Unit-Based Compensation Arrangements

12 Months Ended

Sep. 29, 2012

Unit-Based Compensation Arrangements [Abstract]

Unit-Based Compensation Arrangements

9. Unit-Based Compensation Arrangements

As described in Note 2, the Partnership recognizes compensation cost over the respective service period for employee services received in exchange for an award of equity, or equity-based compensation, based on the grant date fair value of the award. The Partnership measures liability awards under an equity-based payment arrangement based on remeasurement of the award’s fair value at the conclusion of each interim and annual reporting period until the date of settlement, taking into consideration the probability that the performance conditions will be satisfied.

Restricted Unit Plans. In fiscal 2000 and fiscal 2009, the Partnership adopted the Suburban Propane Partners, L.P. 2000 Restricted Unit Plan and 2009 Restricted Unit Plan (collectively, the “Restricted Unit Plans”), respectively, which authorizes the issuance of Common Units to executives, managers and other employees and members of the Board of Supervisors of the Partnership. The total number of Common Units authorized for issuance under the Restricted Unit Plans was 1,902,122 as of September 29, 2012. Unless otherwise stipulated by the Compensation Committee of the Partnership’s Board of Supervisors on or before the grant date, restricted units issued under the Restricted Unit Plans vest over time with 25% of the Common Units vesting at the end of each of the third and fourth anniversaries of the grant date and the remaining 50% of the Common Units vesting at the end of the fifth anniversary of the grant date. The Restricted Unit Plans participants are not eligible to receive quarterly distributions on, or vote their respective restricted units until vested. Restricted units cannot be sold or transferred prior to vesting. The value of the restricted unit is established by the market price of the Common Unit on the date of grant, net of estimated future distributions during the vesting period. Restricted units are subject to forfeiture in certain circumstances as defined in the Restricted Unit Plans. Compensation expense for the unvested awards is recognized ratably over the vesting periods and is net of estimated forfeitures.

The following is a summary of activity in the Restricted Unit Plans:

				Weighted Average
				Grant Date Fair
	Units			Value Per Unit
Outstanding September 26, 2009		415,295		$	28.89
Granted		160,771			32.11
Forfeited		(4,693	)		(30.31	)
Issued		(90,106	)		(30.37	)
Outstanding September 25, 2010		481,267			29.67
Granted		136,241			39.54
Forfeited		(21,290	)		(33.05	)
Issued		(110,795	)		(27.82	)
Outstanding September 24, 2011		485,423			32.71
Granted		108,674			32.60
Forfeited		(12,225	)		(30.78	)
Issued		(139,021	)		(33.14	)
Outstanding September 29, 2012		442,851		$	32.68

As of September 29, 2012, unrecognized compensation cost related to unvested restricted units awarded under the Restricted Unit Plans amounted to $5,430. Compensation cost associated with the unvested awards is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 1.9 years. Compensation expense for the Restricted Unit Plans for fiscal 2012, 2011 and 2010 was $4,059, $3,922 and $4,005, respectively.

Long-Term Incentive Plan. The Partnership has a non-qualified, unfunded long-term incentive plan for officers and key employees (the “LTIP”) which provides for payment, in the form of cash, for an award of equity-based compensation at the end of a three-year performance period. The level of compensation earned under the LTIP is based on the market performance of the Partnership’s Common Units on the basis of total return to Unitholders (“TRU”) compared to the TRU of a predetermined peer group comprised of other publicly traded partnerships (master limited partnerships), as approved by the Compensation Committee of the Partnership’s Board of Supervisors, over the same three-year performance period. Compensation expense, which includes adjustments to previously recognized compensation expense for current period changes in the fair value of unvested awards, for fiscal 2012, 2011 and 2010 was ($340), $1,504 and $3,058, respectively. The cash payouts in fiscal 2012, 2011 and 2010, which related to the fiscal 2009, 2008 and 2007 awards, were $3,336, $2,697 and $2,741, respectively.