Diluted
|
6,492,000
|
6,401,000
|
The
accompanying notes are an integral part of these statements.
4
Nathan’s
Famous, Inc. and Subsidiaries
CONSOLIDATED
STATEMENTS OF EARNINGS
Thirty-nine
weeks ended December 23, 2007 and December 24, 2006
(in
thousands, except share and per share amounts)
(Unaudited)
December
23,
2007 |
December
24,
2006 |
||||||
(Note
D)
|
|||||||
REVENUES
|
|||||||
Sales
|
$
|
28,853
|
$
|
27,086
|
|||
Franchise
fees and royalties
|
3,958
|
3,490
|
|||||
License
royalties
|
3,384
|
2,927
|
|||||
Interest
income
|
811
|
453
|
|||||
Other
income
|
115
|
52
|
|||||
Total
revenues
|
37,121
|
34,008
|
|||||
COSTS
AND EXPENSES
|
|||||||
Cost
of sales
|
21,294
|
19,212
|
|||||
Restaurant
operating expenses
|
2,466
|
2,418
|
|||||
Depreciation
and amortization
|
564
|
556
|
|||||
Amortization
of intangible assets
|
25
|
26
|
|||||
General
and administrative expenses
|
6,395
|
6,166
|
|||||
Total
costs and expenses
|
30,744
|
28,378
|
|||||
Income
from continuing operations before provision
|
|||||||
for
income taxes
|
6,377
|
5,630
|
|||||
Provision
for income taxes
|
2,302
|
2,112
|
|||||
Income
from continuing operations
|
4,075
|
3,518
|
|||||
Income
from discontinued operations before provision
for income taxes, including gains on disposal of discontinued operations of $2,489 in 2007 and $400 in 2006 |
2,711
|
1,332
|
|||||
Provision
for income taxes
|
983
|
549
|
|||||
Income
from discontinued operations
|
1,728
|
783
|
|||||
Net
income
|
$
|
5,803
|
$
|
4,301
|
|||
PER
SHARE INFORMATION
|
|||||||
Basic
income per share:
|
|||||||
Income
from continuing operations
|
$
|
.67
|
$
|
.61
|
|||
Income
from discontinued operations
|
.29
|
.13
|
|||||
Net
income
|
$
|
.96
|
$
|
.74
|
|||
Diluted
income per share:
|
|||||||
Income
from continuing operations
|
$
|
.63
|
$
|
.56
|
|||
Income
from discontinued operations
|
.26
|
.12
|
|||||
Net
income
|
$
|
.89
|
$
|
.68
|
|||
Weighted
average shares used in computing income
|
|||||||
per
share
|
|||||||
Basic
|
6,076,000
|
5,799,000
|
|||||
Diluted
|
6,518,000
|
6,311,000
|
The
accompanying notes are an integral part of these statements.
5
Nathan’s
Famous, Inc. and Subsidiaries
CONSOLIDATED
STATEMENT OF STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
Thirty-nine
weeks ended December 23, 2007
(in
thousands, except share amounts)
(Unaudited)
Common
Shares
|
Common
Stock
|
Additional
Paid-in
Capital
|
Deferred
Compensation
|
Retained
Earnings/
(Accumulated
Deficit)
|
Accumulated
Other
Comprehensive
Income
(Loss)
|
Total
Stockholders’
Equity
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
Treasury
Stock, at Cost
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Shares
|
Amount
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Balance,
March 25, 2007
|
7,909,183
|
$
|
79
|
$
|
45,792
|
$
|
(136
|
)
|
$
|
(2,654
|
)
|
$
|
(44
|
)
|
1,891,100
|
$
|
(7,158
|
)
|
$
|
35,879
|
||||||||
Shares
issued in connection with the exercise of employee stock options
and
warrant
|
182,500
|
2
|
589
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
591
|
|||||||||||||||||||
Income
tax benefit on stock option and warrant exercises
|
-
|
-
|
415
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
415
|
|||||||||||||||||||
Share-based
compensation
|
-
|
-
|
251
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
251
|
|||||||||||||||||||
Repurchase
of common stock
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
108,900
|
(1,928
|
)
|
(1,928
|
)
|
|||||||||||||||||
Amortization
of deferred compensation relating to restricted stock
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
54
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
54
|
|||||||||||||||||||
Cumulative
effect of the adoption of FIN No. 48 as of March 26, 2007 (Note
C)
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
(155
|
)
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
(155
|
)
|
|||||||||||||||||
Unrealized
gains on marketable securities, net of deferred income tax of
$115
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
170
|
-
|
-
|
170
|
|||||||||||||||||||
Net
income
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
5,803
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
5,803
|
|||||||||||||||||||
Balance,
December 23, 2007
|
8,091,683
|
$
|
81 | $ |
47,047
|
$ | (82 | ) | $ | 2,994 | $ | 126 |
2,000,000
|
$ | (9,086 | ) | $ | 41,080 |
The
accompanying notes are an integral part of these statements.
6
Nathan’s
Famous, Inc. and Subsidiaries
CONSOLIDATED
STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
Thirty-nine
weeks ended December 23, 2007 and December 24, 2006
(in
thousands)
(Unaudited)
December
23,
2007 |
December
24,
2006 |
||||||
Cash
flows from operating activities:
|
|||||||
Net
income
|
$
|
5,803
|
$
|
4,301
|
|||
Adjustments
to reconcile net income to net cash
|
|||||||
provided
by operating activities
|
|||||||
Depreciation
and amortization
|
567
|
591
|
|||||
Amortization
of intangible assets
|
69
|
197
|
|||||
Amortization
of bond premium
|
218
|
198
|
|||||
Amortization
of deferred compensation
|
54
|
54
|
|||||
Share-based
compensation expense
|
251
|
208
|
|||||
Provision
for doubtful accounts
|
-
|
8
|
|||||
Gain
on sale of subsidiary and leasehold interest
|
(2,489
|
)
|
(419
|
)
|
|||
Deferred
income taxes
|
(24
|
)
|
144
|
||||
Changes
in operating assets and liabilities:
|
|||||||
Accounts
receivable, net
|
(640
|
)
|
(763
|
)
|
|||
Inventories
|
(8
|
)
|
289
|
||||
Prepaid
expenses and other current assets
|
(46
|
)
|
338
|
||||
Other
assets
|
(1
|
)
|
30
|
||||
Accounts
payable, accrued expenses and other current liabilities
|
(829
|
)
|
370
|
||||
Deferred
franchise fees
|
(83
|
)
|
180
|
||||
Other
liabilities
|
557
|
72
|
|||||
Net
cash provided by operating activities
|
3,399
|
5,798
|
|||||
Cash
flows from investing activities:
|
|||||||
Proceeds
from sale of subsidiary and leasehold interest, net of cash
sold
|
1,691
|
400
|
|||||
Purchase
of available-for-sale securities
|
(1,089
|
)
|
(4,467
|
)
|
|||
Proceeds
from sale of available-for-sale securities
|
800
|
-
|
|||||
Purchase
of intellectual property
|
-
|
(7
|
)
|
||||
Purchases
of property and equipment
|
(763
|
)
|
(356
|
)
|
|||
Payments
received on notes receivable
|
95
|
59
|
|||||
Net
cash provided by (used in) investing activities
|
734
|
(4,371
|
)
|
||||
Cash
flows from financing activities:
|
|||||||
Repurchase
of common stock
|
(1,928
|
)
|
-
|
||||
Principal
repayments of capitalized lease obligation
|
-
|
(39
|
)
|
||||
Income
tax benefit on stock option exercises
|
415
|
857
|
|||||
Proceeds
from the exercise of stock options and warrant
|
591
|
284
|
|||||
|
|||||||
Net
cash (used in) provided by financing activities
|
(922
|
)
|
1,102
|
||||
Net
increase in cash and cash equivalents
|
3,211
|
2,529
|
|||||
Cash
and cash equivalents, beginning of period
|
6,932
|
3,009
|
|||||
Cash
and cash equivalents, end of period
|
$
|
10,143
|
$
|
5,538
|
|||
Cash
paid during the period for:
|
|||||||
Interest
|
$
|
-
|
$
|
1
|
|||
Income
taxes
|
$
|
2,539
|
$
|
1,150
|
|||
Noncash
Financing Activities:
|
|||||||
Loan
made in connection with the sale of subsidiary
|
$
|
2,150
|
$
|
-
|
The
accompanying notes are an integral part of these statements.
7
NATHAN'S
FAMOUS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES
TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
December
23, 2007
(Unaudited)
NOTE
A -
BASIS OF PRESENTATION
The
accompanying consolidated financial statements of Nathan's Famous, Inc. and
subsidiaries (collectively “Nathan’s”, the “Company” or “we”) for the thirteen
and thirty-nine week periods ended December 23, 2007 and December 24, 2006
have
been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in
the
United States of America. The unaudited financial statements include all
adjustments (consisting of normal recurring adjustments) which, in the opinion
of management, are necessary for a fair presentation of financial condition,
results of operations and cash flows for the periods presented. However, these
results are not necessarily indicative of results for any other interim period
or the full fiscal year.
Certain
information and footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements
in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States
of America have been omitted pursuant to the requirements of the Securities
and
Exchange Commission. Management believes that the disclosures included in the
accompanying interim financial statements and footnotes are adequate to make
the
information not misleading, but should be read in conjunction with the
consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in Nathan’s Annual
Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended March 25, 2007.
A
summary
of the Company’s significant accounting policies is identified in Note B of the
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in the Company’s 2007 Annual
Report on Form 10-K. There have been no changes to the Company’s significant
accounting policies subsequent to March 25, 2007, except as described in Note
C,
“Adoption of Accounting Pronouncements”.
On
June
7, 2007, Nathan’s completed the sale of its wholly-owned subsidiary, Miami Subs
Corporation (See Note D).
NOTE
B -
RECENTLY ISSUED ACCOUNTING STANDARDS -NOT YET ADOPTED
In
September 2006, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued SFAS
No. 157, “Fair Value Measurements”
(“SFAS
No. 157”), to eliminate the diversity in practice that exists due to the
different definitions of fair value. SFAS No. 157 retains the exchange price
notion in earlier definitions of fair value, but clarifies that the exchange
price is the price in an orderly transaction between market participants to
sell
an asset or liability in the principal or most advantageous market for the
asset
or liability. SFAS No. 157 states that the transaction is hypothetical at the
measurement date, considered from the perspective of the market participant
who
holds the asset or liability. As such, fair value is defined as the price that
would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly
transaction between market participants at the measurement date (an exit price),
as opposed to the price that would be paid to acquire the asset or received
to
assume the liability at the measurement date (an entry price). SFAS No. 157
is
effective for fiscal years beginning after November 15, 2007,
which will be our fiscal 2009.
We
continue to evaluate the impact the adoption of SFAS No. 157 will have on our
consolidated financial statements.
In
February 2007, the FASB issued SFAS No.159, “The Fair Value Option for Financial
Assets and Financial Liabilities — Including an amendment of FASB Statement
No. 115” (“SFAS
No. 159”). This
standard amends SFAS No.115, “Accounting for Certain Investment in Debt and
Equity Securities”, with respect to accounting for a transfer to the trading
category for all entities with available-for-sale and trading securities
electing the fair value option. This standard allows companies to elect fair
value accounting for many financial instruments and other items that currently
are not required to be accounted for as such, allows different applications
for
electing the option for a single item or groups of items, and requires
disclosures to facilitate comparisons of similar assets and liabilities that
are
accounted for differently in relation to the fair value option. SFAS No.
159 is effective for fiscal years beginning after November 15, 2007, which
will be our fiscal 2009.
We
continue to evaluate the impact of SFAS No.159 on our consolidated
financial position and results of operations.
In
December 2007, the FASB issued SFAS No. 141 (revised 2007), “Business
Combinations” (“SFAS
No. 141R”), which establishes principles and requirements for how an acquirer
recognizes and measures in its financial statements the identifiable assets
acquired, the liabilities assumed, and any noncontrolling interest in an
acquiree, including the recognition and measurement of goodwill acquired in
a
business combination. The requirements of SFAS No. 141R are effective for fiscal
years beginning on or after December 15, 2008, which for us is fiscal 2010.
Earlier adoption is prohibited. We have not yet evaluated the impact of SFAS
No.
141R on our consolidated financial position and results of
operations.
In
December 2007, the FASB issued SFAS No. 160, “Noncontrolling Interests in
Consolidated Financial Statements — an amendment of ARB No. 51” (“SFAS
No.160”). SFAS No. 160 amends ARB No. 51 to establish accounting and reporting
standards for the noncontrolling interest in a subsidiary and for the
deconsolidation of a subsidiary. It clarifies that a noncontrolling interest
in
a subsidiary, which is sometimes referred to as minority interest, is an
ownership interest in the consolidated entity that should be reported as equity
in the consolidated financial statements. Among other requirements, this
statement requires consolidated net income to be reported at amounts that
include the amounts attributable to both the parent and the noncontrolling
interest. It also requires disclosure, on the face of the consolidated income
statement, of the amounts of consolidated net income attributable to the parent
and to the noncontrolling interest. SFAS No. 160 is effective for fiscal years,
and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning on or after
December 15, 2008, which for us is the first quarter of fiscal 2010.
Earlier adoption is prohibited. We have not yet evaluated the impact of SFAS
No.
160 on our consolidated financial position and results of operations.
8
NOTE
C -
ADOPTION OF ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS
In
July
2006, the FASB issued FASB Interpretation No. 48, "Accounting for Uncertainty
in
Income Taxes” ("FIN No. 48"), which clarified the accounting and disclosures for
uncertainty in income taxes recognized in the financial statements in accordance
with SFAS No. 109, "Accounting for Income Taxes." FIN No. 48 also provided
guidance on the de-recognition of uncertain tax positions, financial statement
classification, accounting for interest and penalties, accounting for interim
periods and added new disclosure requirements.
In
May
2007, the FASB issued FASB Staff Position (“FSP”) No. FIN 48-1,“Definition
of Settlement in FASB Interpretation No. 48”,
an
amendment of FASB Interpretation FIN No. 48, “Accounting for Uncertainty in
Income Taxes”, (“FIN No. 48-1”) to clarify that a tax position is effectively
settled for the purpose of recognizing previously unrecognized tax benefits
in
accordance with paragraph 10(b) of that Interpretation if (a) the taxing
authority has completed all of its required or expected examination procedures,
(b) the enterprise does not intend to appeal or litigate any aspect of the
tax
position, and (c) it is considered remote that the taxing authority would
reexamine the tax position. FIN No. 48-1 also conforms the terminology used
in
FIN No. 48 to describe measurement and recognition to the conclusions reached
in
the FSP. FIN No. 48-1 is effective as of the same dates as FIN No. 48, with
retrospective application required for entities that have not applied FIN No.
48
in a manner consistent with the provisions of the FSP.
Nathan’s
adopted the provisions of FIN No. 48 and FIN No. 48-1 on March 26, 2007 which
resulted in a $155,000 adjustment to increase tax liabilities and decrease
opening retained earnings in connection with a cumulative effect of a change
in
accounting principle. The amount of unrecognized tax benefits at December 23,
2007 was $813,000, all of which would impact Nathan’s effective tax rate, if
recognized. Nathan’s recognizes accrued interest and penalties associated with
unrecognized tax benefits as part of the income tax provision. As of December
23, 2007, Nathan’s had $296,000 of
accrued interest and penalties in connection with unrecognized tax benefits.
There
was
no material change in the amount of uncertain tax benefits recognized during
the
thirteen and thirty-nine week periods ended December 23, 2007. It is possible
that the amount of unrecognized tax benefits could change in the next 12 months,
however, Nathan’s does not expect the change to have a significant impact on its
results of operations or financial position during the next 12
months.
NOTE
D -
DISCONTINUED OPERATIONS
The
Company follows the provisions of SFAS No. 144, "Accounting for the Impairment
or Disposal of Long-Lived Assets" ("SFAS No.144"), related to the accounting
and
reporting for components of a business to be disposed of. In accordance with
SFAS No. 144, the definition of discontinued operations includes components
of
an entity whose cash flows are clearly identifiable. SFAS No. 144 requires
the
Company to classify as discontinued operations any restaurant, property or
business unit that Nathan’s sells, abandons or otherwise disposes of where the
Company will have no further involvement in the operation of, or cash flows
from, such restaurant, property or business unit 's operations.
1.
Sale
of Miami Subs
On
June
7, 2007, Nathan’s completed the sale of its wholly-owned subsidiary, Miami Subs
Corporation (“Miami Subs”) to Miami Subs Capital Partners I, Inc. (“Purchaser”).
Pursuant to the Stock Purchase Agreement (“Agreement”), Nathan’s sold all of the
stock of Miami Subs in exchange for $3,250,000, consisting of $850,000 in cash
and the Purchaser’s promissory note in the principal amount of $2,400,000 (the
“Note”). The Note bears interest at 8% per annum, is payable over a four-year
term and is secured by a lien on all of the assets of Miami Subs and by the
personal guarantees of two principals of the Purchaser. The Purchaser may also
prepay the Note at any time. In the event the Note is fully repaid within one
year, Nathan’s will reduce the amount due by $250,000. Due to the ability to
prepay the loan and reduce the amount due, the recognition of the additional
$250,000 has been deferred. In accordance with the Agreement, Nathan’s retained
ownership of Miami Subs’ then corporate office in Fort Lauderdale, Florida (the
“Corporate Office”).
9
The
following
is a summary of the assets and liabilities of Miami Subs, as of the date of
sale, that were sold:
Cash | $ | 674,000 | (A) | |
Accounts receivable, net | 213,000 | |||
Notes receivable, net | 153,000 | |||
Prepaid expenses and other current assets | 119,000 | |||
Deferred income taxes, net | 719,000 | |||
Property and equipment, net | 48,000 | |||
Intangible assets, net | 1,803,000 | |||
Other assets, net | 46,000 | |||
Total
assets sold
|
3,775,000 | |||
Accounts payable | 27,000 | |||
Accrued expenses | 1,373,000 | (A) | ||
Other liabilities | 395,000 | |||
Total
liabilities sold
|
1,795,000 | |||
Net assets sold | $ | 1,980,000 |
(A)
-
Includes unexpended marketing funds of $565,000.
In
connection with the Agreement, Purchaser may continue to sell Nathan’s Famous
and Arthur Treachers’ products within the existing restaurant system in exchange
for a royalty payment of 35% of all royalties contractually due from Miami
Subs
franchisees on such sales.
Nathan’s
agreed to provide the Purchaser with office space within the Corporate Office
for a one-year period, rent-free. Common area charges have been reimbursed
and
are expected to continue to be reimbursed on a prorated basis. Nathan’s and
Purchaser also agreed to share personnel expenses related to the purchasing
of
food and paper products for both restaurant systems, previously provided by
Miami Subs employees. Prior to the sale, this function was performed on a
combined basis. The personnel separation has been completed and only a few
contracts remain to be separated. Nathan’s had also agreed to provide Purchaser
with certain back office support functions for a period of up to six months.
These back office services have been concluded.
As
a
result of the transaction, the employment agreement between Miami Subs and
its
then President and Chief Operating Officer (who also serves as an executive
officer of Nathan’s), has been cancelled and a new employment agreement was
entered into with Nathan’s on the same terms and conditions. A change of control
agreement with another senior executive of Miami Subs has been cancelled and
a
new agreement was entered into with Nathan’s on the same terms and conditions.
At
the
time of sale, a severance agreement, previously entered into between Miami
Subs
and one executive of Miami Subs, remained in force along with the guaranty
by
Nathan’s of Miami Subs’ obligations under that agreement. The agreement provided
for a severance payment of $115,000 payable in six (6) monthly installments
and
payment for post-employment health benefits for the employee and dependants
for
the maximum period permitted under Federal Law. The executive terminated his
employment with Miami Subs, effective October 5, 2007 and agreed to receive
his
severance payment over a 56 week period. Nathan’s has the right to seek
reimbursement from Miami Subs in the event that Nathan’s must make payments
under the guarantee of the agreement. Nathan’s initially recorded a liability of
$115,000 for this guarantee at the date of sale, of which $93,000 remains
outstanding at December 23, 2007 due to payments made by Miami Subs. Nathan’s
has not been required to make any payments under this guarantee.
Nathan’s
has realized a gain on the sale of Miami Subs of $983,000, net of professional
fees of $37,000 and recorded income taxes of $334,000 on the gain. Nathan’s has
determined that it will not have any significant cash flows or continuing
involvement in the ongoing operations of Miami Subs. Therefore, the results
of
operations for Miami Subs, including the gain on disposal, have been presented
as discontinued operations for all periods presented. The accompanying balance
sheet for the fiscal year ended March 25, 2007, has been revised to reflect
the
assets and liabilities of Miami Subs that were subsequently sold, as held for
sale as of that date.
2.
Other
Dispositions
On
January 26, 2006, two of Nathan’s wholly-owned subsidiaries entered into a Lease
Termination Agreement with respect to three leased properties in Fort
Lauderdale, Florida, with its landlord, and CVS 3285 FL, L.L.C., (“CVS”) to sell
our leasehold interests to CVS for $2,000,000. As the properties were subject
to
certain sublease and management agreements between Nathan’s and the then-current
occupants, Nathan’s made payments to, or forgave indebtedness of, the
then-current occupants of the properties and paid brokerage commissions of
$494,000 in the aggregate. Nathan’s made the property available to the buyer by
May 29, 2007, and Nathan’s received the proceeds of the sale on June 5, 2007.
Nathan’s recognized a gain of $1,506,000 and recorded income taxes of $557,000
during the thirty-nine week period ended December 23, 2007. The results of
operations for these properties, including the gain on disposal, have been
included as discontinued operations for all periods presented.
10
In
October 2006, Nathan’s recognized income of $400,000 representing the remaining
balance that it was owed pursuant to a sale of a leasehold interest in Brooklyn,
New York that was outstanding as of March 26, 2006.
The
following is a summary of all discontinued operations for the thirteen and
thirty-nine week periods ended December 23, 2007 and December 24,
2006:
Thirteen
weeks ended December 23, 2007
|
Thirteen
weeks ended December 24, 2006 |
Thirty-nine
weeks ended December 23, 2007 |
Thirty-nine
weeks ended December 24, 2006 |
||||||||||
(in
thousands)
|
(in
thousands)
|
(in
thousands)
|
(in
thousands)
|
||||||||||
Revenues
(excluding gains from dispositions in 2007 and
2006)
|
$
|
0
|
$
|
718
|
$
|
430
|
$
|
1,993
|
|||||
Gain
from dispositions before income taxes
|
$
|
0
|
$
|
0
|
$
|
2,489
|
$
|
400
|
|||||
Income
before income taxes
|
$
|
0
|
$
|
407
|
$
|
2,711
|
$
|
1,332
|
NOTE
E -
INCOME PER SHARE
Basic
income per common share is calculated by dividing income by the weighted-average
number of common shares outstanding and excludes any dilutive effect of stock
options or warrants. Diluted income per common share gives effect to all
potentially dilutive common shares that were outstanding during the period.
Dilutive common shares used in the computation of diluted income per common
share result from the assumed exercise of stock options and warrants, as
determined using the treasury stock method.
The
following chart provides a reconciliation of information used in calculating
the
per share amounts for the thirteen and thirty-nine week periods ended December
23, 2007 and December 24, 2006, respectively.
Thirteen
weeks
Income
from
Continuing Operations |
Number
of Shares
|
Income
from
Continuing Operations Per Share |
|||||||||||||||||
2007
|
2006
|
2007
|
2006
|
2007
|
2006
|
||||||||||||||
(in
thousands)
|
(in
thousands)
|
|
|||||||||||||||||
Basic EPS | $ | 877 | $ | 820 | 6,092 | 5,892 | $ | 0.14 | $ | 0.14 | |||||||||
Basic
calculation
|
|||||||||||||||||||
Effect
of dilutive employee stock options and warrants
|
- | - | 400 | 509 | (0.00 | ) | (0.01 | ) | |||||||||||
Diluted EPS | |||||||||||||||||||
Diluted
calculation
|
$ | 877 | $ | 820 | 6,492 | 6,401 | $ | 0.14 | $ | 0.13 |
Thirty-nine
weeks
Income
from
Continuing Operations |
Number
of Shares
|
Income
from
Continuing Operations Per Share |
|||||||||||||||||
2007
|
2006
|
2007
|
2006
|
2007
|
2006
|
||||||||||||||
(in
thousands)
|
(in
thousands)
|
|
|||||||||||||||||
Basic EPS | $ | 4,075 | $ | 3,518 | 6,076 | 5,799 | $ | 0.67 | $ | 0.61 | |||||||||
Basic
calculation
|
|||||||||||||||||||
Effect
of dilutive employee stock options and warrants
|
- | - | 442 | 512 | (0.04 | ) | (0.05 | ) | |||||||||||
Diluted EPS | |||||||||||||||||||
Diluted
calculation
|
$ | 4,075 | $ | 3,518 | 6,518 | 6,311 | $ | 0.63 | $ | 0.56 |
Options
and warrants to purchase 110,000 and 37,000 shares of common stock in the
thirteen and thirty-nine week periods ended December 23, 2007, respectively,
were not included in the computation of diluted EPS because the exercise prices
exceeded the average market price of common shares during the period. Options
and warrants to purchase -0- and 131,667 shares
of
common stock in the thirteen and thirty-nine week periods ended December 24,
2006, respectively, were not included in the computation of diluted EPS because
the exercise prices exceeded the average market price of common shares during
the period.
11
NOTE
F -
SHARE-BASED COMPENSATION
Total
share-based compensation during the thirteen and thirty-nine week periods ended
December 23, 2007 was $124,000 and $305,000, respectively. Total share-based
compensation during the thirteen and thirty-nine week periods ended December
24,
2006 was $105,000 and
$262,000, respectively. Total share-based compensation is included in general
and administrative expense in our accompanying Consolidated Statements of
Earnings. As of December 23, 2007, there was $1,435,000 of
unamortized compensation expense related to stock options. We expect to
recognize this expense over approximately three years, nine months, which
represents the weighted average remaining requisite service periods for such
awards.
During
the thirty-nine weeks ended December 23, 2007, the Company granted
110,000 stock
options having an exercise price of $17.43 per share, all of which expire five
years from the date of grant. 60,000 of the options granted will be vested
as
follows: 25% on the first anniversary of the grant, 50% on the second
anniversary of the grant, 75% on the third anniversary of the grant and 100%
on
the fourth anniversary of the grant. 50,000 of the options granted will be
vested as follows: 33.3% on the first anniversary of the grant, 66.7% on the
second anniversary of the grant and 100% on the third anniversary of the grant.
During
the thirty-nine weeks ended December 24, 2006, the Company granted
197,500 stock
options having an exercise price of $13.08 per share, all of which expire ten
years from the date of grant. All 197,500 options granted will be vested as
follows: 20% on the first anniversary of the grant, 40% on the second
anniversary of the grant, 60% on the third anniversary of the grant, 80% on
the
fourth anniversary of the grant and 100% on the fifth anniversary of the grant.
The
weighted-average option fair values, as determined using the Black-Scholes
option valuation model, and the assumptions used to estimate these values for
stock options granted during the thirty-nine weeks ended December 23, 2007
and
December 24, 2006 are as follows:
Thirty-nine
weeks ended
|
|||||||
December
23,
|
December
24,
|
||||||
2007
|
2006
|
||||||
Weighted-average
option fair values
|
$
|
5.8270
|
$
|
6.1686
|
|||
Expected
life (years)
|
4.25
|
7.0
|
|||||
Interest
rate
|
4.21
|
%
|
5.21
|
%
|
|||
Volatility
|
32.93
|
%
|
34.33
|
%
|
|||
Dividend
yield
|
0
|
%
|
0
|
%
|
In
June
2001, the Company adopted the Nathan’s Famous, Inc. 2001 Stock Option Plan (the
“2001 Plan”), which provided for the issuance of nonqualified stock options to
directors, officers and key employees. Up to 350,000 shares of common stock
were
reserved for issuance upon the exercise of options granted and for future
issuance in connection with awards under the 2001 Plan. As of March 25, 2007,
there were 3,500 shares available to be issued in the future under this plan.
On
September 12, 2007, Nathan’s shareholders approved certain modifications to the
2001 Plan, which increased in the number of options available for future grant
by 275,000 shares. On September 17, 2007, 110,000 stock options were granted
and
there were 168,500 shares available to be issued for future grants under the
2001 Plan.
12
Stock
options and warrant outstanding:
Transactions
with respect to stock options and warrants for the thirty-nine weeks ended
December 23, 2007, are as follows:
Weighted-
|
Weighted-
|
||||||||||||
Average
|
Average
|
Aggregate
|
|||||||||||
Exercise
|
Remaining
|
Intrinsic
|
|||||||||||
Shares
|
Price
|
Contractual
Life
|
Value
|
||||||||||
Options
outstanding at March 25, 2007
|
1,172,308
|
$
|
5.21
|
4.3
|
$
|
10,839,000
|
|||||||
Granted
|
110,000
|
17.43
|
|||||||||||
Expired
|
(8,500
|
)
|
6.20
|
||||||||||
Exercised
|
(32,500
|
)
|
3.19
|
||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||
Options
outstanding at December 23, 2007
|
1,241,308
|
$
|
6.34
|
3.7
|
$
|
13,197,000
|
|||||||
Options
exercisable at December 23, 2007
|
973,308
|
$
|
4.00
|
2.8
|
$
|
12,589,000
|
|||||||
Weighted-average
fair value of options granted
|
$
|
5.83
|
|||||||||||
Warrant
outstanding at March 25, 2007
|
150,000
|
$
|
3.25
|
.3
|
$
|
1,682,000
|
|||||||
Granted
|
-
|
-
|
|||||||||||
Expired
|
-
|
-
|
|||||||||||
Exercised
|
(150,000
|
)
|
3.25
|
||||||||||
Warrant
outstanding at December 23, 2007
|
-
|
$
|
-
|
-
|
$
|
-
|
|||||||
Warrant
exercisable at December 23, 2007
|
-
|
$
|
-
|
-
|
$
|
-
|
The
aggregate intrinsic values of the stock options exercised during the thirteen
weeks ended December 23, 2007 and December
24, 2006, were $0 and
$315,000, respectively. The aggregate intrinsic values of the stock options
exercised
during the thirty-nine weeks ended December 23, 2007 and December 24, 2006
were
$2,631,000 and
$2,109,000, respectively.
NOTE
G -
STOCK REPURCHASE PROGRAM
Through
December 23, 2007, Nathan’s purchased a total of 2,000,000 shares
of
common stock at a cost of approximately $9,086,000 in
completion of the second stock repurchase plan previously authorized by the
Board of Directors. Of these repurchased shares, no shares
were repurchased during the thirteen weeks ended December 23, 2007 and 108,900
shares were repurchased at a cost of $1,928,000 during the thirty-nine weeks
ended December 23, 2007. On November 5, 2007, Nathan’s Board of Directors
authorized a third stock repurchase plan for the purchase of up to 500,000
shares of its common stock on behalf of the Company, of which, there have been
no purchases as of December 23, 2007. Purchases may be made from time to time,
depending on market conditions, in open market or privately negotiated
transactions, at prices deemed appropriate by management. There is no set time
limit on the repurchases.
NOTE
H -
COMPREHENSIVE INCOME
The
components of comprehensive income are as follows:
Thirteen
weeks
ended
December
23,
2007
|
Thirteen
weeks
ended December
24,
2006
|
Thirty-nine
weeks
ended December 23,
2007
|
Thirty-nine
weeks
ended December 24,
2006
|
||||||||||
(in
thousands)
|
(in
thousands)
|
(in
thousands)
|
(in
thousands)
|
||||||||||
Net
income
|
$
|
877
|
$
|
1,061
|
$
|
5,803
|
$
|
4,301
|
|||||
Unrealized
gain (loss) on available-for-sale securities, net of tax expense
(benefit)
of $71, $(13), $115 and $74, respectively
|
106
|
(20
|
)
|
170
|
111
|
||||||||
Comprehensive
income
|
$
|
983
|
$
|
1,041
|
$
|
5,973
|
$
|
4,412
|
13
Accumulated
other comprehensive income (loss) at December 23, 2007 and March 25, 2007
consists entirely of unrealized gains and losses on available-for-sale
securities, net of deferred taxes.
NOTE
I -
COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
1.
Contingencies
On
March
20, 2007, a personal injury lawsuit was initiated seeking unspecified
damages against the Company's subtenant and the Company's master
landlord at a leased property in Huntington, New York. The claim relates
to damages suffered by an individual as a result of an alleged "trip and fall"
on the sidewalk in front of the leased property, maintenance of which is the
subtenant's responsibility. Although the Company was not named as a
defendant in the lawsuit, under its master lease agreement the Company may
have
an obligation to indemnify the master landlord in connection with this
claim. The Company did not maintain its own insurance on the property
concerned at the time of the incident; however, the Company is named as an
additional insured under its subtenant's liability policy.
Accordingly, if the master landlord is found liable for damages and seeks
indemnity from the Company, the Company believes that it would be entitled
to
coverage under the subtenant's insurance policy. Additionally, under
the terms of the sublease, the subtenant is required to indemnify the
Company, regardless of insurance coverage.
The
Company is party to a License Agreement with SMG, Inc. ("SMG") dated as of
February 28, 1994, as amended (the "License Agreement") pursuant to which
SMG
acts as: (i) the Company’s exclusive licensee for the manufacture, distribution,
marketing and sale of packaged Nathan’s
Famous
frankfurter product at supermarkets, club stores and other retail outlets
in the
United States; and (ii) the Company’s primary supplier of frankfurters for the
Company’s Nathan’s
Famous
restaurant system and Branded Products Program. On July 31, 2007, the Company
provided notice to SMG that the Company has elected to terminate the License
Agreement, effective July 31, 2008 (the “Termination Date”), due to SMG's breach
of certain provisions of the License Agreement. SMG has disputed that a breach
has occurred. As a result of this dispute, the Company and SMG each commenced
separate actions against the other. SMG’s action was filed on July 30, 2007 in
state court in Illinois and seeks, among other things, a declaratory judgement
that SMG did not breach the License Agreement and that the Company may not
terminate the License Agreement.The Company's action was filed on August
2,
2007, in New York State court and seeks a declaratory judgment that SMG has
breached the License Agreement and that the Company has properly terminated
the
License Agreement. On January 23, 2008, the New York court granted SMG’s motion
to dismiss the Company’s case in New York on the basis that the dispute was
already the subject of a pending lawsuit in Illinois. At the present time,
the
Company is considering whether to appeal the ruling of the New York court,
and
the Illinois court is considering the Company’s motion to dismiss SMG’s case on
forum
non conveniens and
other
grounds. No assurances regarding the outcome of this matter can be given.
Since
the Company is unable to assess the degree of probability of an unfavorable
outcome or estimated loss or liability, if any, no estimated loss has been
recorded for this matter.
In
addition to the aforementioned, we and our subsidiaries are from time to time
involved in ordinary and routine litigation. Management presently believes
that
the ultimate outcome of any ordinary and routine litigation, individually or
in
the aggregate, will not have a material adverse effect on our financial
position, cash flows or results of operations. Nevertheless, litigation is
subject to inherent uncertainties and unfavorable rulings could occur. An
unfavorable ruling could include money damages and, in such event, could result
in a material adverse impact on our results of operations for the period in
which the ruling occurs.
2.
Guarantees
Nathan’s
had previously guaranteed a severance agreement that was entered into between
Miami Subs and an executive of Miami Subs. The agreement, and therefore the
guarantee, provided for a severance payment of $115,000 payable in bi-weekly
payments for a period of 56 weeks and payment for post-employment health
benefits for the employee and dependants through November 30, 2007. Nathan’s has
the right to seek reimbursement from Miami Subs in the event that Nathan’s must
make payments under the guarantee. Nathan’s initially recorded a liability of
$115,000 at the date of sale in connection with this guarantee, of which $93,000
remains outstanding at December 23, 2007 due to payments made by Miami
Subs.
NOTE
J -
SUBSEQUENT EVENT
On
January 7, 2008, Nathan’s entered into a commitment to purchase 1,785,000 pounds
of hot dogs for $2,642,000 from its primary hot dog manufacturer. Nathan’s has
the right to order this product between April through August 2008. The hot
dogs
to be purchased represent approximately 31.6% of Nathan’s usage during the
comparable period in 2007.
14
Item
2. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results
of
Operations
Introduction
As
used
in this Report, the terms “we”, “us”, “our”, “Nathan’s” or “the Company” mean
Nathan’s Famous, Inc. and its subsidiaries (unless the context indicates a
different meaning).
Our
revenues are generated primarily from selling products under Nathan’s Branded
Product Program, operating Company-owned restaurants, franchising the Nathan’s
restaurant concept, including the Arthur Treacher’s and Kenny Rogers brands, and
licensing the sale of Nathan’s products within supermarkets and other retail
venues. The Branded Product Program enables foodservice operators to offer
Nathans’ hot dogs and other proprietary items for sale within their facilities.
In conjunction with this program, foodservice operators are granted a limited
use of the Nathans’ trademark with respect to the sale of hot dogs and certain
other proprietary food items and paper goods.
We
have
begun a new program of licensing limited menu "Nathan's Famous" ("Limited Menu
Licensed Operations") to be included into new or existing food service
establishments. Pursuant to this program, operators will be permitted to make
limited use of the "Nathan's Famous" trade dress, trademarks and design for
the
purpose of adding only "Nathan's Famous" hot dogs, crinkle-cut French fries
and
a limited number of other approved "Nathan's Famous" menu items to the menu
of a
new or existing food service establishment. The location of the new or existing
food service establishment, the specific manner in which the Limited Menu
Licensed Operation is incorporated into the operation of the food service
establishment and the specific use of our trade dress, trademarks and design
will all be subject to our prior written approval and must meet our
specifications. The initial license fee under a Limited Menu Licensed Operation
is $7,500. Additionally, operators participating in this program will not be
required to pay any royalties on the sale of "Nathan's Famous" products, or
make
any contributions to the “Nathan’s Famous” advertising fund; however, all
products offered through the Limited Menu Licensed Operation must be purchased
from us or a distributor approved by us, and we will make a profit on all such
sales.
On
June
7, 2007, Nathan’s concluded the sale of its subsidiary, Miami Subs Corporation
(“Miami Subs”). The following discussion of continuing operations excludes all
of the Miami Subs operations not retained by Nathan’s. In order to help the
reader better understand Nathan’s continuing operations, certain non-financial
information which was reported on a combined basis has also been included in
this Management Discussion and Analysis. See Note D for a description of the
terms of such sale.
At
December 23, 2007, our combined restaurant system consisted of 318 franchised
or licensed units, including the limited-menu licensed units described above,
and six Company-owned units (including one seasonal unit), located in 23 states
and 11 foreign countries. At December 24, 2006, our combined restaurant system
consisted of 293 franchised
or licensed units and six Company-owned units (including one seasonal unit),
located in 20 states and 11 foreign countries.
The
following summary reflects the franchise openings and closings, excluding the
Miami Subs franchise system which was sold effective May 31, 2007, for the
fiscal years ended March 25, 2007, March 26, 2006, March 27, 2005, March 28,
2004 and March 30, 2003:
March
25,
2007
|
March
26,
2006
|
March
27,
2005
|
March
28,
2004
|
March
30,
2003
|
|||||||||||||||
Franchised
restaurants operating at the beginning of the period
|
290
|
271
|
247
|
237
|
235
|
||||||||||||||
New
franchised restaurants opened during the period
|
19
|
30
|
37
|
36
|
22
|
||||||||||||||
Franchised
restaurants closed during the period
|
(17
|
)
|
(11
|
)
|
(13
|
)
|
(26
|
)
|
(20
|
)
|
|||||||||
Franchised
restaurants operating at the end of the period
|
292
|
290
|
271
|
247
|
237
|
Critical
Accounting Policies and Estimates
As
disclosed in our Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended March 25, 2007, the
discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations
are
based upon our consolidated financial statements, which have been prepared
in
conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States
of
America. The preparation of these financial statements require us to make
estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets,
liabilities, revenues and expenses reported in those financial statements.
These
judgments can be subjective and complex, and consequently, actual results could
differ from those estimates. Our most critical accounting policies and estimates
relate to revenue recognition; impairment of goodwill and other intangible
assets; impairment of long-lived assets; impairment of notes receivable;
share-based compensation and income taxes. Since March 25, 2007, there have
been
no changes in our critical accounting policies or significant changes to the
assumptions and estimates related to them, except for the accounting for
uncertain tax positions in accordance with FIN No. 48, which is discussed in
Note C.
15
Adoption
of Accounting Pronouncements
See
Note
C, on page 9 of this Form 10-Q, for a complete discussion of the impact of
FIN
No.48 on the Company’s financial position and results of
operations.
Recently
Issued Accounting Standards Not Yet Adopted
See
Note
B, on page 8 of this Form 10-Q, for a discussion of recently issued accounting
standards not yet adopted.
Results
of Operations
Thirteen
weeks ended December 23, 2007 compared to thirteen
weeks ended December 24, 2006
Revenues
from Continuing Operations
Total
sales increased by $80,000 or 1.0% to $7,775,000 for the thirteen weeks ended
December 23, 2007 ("third quarter fiscal 2008") as compared to $7,695,000 for
the thirteen weeks ended December 24, 2006 ("third quarter fiscal 2007"). Sales
from the Branded Product Program increased by $48,000 or 1.0% to $4,831,000
for
the third quarter fiscal 2008 as compared to sales of $4,783,000 in the third
quarter fiscal 2007. Total Company-owned restaurant sales (representing five
comparable Nathan’s restaurants) were $2,231,000 as compared to $2,228,000
during the third quarter fiscal 2007. During December 2007, the unfavorable
weather conditions in the Northeast had a negative impact on sales at our
Company-owned locations as compared to December 2006. Sales to our television
retailer during the third quarter fiscal 2008 were approximately $29,000 higher
than the third quarter fiscal 2007. Nathan’s products aired 15 times during the
third quarter fiscal 2008 and the third quarter fiscal 2007.
Franchise
fees and royalties increased by $116,000 or 10.1% to $1,267,000 in the third
quarter fiscal 2008 compared to $1,151,000 in the third quarter fiscal 2007.
Franchise royalties were $1,023,000 in the third quarter fiscal 2008 as compared
to $962,000 in the third quarter fiscal 2007. Franchise restaurant sales
decreased by $112,000 to $23,387,000 in the third quarter fiscal 2008 as
compared to $23,499,000 in the third quarter fiscal 2007. Comparable domestic
franchise sales (consisting of 140 restaurants) decreased by $123,000 or 0.6%
to
$19,619,000 in the third quarter fiscal 2008 as compared to $19,742,000 in
the
third quarter fiscal 2007. During
December 2007, the unfavorable weather conditions in the Northeast had a
negative impact on sales at a number of franchised locations as compared to
December 2006. At December 23, 2007, 318 domestic and international franchised
or limited-menu licensed units were operating as compared to 293 domestic and
international franchised or licensed units at December 24, 2006. Royalty income
from four domestic franchised locations was deemed unrealizable during the
thirteen weeks ended December 23, 2007, as compared to two domestic franchised
locations during the thirteen weeks ended December 24, 2006. Domestic franchise
fee income was $161,000 in the third quarter fiscal 2008 as compared to $128,000
in the third quarter fiscal 2007. International franchise fee income was $83,000
in the third quarter fiscal 2008, as compared to $61,000 during the third
quarter fiscal 2007. During the third quarter fiscal 2008, 15 new franchised
units opened, including ten limited-menu license units and one unit in the
Dominican Republic. During the third quarter fiscal 2007, six new franchised
units were opened, including one in Kuwait.
License
royalties increased by $80,000 or 9.5% to $924,000 in the third quarter fiscal
2008 as compared to $844,000 in the third quarter fiscal 2007. Total royalties
earned on sales of hot dogs from our retail and foodservice license agreements
of $625,000 increased by $31,000 or 5.2%. Royalties earned from SMG, primarily
from the retail sale of hot dogs, were $546,000 during the third quarter fiscal
2008 as compared to $477,000 during the third quarter fiscal 2007. We also
earned higher royalties of $47,000 from our agreements for the sale of Nathans’
hors d’oeuvres at retail. Net royalties from all other license agreements in the
third quarter fiscal 2008 were $2,000 higher than the third quarter fiscal
2007.
Interest
income was $287,000 in the third quarter fiscal 2008 versus $176,000 in the
third quarter fiscal 2007 primarily due to higher interest earned on the
increased amount of marketable securities owned during the third quarter fiscal
2008 as compared to the third quarter fiscal 2007. Interest income during the
third quarter fiscal 2008 also included $45,000 earned on the promissory note
held in connection with the sale of Miami Subs during the thirteen weeks ended
June 24, 2007.
Other
income was $27,000 in the third quarter fiscal 2008 versus $10,000 in the third
quarter fiscal 2007. This increase was primarily due to higher amounts earned
on
Arthur Treachers’ products sold by other restaurant companies.
Costs
and Expenses from Continuing Operations
Cost
of
sales increased by $194,000 to $5,883,000 in the third quarter fiscal 2008
from
$5,689,000 in the third quarter fiscal 2007. Our gross profit (representing
the
difference between sales and cost of sales) was $1,892,000 or 24.3% during
the
third quarter fiscal 2008 as compared to $2,006,000 or 26.1% during the third
quarter fiscal 2007. The reduced margin is primarily due to the higher cost
of
beef, especially in connection with the Branded Product Program, where the
cost
of our hot dogs was approximately 2.9% higher during the third quarter fiscal
2008 than the third quarter fiscal 2007. Commodity costs of our hot dogs were
higher at the beginning of the third quarter fiscal 2008 than they were at
the
beginning of the third quarter fiscal 2007. During the third quarter fiscal
2008, these costs had been declining as compared to more stable pricing
environment during the third quarter fiscal 2007. We are uncertain about the
future cost of our hot dogs. Overall, our Branded Product Program incurred
higher costs totaling approximately $110,000. This increase is the result of
the
increased cost of product and higher sales volume during the third quarter
fiscal 2008 as compared to the third quarter fiscal 2007. During the third
quarter fiscal 2008, the cost of restaurant sales at our five comparable
Company-owned units was $1,513,000 or 67.8% of restaurant sales as compared
to
$1,477,000 or 66.3% of restaurant sales in the third quarter fiscal 2007. The
percentage increase was primarily due to the effect of higher food prices and
higher labor costs. Cost of sales also increased by $48,000 in the third quarter
fiscal 2008 in connection with sales to our television retailer.
16
Restaurant
operating expenses were $715,000 in both the third quarter fiscal 2008 and
third
quarter fiscal 2007. Higher marketing and repair costs were substantially offset
by lower utility and insurance costs during the third quarter fiscal
2008.
Depreciation
and amortization was $190,000 in the third quarter fiscal 2008 as compared
to
$186,000 in the third quarter fiscal 2007.
Amortization
of intangible assets was $8,000 in the third quarter fiscal 2008 and $9,000
in
the third quarter fiscal 2007.
General
and administrative expenses increased by $121,000 to $2,172,000 in the third
quarter fiscal 2008. The difference in general and administrative expenses
was
primarily due to professional fees of $96,000 associated with Nathan’s
litigation against SMG, higher compensation costs of $67,000, higher business
development costs of $31,000 in connection with the Branded Product Program
and
a $20,000 increase in Nathan’s stock-based compensation expense. These cost
increases were partly offset by lower costs related to compliance with Section
404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (“SOX 404”). We incurred $20,000 in SOX
404 compliance costs during the third quarter fiscal 2008 compared to $80,000
incurred in the third quarter fiscal 2007. We expect to incur higher general
and
administrative expenses during the remainder of the fiscal year related to
future SMG litigation costs. The actual amounts of future SMG litigation costs
are not presently determinable. We also expect to incur higher costs of SOX
404
compliance and the associated independent audit, which are estimated to be
approximately $140,000 in SOX 404 compliance costs in the balance of the fiscal
year.
Provision
for Income Taxes from Continuing Operations
In
the
third quarter fiscal 2008, the income tax provision was $435,000 or 33.2% of
income from continuing operations before income taxes as compared to $406,000
or
33.1% of income from continuing operations before income taxes in the third
quarter fiscal 2007. For the thirteen weeks, Nathan’s tax provision, excluding
the effects of tax-exempt interest income, was 40.6% during the third quarter
fiscal 2008 and 38.7% during the third quarter fiscal 2007.
Discontinued
Operations
On
June
7, 2007, Nathan’s completed the sale of its wholly-owned subsidiary, Miami Subs
to Miami Subs Capital Partners I, Inc. effective as of May 31, 2007. The results
of operations of Miami Subs have been included as discontinued operations for
the thirteen weeks ended December 24, 2006.
On
January 26, 2006, two of Nathan’s wholly-owned subsidiaries entered into a Lease
Termination Agreement with respect to three leased properties in Fort
Lauderdale, Florida, with its landlord and CVS 3285 FL, L.L.C., (“CVS”) to sell
our leasehold interests to CVS. The sale was completed during the first quarter
fiscal 2008. The results of operations for these properties have been included
as discontinued operations for the thirteen weeks ended December 24, 2006.
Thirty-nine
weeks ended December 23, 2007 compared to thirty-nine
weeks ended December 24, 2006
Revenues
from Continuing Operations
Total
sales increased by $1,767,000 or 6.5% to $28,853,000 for the thirty-nine weeks
ended December 23, 2007 ("fiscal 2008 period") as compared to $27,086,000 for
the thirty-nine weeks ended December 24, 2006 ("fiscal 2007 period"). Sales
from
the Branded Product Program increased by 8.4% to $15,955,000 for the fiscal
2008
period as compared to sales of $14,720,000 in the fiscal 2007 period. This
increase was primarily attributable to increased sales volume of 7.5%. Total
Company-owned restaurant sales (representing five comparable Nathan’s
restaurants and one seasonal restaurant) increased by 9.9% to $10,798,000 as
compared to $9,823,000 during the fiscal 2007 period. During the fiscal 2008
period, we experienced very favorable weather conditions during the summer
season that had a positive impact on sales at our Coney Island locations.
However, during December 2007, the unfavorable weather conditions in the
Northeast had a negative impact on sales at our Company-owned locations as
compared to December 2006. During the fiscal 2008 period, sales to our
television retailer were approximately $443,000 lower than the fiscal 2007
period. Our television retailer reduced its number of special food airings
during the fiscal 2008 period. As a result, Nathan’s did not run a “Today’s
Special Value” which ran during the first quarter fiscal 2007 and there was a
change in the timing of the “Try Me” specials. Nathan’s products were on
air 50 times
during the fiscal 2008 period as compared to 55 times
during the fiscal 2007 period, which included eight “Today’s Special Value”
airings.
17
Franchise
fees and royalties increased by $468,000 or 13.4% to $3,958,000 in the fiscal
2008 period compared to $3,490,000 in the fiscal 2007 period. Franchise
royalties were $3,228,000 in the fiscal 2008 period as compared to $3,069,000
in
the fiscal 2007 period. Franchise restaurant sales increased by $1,552,000
to
$74,564,000 in the fiscal 2008 period as compared to $73,012,000 in the fiscal
2007 period. Comparable domestic franchise sales (consisting of 140 Nathan’s
restaurants) increased by $1,527,000 or 2.6% to $61,051,000 in the fiscal 2008
period as compared to $59,524,000 in the fiscal 2007 period. During December
2007, the unfavorable weather conditions in the Northeast had a negative impact
on sales at a number of franchised locations as compared to December 2006.
During the fiscal 2008 period, we recognized $29,000 of royalties that were
previously deemed to be uncollectible as compared to $36,000 during the fiscal
2007 period. At December 23, 2007, 318 domestic
and international franchised or limited-menu licensed units were operating
as
compared to
293 domestic
and international franchised or licensed units at December 24, 2006. Royalty
income from three
domestic franchised locations was deemed unrealizable during the thirty-nine
weeks ended December 23, 2007, as compared to two domestic
franchised locations during the thirty-nine weeks ended December 24, 2006.
Domestic franchise fee income was $411,000 in the fiscal 2008 period as compared
to $248,000 in the fiscal 2007 period. International franchise fee income was
$234,000 in the fiscal 2008 period, as compared to $173,000 during the fiscal
2007 period. During the fiscal 2008 period, 35 new franchised units opened,
including 20 limited-menu licensed units, three units in Kuwait and one unit
in
the Dominican Republic. During
the fiscal 2007 period, 13 new franchised units were opened including two units
in Kuwait and one unit in Japan. We
also
recognized $85,000 in connection with a forfeited franchise agreement and
development agreement fees during the fiscal 2008 period.
License
royalties increased by $457,000 or 15.6% to $3,384,000 in the fiscal 2008 period
as compared to $2,927,000 in the fiscal 2007 period. Total royalties earned
on
sales of hot dogs from our retail and foodservice license agreements of
$2,536,000 increased by $284,000 or 12.6%. Royalties earned from SMG, primarily
from the retail sale of hot dogs, were $2,217,000 during the fiscal 2008 period
as compared to $1,965,000 during the fiscal 2007 period. We also earned higher
royalties of $164,000 from our agreements for the sale of Nathan’s pet treats,
hors d’ouvres and sales of hot dog and hamburger rolls at retail. Net royalties
from all other license agreements in the fiscal 2008 period were $9,000 higher
than the fiscal 2007 period.
Interest
income was $811,000 in the fiscal 2008 period versus $453,000 in the fiscal
2007
period primarily due to higher interest earned on the increased amount of
marketable securities owned during the fiscal 2008 period as compared to the
fiscal 2007 period. Interest income during the fiscal 2008 period also included
$109,000 earned on the promissory note held in connection with the sale of
Miami
Subs during the thirteen weeks ended June 24, 2007.
Other
income was $115,000 in the fiscal 2008 period versus $52,000 in the fiscal
2007
period. This increase was primarily due to increased amounts earned on our
Arthur Treachers’ products sold by other restaurant companies and a one time
$30,000 consent fee earned in connection with a licensee’s
refinancing.
Costs
and Expenses from Continuing Operations
Cost
of
sales increased by $2,082,000 to $21,294,000 in the fiscal 2008 period from
$19,212,000 in the fiscal 2007 period. Our gross profit (representing the
difference between sales and cost of sales) was $7,559,000 or 26.2% during
the
fiscal 2008 period as compared to $7,874,000 or 29.1% during the fiscal 2007
period. This reduced margin is primarily due to the higher cost of beef,
especially in connection with the Branded Product Program, where the cost of
our
hot dogs was approximately 9.1% higher during the fiscal 2008 period than the
fiscal 2007 period. Commodity costs of our hot dogs during the fiscal 2007
period had continued to decrease until January 2007, when prices began to
increase. During the first quarter fiscal 2008, our costs of hot dogs continued
to escalate, hitting a peak in May 2007. Since then, prices have been lower,
but
are still higher than they were during the comparable fiscal 2007 period. We
are
uncertain about the future cost of our hot dogs. Overall, our Branded Product
Program incurred higher costs totaling approximately $1,868,000. This increase
is the result of the increased cost of product and higher sales volume during
the fiscal 2008 period as compared to the fiscal 2007 period. During the fiscal
2008 period, the cost of restaurant sales at our six Company-owned units was
$6,250,000 or 57.9% of restaurant sales as compared to $5,723,000 or 58.3%
of
restaurant sales in the fiscal 2007 period.
The
percentage decrease was primarily due to the effect that higher retail selling
prices have had which lowered labor costs as a percentage of sales. During
the
first quarter fiscal 2008, we increased select menu prices between 5% and 10%
in
an attempt to offset some of the increased cost of product in our Company-owned
restaurants. Beginning with the second quarter fiscal 2008, we have continued
to
realize the effects of the Branded Products price increase that took effect
on
June 15, 2007. Cost of sales also decreased by $313,000 in the fiscal 2008
period primarily due to lower sales volume to our television retailer.
Restaurant
operating expenses increased by $48,000 to $2,466,000 in the fiscal 2008 period
from $2,418,000 in the fiscal 2007 period. The increase during the fiscal 2008
period when compared to the fiscal 2007 period resulted primarily from higher
utility costs of $32,000, marketing costs of $31,000 and maintenance costs
of
$27,000, which were partly offset by lower self-insurance costs of $44,000.
During the fiscal 2008 period our utility costs were approximately 6.3% higher
than the fiscal 2007 period. Based upon uncertain market conditions for oil
and
natural gas, we may continue to incur higher utility costs in the future.
Depreciation
and amortization was $564,000 in the fiscal 2008 period as compared to $556,000
in the fiscal 2007 period.
18
Amortization
of intangible assets was $25,000 in the fiscal 2008 period and $26,000 in the
fiscal 2007 period.
General
and administrative expenses increased by $229,000 to $6,395,000 in the fiscal
2008 period as compared to $6,166,000 in
the
fiscal 2007 period. The difference in general and administrative expenses was
due to professional fees of $203,000 during the fiscal 2008 period associated
with Nathan’s litigation against SMG, higher compensation costs of $124,000,
higher business development costs of $69,000 in connection with Franchising
and
the Branded Product Program and a $43,000 increase in Nathan’s stock-based
compensation expense. These cost increases were partly offset by lower SOX
404
compliance costs. We incurred $20,000 in SOX compliance costs during the fiscal
2008 period compared to $172,000 incurred in the fiscal 2007 period. We expect
to incur higher general and administrative expenses during the remainder of
the
fiscal year related to future SMG litigation costs. The actual amounts of future
SMG litigation costs are not presently determinable. We also expect to incur
higher costs of SOX 404 compliance and the associated independent audit, which
are estimated to be approximately $140,000 in SOX 404 compliance costs in the
balance of the fiscal year.
Provision
for Income Taxes from Continuing Operations
In
the
fiscal 2008 period, the income tax provision was $2,302,000 or 36.1% of income
from continuing operations before income taxes as compared to $2,112,000 or
37.5% of income from continuing operations before income taxes in the fiscal
2007 period. For the thirty-nine weeks, Nathan’s tax provision, excluding the
effects of tax-exempt interest income, was 40.6% during the fiscal 2008 period
and 40.8% during the fiscal 2007 period.
Discontinued
Operations
On
June
7, 2007, Nathan’s completed the sale of its wholly-owned subsidiary, Miami Subs
to Miami Subs Capital Partners I, Inc. effective as of May 31, 2007. Pursuant
to
the Stock Purchase Agreement, Nathan’s sold all of the stock of Miami Subs in
exchange for $3,250,000, consisting of $850,000 in cash and the Purchaser’s
promissory note in the principal amount of $2,400,000 (the “Note”). Nathan’s
realized a gain on the sale of $983,000 net of professional fees of $37,000
and
recorded income taxes of $334,000 on the gain during the thirty-nine week period
ended December 23, 2007. The results of Miami Subs including the gain on
disposal, have been included as discontinued operations for the thirty-nine
week
periods ended December 23, 2007 and December 24, 2006.
On
January
26, 2006, two of Nathan’s wholly-owned subsidiaries entered into a Lease
Termination Agreement with respect to three leased properties in Fort
Lauderdale, Florida, with its landlord and CVS 3285 FL, L.L.C., (“CVS”) to sell
our leasehold interests to CVS for $2,000,000. As the properties were subject
to
certain sublease and management agreements between Nathan’s and the then-current
occupants, Nathan’s made payments to, or forgave indebtedness of, the
then-current occupants of the properties and paid brokerage commissions of
$494,000 in the aggregate. The property was made available to the buyer by
May
29, 2007 and we received the sale proceeds on June 5, 2007. Nathan’s recognized
a gain of $1,506,000 and recorded income taxes of $557,000 during the
thirty-nine week period ended December 23, 2007. The results of operations
for
these properties, including the gain on disposal, have been included as
discontinued operations for the thirty-nine week periods ended December 23,
2007
and December 24, 2006.
During
the fiscal 2007 period, income of $39,000 and a gain of $400,000 were recorded
into income from discontinued operations resulting from the collection of
proceeds from the sale of our leasehold interest and certain reimbursable
operating expenses that were not reasonably assured as of March 26, 2006 in
connection with the fiscal 2006 sale of vacant property at Coney
Island.
Off-Balance
Sheet Arrangements
We
are
not a party to any off-balance sheet arrangements, other than a guarantee of
a
severance agreement as discussed in Note I of the Notes to Consolidated
Financial Statements and a purchase commitment to acquire 1,785,000 lbs. of
hot
dogs between April and August 2008, as discussed in Note J to the Consolidated
Financial Statements.
Liquidity
and Capital Resources
Cash
and
cash equivalents at December 23, 2007 aggregated $10,143,000, increasing by
$3,211,000 during the fiscal 2008 period. At December 23, 2007, marketable
securities were $23,141,000 and net working capital increased to $33,494,000
from $27,375,000 at March 25, 2007.
Cash
provided by operations of $3,399,000 in the fiscal 2008 period is primarily
attributable to net income of $5,803,000 less gains of $2,489,000 from the
sale
of Miami Subs, and sales of our leasehold interests, plus other non-cash items
of $1,135,000. Changes
in Nathan’s operating assets and liabilities decreased cash by $1,050,000,
resulting principally from decreased accounts payable and other current
liabilities of $829,000, increased accounts receivable of $640,000 and decreased
deferred franchise fees of $83,000 which were partly offset by an increase
in
other liabilities of $557,000. The
net
decrease in accounts payable, other current liabilities and other long term
liabilities of $272,000 is primarily due to the
seasonal reduction in trade accounts payable. Accounts
receivable increased because of timing differences in sales to our television
retailer, and seasonal fluctuations in sales of the Branded Product
Program. Deferred
franchise fees decreased as a result of the franchised restaurant that opened
during the period.
19
Cash
was
provided from investing activities of $734,000 in the fiscal 2008 period,
primarily due to the sale of a leasehold interest and the sale of our
subsidiary, Miami Subs totaling $1,691,000. We invested $1,089,000 in
available-for-sale securities, redeemed $800,000 of maturing available-for-sale
securities, incurred capital expenditures of $763,000 and received payment
of
$95,000 on a note receivable.
Cash
was
used in financing activities of $922,000 in the fiscal 2008, primarily from
the
purchase of 108,900 treasury shares at a cost of $1,928,000 as Nathan’s
completed a prior stock repurchase plan as authorized by the Board of Directors.
Cash was received from the proceeds of employee stock option and warrant
exercises of $591,000 and the associated income tax benefit of $415,000.
Through
December 23, 2007, Nathan’s purchased a total of 2,000,000 shares of common
stock at a cost of approximately $9,086,000, concluding the second stock
repurchase plan previously authorized by the Board of Directors. During the
thirty-nine weeks ended December 23, 2007, the Company repurchased 108,900
shares if its common stock at a total cost of $1,928,000. On November 5, 2007,
Nathan’s Board of Directors authorized the purchase of up to an additional
500,000 shares of its common stock on behalf of the Company of which there
have
been no purchases as of December 23, 2007. Purchases may be made from time
to
time, depending on market conditions, in open market or privately negotiated
transactions, at prices deemed appropriate by management. There is no set time
limit on the repurchases.
We
expect
that we will make additional investments in certain existing restaurants and
support the growth of the Branded Product Program in the future and fund those
investments from our operating cash flow. We may also incur capital expenditures
in connection with opportunistic investments on a case-by-case
basis.
At
December 23, 2007, there were three properties that we lease from third parties
which we sublease to franchisees and a non-franchisee. We remain contingently
liable for all costs associated with these properties including: rent, property
taxes and insurance. We may incur future cash payments with respect to such
properties, consisting primarily of future lease payments, including costs
and
expenses associated with terminating any of such leases.
The
following schedule represents Nathan’s cash contractual obligations by maturity
(in thousands):
Payments
Due by Period
|
||||||||||||||||
Cash Contractual Obligations |
Total
|
Less
than
1
Year
|
1
-
3 Years
|
4-5
Years
|
After
5 Years
|
|||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||
Employment
Agreements
|
$
|
3,384
|
$
|
1,184
|
$
|
800
|
$
|
800
|
$
|
600
|
||||||
Operating
Leases
|
2,590
|
1,227
|
1,253
|
110
|
-
|
|||||||||||
Gross
Cash Contractual Obligations
|
5,974
|
2,411
|
2,053
|
910
|
600
|
|||||||||||
Sublease
Income
|
635
|
232
|
355
|
48
|
-
|
|||||||||||
Net
Cash Contractual Obligations
|
$
|
5,339
|
$
|
2,179
|
$ | 1,698 | $ | 862 | $ | 600 |
Amount
of Commitment Expiration Per Period
|
||||||||||||||||
Other Contractual Commitment |
Total
Amounts
Committed
|
Less
than
1
Year
|
1
- 3 Years
|
4-5
Years
|
After
5 Years
|
|||||||||||
Commitment
to purchase
|
$
|
2,642
|
$
|
2,642
|
$
|
-
|
$
|
-
|
$
|
-
|
||||||
Total
Other Contractual Commitment
|
$
|
2,642
|
$
|
2,642
|
$
|
-
|
$
|
-
|
$
|
-
|
Management
believes that available cash, marketable securities, and cash generated from
operations should provide sufficient capital to finance our operations for
at
least the next twelve months. We also currently maintain a $7,500,000
uncommitted bank line of credit and have never borrowed any funds under this
line of credit.
20
Item
3. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk
Cash
and cash equivalents
We
have
historically invested our cash and cash equivalents in short term, fixed rate,
highly rated and highly liquid instruments which are reinvested when they mature
throughout the year. Although our existing investments are not considered at
risk with respect to changes in interest rates or markets for these instruments,
our rate of return on short-term investments could be affected at the time
of
reinvestment as a result of intervening events. As of December 23, 2007,
Nathans’ cash and cash equivalents aggregated $10,143,000. Earnings on these
cash and cash equivalents would increase or decrease by approximately $25,400
per annum for each 0.25% change in interest rates.
Marketable
securities
We
have
invested our marketable securities in intermediate term, fixed rate, highly
rated and highly liquid instruments. These investments are subject to
fluctuations in interest rates. As of December 23, 2007, the market value of
Nathans’ marketable securities aggregated $23,141,000. Interest income on these
marketable securities would increase or decrease by approximately $57,900 per
annum for each 0.25% change in interest rates. The following chart presents
the
hypothetical changes in the fair value of the marketable investment securities
held at December 23, 2007 that are sensitive to interest rate fluctuations
(in
thousands):
Valuation
of securities
|
Valuation
of securities
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
Given
an interest rate
|
Given
an interest rate
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
Decrease
of X Basis points
|
Fair
|
Increase
of X Basis points
|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
(150BPS)
|
(100BPS)
|
(50BPS)
|
Value
|
+50BPS
|
+100BPS
|
+150BPS
|
|||||||||||||||
Municipal
notes and bonds
|
$
|
24,336
|
$
|
23,931
|
$
|
23,533
|
$
|
23,141
|
$
|
22,754
|
$
|
22,371
|
$
|
21,994
|
Borrowings
We
maintain a $7,500,000 credit line at the prime rate (7.25% as of December 23,
2007). We have never borrowed any funds under this credit line. Accordingly,
at
December 23, 2007, Nathan’s had no outstanding borrowings under such credit
line. In the event Nathan’s were to borrow money under its credit line, the
interest rate payable on borrowings would be subject to market fluctuation
as
the prime rate changes. We do not anticipate entering into interest rate swaps
or other financial instruments to hedge our borrowings. Since no borrowings
are
presently outstanding, fluctuations in interest rates would not have a material
impact on our financial results.
Commodity
Costs
The
cost
of commodities is subject to market fluctuation. On January 7, 2008, following
the period covered by this report, Nathan’s entered into a commitment to
purchase 1,785,000 pounds of hot dogs for the period April through August
2008. This represents approximately 31.6% of Nathan’s usage during the
comparable period in 2007. [Historically, we did not attempt to hedge against
fluctuations in the prices of the commodities we purchase using future, forward,
option or other instruments. As a result, the majority of our future commodities
purchases are subject to changes in the prices of such commodities]. Generally,
we attempt to pass through permanent increases in our commodity prices to our
customers, thereby reducing the impact of long-term increases on our financial
results. A short term increase or decrease of 10.0% in the cost of our food
and
paper products for the thirty-nine weeks ended December 23, 2007 would have
increased or decreased our cost of sales by approximately
$1,651,000.
Foreign
Currencies
Foreign
franchisees generally conduct business with us and make payments in United
States dollars, reducing the risks inherent with changes in the values of
foreign currencies. As a result, we have not purchased future contracts, options
or other instruments to hedge against changes in values of foreign currencies
and we do not believe fluctuations in the value of foreign currencies would
have
a material impact on our financial results.
Item
4T. Controls and Procedures
Evaluation
and Disclosure Controls and Procedures
Our
management, with the participation of our Chief Executive Officer, Chief
Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer, conducted an evaluation of the
effectiveness of the design and operation of our disclosure controls and
procedures, as required by Exchange Act Rule 13a-15. Based on that
evaluation, the Chief Executive Officer, Chief Operating Officer and Chief
Financial Officer have concluded that, as of the end of the period covered
by
this report, our disclosure controls and procedures were effective to ensure
that the information required to be disclosed by us in the reports that we
file
or submit under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported
within the time periods specified by the SEC’s rules and forms and that such
information is accumulated and communicated to our management, including our
principal executive and principal financial officers, as appropriate to allow
timely decisions regarding required disclosure.
21
Changes
in Internal Controls
There
were no changes in our internal controls over financial reporting that occurred
during the quarter ended December 23, 2007 that have materially affected, or
are
reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial
reporting.
Limitations
on the Effectiveness of Controls
We
believe that a control system, no matter how well designed and operated, cannot
provide absolute assurance that the objectives of the control system are met,
and no evaluation of controls can provide absolute assurance that all control
issues and instances of fraud, if any, within a company have been detected.
Our
disclosure controls and procedures are designed to provide reasonable assurance
of achieving their objectives and our Chief Executive Officer, Chief Operating
Officer and Chief Financial Officer have concluded that such controls and
procedures are effective at the reasonable assurance level.
Forward
Looking Statements
Certain
statements contained in this report are forward-looking statements. We generally
identify forward-looking statements with the words “believe,” “intend,” “plan,”
“expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “will,” “should” and similar expressions.
Forward-looking statements represent our current judgment regarding future
events. Although we would not make forward-looking statements unless we believe
we have a reasonable basis for doing so, we cannot guarantee their accuracy
and
actual results may differ materially from those we anticipated due to a number
of risks and uncertainties, many of which we are not aware and / or cannot
control. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: the
effect on sales over concerns relating to bovine spongiform encephalopathy,
BSE,
which was first identified in the United States on December 23, 2003; the effect
on costs resulting from the availability and cost of gasoline and other
petrochemicals; economic, weather, legislative and business conditions; the
collectibility of receivables; the availability of suitable restaurant sites
on
reasonable rental terms; changes in consumer tastes; the ability to continue
to
attract franchisees; our ability to attract competent restaurant and managerial
personnel, and the other risks described under “Risk Factors” under Item 1A of
our Form 10-K and this Form 10-Q.
22
PART
II.
OTHER INFORMATION
Item
1.
Legal Proceedings
We
and
our subsidiaries are from time to time involved in ordinary and routine
litigation. Management presently believes that the ultimate outcome of such
ordinary and routine litigation individually or in the aggregate, will not
have
a material adverse effect on our financial position, cash flows or results
of
operations. Nevertheless, litigation is subject to inherent uncertainties and
unfavorable rulings could occur. An unfavorable ruling could include money
damages and, in such event, could result in a material adverse impact on our
results of operations for the period in which the ruling occurs.
On
March
20, 2007, a personal injury lawsuit was initiated seeking unspecified
damages against the Company's subtenant and the Company's master
landlord at a leased property in Huntington, New York. The claim relates
to damages suffered by an individual as a result of an alleged "trip and fall"
on the sidewalk in front of the leased property, maintenance of which is the
subtenant's responsibility. Although the Company was not named as a
defendant in the lawsuit, under its master lease agreement the Company may
have
an obligation to indemnify the master landlord in connection with this
claim. The Company did not maintain its own insurance on the property
concerned at the time of the incident; however, the Company is named as an
additional insured under its subtenant's liability policy.
Accordingly, if the master landlord is found liable for damages and seeks
indemnity from the Company, the Company believes that it would be entitled
to
coverage under the subtenant's insurance policy. Additionally, under
the terms of the sublease, the subtenant is required to indemnify the
Company, regardless of insurance coverage.
The
Company is party to a License Agreement with SMG, Inc. ("SMG") dated as of
February 28, 1994, as amended (the "License Agreement") pursuant to which
SMG
acts as: (i) the Company’s exclusive licensee for the manufacture, distribution,
marketing and sale of packaged Nathan’s
Famous
frankfurter product at supermarkets, club stores and other retail outlets
in the
United States; and (ii) the Company’s primary supplier of frankfurters for the
Company’s Nathan’s
Famous
restaurant system and Branded Products Program. On July 31, 2007, the Company
provided notice to SMG that the Company has elected to terminate the License
Agreement, effective July 31, 2008 (the “Termination Date”), due to SMG's breach
of certain provisions of the License Agreement. SMG has disputed that a breach
has occurred. As a result of this dispute, the Company and SMG each commenced
separate actions against the other. SMG’s action was filed on July 30, 2007 in
state court in Illinois and seeks, among other things, a declaratory judgement
that SMG did not breach the License Agreement and that the Company may not
terminate the License Agreement.The Company's action was filed on August
2,
2007, in New York State court and seeks a declaratory judgment that SMG has
breached the License Agreement and that the Company has properly terminated
the
License Agreement. On January 23, 2008, the New York court granted SMG’s motion
to dismiss the Company’s case in New York on the basis that the dispute was
already the subject of a pending lawsuit in Illinois. At the present time,
the
Company is considering whether to appeal the ruling of the New York court,
and
the Illinois court is considering the Company’s motion to dismiss SMG’s case on
forum
non conveniens and
other
grounds.
Item
1A. Risk Factors
In
addition to the other information set forth in this report, you should carefully
consider the factors described below, as well as those discussed in Part I,
“Item 1A. Risk Factors” in the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year
ended March 25, 2007, which could materially affect our business, financial
condition or future results. The risks described in our Annual Report on Form
10-K are not the only risks facing Nathan's. Additional risks and uncertainties
not currently known to us or that we currently deem to be immaterial also may
materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and/or operating
results.
Any
perceived or real health risks related to the food industry could adversely
affect our ability to sell our products.
We
are
subject to risks affecting the food industry generally, including risks posed
by
the following:
* |
food
spoilage or food contamination,
|
* |
consumer
product liability claims,
|
* |
product
tampering, and
|
* |
the
potential cost and disruption of a product
recall.
|
Our
products are susceptible to contamination by disease producing organisms, or
pathogens, such as listeria monocytogenes, salmonella, campylobacter,
hepatitis A, trichinosis and generic E. coli. Because these pathogens
are generally found in the environment, there is a risk that these pathogens
could be introduced to our products as a result of improper handling at the
manufacturing, processing, foodservice or consumer level. Our suppliers’
manufacturing facilities and products, as well as our franchisee and
company-operated restaurant operations, are subject to extensive laws and
regulations relating to health, food preparation, sanitation and safety
standards. However, we cannot assure you that compliance with governmental
regulations by our suppliers or in connection with restaurant operations will
eliminate the risks related to food safety. In addition, our beef products
are
also subject to the risk of contamination from bovine spongiform encephalopathy.
23
Adverse
publicity concerning any perceived or real health risk associated with our
products could cause customers to lose confidence in the safety and quality
of
our food products, which could adversely affect our ability to sell our
products. We could also be adversely affected by perceived or real health risks
associated with similar products produced by others to the extent such risks
cause customers to lose confidence in the safety and quality of such products
generally.
Additionally,
the Company may be subject to liability if the consumption of any of its
products causes injury, illness, or death. A significant product liability
judgment or a widespread product recall may negatively impact the Company's
sales and profitability for a period of time depending on product availability,
competitive reaction, and consumer attitudes. Even if a product liability claim
is unsuccessful or is not fully pursued, the negative publicity surrounding
any
assertion that Company products caused illness or injury could adversely affect
the Company's reputation with existing and potential customers and its corporate
and brand image. Injury to Nathan’s or a brand’s reputation would likely reduce
revenue and profits.
Increases
in the cost of food and paper products could harm our profitability and
operating results.
The
cost
of the food and paper products we use depends on a variety of factors, many
of
which are beyond our control. We purchase large quantities of beef and our
beef
costs in the United States represent approximately 80% to 85% of our food costs.
The market for beef is particularly volatile and is subject to significant
price
fluctuations due to seasonal shifts, climate conditions, industry demand and
other factors beyond our control. For example, in the past, reduced supply
and
increased demand in beef resulted in shortages, which required us to pay
significantly higher prices for the beef we purchased. We were unable to pass
all of the price increases to our customers. As the price of beef or other
food
products that we use in our operations increase significantly, particularly
in
the Branded Product Program, and we choose not to pass, or cannot pass, these
increases on to our customers, our operating margins would decrease. Food and
paper products typically represent approximately 25% to 30% of our cost of
restaurant sales.
Fluctuations
in weather, supply and demand and economic conditions could adversely affect
the
cost, availability and quality of some of our critical products, including
beef.
Our inability to obtain requisite quantities of high-quality ingredients would
adversely affect our ability to provide the menu items that are central to
our
business, and the highly competitive nature of our industry may limit our
ability to pass through increased costs to our customers. Continuing increases
in the cost of fuel would increase the distribution costs of our prime products
thereby increasing the food and paper cost to us and to our franchisees, thus
negatively affecting profitability.
Nathan’s
does not have the ability to effectively hedge all of its beef purchases using
futures or forward contracts without incurring undue financial risk. Although
Nathan’s has entered into a commitment to purchase 1,785,000 pounds of hot dogs
for the period April through August 2008.
The
loss of one or more of our key suppliers could lead to supply disruptions,
increased costs and lower operating results.
The
Company relies on one supplier for the majority of its frankfurters and another
supplier for its supply of frozen french fries. An interruption in the supply
of
product from either one of these suppliers without the Company obtaining an
alternative source of supply on comparable terms could lead to supply
disruptions, increased costs and lower operating results.
The
Company is currently engaged in litigation with its primary supplier of
frankfurters for each of the Company’s major lines of business seeking a
judicial declaration that the Company is entitled to terminate its License
Agreement with such supplier. In anticipation of such termination, the Company
is seeking one or more alternative sources of supply to commence immediately
following the termination of the License Agreement (or sooner if necessary);
however, the termination of the License Agreement presents a number of risks
to
the Company and its operations.
Although
the Company believes that its frankfurter supplier is contractually obligated
to
perform its obligations under the License Agreement until its termination and
the Company expects its frankfurter supplier to continue to discharge those
obligations, there is no assurance that the supplier will do so. In addition,
the Company and the frankfurter supplier have entered into a commitment to
purchase pursuant to which the supplier has agreed to sell to the Company
1,785,000 pounds of frankfurters between April and August 2008. In the event
that the frankfurter supplier breaches its contractual obligations under the
License Agreement and/or the commitment to purchase by failing or refusing
to manufacture and supply frankfurters for the Company’s restaurant and Branded
Product Program operations or to manufacture, distribute, market and sell
Nathan’s
Famous
frankfurters to the retail trade, there is no assurance that the Company could
secure an alternate source of supply in a timely manner.
Additionally,
all of the frozen french fries sold through its franchised restaurants are
obtained from one supplier. In the event that the french fry supplier is unable
to fulfill Nathan’s requirements for any reasons, including due to a significant
interruption in its manufacturing operations, whether as a result of a natural
disaster or for other reasons, such interruption could significantly impair
the
Company’s ability to operate its business on a day-to-day basis.
In
the event that the Company is unable to find one or more alternative suppliers
of frankfurters or french fries on a timely basis, there could be a disruption
in the supply of product to Company’s owned and franchised restaurants and
Branded Product accounts, which would damage the Company, its franchisees and
Branded Product customers and, in turn, negatively impact the Company’s
financial results. In addition, any gap in supply to retail customers would
result in lost royalty payments to the Company, which could have a significant
adverse financial impact on the Company’s results from operations. Furthermore,
any gap in supply to retail customers may damage the Nathan’s
Famous
trademarks in the eyes of consumers and the retail trade, which damage might
negatively impact the Company’s overall business in general and impair the
Company’s ability to continue its retail licensing program.
24
Additionally,
once secured, there is no assurance that any alternate sources of supply would
be capable of meeting the Company’s specifications and quality standards on a
timely and consistent basis or that the financial terms of such supply
arrangement will be as favorable as the Company’s present terms with its
frankfurter or french fry supplier, as the case may be.
Any
of the foregoing occurrences may cause disruptions in supply of the Company’s
frankfurter or french fry products, as the case may be, damage the Company’s
franchisees and Branded Product customers, adversely impact the Company’s
financial results and/or damage the Nathan’s
Famous
trademarks.
25
Item
2. Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of
Proceeds
We
have
not repurchased any equity securities during the quarter ended December 23,
2007
(a)
Exhibits
|
|
3.1
|
Certificate
of Incorporation. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to
Registration Statement on Form S-1 No. 33- 56976.)
|
3.2
|
Amendment
to the Certificate of Incorporation, filed December 15, 1992.
(Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.2 to Registration Statement
on
Form S-1 No. 33-56976.)
|
3.3
|
By-Laws,
as amended. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3 to Form 10-K
for the
fiscal year ended March 25, 2006.)
|
4.1
|
Specimen
Stock Certificate. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to
Registration Statement on Form S-1 No. 33-56976.)
|
4.2
|
Specimen
Rights Certificate (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 2 to Form
8-A/A
dated December 10, 1999.)
|
4.3
|
Third
Amended and Restated Rights Agreement dated as of December 10,
1999
between Nathan’s Famous, Inc. and American Stock Transfer and Trust
Company (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 2 to Registration
Statement
on Form 8-A/A dated December 10, 1999.)
|
4.4
|
Amendment
No. 1 to Third Amended and Restated Rights Agreement dated as of
June 15,
2005 between Nathan’s Famous, Inc. and American Stock Transfer and Trust
Company. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to Current Report
filed
on Form 8-K dated June 15, 2005.)
|
31.1
|
*Certification
of the Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Section 302 of the
Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
|
31.2
|
*Certification
of the Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Section 302 of the
Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
|
32.1
|
*Certification
by Eric Gatoff, CEO, Nathan’s Famous, Inc., pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section
1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley
Act of
2002.
|
32.2
|
*Certification
by Ronald G. DeVos, CFO, Nathan’s Famous, Inc., pursuant to 18 U.S.C.
Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley
Act
of 2002.
|
*filed herewith. |
26
SIGNATURES
Pursuant
to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant
has
duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto
duly authorized.
NATHAN'S FAMOUS, INC. | ||
|
|
|
Date: February 1, 2008 | By: | /s/ Eric Gatoff |
Eric Gatoff |
||
Chief Executive Officer | ||
(Principal Executive Officer) |
|
|
|
Date: February 1, 2008 | By: | /s/ Ronald G. DeVos |
Ronald G. DeVos |
||
Vice President - Finance and Chief Financial Officer | ||
(Principal Financial and Accounting Officer) |
27
Exhibit
Index
3.1
|
Certificate
of Incorporation. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to
Registration Statement on Form S-1 No. 33- 56976.)
|
3.2
|
Amendment
to the Certificate of Incorporation, filed December 15, 1992.
(Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.2 to Registration Statement
on
Form S-1 No. 33-56976.)
|
3.3
|
By-Laws,
as amended. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3 to Form 10-K
for the
fiscal year ended March 25, 2006.)
|
4.1
|
Specimen
Stock Certificate. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1
to
Registration Statement on Form S-1 No. 33-56976.)
|
4.2
|
Specimen
Rights Certificate (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 2 to
Form 8-A/A
dated December 10, 1999.)
|
4.3
|
Third
Amended and Restated Rights Agreement dated as of December 10,
1999
between Nathan’s Famous, Inc. and American Stock Transfer and Trust
Company (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 2 to Registration
Statement
on Form 8-A/A dated December 10, 1999.)
|
4.4
|
Amendment
No. 1 to Third Amended and Restated Rights Agreement dated as
of June 15,
2005 between Nathan’s Famous, Inc. and American Stock Transfer and Trust
Company. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to Current
Report filed
on Form 8-K dated June 15, 2005.)
|
31.1
|
*Certification
of the Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Section 302 of the
Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
|
31.2
|
*Certification
of the Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Section 302 of the
Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
|
32.1
|
*Certification
by Eric Gatoff, CEO, Nathan’s Famous, Inc., pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section
1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley
Act of
2002.
|
32.2
|
*Certification
by Ronald G. DeVos, CFO, Nathan’s Famous, Inc., pursuant to 18 U.S.C.
Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley
Act
of 2002.
|
*filed herewith. |
28