Arcos Dorados Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2021 Financial Results

Arcos Dorados Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: ARCO), Latin America’s largest restaurant chain and the world’s largest independent McDonald’s franchisee, today reported unaudited results for the three months ended December 31, 2021, and audited results for the full year 2021.

Fourth Quarter 2021 Highlights – Excluding Venezuela

• Systemwide comparable sales increased 33.6% and were up 24.2% on a 2-year basis, with accelerating comparable sales growth in all divisions.
• Consolidated¹ revenues totaled $777.1 million, rising 28.3% in US dollars with strong constant currency growth of 37.3% versus 2020 and 31.6% on a 2-year basis.
• Consolidated¹ Adjusted EBITDA of $112.4 million rose 10.5% in US dollars above the pre-pandemic fourth quarter 2019.
• Consolidated¹ Adjusted EBITDA margin reached 14.5% in the quarter, benefitting from continued operating leverage versus 2020, and up 100 basis points versus 2019.
• Basic net income per share¹ was $0.22, compared to basic net income per share of $0.11 in the prior year quarter.
• Net Debt to Adjusted EBITDA leverage ratio improved to a healthy 1.4x at year-end 2021.

Full Year 2021 Highlights – Excluding Venezuela

• Systemwide comparable sales increased 38.8% and were up 10.1% on a 2-year basis, with sales momentum accelerating in the second half of the year.
• Consolidated¹ revenues totaled $2.7 billion, rising 33.9% in US dollars or 42.2% on a constant currency basis versus 2020, and 16.2% in constant currency on a 2-year basis.
• Consolidated¹ Adjusted EBITDA of $275.0 million nearly quadrupled the prior-year result and rose 21.0% in constant currency on a 2-year basis.
• Consolidated¹ Adjusted EBITDA margin reached 10.4% for the year, the Company’s highest-ever full-year margin.
• Basic net income per share was $0.24 in 2021, compared to a basic net loss per share of $(0.68) in the prior year.
• Restaurant openings of 46 new units in 2021 (38 in Brazil) included 40 free-standing units.

Message from Marcelo Rabach, Chief Executive Officer

We are very pleased with our performance in 2021 and we recognize that the results of the last two years would not have been possible without the commitment of the people who make up the Arcos Dorados system in Latin America and the Caribbean. We are very proud to have supported those who needed help throughout this challenging period and incredibly grateful for all the work they continue to do in order to build an even brighter future for our Company and an even better experience for our guests.

Sales and profitability improved consistently throughout 2021 and second semester profitability set a new record in US dollars despite the challenging operating environment as well as all the currency and cost pressures of the last two years.

The Three D’s strategy continues to resonate with guests and the off-premise sales from both Drive-thru and Delivery remain sticky, contributing 45% of total sales, even with the recovery of on-premise sales channels. Our industry-leading Digital platform is deepening our understanding of consumer preferences and we are focused on increasing our lead in the Digital race by developing exciting new functionalities and personalization capabilities, which will be introduced in the coming weeks and months.

Arcos Dorados operates the region’s largest free-standing restaurant portfolio; a structural competitive advantage that has led to a 25% increase in the format’s per-unit sales compared with 2019. Looking ahead, we have the financial resources, expertise and track record to deliver on our guidance of at least 200 new restaurant openings over the next three years. Importantly, all openings have been underwritten to exceed our high return expectations to ensure we continue generating significant shareholder value for many years to come.

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¹Excluding the results of the Venezuelan operation except Balance Sheet and Debt Ratio information.
For definitions, please refer to page 16 of this document.

Consolidated Results

Consolidated

4Q21 = 4Q20 + Currency Translation Excl. Venezuela + Constant Currency Growth Excl. Venezuela + Venezuela). Refer to “Definitions” section for further detail.

Arcos Dorados’ consolidated results may continue to be impacted by Venezuela’s macroeconomic volatility, including the ongoing hyperinflationary environment, which has historically led the Company to record significant non-cash accounting charges to operations in this market. As such, the discussion of the Company’s operating performance continues to be focused on consolidated results that exclude Venezuela.

Notable items in the Adjusted EBITDA reconciliation

Included in Adjusted EBITDA: In the fourth quarter of 2021, Other operating income / (expense) included a $3.7 million credit related to payroll taxes in Brazil and a $5.5 million non-cash positive impact related to the fair value of restaurant businesses contributed to an investment with a sub-franchisee in Mexico. In the fourth quarter of 2020, Other operating income / (expense) included the negative impact of a $5.2 million tax-related provision in Brazil.

Excluded from Adjusted EBITDA: In the fourth quarter 2021, the Company incurred $4.8 million in reorganization and optimization expenses within its General & Administrative expenses (G&A), related to its recent divisional reorganization.

Fourth quarter net income attributable to the Company totaled $45.6 million, compared to net income of $22.1 million in the same period of 2020. Arcos Dorados’ recorded earnings of $0.22 per share in the fourth quarter of 2021 compared to net income of $0.10 per share in the corresponding 2020 period. Total weighted average shares for the fourth quarter of 2021 amounted to 210,478,322 compared to 210,226,546 in the prior year’s quarter.

Consolidated - excluding Venezuela

Arcos Dorados’ structural competitive advantages in Drive-thru and Delivery and a sustained recovery in on-premise volume drove strong sales growth. Total revenues in US dollars increased 28.3%, or 37.3% in constant currency, versus the prior year period. Systemwide comparable sales for the fourth quarter rose 33.6% and were up 24.2% on a 2-year basis, building on the momentum the Company generated throughout 2021.

The Company’s off-premise channels demonstrated their enduring popularity with guests. Drive-thru and Delivery grew about 12% and 40% in constant currency on top of very strong growth in the prior year, respectively. On-premise sales also continued to recover, growing about 55% versus the prior year in constant currency. With that, 45% of systemwide sales in the fourth quarter 2021 were generated in off-premise channels and 55% in the on-premise segments.

Digital, which includes sales from Delivery, Self-order kiosks and Mobile App generated 36% of sales in the fourth quarter, reaching its highest-ever quarterly sales total in absolute terms. The Company’s customer acquisition strategy surpassed an important milestone in 2021, becoming the first restaurant app to reach more than 60 million cumulative downloads in Latin America and the Caribbean. Importantly, its Mobile App also has the highest adoption rate in the industry with at least 2.5x times the average monthly active users (more than 10 million) compared with the nearest competitor.

In addition, Arcos Dorados’ CRM (customer relationship management) platform has grown to include more than 53 million unique registered users. New convenience solutions, combined with insights from the Company’s data analytics capabilities, are gaining traction through a more personalized experience that drives higher guest lifetime value.

Adjusted EBITDA – Excluding Venezuela ($million)

Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA of $112.4 million reflects significant operating leverage captured through higher sales levels and a more streamlined operation as well as a beneficial shift in sales channel mix. Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA margin was up 4.8 percentage points versus the fourth quarter of 2020 and up 1.0 percentage point versus the 2019 quarter.

Ongoing G&A expenses increased by 24.6% versus the fourth quarter 2020, below the blended G&A inflation for the period, and rose only 3.0% versus the fourth quarter 2019. The increase was primarily due to reduced G&A in 2020 when the Company implemented extraordinary cost saving measures to stabilize its operating cash flow at the beginning of the pandemic. Consolidated G&A expenses increased 35.2% versus the prior year and included $4.8 million in expenses related to its recent divisional reorganization. These reorganization expenses were excluded from the quarter’s Adjusted EBITDA calculation.

Non-operating Results - excluding Venezuela

Arcos Dorados’ non-operating results for the fourth quarter included a negligible non-cash foreign currency exchange gain, compared to a non-cash gain of $13.5 million in the same period of 2020. Net interest expense was $5.0 million lower year-over-year. The Company recorded an income tax expense of $23.2 million in the fourth quarter, compared to an income tax expense of $6.2 million in the prior-year period.

Fourth quarter net income attributable to the Company totaled $47.3 million, compared to net income of $24.2 million in the prior year period. Earnings per share were $0.22 in the fourth quarter 2021 compared to net income per share of $0.11 in the prior year quarter.

Divisional Results

Brazil Division

Brazil’s revenues reached $298.6 million in the quarter, supported by 18.3% growth in systemwide comparable sales. This included a single-month record of more than 1.0 billion Brazilian reais in systemwide sales in December. On a 2-year basis, systemwide comparable sales in the quarter rose 5.7%, on top of very strong fourth quarter 2019 figures.

Strong fourth quarter marketing activities captured retail seasonality and leveraged the recovery of the informal eating out industry. The Brazil division continued expanding its digital presence with a significant CRM activation using personalized promotions and communications to leverage elevated consumption during the Black Friday weekend. The division also sustained initiatives to strengthen brand affinity with one-of-a-kind marketing campaigns, including the national launch of a merchandising collection and top Brazilian celebrities describing their favorite orders at McDonald’s. The latter was based entirely on core menu items and generated more than 790 million social media impacts. During the fourth quarter, Brazil reached its highest traffic share, with the largest gap versus the closest competitor since CREST® began tracking this metric in the country.

Brazil also held its “McHappy Day”, with Big Mac sales proceeds donated to organizations that support youth opportunity and children’s health. Sales in 2021 were 13% higher than the previous year, which generated a donation of 22.5 million Brazilian reais.

As reported Adjusted EBITDA in the division reached $76.1 million in the quarter, resulting in a 12.6 percentage point improvement in Adjusted EBITDA margin versus the prior year quarter. Effective revenue management and a highly-localized cost structure drove significant operating leverage.

Food & Paper costs improved 140 basis points as a percentage of revenue versus the prior year and 60 basis points versus 2019, despite the cumulative effect of input cost pressures over the last two years. The quarter also included efficiencies across all other line items as well, driven primarily by operating leverage due to strong sales growth.

North Latin American Division (NOLAD)

As of October 1, 2021, NOLAD was reorganized to include nine markets, all of which operate in hard or strong currencies: US dollars (Puerto Rico, Panama, St. Thomas and St. Croix), Euros (French Guiana, Guadeloupe and Martinique) or relatively stable local currencies (Mexico and Costa Rica).

As reported revenues were $209.2 million, up 17.8% in US dollars and 19.7% in constant currency versus the prior year quarter. Systemwide comparable sales rose 23.6% year-over-year and 15.0% on a 2-year basis. Mexico, Panama, Costa Rica and Puerto Rico contributed strongly to the quarter’s sales growth.

Marketing activities in NOLAD included the launch of a new chicken sandwich in Mexico. The “Pollo McCrispy” debuted in October and received an enthusiastic guest response, strengthening the chicken platform in that market. Puerto Rico also reinforced its chicken menu with the introduction of Spicy McNuggets and boosted its dessert portfolio with the Chips Ahoy! collaboration across McFlurry, Frappe and cones. In Panama and Costa Rica, guests were treated for the first time in many years to the popular McRib sandwich. This limited time offer performed above expectations in both markets. Each of these marketing initiatives was designed to build an emotional connection with younger guests to support their long-term relationship with the Brand.

As reported Adjusted EBITDA reached $30.2 million in the fourth quarter compared with $19.4 million in the prior year quarter and $25.8 million in the fourth quarter 2019. Adjusted EBITDA margin rose 350 basis points against 2020, which includes a higher gross margin, G&A leverage and a 270 basis point boost from the fair value of restaurant businesses contributed to an investment with a sub-franchisee in Mexico. Fourth quarter 2021 Adjusted EBITDA margin was flat versus 2019, but rose 290 basis points excluding non-recurring items from both periods (the 2019 fourth quarter result included a $10.0 million non-cash bad debt reserve reversal in Puerto Rico).

South Latin American Division (SLAD)

As of October 1, 2021, SLAD was reorganized to include ten markets: Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela, Aruba, Curaçao and Trinidad & Tobago.

Revenues in SLAD, excluding Venezuela, increased 54.5% in US dollars, driven by a 75.1% increase in systemwide comparable sales. Performance was strong across the division, especially in Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru where volume growth was robust. Two-year systemwide comparable sales growth of 80.8% was well-above the blended inflation in the period.

Comparable sales in SLAD benefited from strong average check growth driven by larger order sizes and strong Drive-thru performance. Menu and marketing initiatives, such as the Big Mac core extensions in Argentina, Chile, Ecuador and Uruguay as well as the “Doble Tasty” in Colombia, enhanced core brand equity and drove sales. The quarter also included the launch of the “McNivoros” in Colombia and “McNuggetear” in Peru, supporting the expanding chicken menu.

As reported Adjusted EBITDA reached $31.5 million, compared with $22.7 million in the prior-year quarter and $15.1 million in the fourth quarter 2019. Argentina, Chile and Colombia were the main contributors to the 2021 quarter’s result. Adjusted EBITDA margin was 11.7%, or 1.3 percentage points lower versus the prior year quarter, but 4.3 percentage points higher than the fourth quarter 2019. Payroll expenses rose as a percentage of revenue as government programs designed to protect jobs were largely discontinued in the fourth quarter 2021. Importantly, compared with 2019, all cost and expense line items in the quarter reflected positive operating leverage.

New Unit Development

Arcos Dorados opened 5 new restaurants during the fourth quarter of 2021, including 4 new free-standing units. For the full year 2021, the Company opened 46 new restaurants, including 40 free-standing units and 38 new restaurants in Brazil. This was in-line with the Company’s guidance of 40 to 50 new restaurant openings in the year with at least 80% being free-standing units and around 80% of openings in Brazil. There were 825 Experience of the Future Restaurants across the Company’s footprint as of the end of 2021.

The Company reiterates its guidance of at least 55 new restaurant openings in 2022 and a total of at least 200 new restaurant openings for the three-year period from 2022 to 2024. The Company further expects that around 90% of the new restaurant openings in the period will be free-standing units. This growth plan includes about 60% of openings in Brazil, with Chile, Costa Rica and Panama receiving the bulk of the remaining openings.

Balance Sheet & Cash Flow Highlights

Cash and cash equivalents were $278.8 million and total financial debt (including the value of derivative instruments) was $657.9 million, as of December 31, 2021. Net debt (Total Financial Debt minus Cash and cash equivalents) was $376.4 million.

During the year, Arcos Dorados used $34.6 million to repurchase some of its outstanding 2023 and 2027 Senior Notes. The Company funded the open market repurchases with cash generated from operations together with proceeds from the monetization of the value of certain of its derivative instruments.

The Net Debt to Adjusted EBITDA leverage ratio fell to a healthy 1.4x at the end of the year, well below its original guidance. Also as of December 31, 2021, all the Company’s debt ratios were in compliance with their corresponding debt and Master Franchise Agreement limits.

Net cash generated from operating activities for the full year 2021, totaled $258.0 million, while cash used in net investing activities totaled $108.3 million. Capital expenditures totaled $115.0 million, which was in the guidance range of $110 to $130 million for the year. Net cash used in financing activities was $17.9 million.

Recent Developments

2022 Dividend

On March 15, 2022, the Board of Directors of Arcos Dorados Holdings Inc. approved a dividend for 2022. As such, the Company will pay $0.15 per share to all Class A and Class B shareholders of the Company in four quarterly installments, as follows: $0.04 per share on March 31, 2022, $0.04 per share on June 30, 2022, $0.04 per share on September 30, 2022, and $0.03 per share on December 30, 2022. The payments will be made to shareholders of record as of March 28, 2022, June 27, 2022, September 26, 2022, and December 26, 2022, respectively.

2022 Annual General Shareholders Meeting (AGM)

On March 14, 2022, the Company announced the date for its AGM, which will be held on April 29, 2022, in Mexico City, Mexico, at 10:00am (local time), for all shareholders of record as of March 28, 2022.

About Arcos Dorados

Arcos Dorados is the world’s largest independent McDonald’s franchisee, operating the largest quick service restaurant chain in Latin America and the Caribbean. It has the exclusive right to own, operate and grant franchises of McDonald’s restaurants in 20 Latin American and Caribbean countries and territories with more than 2,250 restaurants, operated by the Company or by its sub-franchisees, that together employ over 90 thousand people (as of 12/31/2021). The Company is also committed to the development of the communities in which it operates, to providing young people their first formal job opportunities and to utilize its Recipe for the Future to achieve a positive environmental impact. Arcos Dorados is listed for trading on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: ARCO).

Fourth Quarter and Twelve Months 2021 Consolidated Results

Fourth Quarter and Twelve Months 2021 Consolidated Results – Excluding Venezuela

Fourth Quarter and Twelve Months 2021 Results by Division

Summarized Consolidated Balance Sheets