Filed Pursuant to Rule 424(b)(5)
Registration No. 333-238138
PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT
(to Prospectus dated May 18, 2020)
$43,500,000
Common Stock
We are offering approximately $43,500,000 of our common stock, par value $0.01 per share. Our common stock is listed on The Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol “RUTH.” The last reported sale price of our common stock on The Nasdaq Global Select Market on May 20, 2020 was $9.12 per share.
Investing in our common stock involves a high degree of risk. See “Risk Factors” beginning onpage S-8 of this prospectus supplement, page 3 of the accompanying prospectus and under similar headings in the documents incorporated by reference into this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus.
Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined whether this prospectus supplement or the accompanying prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
The underwriter has agreed to purchase shares of our common stock from us at a price of $7.75 per share, which will result in approximately $43,500,000 of aggregate proceeds to us before expenses. The underwriter may offer the shares of common stock from time to time to purchasers directly or through agents, or through brokers in brokerage transactions on The Nasdaq Global Select Market, or to dealers in negotiated transactions, or in a combination of such methods of sale or otherwise, at a fixed price or prices, which may be changed, or at market prices prevailing at the time of sale, at prices related to such prevailing market prices or at negotiated prices. See “Underwriting.”
Delivery of the shares of common stock is expected to be made on or about May 26, 2020. We have granted the underwriter an option for a period of 30 days to purchase up to an additional approximately $6,525,000 of our common stock.
Sole Book-Running Manager
Jefferies
Prospectus Supplement dated May 20, 2020
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ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT
This prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus relate to the offering of shares of our common stock. Before buying any of the shares of common stock that we are offering, we urge you to carefully read this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus, together with the information incorporated by reference as described under the headings “Where You Can Find More Information” and “Incorporation of Certain Information by Reference” in this prospectus supplement. These documents contain important information that you should consider when making your investment decision.
This document is in two parts. The first part is this prospectus supplement, which describes the specific terms of this offering and also adds to and updates information contained in the accompanying prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference herein or therein. The second part, the accompanying prospectus, provides more general information. Generally, when we refer to this prospectus, we are referring to both parts of this document combined. To the extent there is a conflict between the information contained in this prospectus supplement, on the one hand, and the information contained in any document incorporated by reference into this prospectus supplement that was filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), before the date of this prospectus supplement, on the other hand, you should rely on the information in this prospectus supplement. If any statement in one of these documents is inconsistent with a statement in another document having a later date—for example, a document incorporated by reference into this prospectus supplement—the statement in the document having the later date modifies or supersedes the earlier statement.
We further note that the representations, warranties and covenants made by us in any agreement that is filed as an exhibit to any document that is incorporated by reference herein or in the accompanying prospectus were made solely for the benefit of the parties to such agreement, including, in some cases, for the purpose of allocating risk among the parties to such agreement, and should not be deemed to be a representation, warranty or covenant to you. Moreover, such representations, warranties or covenants were accurate only as of the date when made. Accordingly, such representations, warranties and covenants should not be relied on as accurately representing the current state of our affairs.
You should rely only on the information contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus and any free writing prospectuses we may provide to you in connection with this offering. We have not, and Jefferies has not, authorized any other person to provide you with different information. If anyone provides you with different or inconsistent information, you should not rely on it. We are not, and Jefferies is not, making an offer to sell or seeking an offer to buy shares of our common stock under this prospectus in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted. Persons outside the United States who come into possession of this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus must inform themselves about, and observe any restrictions relating to, the offering of the securities and the distribution of this prospectus outside the United States.
Furthermore, you should not consider this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus to be an offer or solicitation relating to the securities if the person making the offer or solicitation is not qualified to do so, or if it is unlawful for you to receive such an offer or solicitation. You should not assume that the information contained in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus or free writing prospectus is accurate as of any date other than the date on the front cover of those documents, or that the information contained in any document incorporated by reference is accurate as of any date other than the date of the document incorporated by reference, regardless of the time of delivery of this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus or any sale of a security. Our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed since those dates. It is important for you to read and consider all information contained in this prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus, the documents incorporated by reference herein and therein, and any free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of us that we may authorize for use in connection with this offering, in their entirety, before making an investment decision. You should also read and consider the information in the documents to which we have referred you in the sections entitled “Where You Can Find More Information” and “Incorporation of Certain Information by Reference” in this prospectus supplement and in the accompanying prospectus.
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In this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus, unless the context otherwise requires, references to “we,” “us,” “our” or similar terms, as well as references to the “Company,” refer to Ruth’s Hospitality Group, Inc., a Delaware corporation, and its consolidated subsidiaries.
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UPDATE ON LIQUIDITY AND MANAGEMENT ACTIONS
COVID-19 Impact
In March 2020, the World Health Organization declared the novel coronavirus (“COVID-19”) a pandemic and the United States declared it a National Public Health Emergency, which has resulted in a significant reduction in revenue at our restaurants due to mandatory restaurant closures, capacity limitations, social distancing guidelines or other restrictions mandated by governments across the world, including federal, state and local governments in the United States. As a result of these developments, we are experiencing a significant negative impact on the Company’s revenues, results of operations and cash flows.
In response to the business disruption caused by the COVID-19 outbreak, we have taken the following actions:
Operating Initiatives. Due to the government mandates regarding limiting or prohibiting in-restaurant dining due to COVID-19, we are leveraging our Ruth’s Anywhere program in markets where take-out and delivery sales are sufficient to cover the costs of management staffing those locations. During April, the dining rooms in all of the Company-owned restaurants were closed. We are operating take-out and delivery in 56 Company-owned restaurants where it is permitted by local regulations and economically viable and 30 Company-owned and -managed restaurants are closed. As of the date of this prospectus supplement, our labor and supply chain have not been disrupted. Many of the franchisee-owned locations are experiencing similar disruptions to their business, and as a result, we have waived franchise royalty requirements until their dining rooms re-open. We recently began to open our dining rooms in selected locations. See “—Reopening our Restaurants” below.
Capital and Expense Reductions. We have suspended all new restaurant construction and non-essential capital expenditures. We have also made significant reductions in ongoing operating expenses, including curtailing operations in restaurants where take-out and delivery is not viable and furloughing a significant number of team members in the field and in the Company’s Home Office. In addition, we have also implemented pay reductions for all remaining Home Office and field employees. We have taken measures to reduce payments to our landlords in April 2020 and are in discussions with our landlords to reduce or defer our payments. As of the date of this prospectus supplement, we are unable to predict the outcome of these discussions and the extent to which we will be able to negotiate to reduce or defer payments. With payments being delayed, landlords may terminate our leases or could take other actions that restrict our ability to access or reopen our restaurants in a timely manner.
Dividends and Share Buybacks. We have suspended payments of any quarterly cash dividend and there are no plans for share buybacks in the foreseeable future.
Balance Sheet. In March 2020, we entered into a second amendment to our credit agreement, dated as of February 2, 2017, with certain of our direct and indirect subsidiaries as guarantors, Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as administrative agent, and the lenders and other agents party thereto (as amended, the “Credit Agreement”), which increased our borrowing capacity to $150.0 million and relaxed the leverage covenant restrictions to 4.0 times Bank Adjusted EBITDA through the first quarter of 2021. We borrowed the remaining available amount under our revolving credit facility as a precautionary measure in order to increase our cash position and preserve financial flexibility. On May 7, 2020, we entered into a third amendment to our Credit Agreement, which waived financial covenants until the first quarter of 2021, further relaxed the leverage covenant restrictions through the fourth quarter of 2021 and added a monthly liquidity covenant through December 2020 that escalates if we or any of our subsidiaries issue equity for cash, including in this offering. As discussed under “Fourth Amendment to our Credit Agreement” below, on May 18, 2020, we entered into a fourth amendment to our Credit Agreement which limits the amount by which the monthly liquidity covenant escalates from the net cash proceeds of an equity offering, including in this offering.
Reopening our Restaurants
We have recently been able to open the dining rooms in 11 of our Company-owned restaurants and hope to be able to open additional dining rooms this summer, but we currently expect the majority of our dining rooms to remain closed through most of the second fiscal quarter of 2020. Our ability to open restaurants will depend on the extent
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to which governmental stay-at-home restrictions are lifted by each jurisdiction. Where we are reopening, we are doing so with the safety and wellbeing of our guests and team members as the top priority. As such, we have taken several steps to ensure we comply with relevant requirements at state, city or local levels, which are changing on a regular basis. These steps include:
| ∎ | an overall enhancement to our already robust sanitation and food safety standards; |
| ∎ | requiring all restaurant team members to wear masks and gloves at all times, regularly wash their hands, and undergo health and wellness screenings, including temperature checks; |
| ∎ | assigning a dedicated team member to clean our restaurants at all times they are open; and |
| ∎ | reconfiguring our floor plans to accommodate social distancing. |
We have also taken measures to ensure our guests feel comfortable during their dining experience. For example,
| ∎ | our dinner and wine menus are available via a Quick Response (QR) code for access on personal devices; |
| ∎ | we are offering new personal side options in addition to our shareables; |
| ∎ | we have created opportunities for private seating for small groups to experience personal Taste Maker wine dinners; and |
| ∎ | for our guests who would prefer to have Ruth’s at home, our online ordering, payment and curbside pickup, where available, allows for a convenient and minimal contact experience. |
These precautions and measures may change from time to time as local conditions and applicable health mandates change, and it is also possible that as local conditions and/or applicable health mandates change, we may be required to re-close restaurants or otherwise limit our operations.
Franchisee Restaurants
Our franchisees have reopened 32 dining rooms, 21 franchised restaurants are operating takeout and delivery only and 19 franchised restaurants remain closed.
Fourth Amendment to our Credit Agreement
On May 18, 2020, we entered into a fourth amendment to our Credit Agreement. As discussed above, the third amendment to the Credit Agreement added a monthly liquidity covenant which required us to maintain liquidity, defined as borrowing availability under the revolving credit facility plus cash on hand, in excess of specified amounts (“Minimum Scheduled Cash”) through December 2020 in an amount equal to (a) 50% of the net cash proceeds of any equity issuances by us or any of our subsidiaries effected between May 1, 2020 and December 31, 2020 (excluding certain amounts required to be used to make prepayments on loans outstanding under the Credit Agreement) plus (b) an applicable amount for each month. The fourth amendment amended the definition of Minimum Scheduled Cash so that the amount by which the monthly liquidity covenants escalates from the net cash proceeds of equity issuances is capped at $15 million. Assuming we receive net cash proceeds of $43.0 million in this offering, the Minimum Scheduled Cash under the monthly liquidity covenant will increase by $15 million.
Liquidity Update
As discussed above, during April 2020, the dining rooms in all of the Company-owned restaurants were closed, and although we operated take-out and delivery in 56 Company-owned restaurants, we experienced significant declines in comparable restaurant sales. We did not fully pay our landlords in April 2020 as we began discussions to reduce or defer our rent payments to them. If we had fully paid our landlords in April 2020, our average weekly cash burn rate for that month would have been approximately $2.4 million.
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The following table sets forth the Minimum Scheduled Cash amounts we would be required to maintain under the monthly liquidity covenant in our Credit Agreement, pro forma for this offering, assuming we receive $43.0 million in net proceeds in this offering:
MONTH | PRO FORMA MINIMUM SCHEDULED CASH | |||
May 2020 | $ | 49,000,000 | ||
June 2020 | $ | 44,000,000 | ||
July 2020 | $ | 36,000,000 | ||
August 2020 | $ | 34,000,000 | ||
September 2020 | $ | 30,000,000 | ||
October 2020 | $ | 27,000,000 | ||
November 2020 | $ | 25,000,000 | ||
December 2020 | $ | 29,000,000 | ||
If we were to disregard our recent restaurant reopenings and assume we are only able to offer takeout and delivery operations in a manner consistent with our April operations, with no restaurants open for dine-in operations for the rest of 2020, and assuming we receive $43.0 million in net proceeds from this offering, with $6.5 million used to repay debt, and taking into account $59 million of cash on our balance sheet as of May 18, 2020, we would not have sufficient liquidity to meet the Minimum Scheduled Cash requirement in December 2020. Therefore, under these assumptions, we would be in breach of the monthly liquidity covenant as of that month. However, we believe that, even if each of the assumptions described above should occur, we will still have sufficient alternatives to reduce our operating expenses, including by managing the timing of payments to certain of our vendors and landlords, in order to satisfy the liquidity covenant in December 2020. We will not be required to satisfy the liquidity covenant in 2021 and beyond, and instead will have to comply with covenants related to our leverage ratio, our fixed charge coverage ratio and capital expenditures. Further, our Credit Agreement is scheduled to mature in February 2022. If we are not successful in extending or refinancing our Credit Agreement by February 2021, we may face the risk of a going concern qualification in early 2021 with respect to our audit for fiscal year 2020, which would be an event of default under our Credit Agreement. If our business performance does not improve to the point where we can comply with our leverage ratio, fixed charge coverage ratio and capital expenditure covenants in 2021, we may need to seek an amendment to, or refinance, our Credit Agreement. If we are able to successfully amend, extend or refinance our Credit Agreement, we may also be required to agree to additional covenants in connection with any future amendment, extension or refinancing of our Credit Agreement.
This pandemic is an unprecedented event in our history and it is uncertain how the conditions surroundingCOVID-19 will change, including the timing of lifting any government-imposed restrictions or closure requirements, when additional dining rooms will re-open, and what level of customer demand we will experience as our dining rooms re-open. In the event our revenue and cash requirements differ from our expectations, we may fail to satisfy the covenants under our Credit Agreement or may be unable to refinance or otherwise make required payments on our outstanding debt. See “Risk Factors—The terms of our senior credit agreement may restrict our ability to operate our business and to pursue our business strategies” and “Risk Factors—We depend on external sources of capital, which may not be available in the future” in Item 1A. Risk Factors of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 29, 2019, which is incorporated by reference herein. Our operating results, financial position and liquidity will depend upon a series of factors, including the duration of restaurant shutdowns; the speed with which, and the extent to which, customers return to dine at our restaurants once the dining rooms re-open; and our success in obtaining rent and other payment concessions from landlords and vendors.
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This summary highlights certain information about this offering and selected information contained elsewhere in or incorporated by reference into this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus. This summary is not complete and does not contain all of the information that you should consider before deciding whether to invest in our shares of common stock. You should carefully read this entire prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus, including the information incorporated by reference herein and therein, including the “Risk Factors” section contained in this prospectus supplement and the other documents incorporated by reference into this prospectus supplement.
Overview
Ruth’s Hospitality Group, Inc. is one of the largest upscale steakhouse companies in the world. The Ruth’s Chris Steak House (“Ruth’s Chris”) menu features a broad selection of high-quality USDA Prime grade steaks and other premium offerings served in Ruth’s Chris signature fashion—“sizzling” on a 500 degree plate and topped with butter and fresh parsley—complemented by other classic American steakhouse menu items. The Ruth’s Chris brand reflects its55-year commitment to the core values instilled by its founder, Ruth Fertel, of caring for guests by delivering the highest quality food, beverages and genuine hospitality in a warm and inviting atmosphere. The Ruth’s Chris Steak House brand is one of the strongest in the upscale steakhouse segment of the restaurant industry, with high levels of brand awareness.
Our restaurants cater to special occasion diners and frequent customers, in addition to the business clientele traditionally served by upscale steakhouses, by providing a dining experience designed to appeal to a wide range of guests. We believe our focus on creating this broad appeal provides us with opportunities to expand into a wide range of markets, including many markets not traditionally served by upscale steakhouses.
We offer USDA Prime and other high-quality steaks that are aged and prepared to exact company standards and cooked in1,800-degree broilers. We also offer veal, lamb, poultry and seafood dishes and a broad selection of appetizers. We complement our distinctive food offerings with an award-winning wine list. During the fiscal year 2019, the average check was $86 per person at Company-owned Ruth’s Chris Restaurants.
As of March 29, 2020, there were 159 Ruth’s Chris Steak House restaurants, including 83 Company-owned restaurants, three restaurants operating under contractual agreements and 73 franchisee-owned restaurants (one of which closed since March 29, 2020), including 21 international franchisee-owned restaurants in Aruba, Canada, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, Singapore and Taiwan.
We were originally founded in 1965 and were reincorporated in Delaware on May 11, 2005. Our principal executive offices are located at 1030 W. Canton Avenue, Suite 100, Winter Park, FL 32789. Our telephone number is (407)333-7440. Our website address is www.rhgi.com. We have not incorporated by reference into this prospectus supplement the information on our website, and you should not consider it to be a part of this prospectus supplement.
For additional information about us, please refer to other documents we have filed with the SEC and that are incorporated by reference into this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus, as listed under the heading “Incorporation of Certain Information by Reference.”
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Common stock offered by us | 5,612,903 shares of our common stock (or 6,454,838 shares of our common stock if the underwriter exercises its option to purchase additional shares of common stock in full). |
Common stock to be outstanding after this offering | 34,196,221 shares (assuming no exercise of the underwriter’s option to purchase additional shares). |
Use of Proceeds | We estimate that we will receive net proceeds from this offering of approximately $43.0 million (or $49.5 million if the underwriter exercises its option to purchase additional shares in full), in each case after deducting our estimated offering expenses. We intend to use the net proceeds from the sale of shares of our common stock in this offering to repay borrowings under our Credit Agreement and to strengthen our balance sheet, principally in response to the impact ofCOVID-19 on our business, operations, results of operations, financial condition, cash flows and liquidity (the“COVID-19 Effects”), and to otherwise use the net proceeds for general corporate purposes. We retain broad discretion over the use of the net proceeds from the sale of shares of our common stock offered hereby. See “Use of Proceeds.” |
Risk Factors | See “Risk Factors” beginning onpage S-8 of this prospectus supplement, on page 3 of the accompanying prospectus and in the documents incorporated by reference herein and therein for a discussion of factors you should consider carefully before investing in our common stock. |
Nasdaq Global Select Market Symbol | “RUTH” |
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An investment in our common stock involves a high degree of risk. Prior to making a decision about investing in our common stock, you should carefully consider the risk factors described below and in the accompanying prospectus and the risk factors discussed in the sections entitled “Risk Factors” contained in our Annual Report on Form10-K, filed on February 27, 2020 (our “2019 Annual Report”), our Quarterly Report on Form10-Q, filed on May 8, 2020, and our other filings with the SEC and incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus, together with all of the other information contained in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us, or that we currently view as immaterial, may also impair our business. If any of these risks actually occur, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected. This could cause the trading price of our common stock to decline, resulting in a loss of all or part of your investment.
Risk Related toCOVID-19
TheCOVID-19 outbreak has disrupted and is expected to continue to disrupt our business, which has and could continue to materially affect our operations, financial condition and results of operations for an extended period of time.
The government responses relatedto COVID-19 across the world and our Company’s responses to the outbreak have all disrupted and will continue to disrupt our business. In the United States, containment efforts to slow the transmission of the virus that have been mandated by federal, state and local government, including encouraging individuals to practice social distancing, restricting gathering in groups, and, in some areas, completely restricting individualsfrom non-essential movements outside of their homes. In response tothe COVID-19 outbreak and these changing conditions, we closed the dining rooms in all of our restaurants. While we have recently begun tore-open our dining rooms, if theCOVID-19 pandemic were to reaccelerate, we may be forced tore-close our dining rooms, which could cause us to lose revenue and incur additional expenses. Until very recently, we have been operating exclusively on atake-out and delivery model in restaurants where it is permitted by local regulations and economically viable. We have closed certain restaurants, modified work hours for our team members and identified and implemented cost savings measures throughout ouroperations. The COVID-19 outbreak and these responses have affected and will continue to adversely affect our revenue and operating costs and we cannot predict how long the outbreak will last or what other government responses may occur.
The COVID-19 outbreak has also adversely affected our ability to open new restaurants. Due to the uncertainty in the economy and to preserve liquidity, we have paused all construction of new restaurants and major remodel projects at existing restaurants. These changes may materially and adversely affect our ability to grow our business, particularly if these construction pauses are in place for a significant amount of time.
As a result of theCOVID-19 outbreak, we may be unable to secure additional liquidity. In order to improve our liquidity position, we have fully drawn the $150.0 million capacity of our Revolving Credit Facility. If we fail to comply with our financial covenants, including a minimum liquidity covenant through the end of 2020, and are unable to remedy or obtain a waiver or amendment, an event of default wouldresult. The COVID-19 outbreak is adversely affecting the availability of liquidity generally in the credit markets, and there can be no guarantee that additional liquidity will be readily available or available on favorable terms, especially the longerthe COVID-19 outbreak lasts. The equity markets in the United States have been extremely volatile due tothe COVID-19 outbreak and the Company’s stock price has fluctuated significantly. Continued volatility in the equity markets and our stock price could negatively impact our ability to raise capital.
Our operations could be further disrupted if large numbers of our employees or members of our senior management team are diagnosedwith COVID-19. If a significant percentage of our workforce is unable to work, whether because of illness, quarantine, limitations on travel or other government restrictions in connectionwith COVID-19, our operations may be negatively impacted, potentially materially adversely affecting our liquidity, financial condition or results of operations. Team members might seek and find other employment duringthe COVID-19 business interruption, which could materially adversely affect our ability to properly staff and reopen our restaurants with experienced team members when the business interruptions causedby COVID-19 abate or end.
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Our suppliers could be adversely impacted bythe COVID-19 outbreak. If our suppliers’ employees are unable to work, whether because of illness, quarantine, limitations on travel or other government restrictions in connectionwith COVID-19, we could face shortages of food items or other supplies at our restaurants and our operations and sales could be adversely impacted by such supply interruptions. We did not pay rent to our landlords in April 2020. We have begun discussions with our landlords to reduce or defer our rent payments. We are unable to predict the outcome of these discussions and the extent to which we will be able to negotiate to reduce or defer rent. With rent payments being delayed, landlords may terminate our leases or could take other actions that restrict our ability to access or reopen our stores in a timely manner.
We have transitioned some of our employees, primarily home office support functions, to a remote work environment in an effort to mitigate the spread ofCOVID-19. We are prepared to operate in this manner for the foreseeable future, if necessary. While we have business continuity procedures in place to guide our response to a crisis, our attention may be diverted away from normal operations and our resources may be constrained. We may also be subject to heightened risk of cyberattacks, phishing or other privacy or data security incidents due to the increased use of remote work environments and virtual platforms.
Additional government regulations or legislation as a resultof COVID-19 in addition to decisions we have made and may make in the future relating to the compensation of and benefit offerings for our restaurant team members could also have an adverse effect on our business. We cannot predict the types of additional government regulations or legislation that may be passed relating to employee compensation as a result ofthe COVID-19 outbreak.
We could experience other potential impacts as a result of theCOVID-19 pandemic that are not completely known at this time, including, but not limited to, charges from potential adjustments to the carrying amount of goodwill, indefinite-lived intangibles and long-lived asset impairment charges. Our actual results may differ materially from the Company’s current estimates as the scope of theCOVID-19 pandemic evolves, depending largely though not exclusively on the duration of the disruption to our business.
Risks Related to this Offering
We will have broad discretion in the use of the net proceeds from this offering and, despite our efforts, we may use the net proceeds in a manner that does not increase the value of your investment.
We intend to use the net proceeds from the sale of shares of our common stock in this offering, after the required repayment of indebtedness under our Credit Agreement, to strengthen our balance sheet, principally in response to the impact ofCOVID-19 Effects, and to otherwise use the net proceeds for general corporate purposes. We retain broad discretion over the use of the net proceeds from the sale of shares of our common stock offered hereby (particularly due to the significant uncertainties we face as a result of theCOVID-19 Effects and the related impacts on our liquidity) and, accordingly, you will need to rely upon the judgment of our management with respect to the use of proceeds, potentially with only limited information concerning our specific intentions. These proceeds could be applied in ways that do not improve our operating results or increase the value of your investment.
Any future sales of our common stock may depress our stock price and our ability to raise fund in new stock offerings.
Sales of our common stock in the public market following this offering could lower the market price of our common stock. Sales may also make it more difficult for us to sell equity securities or equity-related securities in the future at a time and price that our management deems acceptable, or at all. We cannot predict the number of these shares that might be resold nor the effect that future sales of our shares of common stock would have on the market price of our shares of common stock.
We do not intend to pay dividends on shares of our common stock or resume share repurchases for the foreseeable future.
As a result of theCOVID-19 Effects, we have suspended the payment of dividends and our entire share repurchase program for the foreseeable future. We do not yet know when, or even if, we will resume the payment of cash dividends, and you should not rely on the prospect of the payment of cash dividends in making a decision as to whether or not to purchase shares of our common stock in this offering.
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CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus and the information incorporated by reference herein and therein contains or incorporates by reference “forward-looking” statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, or the Forward-Looking Statements Safe Harbor, as codified in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, (the “Exchange Act”). All statements other than statements of historical facts are statements that could be deemed forward-looking. We have tried, whenever possible, to identify these statements by using words such as “believes,” “estimates,” “anticipates,” “expects,” “intends,” “plans,” “seeks,” or words of similar meaning, or future or conditional verbs, such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “could,” “aims,” “intends” or “projects,” and similar expressions, whether in the negative or the affirmative.
These forward-looking statements reflect management’s beliefs and assumptions, are all based on currently available operating, financial and competitive information and are subject to various risks and uncertainties. Our actual future results and trends may differ materially depending on a variety of factors, including, but not limited to, the risk and uncertainties discussed in this prospectus supplement, in the accompanying prospectus, in our 2019 Annual Report and in any other documents incorporated by reference herein or therein. In addition, these forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties and, consequently, could be affected by:
| ∎ | the uncertain and unprecedented impact ofCOVID-19 on our business, the geographic locations we serve, and operations and the related impact on our liquidity needs; |
| ∎ | our ability to obtain additional waivers or amendments, and thereafter continue to satisfy covenant requirements (even as they may be amended), under our credit facility; |
| ∎ | our ability to access other funding sources; |
| ∎ | the duration of government-mandated and voluntary shutdowns; |
| ∎ | the speed with which our restaurants safely can be reopened and remain open and the level of customer demand following reopening; |
| ∎ | restrictions on seating capacity and social distancing measures applicable to our restaurants following reopening; |
| ∎ | our overall level of indebtedness; |
| ∎ | general business and economic conditions, including as a result ofCOVID-19; and |
| ∎ | changes in consumer preferences or discretionary spending, including as a result ofCOVID-19; |
| ∎ | reductions in the availability of, or increases in the cost of, USDA Prime grade beef, fish and other food items; |
| ∎ | our ability to maintain and pay for sufficient levels of inventory as we reopen restaurants; |
| ∎ | the loss of key management personnel in our restaurants and corporate office; |
| ∎ | the effect of market volatility on the Company’s stock price; |
| ∎ | health concerns about beef or other food products; |
| ∎ | the effect of competition in the restaurant industry; |
| ∎ | the cost and reduced profitability of increased takeout and delivery sales; |
| ∎ | labor shortages or increases in labor costs; |
| ∎ | increases in healthcare costs; |
| ∎ | willingness of a sufficient number of our employees to return to work when we reopen our restaurants; |
| ∎ | the impact of federal, state or local government regulations relating to income taxes, unclaimed property, Company employees, wages and benefits, the sale or preparation of food, the sale of alcoholic beverages and the opening of new restaurants; |
| ∎ | harmful actions taken by the Company’s franchisees; |
| ∎ | reduced franchise royalty income; |
| ∎ | the inability to successfully integrate franchisee acquisitions into the Company’s business operations; |
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| ∎ | economic, regulatory and other limitations on the Company’s ability to pursue new restaurant openings and other organic growth opportunities, and the sufficiency of adequate capital to do so; |
| ∎ | a material failure, interruption or security breach of the Company’s information technology network; |
| ∎ | the Company’s indemnification obligations and lease guarantee obligations in connection with its sale of the Mitchell’s Restaurants; |
| ∎ | the Company’s ability to protect its name, logo and other proprietary information; |
| ∎ | an impairment in the financial statement carrying value of our goodwill, other intangible assets or property, including store level impairments; |
| ∎ | the outcome of negotiations with landlords concerning lease obligations; |
| ∎ | the cost and impact of litigation; |
| ∎ | the restrictions imposed by the Company’s Credit Agreement; and |
| ∎ | changes in the Company’s dividend policy and the impact of the recent suspension of its share repurchase program. |
We are including this cautionary note to make applicable, and take advantage of, the safe harbor provisions of the Forward-Looking Statements Safe Harbor.
The country and both the global economy generally and, for our purposes, the U.S. economy face profound dislocations and unprecedented uncertainty as a result ofCOVID-19. Other unknown or unpredictable factors also could have material adverse effects on our future results, performance or achievements.
We believe that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements contained in this prospectus supplement, in the accompanying prospectus, or incorporated herein or therein by reference, are based upon reasonable assumptions at the time made. However, given the risks and uncertainties, you should not rely on any forward-looking statements as a prediction of actual results, developments or other outcomes. You should read these forward-looking statements with the understanding that we may be unable to achieve projected results, developments or other outcomes and that actual results, developments or other outcomes may be materially different from what we expect. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements.
We intend these forward-looking statements to speak only as of the time they are made. Subject to any continuing obligations under applicable law or any relevant stock exchange rules, we do not undertake, and expressly disclaim any obligation, to disseminate, after the date hereof, any updates or revisions to any such forward-looking statements to reflect any change in expectations or events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statements are based.
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We estimate that we will receive net proceeds from this offering of approximately $43.0 million (or approximately $49.5 million if the underwriter exercises its option to purchase additional shares in full), in each case after deducting our estimated offering expenses.
We are required by the terms of the Credit Agreement to make mandatory principal payments of the revolving credit facility in an amount equal to 50% of the net cash proceeds of equity issuances in excess of $30 million, with a permanent reduction to the commitments under the revolving credit facility in an amount equal to the repayment. Assuming we receive $43.0 million in net cash proceeds from this offering, we will be required to repay $6.5 million of indebtedness under the revolving credit facility using the proceeds of this offering, and our borrowing availability under the revolving credit facility will be reduced by a corresponding $6.5 million. Our revolving credit facility matures in February 2022 and bore interest at an average rate of 3.1% over the 13 weeks ended March 29, 2020.
After making any required repayment of indebtedness under the Credit Agreement, we intend to use the remaining net proceeds from this offering to strengthen our balance sheet, principally in response to theCOVID-19 Effects, and to otherwise use the net proceeds for general corporate purposes. We retain broad discretion over the use of the net proceeds from the sale of shares of our common stock offered hereby.
The precise amount and timing of the application of such proceeds will depend upon our liquidity needs and the availability and cost of other capital, which will largely be dictated by theCOVID-19 Effects and by related developments over which we have little or no control. As of the date of this prospectus supplement, we cannot specify with certainty the particular uses for the net proceeds that we will have from the sale of the shares of our common stock. See “Risk Factors—We will have broad discretion in the use of the net proceeds from this offering and, despite our efforts, we may use the net proceeds in a manner that does not increase the value of your investment.” Pending the use of the net proceeds from this offering, if any, we may invest the net proceeds in investment grade, short-term interest-bearing obligations, such as money-market funds, certificates of deposit, or direct or guaranteed obligations of the United States government, or hold the net proceeds as cash.
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Subject to the terms and conditions set forth in the underwriting agreement, dated May 20, 2020, between us and Jefferies LLC, as the underwriter, we have agreed to sell to the underwriter, and the underwriter has agreed to purchase from us, the entire number of shares of common stock offered by this prospectus supplement.
The underwriting agreement provides that the obligations of the underwriter are subject to certain conditions precedent such as the receipt by the underwriter of officers’ certificates and legal opinions and approval of certain legal matters by its counsel. The underwriting agreement provides that the underwriter will purchase all of the shares of common stock, if any of them are purchased. We have agreed to indemnify the underwriter and certain of their controlling persons against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act, and to contribute to payments that the underwriter may be required to make in respect of those liabilities.
The underwriter has advised us that, following the completion of this offering, they currently intend to make a market in the common stock as permitted by applicable laws and regulations. However, the underwriter is not obligated to do so, and the underwriter may discontinue any market-making activities at any time without notice in their sole discretion. Accordingly, no assurance can be given as to the liquidity of the trading market for the common stock, that you will be able to sell any of the common stock held by you at a particular time or that the prices that you receive when you sell will be favorable.
The underwriter is offering the shares of common stock subject to their acceptance of the shares of common stock from us and subject to prior sale. The underwriter reserves the right to withdraw, cancel or modify offers to the public and to reject orders in whole or in part.
Commission and Expenses
The underwriter has agreed to purchase shares of our common stock at a price of $7.75 per share, which will result in approximately $43.5 million of proceeds, before deducting the estimated offering expenses payable by us. The underwriter may offer the shares of common stock from time to time to purchasers directly or through agents, or through brokers in brokerage transactions on The Nasdaq Global Select Market, or to dealers in negotiated transactions, or in a combination of such methods of sale or otherwise, at a fixed price or prices, which may be changed, or at market prices prevailing at the time of sale, at prices related to such prevailing market prices or at negotiated prices. The difference between the price at which the underwriter purchases shares from us and the price at which the underwriter resells such shares may be deemed underwriting compensation. If the underwriter effects such transactions by selling shares of common stock to or through dealers, such dealers may receive compensation in the form of discounts or concessions from the underwriter and/or purchasers of shares of common stock for whom they may act as agents or to whom they may sell as principal. We estimate expenses payable by us in connection with this offering will be approximately $0.5 million. We have also agreed to reimburse the underwriter for certain of its expenses in an amount up to $40,000.
Listing
Our common stock is listed on The Nasdaq Global Select Market under the trading symbol “RUTH”.
Option to Purchase Additional Shares
We have granted to the underwriter an option, exercisable for 30 days from the date of this prospectus supplement, to purchase, from time to time, in whole or in part, up to an aggregate of approximately $6,525,000 of common stock from us at the price set forth on the cover page of this prospectus supplement.
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No Sales of Similar Securities
We, our executive officers and directors have agreed, subject to specified exceptions, not to directly or indirectly:
| ∎ | sell, offer, contract or grant any option to sell (including any short sale), pledge, transfer, establish an open “put equivalent position” within the meaning of Rule16a-l(h) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or |
| ∎ | otherwise dispose of any shares of common stock, options or warrants to acquire shares of common stock, or securities exchangeable or exercisable for or convertible into shares of common stock currently or hereafter owned either of record or beneficially, or |
| ∎ | enter into any swap, hedge or similar arrangement or agreement that transfers, in whole or in part, the economic risk of ownership of common stock, options or warrants to acquire shares of common stock, or securities exchangeable or exercisable for or convertible into shares of common stock, regardless of whether any such transaction is to be settled in securities, in cash or otherwise, or |
| ∎ | effect a reverse stock split, recapitalization, share consolidation, reclassification or similar transaction affecting the outstanding common stock, or |
| ∎ | publicly announce an intention to do any of the foregoing for a period of 60 days after the date of this prospectus supplement without the prior written consent of the underwriter. |
This restriction terminates after the close of trading of the common stock on and including the 60th day after the date of this prospectus supplement.
The underwriter may, in its sole discretion and at any time or from time to time before the termination of the60-day period release all or any portion of the securities subject tolock-up agreements. Except for customarylock-up exceptions, there are no existing agreements between the underwriter and any of our shareholders who will execute alock-up agreement, providing consent to the sale of shares prior to the expiration of thelock-up period.
Stabilization
The underwriter has advised us that they, pursuant to Regulation M under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, certain persons participating in the offering may engage in short sale transactions, stabilizing transactions, syndicate covering transactions or the imposition of penalty bids in connection with this offering. These activities may have the effect of stabilizing or maintaining the market price of the common stock at a level above that which might otherwise prevail in the open market. Establishing short sales positions may involve either “covered” short sales or “naked” short sales.
“Covered” short sales are sales made in an amount not greater than the underwriter’s option to purchase additional shares of our common stock in this offering. The underwriter may close out any covered short position by either exercising its option to purchase additional shares of our common stock or purchasing shares of our common stock in the open market. In determining the source of shares to close out the covered short position, the underwriter will consider, among other things, the price of shares available for purchase in the open market as compared to the price at which they may purchase shares through the option to purchase additional shares.
“Naked” short sales are sales in excess of the option to purchase additional shares of our common stock. The underwriter must close out any naked short position by purchasing shares in the open market. A naked short position is more likely to be created if the underwriter is concerned that there may be downward pressure on the price of the shares of our common stock in the open market after pricing that could adversely affect investors who purchase in this offering.
A stabilizing bid is a bid for the purchase of shares of common stock on behalf of the underwriter for the purpose of fixing or maintaining the price of the common stock. A syndicate covering transaction is the bid for or the purchase of shares of common stock on behalf of the underwriter to reduce a short position incurred by the underwriter in connection with the offering. Similar to other purchase transactions, the underwriter’s purchases to cover the syndicate short sales may have the effect of raising or maintaining the market price of our common stock or preventing or retarding a decline in the market price of our common stock. As a result, the price of our common stock may be higher than the price that might otherwise exist in the open market. A penalty bid is an arrangement permitting the underwriter to reclaim the selling concession otherwise accruing to a syndicate member in connection with the offering if the common stock originally sold by such syndicate member are purchased in a syndicate covering transaction and therefore have not been effectively placed by such syndicate member.
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Neither we nor the underwriter makes any representation or prediction as to the direction or magnitude of any effect that the transactions described above may have on the price of our common stock. The underwriter is not obligated to engage in these activities and, if commenced, any of the activities may be discontinued at any time.
The underwriter may also engage in passive market making transactions in our common stock on The NASDAQ Global Select Market in accordance with Rule 103 of Regulation M during a period before the commencement of offers or sales of shares of our common stock in this offering and extending through the completion of distribution. A passive market maker must display its bid at a price not in excess of the highest independent bid of that security. However, if all independent bids are lowered below the passive market maker’s bid, that bid must then be lowered when specified purchase limits are exceeded.
Electronic Distribution
A prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus in electronic format may be made available bye-mail or through online services maintained by the underwriter or its affiliates. In those cases, prospective investors may view offering terms online and may be allowed to place orders online. The underwriter may agree with us to allocate a specific number of shares of common stock for sale to online brokerage account holders. Any such allocation for online distributions will be made by the underwriter on the same basis as other allocations. Other than the prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus in electronic format, the information on the underwriter’s web sites and any information contained in any other web site maintained by the underwriter is not part of this prospectus supplement or the accompanying prospectus, has not been approved and/or endorsed by us or the underwriter and should not be relied upon by investors.
Other Activities and Relationships
The underwriter and certain of its affiliates are full service financial institutions engaged in various activities, which may include securities trading, commercial and investment banking, financial advisory, investment management, investment research, principal investment, hedging, financing and brokerage activities. The underwriter and certain of its affiliates have, from time to time, performed, and may in the future perform, various commercial and investment banking and financial advisory services for us and our affiliates, for which they received or will receive customary fees and expenses.
In the ordinary course of their various business activities, the underwriter and certain of its affiliates may make or hold a broad array of investments and actively trade debt and equity securities (or related derivative securities) and financial instruments (including bank loans) for their own account and for the accounts of their customers, and such investment and securities activities may involve securities and/or instruments issued by us and our affiliates. If the underwriter or its affiliates have a lending relationship with us, they routinely hedge their credit exposure to us consistent with their customary risk management policies. The underwriter and its affiliates may hedge such exposure by entering into transactions which consist of either the purchase of credit default swaps or the creation of short positions in our securities or the securities of our affiliates, including potentially the common stock offered hereby. Any such short positions could adversely affect future trading prices of the common stock offered hereby. The underwriter and certain of its affiliates may also communicate independent investment recommendations, market color or trading ideas and/or publish or express independent research views in respect of such securities or instruments and may at any time hold, or recommend to clients that they acquire, long and/or short positions in such securities and instruments.
Disclaimers AboutNon-U.S. Jurisdictions
Notice to Prospective Investors in the European Economic Area and the United Kingdom
In relation to each member state of the European Economic Area and the United Kingdom (each a “Relevant State”), no shares of common stock have been offered or will be offered pursuant to the offering to the public in that Relevant State prior to the publication of a prospectus in relation to the shares of common stock which has been approved by the competent authority in that Relevant State or, where appropriate, approved in another Relevant State and notified to the competent authority in that Relevant State, all in accordance with the Prospectus Regulation, except that offers of shares of common stock may be made to the public in that Relevant State at any time under the following exemptions under the Prospectus Regulation:
| a. | to any legal entity which is a qualified investor as defined under the Prospectus Regulation; |
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| b. | to fewer than 150 natural or legal persons (other than qualified investors as defined under the Prospectus Regulation), subject to obtaining the prior consent of the underwriter; or |
| c. | in any other circumstances falling within Article 1(4) of the Prospectus Regulation, |
provided that no such offer of shares of common stock shall require the Company or the underwriter to publish a prospectus pursuant to Article 3 of the Prospectus Regulation or supplement a prospectus pursuant to Article 23 of the Prospectus Regulation.
Each person in a Relevant State who initially acquires any shares of common stock or to whom any offer is made will be deemed to have represented, acknowledged and agreed to and with the Company and the underwriter that it is a qualified investor within the meaning of the Prospectus Regulation.
In the case of any shares of common stock being offered to a financial intermediary as that term is used in Article 5(1) of the Prospectus Regulation, each such financial intermediary will be deemed to have represented, acknowledged and agreed that the shares of common stock acquired by it in the offer have not been acquired on a non-discretionary basis on behalf of, nor have they been acquired with a view to their offer or resale to, persons in circumstances which may give rise to an offer to the public other than their offer or resale in a Relevant State to qualified investors, in circumstances in which the prior consent of the underwriter has been obtained to each such proposed offer or resale.
The Company, the underwriter and their affiliates will rely upon the truth and accuracy of the foregoing representations, acknowledgements and agreements.
For the purposes of this provision, the expression an “offer to the public” in relation to any shares of common stock in any Relevant State means the communication in any form and by any means of sufficient information on the terms of the offer and any shares of common stock to be offered so as to enable an investor to decide to purchase or subscribe for any shares of common stock, and the expression “Prospectus Regulation” means Regulation (EU) 2017/1129.
References to the Prospectus Regulation includes, in relation to the UK, the Prospectus Regulation as it forms part of UK domestic law by virtue of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018.
The above selling restriction is in addition to any other selling restrictions set out below.
Notice to Prospective Investors in the United Kingdom
In addition, in the United Kingdom, this document is being distributed only to, and is directed only at, and any offer subsequently made may only be directed at persons who are “qualified investors” (as defined in the Prospectus Regulation) (i) who have professional experience in matters relating to investments falling within Article 19 (5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005, as amended (Order), and/or (ii) who are high net worth companies (or persons to whom it may otherwise be lawfully communicated) falling within Article 49(2)(a) to (d) of the Order (all such persons together being referred to as “relevant persons”). This document must not be acted on or relied on in the United Kingdom by persons who are not relevant persons. In the United Kingdom, any investment or investment activity to which this document relates is only available to, and will be engaged in with, relevant persons.
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Notice to Prospective Investors in Switzerland
The shares may not be publicly offered in Switzerland and will not be listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange (SIX) or on any other stock exchange or regulated trading facility in Switzerland. This document has been prepared without regard to the disclosure standards for issuance prospectuses under art. 652a or art. 1156 of the Swiss Code of Obligations or the disclosure standards for listing prospectuses under art. 27 ff. of the SIX Listing Rules or the listing rules of any other stock exchange or regulated trading facility in Switzerland.
Neither this document nor any other offering or marketing material relating to the shares or the offering may be publicly distributed or otherwise made publicly available in Switzerland. Neither this document nor any other offering or marketing material relating to the offering, us or the shares has been or will be filed with or approved by any Swiss regulatory authority. In particular, this document will not be filed with, and the offer of shares will not be supervised by, the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority FINMA, and the offer of shares has not been and will not be authorized under the Swiss Federal Act on Collective Investment Schemes (CISA). The investor protection afforded to acquirers of interests in collective investment schemes under the CISA does not extend to acquirers of shares.
Notice to Prospective Investors in the Dubai International Financial Centre
This prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus relate to an Exempt Offer in accordance with the Offered Securities Rules of the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA). This prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus are intended for distribution only to persons of a type specified in the Offered Securities Rules of the DFSA. They must not be delivered to, or relied on by, any other person. The DFSA has no responsibility for reviewing or verifying any documents in connection with Exempt Offers. The DFSA has not approved this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus nor taken steps to verify the information set forth therein and has no responsibility for this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus. The shares to which this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus relate may be illiquid and/or subject to restrictions on their resale. Prospective purchasers of the shares offered should conduct their own due diligence on the shares. If you do not understand the contents of this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus you should consult an authorized financial advisor.
Notice to Prospective Investors in Australia
No placement document, prospectus, product disclosure statement or other disclosure document has been lodged with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission, in relation to the offering. This prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus do not constitute a prospectus, product disclosure statement or other disclosure document under the Corporations Act 2001 (Corporations Act), and do not purport to include the information required for a prospectus, product disclosure statement or other disclosure document under the Corporations Act.
Any offer in Australia of the shares may only be made to persons (Exempt Investors) who are “sophisticated investors” (within the meaning of section 708(8) of the Corporations Act), “professional investors” (within the meaning of section 708(11) of the Corporations Act) or otherwise pursuant to one or more exemptions contained in section 708 of the Corporations Act so that it is lawful to offer the shares without disclosure to investors under Chapter 6D of the Corporations Act.
The shares applied for by Exempt Investors in Australia must not be offered for sale in Australia in the period of 12 months after the date of allotment under the offering, except in circumstances where disclosure to investors under Chapter 6D of the Corporations Act would not be required pursuant to an exemption under section 708 of the Corporations Act or otherwise or where the offer is pursuant to a disclosure document which complies with Chapter 6D of the Corporations Act. Any person acquiring shares must observe such Australianon-sale restrictions.
This prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus contain general information only and do not take account of the investment objectives, financial situation or particular needs of any particular person. They do not contain any securities recommendations or financial product advice. Before making an investment decision, investors need to consider whether the information in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus is appropriate to their needs, objectives and circumstances, and, if necessary, seek expert advice on those matters.
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Notice to Prospective Investors in Hong Kong
The shares have not been offered or sold and will not be offered or sold in Hong Kong, by means of any document, other than (a) to “professional investors” as defined in the Securities and Futures Ordinance (Cap. 571) of Hong Kong and any rules made under that Ordinance; or (b) in other circumstances which do not result in the document being a “prospectus” as defined in the Companies Ordinance (Cap. 32) of Hong Kong or which do not constitute an offer to the public within the meaning of that Ordinance. No advertisement, invitation or document relating to the shares has been or may be issued or has been or may be in the possession of any person for the purposes of issue, whether in Hong Kong or elsewhere, which is directed at, or the contents of which are likely to be accessed or read by, the public of Hong Kong (except if permitted to do so under the securities laws of Hong Kong) other than with respect to shares which are or are intended to be disposed of only to persons outside Hong Kong or only to “professional investors” as defined in the Securities and Futures Ordinance and any rules made under that Ordinance.
Notice to Prospective Investors in Japan
The shares have not been and will not be registered under the Financial Instruments and Exchange Law of Japan (Law No. 25 of 1948, as amended) and, accordingly, will not be offered or sold, directly or indirectly, in Japan, or for the benefit of any Japanese Person or to others forre-offering or resale, directly or indirectly, in Japan or to any Japanese Person, except in compliance with all applicable laws, regulations and ministerial guidelines promulgated by relevant Japanese governmental or regulatory authorities in effect at the relevant time. For the purposes of this paragraph, “Japanese Person” shall mean any person resident in Japan, including any corporation or other entity organized under the laws of Japan.
Notice to Prospective Investors in Singapore
This prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus have not been registered as a prospectus with the Monetary Authority of Singapore. Accordingly, this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus and any other document or material in connection with the offer or sale, or invitation for subscription or purchase, of shares may not be circulated or distributed, nor may the shares be offered or sold, or be made the subject of an invitation for subscription or purchase, whether directly or indirectly, to persons in Singapore other than (i) to an institutional investor under Section 274 of the Securities and Futures Act, Chapter 289 of Singapore (SFA), (ii) to a relevant person pursuant to Section 275(1), or any person pursuant to Section 275(1A), and in accordance with the conditions specified in Section 275, of the SFA, or (iii) otherwise pursuant to, and in accordance with the conditions of, any other applicable provision of the SFA.
Where the shares are subscribed or purchased under Section 275 of the SFA by a relevant person which is:
| a) | a corporation (which is not an accredited investor (as defined in Section 4A of the SFA)) the sole business of which is to hold investments and the entire share capital of which is owned by one or more individuals, each of whom is an accredited investor; or |
| b) | a trust (where the trustee is not an accredited investor) whose sole purpose is to hold investments and each beneficiary of the trust is an individual who is an accredited investor, |
securities (as defined in Section 239(1) of the SFA) of that corporation or the beneficiaries’ rights and interest (howsoever described) in that trust shall not be transferred within six months after that corporation or that trust has acquired the shares pursuant to an offer made under Section 275 of the SFA except:
| a) | to an institutional investor or to a relevant person defined in Section 275(2) of the SFA, or to any person arising from an offer referred to in Section 275(1A) or Section 276(4)(i)(B) of the SFA; |
| b) | where no consideration is or will be given for the transfer; |
| c) | where the transfer is by operation of law; |
| d) | as specified in Section 276(7) of the SFA; or |
| e) | as specified in Regulation 32 of the Securities and Futures (Offers of Investments) (Shares and Debentures) Regulations 2005 of Singapore. |
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Notice to Prospective Investors in Canada
This prospectus supplement constitutes an “exempt offering document” as defined in and for the purposes of applicable Canadian securities laws. No prospectus has been filed with any securities commission or similar regulatory authority in Canada in connection with the offer and sale of the common stock. No securities commission or similar regulatory authority in Canada has reviewed or in any way passed upon this prospectus supplement or on the merits of the common stock and any representation to the contrary is an offence.
Canadian investors are advised that this prospectus supplement has been prepared in reliance on section 3A.3 of National Instrument33-105 Underwriting Conflicts (“NI33-105”). Pursuant to section 3A.3 of NI33-105, this prospectus supplement is exempt from the requirement that the Company and the underwriter provide investors with certain conflicts of interest disclosure pertaining to “connected issuer” and/or “related issuer” relationships that may exist between the Company and the underwriter as would otherwise be required pursuant to subsection 2.1(1) ofNI 33-105.
Resale Restrictions
The offer and sale of the common stock in Canada is being made on a private placement basis only and is exempt from the requirement that the Company prepares and files a prospectus under applicable Canadian securities laws. Any resale of the common stock acquired by a Canadian investor in this offering must be made in accordance with applicable Canadian securities laws, which may vary depending on the relevant jurisdiction, and which may require resales to be made in accordance with Canadian prospectus requirements, pursuant to a statutory exemption from the prospectus requirements, in a transaction exempt from the prospectus requirements or otherwise under a discretionary exemption from the prospectus requirements granted by the applicable local Canadian securities regulatory authority. These resale restrictions may under certain circumstances apply to resales of the common stock outside of Canada.
Representations of Purchasers
Each Canadian investor who purchases the common stock will be deemed to have represented to the Company and the underwriter(s) that the investor (i) is purchasing the common stock as principal, or is deemed to be purchasing as principal in accordance with applicable Canadian securities laws, for investment only and not with a view to resale or redistribution; (ii) is an “accredited investor” as such term is defined in section 1.1 of National Instrument45-106Prospectus Exemptions (“NI45-106”) or, in Ontario, as such term is defined in section 73.3(1) of theSecurities Act (Ontario); and (iii) is a “permitted client” as such term is defined in section 1.1 of National Instrument31-103Registration Requirements, Exemptions and Ongoing Registrant Obligations.
Taxation and Eligibility for Investment
Any discussion of taxation and related matters contained in this prospectus supplement does not purport to be a comprehensive description of all of the tax considerations that may be relevant to a Canadian investor when deciding to purchase the common stock and, in particular, does not address any Canadian tax considerations. No representation or warranty is hereby made as to the tax consequences to a resident, or deemed resident, of Canada of an investment in the common stock or with respect to the eligibility of the common stock for investment by such investor under relevant Canadian federal and provincial legislation and regulations.
Rights of Action for Damages or Rescission
Securities legislation in certain of the Canadian jurisdictions provides certain purchasers of securities pursuant to an offering memorandum (such as this prospectus supplement), including where the distribution involves an “eligible foreign security” as such term is defined in Ontario Securities Commission Rule45-501Ontario Prospectus and Registration Exemptions and in Multilateral Instrument45-107Listing Representation and Statutory Rights of Action Disclosure Exemptions, as applicable, with a remedy for damages or rescission, or both, in addition to any other rights they may have at law, where the offering memorandum, or other offering document that constitutes an offering memorandum, and any amendment thereto, contains a “misrepresentation” as defined under applicable Canadian securities laws. These remedies, or notice with respect to these remedies, must be exercised or delivered, as the case may be, by the purchaser within the time limits prescribed under, and are subject to limitations and
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defences under, applicable Canadian securities legislation. In addition, these remedies are in addition to and without derogation from any other right or remedy available at law to the investor.
Language of Documents
Upon receipt of this document, each Canadian investor hereby confirms that it has expressly requested that all documents evidencing or relating in any way to the sale of the securities described herein (including for greater certainty any purchase confirmation or any notice) be drawn up in the English language only.Par la réception de ce document, chaque investisseur Canadien confirme par les présentes qu’il a expressément exigé que tous les documents faisant foi ou se rapportant de quelque manière que ce soit à la vente des valeurs mobilières décrites aux présentes (incluant, pour plus de certitude, toute confirmation d’achat ou tout avis) soient rédigés en anglais seulement.
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The validity of the issuance of the common stock offered by this prospectus supplement will be passed upon for us by Kirkland & Ellis LLP, Chicago, Illinois. Jefferies is being represented in connection with this offering by Latham & Watkins LLP, New York, New York.
The consolidated financial statements of Ruth’s Hospitality Group, Inc. and subsidiaries as of December 29, 2019 and December 30, 2018, and for each of the years in the three year period ended December 29, 2019, and management’s assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting as of December 29, 2019 have been incorporated by reference herein and in the registration statement in reliance upon the reports of KPMG LLP, independent registered public accounting firm, incorporated by reference herein, and upon the authority of said firm as experts in accounting and auditing.
WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION
We file annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. You may obtain such SEC filings from the SEC’s website athttp://www.sec.gov. We also maintain a website atwww.rhgi.com, at which you may access these materials free of charge as soon as reasonably practicable after they are electronically filed with, or furnished to, the SEC. Except for the documents incorporated by reference as described under “Incorporation of Certain Information by Reference,” the information contained in, or that can be accessed through, our website is not incorporated by reference in, and is not part of, this prospectus supplement.
Upon written or oral request, we will provide at no cost to the requester a copy of all of the information that has been incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement but not delivered with this prospectus supplement. You should only rely on the information contained in this prospectus supplement and incorporated by reference in it. You may obtain copies of these documents from us, without charge (other than exhibits, unless the exhibits are specifically incorporated by reference), by requesting them in writing or by telephone at the following address:
Ruth’s Hospitality Group, Inc.
1030 W. Canton Avenue, Suite 100,
Winter Park, FL 32789
(407)333-7400
Attention: Corporate Secretary
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INCORPORATION OF CERTAIN INFORMATION BY REFERENCE
The SEC allows us to incorporate by reference information contained in documents we file with it, which means that we can disclose important information to you by referring you to those documents already on file with the SEC that contain that information. The information incorporated by reference is considered to be part of this prospectus supplement, and later information that we file with the SEC will automatically update and supersede this information. We incorporate by reference the documents listed below and any future information filed (rather than furnished) with the SEC under Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, between the date of this prospectus supplement and the termination of the offering of the securities covered by this prospectus supplement, provided, however, that we are not incorporating any information furnished under any of Item 2.02 or Item 7.01 of any Current Report on Form8-K (and exhibits filed on such form that are related to such items):
| ∎ | Ruth’s Hospitality Group, Inc.’s Annual Report onForm 10-K for the year ended December 29, 2019, filed on February 27, 2020; |
| ∎ | Ruth’s Hospitality Group, Inc.’s Annual Report onForm 10-K/A for the year ended December 29, 2019, filed on March 2, 2020; |
| ∎ | the information specifically incorporated by reference in the Company’sAnnual Report onForm 10-K for the year ended December 29, 2019 from the Company’sDefinitive Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A relating to the Company’s 2020 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, which was filed with the SEC on April 24, 2020; |
| ∎ | Ruth’s Hospitality Group, Inc.’s Quarterly Report onForm 10-Qfor the quarter ended March 31, 2020, filed on May 8, 2020; |
| ∎ | Ruth’s Hospitality Group, Inc.’s Current Reports onForm 8-K filed onMarch 18, 2020,March 30, 2020,April 13, 2020,April 24, 2020,May 8, 2020,May 20, 2020 andMay 20, 2020 (excluding any portions of such reports that were “furnished” rather than “filed”); and |
| ∎ | the description of the Company’s Common Stock contained in the Registration Statement onForm 8-Adated August 9, 2005 filed with the SEC to register such securities under the Exchange Act, including any amendment or report filed for the purpose of updating such description. |
You should rely only on the information contained in this document or that information to which this prospectus supplement has referred you. We have not authorized anyone to provide you with any additional information. We do not take responsibility for, and can provide no assurance as to the reliability of, any information that others may give you. We are not making an offer of the common stock in any jurisdiction where the offer is not permitted. You should not assume that the information in this prospectus, any applicable prospectus supplement, any free writing prospectus that we authorize and any pricing supplement or any document incorporated by reference is accurate as of any date other than the date of the applicable document.
Any statement contained in this prospectus supplement or a document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference into this prospectus supplement will be deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes of this prospectus to the extent that a statement contained in this prospectus supplement or any other subsequently filed document that is deemed to be incorporated by reference into this prospectus supplement modifies or supersedes the statement. Any statement so modified or superseded will not be deemed, except as so modified or superseded, to constitute a part of this prospectus supplement.
Except as provided above, no other information, including information on our website is incorporated by reference into this prospectus supplement.
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PROSPECTUS
Ruth’s Hospitality Group, Inc.
Common Stock
Preferred Stock
Depositary Shares
Warrants
Subscription Rights
Share Purchase Contracts
Share Purchase Units
We may offer and sell from time to time in one or more offerings any combination of common stock, preferred stock, depositary shares, warrants, subscription rights, share purchase contracts or share purchase units described in this prospectus.
This prospectus provides you with a general description of these securities. Each time we offer and sell these securities, we will provide the specific terms of any such offering of these securities in a supplement to this prospectus. The applicable prospectus supplement will also describe the specific manner in which we will offer these securities and may also supplement, update or amend information contained in this prospectus. You should carefully read this prospectus and any applicable prospectus supplement, as well as the documents incorporated by reference herein or therein, before you make an investment decision. No securities may be sold without delivery of this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement describing the method and terms of the offering of such securities.
We may sell these securities on a continuous or delayed basis, directly, through agents, dealers or underwriters as designated from time to time, or through a combination of these methods. If any agents, dealers or underwriters are involved in the sale of any securities, the applicable prospectus supplement will set forth their names and any applicable commissions or discounts.
Our common stock is listed on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol “RUTH.”
Investing in these securities involves risks. See “Risk Factors” on page 3 of this prospectus to read about factors you should consider before making an investment decision.
Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
The date of this prospectus is May 18, 2020.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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This prospectus is part of a registration statement that we filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) using a “shelf” registration process. Under this shelf process, we may from time to time sell any combination of shares of our common stock, preferred stock, depositary shares, warrants to purchase equity securities, subscription rights to purchase equity securities, share purchase contracts and share purchase units in one or more offerings.
Each time we use this prospectus to offer securities, we will provide you with a prospectus supplement that will describe the specific amounts, prices and terms of the securities being offered. The prospectus supplement may also supplement, update or change information contained in this prospectus. Therefore, if there is any inconsistency between the information in this prospectus and the prospectus supplement, you should rely on the information in the prospectus supplement.
We have not authorized anyone to provide you with any information other than that contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus, any related prospectus supplement or in any free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of us or to which we have referred you. We take no responsibility for, and can provide no assurance as to the reliability of, any other information that others may give you. We are not making an offer of these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer is not permitted. You should assume that the information appearing in this prospectus and any related prospectus supplement to this prospectus is accurate as of the date on their respective covers, and that any information incorporated by reference herein or therein is accurate only as of the date of the document incorporated by reference, unless we indicate otherwise.
To understand the terms of the securities described in this prospectus, you should carefully read any applicable prospectus supplement. You should also read the documents we have referred you to under “Where You Can Find More Information” and “Incorporation of Certain Information by Reference” below for information about us. The shelf registration statement, including the exhibits thereto, can be read at the SEC’s website as described under “Where You Can Find More Information.”
The terms the “Company,” “we,” “us,” and “our” as used in this prospectus refer to Ruth’s Hospitality Group, Inc. and its subsidiaries unless the context otherwise requires. The phrase “this prospectus” refers to this prospectus and any applicable prospectus supplement, unless the context otherwise requires.
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Overview
Ruth’s Hospitality Group, Inc. is one of the largest upscale steakhouse companies in the world. The Ruth’s Chris Steak House (“Ruth’s Chris”) menu features a broad selection of high-quality USDA Prime grade steaks and other premium offerings served in Ruth’s Chris signature fashion—“sizzling” on a 500 degree plate and topped with butter and fresh parsley—complemented by other classic American steakhouse menu items. The Ruth’s Chris brand reflects its55-year commitment to the core values instilled by its founder, Ruth Fertel, of caring for guests by delivering the highest quality food, beverages and genuine hospitality in a warm and inviting atmosphere. The Ruth’s Chris Steak House brand is one of the strongest in the upscale steakhouse segment of the restaurant industry, with high levels of brand awareness.
Our restaurants cater to special occasion diners and frequent customers, in addition to the business clientele traditionally served by upscale steakhouses, by providing a dining experience designed to appeal to a wide range of guests. We believe our focus on creating this broad appeal provides us with opportunities to expand into a wide range of markets, including many markets not traditionally served by upscale steakhouses.
We offer USDA Prime and other high-quality steaks that are aged and prepared to exact company standards and cooked in1,800-degree broilers. We also offer veal, lamb, poultry and seafood dishes and a broad selection of appetizers. We complement our distinctive food offerings with an award-winning wine list. During the fiscal year 2019, the average check was $86 per person at Company-owned Ruth’s Chris Restaurants.
As of December 29, 2019, there were 159 Ruth’s Chris Steak House restaurants, including 83 Company-owned restaurants, three restaurants operating under contractual agreements and 73 franchisee-owned restaurants, including 21 international franchisee-owned restaurants in Aruba, Canada, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, Singapore and Taiwan.
We were originally founded in 1965 and were reincorporated in Delaware on May 11, 2005. Our principal executive offices are located at 1030 W. Canton Avenue, Suite 100, Winter Park, FL 32789. Our telephone number is (407)333-7440. Our website address iswww.rhgi.com. We have not incorporated by reference into this prospectus the information on our website, and you should not consider it to be a part of this prospectus.
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An investment in the securities offered by this prospectus involves a number of risks. You should carefully consider before making an investment decision:
| • | the risk factors described in our Annual Report on Form10-K, filed on February 27, 2020, and our Quarterly Report on Form10-Q, filed on May 8, 2020; |
| • | the risk factors described under the caption “Risk Factors” in any applicable prospectus supplement; and |
| • | any risk factors set forth in our other filings with the SEC made pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14, or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, which are incorporated by reference herein. |
Each of the risks described below and in the other documents noted above could materially and adversely affect our business, operations, financial condition, results of operations, cash flow and liquidity, and could result in a partial or complete loss of your investment. Additionally, the risks and uncertainties described in this prospectus, any prospectus supplement or in any document incorporated by reference herein or therein are not the only risks and uncertainties that we face. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us, or that we currently believe to be immaterial, may also adversely affect our business, operations, financial condition, results of operations, cash flow and liquidity.
This prospectus, any accompanying prospectus supplement and the documents incorporated by reference herein and therein may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Exchange Act. The words “believes,” “projects,” “anticipates,” “plans,” “expects,” “intends,” “estimates” and similar expressions, as well as future or conditional verbs such as “will,” “should,” “would,” and “could,” are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements represent management’s current reasonable expectations and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results, performance and achievements, or industry results, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These factors, risks, and uncertainties include but are not limited to the factors described under “Forward-Looking Statements” and “Risk Factors” in our most recent Annual Report on Form10-K and any subsequently filed Quarterly Reports on Form10-Q.
There may be other factors that may cause our actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements. Our actual results, performance or achievements could differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, the forward-looking statements. We can give no assurances that any of the events anticipated by the forward-looking statements will occur or, if any of them does, what impact they will have on our results of operations and financial condition. You should carefully read the factors described in the “Risk Factors” section of this prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference into this prospectus for a description of certain risks that could, among other things, cause our actual results to differ from these forward-looking statements.
Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they were made. We undertake no obligation to update or revise forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that arise after the date made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, other than as required by law.
Unless otherwise specified in a prospectus supplement, we intend to use the net proceeds from the sale of our securities for general corporate purposes, which may include, among other things, the repayment of debt, working capital, capital expenditures and acquisitions. We retain broad discretion over the use of the net proceeds
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from the sale of the securities offered hereby. Net proceeds may be temporarily invested prior to use in short- and medium-term investments, including, but not limited to, marketable securities.
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DESCRIPTION OF OUR CAPITAL STOCK
The following description of registered securities of Ruth’s Hospitality Group, Inc. is intended as a summary only. As used in this “Description of Our Capital Stock,” the terms “Company,” “we,” “our” and “us” refer to Ruth’s Hospitality Group, Inc. and do not, unless the context otherwise indicates, include our subsidiaries.
Authorized Capitalization
Our authorized capital stock consists of 100,000,000 shares of common stock, par value $0.01 per share, and 10,000,000 shares of undesignated preferred stock, par value $0.01 per share (the “Blank Check Preferred Stock“). Our common stock is registered under Section 12(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
Common Stock
This description of our common stock is based upon, and qualified by reference to, our Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, as amended (our “Certificate of Incorporation”), our Amended and RestatedBy-laws (our“By-laws”) and applicable provisions of Delaware corporate law (the “DGCL”). You should read our Certificate of Incorporation andBy-laws, which are incorporated by reference as Exhibits 3.1, 3.2, 3.3 and 3.4 respectively, to the Annual Report on Form10-K, for the provisions that are important to you.
Voting Rights
Each holder of our common stock is entitled to one vote for each share on all matters to be voted upon by the stockholders and there are no cumulative rights. Unless a different vote is required by express provisions of an applicable law or otherwise stated in the Certificate of Incorporation orBy-laws, a matter submitted for stockholder action generally is approved by the affirmative vote of the majority of shares present in person or represented by proxy at the meeting and entitled to vote on the subject matter shall be the act of the stockholders. Other than in a contested election where directors are elected by a plurality vote, a director nominee shall be elected to the board if the votes of shares of capital stock of the Company present in person or represented by proxy at the meeting and entitled to vote in the election of directors cast “for” such nominee’s election exceed the votes of shares of capital stock of the Company present in person or represented by proxy at the meeting and entitled to vote in the election of directors cast “against” such nominee’s election (with “abstentions” and “brokernon-votes” not counted as votes cast either “for” or “against” that nominee’s election).
Dividend Rights
Subject to preferences to which holders of preferred stock may be entitled, holders of our common stock are entitled to receive ratably the dividends, if any, as may be declared from time to time by the board of directors out of funds legally available therefor.
Liquidation Rights
If there is a liquidation, dissolution or winding up of our company, holders of our common stock would be entitled to share in our assets remaining after the payment of liabilities, and the satisfaction of any liquidation preference granted to the holders of any outstanding shares of preferred stock.
Other Matters
Holders of our common stock have no preemptive or conversion rights or other subscription rights and there are no redemption or sinking fund provisions applicable to the common stock. The issued and outstanding shares of our common stock are fully paid andnon-assessable. The rights, preferences and privileges of the holders of our common stock are subject to, and may be adversely affected by, the rights of the holders of shares of any series of preferred stock which we may designate in the future.
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Blank Check Preferred Stock
Our Certificate of Incorporation authorizes our board of directors to establish one or more series of preferred stock. Unless required by law or by any stock exchange on which our common stock is listed, the authorized shares of Blank Check Preferred Stock will be available for issuance without further action by our stockholders. Our board of directors is authorized to determine or alter the powers, preferences and rights, and the qualifications, limitations and restrictions granted to or imposed upon any wholly unissued series of Blank Check Preferred Stock, and within the limitations or restrictions stated in any resolution or resolutions of our board of directors originally fixing the number of shares constituting any series of Blank Check Preferred Stock, to increase or decrease (but not below the number of shares of any such series of preferred stock then outstanding) the number of shares of any such series of Blank Check Preferred Stock, and to fix the number of shares of any series of Blank Check Preferred Stock. In the event that the number of shares of any series of Blank Check Preferred Stock shall be so decreased, the shares constituting such decrease shall resume the status which such shares had prior to the adoption of the resolution originally fixing the number of shares of such series of Blank Check Preferred Stock subject to the requirements of applicable law.
Anti-Takeover Effects of Various Provisions of the DGCL, Our Certificate of Incorporation andBy-laws
Provisions of the DGCL and our Certificate of Incorporation andBy-laws could make it more difficult to acquire us by means of a tender offer, a proxy contest or otherwise, or to remove incumbent officers and directors. These provisions, summarized below, are expected to discourage types of coercive takeover practices and inadequate takeover bids and to encourage persons seeking to acquire control of us to first negotiate with us.
Delaware Anti-Takeover Statute. We are subject to Section 203 of the DGCL, an anti-takeover statute. In general, Section 203 prohibits a publicly held Delaware corporation from engaging in a “business combination” with an “interested stockholder” for a period of three years following the time the person became an interested stockholder, unless, prior to that time: (1) the corporation’s board of directors approved either the business combination or the transaction that resulted in the stockholder becoming an interested stockholder, (2) at leasttwo-thirds of the outstanding shares not owned by that interested stockholder approve the business combination, or (3) upon becoming an interested stockholder, that stockholder owned at least 85% of the outstanding shares, excluding those held by officers, directors and some employee stock plans. Generally, a “business combination” includes a merger, asset or stock sale, or other transaction resulting in a financial benefit to the interested stockholder. Generally, an “interested stockholder” is a person who, together with affiliates and associates, owns (or within three years prior to the determination of interested stockholder status, did own) 15 percent or more of a corporation’s voting stock. The existence of this provision would be expected to have an anti-takeover effect with respect to transactions not approved in advance by the board of directors, including discouraging attempts that might result in a premium over the market price for the shares of common stock held by stockholders.
Authorized but Unissued Shares.Our authorized but unissued shares of common stock and preferred stock will be available for future issuance without stockholder approval. We may use additional shares for a variety of corporate purposes, including future public offerings to raise additional capital, corporate acquisitions and employee benefit plans. The existence of authorized but unissued shares of common stock and preferred stock could render more difficult or discourage an attempt to obtain control of us by means of a proxy contest, tender offer, merger or otherwise.
No Cumulative Voting.The DGCL provides that stockholders are denied the right to cumulate votes in the election of directors unless our Certificate of Incorporation provides otherwise. Our Certificate of Incorporation does not provide for cumulative voting.
Stockholder Action by Written Consent; Calling of Special Meeting of Stockholders.Our Certificate of Incorporation provides that, at any time during which our common stock is registered under Section 12 of the Exchange Act, stockholder action can be taken only at an annual or special meeting of stockholders and cannot be taken by written consent in lieu of a meeting, and that special meetings of our stockholders may be called only by a majority of our board of directors or by the chairman of the board of directors.
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Advance Notice Provisions.OurBy-laws provide that a stockholder must notify us in writing, within timeframes specified in theBy-laws, of any stockholder nomination of a director and of any other business that the stockholder intends to bring at a meeting of stockholders.
Supermajority Provisions.The DGCL provides generally that the affirmative vote of a majority of the shares entitled to vote on any matter is required to amend a corporation’s certificate of incorporation or bylaws, unless either a corporation’s certificate of incorporation or bylaws require a greater percentage. Our Certificate of Incorporation andBy-laws provide that the affirmative vote of holders of at least 66 2/3% of the total votes eligible to be cast in the election of directors will be required to amend, alter, change or repeal our RestatedBy-laws and specified charter provisions, and the affirmative vote of holders of at least 80% of our common stock will be required to amend, alter, change or repeal provisions of our Certificate of Incorporation related to corporate opportunities and transactions with Madison Dearborn Capital Partners III, LP and Madison Dearborn Partners, LLC or affiliates and investment funds of such entities (“Madison Dearborn”). See “Corporate Opportunities and Transactions with Madison Dearborn.” This requirement of a super-majority vote to approve amendments to our Certificate of Incorporation and RestatedBy-laws could enable a minority of our stockholders to exercise veto power over any such amendments.
Corporate Opportunities and Transactions with Madison Dearborn
Article 9 of our Certificate of Incorporation contains provisions regarding Madison Dearborn, in recognition that certain directors, officers, stockholders, members, managers and/or employees of Madison Dearborn (collectively with Madison Dearborn, the “Madison Dearborn Entities”) may serve as one or more of our directors and/or officers, and that the Madison Dearborn Entities may engage in similar activities or lines of business that we do. Our Certificate of Incorporation provides for the allocation of certain corporate opportunities between us and the Madison Dearborn Entities. In addition, our Certificate of Incorporation sets forth ways in which our directors and officers who are also directors, officers, stockholders, members, managers and/or employees of any Madison Dearborn Entity will have fully satisfied and fulfilled his or her fiduciary duty to us and our stockholders with respect to material business transactions that we may engage in with the Madison Dearborn Entities. Holders of our securities will be deemed to have received notice of and consented to these provisions of our Certificate of Incorporation. Any amendment to the foregoing provisions of our Certificate of Incorporation requires the affirmative vote of at least 80% of the voting power of all shares of our common stock then outstanding.
Listing
Our common stock is listed and traded on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol “RUTH.”
Transfer Agent
The transfer agent for our common stock is American Stock Transfer & Trust Company.
Miscellaneous
Holders of our common stock have no preemptive or other rights to subscribe for or purchase additional securities of ours. No personal liability will attach to holders of our common stock under the laws of the State of Delaware. All of the outstanding shares of our common stock are fully paid and nonassessable.
The rights of holders of the preferred stock offered may be adversely affected by the rights of holders of any shares of preferred stock that may be issued in the future. The preferred stock will be, when issued, fully paid and nonassessable. The transfer agent, registrar, dividend disbursing agent and redemption agent for shares of each series of preferred stock will be named in the prospectus supplement relating to such series.
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DESCRIPTION OF DEPOSITARY SHARES
The following description of the depositary shares and terms of the deposit agreement is a summary. It summarizes only those aspects of the depositary shares and those portions of the deposit agreement which we believe will be most important to your decision to invest in our depositary shares. There may be other provisions in the deposit agreement and the depositary receipt relating to the depositary shares which are also important to you. You should read these documents for a full description of the terms of the depositary shares. The forms of the deposit agreement and the depositary receipt will be filed or incorporated by reference as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part.
General
We may choose to offer from time to time fractional interests in our shares of our common stock or preferred stock. If we do so, we will issue fractional interests in our common stock or preferred stock, as the case may be, in the form of depositary shares. Each depositary share would represent a fraction of a share of common stock or a fraction of a share of a particular series of preferred stock, as the case may be, and would be evidenced by a depositary receipt.
We will deposit the shares of common stock or preferred stock represented by depositary shares under a deposit agreement between us and a depositary which we will name in the applicable prospectus supplement. Subject to the terms of the deposit agreement, as an owner of a depositary share you will be entitled, in proportion to the applicable fraction of a share of common stock or preferred stock represented by the depositary share, to all the rights and preferences of the common stock or preferred stock, as the case may be, represented by the depositary share, including, as the case may be, dividend, voting, conversion, redemption, subscription and liquidation rights.
Dividends and Other Distributions
The depositary will distribute all payments of cash dividends or other cash distributions received in respect of the common stock or preferred stock, as the case may be, in proportion to the numbers of the depositary shares owned by the applicable holders on the relevant record date. The depositary will distribute only an amount, however, that can be distributed without attributing to any holder of depositary shares a fraction of one cent, and any balance not so distributed will be added to and treated as part of the next sum received by the depositary for distribution to record holders of depositary shares.
If there is anon-cash distribution, the depositary will distribute property received by it to the record holders of depositary shares entitled to it, unless the depositary determines that it is not feasible to make the distribution. If this happens, the depositary may, with our approval, sell the property and distribute the net sale proceeds to the holders. The deposit agreement will also contain provisions relating to the manner in which any subscription or similar rights that we offer to holders of the preferred stock will be made available to the holders of depositary shares.
Redemption of Depositary Shares
If we redeem common stock or a series of preferred stock represented by depositary shares, the depositary shares will be redeemed from the redemption proceeds received by the depositary. The depositary will mail notice of redemption not less than 30, and not more than 60, days before the date fixed for redemption to the record holders of the depositary shares to be redeemed at their addresses appearing in the depositary’s books. The redemption price for each depositary share will be equal to the applicable fraction of the redemption price for each share of common stock or preferred stock, as the case may be, payable in relation to the redeemed common stock or preferred stock. Whenever we redeem shares of common stock or preferred stock held by the depositary, the depositary will redeem as of the same redemption date the number of depositary shares representing, as the case may be, fractional interests in the shares of common stock or preferred stock redeemed. If fewer than all the depositary shares are to be redeemed, the depositary shares to be redeemed will be selected by lot, proportionately or by any other equitable method as the depositary may determine.
After the date fixed for redemption, the depositary shares called for redemption will no longer be considered outstanding and all rights of the holders of the depositary shares will cease, except the right to receive the cash, securities or other property payable upon the redemption and any cash, securities or other property to which the holders of the redeemed depositary shares were entitled upon surrender to the depositary of the depositary receipts evidencing the depositary shares.
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The amount distributed in any of the foregoing cases will be reduced by any amount required to be withheld by us or the depositary on account of any taxes.
Voting the Depositary Shares
Upon receipt of notice of any meeting at which you are entitled to vote, as holder of fractional interests in common stock or preferred stock, the depositary will mail to you the information contained in that notice. Each record holder of the depositary shares on the record date will be entitled to instruct the depositary how to vote the amount of the common stock or preferred stock represented by that holder’s depositary shares. The record date for the depositary shares will be the same date as the record date for the common stock or preferred stock, as the case may be. The depositary will endeavor, to the extent practicable, to vote the amount of the common stock or preferred stock, as the case may be, represented by the depositary shares in accordance with those instructions. We will agree to take all reasonable action which the depositary may deem necessary to enable the depositary to do so. The depositary will abstain from voting shares of the common stock or preferred stock, as the case may be, if it does not receive specific instructions from you.
Amendment and Termination of Depositary Agreement
We may enter into an agreement with the depositary at any time to amend the form of depositary receipt evidencing the depositary shares and any provision of the deposit agreement. However, the holders of a majority of the depositary shares must approve any amendment which materially and adversely alters the rights of the existing holders of depositary shares. We or the depositary may terminate the deposit agreement only if (a) all outstanding depositary shares issued under the agreement have been redeemed or (b) a final distribution in connection with any liquidation, dissolution or winding up has been made to the holders of the depositary shares
Charges of Depositary
We will pay all transfer and other taxes and governmental charges arising solely from the existence of the depositary arrangements. We will also pay charges of the depositary in connection with the initial deposit of the preferred shares and any redemption of the preferred shares. Holders of depositary shares will pay transfer and other taxes and governmental charges and such other charges as are expressly provided in the deposit agreement to be for their accounts.
Resignation and Removal of Depositary
The depositary may resign at any time by delivering to us notice of its election to resign, and we may at any time remove the depositary. Any resignation or removal will take effect when a successor depositary has been appointed and has accepted the appointment. Such appointment must occur within 60 days after delivery of the notice of resignation or removal. The successor depositary must be a bank or trust company having its principal office in the United States and having a combined capital and surplus of at least $50,000,000.
Miscellaneous
The depositary will forward all reports and communications from us which are delivered to the depositary and which we are required or otherwise determine to furnish to holders of common stock or preferred stock, as the case may be.
We and the depositary will not be liable under the deposit agreement to you other than for our gross negligence, willful misconduct or bad faith. Neither we nor the depositary will be liable if we or the depositary is
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prevented or delayed by law or any circumstance beyond its control in performing its obligations under the deposit agreement. Our and the depositary’s obligations under the deposit agreement will be limited to performance in good faith of our respective duties under the agreement. We and the depositary will not be obligated to prosecute or defend any legal proceedings relating to any depositary shares, common stock or preferred stock, as the case may be, unless a satisfactory indemnity is furnished. We and the depositary may rely upon written advice of counsel or accountants, or upon information provided by persons presenting shares of common stock or preferred stock, as the case may be, for deposit, you or other persons believed to be competent and on documents which we and the depositary believe to be genuine.
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The following description of the warrants and terms of the warrant agreement is a summary. It summarizes only those aspects of the warrants and those portions of the warrant agreement which we believe will be most important to your decision to invest in our warrants. There may be other provisions in the warrant agreement and the warrant certificate relating to the warrants which are also important to you. You should read these documents for a full description of the terms of the warrants. The forms of the warrant agreement and the warrant certificate will be filed or incorporated by reference as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part.
General
We may issue warrants to purchase equity securities. We may issue warrants independently or together with any offered securities. The warrants may be attached to or separate from those offered securities. We will issue the warrants under warrant agreements to be entered into between us and a bank or trust company, as warrant agent, all as described in the applicable prospectus supplement. The warrant agent will act solely as our agent in connection with the warrants and will not assume any obligation or relationship of agency or trust for or with any holders or beneficial owners of warrants.
The prospectus supplement relating to any warrants that we may offer will contain the specific terms of the warrants. These terms may include, but are not limited to, the following:
| • | the title of the warrants; |
| • | the designation, amount and terms of the securities for which the warrants are exercisable; |
| • | the designation and terms of the other securities, if any, with which the warrants are to be issued and the number of warrants issued with each other security; |
| • | the price or prices at which the warrants will be issued; |
| • | the aggregate number of warrants; |
| • | any provisions for adjustment of the number or amount of securities receivable upon exercise of the warrants or the exercise price of the warrants; |
| • | the price or prices at which the securities purchasable upon exercise of the warrants may be purchased; |
| • | the terms of any mandatory or optional redemption provisions relating to the warrants; |
| • | the terms of any right we have to accelerate the exercise of the warrants upon the occurrence of certain events; |
| • | if the warrants will be sold with any other securities, and the date, if any, on and after which those warrants and any other securities will be transferable; |
| • | the identity of the warrant agent; |
| • | if applicable, the date on and after which the warrants and the securities purchasable upon exercise of the warrants will be separately transferable; |
| • | if applicable, a discussion of the material United States federal income tax considerations applicable to the exercise of the warrants; |
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| • | any other terms of the warrants, including terms, procedures and limitations relating to the exchange and exercise of the warrants; |
| • | the date on which the right to exercise the warrants will commence, and the date on which the right will expire; |
| • | the maximum or minimum number of warrants which may be exercised at any time; and |
| • | information with respect to book-entry procedures, if any. |
Exercise of Warrants
Each warrant will entitle the holder of warrants to purchase for cash the amount of equity securities, at the exercise price stated or determinable in the prospectus supplement for the warrants. Warrants may be exercised at any time up to the close of business on the expiration date shown in the prospectus supplement relating to the warrants, unless otherwise specified in the applicable prospectus supplement. After the close of business on the expiration date, unexercised warrants will become void. Warrants may be exercised as described in the prospectus supplement relating to the warrants. When the warrant holder makes the payment and properly completes and signs the warrant certificate at the corporate trust office of the warrant agent or any other office indicated in the prospectus supplement, we will, as soon as possible, forward the equity securities that the warrant holder has purchased. If the warrant holder exercises the warrant for less than all of the warrants represented by the warrant certificate, we will issue a new warrant certificate for the remaining warrants.
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DESCRIPTION OF SUBSCRIPTION RIGHTS
The following description of the subscription rights and terms of the subscription rights agreement is a summary. It summarizes only those aspects of the subscription rights and those portions of the subscription rights agreement which we believe will be most important to your decision to invest in our subscription rights. There may be other provisions in the subscription rights agreement and the subscription certificate relating to the subscription rights which are also important to you. You should read these documents for a full description of the terms of the subscription rights. The forms of the subscription rights agreement and the subscription certificate will be filed or incorporated by reference as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part.
General
Subscription rights may be issued independently or together with any other security and may or may not be transferable. As part of the rights offering, we may enter into a standby underwriting or other arrangement under which the underwriters or any other person would purchase any securities that are not purchased in such rights offering. If we issue subscription rights, they may be governed by a separate subscription rights agreement that we will sign with a bank or trust company, as rights agent, that will be named in the applicable prospectus supplement. The rights agent will act solely as our agent and will not assume any obligation to any holders of rights certificates or beneficial owners of rights.
In general, a right entitles the holder to purchase for cash a specific number of shares of equity securities at a specified exercise price. The rights are normally issued to stockholders as of a specific record date, may be exercised only for a limited period of time and become void following the expiration of such period. If we determine to issue subscription rights, we will accompany this prospectus with a prospectus supplement that will describe, among other things:
| • | the record date for stockholders entitled to receive the rights; |
| • | the number of equity securities that may be purchased upon exercise of each right; |
| • | the exercise price of the rights; |
| • | whether the rights are transferable; |
| • | the period during which the rights may be exercised and when they will expire; |
| • | the steps required to exercise the rights; |
| • | the price, if any, for the subscription rights; |
| • | the number of subscription rights issued; |
| • | the terms of the equity securities; |
| • | the extent to which the subscription rights are transferable; |
| • | if applicable, the material terms of any standby underwriting or other arrangement entered into by us in connection with the offering of subscription rights; |
| • | the other terms of the subscription rights, including the terms, procedures and limitations relating to the exercise of the subscription rights; |
| • | whether the rights include “oversubscription rights” so that the holder may purchase more securities if other holders do not purchase their full allotments; |
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| • | whether we intend to sell the shares of equity securities that are not purchased in the rights offering to an underwriter or other purchaser under a contractual “standby” commitment or other arrangement; and |
| • | any applicable United States federal income tax considerations. |
If fewer than all of the rights issued in any rights offering are exercised, we may offer any unsubscribed securities directly to persons other than stockholders, to or through agents, underwriters or dealers or through a combination of such methods, including pursuant to standby arrangements, as described in the applicable prospectus supplement.
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DESCRIPTION OF SHARE PURCHASE CONTRACTS AND SHARE PURCHASE UNITS
We may issue share purchase contracts, representing contracts obligating holders to purchase from us, and obligating us to sell to the holders, a specified number of shares of common stock, shares of preferred stock, or other securities described in this prospectus or the applicable prospectus supplement at a future date or dates. The price per share may be fixed at the time the share purchase contracts are issued or may be determined by reference to a specific formula set forth in the share purchase contracts. The share purchase contracts may be issued separately or as a part of share purchase units consisting of a share purchase contract and either shares of common stock, shares of preferred stock, debt obligations of third parties, including U.S. Treasury securities, any other security described in the applicable prospectus supplement, or any combination of the foregoing, securing the holder’s obligations to purchase the securities under the share purchase contracts.
The share purchase contracts may require us to make periodic payments to the holders of the share purchase units or vice versa, and such payments may be unsecured or prefunded on some basis. The share purchase contracts may require holders to secure their obligations thereunder in a specified manner. In certain circumstances, we may deliver newly issued prepaid share purchase contracts upon release to a holder of any collateral securing the holder’s obligations under the original share purchase contract.
The applicable prospectus supplement will describe the terms of the share purchase contracts or share purchase units. The description in the prospectus supplement will only be a summary, and you should read the share purchase contracts, and, if applicable, collateral or depositary arrangements, relating to the share purchase contracts or share purchase units. Material United States federal income tax considerations applicable to the share purchase units and the share purchase contracts will also be discussed in the applicable prospectus supplement.
Each share purchase contract or share purchase unit and any related agreement will be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York.
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We may sell securities offered by this prospectus from time to time in one or more transactions, including without limitation:
| • | directly to one or more purchasers; |
| • | through agents; |
| • | in “at the market offerings” as defined in Rule 415(a)(4) under the Securities Act, into an existing trading market, or a securities exchange or otherwise; |
| • | to or through underwriters, brokers or dealers; or |
| • | through a combination of any of these methods. |
A distribution of shares of our securities offered by this prospectus may also be effected through the issuance of derivative securities, including without limitation, warrants, subscriptions, exchangeable securities, forward delivery contracts and the writing of options. In addition, the manner in which we may sell some or all of the shares of our securities covered by this prospectus includes, without limitation, through:
| • | a block trade in which a broker-dealer will attempt to sell as agent, but may position or resell a portion of the block, as principal, in order to facilitate the transaction; |
| • | purchases by a broker-dealer, as principal, and resale by the broker-dealer for its account; |
| • | ordinary brokerage transactions and transactions in which a broker solicits purchasers; or |
| • | privately negotiated transactions. |
We may also enter into hedging transactions. For example, we may:
| • | enter into transactions with a broker-dealer or affiliate thereof in connection with which such broker-dealer or affiliate will engage in short sales of shares of our common stock pursuant to this prospectus, in which case such broker-dealer or affiliate may use shares of our common stock received from us to close out its short positions; |
| • | sell securities short and redeliver such shares to close out our short positions; |
| • | enter into option or other types of transactions that require us to deliver to a broker-dealer or an affiliate thereof, who will then resell or transfer shares of our common stock under this prospectus; or |
| • | loan or pledge shares of our common stock to a broker-dealer or an affiliate thereof, who may sell the loaned shares or, in an event of default in the case of a pledge, sell the pledged shares pursuant to this prospectus. |
In addition, we may enter into derivative or hedging transactions with third parties, or sell securities not covered by this prospectus to third parties in privately negotiated transactions. In connection with such a transaction, the third parties may sell shares of our securities covered by and pursuant to this prospectus and an applicable prospectus supplement or other offering materials, as the case may be. If so, the third party may use securities borrowed from us or others to settle such sales and may use securities received from us to close out any related short positions. We may also loan or pledge securities covered by this prospectus and an applicable prospectus supplement to third parties, who may sell the loaned securities or, in an event of default in the case of a pledge, sell the pledged securities pursuant to this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement or other offering materials, as the case may be.
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We may sell securities in and outside the United States through underwriters or dealers, directly to purchasers, including our affiliates, through agents, or through a combination of any of these methods.
The prospectus supplement will include the specific plan of distribution, which will include the following information:
| • | terms of the offering; |
| • | the names of any underwriters, dealers or agents; |
| • | the name or names of any managing underwriter or underwriters; |
| • | the purchase price of the securities; |
| • | the net proceeds from the sale of the securities; |
| • | any delayed delivery arrangements; |
| • | any underwriting discounts, commissions and other items constituting underwriters’ compensation; |
| • | any public offering price; |
| • | any discounts or concessions allowed or reallowed or paid to dealers; |
| • | any commissions paid to agents; and |
| • | the terms of any arrangement entered into with any dealer or agent. |
Sale Through Underwriters or Dealers
If underwriters are used in the sale of shares of our securities, the underwriters will acquire the securities for their own account. The underwriters may resell the securities from time to time in one or more transactions, including negotiated transactions, at a fixed public offering price or at varying prices determined at the time of sale. Underwriters may offer our securities to the public either through underwriting syndicates represented by one or more managing underwriters or directly by one or more firms acting as underwriters. Unless we inform you otherwise in any prospectus supplement, the obligations of the underwriters to purchase the securities will be subject to certain conditions, and the underwriters will be obligated to purchase all the offered securities if they purchase any of them. The underwriters may change from time to time any public offering price and any discounts or concessions allowed or reallowed or paid to dealers.
During and after an offering through underwriters, the underwriters may purchase and sell our securities in the open market. These transactions may include overallotment and stabilizing transactions and purchases to cover syndicate short positions created in connection with the offering. The underwriters may also impose a penalty bid, which means that selling concessions allowed to syndicate members or other broker-dealers for the offered securities sold for their account may be reclaimed by the syndicate if the offered securities are repurchased by the syndicate in stabilizing or covering transactions. These activities may stabilize, maintain or otherwise affect the market price of the offered securities, which may be higher than the price that might otherwise prevail in the open market. If commenced, the underwriters may discontinue these activities at any time.
If dealers are used in the sale of shares of our securities, we will sell the securities to them as principals. They may then resell those securities to the public at varying prices determined by the dealers at the time of resale. We will include in the prospectus supplement the names of the dealers and the terms of the transaction.
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We are subject to the applicable provisions of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations under the Exchange Act, including Regulation M. Regulation M may limit the timing of purchases and sales of any of the securities offered in this prospectus. The anti-manipulation rules under the Exchange Act may apply to sales of shares in the market. Furthermore, Regulation M may restrict the ability of any person engaged in the distribution of our securities to engage in market-making activities for the particular securities being distributed for a period of up to two business days before the distribution. The restrictions may affect the marketability of the securities and the ability of any person or entity to engage in market-making activities for the securities.
Direct Sales and Sales Through Agents
We may sell our securities directly, and not through underwriters or agents. Our securities may also be sold through agents designated from time to time. In the prospectus supplement, we will name any agent involved in the offer or sale of the offered securities, and we will describe any commissions payable to the agent. Unless we inform you otherwise in the prospectus supplement, any agent will agree to use its reasonable best efforts to solicit purchases for the period of its appointment.
We may sell our securities directly to institutional investors or others who may be deemed to be underwriters within the meaning of the Securities Act, with respect to any sale of those securities. We will describe the terms of any such sales in the prospectus supplement.
Delayed Delivery Contracts
If we so indicate in the prospectus supplement, we may authorize agents, underwriters or dealers to solicit offers from certain types of institutions to purchase our securities from us at the public offering price under delayed delivery contracts. These contracts would provide for payment and delivery on a specified date in the future. The contracts would be subject only to those conditions described in the prospectus supplement. The prospectus supplement will describe the commission payable for solicitation of those contracts.
Institutional Purchasers
We may authorize agents, dealers or underwriters to solicit certain institutional investors to purchase offered securities on a delayed delivery basis pursuant to delayed delivery contracts providing for payment and delivery on a specified future date. The applicable prospectus supplement or other offering materials, as the case may be, will provide the details of any such arrangement, including the offering price and commissions payable on the solicitations.
We will enter into such delayed contracts only with institutional purchasers that we approve. These institutions may include commercial and savings banks, insurance companies, pension funds, investment companies and educational and charitable institutions.
Market-Making, Stabilization and Other Transactions
There is currently no market for any of the offered securities, other than our common stock that is listed on The Nasdaq Global Select Market. If the offered securities are traded after their initial issuance, they may trade at a discount from their initial offering price, depending upon prevailing interest rates, the market for similar securities and other factors. While it is possible that an underwriter could inform us that it intends to make a market in the offered securities, such underwriter would not be obligated to do so, and any such market-making could be discontinued at any time without notice. Therefore, no assurance can be given as to whether an active trading market will develop for the offered securities.
In connection with any offering of our securities, the underwriters may purchase and sell our securities in the open market. These transactions may include short sales, syndicate covering transactions and stabilizing transactions. Short sales involve syndicate sales of shares of our common stock in excess of the number of shares to be purchased by the underwriters in the offering, which creates a syndicate short position. “Covered” short sales are sales of shares made in an amount up to the number of shares represented by the underwriters’ over-allotment option. In determining the source of shares to close out the covered syndicate short position, the underwriters will consider, among other things, the price of shares available for
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purchase in the open market as compared to the price at which they may purchase shares through the over-allotment option. Transactions to close out the covered syndicate short involve either purchases of shares of our common stock in the open market after the distribution has been completed or the exercise of the over-allotment option. The underwriters may also make “naked” short sales of shares in excess of the over-allotment option. The underwriters must close out any naked short position by purchasing shares of common stock in the open market. A naked short position is more likely to be created if the underwriters are concerned that there may be downward pressure on the price of the shares in the open market after pricing that could adversely affect investors who purchase in the offering. Stabilizing transactions consist of bids for or purchases of shares in the open market while the offering is in progress for the purpose of pegging, fixing or maintaining the price of the securities.
In connection with any offering, the underwriters may also engage in penalty bids. Penalty bids permit the underwriters to reclaim a selling concession from a syndicate member when the securities originally sold by the syndicate member are purchased in a syndicate covering transaction to cover syndicate short positions. Stabilizing transactions, syndicate covering transactions and penalty bids may cause the price of the securities to be higher than it would be in the absence of these transactions. The underwriters may, if they commence these transactions, discontinue them at any time.
General Information
We may have agreements with the agents, dealers and underwriters to indemnify them against certain civil liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act, or to contribute with respect to payments that the agents, dealers or underwriters may be required to make. Agents, dealers and underwriters may be customers of, engage in transactions with or perform services for, us in the ordinary course of their businesses.
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Certain legal matters with regard to the validity of the securities offered pursuant to this prospectus and any prospectus supplement will be passed upon for us by Kirkland & Ellis LLP, Chicago, Illinois, and for any underwriters or agents by counsel named in the applicable prospectus supplement.
The consolidated financial statements of Ruth’s Hospitality Group, Inc. and subsidiaries as of December 29, 2019 and December 30, 2018, and for each of the years in the three-year period ended December 29, 2019 and management’s assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting as of December 29, 2019 have been incorporated by reference herein and in the registration statement in reliance upon the reports of KPMG LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, incorporated by reference herein, and upon the authority of said firm as experts in accounting and auditing.
WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION
We file annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. Our SEC filings are available to the public on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Copies of certain information filed by us with the SEC are also available on our website atwww.rhgi.com. Our website is not part of this prospectus and is not incorporated by reference into this prospectus.
This prospectus is part of a registration statement filed on FormS-3 with the SEC under the Securities Act. This prospectus does not contain all of the information set forth in the registration statement and the exhibits and schedules to the registration statement. For further information concerning us and the securities, you should read the entire registration statement and the additional information described under “Incorporation of Certain Information by Reference” below. The registration statement has been filed electronically and may be obtained in any manner listed above. Any statements contained herein concerning the provisions of any document are not necessarily complete, and, in each instance, reference is made to the copy of such document filed as an exhibit to the registration statement or otherwise filed with the SEC. Each such statement is qualified in its entirety by such reference.
INCORPORATION OF CERTAIN INFORMATION BY REFERENCE
The SEC allows us to incorporate by reference much of the information that we file with the SEC, which means that we can disclose important information to you by referring you to those publicly available documents. The information that we incorporate by reference in this prospectus is considered to be part of this prospectus. Because we are incorporating by reference future filings with the SEC, this prospectus is continually updated and those future filings may modify or supersede some of the information included or incorporated in this prospectus. This means that you must read all of the SEC filings that we incorporate by reference to determine if any of the statements in this prospectus or in any document previously incorporated by reference have been modified or superseded. This prospectus incorporates by reference the documents listed below (in each case, other than those documents or the portions of those documents not deemed to be filed):
| • | Ruth’s Hospitality Group, Inc.’s Annual Report onForm10-K for the year ended December 29, 2019 filed on February 27, 2020; |
| • | Ruth’s Hospitality Group, Inc.’s Annual Report onForm10-K/A for the year ended December 29, 2019 filed on March 2, 2020; |
| • | Ruth’s Hospitality Group, Inc.’s Quarterly Report onForm10-Q for the quarter ended March 29, 2020, filed on May 8, 2020; |
| • | Ruth’s Hospitality Group, Inc.’s Current Reports on Form8-K filed onMarch 18, 2020,March 31, 2020,April 13, 2020,April 24, 2020 andMay 8, 2020 (excluding any portions of such reports that were “furnished” rather than “filed”); |
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| • | the description of the Company’s Common Stock contained in the Registration Statement onForm8-A dated August 9, 2005 filed with the SEC to register such securities under the Exchange Act including any amendment or report filed for the purpose of updating such description. |
We also incorporate by reference the information contained in all other documents we file with the SEC pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act (other than those documents or the portions of those documents that are either (1) described in paragraph (e) of Item 201 of RegistrationS-K or paragraphs (d)(1)-(3) and (e)(5) of Item 407 of RegulationS-K promulgated by the SEC or (2) furnished under Item 2.02 or Item 7.01 of a Current Report on Form8-K (including any exhibits included with such items), unless otherwise indicated therein) after the date of this prospectus and prior to the termination of the offerings under this prospectus. The information contained in any such document will be considered part of this prospectus from the date the document is filed with the SEC.
Any statement contained in a document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in this prospectus will be deemed to be modified or superseded to the extent that a statement contained herein or in any other subsequently filed document which also is or is deemed to be incorporated by reference in this prospectus modifies or supersedes that statement. Any statement so modified or superseded will not be deemed, except as so modified or superseded, to constitute a part of this prospectus.
You may request copies of these filings at no cost to you by writing or telephoning us as follows:
Ruth’s Hospitality Group, Inc.
1030 W. Canton Avenue, Suite 100,
Winter Park, FL 32789
(407)333-7400
Attention: Corporate Secretary
Exhibits to the filings will not be sent, unless those exhibits have been specifically incorporated by reference in this prospectus.
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$43,500,000
Common Stock
PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT
Jefferies
May 20, 2020
