First Watch Restaurant Group, Inc. Announces Secondary Offering of Common Stock

Rhea-AI Summary

First Watch Restaurant Group (NASDAQ: FWRG) has announced a secondary offering of 8,000,000 shares of common stock by Advent International funds. The underwriter, Goldman Sachs & Co. , has a 30-day option to purchase an additional 1,200,000 shares. All proceeds will go to the selling stockholders, with FWRG not receiving any proceeds from the offering. The offering is being made through an effective shelf registration statement filed with the SEC.

Positive

• None.

Negative

• Significant share dilution with 8,000,000 shares being offered
• Additional potential dilution of 1,200,000 shares through underwriter's option
• Company receives no proceeds from the offering
• Major shareholder (Advent International) reducing its stake, which could signal reduced confidence

Insights

Financial Analyst

The secondary offering of 8 million shares by Advent International represents a significant move in FWRG's ownership structure. This type of offering typically signals a major shareholder's desire to reduce their position, which could impact market sentiment. With an additional 1.2 million shares available through the underwriter's option, the total potential offering represents a substantial portion of the float.

Goldman Sachs' involvement as the sole underwriter adds credibility to the transaction, though the market may experience temporary pressure due to the increased supply of shares. Importantly, since FWRG isn't issuing new shares, there's no dilution for existing shareholders, but the increased float could affect short-term trading dynamics and potentially increase liquidity.

BRADENTON, Fla., Nov. 12, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- First Watch Restaurant Group, Inc. (“FWRG” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: FWRG), the leading Daytime Dining concept serving breakfast, brunch and lunch, today announced the launch of an underwritten secondary offering (the “Offering”) by certain funds managed by Advent International, L.P. (the “Selling Stockholders”) of 8,000,000 shares of the Company’s common stock (“Common Stock”).

The underwriter has a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional 1,200,000 shares of Common Stock at the public offering price, less underwriting discounts and commissions.

The Selling Stockholders will receive all of the proceeds from the Offering. The Company is not selling any shares of Common Stock in the Offering and will not receive any proceeds from the Offering.

Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC is acting as the sole underwriter of the Offering.

The Offering is being made pursuant to an effective shelf registration statement (including a prospectus) filed by the Company with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) to which this communication relates. Before you invest, you should read the prospectus in the shelf registration statement and other documents the Company has filed with the SEC for more complete information about the Company and the Offering. The Offering will be made only by means of a free writing prospectus, a prospectus and a related prospectus supplement relating to the Offering, copies of which may be obtained from Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, Prospectus Department, 200 West Street, New York, NY 10282, telephone: 1-866-471-2526, facsimile: 212-902-9316 or by emailing Prospectus-ny@ny.email.gs.com. A copy of the free writing prospectus, the prospectus and the related prospectus supplement relating to the Offering may also be obtained free of charge by visiting EDGAR on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy these securities, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.

Cautionary Note Concerning Forward Looking Statements
This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that may cause actual results to be materially different from the statements made herein. All statements other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements discuss our current expectations and projections relating to our financial position, results of operations, plans, objectives, future performance and business. You can identify forward-looking statements by the fact that they do not relate strictly to any historical or current facts. These statements may include words such as “aim,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “expect,” “forecast,” “future,” “intend,” “outlook,” “potential,” “project,” “projection,” “plan,” “seek,” “may,” “could,” “would,” “will,” “should,” “can,” “can have,” “likely,” the negatives thereof and other similar expressions. You should evaluate all forward looking statements made in this press release in the context of the risks and uncertainties disclosed herein, in our Annual Report on Form 10-K as of and for the year ended December 31, 2023, including under Part I. Item 1A. “Risk Factors” and Part II. Item 7. “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,” and our other filings with the SEC, accessible on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov and the Investors Relations section of the Company’s website at https://investors.firstwatch.com/financial-information/sec-filings. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements include the following: uncertainty regarding the Russia and Ukraine war, Israel-Hamas war and the related impact on macroeconomic conditions, including inflation, as a result of such conflicts or other related events; our vulnerability to changes in economic conditions and consumer preferences; our inability to successfully open new restaurants or establish new markets; our inability to effectively manage our growth; potential negative impacts on sales at our and our franchisees’ restaurants as a result of our opening new restaurants; a decline in visitors to any of the retail centers, lifestyle centers, or entertainment centers where our restaurants are located; lower than expected same-restaurant sales growth; unsuccessful marketing programs and limited time new offerings; changes in the cost of food; unprofitability or closure of new restaurants or lower than previously experienced performance in existing restaurants; our inability to compete effectively for customers; unsuccessful financial performance of our franchisees; our limited control over our franchisees’ operations; our inability to maintain good relationships with our franchisees; conflicts of interest with our franchisees; the geographic concentration of our system-wide restaurant base in the southeast portion of the United States; damage to our reputation and negative publicity; our inability or failure to recognize, respond to and effectively manage the accelerated impact of social media; our limited number of suppliers and distributors for several of our frequently used ingredients and shortages or disruptions in the supply or delivery of such ingredients; information technology system failures or breaches of our network security; our failure to comply with federal and state laws and regulations relating to privacy, data protection, advertising and consumer protection, or the expansion of current or the enactment of new laws or regulations relating to privacy, data protection, advertising and consumer protection; our potential liability with our gift cards under the property laws of some states; our failure to enforce and maintain our trademarks and protect our other intellectual property; litigation with respect to intellectual property assets; our dependence on our executive officers and certain other key employees; our inability to identify, hire, train and retain qualified individuals for our workforce; our failure to obtain or to properly verify the employment eligibility of our employees; our failure to maintain our corporate culture as we grow; unionization activities among our employees; employment and labor law proceedings; labor shortages or increased labor costs or health care costs; risks associated with leasing property subject to long-term and non-cancelable leases; risks related to our sale of alcoholic beverages; costly and complex compliance with federal, state and local laws; changes in accounting principles applicable to us; our vulnerability to natural disasters, unusual weather conditions, pandemic outbreaks, political events, war and terrorism; our inability to secure additional capital to support business growth; our level of indebtedness; failure to comply with covenants under our credit facility; and the interests of our largest stockholder may differ from those of public stockholders. For additional discussion of factors that could impact our operational and financial results, please refer to our filings with the SEC, accessible on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov and the Investors Relations section of the Company’s website at https://investors.firstwatch.com/financial-information/sec-filings. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should any of our assumptions prove incorrect, our actual financial condition, results of operations, future performance and business may vary in material respects from the performance projected in these forward-looking statements.

About First Watch
First Watch (NASDAQ: FWRG) is the leading Daytime Dining concept serving made-to-order breakfast, brunch and lunch using fresh ingredients. A recipient of hundreds of local “Best Breakfast” and “Best Brunch” accolades, First Watch’s chef-driven menu rotates five times a year and includes elevated executions of classic favorites alongside specialties such as its Quinoa Power Bowl, Lemon Ricotta Pancakes, Chickichanga, Morning Meditation fresh juice and signature Million Dollar Bacon. After first appearing on the list in 2022 and 2023, First Watch was named 2024’s #1 Most Loved Workplace® in America by Newsweek and the Best Practice Institute. In 2023, First Watch was named the top restaurant brand in Yelp’s inaugural list of the top 50 most-loved brands in the U.S. In 2022, First Watch was awarded a sought-after MenuMasters honor by Nation’s Restaurant News for its seasonal Braised Short Rib Omelet. First Watch operates more than 540 First Watch restaurants in 29 states.

Investor Relations Contact:
Steven L. Marotta
941-500-1918
investors@firstwatch.com

Media Relations Contact:
Jenni Glester
407-864-5823
jglester@firstwatch.com

FAQ

How many shares is First Watch (FWRG) offering in its secondary offering?

First Watch's selling stockholders are offering 8,000,000 shares of common stock, with an additional 30-day option for underwriters to purchase up to 1,200,000 shares.

Who is the underwriter for First Watch's (FWRG) secondary offering?

Goldman Sachs & Co. is acting as the sole underwriter for the secondary offering.

Will First Watch (FWRG) receive any proceeds from the secondary offering?

No, First Watch will not receive any proceeds from the offering. All proceeds will go to the selling stockholders, which are funds managed by Advent International.

Who are the selling stockholders in First Watch's (FWRG) secondary offering?

The selling stockholders are certain funds managed by Advent International, L.P.