DineEquity, Inc. (NYSE: DIN), the parent company of Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill & Bar and IHOP Restaurants, has provided a preview of its sales performance results for the fourth quarter and fiscal year ended December 31, 2010, along with other key financial performance updates. The Company is providing this information in conjunction with a proposed re-pricing of its senior secured term loan facility. DineEquity is pursuing an opportunistic re-pricing of its term loan facility at this time to take advantage of lower interest rates available in the current senior secured debt market. The proposed re-pricing of the Company’s bank debt is subject to market and other conditions.
Same-Restaurant Sales Performance
Applebee’s domestic system-wide same-restaurant sales increased 2.9% for the fourth quarter 2010 compared to the same period in 2009. The improvement was primarily due to ongoing marketing and operational initiatives and menu enhancements. Domestic franchise same-restaurant sales increased 3.4% and company-operated Applebee’s same-restaurant sales increased 0.3% for the fourth quarter 2010 compared to the same period in 2009. Fourth quarter 2010 results at Applebee’s company-operated restaurants reflected a higher average guest check partially offset by a decline in guest traffic compared to the same period in 2009. Menu pricing at company-operated restaurants for the fourth quarter 2010 increased 2.1%. For fiscal 2010, Applebee’s domestic system-wide same-restaurant sales increased 0.3% compared to the same period in 2009. For fiscal 2010, domestic franchise same-restaurant sales increased 0.6% and company-operated Applebee’s same-restaurant sales decreased 1.3% compared to the same period in 2009.
IHOP’s domestic system-wide same-restaurant sales increased 1.1% for the fourth quarter 2010 compared to the same period in 2009. The improvement was primarily due to the limited-time offer Fall Festival along with the promotion of Trick or Treat All-You-Can-Eat Pancakes. IHOP’s same-restaurant sales results for the fourth quarter 2010 reflected a higher average guest check offset by a decline in guest traffic. For fiscal 2010, IHOP’s domestic system-wide same-restaurant sales were flat compared to the same period in 2009.
Additional performance highlights for the fourth quarter and fiscal year ended December 31, 2010, along with other considerations, included:
- The Company’s twelve-month adjusted consolidated EBITDA performance for fiscal 2010 was approximately $360 million. Taking into account the impact of the sale of 83 company-operated Applebee’s restaurants in 2010 and the completed or pending sale of 66 company-operated Applebee’s restaurants in the first quarter 2011, the twelve-month consolidated EBITDA would have been approximately $324 million on a pro forma basis for fiscal 2010. [See non-GAAP financial measures below.] The Company believes that its increasingly franchised business model is less capital intensive and experiences less volatility in cash flow performance compared to the operation of company-operated restaurants.
- Since the completion of its corporate refinancing in October 2010 through December 31, 2010, DineEquity has reduced its debt balances by approximately $78 million. This reduction in debt was achieved from the use of free cash flow as well as from the sale of company-operated Applebee’s restaurants and a reduction in capital lease obligations. The Company’s total debt balance as of December 31, 2010 was approximately $2.07 billion.
- In the first quarter 2011, DineEquity successfully completed the sale of 36 company-operated Applebee’s restaurants located in St. Louis, Missouri and parts of Illinois. The transaction resulted in after-tax cash proceeds of $25 million, which was used to reduce bank debt. This transaction also reduced sale-leaseback related financing obligations by $11 million. DineEquity expects to complete the previously announced sale of 30 company-operated Applebee’s restaurants located in Washington D.C. and surrounding areas by the end of February 2011. This transaction is expected to result in after-tax proceeds of approximately $28 million and is expected to reduce sale-leaseback related financing obligations by approximately $20 million. As a result of these transactions and use of free cash flow for debt pay down in January 2011, DineEquity expects total debt to be approximately $1.93 billion at the time of re-pricing its bank debt. Total debt is expected to consist of a $742 million senior secured term loan facility, $825 million in senior unsecured notes, $215 million in financing obligations and $152 million in capital lease obligations.
- The Company expects to recognize a charge of approximately $8 million in the fourth quarter 2010 related to the default of an IHOP franchisee. Such charges are included in the “GAAP loss before income taxes” line item in the accompanying non-GAAP financial measures reconciliation below. The large majority of this write off relates to non-cash lease accounting charges. The Company believes this event was the result of the franchisee’s business activities unrelated to IHOP restaurants. The impacted restaurants are in the process of being sold to an existing IHOP franchisee.
The financial information included in this news release for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2010 is unaudited, subject to completion, reflects DineEquity’s current best estimates and may be revised as a result of management’s further review of the Company’s results. During the course of the preparation of its consolidated annual financial statements and related notes for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2010, the Company may identify items that require material adjustments to the preliminary financial information presented in this news release.
DineEquity will release full fourth quarter and fiscal 2010 financial results on Thursday, March 3, 2011.
Based in Glendale, California, DineEquity, Inc., through its subsidiaries, franchises and operates restaurants under the Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill & Bar and International House of Pancakes brands. With nearly 3,500 restaurants combined, DineEquity is the largest full-service restaurant company in the world. For more information on DineEquity, visit the Company’s Web site located at www.dineequity.com.