The Company had operating income of $1,272,000 in the first fiscal quarter of 2012 compared to operating income of $58,000 in the first fiscal quarter of 2011. This increase resulted primarily from favorable weather conditions as compared to last year, improving conditions in the Las Vegas market, and improved menu costing.
The Company has substantial fixed costs that do not decline proportionally with sales. The first and second fiscal quarters, which include the winter months, usually reflect lower customer traffic than in the third and fourth fiscal quarters. In addition, sales in the third and fourth fiscal quarters can be adversely affected by inclement weather due to the significant amount of outdoor seating at the Company’s restaurants.
Food and beverage costs for the first quarter of 2012 as a percentage of total revenues were 25.6% as compared to 26.4% for the first quarter of 2011. This decrease is the result of improved menu costing partially offset by higher commodity prices in the current fiscal year.
Other operating costs and expenses as a percentage of total revenues were 12.4% for the first fiscal quarter of 2012 compared to 14.3% in the first quarter of 2011 and resulted primarily from cost cutting measures implemented in the latter part of fiscal 2011.
General and administrative expenses (which relate solely to the corporate office in New York City) as a percentage of total revenues were 8.4% for the first fiscal quarter of 2012 compared to 7.5% in the first quarter of 2011. This increase resulted from amounts recorded in connection with the former President’s separation agreement partially offset by cost cutting measures implemented in the latter part of fiscal 2011.
Income Taxes
The income tax provision on income from continuing operations for the 13-week periods ended December 31, 2011 and January 1, 2011 reflect effective tax rates of approximately 23% and 24%, respectively. The Company expects its effective tax rate for its current fiscal year to be significantly lower than the statutory rate as a result of the inclusion of tax credits and operating income attributable to the non-controlling interests of the VIEs that is not taxable to the Company. The final annual tax rate cannot be determined until the end of the fiscal year; therefore, the actual tax rate could differ from our current estimates.
The Company’s overall effective tax rate in the future will be affected by factors such as the level of losses incurred at the Company’s New York facilities, which cannot be consolidated for state and local tax purposes, pre-tax income earned outside of New York City, the utilization of state and local net operating loss carryforwards and the utilization of FICA tax credits. Nevada has no state income tax and other states in which the Company operates have income tax rates substantially lower in comparison to New York. In order to utilize more effectively tax loss carryforwards at restaurants that were unprofitable, the Company has merged certain profitable subsidiaries with certain loss subsidiaries.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Our primary source of capital has been cash provided by operations. We utilize cash generated from operations to fund the cost of developing and opening new restaurants, acquiring existing restaurants owned by others and remodeling existing restaurants we own.
Net cash used in investing activities for the 13-week period ended December 31, 2011 was $2,551,000 and resulted primarily from purchases of fixed assets at existing restaurants and the construction ofClyde Frazier’s Wine and Dine located at the New York City.
Net cash provided by investing activities for the 13-week period ended January 1, 2011 was $806,000 and resulted from net proceeds from the sales of investment securities and the inclusion of cash balances from VIEs in the amount of $648,000 partially offset by purchases of fixed assets at existing restaurants and the construction ofThe Broadway Burger Barlocated at the New York-New York Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, NV.
Net cash used in financing activities for the 13-week period ended December 31, 2011 of $2,424,000 was principally used for the payment of dividends, purchase of treasury stock and distributions to non-controlling interests.
Net cash used in financing activities for the 13-week period ended January 1, 2011 of $1,015,000 was principally used for the payment of dividends and distributions to non-controlling interests.
The Company had a working capital surplus of $1,385,000 at December 31, 2011 as compared to a working capital surplus of $4,080,000 at October 1, 2011. We believe that our existing cash balances, investments and cash provided by operations will be sufficient to meet our liquidity and capital spending requirements at least through the next 12 months.
On December 30, 2011, the Company paid a quarterly cash dividend in the amount of $0.25 per share on the Company’s common stock. The Company intends to continue to pay such quarterly cash dividend for the foreseeable future, however, the payment of future dividends is at the discretion of the Company’s Board of Directors and is based on future earnings, cash flow, financial condition, capital requirements, changes in U.S. taxation and other relevant factors.
In February 2010, the Company entered into an amendment to its lease for the food court space at the New York-New York Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. Pursuant to this amendment, the Company agreed to, among other things; commit no less than $3,000,000 to remodel the food court by March 2012. In exchange for this commitment, the landlord agreed to extend the food court lease for an additional four years. As of December 31, 2011, the Company has spent approximately $1,400,000 related to this commitment.
On March 18, 2011, a subsidiary of the Company entered into a lease agreement to operate a restaurant and bar in New York City to be namedClyde Frazier’s Wine and Dine. In connection with the agreement, the landlord has agreed to contribute up to $1,800,000 towards the construction of the facility, which the Company expects to be $6,000,000 to $7,000,000. The initial term of the lease for this facility will expire on March 31, 2027 and will have one five-year renewal. The Company anticipates the restaurant will open during the second quarter of fiscal 2012.
On April 17, 2011, the Company suffered a flood at its Sequoia property located in Washington, DC. The Company expects to recover substantially all of its losses from insurance proceeds and/or the landlord and does not expect unrecovered amounts to have a material impact on its consolidated financial position, results of operations or cash flows.
On June 7, 2011, the Company entered into a 10-year exclusive agreement to manage a yet to be constructed restaurant and catering service atBasketball City in New York City in exchange for a fee of $1,000,000 ($800,000 of which has been paid as of
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December 31, 2011 and is included in Intangible Assets in the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheet). Under the terms of the agreement the owner of the property will construct the facility at their expense and the Company will pay the owner an annual fee based on sales, as defined in the agreement. The Company expects to begin operating this property in the third quarter of fiscal 2012.
Recent Restaurant Expansion
In August 2010, the Company entered into an agreement to lease the formerESPN Zone space at the New York-New York Hotel & Casino Resort in Las Vegas and re-open the space under the nameThe Sporting House. Such lease is cancellable upon 90 days written notice and provides for rent based on profits only. This restaurant opened at the end of October 2010 and the Company did not invest significant funds to re-open the space.
In the quarter ended January 1, 2011, the Company combined three fast food outlets located in theVillage Eateries in the New York-New York Hotel & Casino Resort in Las Vegas into a new restaurant,The Broadway Burger Bar, which opened at the end of December 2010.
Recent Restaurant Dispositions
On July 8, 2011, the Company entered into an agreement with the landlord ofTheGrill Room property located in New York City, whereby in exchange for a payment of $350,000 the Company vacated the property on October 31, 2011. Such payment and the related loss on closure of the property, in the amount of $179,000, are included in Other Operating Costs and Expenses in the Consolidated Condensed Statement of Operations for the 13-weeks ended December 31, 2011. This lease was scheduled to expire on December 31, 2011.
The Company was advised by the landlord that it would have to vacate theAmerica property located in Washington, DC, which was on a month-to-month lease. The closure of this property occurred on November 7, 2011. The related loss on closure of this property, in the amount of $186,000, is included in Other Operating Costs and Expenses in the Consolidated Condensed Statement of Operations for the 13-weeks ended December 31, 2011.
Critical Accounting Policies
The preparation of financial statements requires the application of certain accounting policies, which may require the Company to make estimates and assumptions of future events. In the process of preparing its consolidated condensed financial statements, the Company estimates the appropriate carrying value of certain assets and liabilities, which are not readily apparent from other sources. The primary estimates underlying the Company’s consolidated condensed financial statements include allowances for potential bad debts on accounts and notes receivable, leases, the useful lives and recoverability of its assets, such as property and intangibles, fair values of financial instruments, the realizable value of its tax assets and other matters. Management bases its estimates on certain assumptions, which they believe are reasonable in the circumstances, and actual results could differ from those estimates. Although management does not believe that any change in those assumptions in the near term would have a material effect on the Company’s consolidated financial position or the results of operations, differences in actual results could be material to the consolidated condensed financial statements.
The Company’s critical accounting policies are described in the Company’s Form 10-K for the year ended October 1, 2011. There have been no significant changes to such policies during fiscal 2012.
Recently Adopted and Issued Accounting Standards
See Note 1 to the Consolidated Condensed Financial Statements for a description of recent accounting pronouncements, including those adopted in fiscal 2012 and the expected dates of adoption and the anticipated impact on the Consolidated Condensed Financial Statements.
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Item 3. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk |
The Company purchases commodities such as chicken, beef, lobster and shrimp for the Company’s restaurants. The prices of these commodities may be volatile depending upon market conditions. The Company does not purchase forward commodity contracts because the changes in prices for these items have historically been short-term in nature and, in the Company’s view, the cost of the contracts is in excess of the benefits.
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The Company’s business is also highly seasonal and dependent on the weather. Outdoor seating capacity, such as terraces and sidewalk cafes, are available for dining only in the warm seasons and then only in clement weather.
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Item 4. Controls and Procedures |
Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures
Under the supervision and with the participation of management, including our principal executive officer and principal financial officer, we evaluated the effectiveness of the design and operation of our disclosure controls and procedures as of the end of the period covered by this quarterly report as such term is defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) promulgated under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). Based on this evaluation, our management, including our principal executive officer and principal financial officer, concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures were effective as of December 31, 2011 to ensure that all material information required to be disclosed by us in reports that we file or submit under the Exchange Act is accumulated and communicated to them as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure and that all such information is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms.
Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting
There have been no changes in our internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) of the Exchange Act) that occurred during the first quarter of fiscal 2012 that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.
Limitations of the Effectiveness of Internal Control
A control system, no matter how well conceived and operated, can provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurance that the objectives of the internal control system are met. Because of the inherent limitations of any internal control system, no evaluation of controls can provide absolute assurance that all control issues, if any, within a company have been detected.
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PART II
OTHER INFORMATION
Item 1. Legal Proceedings
The Company is not subject to any other pending legal proceedings, other than ordinary routine claims incidental to its business, which the Company does not believe will materially impact results of operations.
Item 1A. Risk Factors
The most significant risk factors applicable to the Company are described in Part I, Item 1A (Risk Factors) of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended October 1, 2011 (the “2011 Form 10-K”). There have been no material changes to the risk factors previously disclosed in the 2011 Form 10-K. The risks described in the 2011 Form 10-K are not the only risks facing the Company. Additional risks and uncertainties not currently known to management may materially adversely affect the Company’s business, financial condition, and/or operating results.
Item 2. Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds
The following table sets forth information regarding purchases of our common stock by us and any affiliated purchasers during the three months ended December 31, 2011. Stock repurchases may be made in the open market or in private transactions at times and in amounts that we deem appropriate.
ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES
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Period | | (a) Total Number of Shares (or Units) Purchased | | (b) Average Price Paid per Share (or Unit) | | (c) Total Number of Shares (or Units) Purchased as Part of Publicly Announced Plans or Programs | | (d) Maximum Number (or Approximate Dollar Value) of Shares (or Units) that May Yet Be Purchased Under the Plans or Programs(1) | |
Month #1 October 2, 2011 through October 29, 2011 | | | 0 | | | 0 | | | 0 | | | 0 | |
Month #2 October 30, 2011 through November 26, 2011 | | | 0 | | | 0 | | | 0 | | | 0 | |
Month #3 November 27, 2011 through December 31, 2011 | | | 250,000 | (1) | $ | 12.50 | | | 0 | | | 0 | |
Total | | | 250,000 | | $ | 12.50 | | | 0 | | | 0 | |
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| (1) | On December 12, 2011, the Company, in a private transaction, purchased 250,000 shares of its common stock at a price of $12.50 per share, or a total of $3,125,000. Upon the closing of the purchase, the Company paid the seller $1,000,000 in cash and issued an unsecured promissory note to the seller for $2,125,000. The note bears interest at 0.19% per annum, and is payable in 24 equal monthly installments of $88,541, commencing on December 1, 2012. |
Item 3. Defaults upon Senior Securities
None.
Item 5. Other Information
None.
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Item 6. Exhibits
31.1 Certification of Principal Executive Officer Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
31.2 Certification of Principal Financial Officer Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
32 Certificate of Chief Executive and Chief Financial Officers Pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
101.INS* XBRL Instance Document
101.SCH* XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document
101.CAL* XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase Document
101.DEF* XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase Document
101.LAB* XBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase Document
101.PRE* XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase Document
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*Pursuant to Rule 406T of Regulation S-T, the Interactive Data Files on Exhibit 101 hereto are deemed not filed or part of a registration statement or prospectus for purposes of Sections 11 or 12 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, are deemed not filed for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and otherwise are not subject to liability under those sections. |
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SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
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Date: | February 14, 2012 |
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| ARK RESTAURANTS CORP. |
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By: | /s/ Michael Weinstein |
|
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| Michael Weinstein |
| Chairman & Chief Executive Officer |
| (Principal Executive Officer) |
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By: | /s/ Robert J. Stewart |
|
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| Robert J. Stewart |
| Chief Financial Officer |
| (Authorized Signatory and Principal |
| Financial and Accounting Officer) |
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