March 11, 2010
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Your Franchise Financial News SourceFranchise News Watch brings you the latest in franchising financial news from around the web. As a news aggregator for the franchise industry, Franchise News Watch streams the latest ground breaking franchise articles, features, guides, blogs, news and more directly to your desktop.  Franchise Financial NewsMidas Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2009 ResultsMidas, Inc. (NYSE: MDS) reported a net loss of $(0.2) million--or $(0.02) per diluted share--for the fourth quarter ended Jan. 2, 2010, compared to net income of $2.7 million--or $0.20 per diluted share--in the prior year. CEC Entertainment Reports Financial Results for the Fourth Quarter and Fiscal Year-End 2009CEC Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE: CEC) today reported net earnings of $5.4 million for the fourth quarter ended January 3, 2010, compared to net earnings of $2.4 million in the fourth quarter of 2008. Diluted earnings per share increased to $0.24 for the...
Jack in the Box Inc. Reports First Quarter FY 2010 Earnings; Updates Guidance for FY 2010Jack in the Box Inc. (NASDAQ: JACK) today reported net earnings of $24.2 million, or 43 cents per diluted share, for the first quarter ended Jan. 17, 2010, compared with earnings from continuing operations of $28.0 million, or 49 cents per diluted...
Realogy Reports Results for Full Year 2009Realogy Corporation, a global leader in real estate and relocation services, today reported results for the year ended December 31, 2009. Realogy had 2009 net revenue of $3.9 billion, a net loss attributable to the Company of $262 million, and earnings... Panera Bread Reports Fiscal 2009 EPS of $2.78, up 25% Over Fiscal 2008Panera Bread Company (NASDAQ: PNRA) today reported net income of $30 million, or $0.95 per diluted share, for the 13 weeks of the fourth quarter ended December 29, 2009, which included the net impact of $0.05 per diluted share of nonrecurring charges... Choice Hotels Reports Full Year 2009 Adjusted Diluted EPS of $1.71, Domestic Unit Growth of 4.0%Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH) today reported the following highlights for fourth quarter and full year 2009... Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. Announces Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2009 ResultsChipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (NYSE: CMG) today reported financial results for its fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, 2009. Boston Pizza Royalties Income Fund and Boston Pizza International Inc. Announce Fourth Quarter Results and January Distributions to UnitholdersBoston Pizza Royalties Income Fund (the "Fund") (TSX:BPF.UN) and Boston Pizza International Inc. ("BPI") each reported today financial results for the period from October 1, 2009 to December 31, 2009 (the "Period") and the full year results from... Dutch Bros.' Sales Increase in 2009; 10 New Stores Projected for 2010Despite a slow economy, Dutch Bros. Coffee ended 2009 on a high note that included a nearly six percent sales increase over last year and a rise in company giving. Snap-on Announces Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2009 ResultsSnap-on Incorporated (NYSE: SNA), a leading global innovator, manufacturer and marketer of tools, diagnostics, equipment, software and service solutions for professional users, today announced 2009 financial results for the fourth quarter and full year. Burger King Holdings Inc. Reports Second Quarter Fiscal 2010 ResultsBurger King Holdings Inc. (NYSE:BKC) today reported results for the second quarter of fiscal 2010. Key highlights of the company's second quarter results include... Nathan's Famous, Inc. Reports Third Quarter ResultsNathan's Famous, Inc. (NASDAQ:NATH) today reported results for the third quarter of its 2010 fiscal year that ended December 27, 2009. For the quarter ended December 27, 2009, net income increased by 22.8% to $1,052,000 or $0.19 per diluted share, as...
Chick-fil-A Marks 42 Years of Annual Sales Growth in 2009Despite the sluggish economy and its effect on the restaurant industry, Chick-fil-A® ended 2009 on a positive note by marking the company's 42nd year of consecutive sales growth. The Atlanta-based chain today reported 2009 system-wide sales of... Taco Del Mar Franchising Corp. to Voluntarily Restructure Under Chapter 11Taco Del Mar Franchising Corp. today announced that it is voluntarily restructuring its business under the protection of Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code in the United States Bankruptcy Court in Seattle. The company is expecting to continue all... Benihana Inc. Reports Total Restaurant Sales and Comparable Restaurant Sales for the Third Fiscal Quarter 2010Benihana Inc. (NASDAQ: BNHNA; BNHN), operator of the nation's largest chain of Japanese theme and sushi restaurants, today reported total restaurant sales and comparable restaurant sales for the twelve-week third fiscal quarter ended January 3, 2010. California Pizza Kitchen, Inc. Reports Preliminary Fourth Quarter 2009 ResultsCalifornia Pizza Kitchen, Inc. (Nasdaq:CPKI) announced today that revenues increased 3.8% to $167.8 million for the fourth quarter ended January 3, 2010 versus $161.7 million in the fourth quarter of 2008. Full service comparable restaurant sales... Regis Reports Second Quarter Revenues of $575 MillionRegis Corporation (NYSE:RGS), the global leader in the $170 billion hair care industry, today reported consolidated revenues decreased 2.0 percent in the second fiscal quarter of 2010 to $575 million, compared to $587 million a year ago. Second quarter... Ruby Tuesday, Inc. Reports Profitable Second Quarter and Third Consecutive Quarter of Positive Same-Restaurant Guest TrafficRuby Tuesday, Inc. today reported diluted earnings per share of $0.01 on net income of $0.4 million for the Company's second quarter of fiscal 2010, which ended on December 1, 2009. This compares to a loss of $0.73 per diluted share on a net loss of...
Wyndham Worldwide to Report Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2009 Earnings on February 10, 2010; Conference Call and Webcast at 8:30amWyndham Worldwide Corporation (NYSE: WYN) today announced that it will report fourth quarter and full year 2009 results Wednesday, February 10, 2010. Steve Holmes, Chairman and CEO and Tom Conforti, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer... Gap Inc. Reports December SalesGap Inc. (NYSE:GPS) today reported that December 2009 net sales were up five percent from last year. Net sales for the five-week period ended January 2, 2010 were $2.02 billion compared with net sales of $1.93 billion for the five-week period ended... Sonic Reports First Quarter 2010 ResultsSonic Corp. (NASDAQ: SONC), the nation's largest chain of drive-in restaurants, today announced results for the first fiscal quarter ended November 30, 2009. Key elements of the company's first quarter report...
Boston Pizza Royalties Income Fund Announces December 2009 DistributionBoston Pizza Royalties Income Fund (the "Fund") (TSX:BPF.UN) announced today a cash distribution of 11.5 cents per unit for the period from December 1, 2009 to December 31, 2009. The distribution will be paid to unitholders of record at the close of... Sonic to Broadcast First Quarter 2010 Conference Call Live on the InternetSonic Corp. (NASDAQ:SONC), the nation's largest chain of drive-in restaurants, today announced that it plans to report first quarter 2010 results at the market close on January 5, 2010. The company will provide an online web simulcast of its earnings... Choice Hotels International Declares Cash Dividend of $0.185Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH) today announced that its Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.185 per share of common stock. The dividend is payable on January 15, 2010 to shareholders of record on January 4, 2010. Weight Watchers Declares Quarterly DividendWeight Watchers International, Inc. (NYSE: WTW) today announced that its Board of Directors declared its quarterly cash dividend of $0.175 per share of common stock, which corresponds to an annual dividend rate of $0.70 per share. Jackson Hewitt Reports Fiscal 2010 Second Quarter ResultsJackson Hewitt Tax Service Inc. ("Jackson Hewitt") (NYSE: JTX) today reported financial results for the second quarter of fiscal 2010. Jackson Hewitt reported a net loss of $19.5 million, or $0.68 per basic and diluted share, versus a net loss of... Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group Provides Fourth Quarter UpdateDollar Thrifty Automotive Group, Inc. (NYSE: DTG) today provided an update on its outlook for the fourth quarter and full year of 2009. The Company announced that it expects fourth quarter Corporate Adjusted EBITDA to be within a range of $10 million...
Spicy Pickle Franchising Reports Third Quarter 2009 ResultsSpicy Pickle Franchising, Inc. (OTCBB: SPKL), fast casual restaurant operator serving all natural premium meat and poultry and other fresh products and franchisor under its Spicy Pickle and Bread Garden Urban Café brands today announced its results Starwood Announces Completion of Its Cash Tender Offer for $300,000,000 Aggregate Principal Amount of Certain of Its Outstanding NotesStarwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: HOT) announced today the completion of its cash tender offer (the "Tender Offer") to purchase up to $300 million aggregate principal amount of its outstanding 7.875% Senior Notes due 2012... Krispy Kreme Reports Improved Results for the Third Quarter of Fiscal 2010Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, Inc. (NYSE: KKD) (the "Company") today reported financial results for the third quarter of fiscal 2010, ended November 1, 2009. Krispy Kreme to Release Third Quarter Fiscal 2010 ResultsKrispy Kreme Doughnuts, Inc. (NYSE: KKD) plans to release its financial results for the third quarter of fiscal year 2010 on Monday, December 7, 2009, and host a conference call to review the quarter's results at 4:30 p.m. (ET) that day. Benihana Inc. to Report Fiscal Second Quarter 2010 Results on November 24, 2009Benihana Inc. (NASDAQ:BNHNA)(NASDAQ:BNHN), operator of the nation's largest chain of Japanese theme and sushi restaurants, today announced that the Company will hold a conference call to discuss its fiscal second quarter 2010 results on Tuesday...
Burger King Holdings Declares Quarterly DividendBurger King Holdings Inc. (NYSE:BKC) announced today that its board of directors has declared a quarterly dividend of $0.0625 per share of common stock. The dividend is payable on December 29, 2009 to shareholders of record at the close of business on...
Healthy Fast Food Announces Third Quarter 2009 ResultsHealthy Fast Food, Inc. (OTCBB: HFFI), parent to U-SWIRL International, Inc., the owner and franchisor of U-SWIRL Frozen Yogurt(R) stores, today announced its financial and operational results for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2009. Suburban Propane Partners, L.P. Announces Full Year and Fourth Quarter ResultsSuburban Propane Partners, L.P. (NYSE: SPH), a nationwide distributor of propane gas, fuel oil and related products and services, as well as a marketer of natural gas and electricity, today announced results for its fourth quarter and fiscal year...
Western Sizzlin Corporation Completes Distribution of Special Dividend of Steak n Shake SharesWestern Sizzlin Corporation ("Western") (Nasdaq: WEST), today announced that on November 6, 2009, Western completed its previously announced distribution to Western stockholders of a special dividend payable in the form of 1,322,806 shares of... Cosi, Inc. Reports 2009 Third Quarter ResultsCosi, Inc. (NASDAQ: COSI), the premium convenience restaurant company, today reported a net loss for the third quarter ended September 28, 2009 of $(2,362,000), or $(0.06) per basic and diluted common share, compared with a net loss of $(3,095,000)... McDonald's October Global Comparable Sales Increase 3.3%McDonald's Corporation announced today that global comparable sales rose 3.3% in October. Performance by segment was as follows: Burger King Holdings Inc. Announces 2009 Annual Shareholders MeetingBurger King Holdings Inc. (NYSE:BKC) announced that its 2009 annual shareholders meeting will be held at the Hilton Miami Airport, 5101 Blue Lagoon Drive, Miami, Fla. 33126 on Thursday, Nov. 19, 2009, at 9 a.m. EST. All shareholders of record as of the... Red Robin Gourmet Burgers Reports Earnings for the Fiscal Third Quarter 2009Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, Inc., (NASDAQ: RRGB), a casual dining restaurant chain focused on serving an innovative selection of high-quality gourmet burgers in a family-friendly atmosphere, today reported financial results for the 12 and 40 weeks ended... |
Features & Special ReportsMeasuring Performance: Multi-unit Franchisees Utilize Unit Economics to Help Run a Tighter ShipMulti-unit franchisee Todd Pulley knows all about measuring unit performance and profitability - even though he had no prior financial background before becoming a franchisee. Over the last 15 years though, he has developed and refined his own system for measuring his unit economics at his four PuroClean locations in New Jersey and Delaware. The effort is paying off. Is it Time for an Operating Cost Audit?: Franchise Tenants Unite!When was the last time you challenged a landlord or property manager about the operating expenses or common area maintenance (CAM) charges? Probably not recently or never, right? To clarify, operating costs are the day-to-day management and maintenance expenses charged to the tenant; examples include asphalt repairs, snow removal, property insurance, and so on. Franchise tenants pay a proportionate share of these costs based on the space they occupy. Therefore, if a franchise tenant occupies 12 percent of a building, he or she will pay for 12 percent of the operating costs. Paying by this said ratio is the industry standard but, of course, there are deviations for special circumstances like free-standing buildings and so on. "Old School" Communication: Cell Phone Texting Builds Customer TrafficConsidering the wide-ranging abilities of today's smartphones, simple text messaging may seem passé, but it's a basic social media tool that's working wonders for Chris Kramolis' franchise operation. He's been using text messages to build business and compile a database of his customers--and he doesn't see any reason to deviate from something that's working. Discovering Oil: Multi-unit Operator Strikes it Rich with Oil Change FranchisesDarrell Lamb remembers toiling away in the heyday of the mid-90s stock market. He was always searching for new investors, and on the lookout for hot investments. One day some of his advisers told him about an opportunity - a chance to invest in the Express Oil Change franchise. He had reason to trust the advisers since they were his uncle, who was president of the company, and his dad, an Alabama optometrist who was always interested in investing in growing ventures. Capital AccessDustin Winkle was a victim of the dot-com crash a few years back. While pondering his next career move, he visited with family members who operated some dry cleaning stores. He liked what he heard and purchased his first Martinizing Dry Cleaners stores six hours away in Yakima, Wash. It was a long commute from his home in Boise, Idaho, but he loved the business. Three years later his family was ready to sell its dry cleaning stores and Winkle was more than happy to buy some units closer to home. Today he operates 10 Martinizing Dry Cleaning stores (and one non-Martinizing unit) in the Boise area. Multi-Tasking: What It Takes To Be A Successful Multi-Unit FranchiseeTwenty years ago, franchising meant buying the rights to and opening a single unit or business. But a changing trend has taken hold during the last two decades. Today, it's not uncommon for a single franchise operator to have 5, 6, or even dozens of units. FRANdata research notes the number of multi-unit operators now tops 34,000, and those operators control more than 155,000 franchised units in the U.S. It's a growth strategy that has proven effective but it should be approached with caution. Multi-unit operators are generally wired differently then their single-unit counterparts. Successful multi-unit operators are typically experienced, skilled, professional business executives who have chosen franchising as their business model. They possess the skills, training, capital, infrastructure, and vision to operate numerous units and have the ability to continue adding units to their portfolio--without stressing their organization or their stomach. Episode 006: The Benefits of a Franchise ModelFranchising provides benefits for both seller and buyer. For franchisors, the primary benefit is the ability to use other people's money to expand the brand more rapidly than they could either on their own or through investors or lenders. The initial franchise fee and ongoing royalties they collect allow franchisors to build their brand without sacrificing control to outsiders or the pressure of repaying lenders. Measure for Measure: Unit Economics Plays a Leading Role on Today's Economic StageThe most fundamental business strategy calls for black numbers on the bottom line. In simplest terms, it's proof the business is generating more cash than it is spending. All too often, though, entrepreneurs get involved in businesses without employing a proper system to help them keep a watchful eye on what they're earning and what they're spending. Managing day-to-day operations can be so time-consuming that it leaves little room for financial analysis. Or perhaps key individuals lack a basic understanding of how to read and interpret financial statements. Combine these factors with the down economy, and you'll likely wind up with a troubled business. Service Based Franchising: Where the Action IsLast week we ended our discussion of service concepts with the point that many of these businesses are based on customers making the choice to trade money (surplus) for time (deficit). The example we used was maid services, where time-starved customers spend money to buy time they can spend with their family and friends. Other examples of businesses built on services that customers could perform themselves but choose to pay someone else for include lawn and landscaping services, residential painting, oil change, and installation of home entertainment systems. Seven Steps to Fiscal Fitness: A "Fiscal Physical" Will Help Your Business Survive, Grow, and ProsperIn the few minutes it takes you to read this article, 40 businesses across the nation will fail--and that statistic was [i]before[/i] the economic downturn of the last 24 months. Tragic? Yes. Remarkable? Not at all. The road to business success is littered with the skeletons of companies whose owners--mostly brilliant and skilled individuals--failed to "take care of business" in the financial management of their enterprise.
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