| Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies | 1. BASIS OF PRESENTATION AND SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES Overview El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. (“Holdings”) is a Delaware corporation headquartered in Costa Mesa, California. Holdings and its direct and indirect subsidiaries are collectively referred to herein as the “Company.” The Company’s activities are conducted principally through its indirect wholly-owned subsidiary, El Pollo Loco, Inc. (“EPL”), which develops, franchises, licenses, and operates quick-service restaurants under the name El Pollo Loco® and operates under one operating segment. At September 28, 2022, the Company operated 190 and franchised 297 El Pollo Loco restaurants. Basis of Presentation The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements of the Company have been prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) for interim financial statements and pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). In the opinion of management, the accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements reflect all adjustments consisting of normal recurring adjustments necessary for a fair statement of the Company’s condensed consolidated financial position and results of operations and cash flows for the periods presented. Interim results of operations are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be achieved for the full year. The condensed consolidated financial statements and related notes do not include all information and footnotes required by GAAP for annual reports. This quarterly report should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements included in the Company’s annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 29, 2021. The Company uses a 52- or 53-week fiscal year ending on the last Wednesday of the calendar year. In a 52-week fiscal year, each quarter includes 13 weeks of operations; in a 53-week fiscal year, the first, second and third quarters each include 13 weeks of operations, and the fourth quarter includes 14 weeks of operations. Every six or seven years, a 53-week fiscal year occurs. Fiscal 2022 and 2021 are both 52-week years, ending on December 28, 2022 and December 29, 2021, respectively. Revenues, expenses, and other financial and operational figures may be elevated in a 53-week year. Holdings has no material assets or operations. Holdings and Holdings’ direct subsidiary, EPL Intermediate, Inc. (“Intermediate”), guarantee EPL’s 2022 Revolver (as defined below) on a full and unconditional basis (see Note 4, “Long-Term Debt”), and Intermediate has no subsidiaries other than EPL. EPL is a separate and distinct legal entity and has no obligation to make funds available to Intermediate. EPL and Intermediate may pay dividends to Intermediate and to Holdings, respectively, subject to the terms of the 2022 Revolver. Principles of Consolidation The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Holdings and its wholly owned subsidiaries. All intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. Use of Estimates The preparation of condensed consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the condensed consolidated financial statements and revenue and expenses during the periods reported. Actual results could materially differ from those estimates. The Company’s significant estimates include estimates for impairment of goodwill, intangible assets and property and equipment, insurance reserves, lease accounting matters, stock-based compensation, income tax receivable agreement liability, contingent liabilities and income tax valuation allowances. COVID-19 The Company may face future business disruption and related risks resulting from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic or from another pandemic, epidemic or infectious disease outbreak, or from broader macroeconomic trends, any of which could have a significant impact on our business. During both thirteen weeks ended September 28, 2022 and September 29, 2021, respectively, the Company incurred $0.5 million in COVID-19 related expenses, primarily due to leaves of absence. During the thirty-nine weeks ended September 28, 2022 and September 29, 2021, respectively, the Company incurred $3.1 million and $3.5 million, in COVID-19 related expenses, primarily due to leaves of absence and overtime pay. While all of the Company’s restaurants had dining rooms open as of September 28, 2022, the Company continues to experience staffing challenges, including higher wage inflation, overtime costs and other labor related costs. Further, the Company continues to experience inflationary pressures, which resulted in increased commodity prices and impacted the Company’s business and results of operations during the thirteen and thirty-nine weeks ended September 28, 2022. The Company expects these pressures to continue during the remainder of fiscal 2022. Due to the rapid development and fluidity of this situation, the Company cannot determine the ultimate direct and indirect impact that the COVID-19 pandemic and related economic effects will have on the Company’s condensed consolidated financial condition, liquidity, and future results of operations, and therefore any prediction as to the ultimate materiality of the adverse impact on the Company’s condensed consolidated financial condition, liquidity, and future results of operations is uncertain. Cash and Cash Equivalents The Company considers all liquid instruments with an original maturity of three months or less at the date of purchase to be cash equivalents. Liquidity The Company’s principal liquidity and capital requirements are new restaurants, existing restaurant capital investments (remodels and maintenance), interest payments on its debt, lease obligations and working capital and general corporate needs. At September 28, 2022, the Company’s total debt was $20.0 million. The Company’s ability to make payments on its indebtedness and to fund planned capital expenditures depends on available cash and its ability to generate adequate cash flows in the future, which, to a certain extent, is subject to general economic, financial, competitive, legislative, regulatory, and other factors that are beyond the Company’s control. Based on current operations, the Company believes that its cash flow from operations and available cash of $19.3 million at September 28, 2022 will be adequate to meet the Company’s liquidity needs for the next twelve months from the date of filing of these condensed consolidated financial statements. Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements None. Subsequent Events On October 11, 2022, the Company announced that its Board of Directors declared a special dividend of $1.50 per share on the common stock, par value $0.01 per share, of the Company (the “Common Stock”). The special dividend is payable on November 9, 2022, to stockholders of record, including holders of restricted stock and restricted stock units, at the close of business on October 24, 2022. In addition, on October 11, 2022, the Company announced that its Board of Directors approved a share repurchase program under which the Company is authorized to repurchase up to $20.0 million of shares of the Company’s Common Stock. The repurchase program will terminate on March 28, 2024, may be modified, suspended or discontinued at any time, and does not obligate the Company to acquire any particular number of shares. Lastly, on November 3, 2022, the Company borrowed $46.0 million on its 2022 Revolver and outstanding borrowings as of November 3, 2022 were $66.0 million. After payment of the special dividend, the Company is expected to have approximately $10.0 million in cash on hand. Concentration of Risk Cash and cash equivalents are maintained at financial institutions and, at times, these balances may exceed federally-insured limits. The Company has never experienced any losses related to these balances. The Company had one supplier to whom amounts due totaled 25.2% and 26.1% of the Company’s accounts payable at September 28, 2022 and December 29, 2021, respectively. Purchases from the Company’s largest supplier totaled 28.4% and 28.5% of total expenses for the thirteen and thirty-nine and thirty-nine weeks Company-operated and franchised restaurants in the greater Los Angeles area generated, in the aggregate, approximately 71.9% and 71.2% of total revenue for the thirteen and thirty-nine weeks ended September 28, 2022 and 71.6% and 70.8% for the thirteen and thirty-nine weeks ended September 29, 2021, respectively. Goodwill and Indefinite Lived Intangible Assets The Company’s indefinite-lived intangible assets consist of trademarks. Goodwill represents the excess of cost over fair value of net identified assets acquired in business combinations accounted for under the purchase method. The Company does not amortize its goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets. Goodwill resulted from the acquisition of certain franchise locations. Upon the sale or closure of a restaurant, the Company evaluates whether there is a decrement of goodwill. The amount of goodwill included in the cost basis of the asset sold is determined based on the relative fair value of the portion of the reporting unit disposed of compared to the fair value of the reporting unit retained. The Company performs an annual impairment test for goodwill during the fourth fiscal quarter of each year, or more frequently if impairment indicators arise. The Company reviews goodwill for impairment utilizing either a qualitative assessment or a fair value test by comparing the fair value of a reporting unit with its carrying amount. If the Company decides that it is appropriate to perform a qualitative assessment and concludes that the fair value of a reporting unit more likely than not exceeds its carrying value, no further evaluation is necessary. If the Company performs the fair value test, the Company will compare the fair value of a reporting unit with its carrying amount, including goodwill. If the fair value of a reporting unit exceeds its carrying amount, goodwill of the reporting unit is considered not impaired. If the carrying amount of a reporting unit exceeds its fair value, the Company will recognize an impairment charge for the amount by which the carrying amount exceeds the reporting unit’s fair value; however, the loss recognized cannot exceed the total amount of goodwill allocated to that reporting unit. The Company performs an annual impairment test for indefinite-lived intangible assets during the fourth fiscal quarter of each year, or more frequently if impairment indicators arise. An impairment test consists of either a qualitative assessment or a comparison of the fair value of an intangible asset with its carrying amount. The excess of the carrying amount of an intangible asset over its fair value is recognized as an impairment loss. The assumptions used in the estimate of fair value are generally consistent with the past performance of the Company’s reporting segment and are also consistent with the projections and assumptions that are used in current operating plans. These assumptions are subject to change as a result of changing economic and competitive conditions. The Company determined that there were no indicators of potential impairment of its goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets during the thirteen and thirty-nine weeks ended September 28, 2022. Accordingly, the Company did not record any impairment to its goodwill or indefinite-lived intangible assets during the thirteen and thirty-nine weeks ended September 28, 2022. Fair Value Measurements Fair value is 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. Financial assets and liabilities carried at fair value are classified and disclosed in one of the following three categories: ● Level 1: Quoted prices for identical instruments in active markets. ● Level 2: Observable prices for similar instruments in active markets; quoted prices for identical or similar instruments in markets that are not active; and model-derived valuations whose inputs or significant value drivers are observable. ● Level 3: Unobservable inputs used when little or no market data is available. During fiscal 2019, the Company entered into an interest rate swap, which is required to be measured at fair value on a recurring basis. The fair value was determined based on Level 2 inputs, which include valuation models, as reported by the Company’s counterparty. These valuation models use a discounted cash flow analysis on the cash flows of the derivative based on the terms of the contract and the forward yield curves adjusted for the Company’s credit risk. The key inputs for the valuation models are observable market prices, discount rates, and forward yield curves. In connection with the Company’s entry into the 2022 Credit Agreement (as defined below), it terminated the interest rate swap in July 2022 previously used to hedge interest rate risk. In settlement of this swap, the Company received approximately $0.6 million. See Note 4, “Long-Term Debt” for further discussion regarding the Company’s interest rate swap and its termination. The following table presents fair value for the interest rate swap at December 29, 2021 (in thousands): Fair Value Measurements Using Fair Value Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Other non-current liabilities - Interest rate swap $ 396 $ — $ 396 $ — Certain assets and liabilities are measured at fair value on a nonrecurring basis. In other words, the instruments are not measured at fair value on an ongoing basis, but are subject to fair value adjustments only in certain circumstances (e.g., when there is evidence of impairment). The following non-financial instruments were measured at fair value, on a nonrecurring basis, as of and for the thirteen and thirty-nine weeks ended September 28, 2022, reflecting certain property and equipment assets and right-of-use (“ROU”) assets for which an impairment loss was recognized during the corresponding periods, as discussed under Note 2, “Property and Equipment” and immediately below under “Impairment of Long-Lived Assets and ROU Assets” (in thousands): Thirteen Weeks Thirty-Nine Weeks Fair Value Measurements at September 28, 2022 Using Ended September 28, 2022 Ended September 28, 2022 Total Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Impairment Losses Impairment Losses Certain property and equipment, net $ — $ — $ — $ — $ 100 $ 353 Certain ROU assets, net $ 332 $ — $ — $ 332 $ 39 $ 39 The following non-financial instruments were measured at fair value on a nonrecurring basis as of and for the thirteen and thirty-nine weeks ended September 29, 2021, reflecting certain property and equipment assets and ROU assets for which an impairment loss was recognized during the corresponding periods, as discussed immediately below under “Impairment of Long-Lived Assets and ROU Assets” (in thousands): Thirteen Weeks Thirty-Nine Weeks Fair Value Measurements at September 29, 2021 Using Ended September 29, 2021 Ended September 29, 2021 Total Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Impairment Losses Impairment Losses Certain property and equipment, net $ — $ — $ — $ — $ 34 $ 293 Certain ROU assets, net $ 424 $ — $ — $ 424 $ — $ 407 Impairment of Long-Lived Assets and ROU Assets The Company reviews its long-lived and ROU assets for impairment on a restaurant-by-restaurant basis whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value of certain long-lived and ROU assets may not be recoverable. The Company considers a triggering event related to long-lived assets or ROU assets in a net asset position to have occurred related to a specific restaurant if the restaurant’s average unit volume for the last twelve months is less than a minimum threshold or if consistent levels of undiscounted cash flows for the remaining lease period are less than the carrying value of the restaurant’s assets. Additionally, the Company considers a triggering event related to ROU assets to have occurred related to a specific lease if the location has closed or been subleased and future estimated sublease income is less than lease payments under the head lease. If the Company concludes that the carrying value of certain long-lived and ROU assets will not be recovered based on expected undiscounted future cash flows, an impairment loss is recorded to reduce the long-lived or ROU assets to their estimated fair value. The fair value is measured on a nonrecurring basis using unobservable (Level 3) inputs. There is uncertainty in the projected undiscounted future cash flows used in the Company’s impairment review analysis, which requires the use of estimates and assumptions. If actual performance does not achieve the projections, or if the assumptions used change in the future, the Company may be required to recognize impairment charges in future periods, and such charges could be material. The Company determined that triggering events occurred for certain restaurants during the thirteen and thirty-nine weeks ended September 28, 2022 that required an impairment review of certain of the Company’s long-lived and ROU assets. Based on the results of the analysis, the Company recorded non-cash impairment charges of $0.1 million and $0.4 million for the thirteen and thirty-nine weeks ended September 28, 2022, respectively, primarily related to the long-lived assets of one restaurant in California. The Company recorded a non-cash impairment charge of $0.1 million and $0.7 million for the thirteen and thirty-nine weeks ended September 29, 2021, respectively, primarily related to the carrying value of the ROU assets of one restaurant in Texas closed in 2019, the carrying value of the ROU assets of one restaurant in California and the long-lived assets of three restaurants in California Closed-Store Reserves When a restaurant is closed, the Company will evaluate the ROU asset for impairment, based on anticipated sublease recoveries. The remaining value of the ROU asset is amortized on a straight-line basis, with the expense recognized in closed-store reserve expense. Additionally, any property tax and common area maintenance (“CAM”) payments relating to closed restaurants are included within closed-store expense. During the thirteen and thirty-nine weeks ended September 28, 2022, the Company recognized less than $0.1 million and $0.2 million, respectively, of closed-store reserve expense related to the amortization of ROU assets, property taxes and CAM payments for its closed locations. During the thirteen and thirty-nine weeks ended September 29, 2021, the Company recognized less than $0.1 million and $0.4 million of closed-store reserve expense, respectively, primarily related to the amortization of ROU assets, property taxes and CAM payments for its closed locations. Derivative Financial Instruments The Company used an interest rate swap, a derivative instrument, to hedge interest rate risk and not for trading purposes. The derivative contract was entered into with a financial institution. In connection with the Company’s entry into the 2022 Credit Agreement (as defined below), it terminated the interest rate swap on July 28, 2022. The Company recorded the derivative instrument on its condensed consolidated balance sheets at fair value. The derivative instrument qualified as a hedging instrument in a qualifying cash flow hedge relationship, and the gain or loss on the derivative instrument was reported as a component of accumulated other comprehensive (loss) income (“AOCI”) and reclassified into earnings in the same period or periods during which the hedged transaction affects earnings. For any derivative instruments not designated as hedging instruments, the gain or loss will be recognized in earnings immediately. If a derivative previously designated as a hedge is terminated, or no longer meets the qualifications for hedge accounting, any balances in AOCI will be reclassified to earnings immediately. Income Taxes The provision for income taxes, income taxes payable and deferred income taxes is determined using the asset and liability method. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are determined based on temporary differences between the financial carrying amounts and the tax bases of assets and liabilities using enacted tax rates in effect in the years in which the temporary differences are expected to reverse. On a periodic basis, the Company assesses the probability that its net deferred tax assets, if any, will be recovered. If, after evaluating all of the positive and negative evidence, a conclusion is made that it is more likely than not that some portion or all of the net deferred tax assets will not be recovered, a valuation allowance is provided by charging to tax expense a reserve for the portion of deferred tax assets which are not expected to be realized. The Company reviews its filing positions for all open tax years in all U.S. federal and state jurisdictions where the Company is required to file. When there are uncertainties related to potential income tax benefits, in order to qualify for recognition, the position the Company takes has to have at least a “more likely than not” chance of being sustained (based on the position’s technical merits) upon challenge by the respective authorities. The term “more likely than not” means a likelihood of more than 50 percent. Otherwise, the Company may not recognize any of the potential tax benefit associated with the position. The Company recognizes a benefit for a tax position that meets the “more likely than not” criterion at the largest amount of tax benefit that is greater than 50 percent likely of being realized upon its effective resolution. Unrecognized tax benefits involve management’s judgment regarding the likelihood of the benefit being sustained. The final resolution of uncertain tax positions could result in adjustments to recorded amounts and may affect the Company’s condensed consolidated financial position, results of operations, and cash flows. The Company’s policy is to recognize interest and penalties related to income tax matters in income tax expense. The Company had no accrual for interest or penalties at September 28, 2022 or at December 29, 2021. The Company did not recognize interest or penalties during the thirteen and thirty-nine weeks ended September 28, 2022 and September 29, 2021, respectively, since there were no material unrecognized tax benefits. Management believes no significant changes to the amount of unrecognized tax benefits will occur within the next twelve months. On July 30, 2014, the Company entered into the income tax receivable agreement (the “TRA”), which calls for the Company to pay to its pre-initial public offering (“IPO”) stockholders 85% of the savings in cash that the Company realizes in its income taxes as a result of utilizing its net operating losses (“NOLs”) and other tax attributes attributable to preceding periods. For the thirteen and thirty-nine weeks ended September 28, 2022, the Company recorded income tax receivable agreement income of less than $0.1 million and $0.3 million, respectively, and for both the thirteen and thirty-nine weeks ended September 29, 2021, the Company recorded income tax receivable agreement income of less than $0.1 million, in each case, related to the amortization of interest expense related to the total expected TRA payments and changes in estimates for actual tax returns filed and future forecasted taxable income. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act provides for the deferral of employer Social Security taxes that are otherwise owed for wage payment and the creation of refundable employee retention credits. The total amount deferred as of December 30, 2020 was $4.9 million, of which 50% was paid at the end of 2021 and the remaining 50% is due by December 31, 2022. |
