EXHIBIT 10.10
1-800-FLOWERS, INC.
1997 STOCK OPTION PLAN
1. Purpose
The purpose of this plan (the "Plan") is to secure for
1-800-FLOWERS, INC. (the "Company") and its stockholders the benefits arising
from capital stock ownership by employees, officers, directors and consultants
of the Company and its subsidiary corporations who are expected to contribute to
the Company's future growth and success. Those provisions of the Plan which make
express reference to Section 422 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as
amended or replaced from time to time (the "Code"), shall apply only to
Incentive Stock Options (as that term is defined in the Plan).
2. Type of Options and Administration
(a) Types of Options. Options granted pursuant to the Plan shall be
authorized by action of the Board of Directors (the "Board") of the Company (or
a committee designated by the Board) and may be either incentive stock options
("Incentive Stock Options") meeting the requirements of Section 422 of the Code
or non-statutory options which are not intended to meet the requirements of
Section 422 of the Code.
(b) Administration. The Plan will be administered by the Board or by
a committee consisting of two or more directors (the "Committee") appointed by
the Board of the Company in each case whose construction and interpretation of
the terms and provisions of the Plan shall be final and conclusive. The Board or
Committee may in its sole discretion grant options to purchase shares of the
Company's Class B Common Stock, $0.01 par value per share ("Common Stock"), and
issue shares upon exercise of such options as provided in the Plan. The Board or
Committee shall have authority, subject to the express provisions of the Plan,
to construe the respective option agreements and the Plan; to prescribe, amend
and rescind rules and regulations relating to the Plan; to determine the terms
and provisions of the respective option agreements, which need not be identical;
and to make all other determinations in the judgment of the Board or Committee
necessary or desirable for the administration of the Plan. The Board or
Committee may correct any defect or supply any omission or reconcile any
inconsistency in the Plan or in any option agreement in the manner and to the
extent it shall deem expedient to carry the Plan into effect and it shall be the
sole and final judge of such expediency. No director or person acting pursuant
to authority delegated by the Board shall be liable for any action or
determination under the Plan made in good faith.
3. Eligibility
Options may be granted to persons who are, at the time of grant,
employees, officers, directors or consultants of the Company or any subsidiaries
of the Company as defined in Sections 424(e) and 424(f) of the Code, provided,
that Incentive Stock Options may only be granted to individuals who are
employees of the Company (within the meaning of Section 3401(c) of the Code). A
person who has been granted an option may, if he or she is otherwise eligible,
be granted additional options if the Board or Committee shall so determine.
4. Stock Subject to Plan
The stock subject to options granted under the Plan shall be shares
of authorized but unissued or reacquired Common Stock. Subject to adjustment as
provided in Section 15 below, the maximum number of shares of Common Stock of
the Company which may be issued and sold under the Plan is 598,544. If an option
granted under the Plan shall expire, terminate or is cancelled for any reason
without having been exercised in full, the unpurchased shares subject to such
option shall again be available for subsequent option grants under the Plan.
5. Forms of Option Agreements
As a condition to the grant of an option under the Plan, each
recipient of an option shall execute an option agreement in such form not
inconsistent with the Plan as may be approved by the Board or the Committee.
Such option agreements may differ among recipients.
6. Purchase Price
(a) General. The purchase price per share of stock issuable upon the
exercise of an option shall be determined by the Board or the Committee at the
time of grant of such option, provided, however, that in the case of an
Incentive Stock Option, the exercise price shall not be less than 100% of the
Fair Market Value (as hereinafter defined) of such stock at the time of grant of
such option, or less than 110% of such Fair Market Value in the case of options
described in Section 11(b). "Fair Market Value" of a share of Common Stock of
the Company as of a specified date for the purposes of the Plan shall mean the
closing price of a share of the Common Stock on the principal securities
exchange (including The Nasdaq SmallCap Market or The Nasdaq National Market) on
which such shares are traded on the day immediately preceding the date as of
which Fair Market Value is being determined, or on the next preceding date on
which such shares are traded if no shares were traded on such immediately
preceding day, or if the shares are not traded on a securities exchange, Fair
Market Value shall be deemed to be the average of the high bid and low asked
prices of the shares in the over-the-counter market on the day immediately
preceding the date as of which Fair Market Value is being determined or on the
next preceding date on which such high bid and low asked prices were recorded.
If the shares are not publicly traded either on a
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principal securities exchange or in the over-the counter market, Fair Market
Value of a share of Common Stock (including, in the case of any repurchase of
shares, any distributions with respect thereto which would be repurchased with
the shares) shall be determined in good faith by the Board. In no case shall
Fair Market Value be determined with regard to restrictions other than
restrictions which, by their terms, will never lapse.
(b) Payment of Purchase Price. Options granted under the Plan may
provide for the payment of the exercise price by delivery of cash or a check to
the order of the Company in an amount equal to the exercise price of such
options, or by any other means which the Board or the Committee determines are
consistent with the purposes of the Plan and with applicable laws and
regulations (including, without limitation, the provisions of Rule 16b-3 and
Regulation T promulgated by the Federal Reserve Board).
7. Exercise Option Period
Subject to earlier termination as provided in the Plan, each option
and all rights thereunder shall expire on such date as determined by the Board
or the Committee and set forth in the applicable option agreement, provided,
that such date shall not be later than ten (10) years after the date on which
the option is granted.
8. Exercise of Options
Each option granted under the Plan shall be exercisable either in
full or in installments at such time or times and during such period as shall be
set forth in the option agreement evidencing such option, subject to the
provisions of the Plan. Subject to the requirements in the immediately preceding
sentence, if an option is not at the time of grant immediately exercisable, the
Board may (i) in the agreement evidencing such option, provide for the
acceleration of the exercise date or dates of the subject option upon the
occurrence of specified events, and/or (ii) at any time prior to the complete
termination of an option, accelerate the exercise date or dates of such option.
9. Nontransferability of Options
No option granted under this Plan shall be assignable or otherwise
transferable by the optionee, except by will or by the laws of descent and
distribution. An option may be exercised during the lifetime of the optionee
only by the optionee. In the event an optionee dies during his employment with
the Company or any of its subsidiaries, his option shall thereafter be
exercisable within the period prescribed in Section 10 hereof, by his executors
or administrators to the full extent to which such option was exercisable by the
optionee at the time of his death during the period set forth in Section 10.
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10. Effect of Termination of Employment or Other Relationship
Except as otherwise determined by the Board or Committee at the date
of grant of an option, and subject to the provisions of the Plan, an optionee
may exercise an option at any time within one (1) year (or within such lesser
period as may be specified in the applicable option agreement) following
termination of the optionee's employment or other relationship with the Company
if such termination was due to the death or permanent or total disability
(within the meaning of Section 22(e)(3) of the Code or any successor provisions
thereto) of the optionee but in no event later than the expiration date of the
option. If the termination of the optionee's employment is for any other reason
(other than upon Retirement) the option shall expire immediately upon such
termination. If the optionee's employment with the Company and its Subsidiaries
terminates as a result of the optionee's Retirement, the option shall expire
within three (3) months from the date of termination due to such Retirement. For
all purposes of the Plan and any option granted hereunder, (i) "employment"
shall be defined in accordance with the provisions of Section 1.421-7(h) of the
Income Tax Regulations (or any successor regulations); and (ii) "Retirement"
shall mean no longer being occupied in one's business or profession and
terminating active employment with the Company and its Subsidiaries after
reaching the age of 65.
11. Incentive Stock Options
Options granted under the Plan which are intended to be Incentive
Stock Options shall be subject to the following additional terms and conditions:
(a) Express Designation. All Incentive Stock Options granted under
the Plan shall, at the time of grant, be specifically designated as such in the
option agreement covering such Incentive Stock Options.
(b) 10% Shareholder. If any employee to whom an Incentive Stock
Option is to be granted under the Plan is, at the time of the grant of such
option, the owner of stock possessing more than 10% of the total combined voting
power of all classes of stock of the Company (after taking into account the
attribution of stock ownership rules of Section 424(d) of the Code), then the
following special provisions shall be applicable to the Incentive Stock Option
granted to such individual:
(i) the purchase price per share of the Common Stock subject to such
Incentive Stock Option shall not be less than 110% of the Fair Market
Value of one share of Common Stock at the time of grant; and
(ii) the option exercise period shall not exceed five (5) years from
the date of grant.
(c) Dollar Limitation. For so long as the Code shall so provide,
options granted
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to any employee under the Plan (and any other incentive stock option plans of
the Company) which are intended to constitute Incentive Stock Options shall not
constitute Incentive Stock Options to the extent that such options, in the
aggregate, become exercisable for the first time in any one calendar year for
shares of Common Stock with an aggregate Fair Market Value, as of the respective
date or dates of grant, of more than $100,000.
12. Additional Provisions
(a) Additional Option Provisions. The Board or the Committee may, in
its sole discretion, include additional provisions in option agreements covering
options granted under the Plan, including without limitation, restrictions on
transfer, repurchase rights, rights of first refusal, commitments to pay cash
bonuses or to make, arrange for or guaranty loans or to transfer other property
to optionees upon exercise of options, or such other provisions as shall be
determined by the Board or the Committee, provided, that such additional
provisions shall not be inconsistent with any other term or condition of the
Plan and such additional provisions shall not cause any Incentive Stock Option
granted under the Plan to fail to qualify as an Incentive Stock Option within
the meaning of Section 422 of the Code.
(b) Acceleration, Extension, Etc. The Board or the Committee may, in
its sole discretion (i) accelerate the date or dates on which all or any
particular option or options granted under the Plan may be exercised, or (ii)
extend the dates during which all, or any particular, option or options granted
under the Plan may be exercised, provided, however that no such extension shall
be permitted if it would cause the Plan to fail to comply with Section 422 of
the Code or with Rule 16b-3 (if applicable to such option).
13. General Restrictions
(a) Investment Representations. The Company may require any person
to whom an option is granted, as a condition of exercising such option or award,
to give written assurances in substance and form satisfactory to the Company to
the effect that such person is acquiring the Common Stock subject to the option
or award for his or her own account for investment and not with any present
intention of selling or otherwise distributing the same, and to such other
effects as the Company deems necessary or appropriate in order to comply with
federal and applicable state securities laws, or with covenants or
representations made by the Company in connection with any public offering of
its Common Stock, including any "lock-up" or other restriction on
transferability.
(b) Compliance With Securities Law. Each option shall be subject to
the requirement that if, at any time, counsel to the Company shall determine
that the listing, registration or qualification of the shares subject to such
option or award upon any securities exchange or automated quotation system or
under any state or federal law, or the consent or approval of any governmental
or regulatory body, or that the disclosure of non-public information or the
satisfaction
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of any other condition, is necessary as a condition of, or in connection with
the issuance or purchase of shares thereunder, such option or award may not be
exercised, in whole or in part, unless such listing, registration,
qualification, consent or approval or satisfaction of such condition shall have
been effected or obtained on conditions acceptable to the Board or the
Committee. Nothing herein shall be deemed to require the Company to apply for or
to obtain such listing, registration or qualification, or to satisfy such
condition.
14. Rights as a Stockholder
The holder of an option shall have no rights as a stockholder with
respect to any shares covered by the option (including, without limitation, any
right to vote or to receive dividends or non-cash distributions with respect to
such shares) until the effective date of exercise of such option and then only
to the extent of the shares of Common Stock so purchased. No adjustment shall be
made for dividends or other rights for which the record date is prior to the
date of exercise.
15. Adjustment Provisions for Recapitalizations,
Reorganizations and Related Transactions
(a) Recapitalizations and Related Transactions. If, through or as a
result of any recapitalization, reclassification, stock dividend, stock split,
reverse stock split or other similar transaction (i) the outstanding shares of
Common Stock are increased, decreased or exchanged for a different number or
kind of shares or other securities of the Company, or (ii) additional shares or
new or different shares or other non-cash assets are distributed with respect to
such shares of Common Stock or other securities, an appropriate and
proportionate adjustment shall be made in (x) the maximum number and kind of
shares reserved for issuance under or otherwise referred to in the Plan, (y) the
number and kind of shares or other securities subject to any then-outstanding
options under the Plan, and (z) the price for each share subject to any
then-outstanding options under the Plan, without changing the aggregate purchase
price as to which such options remain exercisable. Notwithstanding the
foregoing, no adjustment shall be made pursuant to this Section 15 if such
adjustment (A) would cause the Plan to fail to comply with Section 422 of the
Code or with Rule 16b-3 (if applicable to such option), or (B) would be
considered as the adoption of a new plan requiring stockholder approval.
(b) Board Authority to Make Adjustments. Any adjustments under this
Section 15 will be made by the Board or the Committee, whose determination as to
what adjustments, if any, will be made and the extent thereof will be final,
binding and conclusive. No fractional shares will be issued under the Plan on
account of any such adjustments.
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16. Merger, Consolidation, Asset Sale, Liquidation, Etc.
(c) General. In the event of any sale, merger, transfer or
acquisition of the Company or substantially all of the assets of the Company in
which the Company is not the surviving corporation, provided that after the
merger, transfer or acquisition the Company shall have requested the acquiring
or succeeding corporation (or an affiliate thereof) that equivalent options
shall be substituted and such successor corporation shall have refused or failed
to assume all options outstanding under the Plan or issue substantially
equivalent options, then any or all outstanding options under the Plan shall
accelerate and become exercisable in full immediately prior to such event. The
Board or Committee will notify holders of options under the Plan that any such
options shall be fully exercisable for a period of fifteen (15) days from the
date of such notice, and the options will terminate upon expiration of such
notice.
(d) Substitute Options. The Company may grant options under the Plan
in substitution for options held by employees of another corporation who become
employees of the Company, or a subsidiary of the Company, as the result of a
merger or consolidation of the employing corporation with the Company or a
subsidiary of the Company, or as a result of the acquisition by the Company, or
one of its subsidiaries, of property or stock of the employing corporation. The
Company may direct that substitute options be granted on such terms and
conditions as the Board considers appropriate in the circumstances.
17. No Special Employment Rights
Nothing contained in the Plan or in any option shall confer upon any
optionee any right with respect to the continuation of his or her employment by
the Company or interfere in any way with the right of the Company at any time to
terminate such employment or to increase or decrease the compensation of the
optionee.
18. Other Employee Benefits
Except as to plans which by their terms include such amounts as
compensation, the amount of any compensation deemed to be received by an
employee as a result of the exercise of an option or the sale of shares received
upon such exercise will not constitute compensation with respect to which any
other employee benefits of such employee are determined, including, without
limitation, benefits under any bonus, pension, profit-sharing, life insurance or
salary continuation plan, except as otherwise specifically determined by the
Board.
19. Amendment, Modification or Termination of the Plan
(a) The Board may at any time modify, amend or terminate the Plan,
provided, however, that if at any time the approval of the stockholders of the
Company is required under Section 422 of the Code or any successor provision
with respect to Incentive Stock Options, or
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under Rule 16b-3, the Board may not effect such modification or amendment
without such approval.
(b) The modification, amendment or termination of the Plan shall
not, without the consent of an optionee, affect his or her rights under an
option previously granted to him or her. With the consent of the optionee
affected, the Board or the Committee may amend or modify outstanding option
agreements in a manner not inconsistent with the Plan. The Board shall have the
right to amend or modify (i) the terms and provisions of the Plan and of any
outstanding Incentive Stock Options granted under the Plan to the extent
necessary to qualify any or all such options for such favorable federal income
tax treatment (including deferral of taxation upon exercise) as may be afforded
incentive stock options under Section 422 of the Code, and (ii) the terms and
provisions of the Plan and of any outstanding option to the extent necessary to
ensure the qualification of the Plan under Rule 16b-3.
20. Withholding
(a) The Company shall have the right to deduct from payments of any
kind otherwise due to the optionee any federal, state or local taxes of any kind
required by law to be withheld with respect to any shares issued upon exercise
of options under the Plan. Subject to the prior approval of the Company, which
may be withheld by the Company in its sole discretion, the optionee may elect to
satisfy such obligations, in whole or in part (i) by causing the Company to
withhold shares of Common Stock otherwise issuable pursuant to the exercise of
an option, or (ii) by delivering to the Company shares of Common Stock already
owned by the optionee. The shares so delivered or withheld shall have a Fair
Market Value equal to such withholding obligation as of the date that the amount
of tax to be withheld is to be determined. An optionee who has made an election
pursuant to this Section 20(a) may only satisfy his or her withholding
obligation with shares of Common Stock which are not subject to any forfeiture,
unfulfilled vesting or other similar requirements.
(b) The acceptance of shares of Common Stock upon exercise of an
Incentive Stock Option shall constitute an agreement by the optionee (i) to
notify the Company if any or all of such shares are disposed of by the optionee
within one (1) year from the date the shares were issued to the optionee
pursuant to the exercise of the option, and (ii) if required by law, to remit to
the Company, at the time of and in the case of any such disposition, an amount
sufficient to satisfy the Company's federal, state and local withholding tax
obligations with respect to such disposition, whether or not, as to both (i) and
(ii), the optionee is in the employ of the Company or any Subsidiary at the time
of such disposition.
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21. Cancellation and New Grant of Options, Etc.
The Board or the Committee shall have the authority to effect, at
any time and from time to time, with the consent of the affected optionees (i)
the cancellation of any or all outstanding options under the Plan and the grant
in substitution therefor of new options under the Plan covering the same or
different numbers of shares of Common Stock and having an option exercise price
per share which may be lower or higher than the exercise price per share of the
cancelled options, or (ii) the amendment of the terms of any and all outstanding
options under the Plan to provide an option exercise price per share which is
higher or lower than the then-current exercise price per share of such
outstanding options.
22. Effective Date and Duration of the Plan
(a) Effective Date. The Plan shall become effective when adopted by
the Board, but no Incentive Stock Option granted under the Plan shall become
exercisable unless and until the Plan shall have been approved by the Company's
stockholders. If such stockholder approval is not obtained within twelve (12)
months after the date of the Board's adoption of the Plan, no options previously
granted under the Plan shall be deemed to be Incentive Stock Options and no
Incentive Stock Options shall be granted thereafter. Amendments to the Plan not
requiring stockholder approval shall become effective when adopted by the Board
and amendments requiring stockholder approval (as provided in Section 19) shall
become effective when adopted by the Board, but no Incentive Stock Option
granted after the date of such amendment shall become exercisable (to the extent
that such amendment to the Plan was required to enable the Company to grant such
Incentive Stock Option to a particular optionee) unless and until such amendment
shall have been approved by the Company's stockholders. If such stockholder
approval is not obtained within twelve (12) months of the Board's adoption of
such amendment, any Incentive Stock Options granted on or after the date of such
amendment shall terminate to the extent that such amendment to the Plan was
required to enable the Company to grant such option to a particular optionee.
Subject to this limitation, options may be granted under the Plan at any time
after the effective date and before the date fixed for termination of the Plan.
(b) Termination. Unless sooner terminated by the Board, the Plan
shall terminate upon the close of business on the day next preceding the tenth
anniversary of the date of its adoption by the Board. After termination of the
Plan, no further options may be granted under the Plan; provided however, that
such termination will not affect any options granted prior to termination of the
Plan.
23. Governing Law
The provisions of this Plan shall be governed and construed in
accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware without regard to the
principles of conflicts of laws.
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AMENDMENT TO 1997 STOCK OPTION PLAN
OF
1-800 Flowers, Inc.
Amended, dated as of July 1, 1998, to the 1997 Stock Option
Plan (the "Plan") of 1-800 Flowers, Inc., a Delaware corporation, (the
"Company").
The Board of Directors of the Company desire to amend the 1997 Stock
Option Plan as follows:
1. Section 11(c) of the Plan is hereby amended and restated in its
entirety to read as follows:
"(c) DOLLAR LIMITATION. For so long as the Code shall so provide,
options granted to any employee under the Plan (and any other stock option plans
of the Company) which are intended to constitute Incentive Stock Options shall
not constitute Incentive Stock Options to the extent that such options, in the
aggregate, become exercisable for the first time in any one calendar year for
shares of Common Stock with an aggregate Fair Market Value, as of the respective
date or dates of grant, of more than $100,000 (the "$100,000 Limitation"). In
the event the $100,000 Limitation is exceeded as a result of an acceleration of
vesting or otherwise, the Option shall be deemed to be two options. The first
Option shall be for the maximum number of shares subject to the Option that can
comply with the $100,000 Limitation without causing the Option to be
unexercisable as to vested shares. The second Option, which shall not be treated
as an Incentive Stock Option, shall be for the balance of the shares subject to
the Option and shall be exercised on the same terms and at the same time as set
forth in the applicable option agreement. Unless the optionee specifically
elects to the contrary in his or her written notice of exercise, the first
option shall be deemed to be exercised first to the maximum possible extent and
then the second option shall be deemed to be exercised."
2. All capitalized terms used herein which are not otherwise defined
herein shall have the meanings given to such terms in the Plan.
3. This Amendment shall not constitute a waiver to or modification of
any other provision, term or condition of the Plan.