Summary of Significant Accounting Policies | Summary of Significant Accounting Policies Basis of Presentation: The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles as promulgated in the United States of America (“US GAAP”) for interim financial information and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 8-3 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, these condensed consolidated financial statements do not include all the information and footnotes required by US GAAP for complete financial statements. The financial information as of September 30, 2021 and for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2021 and 2020 is unaudited; however, in the opinion of management, all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring accruals) considered necessary for a fair presentation have been included. Operating results for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2021 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for any other interim period or for the year ending December 31, 2021. The condensed consolidated balance sheet at December 31, 2020 has been derived from the audited consolidated financial statements at that date but does not include all of the information and footnotes required by US GAAP for complete financial statements. These financial statements should be read in conjunction with the Company’s audited consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2020. Principles of Consolidation: The condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Karat Packaging and its wholly-owned operating subsidiaries, Lollicup, Lollicup Franchising, LLC (“Lollicup Franchising”) (effective September 1, 2020, refer to Note 3), Pacific Cup, Inc. (effective March 1, 2021, refer to Note 3), and Global Wells, a variable interest entity wherein the Company is the primary beneficiary. All intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated. Noncontrolling Interests: The Company consolidates its variable interest entity, Global Wells, in which the Company is the primary beneficiary. The Company became the primary beneficiary of Global Wells on March 23, 2018 upon execution of an operating lease agreement allowing the Company to lease Global Wells’ facility. Noncontrolling interests represent third-party equity ownership interests in Global Wells. The Company recognizes noncontrolling interests as equity in the condensed consolidated financial statements separate from Company’s stockholders’ equity. The amount of net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests is disclosed in the condensed consolidated statements of income. Estimates and Assumptions: Management uses estimates and assumptions in preparing financial statements in accordance with US GAAP. Those estimates and assumptions affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities, and the reported revenues and expenses. Actual results could differ materially from the estimates that were assumed in preparing the condensed consolidated financial statements. Estimates that are significant to the condensed consolidated financial statements include stock-based compensation, allowance for doubtful accounts, reserve for slow-moving and obsolete inventory, deferred taxes, and estimated useful lives of property and equipment, with effects of changes could result in future impairments of goodwill, intangibles, and long-lived assets. Reporting Segment: The Company manages and evaluates its operations in one reportable segment. This segment consists of manufacturing and supply of a broad portfolio of single-use products that are used to serve food and beverages and are available in plastic, paper, foam, post-consumer recycled content and renewable materials. It also consists of the distribution of personal protective equipment related products such as face shields and face masks. Earnings per Share: Basic earnings per common share is calculated by dividing net income attributable to Karat Packaging by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the related period. Diluted earnings per common share is calculated by adjusting weighted average outstanding shares, assuming conversion of all potentially dilutive shares. Cash and cash equivalents: The Company considers all highly liquid investments purchased with an original maturity at the date of purchase of three months or less to be cash equivalents. At September 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020, cash and cash equivalents were comprised of cash held in money market, cash on hand and cash deposited with banks. Concentration of Credit Risk : The financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to credit risk consist of cash and cash equivalents in financial institutions, which exceed federally insured limits, short-term investments, and non-affiliated trade receivables. The Company routinely assesses the financial strength of its customers and generally does not require collateral for trade receivables. Further, the Company has money market accounts which exceeded the federally insured limits by approximately $0.4 million and $0.2 million as of September 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020, respectively. Accounts Receivable and Allowance for Doubtful Accounts: Accounts receivable consists primarily of amounts due from customers. Accounts receivable are carried at their estimated collectible amounts and are periodically evaluated for collectability based on past credit history. The Company recognizes an allowance for bad debt on accounts receivable in an amount equal to the estimated probable losses net of recoveries. The allowance is based on an analysis of historical bad debt write-offs, current past due customers in the aging as well as an assessment of specific identifiable customer accounts considered at risk or uncollectible. Inventories: Inventories consist of raw materials, work-in-process, and finished goods. Inventory cost is determined using the first-in, first-out (FIFO) method and valued at lower of cost or net realizable value. The Company maintains reserves for excess and obsolete inventory considering various factors including historic usage, expected demand, anticipated sales price, and product obsolescence. Property and Equipment: Property and equipment are carried at cost, net of accumulated depreciation and amortization, and net of impairment losses, if any. Depreciation of property and equipment are computed by straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the related assets. Leasehold improvements are amortized using the straight-line method over the term of the lease, or the estimated life of the improvement, whichever is less. The estimated useful life of property and equipment are as follows: Machinery and equipment 5 years to 10 years Leasehold improvements Lower of useful life or lease term Vehicles 3 years to 5 years Furniture and fixtures 7 years Building 28 years to 40 years Property held under capital leases 3 years to 5 years Computer hardware and software 3 years Normal repairs and maintenance are expensed as incurred, whereas significant changes that materially increase values or extend useful lives are capitalized and depreciated over the estimated useful lives of the related assets. Deposits: Deposits include payments made for machinery and equipment related to the Rockwall, Texas manufacturing facility. As of September 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020, the Company had deposits of approximately $3.8 million and $1.8 million, respectively, relating to machinery and equipment for this facility. Included in deposits are also payments made to the lessors of leased properties as security for the full and faithful observance of contracts, which will be refunded to the Company upon expiration or termination of the contract. Impairment of Long-lived Assets: The Company reviews long-lived assets for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value of such assets may not be recoverable. An impairment exists if the undiscounted cash flows generated by the Company’s long-lived assets are less than the net book value of the related assets. If the long-lived assets are impaired, an impairment loss is recognized and measured as the amount by which the carrying value exceeds the estimated fair value of those assets. For the periods ended September 30, 2021 and September 30, 2020, management concluded that an impairment write-down was not required. Business Combination and Goodwill: The Company applies the acquisition method of accounting for business combinations in accordance with U.S. GAAP, which requires the Company to make use of estimates and judgments to allocate the purchase price paid for acquisitions to the fair value of the assets, including identifiable intangible assets, and liabilities acquired. Such estimates may be based on significant unobservable inputs. The Company’s estimates of fair value are based upon assumptions believed to be reasonable, but which are inherently uncertain and unpredictable and, as a result, actual results may differ from estimates. Fair values are subject to refinement for up to one year after the closing date of an acquisition as information relative to closing date fair values becomes available. Upon the conclusion of the measurement period, any subsequent adjustments are recorded to earnings. Goodwill is the excess of the acquisition price over the fair value of the tangible and identifiable intangible net assets acquired. The Company does not amortize goodwill, but performs an impairment test of goodwill annually or whenever events and circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of goodwill may exceed its fair value. The Company operates as a single operating segment with one reporting unit and consequently evaluates goodwill for impairment based on an evaluation of the fair value of the Company as a whole. Goodwill is evaluated for impairment at least annually on October 1, or more frequently if events or changes in circumstances would more likely than not reduce the fair value of its single reporting unit below its carrying value. As of September 30, 2021, goodwill recorded in the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets is related to the Company’s acquisition of Pacific Cup, Inc. and Lollicup Franchising (see Note 3). Through September 30, 2021, the Company determined no impairments have occurred. The following table displays a roll-forward of the carrying amount of goodwill from December 31, 2020 to September 30, 2021: Gross carrying amount Balance at December 31, 2020 $ 3,113,000 Acquired through business combination 397,000 Balance at September 30, 2021 3,510,000 Accumulated impairment Balance at December 31, 2020 — Impairment loss recognized — Balance at September 30, 2021 — Carrying amount at September 30, 2021 $ 3,510,000 Government Grants: Government grants are not recognized unless there is reasonable assurance that the Company and Global Wells will comply with the grants’ conditions and that the grants will be received. As of September 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020, the Company received cumulative grants of $1,200,000 and $900,000, respectively. As of September 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020, Global Wells received cumulative grants of $1,302,000. These grants are reported as deferred income within other liabilities in the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets as there are conditions attached to the grants that the Company and Global Wells have not met. These conditions include requiring its facility in Rockwall, Texas to maintain a certain minimum tax value for five calendar years (the “Required Period”), continue operations in the facility for the Required Period, have a minimum number of full time equivalent employees with a minimum average annual gross wage employed in the operation of the facility in the Required Period, and promise to not engage in a pattern or practice of unlawful employment of aliens during the Required Period. Derivative Instruments: Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standard Codification (“ASC”) Topic No. 815, Derivatives and Hedging , requires companies to recognize all of its derivative instruments as either assets or liabilities in the statement of financial position at fair value. The accounting for changes in the fair value (i.e., gains or losses) of a derivative instrument depends on whether it has been designated and qualifies as part of a hedging relationship and further, on the type of hedging relationship. For those derivative instruments that are designated and qualify as hedging instruments, a company must designate the hedging instrument, based upon the exposure being hedged, as a fair value hedge, cash flow hedge, or a hedge of a net investment in a foreign operation. For derivative instruments not designated as hedging instruments, the gain or loss is recognized in the statement of income during the current period. The Company and Global Wells are exposed to certain risks relating to its ongoing business operations. The primary risks managed by using derivative instruments applicable to the Company and Global Wells is interest rate risk. Interest rate swaps are entered into to manage interest rate risk associated with the Company and Global Wells’ fixed and floating-rate borrowings. As of September 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020, Global Wells had interest rate swaps that are accounted for as a derivative instrument under ASC 815. The Company and Global Wells did not designate interest rate swaps for hedge accounting and as such, the change in fair value of interest rate swaps is recognized as interest expense in the accompanying condensed consolidated statements of income. Variable Interest Entities: The Company has a variable interest in two entities, Global Wells and Lollicup Franchising, LLC (prior to September 30, 2020, the acquisition date, see Note 3). Global Wells In 2017, Lollicup along with three other unrelated parties formed Global Wells. Lollicup has a 13.5% ownership interest and a 25% voting interest in Global Wells, located in Rockwall, Texas. The purpose of this entity is to own, construct, and manage a warehouse and manufacturing facility. Global Wells’ operating agreement may require its members to make additional contributions only upon the unanimous decision of the members or where the cash in Global Wells’ bank account falls below $50,000. In the event that a member is unable to make an additional capital contribution, the other members will be required to make contributions to offset the amount that member cannot contribute, up to $25,000. Global Wells was determined to be a variable interest entity in accordance with ASC Topic 810, Consolidations , however, at the time the investment was made, it was determined that Lollicup was not the primary beneficiary. In 2018, Lollicup entered into an operating lease with Global Wells (“Texas Lease”). The lease term for the Texas Lease is for 10 years beginning October 1, 2018 and called for a monthly lease payment of $214,500. The lease agreement was subsequently amended for the lease term to begin in May 1, 2019 and calls for a monthly lease payment of $196,000. In June 2020, the Company entered into another operating lease with Global Wells (“New Jersey Lease”). The lease term for the New Jersey Lease is for 5 years beginning July 1, 2020 and calls for a monthly lease payment of $90,128. Upon entering into the Texas Lease with Lollicup on March 23, 2018, it was determined that Lollicup holds current and potential rights that give it the power to direct activities of Global Wells that most significantly impact Global Wells’ economic performance, receive significant benefits, or the obligation to absorb potentially significant losses, resulting in Lollicup having a controlling financial interest in Global Wells. As a result, Lollicup was deemed to be the primary beneficiary of Global Wells and has consolidated Global Wells under the risk and reward model of ASC Topic 810, for the period from March 23, 2018. The monthly lease payments for the Texas Lease and New Jersey Lease are eliminated upon consolidation. Assets recognized as a result of consolidating Global Wells do not represent additional assets that could be used to satisfy claims against the Company’s general assets. Conversely, liabilities recognized as a result of consolidating Global Wells do not represent additional claims of the Company’s general assets; they represent claims against the specific assets of Global Wells, except for the Company’s guarantee of Global Wells’ term loans. The Company was a guarantor for Global Wells’ construction loan, which provided for advances up to $21,640,000 and expired in May 2019. In May 2019, Global Wells entered into a loan agreement with a financial institution and used the proceeds from the new term loan to pay off the principal balance and accrued interest related to the construction loan. In June 2020, Global Wells entered into a loan agreement with a financial institution to purchase land and building in Branchburg, New Jersey, which was also guaranteed by the Company. The Company entered into an operating lease with Global Wells to utilize the facility in Branchburg, New Jersey. As of September 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020, total loan guaranteed by the Company related to Global Wells amounted to $37,005,000 and $37,491,000, respectively. The term loans are also guaranteed by the Company’s two significant stockholders. The following financial information includes assets and liabilities of Global Wells and are included in the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets, except for those that eliminate upon consolidation: September 30, December 31, Cash $ 689,000 $ 81,000 Accounts receivable 396,000 343,000 Prepaid expenses and other current assets 87,000 98,000 Property and equipment, net 46,916,000 47,826,000 Other assets 4,882,000 5,260,000 Total assets $ 52,970,000 $ 53,608,000 Accounts payable $ 29,000 $ 564,000 Accrued expenses 447,000 128,000 Customer deposits 82,000 — Due to Lollicup USA Inc. 2,620,000 2,990,000 Long-term debt, current portion 1,166,000 694,000 Long-term debt, net of current portion 35,629,000 36,697,000 Other liabilities 2,851,000 3,906,000 Total liabilities $ 42,824,000 $ 44,979,000 Lollicup Franchising, LLC Prior to the acquisition, on September 30, 2020 (see Note 3), the Company’s two major shareholders share common ownership with Lollicup Franchising. Lollicup Franchising owns and operates one store and also licenses its name to third party store owners and operators. The Company sells inventory to Lollicup Franchising and to the licensed third-party stores. In connection with the sales to third-party stores, the Company has an incentive program with Lollicup Franchising where a certain percentage of the sales to the third-party stores are paid to Lollicup Franchising. The Company has determined that the Company held a variable interest in Lollicup Franchising, however, it was determined that the Company is not the primary beneficiary. The Company incurred incentive program expenses of $21,000 and $79,000 for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020, respectively, which are reported as a contra to net sales in the accompanying condensed consolidated statements of income. The Company does not have any explicit arrangements and implicit variable interest where the Company is required to provide financial support to Lollicup Franchising. The Company has determined that the maximum exposure to loss as a result of its involvement with Lollicup Franchising is zero. Stockholder’s Equity: The Company’s Certificate of Incorporation authorizes both common and preferred stock. The total number of shares of all classes of stock authorized for issuance is 110,000,000 shares, par value of $0.001, with 10,000,000 designed as preferred stock and 100,000,000 designated as common stock. Each holder of common stock and preferred stock shall be entitled to one vote per share held. In June 2020, a $0.04 cents per qualifying share of dividend was declared by the Company. The Company recorded $607,000 of cash dividends as of December 31, 2020. In June 2020, the Company re-acquired 10,000 of its own shares from an existing shareholder. The total amount paid to acquire the shares was $107,000 and has been deducted from shareholders’ equity. In July 2020, the Company re-acquired 13,000 of its own shares from an existing shareholder. The total amount paid to acquire the shares was $141,000 and has been deducted from shareholders’ equity. Revenue Recognition: As the Company generates revenues from customers that include national distributors, fast food restaurants with multiple locations, small businesses, and those that purchase for individual consumption, the Company considers revenue disaggregated by customer type to most accurately reflect the nature and uncertainty of its revenue and cash flows that are affected by economic factors. For the three months and nine months ended September 30, 2021 and 2020, net sales disaggregated by customer type consists of the amounts shown below. Three Months Ended September 30, Nine Months Ended September 30, 2021 2020 2021 2020 National $ 22,894,000 $ 18,426,000 $ 63,493,000 $ 50,092,000 Distributors 57,317,000 39,862,000 148,294,000 118,322,000 Online 14,644,000 8,928,000 39,790,000 26,472,000 Retail 7,856,000 9,101,000 21,333,000 30,251,000 Total Revenue $ 102,711,000 $ 76,317,000 $ 272,910,000 $ 225,137,000 • National chains revenue: National chains revenue is derived from fast food restaurants with locations across multiple states. Revenue from transactions with national chains is recognized at a point in time upon transfer of control of promised products to customers. Transfer of control typically occurs when the title and risk of loss passes to the customer. Shipping terms generally indicate when the title and risk of loss have passed, which is generally when the products are shipped from our manufacturing facility to the customers. • Distributors revenue: Distributors revenues are derived from national and regional distributors across the U.S. that purchase the Company’s products for restaurants, offices, schools, and government entities. Revenue from national distributions is recognized at a point in time upon transfer of control of promised products to customers. Transfer of control typically occurs when the title and risk of loss passes to the customer. Shipping terms generally indicate when the title and risk of loss have passed, which is generally when the products are shipped from our manufacturing facility to the customers. • Online revenue: Online revenue is derived from small businesses such as small restaurants, bubble tea shops, coffee shops, juice bars and smoothie shops. Revenue from wholesale transactions is recognized at a point in time upon transfer of control of promised products to customers. Transfer of control typically occurs when the title and risk of loss passes to the customer. Shipping terms generally indicate when the title and risk of loss have passed, which is generally when the products are shipped from our manufacturing facility to the customers. • Retail revenue: Retail revenue is derived primarily from regional bubble tea shops, boutique coffee shops and frozen yogurt shops. Revenue from retail transactions is recognized at a point in time upon transfer of control of promised products to customers. Transfer of control typically occurs when the title and risk of loss passes to the customer. Shipping terms generally indicate when the title and risk of loss have passed, which is generally when the products are shipped from our manufacturing facility to the customers. The transaction price is the amount of consideration to which the Company expects to be entitled to in exchange for transferring goods to the customer. Revenue is recorded based on the total estimated transaction price, which includes fixed consideration and estimates of variable consideration. Variable consideration includes estimates of rebates and other sales incentives, cash discounts for prompt payment, consideration payable to customers for cooperative advertising and other program incentives, and sales returns. The Company estimates its variable consideration based on contract terms and historical experience of actual results using the expected value method. The performance obligations are generally satisfied shortly after manufacturing and shipment as purchases made by the Company’s customers are manufactured and shipped with minimal lead time. The Company’s contract liabilities consist of rebates and other sales incentives, consideration payable to customers for cooperative advertising and other program incentives, and sales return. As of September 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020, the contract liabilities were not considered significant to the financial statements. Shipping and handling fees billed to a customer are recorded within net sales, with corresponding shipping and handling costs recorded in selling expense on the accompanying condensed consolidated statements of income. Shipping and handling fees billed to a customer are not deemed to be separate performance obligations as these activities occur before the customer receives the products. Shipping and handling costs included within selling expenses in the condensed consolidated statements of income for the three months ended September 30, 2021 and 2020 were $8,794,000 and $5,099,000 , respectively. Shipping and handling costs included within selling expenses in the condensed consolidated statements of income for the nine months ended September 30, 2021 and 2020 were $21,285,000 and $13,164,000, respectively. Sales taxes collected concurrently with revenue-producing activities and remitted to governmental authorities are excluded from revenue. Sales commissions are expensed as incurred due to the amortization period being less than one year and are recorded in selling expense on the accompanying consolidated statements of income. Advertising Costs: The Company expenses costs of print production, trade show, online marketing, and other advertisements in the period in which the expenditure is incurred. Advertising costs included in operating expenses in the condensed consolidated statements of income w ere $823,000 and $336,000 for the three months ended September 30, 2021 and 2020, respectively. Advertising costs included in operating expenses in the condensed consolidated statements of income were $1,843,000 and $1,126,000 fo r the nine months ended September 30, 2021 and 2020, respectively. Income Taxes: The Company applies the asset and liability approach for financial accounting and reporting for income taxes. Deferred income taxes arise from temporary differences between income tax and financial reporting and principally relate to recognition of revenue and expenses in different periods for financial and tax accounting purposes and are measured using currently enacted tax rates and laws. In addition, a deferred tax asset can be generated by net operating loss carryforwards. If it is more likely than not that some portion or all of a deferred tax asset will not be realized, a valuation allowance is recognized. The Company applies ASC 740, Income Taxes , which prescribes a recognition threshold and measurement attribute for the financial statement recognition and measurement of a tax position taken or expected to be taken in a tax return. The Company’s practice is to recognize potential interest and/or penalties related to income tax matters as income tax expense in the accompanying condensed consolidated statements of income. Accrued interest and penalties are included on the related tax liability in the condensed consolidated balance sheets. The Company had no uncertain tax positions as of September 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020. Concentration of Credit Risk: Cash is maintained at financial institutions and, at times, balances exceed federally insured limits. Management believes that the credit risk related to such deposits is minimal. The Company extends credit based on the valuation of the customers’ financial condition and general collateral is not required. Management believes the Company is not exposed to any material credit risk on these accounts. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2021 and 2020, respectively, purchases from the following vendor makes up greater than 10 percent of total purchases: Three Months Ended September 30, Nine Months Ended September 30, 2021 2020 2021 2020 Keary Global Ltd. ("Keary Global") and its affiliate, Keary International, Ltd.- related parties 13.7 % 13.3 % 14.3 % 11 % Amounts due to the following vendors at September 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020 that exceed 10 percent of total accounts payable are as follows: September 30, December 31, Keary Global and its affiliate, Keary International - related parties * 18 % Taizhou Fuling Plastics Co., Ltd * 11 % Fuling Technology Co., Ltd. 24 % * Wen Ho Industrial Co. 12 % * *Amounts payable represented less than 10% of total accounts payable No customer accounted for more than 10 percent of sales for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2021 and 2020, respectively. No customer accounted for more than 10 percent of accounts receivable as of September 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020. Fair Value Measurements: The Company follows ASC 820, Fair Value Measurements , which defines fair value, establishes a framework for measuring fair value under generally accepted accounting principles and enhances disclosures about fair value measurements. Fair value is defined under ASC 820 as the exchange price that would be received for an asset or paid to transfer a liability in the principal or most advantageous market for the asset or liability in an orderly transaction between market participants. ASC 820 establishes a hierarchy of valuation inputs based on the extent to which the inputs are observable in the marketplace. Observable inputs reflect market data obtained from sources independent of the reporting entity and unobservable inputs reflect the entity’s own assumptions about how market participants would value an asset or liability based on the best information available. Valuation techniques used to measure fair value under ASC 820 must maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs. The standard describes a fair value hierarchy based on three levels of inputs, of which the first two are considered observable and the last unobservable, that may be used to measure fair value. The following describes the hierarchy of inputs used to measure fair value and the primary valuation methodologies used by the Center for financial instruments measured at fair value on a recurring basis. The three levels of inputs are as follows: Level 1 — Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities that the Center has the ability to access as of the measurement date. Level 2 — Inputs that are observable, either directly or indirectly, 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 same term of the assets or liabilities. Level 3 — Unobservable inputs that are supported by little or no market activity and that are significant to the fair value of the assets or liabilities. A financial instrument’s categorization within the valuation hierarchy is based upon the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement. Financial assets are considered Level 3 when their fair values are determined using pricing models, discounted cash flow methodologies or similar techniques and at least one significant model assumption or input is unobservable. The fair value hierarchy gives the highest priority to quoted prices (unadjusted) in active markets for identical assets or liabilities and the lowest priority to unobservable inputs. If the inputs used to measure the financial assets and liabilities fall within more than one level described above, the categorization is based on the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement of the instrument. At September 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020, the Company has financial instruments classified within the fair value hierarchy, which consist of the following: • Interest rate swaps that meets the definition of a derivative, classified as Level 2 within the fair value hierarchy, and reported as an asset or liabilit |