Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, Inc. Reports Results for the Fiscal Second Quarter Ended July 10, 2022

Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, Inc. (NASDAQ: RRGB) today reported financial results for the fiscal second quarter ended July 10, 2022.

Results for the second quarter, as compared to the prior year as applicable, included the following:

• Restaurant revenue of $288.7 million increased 6.1% compared to 2021;
  • Ninth consecutive quarter of sustained off-premises sales dollars of more than double pre-pandemic levels;
• Comparable restaurant revenue increased 6.7% and 4.1% compared to 2021 and 2019, respectively;
  • Approximately 200 restaurants serving Donatos® pizza outperformed non-Donatos® locations by 8.4% in comparable restaurant revenues compared to 2019;
• Net loss of $17.9 million increased $12.9 million compared to 2021;
• Restaurant level operating profit margin decreased by 210 basis points driven primarily by commodity and wage rate inflation, partially offset by sales leverage and other labor costs; and
• Adjusted EBITDA⁽¹⁾ (a non-GAAP metric) of $11.9 million decreased $7.1 million compared to 2021.

Second Quarter 2022 Financial Summary Compared to 2021

The following table presents financial results for the fiscal second quarter of 2022, compared to results from the same period in 2021:

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Second Quarter 2022 Operating Results

Comparable restaurant revenue⁽³⁾ increased 6.7% in the second quarter of 2022 compared to the same period a year ago, driven by a 9.6% increase in average Guest check and a 2.9% decrease in Guest count. The increase in average Guest check resulted from a 3.7% increase in menu mix, primarily driven by our limited time menu offerings and higher dine-in sales volumes, a 6.0% increase in pricing, and a 0.1% decrease from higher discounts.

The increase in Net loss compared to 2021 was primarily due to higher commodity and wage rate inflation, other charges, repairs and maintenance, utilities and marketing expenses, partially offset by a $16.5 million increase in restaurant revenue and decreases in management incentive compensation and group insurance costs. The decrease in Adjusted EBITDA⁽¹⁾ was due to the aforementioned factors less the impact of Interest expense, Income tax benefits, Depreciation and amortization, and Other charges.

Paul J. B. Murphy III, Red Robin’s President and Chief Executive Officer, said, “In the face of industry challenges and an uncertain macroeconomic environment, we are outpacing our peers with respect to comparable restaurant revenue and traffic as measured by Black Box Intelligence, and net value sentiment on social media channels. We attribute our relative out-performance to a continuation of our high-low value strategy which includes our successful premium limited time product promotions that drive average check, incremental margin and attachment, and compelling value promotions to attract market share, like our $10 Gourmet Meal Deal, that started in late June. With higher than expected commodity inflation during the second quarter, we implemented over two percent in pricing early in the third quarter to improve restaurant margins. Importantly, our guest satisfaction scores are rising, reflecting our back to basics operational execution, improved staffing, and declining team member turnover, that enable us to better serve our guests.”

Murphy concluded, “Our long-term strategic investments include multiple growth platforms that will drive consistent and profitable dine-in and off-premises sales in the years to come. We have now added Donatos® pizza to more than half our Company restaurants, and results remain above our original expectations, with sales performance that exceeded eight percentage points in the second quarter. Our integrated and seamless digital ecosystem is driving greater trial, conversion and frequency, as we have increased our marketing to a broader audience and are making ongoing improvements to these digital assets. We are also communicating more effectively through personalized offers with approximately 10.7 million Red Robin Royalty® members, resulting in record levels of guest engagement.”

Outlook for 2022 and Guidance Policy

The Company provides guidance of select information related to the Company’s financial and operating performance, and such measures may differ from year to year.

Due to the volatile macroeconomic environment, softening industry sales trends, and higher commodity costs, the Company is updating its guidance as follows:

• Pricing in the mid-single digits;
• Mid-double digit commodity cost inflation, versus the previous guidance of low-double digit inflation;
• Mid-to-high single digit restaurant labor cost inflation;
• Selling, general and administrative costs between $142 and $147 million, versus the previous range of $145 and $155 million;
• Adjusted EBITDA of at least $65 million, versus a previous range of $80 to $90 million⁽⁴⁾; and,
• Capital expenditures of $40 to $45 million, versus a previous range of $40 to $50 million.

About Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, Inc. (NASDAQ: RRGB)

Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, Inc., is a casual dining restaurant chain founded in 1969 that operates through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Red Robin International, Inc., and under the trade name, Red Robin Gourmet Burgers and Brews. We believe nothing brings people together like burgers and fun around our table, and no one makes moments of connection over craveable food more memorable than Red Robin. We serve a variety of burgers and mainstream favorites to Guests of all ages in a casual, playful atmosphere. In addition to our many burger offerings, Red Robin serves a wide array of salads, appetizers, entrees, desserts, signature beverages and Donatos® pizza at select locations. It's now easy to enjoy Red Robin anywhere with online ordering available for to-go, delivery and catering, or you can download our new app for easy customization, access to the Red Robin Royalty® dashboard and more. There are more than 520 Red Robin restaurants across the United States and Canada, including those operating under franchise agreements.

Schedule I

Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Results to GAAP Results
(In thousands, except per share data, unaudited)

In addition to the results provided in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles ("GAAP") throughout this press release, the Company has provided Adjusted net loss, Adjusted loss per share - basic, and Adjusted loss per share - diluted, which are non-GAAP measurements which present the twelve and twenty-eight weeks ended July 10, 2022 and July 11, 2021 Net loss and basic and diluted loss per share, excluding the effects of material changes in accounting estimate, restaurant asset impairment, write-off of unamortized debt issuance costs, litigation contingencies, restaurant closure costs, other financing costs, COVID-19 related costs, board and stockholder matters costs, executive transition costs, and related income tax effects. The Company believes the presentation of net loss and loss per share exclusive of the identified items gives the reader additional insight into the ongoing operational results of the Company. Management believes this supplemental information will assist with comparisons of past and future financial results against the present financial results presented herein. Income tax effect of reconciling items was calculated based on the change in the total tax provision calculation after adjusting for the identified item. The non-GAAP measurements are intended to supplement the presentation of the Company’s financial results in accordance with GAAP.

Schedule II

Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Restaurant-Level Operating Profit to Restaurant revenues, Loss
from Operations and Net Loss
(In thousands, unaudited)

The Company believes restaurant-level operating profit is an important measure for management and investors because it is widely regarded in the restaurant industry as a useful metric by which to evaluate restaurant-level operating efficiency and performance. The Company defines restaurant-level operating profit to be restaurant revenue minus restaurant-level operating costs, excluding restaurant impairment and closure costs. The measure includes restaurant-level occupancy costs that include fixed rents, percentage rents, common area maintenance charges, real estate and personal property taxes, general liability insurance, and other property costs, but excludes depreciation related to restaurant equipment, buildings, and leasehold improvements. The measure excludes depreciation and amortization expense, substantially all of which is related to restaurant-level assets, because such expenses represent historical sunk costs which do not reflect current cash outlay for the restaurants. The measure also excludes selling, general, and administrative costs, and therefore excludes costs associated with selling, general, and administrative functions, and pre-opening costs. The Company excludes restaurant closure costs as they do not represent a component of the efficiency of continuing operations. Restaurant impairment costs are excluded, because, similar to depreciation and amortization, they represent a non-cash charge for the Company's investment in its restaurants and not a component of the efficiency of restaurant operations. Restaurant-level operating profit is not a measurement determined in accordance with GAAP and should not be considered in isolation, or as an alternative, to loss from operations or net loss as indicators of financial performance. Restaurant-level operating profit as presented may not be comparable to other similarly titled measures of other companies in the Company's industry. The table below sets forth certain unaudited information for the twelve and twenty-eight weeks ended July 10, 2022, and July 11, 2021 expressed as a percentage of total revenues, except for the components of restaurant-level operating profit that are expressed as a percentage of restaurant revenue.

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Schedule III

Reconciliation of Net Loss to EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA
(In thousands, unaudited)

The Company defines EBITDA as net loss before interest expense, income taxes, and depreciation and amortization. EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA are presented because the Company believes investors' understanding of its performance is enhanced by including these non-GAAP financial measures as a reasonable basis for evaluating its ongoing results of operations excluding the effects of material change in estimate, asset impairment, litigation contingencies, board and stockholder matters costs, restaurant closure and refranchising costs, other financing costs, COVID-19 related costs and executive transition costs. EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA are supplemental measures of operating performance that do not represent and should not be considered as alternatives to net loss or cash flow from operations, as determined by GAAP, and the Company's calculation thereof may not be comparable to that reported by other companies in its industry or otherwise. Adjusted EBITDA further adjusts EBITDA to reflect the additions and eliminations shown in the table below. The use of adjusted EBITDA as a performance measure permits a comparative assessment of our operating performance relative to the Company's performance based on its GAAP results, while isolating the effects of some items that vary from period to period without any correlation to core operating performance. Adjusted EBITDA as presented may not be comparable to other similarly-titled measures of other companies, and the Company's presentation of adjusted EBITDA should not be construed as an inference that its future results will be unaffected by excluded or unusual items. The Company has not provided a reconciliation of its adjusted EBITDA outlook to the most comparable GAAP measure of Net loss. Providing Net loss guidance is potentially misleading and not practical given the difficulty of projecting event-driven transactional and other non-core operating items that are included in Net loss, including asset impairments and income tax valuation adjustments. The reconciliations of adjusted EBITDA to Net loss for the historical periods presented below are indicative of the reconciliations that will be prepared upon completion of the periods covered by the non-GAAP guidance.

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