Summary of Significant Accounting Policies | 2. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies Use of Estimates: The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Such estimates principally include revenue recognition, determination of useful lives for property and equipment, trade spend accruals, goodwill, allowance for doubtful accounts, inventory obsolescence, valuation of common stock prior to IPO, stock option valuations, accrual liabilities and income taxes. Actual results could differ from those estimates. The Company does not currently anticipate that the COVID-19 pandemic will have a material impact on the timelines for the Company’s product development and expansion efforts and the Company’s corporate development objectives. However, future COVID-19 developments are highly uncertain and unpredictable at this time; therefore, our estimates and assumptions about future events cannot be determined with certainty and require the use of management’s judgment. Deferred Offering Costs: The Company capitalized certain legal, accounting and other third-party fees that are directly related to the Company’s in-process equity financings until such financings were completed. Upon closing the IPO in August 2020, all deferred offering costs were reclassified from prepaid and other current assets and recorded against the IPO proceeds reducing additional paid-in capital. Concentrations of Credit Risk and Significant Customers: Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to concentrations of credit risk consist principally of cash and cash equivalents and accounts receivable. The Company maintains deposits with large financial institutions that the Company believes are of high credit quality. At times the Company’s cash and cash equivalents balances with individual banking institutions are in excess of federally insured limits. The Company has not experienced any losses related to its cash and cash equivalents balances. As of December 27, 2020 and December 29, 2019, the Company had customers that individually represented 10% or more of the Company’s accounts receivable, net. During fiscal years 2020, 2019, and 2018 the Company also had customers that individually exceeded 10% or more of the Company’s net revenue. Significant customer information is presented below as follows: Net Revenue Year Ended December 27, 2020 Net Revenue Year Ended December 29, 2019 Net Revenue Year Ended December 30, 2018 Accounts Receivable, Net As Of December 27, 2020 Accounts Receivable, Net As Of December 29, 2019 Customer A 15% 35% 36% 8% 25% Customer B 18% * * 20% * Customer C 12% 11% 10% 9% * Customer D 13% 14% 14% 15% * * Revenue and/or accounts receivable was less than 10%. The decrease in net revenue for Customer A for fiscal 2020 is due a shift in our distribution channels to Customer B. Cash and Cash Equivalents: The Company considers all short-term, highly liquid investments purchased with an original maturity of three months or less at the date of purchase to be cash equivalents. Cash deposits are all in financial institutions in the United States. As of December 27, 2020, cash and cash equivalents consisted of cash on deposit with balances denominated in U.S. dollars and investments in money market funds. Investment Securities: The Company accounts for its investment securities in accordance with ASC Topic 320, Investments-Debt and Equity Securities . The Company considers all of its debt securities for which there is a determinable fair market value, and there are no restrictions on the Company's ability to sell within the next 12 months as available-for-sale. We have classified these securities as current, because the amounts invested are available for current operations. Available-for-sale securities are carried at fair value, with unrealized gains and losses reported as a separate component of stockholders' equity. Variable Interest Entity: The Company consolidates all entities where a controlling financial interest exists. The Company has considered its relationships with a certain entity to determine whether the Company has a variable interest in that entity, and if so, whether the Company is the primary beneficiary of the relationship. GAAP requires variable interest entities (“VIEs”) to be consolidated if an entity’s interest in the VIE is a controlling financial interest. Under the variable model, a controlling financial interest is determined based on which entity, if any, has (i) the power to direct the activities of the VIE that most significantly impacts the VIE’s economic performance and (ii) the obligations to absorb losses that could potentially be significant to the VIE or the right to receive benefits from the VIE that could potentially be significant to the VIE. Management performs ongoing reassessments of whether changes in the facts and circumstances regarding the Company’s involvement with a VIE will cause the consolidation conclusion to change. The consolidation status of a VIE may change as a result of such reassessments. Changes in consolidation status are applied prospectively in accordance with GAAP. Segment Information: The Company operates and manages its business as one reportable and operating segment. The Company’s chief executive officer, who is the chief operating decision maker, reviews financial information on an aggregate basis for purposes of evaluating financial performance and allocating resources. All of the Company’s long-lived assets and customers are located in the United States. Fair Value of Financial Instruments: Fair value is defined as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. The three levels of inputs that may be used to measure fair value are defined below: • Level 1 - Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities. • Level 2 - Inputs other than quoted prices included in Level 1 that are observable for the asset or liability, such as quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities, quoted prices in markets that are not active, or other inputs that are observable or can be corroborated by observable market data for substantially the full term of the assets or liabilities. • Level 3 - Unobservable inputs that are supported by little or no market activity that are significant to determining the fair value of the assets or liabilities, including pricing models, discounted cash flow methodologies and similar techniques. The carrying amounts of the Company’s long-term debt approximate the fair value based on consideration of current borrowing rates available to the Company (Level 2 input). The carrying values of accounts receivable, accounts payable, accrued expenses and other current liabilities approximate their fair values due to the short-term nature of these assets and liabilities. Accounts Receivable: Accounts receivable are stated at invoice value less estimated allowances for doubtful accounts. The Company establishes an allowance for doubtful accounts as losses are estimated to have occurred through a provision for bad debts charged to earnings. Losses are charged against the allowance when management believes the receivable is no longer collectible. These losses have been immaterial to date. Subsequent recoveries, if any, are credited to the allowance. The allowance for doubtful accounts is evaluated on a regular basis by management and is based on the credit risk of specific customers, past collection history, and management’s evaluation of accounts receivable. The evaluation is inherently subjective, as it requires estimates that are susceptible to significant revision as more information becomes available. As of December 27, 2020 and December 29, 2019 the Company recorded an allowance for doubtful accounts of $196 and $304 in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets. Inventories: Inventories are stated at the lower of cost (determined under the first-in, first-out method) or net realizable value. Inventory includes eggs, butter, packaging, feed, laying hens, pullets, merchandise and equipment parts. A reduction in the carrying value of an inventory item from cost to net realizable value is recorded in cost of goods sold with the offset to inventory. Any inventory that does not meet the quality control standards of the Company is separated and a reserve is recorded for the cost. Property, Plant and Equipment, Net: Property, plant and equipment are stated at cost, net of accumulated depreciation and amortization. Depreciation and amortization are computed using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives. The general range of useful lives of other property, plant and equipment is as follows: Estimated Useful Life Land N/A Building and improvements 39 years Vehicles 5 years Machinery and equipment 2 to 7 years Furniture and fixtures 5 years Leasehold improvements Lesser of lease term or 5 years When assets are sold or retired, the cost and related accumulated depreciation or amortization of assets disposed of are removed from the accounts, with any resulting gain or loss recorded in income from operations in the consolidated statements of operations. Costs of repairs and maintenance are expensed as incurred. Goodwill: Goodwill represents the excess of cost over the fair value of the net tangible and identifiable intangible assets acquired in a business combination. Goodwill is not amortized but is tested for impairment annually on the first day of the fourth fiscal quarter or more frequently if events or changes in circumstances indicate that the asset may be impaired. The Company’s goodwill impairment test is performed at the enterprise level given the sole reporting unit. The Company first assesses qualitative factors to determine whether events or circumstances existed that would lead the Company to conclude that it is more likely than not that the fair value of the reporting unit is below its carrying amount. If the Company determines that it is more likely than not that the fair value of the reporting unit is below the carrying amount, a quantitative goodwill assessment is required. In the quantitative evaluation, the fair value of the reporting unit is determined and compared to the carrying value. If the fair value is greater than the carrying value, then the carrying value is deemed to be recoverable and no further action is required. If the fair value estimate is less than the carrying value, goodwill is considered impaired for the amount by which the carrying amount exceeds the reporting unit’s fair value and a charge is reported as impairment of goodwill in the consolidated statements of operations. To date, the Company has not recorded any impairment charges associated with its goodwill. Impairment of Long-Lived Assets: The Company reviews the carrying value of property, plant and equipment for impairment whenever events and circumstances indicate the carrying value of an asset may not be recoverable from the estimated future cash flows expected to result from its use and eventual disposition. In cases where undiscounted expected future cash flows are less than the carrying value, an impairment loss is recognized equal to an amount by which the carrying value exceeds the fair value of assets. The factors considered by management in performing this assessment include current operating results, trends and prospects and the effects of obsolescence, demand, competition and other economic factors. The Company did not recognize an impairment loss during the years ended December 27, 2020, December 29, 2019, and December 30, 2018. Contingent Consideration: In connection with the Company’s acquisition of certain assets of Heartland Eggs, LLC in 2014, the Company was required to make royalty payments to prior owners of certain assets of Heartland Eggs. The royalty payments are contingent on the Company’s future purchase of eggs from supplier contracts that were acquired in the certain assets of Heartland Eggs acquisition. The royalty payments are deemed to be contingent because the future egg purchases are not guaranteed, and the timing and amount of any such purchases are unknown. The fair value of the contingent consideration was determined at the acquisition date using unobservable inputs (Level 3 inputs). These inputs included projected financial information, market volatility, risk-adjusted discount rates and timing of contractual payments. Subsequent to the acquisition date, at each reporting date, the contingent consideration liability is remeasured to fair value with changes in fair value recorded within selling, general and administrative expenses in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations. Noncontrolling Interest: The Company recognizes noncontrolling interest related to VIEs, in which the Company is the primary beneficiary, as equity in the consolidated financial statements separate from the parent entity’s equity. The amount of net income or loss attributable to noncontrolling interests is included in consolidated net income on the face of the consolidated statements of operations. Changes in the parent entity’s ownership interest in a subsidiary that do not result in deconsolidation are treated as equity transactions if the parent entity retains its controlling financial interest. In addition, when a subsidiary is deconsolidated, any retained noncontrolling equity investment in the former subsidiary will be initially measured at fair value and the difference between the carrying value and fair value of the retained interest will be recorded as a gain or loss. Affiliate equity interests where the Company has certain rights to demand settlement are presented at their current redemption values, as redeemable noncontrolling interest in the consolidated balance sheet. Because these transactions take place between entities under common control, any gains or losses attributable to these transactions are required to be included within additional paid-in-capital on the consolidated balance sheets. Income Taxes: Income taxes are computed using the asset and liability approach that requires the recognition of deferred tax assets and liabilities for the expected future tax consequences of events that have been recognized in the consolidated financial statements. In estimating future tax consequences, the Company considers all expected future events other than enactment of changes in tax laws or rates. A valuation allowance is recorded, if necessary, to reduce net deferred tax assets to their realizable values if management does not believe it is more likely than not that the net deferred tax assets will be realized. The Company follows the provisions of the authoritative guidance from the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) on accounting for uncertainty in income taxes. These provisions provide a comprehensive model for the recognition, measurement and disclosure in financial statements of uncertain income tax positions that a company has taken or expects to take on a tax return. Under these provisions, a company can recognize the benefit of an income tax position only if it is more likely than not (greater than 50%) that the tax position will be sustained upon tax examination, based solely on the technical merits of the tax position. Otherwise, no benefit can be recognized. Assessing an uncertain tax position begins with the initial determination of the sustainability of the position and is measured at the largest amount of benefit that is greater than 50% likely of being realized upon ultimate settlement. As of each balance sheet date, unresolved uncertain tax positions must be reassessed. Additionally, the Company must accrue interest and related penalties, if applicable, on all tax exposures for which reserves have been established consistent with jurisdictional tax laws. The Company’s policy is to recognize interest and penalties related to uncertain tax positions in the provision for income taxes. As of December 27, 2020 and December 29, 2019 the Company had no accrued interest or penalties related to uncertain tax positions. Net Income (Loss) per Share Attributable to Vital Farms, Inc. Common Stockholders: The Company applies the two-class method to compute basic and diluted net (loss) income per share attributable to the Company’s common stockholders when shares meet the definition of participating securities. The two-class method determines net income per share for each class of the Company’s common stock and Preferred Stock according to dividends declared or accumulated and participation rights in undistributed earnings. The two-class method requires income available to common stockholders for the period to be allocated between the Company’s common stock and Preferred Stock based upon their respective rights to share in the earnings as if all income for the period had been distributed. During periods of loss, there is no allocation required under the two-class method since the Preferred Stock does not have a contractual obligation to share in the Company’s losses. Basic net income per share attributable to the Company’s stockholders is computed by dividing net income by the weighted-average number of shares outstanding during the period without consideration of potentially dilutive common stock. Diluted net income per share reflects the potential dilution that could occur if securities or other contracts to issue shares of the Company’s common stock were exercised or converted into common stock or resulted in the issuance of common stock that then shared in the earnings of the Company unless inclusion of such shares would be anti-dilutive. For periods in which the Company reports net losses, diluted net loss per common share attributable to the Company’s common stockholders is the same as basic net loss, because potentially dilutive common shares are not assumed to have been issued if their effect is anti-dilutive. Revenue Recognition: The Company generates revenue primarily through sales of products, including pasture-raised eggs and butter, to its customers, which include natural channel retailers, mainstream channel retailers and foodservice partners. The Company sells its products to customers on a purchase-order basis. Revenue is recognized when control of the product is transferred to the customer and the related performance obligation is satisfied, which typically occurs upon delivery of the product to the customer, for an amount that reflects the net consideration the Company expects to receive in exchange for delivering the product. We offer sales incentives through various programs to customers and allow deductions from our customers, which may include credits or discounts to customers in the event that products do not conform to customer specifications or expire at a customer’s site. The cost associated with promotions and chargebacks is estimated and recorded as a reduction in revenue and is recognized at the time the related revenue is recorded, which normally precedes the actual cash expenditure. The recognition of this cost therefore requires management judgement regarding the volume of promotional offers that will be redeemed. Differences between estimated cost and actual redemptions are recognized as a change in management estimate in a subsequent period. Treasury Stock: The Company records treasury stock activities under the cost method whereby the cost of the acquired stock is recorded as treasury stock. The Company’s accounting policy upon the formal retirement of treasury stock is to deduct the par value from the Company’s common stock and to reflect any excess of cost over par value as a reduction to additional paid-in capital (to the extent created by previous issuances of the shares). Shipping and Distribution: The Company’s shipping and distribution costs include costs incurred with third-party carriers to transport products to customers and salaries and overhead costs related to activities to prepare the Company’s products for shipment. Shipping and distribution costs were $14,904, $10,001, and $8,615 during the years ended December 27, 2020, December 29, 2019 and December 30, 2018, respectively. Freight-in costs are included within Cost of Goods Sold and were $5,126, $3,012, and $2,976 during the years ended December 27, 2020, December 29, 2019 and December 30, 2018, respectively. Stock-Based Compensation: The Company measures all stock-based awards granted to employees and directors based on the fair value on the date of the grant and recognizes compensation expense for those awards, over the requisite service period, which is generally the vesting period of the respective award. The fair value of each stock option grant is estimated on the date of grant using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model, which requires inputs based on certain subjective assumptions, including the fair market value of the Company’s common stock, expected stock price volatility, the expected term of the option, the risk-free interest rate for a period that approximates the expected term of the option, and the Company’s expected dividend yield. Effective December 31, 2018, the Company adopted ASU No. 2018-07, Compensation—Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Nonemployee Share-Based Payment Accounting (“ASU 2018-07”), which expands the scope of Topic 718 to include share-based payment awards to nonemployees. As a result, stock-based awards granted to consultants and non-employees are accounted for in the same manner as awards granted to employees and directors as described above. The impact of adoption of this new guidance did not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements. Prior to the adoption of ASU 2018-07, the Company recognized compensation expense for stock-based awards granted to consultants and non-employees over the shorter of the vesting period or the period during which services are rendered by such consultants and non-employees until completed. At the end of each financial reporting period prior to completion of the service, the fair value of these awards is re-measured using the then-current fair value of the Company’s common stock and updated assumption inputs in the Black-Scholes option-pricing model. The Company classifies stock-based compensation expense in its consolidated statements of operations in the same manner in which the award recipient’s payroll costs are classified or in which the award recipient’s service payments are classified. Advertising and Promotion Expenses: Advertising and promotion expenses consist primarily of production costs and the costs to communicate the advertisements to promote and market the Company’s products. Production costs such as idea development, artwork, audio and video crews and other up-front development costs are expensed the first time the associated advertising campaign is launched or aired. The costs to communicate the advertisements such as airtime and distribution costs are expensed as incurred. During the years ended December 27, 2020, December 29, 2019, and December 30, 2018, the Company incurred advertising and promotion expenses of approximately $9,815, $10,320, and $4,613, respectively Emerging Growth Company Status: The Company is an “emerging growth company” as defined in the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012 (“JOBS Act). Under the JOBS Act, emerging growth companies can delay adopting new or revised financial accounting standards until such time as those standards apply to private companies. The Company elected to use the extended transition period for complying with the adoption of new or revised accounting standards, and, as a result of this election, the Company’s financial statements may not be comparable to companies that comply with public company effective dates. Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements: In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-13, Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820): Disclosure Framework-Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Fair Value Measurement (“ASU 2018-13”), which modifies the disclosure requirements for fair value measurements. The standard is effective for all entities for years and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2019. Early adoption is permitted. The Company adopted ASU 2018-13 on December 30, 2019 and the adoption of this standard did not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements. In March 2020, the FASB issued ASU 2020-04, Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848), Facilitation of the Effects of Reference Rate Reform on Financial Reporting Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements Not Yet Adopted: In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842) (“ASU 2016-02”) and also issued subsequent amendments to the initial guidance, ASU 2017-13, ASU 2018-01, ASU 2018-10, ASU 2018-11, ASU 2018-20, ASU 2019-01, ASU 2019-10, ASU 2020-02, and ASU 2020-05 (collectively, “Topic 842”). The guidance in Topic 842 supersedes the leasing guidance in Topic 840, Leases . Under the new guidance, lessees are required to recognize lease assets and lease liabilities on the balance sheet for all leases with terms longer than twelve months. Leases will be classified as either finance or operating, with classification affecting the pattern of expense recognition in the consolidated statement of operations. An entity may adopt the guidance either (1) retrospectively to each prior reporting period presented in the financial statements with a cumulative-effect adjustment recognized at the beginning of the earliest comparative period presented or (2) retrospectively at the beginning of the period of adoption through a cumulative-effect adjustment. The Company expects to adopt Topic 842 retrospectively at the beginning of the period of adoption, December 27, 2021, through a cumulative-effect adjustment, and will not apply the new standard to comparative periods presented. The new standard provides a number of practical expedients. Upon adoption, the Company expects to elect all of the practical expedients available. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of its pending adoption of Topic 842 on its consolidated financial statements. It is anticipated that the primary impact of the adoption of Topic 842 will be the recording of a right-of-use asset and lease liability of similar amount on the Company’s consolidated balance sheet. In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-13, Financial Instruments — Credit Losses (Topic 326), Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments In December 2019, the FASB issued ASU No. 2019-12, Income Taxes (Topic 740), Simplifying the Accounting for Income Taxes |