As used in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, the terms “we,” “us,” “our,” the “Company” and “Flanigan’s” mean Flanigan's Enterprises, Inc. and its subsidiaries (unless the context indicates a different meaning).
PART I
Item 1. Business
When used in this report, the words "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", “will”, “intend” and “expect” and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements in this report include, but are not limited to, those relating to the general expansion of our business. Although we believe that our plans, intentions and expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, we can give no assurance that these plans, intentions or expectations will be achieved. We undertake no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date of this annual report on Form 10-K.
General
At October 1, 2011, we (i) operated 24 units, (excluding the adult entertainment club referenced in (ii) below), consisting of restaurants, package liquor stores and combination restaurants/package liquor stores that we either own or have operational control over and partial ownership in; (ii) own but do not operate one adult entertainment club; and (iii) franchise an additional five units, consisting of one restaurant and four combination restaurants/package liquor stores, (one of which we operate). The table below provides information concerning the type (i.e. restaurant, package liquor store or combination restaurant/package liquor store) and ownership of the units (i.e. whether (i) we own 100% of the unit; (ii) the unit is owned by a limited partnership of which we are the sole general partner and/or have invested in; or (iii) the unit is franchised by us), as of October 1, 2011 and as compared to October 2, 2010. With the exception of “The Whale’s Rib”, a restaurant we operate but do not own, all of the restaurants operate under our service mark “Flanigan’s Seafood Bar and Grill” and all of the package liquor stores operate under our service mark “Big Daddy’s Liquors”.
Notes:
(1) During the fourth quarter of our 2011 fiscal year end, we purchased from a limited partnership the operating assets of the restaurant located in Stuart, Florida and accordingly, on July 31, 2011, the restaurant converted from a limited partnership unit to a company owned restaurant.
(2) We operate a restaurant for one (1) franchisee. This unit is included in the table both as a franchised restaurant, as well as a restaurant operated by us.
History and Development of Our Business
We were incorporated in Florida in 1959 and commenced operating as a chain of small cocktail lounges and package liquor stores throughout South Florida. By 1970, we had established a chain of "Big Daddy's" lounges and package liquor stores between Vero Beach and Homestead, Florida. From 1970 to 1979, we expanded our package liquor store and lounge operations throughout Florida and opened clubs in five other "Sun Belt" states. In 1975, we discontinued most of our package store operations in Florida except in the South Florida areas of Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach and Monroe Counties. In 1982 we expanded our club operations into the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania area as general partner of several limited partnerships we organized. In March 1985 we began franchising package liquor stores and lounges in the South Florida area. See Note 8 to the consolidated financial statements and the discussion of franchised units on page 8.
During our fiscal year 1987, we began renovating our lounges to provide full restaurant food service, and subsequently renovated and added food service to most of our lounges. Food sales currently represent approximately 80% and bar sales approximately 20% of our total restaurant sales.
Our package liquor stores emphasize high volume business by providing customers with a wide variety of brand name and private label merchandise at discount prices. Our restaurants offer alcoholic beverages and full food service with abundant portions and reasonable prices, served in a relaxed, friendly and casual atmosphere.
We conduct our operations directly and through a number of limited partnerships and wholly owned subsidiaries, all of which are listed below. Our subsidiaries and the limited partnerships, (except for the limited partnership, where we are not the general partner, which owns and operates our franchised restaurant in Fort Lauderdale, Florida) are reported on a consolidated basis.
Package Liquor Store Operations
Our package liquor stores emphasize high volume business by providing customers with a wide selection of brand name and private label liquors, beer and wines while offering competitive pricing by meeting the published sales prices of our competitors. We provide sales training to our package liquor store personnel. The stores are open for business six or seven days a week from 9:00-10:00 a.m. to 9:00-10:00 p.m., depending upon demand and local law. Approximately half of our units have "night windows" with extended evening hours.
Company Owned Package Liquor Stores. We own and operate nine package liquor stores in the South Florida area under the name “Big Daddy’s Liquors”, four of which are jointly operated with restaurants we own.
Franchised Package Liquor Stores. We franchise four package liquor stores in the South Florida area, all of which are operated under the name “Big Daddy’s Liquors” and are jointly operated with our franchisee’s restaurant operations. Three of the four franchised package liquor stores are franchised to members of the family of our Chairman of the Board, officers and/or directors. We have not entered into a franchise arrangement for either a package liquor store, restaurant or combination package liquor store/restaurant since 1986 and do not anticipate that we will do so in the foreseeable future.
Generally, a franchise agreement with our franchisees for the operation of a package liquor store runs for the balance of the term of the franchisee’s lease for the business premises, extended by the franchisee’s continued occupancy of the business premises thereafter, whether by lease or ownership. In exchange for our providing management and related services to the franchisee and our granting the right to the franchisee to use our service mark, “Big Daddy’s Liquors”, franchisees of package liquor stores pay us weekly in arrears, (i) a royalty equal to approximately 1% of gross sales; plus (ii) an amount for advertising equal to between 1-1/2% to 3% of gross sales generated at the stores depending upon our actual advertising costs.
Restaurant Operations.
Our restaurants provide a neighborhood casual, standardized dining experience, typical of casual restaurant chains. The interior decor of the restaurants is nautical with numerous fishing and boating pictures and decorations. The restaurants are designed to permit minor modifications without significant capital expenditures. However, from time to time we are required to redesign and refurbish the restaurants at significant cost. Drink prices may vary between locations to meet local conditions. Food prices are substantially standardized for all restaurants. The restaurants' hours of operation are from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00-5:00 a.m. depending upon demand and local law.
Company Owned Restaurants. We own and operate nine restaurants all under our service mark “Flanigan’s Seafood Bar and Grill” four of which are jointly operated with package liquor stores we own.
Franchised Restaurants. We franchise five restaurants, all of which operate under our service mark “Flanigan’s Seafood Bar and Grill”, one of which operates as a restaurant only and four of which operate jointly with a franchisee operated “Big Daddy’s Liquors” package liquor store.
Generally, a franchise agreement with our franchisees for the operation of a restaurant runs for the balance of the term of the franchisee’s lease for the business premises, extended by the franchisee’s continued occupancy of the business premises thereafter, whether by lease or ownership. In exchange for our providing management and related services to the franchisee and our granting the right to the franchisee to use our service mark, “Flanigan’s Seafood Bar and Grill”, our franchisees pay us weekly in arrears, (i) a royalty equal to approximately 3% of gross sales; plus (ii) an amount for advertising equal to between 1-1/2% to 3% of gross sales from the restaurants.
For accounting purposes, we do not consolidate the revenue and expenses of our franchisees’ operations with our revenue and expenses. Franchise royalties we receive are “earned” when sales are made by franchisees.
Restaurants Owned by Affiliated Limited Partnerships
We have invested with others, (some of whom are or are affiliated with our officers and directors), in eight limited partnerships which currently own and operate eight South Florida based restaurants under our service mark “Flanigan’s Seafood Bar and Grill”. In addition to being a limited partner in these limited partnerships, we are the sole general partner of all of these limited partnerships and manage and control the operations of the restaurants, except for the restaurant located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida where we only hold a limited partnership interest.
Generally, the terms of the limited partnership agreements provide that until the investors’ cash investment in a limited partnership (including any cash invested by us) is returned in full, the limited partnership distributes to the investors annually out of available cash from the operation of the restaurant, as a return of capital, up to 25% of the cash invested in the limited partnership, with no management fee paid to us. Any available cash in excess of the 25% of the cash invested in the limited partnership distributed to the investors annually, is paid one-half (½) to us as a management fee and one-half (1/2) to the investors, (including us), pro-rata based on the investors’ investment, as a return of capital. Once all of the investors, (including us), have received, in full, amounts equal to their cash invested, an annual management fee becomes payable to us equal to one-half (½) of cash available to be distributed, with the other one half (½) of available cash distributed to the investors (including us), as a profit distribution, pro-rata based on the investors’ investment. As of October 1, 2011, limited partnerships owning three (3) restaurants, (Surfside, Florida, Kendall, Florida and West Miami, Florida locations), have returned all cash invested and we receive an annual management fee equal to one-half (½) of the cash available for distribution by the limited partnership. In addition to our receipt of distributable amounts from the limited partnerships, we receive a fee equal to 3% of gross sales for use of our “Flanigan’s Seafood Bar and Grill” service mark, which use is authorized while we act as general partner only. This 3% fee is “earned” when sales are made by the limited partnerships and is paid weekly, in arrears. Although we have no restaurants under development and whether we will have any under development in the future will be dependant, among other things, on market conditions and our ability to raise capital, we anticipate that we will continue to form limited partnerships to raise funds to own and operate restaurants under our service mark “Flanigan’s Seafood Bar and Grill” using the same or substantially similar financial arrangements.
Below is information on the eight limited partnerships which own and operate “Flanigan’s Seafood Bar and Grill” restaurants:
We are the sole general partner and a 45% limited partner in this limited partnership which has owned and operated a restaurant in Surfside, Florida under our “Flanigan’s Seafood Bar and Grill” service mark since March 6, 1998. 34.9% of the remaining limited partnership interest is owned by persons who are either our officers, directors or their family members. This limited partnership has returned to its investors all of their initial cash invested and we receive an annual management fee equal to one-half (½) of the cash available for distribution by this limited partnership.
We are the sole general partner and a 41% limited partner in this limited partnership which has owned and operated a restaurant in Kendall, Florida under our “Flanigan’s Seafood Bar and Grill” service mark since April 4, 2000. 29.7% of the remaining limited partnership interest is owned by persons who are either our officers, directors or their family members. This limited partnership has returned to its investors all of their initial cash invested and we receive an annual management fee equal to one-half (½) of the cash available for distribution by this limited partnership.
We are the sole general partner and a 27% limited partner in this limited partnership which has owned and operated a restaurant in West Miami, Florida under our “Flanigan’s Seafood Bar and Grill” service mark since October 11, 2001. 34.1% of the remaining limited partnership interest is owned by persons who are either our officers, directors or their family members. This limited partnership has returned to its investors all of their initial cash invested and we receive an annual management fee equal to one-half (½) of the cash available for distribution by this limited partnership.
Weston, Florida
We are the sole general partner and a 30% limited partner in this limited partnership which has owned and operated a restaurant in Weston, Florida under our “Flanigan’s Seafood Bar and Grill” service mark since January 20, 2003. 35.1% of the remaining limited partnership interest is owned by persons who are either our officers, directors or their family members. As of the end of our fiscal year 2011, this limited partnership has returned to its investors approximately 81.25% of their initial cash invested, increased from approximately 73.75% as of our fiscal year ended 2010.
Wellington, Florida
We are the sole general partner and a 28% limited partner in this limited partnership which has owned and operated a restaurant in Wellington, Florida under our “Flanigan’s Seafood Bar and Grill” service mark since May 27, 2005. 25.7% of the remaining limited partnership interest is owned by persons who are either our officers, directors or their family members. As of the end of our fiscal year 2011, this limited partnership has returned to its investors approximately 52% of their initial cash invested, increased from approximately 47% as of the end of our fiscal year 2010.
Pinecrest, Florida
We are the sole general partner and 40% limited partner in this limited partnership which has owned and operated a restaurant in Pinecrest, Florida under our “Flanigan’s Seafood Bar and Grill” service mark since August 14, 2006. 15.0% of the remaining limited partnership interest is owned by persons who are either our officers, directors or their family members. As of the end of our fiscal year 2011, this limited partnership has returned to its investors approximately 65% of their initial cash invested, increased from approximately 50% as of our fiscal year ended 2010.
Pembroke Pines, Florida
We are the sole general partner and a 18% limited partner in this limited partnership which has owned and operated a restaurant in Pembroke Pines, Florida under our “Flanigan’s Seafood Bar and Grill” service mark since October 29, 2007. 17.9% of the remaining limited partnership interest is owned by persons who are either our officers, directors or their family members. As of the end of our fiscal year 2011, this limited partnership has returned to its investors approximately 32.0% of their initial cash invested, increased from approximately 18.5% as of the end of our fiscal year 2010.
Davie, Florida
We are the sole general partner and a 48% limited partner in this limited partnership which has owned and operated a restaurant in Davie, Florida under our “Flanigan’s Seafood Bar and Grill” service mark since July 28, 2008. 9.7% of the remaining limited partnership interest is owned by persons who are either our officers, directors or their family members. As of the end of our fiscal year 2011, this limited partnership has returned to its investors approximately 19.5% of their initial cash invested, increased from approximately 13.5% as of the end of our fiscal year 2010.
A corporation, owned by one of our directors, acts as sole general partner of a limited partnership which has owned and operated a restaurant in Fort Lauderdale, Florida under our “Flanigan’s Seafood Bar and Grill” service mark since April 1, 1997. We have a 25% limited partnership interest in this limited partnership. 60.1% of the remaining limited partnership interest is owned by persons who are either our officers, directors or their family members. This limited partnership has returned to its investors all cash invested, but since we are not the general partner of this limited partnership, we do not receive an annual management fee. We have a franchise arrangement with this limited partnership and for accounting purposes, we do not consolidate the operations of this limited partnership into our operations.
Management Agreement for “The Whale’s Rib” Restaurant
Since January, 2006, we have managed “The Whale’s Rib”, a casual dining restaurant located in Deerfield Beach, Florida, pursuant to a management agreement. We paid $500,000 in exchange for our rights to manage this restaurant. The restaurant is owned by a third party unaffiliated with us. In exchange for providing management, bookkeeping and related services, we receive one-half (½) of the net profit, if any, from the operation of the restaurant. During the third quarter of our fiscal year 2011, the term of the management agreement was extended through January 9, 2036. As a part of the consideration for the extension of the management agreement, we agreed to eliminate our right to terminate the management agreement upon thirty (30) days written notice, with or without cause, but retained the right to terminate in the event our outstanding funded operating losses exceeded $100,000 cumulatively, at any time during the term of the management agreement. For our fiscal years ended October 1, 2011 and October 2, 2010, we generated $250,000 and $263,000 of revenue, respectively, from providing these management services. As of October 1, 2011, we have generated revenue in excess of the purchase price of the management agreement.