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Fiesta Restaurant Group, Inc. Reports Third Quarter 2021 Results

Fiesta Restaurant Group, Inc. ("Fiesta" or the "Company") (NASDAQ: FRGI), parent company of the Pollo Tropical® restaurant brand, today reported results for the 13-week third quarter, which ended on October 3, 2021, and provided a business update related to current operations.

Fiesta President and Chief Executive Officer Richard Stockinger said, "We announced the sale of Taco Cabana on July 1, and successfully closed the transaction on August 16. We are now debt free with a cash balance of $55.8 million as of October 3, and our leadership team is fully focused on achieving what we believe are significant growth opportunities for Pollo Tropical."

Stockinger added, "We were pleased with Pollo Tropical's third quarter sales performance despite reduced operating hours from staffing shortages throughout the quarter. Third quarter 2021 comparable restaurant sales were 13.8% vs. the third quarter of 2020, and increased to 0.9% vs. the third quarter of 2019, an improvement from the second quarter 2021 comparable restaurant sales vs. 2019 of -1.8%(1). Comparable restaurant sales results were much stronger in markets that had adequate staffing – those markets realized third quarter 2021 comparable restaurant sales of approximately 16.7% vs. the third quarter of 2020 and 4.3% vs. the third quarter of 2019. Our positive comparable restaurant sales growth compared to 2019 continued in October, and we are optimistic about accelerating sales momentum as we reach full staffing levels."

Stockinger continued, "Staff availability has been an industry-wide challenge. We have approached this issue with a very disciplined and forward thinking approach, and took proactive action that included wage rate increases and offering hiring incentives. In addition, we are enhancing our medical plans and increasing other benefits such as emergency child-care and commute assistance so that we can remain a preferred employer. We achieved adequate staffing levels at a total company level by September and continued to realize staffing improvement in October."

Stockinger added, "In order to improve margins after the wage rate increases, we implemented a phased approach to price increases of 3.7% in mid-third quarter with approximately 4% to 6% planned for the fourth quarter along with accelerating our ongoing actions to optimize restaurant labor efficiency. Those actions have already resulted in Restaurant-level Adjusted EBITDA(2) margin improvement, a non-GAAP financial measure, based on preliminary October 2021 results(3) compared to the third quarter of 2021. Restaurant-level Adjusted EBITDA margins declined during the third quarter compared to 2020 primarily due to hourly wage rate increases, short-term hiring incentives, and additional overtime and training. A large portion of those increases are short term only, estimated at $0.9 million, or approximately 100 basis points as a percentage of sales. Third quarter 2021 loss from continuing operations was $3.2 million compared to income from continuing operations in the third quarter of 2020 of $4.4 million."

Stockinger concluded, "As we look toward the balance of the year, we are focused on continuing efforts to be a preferred employer and accelerating our margin improvement above the third quarter of 2021. We are targeting Restaurant-level Adjusted EBITDA margins returning to the 18% to 20% range in the first half of 2022, barring unforeseen changes in our cost structure and operating environment. In addition, we will continue enhancing the customer experience across all service channels, further investing in our growing digital platform, and refining our brand proposition and new unit design features in remodel tests to drive future growth."

_____________________________

(1)

Comparable restaurant sales results are not adjusted for the impact of holiday timing and named storms, which is detailed in the Comparable Restaurant Sales section.

(2)

See non-GAAP reconciliation table below.

(3)

October preliminary results after excluding short term or temporary hiring incentives and guaranteed manager bonuses.

Third Quarter 2021 Financial Summary

  • Total revenues from continuing operations increased 13.7% to $88.6 million in the third quarter of 2021 from $77.9 million in the third quarter of 2020;
  • Comparable restaurant sales at Pollo Tropical increased 13.8%. Compared to the same fiscal period in 2019, comparable restaurant sales for Pollo Tropical increased 0.9%;
  • Net income of $17.3 million, or $0.66 per diluted share, in the third quarter of 2021 (which includes a gain on the sale of Taco Cabana), compared to net income of $4.6 million, or $0.18 per diluted share, in the third quarter of 2020;
  • Net loss from continuing operations of $(3.2) million, or $(0.12) per diluted share, in the third quarter of 2021, compared to net income from continuing operations of $4.4 million, or $0.17 per diluted share, in the third quarter of 2020;
  • Adjusted net loss (a non-GAAP financial measure) of $2.4 million, or $0.09 per diluted share, in the third quarter of 2021, compared to adjusted net income of $1.2 million, or $0.04 per diluted share, in the third quarter of 2020 (see non-GAAP reconciliation table below);
  • Continuing Operations Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA (a non-GAAP financial measure) of $3.7 million in the third quarter of 2021 compared to $8.2 million in the third quarter of 2020 (see non-GAAP reconciliation table below);
  • Adjusted EBITDA for Pollo Tropical of $6.3 million in the third quarter of 2021 compared to $10.6 million in the third quarter of 2020; and
  • Restaurant-level Adjusted EBITDA (a non-GAAP financial measure) for Pollo Tropical of $13.0 million, or 14.8% of Pollo Tropical restaurant sales, in the third quarter of 2021 compared to $16.4 million, or 21.2% of Pollo Tropical restaurant sales, in the third quarter of 2020 (see non-GAAP reconciliation table below).

Third Quarter 2021 Comparable Restaurant Sales

Second
Quarter 2021

Fiscal
July

Fiscal
August

Fiscal
September

Third
Quarter 2021

Pollo Tropical

2021 vs. 2020

43.5%

16.5%

11.5%

14.2%

13.8%

2021 vs. 2019

-1.8%

0.1%

-0.9%

4.0%

0.9%

  • As a result of the 53rd week in fiscal 2020, our 2021 fiscal year began one week later than our 2020 fiscal year. Changes in comparable restaurant sales are impacted by the shift in weeks as the thirteen weeks ended October 3, 2021, are not directly comparable on a calendar basis to the thirteen weeks ended September 27, 2020.
  • For Pollo Tropical comparable restaurant sales comparisons in 2021 vs. 2019, the Fourth of July holiday timing had an impact on fiscal July. After adjusting for the holiday timing difference, July 2021 comparable restaurant sales vs. 2019 would have been approximately 170 basis points lower.
  • Third quarter comparable restaurant sales at Pollo Tropical vs 2019 benefited from the negative impact of Hurricane Dorian in 2019. After adjusting for the impact of the hurricane, 2021 third quarter comparable sales would have been approximately 160 basis points lower.

Cash and Liquidity

  • At the end of the third quarter of 2021, we had $52.0 million in cash and $3.8 million in restricted cash. We fully repaid our outstanding term loan borrowings on August 16, 2021, and our outstanding debt balance was $0.9 million of finance lease obligations at the end of the third quarter of 2021.
  • Our cash balance decreased from the second quarter balance of $65.8 million at July 4, 2021 to a third quarter balance of $52.0 million at October 3, 2021.

Third Quarter 2021 Pollo Tropical Results

Total Pollo Tropical restaurant sales increased 13.4% to $88.0 million in the third quarter of 2021 compared to $77.6 million in the third quarter of 2020 primarily due to a comparable restaurant sales increase of 13.8%. Pollo Tropical dine-in and counter take-out comparable restaurant sales increased 45% from the third quarter of 2020 to the third quarter of 2021 due primarily to the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on dine-in traffic and closures of our dining rooms during a portion of the third quarter of 2020. The increase in dine in channel sales was supplemented by off-premise channel growth. Third quarter 2021 drive-thru comparable restaurant sales were flat compared to the third quarter of 2020, while third quarter 2021 delivery comparable restaurant sales were up 32.7% compared to the third quarter of 2020. The increase in comparable restaurant sales resulted from a net impact of product/channel mix and pricing of 9.6% and an increase in comparable restaurant transactions of 4.2%. The increase in product/channel mix and pricing was driven primarily by increases in delivery and drive-thru average check, and menu price increases of 5.7%. During the third quarter of 2021, Pollo Tropical experienced increased hourly staffing challenges due to workforce availability which we believe had a negative impact on sales throughout the quarter, driven in part by reduced operating hours.

Comparable Restaurant Sales Mix by Channel - Pollo Tropical

Channel

Third Quarter 2021(1)

% of Total

Third Quarter

2020

% of Total

Third Quarter

2019

% of Total

($ in thousands)

Counter(2)

$

23,556

27

%

$

16,294

21

%

$

42,147

49

%

Drive-thru

51,095

58

%

51,315

66

%

40,282

47

%

Delivery

8,785

10

%

6,620

9

%

1,692

2

%

Online

3,116

4

%

2,193

3

%

1,430

1

%

Catering

1,051

1

%

535

1

%

637

1

%

Total

$

87,603

100

%

$

76,957

100

%

$

86,188

100

%

(1)

Third quarter 2021 comparable restaurant sales based on the comparable third quarter 2020 restaurants.

(2)

Counter sales include dine-in and counter take-out sales.

Adjusted EBITDA for Pollo Tropical decreased to $6.3 million in the third quarter of 2021 from $10.6 million in the third quarter of 2020, a decrease of (40.5)%. The decrease was primarily due to higher labor costs, advertising expenses, general and administrative expenses, and repair and maintenance costs, partially offset by the impact of higher restaurant sales, and improved cost of sales margins. Higher labor costs were driven primarily by hourly wage rate increases, short-term hiring incentives, and additional overtime and training. We believe that approximately $0.9 million of the labor cost increases for overtime and staffing-related incentives are short term in nature. We plan to take price increases to offset labor costs in a phased approach in order to minimize the negative impact on traffic. A 3.7% price increase was implemented in late August, and additional pricing action is planned for the fourth quarter of 2021.

Restaurant-level Adjusted EBITDA (a non-GAAP financial measure) for Pollo Tropical as a percentage of restaurant sales decreased, with third quarter Restaurant-level Adjusted EBITDA as a percentage of restaurant sales of 14.8% in 2021 compared to 21.2% in 2020 and 20.1% in 2019 (see non-GAAP reconciliation table below). Continuing Operations Adjusted EBITDA decreased to $3.7 million compared to $8.2 million in 2020.

Comparable Restaurant Average Weekly Sales - Pollo Tropical

Period

July

August

September

2021

$50,033

$49,117

$49,975

2020

$42,948

$44,051

$43,768

2019

$49,984

$49,548

$48,058

Previously Approved Share Repurchase Program Resumed

The Company resumed its share repurchase program that the board of directors had previously authorized for the repurchase of an aggregate 3.0 million shares of common stock, of which 668,282 shares remain available for purchase as of October 3, 2021. Under the share repurchase program, shares may be repurchased from time to time in open market transactions at prevailing market prices, in privately negotiated transactions or by other means in accordance with federal securities laws, including Rule 10b-18 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. The number of shares repurchased and the timing of repurchases will depend on a number of factors, including, but not limited to, stock price, trading volume, general market and economic conditions, and other corporate considerations. The share repurchase program has no time limit and may be modified, suspended, superseded or terminated at any time by the board of directors.

Taco Cabana Divestiture Completed

On August 16, 2021, the Company completed the previously announced sale of its Taco Cabana restaurant business through the sale of all of the outstanding capital stock of Taco Cabana, Inc., the parent company of the Taco Cabana business (the "Transaction") to an affiliate of Yadav Enterprises, Inc. The terms of the Transaction are set forth in the Purchase Agreement which was filed by the Company on Form 8-K on July 7, 2021.

Restaurant Portfolio

As of October 3, 2021, there were 138 Company-owned Pollo Tropical restaurants, and 31 franchised Pollo Tropical restaurants in the U.S., the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Panama, Guyana, Ecuador and the Bahamas.

Investor Conference Call Today

We will host a conference call at 4:30 p.m. ET today. The conference call can be accessed live over the phone by dialing 856-344-9299. A replay will be available after the call until Thursday, November 18, 2021 and can be accessed by dialing 1-412-317-6671. The passcode is 1291956. The conference call will also be webcast live and archived on the corporate website at www.frgi.com, under the Investor Relations section. A replay of the webcast will be available through the corporate website shortly after the call has concluded.

About Fiesta Restaurant Group, Inc.

Fiesta Restaurant Group, Inc., owns, operates and franchises the Pollo Tropical® restaurant brand and prior to August 16, 2021, owned, operated, and franchised the Taco Cabana® restaurant brand. The brands specialize in the operation of fast casual/quick service restaurants that offer distinct and unique flavors with broad appeal at a compelling value. The brands feature fresh-made cooking, drive-thru service and catering. For more information about Fiesta Restaurant Group, Inc., visit the corporate website at www.frgi.com.

Forward Looking Statements

Certain statements contained in this news release and in our public disclosures, whether written, oral or otherwise made, relating to future events or future performance, including any discussion, express or implied regarding our anticipated growth, plans, objectives and the impact of our initiatives, our investments in strategic and sales building initiatives, including those relating to operations improvements, digital infrastructure supporting ordering and online sales, catering and third-party delivery and drive thru improvements and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and our initiatives designed to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic on future sales, margins, earnings and liquidity, contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These statements are often identified by the words "may," "might," "believes," "thinks," "anticipates," "plans," "positioned," "target," "continue," "expects," "look to," "intends" and other similar expressions, whether in the negative or the affirmative, that are not statements of historical fact. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve certain risks, uncertainties, and assumptions that are difficult to predict, and you should not place undue reliance on our forward-looking statements. Our actual results and timing of certain events could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of certain factors, including, but not limited to, those discussed from time to time in our reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our Annual Report on Form 10-K and our quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. All forward-looking statements and the internal projections and beliefs upon which we base our expectations included in this release are made only as of the date of this release and may change. While we may elect to update forward-looking statements at some point in the future, we expressly disclaim any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

FIESTA RESTAURANT GROUP, INC.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
THREE AND NINE MONTHS ENDED OCTOBER 3, 2021 AND SEPTEMBER 27, 2020
(In thousands, except share and per share data)
(Unaudited)

 

Three Months Ended (a)

Nine Months Ended (a)

October 3, 2021

September 27, 2020

October 3, 2021

September 27, 2020

Revenues:

Restaurant sales

$

88,014

$

77,604

$

266,618

$

226,617

Franchise royalty revenues and fees

578

336

1,344

886

Total revenues

88,592

77,940

267,962

227,503

Costs and expenses:

Cost of sales

26,984

24,614

81,843

72,666

Restaurant wages and related expenses (b)

24,648

18,051

66,888

54,196

Restaurant rent expense

5,924

5,585

17,625

16,885

Other restaurant operating expenses

14,740

12,228

42,260

35,575

Advertising expense

2,757

814

8,030

5,492

General and administrative expenses (b)(c)

11,167

9,134

32,883

28,592

Depreciation and amortization

5,328

5,425

15,291

16,373

Impairment and other lease charges (d)

30

2,395

(224

)

8,023

Closed restaurant rent, net of sublease income (e)

710

934

2,426

3,315

Other expense (income), net (f)

138

(1,353

)

431

(426

)

Total operating expenses

92,426

77,827

267,453

240,691

Income (loss) from operations

(3,834

)

113

509

(13,188

)

Interest expense

160

83

282

209

Income (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes

(3,994

)

30

227

(13,397

)

Provision for (benefit from) income taxes (g)

(763

)

(4,382

)

1,473

(7,494

)

Income (loss) from continuing operations

(3,231

)

4,412

(1,246

)

(5,903

)

Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of tax

20,493

181

16,336

(5,164

)

Net income (loss)

17,262

4,593

15,090

(11,067

)

Earnings (loss) per common share:

Continuing operations – basic

$

(0.12

)

$

0.17

$

(0.05

)

$

(0.23

)

Discontinued operations – basic

0.78

0.01

0.62

(0.21

)

Basic

0.66

0.18

0.57

(0.44

)

Continuing operations – diluted

(0.12

)

0.17

(0.05

)

(0.23

)

Discontinued operations – diluted

0.78

0.01

0.62

(0.21

)

Diluted

0.66

0.18

0.57

(0.44

)

Weighted average common shares outstanding:

Basic

25,508,930

25,290,357

25,443,341

25,359,004

Diluted

25,508,930

25,291,719

25,443,341

25,359,004

(a)

The Company uses a 52- or 53-week fiscal year that ends on the Sunday closest to December 31. The three- and nine-month periods ended October 3, 2021 and September 27, 2020 each included 13 and 26 weeks, respectively.

(b)

Restaurant wages and related expenses include stock-based compensation of $13 and $15 for the three months ended October 3, 2021 and September 27, 2020, respectively, and $44 and $53 for the nine months ended October 3, 2021 and September 27, 2020, respectively. General and administrative expenses include stock-based compensation expense of $1,097 and $486 for the three months ended October 3, 2021 and September 27, 2020, respectively, and $3,137 and $1,834 for the nine months ended October 3, 2021 and September 27, 2020, respectively.

(c)

See notes (f) and (g) to the reconciliation of net income (loss) to adjusted net income (loss) in the tables titled "Supplemental Non-GAAP Information."

(d)

See note (c) to the reconciliation of net income (loss) to adjusted net income (loss) in the tables titled "Supplemental Non-GAAP Information."

(e)

See note (d) to the reconciliation of net income (loss) to adjusted net income (loss) in the tables titled "Supplemental Non-GAAP Information."

(f)

See note (e) to the reconciliation of net income (loss) to adjusted net income (loss) in the tables titled "Supplemental Non-GAAP Information."

(g)

See notes (a) and (b) to the reconciliation of net income (loss) to adjusted net income (loss) in the tables titled "Supplemental Non-GAAP Information."

 

FIESTA RESTAURANT GROUP, INC.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(In thousands)
(Unaudited)

 

October 3, 2021

January 3, 2021

Assets

Cash

$

51,978

$

49,778

Current assets held for sale

8,478

Other current assets

22,210

25,770

Property and equipment, net

92,807

97,867

Operating lease right-of-use assets

155,809

164,665

Goodwill

56,307

56,307

Non-current assets held for sale

160,023

Other assets

5,838

5,855

Total assets

$

384,949

$

568,743

Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity

Current portion of long-term debt

$

72

$

816

Current liabilities held for sale

27,225

Other current liabilities

43,273

36,868

Long-term debt, net of current portion

788

71,588

Operating lease liabilities

165,113

174,116

Deferred tax liabilities

2,075

2,269

Non-current liabilities held for sale

98,323

Other non-current liabilities

9,640

9,757

Total liabilities

220,961

420,962

Stockholders' equity

163,988

147,781

Total liabilities and stockholders' equity

$

384,949

$

568,743

 

FIESTA RESTAURANT GROUP, INC.
Supplemental Information
The following table sets forth certain unaudited supplemental financial and other data for the periods indicated
(In thousands, except percentages)
:

 

(Unaudited)

(Unaudited)

Three Months Ended

Nine Months Ended

October 3, 2021

September 27, 2020

October 3, 2021

September 27, 2020

Segment revenues:

Pollo Tropical

$

88,592

$

77,940

$

267,962

$

227,503

Change in comparable restaurant sales (a):

Pollo Tropical

13.8

%

(11.1

)%

18.6

%

(16.8

)%

Average sales per Company-owned restaurant:

Pollo Tropical

Comparable restaurants (b)

$

646

$

568

$

1,950

$

1,644

Non-comparable restaurants (c)

204

387

955

1,233

Total Company-owned (d)

638

562

1,932

1,628

Income (loss) before income taxes:

Pollo Tropical

$

(1,011

)

$

3,035

$

8,260

$

(3,978

)

Adjusted EBITDA:

Pollo Tropical

$

6,324

$

10,621

$

30,620

$

24,394

Restaurant-level Adjusted EBITDA (e):

Pollo Tropical

$

13,043

$

16,430

$

50,321

$

42,202

(a)

Restaurants are included in comparable restaurant sales after they have been open for 18 months or longer. Restaurants are excluded from comparable restaurant sales for any fiscal month in which the restaurant was closed for more than five days. Comparable restaurant sales are compared to the same period in the prior year.

(b)

Comparable restaurants are restaurants that have been open for 18 months or longer. Average sales for comparable Company-owned restaurants are derived by dividing comparable restaurant sales for such period for the applicable segment by the average number of comparable restaurants for the applicable segment for such period.

(c)

Non-comparable restaurants are restaurants that have been open for less than 18 months, or that were temporarily closed during the period. Average sales for new Company-owned restaurants are derived by dividing new restaurant sales for such period for the applicable segment by the average number of new restaurants for the applicable segment for such period.

(d)

Average sales for total Company-owned restaurants are derived by dividing restaurant sales for such period for the applicable segment by the average number of open restaurants for the applicable segment for such period.

(e)

Restaurant-level Adjusted EBITDA is a non-GAAP financial measure. Please see the reconciliation from net income (loss) to Restaurant-level Adjusted EBITDA in the table titled "Supplemental Non-GAAP Information."

 

FIESTA RESTAURANT GROUP, INC.
Supplemental Information
The following table sets forth certain unaudited supplemental data for the periods indicated
:

 

Three Months Ended

Nine Months Ended

October 3, 2021

September 27, 2020

October 3, 2021

September 27, 2020

Company-owned restaurant openings:

Pollo Tropical

Company-owned restaurant closings:

Pollo Tropical

(3

)

(4

)

Number of Company-owned restaurants:

Pollo Tropical

138

138

138

138

Taco Cabana

145

145

Total Company-owned restaurants

138

283

138

283

Number of franchised restaurants:

Pollo Tropical

31

33

31

33

Taco Cabana

7

7

Total franchised restaurants

31

40

31

40

Total number of restaurants:

Pollo Tropical

169

171

169

171

Taco Cabana

152

152

Total restaurants

169

323

169

323

 

FIESTA RESTAURANT GROUP, INC.
Supplemental Information
The following table sets forth certain unaudited supplemental financial and other data for the periods indicated
(In thousands, except percentages):

 

Three Months Ended

October 3, 2021

September 27, 2020

Pollo Tropical:

(a)

(a)

Restaurant sales

$

88,014

$

77,604

Cost of sales

26,984

30.7

%

24,614

31.7

%

Restaurant wages and related expenses

24,648

28.0

%

18,051

23.3

%

Restaurant rent expense

5,924

6.7

%

5,585

7.2

%

Other restaurant operating expenses

14,671

16.7

%

12,125

15.6

%

Advertising expense

2,757

3.1

%

815

1.1

%

Depreciation and amortization

5,060

5.7

%

5,171

6.7

%

Impairment and other lease charges

30

%

2,395

3.1

%

Closed restaurant rent expense, net of sublease income

566

0.6

%

356

0.5

%

Nine Months Ended

October 3, 2021

September 27, 2020

Pollo Tropical:

(a)

(a)

Restaurant sales

$

266,618

$

226,617

Cost of sales

81,843

30.7

%

72,666

32.1

%

Restaurant wages and related expenses

66,888

25.1

%

54,196

23.9

%

Restaurant rent expense

17,625

6.6

%

16,885

7.5

%

Other restaurant operating expenses

41,955

15.7

%

35,225

15.5

%

Advertising expense

8,030

3.0

%

5,497

2.4

%

Depreciation and amortization

14,842

5.6

%

15,682

6.9

%

Impairment and other lease charges

(192)

(0.1)

%

8,023

3.5

%

Closed restaurant rent expense, net of sublease income

1,373

0.5

%

1,629

0.7

%

(a)

Percent of restaurant sales for the applicable segment.

FIESTA RESTAURANT GROUP, INC.
Supplemental Non-GAAP Information
The following table sets forth certain unaudited supplemental financial data for the periods indicated
(In thousands):

Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA (including Continuing Operations Adjusted EBITDA) and Restaurant-level Adjusted EBITDA are non-GAAP financial measures. Adjusted EBITDA is defined as earnings (loss) attributable to the applicable operating segments before interest expense, income taxes, depreciation and amortization, impairment and other lease charges, goodwill impairment, closed restaurant rent expense, net of sublease income, stock-based compensation expense, other expense (income), net, and certain significant items for each segment that are related to strategic changes and/or are not related to the ongoing operation of our restaurants as set forth in the reconciliation table below. Adjusted EBITDA for each of our segments includes an allocation of general and administrative expenses associated with administrative support for executive management, information systems and certain finance, legal, supply chain, human resources, construction and other administrative functions. Restaurant-level Adjusted EBITDA is defined as Adjusted EBITDA excluding franchise royalty revenues and fees, pre-opening costs and general and administrative expenses (including corporate-level general and administrative expenses). The "Other" column includes corporate costs that were allocated to Taco Cabana and are not included in discontinued operations.

Adjusted EBITDA for each of our segments is the primary measure of segment profit or loss used by our chief operating decision maker for purposes of allocating resources to our segments and assessing their performance. In addition, management believes that Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA and Restaurant-level Adjusted EBITDA, when viewed with our results of operations calculated in accordance with GAAP and our reconciliation of net income (loss) to Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA and Restaurant-level Adjusted EBITDA (i) provide useful information about our operating performance and period-over-period changes, (ii) provide additional information that is useful for evaluating the operating performance of our business, and (iii) permit investors to gain an understanding of the factors and trends affecting our ongoing earnings, from which capital investments are made and debt is serviced. However, such measures are not measures of financial performance or liquidity under GAAP and, accordingly, should not be considered as alternatives to net income or cash flow from operating activities as indicators of operating performance or liquidity. Also, these measures may not be comparable to similarly titled captions of other companies.

Three Months Ended

Pollo Tropical

Other

Continuing Operations

October 3, 2021:

Net income

$

17,262

Income from discontinued operations, net of tax

(20,493

)

Benefit from income taxes

(763

)

Loss before taxes

$

(1,011

)

$

(2,983

)

$

(3,994

)

Add:

Non-general and administrative adjustments:

Depreciation and amortization

5,060

268

5,328

Impairment and other lease charges

30

30

Interest expense

502

(342

)

160

Closed restaurant rent expense, net of sublease income

566

144

710

Other expense (income), net

120

18

138

Stock-based compensation expense

13

13

Total non-general and administrative adjustments

6,291

88

6,379

General and administrative adjustments:

Stock-based compensation expense

670

427

1,097

Restructuring costs and retention bonuses

60

(60

)

Digital and brand repositioning costs

193

193

Transaction costs

121

(121

)

Total general and administrative adjustments

1,044

246

1,290

Adjusted EBITDA

$

6,324

$

(2,649

)

$

3,675

Adjusted EBITDA as a percentage of total revenues

7.1

%

4.1

%

Restaurant-level adjustments:

Add: Other general and administrative expense(a)

7,297

2,580

9,877

Less: Franchise royalty revenue and fees

578

578

Restaurant-level Adjusted EBITDA

$

13,043

$

(69

)

$

12,974

Restaurant-level Adjusted EBITDA as a percentage of restaurant sales

14.8

%

14.7

%

 

Three Months Ended:

Pollo Tropical

Other

Continuing Operations

September 27, 2020:

Net income

$

4,593

Income from discontinued operations, net of tax

(181

)

Benefit from income taxes

(4,382

)

Income (loss) before taxes

$

3,035

$

(3,005

)

$

30

Add:

Non-general and administrative adjustments:

Depreciation and amortization

5,171

254

5,425

Impairment and other lease charges

2,395

2,395

Interest expense

593

(510

)

83

Closed restaurant rent expense, net of sublease income

356

578

934

Other expense (income), net

(1,404

)

51

(1,353

)

Stock-based compensation expense

15

15

Total non-general and administrative adjustments

7,126

373

7,499

General and administrative adjustments:

Stock-based compensation expense

307

179

486

Restructuring costs and retention bonuses

99

2

101

Digital and brand repositioning costs

54

54

Total general and administrative adjustments

460

181

641

Adjusted EBITDA

$

10,621

$

(2,451

)

$

8,170

Adjusted EBITDA as a percentage of total revenues

13.6

%

10.5

%

Restaurant-level adjustments:

Add: Other general and administrative expense(a)

6,145

2,348

8,493

Less: Franchise royalty revenue and fees

336

336

Restaurant-level Adjusted EBITDA

$

16,430

$

(103

)

$

16,327

Restaurant-level Adjusted EBITDA as a percentage of restaurant sales

21.2

%

21.0

%

 

Nine Months Ended

Pollo Tropical

Other

Continuing Operations

October 3, 2021:

Net income

$

15,090

Income from discontinued operations, net of tax

(16,336

)

Provision for income taxes

1,473

Income (loss) before taxes

$

8,260

$

(8,033

)

$

227

Add:

Non-general and administrative adjustments:

Depreciation and amortization

14,842

449

15,291

Impairment and other lease charges

(192

)

(32

)

(224

)

Interest expense

2,466

(2,184

)

282

Closed restaurant rent expense, net of sublease income

1,373

1,053

2,426

Other expense (income), net

316

115

431

Stock-based compensation expense

44

44

Total non-general and administrative adjustments

18,849

(599

)

18,250

General and administrative adjustments:

Stock-based compensation expense

1,912

1,225

3,137

Restructuring costs and retention bonuses

78

(60

)

18

Digital and brand repositioning costs

844

844

Transaction costs

677

(677

)

Total general and administrative adjustments

3,511

488

3,999

Adjusted EBITDA

$

30,620

$

(8,144

)

$

22,476

Adjusted EBITDA as a percentage of total revenues

11.4

%

8.4

%

Restaurant-level adjustments:

Add: Other general and administrative expense(a)

21,045

7,839

28,884

Less: Franchise royalty revenue and fees

1,344

1,344

Restaurant-level Adjusted EBITDA

$

50,321

$

(305

)

$

50,016

Restaurant-level Adjusted EBITDA as a percentage of restaurant sales

18.9

%

18.8

%

 

Nine Months Ended

Pollo Tropical

Other

Continuing Operations

September 27, 2020:

Net loss

$

(11,067

)

Loss (income) from discontinued operations, net of tax

5,164

Benefit from income taxes

(7,494

)

Loss before taxes

$

(3,978

)

$

(9,419

)

$

(13,397

)

Add:

Non-general and administrative adjustments:

Depreciation and amortization

15,682

691

16,373

Impairment and other lease charges

8,023

8,023

Interest expense

1,701

(1,492

)

209

Closed restaurant rent expense, net of sublease income

1,629

1,686

3,315

Other expense (income), net

(653

)

227

(426

)

Stock-based compensation expense in restaurant wages

53

53

Total non-general and administrative adjustments

26,435

1,112

27,547

General and administrative adjustments:

Stock-based compensation expense

1,140

694

1,834

Restructuring and costs and retention bonuses

551

135

686

Digital and brand repositioning costs

246

246

Total general and administrative adjustments

1,937

829

2,766

Adjusted EBITDA

$

24,394

$

(7,478

)

$

16,916

Adjusted EBITDA as a percentage of total revenues

10.7

%

7.4

%

Restaurant-level adjustments:

Add: Other general and administrative expense(a)

18,694

7,132

25,826

Less: Franchise royalty revenue and fees

886

886

Restaurant-level Adjusted EBITDA

$

42,202

$

(346

)

$

41,856

Restaurant-level Adjusted EBITDA as a percentage of restaurant sales

18.6

%

18.5

%

(a)

Excludes general and administrative adjustments above.

FIESTA RESTAURANT GROUP, INC.
Supplemental Non-GAAP Information
The following table sets forth certain unaudited supplemental financial data for the periods indicated
(In thousands of dollars, except per share amounts):

Adjusted net income and related adjusted diluted earnings per share are non-GAAP financial measures. Adjusted net income is defined as net income (loss) before discontinued operations, impairment and other lease charges, goodwill impairment, closed restaurant rent expense, net of sublease income, other expense (income), net, board and shareholder matter costs, restructuring costs and retention bonuses, certain legal settlements and related costs and other significant items that are related to strategic changes and/or are not related to the ongoing operation of our restaurants. Management believes that adjusted net income and related adjusted earnings per diluted share, when viewed with our results of operations calculated in accordance with GAAP (i) provide useful information about our operating performance and period-over-period growth, (ii) provide additional information that is useful for evaluating the operating performance of our business, and (iii) permit investors to gain an understanding of the factors and trends affecting our ongoing earnings, from which capital investments are made and debt is serviced. However, such measures are not measures of financial performance or liquidity under GAAP and, accordingly should not be considered as alternatives to net income or net income per share as indicators of operating performance or liquidity. Also, these measures may not be comparable to similarly titled captions of other companies.

(Unaudited)

Three Months Ended

October 3, 2021

September 27, 2020

Income (Loss) Before Income Taxes

Benefit From Income Taxes (a)

Net Income (Loss)

Diluted EPS

Loss Before Income Taxes

Benefit From Income Taxes (a)

Net Income (Loss)

Diluted EPS

Reported - GAAP Net Income

$

17,262

$

0.66

$

4,593

$

0.18

Loss from discontinued operations, net of tax

(20,493

)

(0.78

)

(181

)

(0.01

)

Income (loss) from continuing operations

$

(3,994

)

$

(763

)

$

(3,231

)

$

(0.12

)

$

30

$

(4,382

)

$

4,412

$

0.17

Adjustments:

Non-general and administrative expense adjustments:

Income tax due to tax law change (a)

(73

)

73

1,612

(1,612

)

(0.06

)

Deferred tax asset valuation allowance (b)

(2

)

2

3,204

(3,204

)

(0.13

)

Impairment and other lease charges (c)

30

7

23

2,395

598

1,797

0.07

Closed restaurant rent expense, net of sublease income (d)

710

177

533

0.02

934

233

701

0.03

Other expense (income), net (e)

138

34

104

(1,353

)

(338

)

(1,015

)

(0.04

)

Total non-general and administrative expense

878

143

735

0.02

1,976

5,309

(3,333

)

(0.13

)

General and administrative expense adjustments:

Restructuring costs and retention bonuses (f)

101

25

76

Digital and brand repositioning costs (g)

193

48

145

0.01

54

13

41

Total general and administrative expense

193

48

145

0.01

155

38

117

Adjusted - Non-GAAP

$

(2,923

)

$

(572

)

$

(2,351

)

$

(0.09

)

$

2,161

$

965

$

1,196

$

0.04

(Unaudited)

Nine Months Ended

October 3, 2021

September 27, 2020

Income (Loss) Before Income Taxes

Provision For Income Taxes (a)

Net Income (Loss)

Diluted EPS

Loss Before Income Taxes

Benefit From Income Taxes (a)

Net Loss

Diluted EPS

Reported - GAAP Net Income

$

15,090

$

0.57

$

(11,067

)

$

(0.44

)

Loss (income) from discontinued operations, net of tax

(16,336

)

(0.62

)

5,164

0.21

Income (loss) from continuing operations

$

227

$

1,473

$

(1,246

)

$

(0.05

)

$

(13,397

)

$

(7,494

)

$

(5,903

)

$

(0.23

)

Adjustments:

Non-general and administrative expense adjustments:

Income tax due to tax law change (a)

(636

)

636

0.02

3,846

(3,846

)

(0.15

)

Deferred tax asset valuation allowance (b)

(378

)

378

0.01

1,172

(1,172

)

(0.05

)

Impairment and other lease charges (c)

(224

)

(56

)

(168

)

(0.01

)

8,023

2,002

6,021

0.24

Closed restaurant rent expense, net of sublease income (d)

2,426

605

1,821

0.07

3,315

827

2,488

0.10

Other expense (income), net (e)

431

108

323

0.01

(426

)

(106

)

(320

)

(0.01

)

Total non-general and administrative expense

2,633

(357

)

2,990

0.11

10,912

7,741

3,171

0.13

General and administrative expense adjustments:

Restructuring costs and retention bonuses (f)

18

4

14

686

171

515

0.02

Digital and brand repositioning costs (g)

844

211

633

0.02

246

61

185

0.01

Total general and administrative expense

862

215

647

0.02

932

232

700

0.03

Adjusted - Non-GAAP

$

3,722

$

1,331

$

2,391

$

0.08

$

(1,553

)

$

479

$

(2,032

)

$

(0.07

)

a)

The provision for (benefit from) income taxes related to the adjustments was calculated using the Company's combined federal statutory and estimated state rate of 25.0% for the periods ending October 3, 2021 and September 27, 2020. In the three months ended April 4, 2021, we recorded an out-of-period adjustment totaling $1.5 million related to tax depreciation on certain assets placed into service several years prior to the formation of Fiesta in 2011, of which $0.6 million is attributable to a change in tax rates as a result of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. On March 27, 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (the "CARES Act") was signed into law. The CARES Act includes provisions that allow net operating losses in 2018, 2019, and 2020 to be carried back for up to five years and eliminates the 80% taxable income limitation on net operating loss deductions for 2018 through 2020. The CARES Act also includes technical amendments that are retroactive to 2018 which permit certain assets to be classified as qualified improvement property and expensed immediately. These changes allowed us to record an incremental benefit of $1.9 million in the nine months ended September 27, 2020, which represents the impact of carrying net operating losses from 2018 and 2019 back to years with a higher federal corporate income tax rate and a $1.9 million benefit as a result of reclassifying certain assets as qualified improvement property as permitted by the CARES Act and other changes to depreciation methods for certain assets made in conjunction with a cost segregation study conducted prior to filing our 2019 federal income tax return.

(b)

We recorded adjustments totaling $0.4 million for the nine months ended October 3, 2021, to our valuation allowance against deferred income tax assets primarily related to changes in our deferred income tax assets and the expected timing of the reversal of these temporary differences, which included a $0.9 million increase in our valuation allowance as a result of changes in our net deferred tax liabilities related to the out-of-period adjustment in the first quarter of 2021. We recorded a $3.2 million and $1.2 million reduction to our valuation allowance for the three and nine months ended September 27, 2020, respectively, related to reclassifying certain assets as qualified improvement property and filing our 2019 federal income tax returns as well as other changes in our deferred income tax assets where it was determined to be more likely than not that the deferred income tax assets will not be realized through the reversal of existing deferred tax liabilities.

(c)

Impairment and other lease charges for the three and nine months ended October 3, 2021, primarily relate to impairment of equipment from previously impaired and closed restaurants. Additionally, impairment and other lease charges for the nine months ended October 3, 2021 include gains from lease terminations of $(0.4) million.

Impairment and other lease charges for the three and nine months ended September 27, 2020, consist of impairment charges of $2.6 million and $7.3 million, respectively, and other lease charges (gains) of $(0.2) million and $0.7 million, respectively. The impairment charges for the three months ended September 27, 2020 primarily relate to the write-down of saucing islands and self-service soda machines that were removed from dining rooms as a result of COVID-19. For the nine months ended September 27, 2020, impairment charges also include the impairment of assets from three underperforming Pollo Tropical restaurants, two of which were closed in the third quarter of 2020. For the three months ended September 27, 2020, other lease charges primarily related to a gain from a lease termination of $(0.2) million. For the nine months ended September 27, 2020, other lease charges also included lease termination charges of $0.9 million for restaurant locations we decided not to develop.

(d)

Closed restaurant rent expense, net of sublease income for the three and nine months ended October 3, 2021, primarily consists of closed restaurant lease costs of $2.3 million and $6.9 million, respectively, partially offset by sublease income of $(1.6) million and $(4.5) million, respectively. Closed restaurant rent expense, net of sublease income for the three and nine months ended September 27, 2020, primarily consists of closed restaurant lease costs of $2.3 million and $6.9 million, respectively, partially offset by sublease income of $(1.4) million and $(3.6) million, respectively.

(e)

Other expense (income), net for the three and nine months ended October 3, 2021, primarily consists of costs for the removal, transfer, and storage of equipment from closed restaurants and other closed restaurant related costs. Other expense (income), net for the three and nine months ended September 27, 2020, primarily consists of total gains of $(1.6) million on the sale-leaseback of two restaurant properties and the sale of one restaurant property partially offset by the write-off of site development costs of $0.6 million and costs for the removal, transfer, and storage of equipment from closed restaurants and other closure related costs.

(f)

Restructuring costs and retention bonuses for the three and nine months ended September 27, 2020 include severance costs related to terminations in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

(g)

Digital and brand repositioning costs for the three and nine months ended October 3, 2021 and September 27, 2020, include consulting costs related to repositioning the digital experience for our customers.

Contacts:

Investor Relations Contact:
Raphael Gross
203-682-8253
investors@frgi.com

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