Noodles & Company Announces Third Quarter 2020 Financial Results
Noodles & Company (NDLS) reported its Q3 2020 financial results, revealing total revenue of $106 million, down from $118.3 million in Q3 2019. Comparable restaurant sales declined by 3.8% overall, with digital sales surging 151%, representing 61% of total sales. The company posted a net loss of $0.1 million, or $0.00 per diluted share, contrasting with a net income of $4.2 million in the same period last year. Adjusted EBITDA decreased to $7.7 million from $11 million year-over-year, impacted by COVID-19 related restaurant closures and increased delivery costs.
- Digital sales grew 151%, accounting for 61% of total sales.
- Return to positive comparable sales of 1.1% in September 2020.
- Recent restaurant openings have achieved high initial sales.
- Strong liquidity with $8.6 million cash on hand and $52.3 million available under the credit facility.
- Total revenue decreased to $106 million, down 10.3% from Q3 2019.
- Net loss of $0.1 million compared to net income of $4.2 million in Q3 2019.
- Adjusted EBITDA fell to $7.7 million from $11 million year-over-year.
- Restaurant contribution margin decreased by 170 bps to 15.4%.
Positive Comparable Sales Growth in September Despite Ongoing Pandemic; Digital Sales Increase
BROOMFIELD, Colo., Oct. 28, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Noodles & Company (Nasdaq: NDLS) today announced financial results for its third quarter ended September 29, 2020.
“Noodles & Company’s off-premise capabilities and digital strength uniquely position the brand to meet the needs of today’s fast casual environment and take advantage of long-term consumer trends,” said Dave Boennighausen, Chief Executive Officer. “While we continue to navigate the current COVID-19 pandemic, our consistent sales recovery and return to positive comparable sales during the last month of the third quarter is evidence of our ability to serve great tasting healthy food conveniently when and where guests want it. Our operational strength has been a significant contributor to our sales recovery and I am proud and thankful for our incredible team members for their commitment to fulfill our mission to always nourish and inspire every team member, guest and community we serve.”
Boennighausen concluded, "Although there remains uncertainty around the duration and severity of COVID-19, we feel that Noodles & Company’s digital strengths, off-premise friendly menu, powerful economic model, and the strength of recent new restaurant openings give us confidence in our opportunity to thrive and accelerate growth in the years to come."
As previously disclosed on October 1, 2020, the cadence of comparable restaurant sales during the third quarter are as set forth below. Company-owned restaurants were closed July 4 and 5, 2020 in appreciation of our teams’ efforts during the pandemic. All restaurants were open during that time frame in 2019, negatively impacting comparable restaurant sales during the same period in 2020.
| Comparable Restaurant Sales | 4 Weeks Ended July 28, 2020 (1) | 4 Weeks Ended August 25, 2020 | 5 Weeks Ended September 29, 2020 | ||
| Company-owned | (8.4)% | (4.6)% | |||
| Franchise | (7.2)% | (5.1)% | (3.2)% | ||
| System-wide | (8.2)% | (4.7)% |
Key highlights for the third quarter of 2020 versus the third quarter of 2019 include:
- Total revenue was
$106.0 million compared to$118.3 million . - Comparable restaurant sales decreased
3.8% system-wide, comprised of a3.6% decrease at company-owned restaurants and a5.0% decrease at franchise restaurants. - Digital sales grew
151% and accounted for61% of sales. - Net loss was
$0.1 million , or$0.00 per diluted share, compared to net income of$4.2 million , or$0.09 per diluted share. - Adjusted net income(2) was
$0.5 million , or$0.01 per diluted share, compared to an adjusted net income of$4.1 million , or$0.09 per diluted share. - EBITDA(2) was
$6.3 million compared to$10.5 million for the third quarter of 2019. - Adjusted EBITDA(2) was
$7.7 million compared to$11.0 million for the third quarter of 2019. - Restaurant contribution margin decreased 170 bps to
15.4% , as efficiencies throughout the economic model were offset with delivery fees as a percentage of sales increasing 390 bps to5.5% of sales.
_____________________
(1) Company-owned restaurants were closed July 4th and 5th.
(2) Adjusted net income, EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA are a non-GAAP measures. Reconciliations of net income (loss) to adjusted net income, EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA are included in the accompanying financial data. See “Non-GAAP Financial Measures.”
Third Quarter 2020 Financial Results
Total revenue decreased to
In the third quarter of 2020, system-wide comparable restaurant sales declined
Digital sales during the third quarter grew
The safety and well-being of our team members and guests remains our highest priority and we continue to actively monitor and adhere to local and federal mandates as it relates to in restaurant dining. As of October 28th, the Company has
In the third quarter of 2020, the Company opened one company-owned restaurant and closed three company-owned restaurants. There were 454 Noodles & Co. restaurants at the end of the third quarter 2020, comprised of 378 company-owned restaurants and 76 franchise restaurants. Recent openings that are not in the Company’s comparable restaurant base, many of which offer order ahead drive-thru pick-up windows, continue to perform at the highest sales level of any class of new restaurants in the Company’s history.
In October of 2020, the Company opened two company-owned restaurants, including one restaurant that has broken the Company’s record for sales during their initial 7, 14 and 21 days of operation.
For the third quarter of 2020, the Company reported a net loss of
Restaurant contribution margin decreased to
Adjusted net income was
Liquidity Update and Outlook:
During the fiscal third quarter, the Company paid down a substantial portion of its outstanding revolving credit facility. As of September 29, 2020, the Company held
As a reminder, Noodles & Company previously withdrew guidance for fiscal year 2020 due to the ongoing impact and uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Non-GAAP Financial Measures
The Company believes that a quantitative reconciliation of the Company’s non-GAAP financial measures guidance to the most comparable financial measures calculated and presented in accordance with GAAP cannot be made available without unreasonable efforts. A reconciliation of these non-GAAP financial measures would require the Company to provide guidance for various reconciling items that are outside of the Company’s control and cannot be reasonably predicted due to the fact that these items could vary significantly from period to period. A reconciliation of certain non-GAAP financial measures would also require the Company to predict the timing and likelihood of outcomes that determine future impairments and the tax benefit thereof. None of these measures, nor their probable significance, can be reliably quantified. The non-GAAP financial measures noted above have limitations as analytical financial measures, as discussed below in the section entitled “Non-GAAP Financial Measures.” In addition, the guidance with respect to non-GAAP financial measures is a forward-looking statement, which by its nature involves risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company’s forward-looking statement, as discussed below in the section entitled “Forward-Looking Statements.”
Key Definitions
Average Unit Volume — represents the average annualized sales of all restaurants for a given time period. AUV is calculated by dividing restaurant revenue by the number of operating days within each time period and multiplying by the number of operating days we have in a typical year. This measurement allows management to assess changes in revenue patterns at our restaurants.
Comparable Restaurant Sales — represents year-over-year sales comparisons for the comparable restaurant base open for at least 18 full periods. This measure highlights performance of existing restaurants, as the impact of new restaurant openings is excluded. Changes in comparable restaurant sales are generated by changes in traffic, which we calculate as the number of entrées sold, or changes in per-person spend, calculated as sales divided by traffic.
Restaurant Contribution and Restaurant Contribution Margin — restaurant contribution represents restaurant revenue less restaurant operating costs, which are costs of sales, labor, occupancy and other restaurant operating items. Restaurant contribution margin represents restaurant contribution as a percentage of restaurant revenue. Restaurant contribution and restaurant contribution margin are presented because they are widely-used metrics within the restaurant industry to evaluate restaurant-level productivity, efficiency and performance. Management also uses restaurant contribution and restaurant contribution margin as metrics to evaluate the profitability of incremental sales at our restaurants, restaurant performance across periods, and restaurant financial performance compared with competitors. See “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” below.
EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA — EBITDA represents net income (loss) before interest expense, provision (benefit) for income taxes and depreciation and amortization. Adjusted EBITDA represents net income (loss) before interest expense, provision (benefit) for income taxes, depreciation and amortization, restaurant impairments, closure costs and asset disposals, acquisition costs, severance costs and stock-based compensation expense. EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA are presented because: (i) management believes they are useful measures for investors to assess the operating performance of our business without the effect of non-cash charges such as depreciation and amortization expenses and restaurant impairments, asset disposals and closure costs, and (ii) management uses them internally as a benchmark for certain of our cash incentive plans and to evaluate our operating performance or compare performance to that of competitors. See “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” below.
Adjusted Net Income (Loss) — represents net income (loss) plus various adjustments and the tax effects of such adjustments. Adjusted net income (loss) is presented because management believes it helps convey supplemental information to investors regarding the Company’s performance, excluding the impact of special items that affect the comparability of results in past quarters and expected results in future quarters. See “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” below.
Conference Call
Noodles & Company will host a conference call to discuss its third quarter financial results on Wednesday, October 28, 2020 at 4:30 PM Eastern Time. The conference call can be accessed live over the phone by dialing (877) 303-1298 or for international callers by dialing (253) 237-1032. A replay will be available after the call and can be accessed by dialing (855) 859-2056 or for international callers by dialing (404) 537-3406; the passcode is 2689475. The replay will be available until Wednesday, November 4, 2020. The conference call will also be webcast live from the Company’s corporate website at investor.noodles.com, under the “Events & Presentations” page. An archive of the webcast will be available at this location shortly after the call has concluded until Wednesday, November 4, 2020.
Non-GAAP Financial Measures
To supplement its condensed consolidated financial statements, which are prepared and presented in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”), the Company uses the following non-GAAP financial measures: EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA, adjusted net income (loss), adjusted earnings (loss) per share, restaurant contribution and restaurant contribution margin (collectively, the “non-GAAP financial measures”). The presentation of this financial information is not intended to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for, or to be superior to, the financial information prepared and presented in accordance with GAAP. The Company uses these non-GAAP financial measures for financial and operational decision making and as a means to evaluate period-to-period comparisons. The Company believes that they provide useful information about operating results, enhance the overall understanding of past financial performance and future prospects and allow for greater transparency with respect to key metrics used by management in its financial and operational decision making. Adjusted net income (loss) is presented because management believes it helps convey supplemental information to investors regarding the Company’s operating performance excluding the impact of restaurant impairment and closure costs, dead deal or registration statement costs, severance costs and stock-based compensation expense and the tax effect of such adjustments. However, the Company recognizes that non-GAAP financial measures have limitations as analytical financial measures. The Company compensates for these limitations by relying primarily on its GAAP results and using non-GAAP metrics only supplementally. There are numerous of these limitations, including that: adjusted EBITDA does not reflect the Company’s capital expenditures or future requirements for capital expenditures; adjusted EBITDA does not reflect interest expense or the cash requirements necessary to service interest or principal payments, associated with our indebtedness; adjusted EBITDA does not reflect depreciation and amortization, which are non-cash charges, although the assets being depreciated and amortized will likely have to be replaced in the future, and do not reflect cash requirements for such replacements; adjusted EBITDA does not reflect the cost of stock-based compensation; adjusted EBITDA does not reflect changes in, or cash requirements for, our working capital needs; adjusted net income (loss) does not reflect cash expenditures, or future requirements, for lease termination payments and certain other expenses associated with reduced new restaurant development; and restaurant contribution and restaurant contribution margin are not reflective of the underlying performance of our business because corporate-level expenses are excluded from these measures. When analyzing the Company’s operating performance, investors should not consider non-GAAP financial metrics in isolation or as substitutes for net income (loss) or cash flow from operations, or other statement of operations or cash flow statement data prepared in accordance with GAAP. The non-GAAP financial measures used by the Company in this press release may be different from the measures used by other companies.
For more information on the non-GAAP financial measures, please see the “Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Measurements to GAAP Results” tables in this press release. These accompanying tables have more details on the GAAP financial measures that are most directly comparable to non-GAAP financial measures and the related reconciliations between these financial measures.
About Noodles & Company
Since 1995, Noodles & Company has been serving noodles your way, from noodles and flavors that you know and love, to new ones you’re about to discover for the first time. From indulgent Wisconsin Mac & Cheese to good-for-you Zoodles, Noodles serves a world of flavor in every bowl. Made up of more than 450 restaurants and 10,000 passionate team members, Noodles is dedicated to nourishing and inspiring every guest who walks through the door. To learn more or find the location nearest you, visit www.noodles.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
In addition to historical information, this press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that involve risks and uncertainties such as the number of restaurants we intend to open, projected capital expenditures and estimates of our effective tax rates. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terms such as “may,” “might,” “will,” “objective,” “intend,” “should,” “could,” “can,” “would,” “expect,” “believe,” “design,” “estimate,” “predict,” “potential,” “plan” or the negative of these terms and similar expressions intended to identify forward-looking statements. These statements reflect our current views with respect to future events and are based on currently available operating, financial and competitive information. Examples of forward-looking statements include all matters that are not historical facts, such as statements regarding our ability to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic, projected capital expenditures, the revenue and balance sheet impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, estimated costs associated with our closure of underperforming restaurants, the implementation and results of strategic initiatives and investments and our future financial performance, including comparable sales improvement and our ability to generate positive cash flow. Our actual results may differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements due to reasons including, but not limited to, the extent, duration and severity of the COVID-19 pandemic; governmental and guest response to the COVID-19 pandemic; other conditions beyond our control such as weather, natural disasters, disease outbreaks, epidemics or pandemics impacting our customers or food supplies; consumer reaction to industry related public health issues and health pandemics, including the COVID-19 pandemic and perceptions of food safety; our ability to achieve and maintain increases in comparable restaurant sales and to successfully execute our business strategy, including new restaurant initiatives and operational strategies to improve the performance of our restaurant portfolio; our ability to maintain compliance with debt covenants and continue to access financing necessary to execute our business strategy; the success of our marketing efforts; our ability to open new restaurants on schedule; current economic conditions; price and availability of commodities; our ability to adequately staff our restaurants; changes in labor costs; consumer confidence and spending patterns; seasonal factors; and weather. For additional information on these and other factors that could affect the Company’s forward-looking statements, see the Company’s risk factors, as they may be amended from time to time, set forth in its filings with the SEC, included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019 filed on February 26, 2020 and in our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended March 31, 2020 filed on June 17, 2020 and for the quarterly period ended June 30, 2020 filed on August 6, 2020. The Company disclaims and does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement in this press release, except as may be required by applicable law or regulation.
| Noodles & Company | |||||||||||||||
| Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations | |||||||||||||||
| (in thousands, except share and per share data, unaudited) | |||||||||||||||
| Fiscal Quarter Ended | Three Fiscal Quarters Ended | ||||||||||||||
| September 29, | October 1, | September 29, | October 1, | ||||||||||||
| 2020 | 2019 | 2020 | 2019 | ||||||||||||
| Revenue: | |||||||||||||||
| Restaurant revenue | $ | 104,413 | $ | 116,759 | $ | 283,150 | $ | 344,382 | |||||||
| Franchising royalties and fees, and other | 1,569 | 1,545 | 3,337 | 4,158 | |||||||||||
| Total revenue | 105,982 | 118,304 | 286,487 | 348,540 | |||||||||||
| Costs and expenses: | |||||||||||||||
| Restaurant operating costs (exclusive of depreciation and amortization shown separately below): | |||||||||||||||
| Cost of sales | 25,900 | 29,544 | 71,124 | 89,083 | |||||||||||
| Labor | 31,264 | 37,951 | 92,632 | 113,920 | |||||||||||
| Occupancy | 11,737 | 12,108 | 35,473 | 36,849 | |||||||||||
| Other restaurant operating costs | 19,383 | 17,161 | 51,861 | 50,475 | |||||||||||
| General and administrative | 10,827 | 10,436 | 31,415 | 32,424 | |||||||||||
| Depreciation and amortization | 5,541 | 5,458 | 16,273 | 16,626 | |||||||||||
| Pre-opening | 239 | 266 | 383 | 331 | |||||||||||
| Restaurant impairments, closure costs and asset disposals | 369 | 336 | 3,983 | 3,640 | |||||||||||
| Total costs and expenses | 105,260 | 113,260 | 303,144 | 343,348 | |||||||||||
| Income (loss) from operations | 722 | 5,044 | (16,657 | ) | 5,192 | ||||||||||
| Interest expense, net | 822 | 737 | 2,710 | 2,298 | |||||||||||
| (Loss) income before taxes | (100 | ) | 4,307 | (19,367 | ) | 2,894 | |||||||||
| Provision for income taxes | 27 | 64 | 73 | 64 | |||||||||||
| Net (loss) income | $ | (127 | ) | $ | 4,243 | $ | (19,440 | ) | $ | 2,830 | |||||
| (Loss) earnings per Class A and Class B common stock, combined | |||||||||||||||
| Basic | $ | — | $ | 0.10 | $ | (0.44 | ) | $ | 0.06 | ||||||
| Diluted | $ | — | $ | 0.09 | $ | (0.44 | ) | $ | 0.06 | ||||||
| Weighted average shares of Class A and Class B common stock outstanding, combined: | |||||||||||||||
| Basic | 44,358,763 | 43,990,049 | 44,238,400 | 44,007,345 | |||||||||||
| Diluted | 44,358,763 | 44,899,176 | 44,238,400 | 45,078,539 | |||||||||||
| Noodles & Company | |||||||||||
| Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations as a Percentage of Revenue | |||||||||||
| (unaudited) | |||||||||||
| Fiscal Quarter Ended | Three Fiscal Quarters Ended | ||||||||||
| September 29, | October 1, | September 29, | October 1, | ||||||||
| 2020 | 2019 | 2020 | 2019 | ||||||||
| Revenue: | |||||||||||
| Restaurant revenue | 98.5 | % | 98.7 | % | 98.8 | % | 98.8 | % | |||
| Franchising royalties and fees, and other | 1.5 | % | 1.3 | % | 1.2 | % | 1.2 | % | |||
| Total revenue | 100.0 | % | 100.0 | % | 100.0 | % | 100.0 | % | |||
| Costs and expenses: | |||||||||||
| Restaurant operating costs (exclusive of depreciation and amortization shown separately below): (1) | |||||||||||
| Cost of sales | 24.8 | % | 25.3 | % | 25.1 | % | 25.9 | % | |||
| Labor | 29.9 | % | 32.5 | % | 32.7 | % | 33.1 | % | |||
| Occupancy | 11.2 | % | 10.4 | % | 12.5 | % | 10.7 | % | |||
| Other restaurant operating costs | 18.6 | % | 14.7 | % | 18.3 | % | 14.7 | % | |||
| General and administrative | 10.2 | % | 8.8 | % | 11.0 | % | 9.3 | % | |||
| Depreciation and amortization | 5.2 | % | 4.6 | % | 5.7 | % | 4.8 | % | |||
| Pre-opening | 0.2 | % | 0.2 | % | 0.1 | % | 0.1 | % | |||
| Restaurant impairments, closure costs and asset disposals | 0.3 | % | 0.3 | % | 1.4 | % | 1.0 | % | |||
| Total costs and expenses | 99.3 | % | 95.7 | % | 105.8 | % | 98.5 | % | |||
| Income (loss) from operations | 0.7 | % | 4.3 | % | (5.8 | )% | 1.5 | % | |||
| Interest expense, net | 0.8 | % | 0.6 | % | 0.9 | % | 0.7 | % | |||
| (Loss) income before taxes | (0.1 | )% | 3.6 | % | (6.8 | )% | 0.8 | % | |||
| Provision for income taxes | — | % | 0.1 | % | — | % | — | % | |||
| Net (loss) income | (0.1 | )% | 3.6 | % | (6.8 | )% | 0.8 | % | |||
_______________________
(1) As a percentage of restaurant revenue.
| Noodles & Company | |||||||
| Consolidated Selected Balance Sheet Data and Selected Operating Data | |||||||
| (in thousands, except restaurant activity, unaudited) | |||||||
| As of | |||||||
| September 29, | December 31, | ||||||
| 2020 | 2019 | ||||||
| Balance Sheet Data | |||||||
| Total current assets | $ | 25,695 | $ | 29,322 | |||
| Total assets | 363,170 | 378,519 | |||||
| Total current liabilities | 60,944 | 58,034 | |||||
| Total long-term debt | 41,213 | 40,497 | |||||
| Total liabilities | 330,308 | 327,948 | |||||
| Total stockholders’ equity | 32,862 | 50,571 | |||||
| Fiscal Quarter Ended | |||||||||||||||||||
| September 29, | June 30, | March 31, | December 31, | October 1, | |||||||||||||||
| 2020 | 2020 | 2020 | 2019 | 2019 | |||||||||||||||
| Selected Operating Data | |||||||||||||||||||
| Restaurant Activity: | |||||||||||||||||||
| Company-owned restaurants at end of period | 378 | 380 | 381 | 389 | 391 | ||||||||||||||
| Franchise restaurants at end of period | 76 | 76 | 77 | 68 | 67 | ||||||||||||||
| Revenue Data: | |||||||||||||||||||
| Company-owned average unit volume | $ | 1,187 | $ | 891 | $ | 1,036 | $ | 1,171 | $ | 1,188 | |||||||||
| Franchise average unit volume | $ | 1,102 | $ | 781 | $ | 994 | $ | 1,186 | $ | 1,184 | |||||||||
| Company-owned comparable restaurant sales | (3.6 | )% | (30.1 | )% | (7.0 | )% | 1.4 | % | 2.2 | % | |||||||||
| Franchise comparable restaurant sales | (5.0 | )% | (35.4 | )% | (8.9 | )% | 1.8 | % | 1.6 | % | |||||||||
| System-wide comparable restaurant sales | (3.8 | )% | (30.9 | )% | (7.2 | )% | 1.5 | % | 2.1 | % | |||||||||
| Reconciliations of Non-GAAP Measurements to GAAP Results | |||||||||||||||
| Noodles & Company | |||||||||||||||
| Reconciliation of Net (Loss) Income to EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA | |||||||||||||||
| (in thousands, unaudited) | |||||||||||||||
| Fiscal Quarter Ended | Three Fiscal Quarters Ended | ||||||||||||||
| September 29, | October 1, | September 29, | October 1, | ||||||||||||
| 2020 | 2019 | 2020 | 2019 | ||||||||||||
| Net (loss) income | $ | (127 | ) | $ | 4,243 | $ | (19,440 | ) | $ | 2,830 | |||||
| Depreciation and amortization | 5,541 | 5,458 | 16,273 | 16,626 | |||||||||||
| Interest expense, net | 822 | 737 | 2,710 | 2,298 | |||||||||||
| Provision for income taxes | 27 | 64 | 73 | 64 | |||||||||||
| EBITDA | $ | 6,263 | $ | 10,502 | $ | (384 | ) | $ | 21,818 | ||||||
| Restaurant impairments, closure costs and asset disposals | 369 | 336 | 3,983 | 3,640 | |||||||||||
| Stock-based compensation expense | 708 | (61 | ) | 1,960 | 1,820 | ||||||||||
| Fees and costs related to transactions and other acquisition/disposition costs | — | 130 | 162 | 166 | |||||||||||
| Severance costs | 365 | 112 | 454 | 112 | |||||||||||
| Adjusted EBITDA | $ | 7,705 | $ | 11,019 | $ | 6,175 | $ | 27,556 | |||||||
______________________________
EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA are supplemental measures of operating performance that do not represent and should not be considered as alternatives to net (loss) income or cash flow from operations, as determined by GAAP, and our calculation thereof may not be comparable to that reported by other companies. These measures are presented because we believe that investors’ understanding of our performance is enhanced by including these non-GAAP financial measures as a reasonable basis for evaluating our ongoing results of operations.
EBITDA is calculated as net (loss) income before interest expense, provision for income taxes and depreciation and amortization. Adjusted EBITDA further adjusts EBITDA to reflect the eliminations shown in the table above.
EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA are presented because: (i) we believe they are useful measures for investors to assess the operating performance of our business without the effect of non-cash charges such as depreciation and amortization expenses and restaurant impairments, closure costs and asset disposals and (ii) we use adjusted EBITDA internally as a benchmark for certain of our cash incentive plans and to evaluate our operating performance or compare our performance to that of our competitors. The use of adjusted EBITDA as a performance measure permits a comparative assessment of our operating performance relative to our performance based on our GAAP results, while isolating the effects of some items that vary from period to period without any correlation to core operating performance or that vary widely among similar companies. Companies within our industry exhibit significant variations with respect to capital structures and cost of capital (which affect interest expense and income tax rates) and differences in book depreciation of property, plant and equipment (which affect relative depreciation expense), including significant differences in the depreciable lives of similar assets among various companies. Our management believes that adjusted EBITDA facilitates company-to-company comparisons within our industry by eliminating some of these foregoing variations. Adjusted EBITDA as presented may not be comparable to other similarly-titled measures of other companies, and our presentation of adjusted EBITDA should not be construed as an inference that our future results will be unaffected by excluded or unusual items.
| Noodles & Company | |||||||||||||||
| Reconciliation of Net (Loss) Income to Adjusted Net Income (Loss) | |||||||||||||||
| (in thousands, except share and per share data, unaudited) | |||||||||||||||
| Fiscal Quarter Ended | Three Fiscal Quarters Ended | ||||||||||||||
| September 29, | October 1, | September 29, | October 1, | ||||||||||||
| 2020 | 2019 | 2020 | 2019 | ||||||||||||
| Net (loss) income | $ | (127 | ) | $ | 4,243 | $ | (19,440 | ) | $ | 2,830 | |||||
| Restaurant impairments, divestitures and closure costs (a) | 409 | 1,063 | 3,116 | 3,763 | |||||||||||
| Fees and costs related to transactions and other acquisition/disposition costs (b) | — | 130 | 162 | 130 | |||||||||||
| Severance costs (c) | 365 | 112 | 454 | 112 | |||||||||||
| Tax adjustments, net (d) | (151 | ) | (1,421 | ) | 4,211 | (1,762 | ) | ||||||||
| Adjusted net income (loss) | $ | 496 | $ | 4,127 | $ | (11,497 | ) | $ | 5,073 | ||||||
| (Loss) earnings per Class A and Class B common stock, combined | |||||||||||||||
| Basic | $ | — | $ | 0.10 | $ | (0.44 | ) | $ | 0.06 | ||||||
| Diluted | $ | — | $ | 0.09 | $ | (0.44 | ) | $ | 0.06 | ||||||
| Adjusted earnings (loss) per Class A and Class B common stock, combined (e) | |||||||||||||||
| Basic | $ | 0.01 | $ | 0.09 | $ | (0.26 | ) | $ | 0.12 | ||||||
| Diluted | $ | 0.01 | $ | 0.09 | $ | (0.26 | ) | $ | 0.11 | ||||||
| Weighted average Class A and Class B common stock outstanding, combined (e) | |||||||||||||||
| Basic | 44,358,763 | 43,990,049 | 44,238,400 | 44,007,345 | |||||||||||
| Diluted | 45,542,617 | 44,899,176 | 44,238,400 | 45,078,539 | |||||||||||
_____________________________
Adjusted net income (loss) is a supplemental measure of financial performance that is not required by or presented in accordance with GAAP. We define adjusted net income (loss) as net (loss) income plus the impact of adjustments and the tax effects of such adjustments. Adjusted net income (loss) is presented because management believes it helps convey supplemental information to investors regarding our performance, excluding the impact of special items that affect the comparability of results in past quarters to expected results in future quarters. Adjusted net income (loss) as presented may not be comparable to other similarly-titled measures of other companies, and our presentation of adjusted net income (loss) should not be construed as an inference that our future results will be unaffected by excluded or unusual items. Our management uses this non-GAAP financial measure to analyze changes in our underlying business from quarter to quarter based on comparable financial results.
| (a) | Reflects the adjustment to eliminate the impact of impairing restaurants, divestiture costs and ongoing closure costs recognized during the first three quarters of 2020 and 2019. Both periods include ongoing closure costs from restaurants closed in previous years. These expenses are included in the “Restaurant impairments, closure costs and asset disposals” line in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations. | ||
| (b) | Reflects the adjustment to eliminate expenses related to certain corporate transactions in the first three quarters of 2020. | ||
| (c) | Reflects the adjustment to eliminate severance costs. | ||
| (d) | Reflects the adjustment to normalize the impact of the valuation allowance that affects our annual effective tax rate and the tax impact of the other adjustments discussed in (a) through (c) above. | ||
| (e) | Adjusted per share amounts are calculated by dividing adjusted net income (loss) by the basic and diluted weighted average shares outstanding. |
| Noodles & Company | |||||||||||||||
| Reconciliation of Operating Income (Loss) to Restaurant Contribution | |||||||||||||||
| (in thousands, unaudited) | |||||||||||||||
| Fiscal Quarter Ended | Three Fiscal Quarters Ended | ||||||||||||||
| September 29, | October 1, | September 29, | October 1, | ||||||||||||
| 2020 | 2019 | 2020 | 2019 | ||||||||||||
| Income (loss) from operations | $ | 722 | $ | 5,044 | $ | (16,657 | ) | $ | 5,192 | ||||||
| Less: Franchising royalties and fees, and other | 1,569 | 1,545 | 3,337 | 4,158 | |||||||||||
| Plus: General and administrative | 10,827 | 10,436 | 31,415 | 32,424 | |||||||||||
| Depreciation and amortization | 5,541 | 5,458 | 16,273 | 16,626 | |||||||||||
| Pre-opening | 239 | 266 | 383 | 331 | |||||||||||
| Restaurant impairments, closure costs and asset disposals | 369 | 336 | 3,983 | 3,640 | |||||||||||
| Restaurant contribution | $ | 16,129 | $ | 19,995 | $ | 32,060 | $ | 54,055 | |||||||
| Restaurant contribution margin | 15.4 | % | 17.1 | % | 11.3 | % | 15.7 | % | |||||||
_____________________________
Restaurant contribution represents restaurant revenue less restaurant operating costs, which are the cost of sales, labor, occupancy and other operating items. Restaurant contribution margin represents restaurant contribution as a percentage of restaurant revenue. Restaurant contribution and restaurant contribution margin are non-GAAP measures that are neither required by, nor presented in accordance with GAAP, and the calculations thereof may not be comparable to similar measures reported by other companies. These measures are supplemental measures of the operating performance of our restaurants and are not reflective of the underlying performance of our business because corporate-level expenses are excluded from these measures.
Restaurant contribution and restaurant contribution margin have limitations as analytical tools and should not be considered in isolation or as substitutes for analysis of our results as reported under GAAP. Management does not consider these measures in isolation or as an alternative to financial measures determined in accordance with GAAP. However, management believes that restaurant contribution and restaurant contribution margin are important tools for investors and other interested parties because they are widely-used metrics within the restaurant industry to evaluate restaurant-level productivity, efficiency and performance. Management also uses these measures as metrics to evaluate the profitability of incremental sales at our restaurants, restaurant performance across periods, and restaurant financial performance compared with competitors.
Contacts:
Investor Relations
investorrelations@noodles.com
Media
Danielle Moore
press@noodles.com
Source: Noodles & Company
FAQ
What were Noodles & Company's (NDLS) third quarter earnings results for 2020?
How did COVID-19 impact Noodles & Company's (NDLS) sales performance?
What was the digital sales growth for Noodles & Company (NDLS) in Q3 2020?
What is the outlook for Noodles & Company (NDLS) following Q3 2020 results?
