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Nature of Operations and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

12 Months Ended

Jul. 28, 2023

Nature of Operations and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Fiscal year – The Company’s fiscal year ends on the Friday nearest July 31st and each quarter consists of thirteen weeks unless noted otherwise. References in these Notes to a year or quarter are to the Company’s fiscal year or quarter unless noted otherwise.

GAAP – The accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the U.S. (“GAAP”).

Principles of consolidation

Principles of consolidation – The Consolidated Financial Statements include the accounts of the Company and its subsidiaries, all of which are wholly owned. All significant intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated.

Use of estimates

Use of estimates – Management of the Company has made certain estimates and assumptions relating to the reporting of assets and liabilities and the disclosure of contingent liabilities at the date of the Consolidated Financial Statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting periods to prepare these Consolidated Financial Statements in conformity with GAAP. Management believes that such estimates have been based on reasonable and supportable assumptions and that the resulting estimates are reasonable for use in the preparation of the Consolidated Financial Statements. Actual results, however, could differ from those estimates.

External impacts to the Company's operating environment

External impacts to the Company’s operating environment – The Company’s operating results have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and other macroeconomic conditions. During 2021, the Company’s business began recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic, but the Company continued to see negative impacts on the Company’s sales and traffic as a result of both changes in consumer behavior and federal, state and local governmental authorities’ continuation of various restrictions on travel, group gatherings and dine-in services. Dining room service was operational to varying degrees, yet most locations were impacted at times by capacity restrictions, social distancing guidelines, and decreased consumer demand for in-person dining. In 2022, the Company continued to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic; however, the Company believes outbreaks of new variants adversely impacted consumer demand in 2022. While the Company’s dining rooms operated without COVID-related restrictions in 2023, it is possible that renewed outbreaks, increases in cases and/or new variants of the disease, either as part of a national trend or on a more localized basis, could result in COVID-19-related restrictions including capacity restrictions or otherwise limit the Company’s dine-in services, or negatively affect consumer demand. In 2023 and 2022, the Company experienced inflationary conditions with respect to the cost for food, ingredients, retail merchandise, transportation, distribution, labor and utilities resulting, in part, from economic pressures related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Cash and cash equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents – The Company’s policy is to consider all highly liquid investments purchased with an original maturity of three months or less to be cash equivalents.

Accounts receivable

Accounts receivable – Accounts receivable represent their estimated net realizable value. Accounts receivable are written off when they are deemed uncollectible.

Inventories – Cost of restaurant inventory is determined by the first-in, first-out (“FIFO”) method. Retail inventories are valued using the retail inventory method (“RIM”) except at the retail distribution center which are valued using moving average cost. Approximately 60% of retail inventories are valued using RIM. Retail inventories valued using RIM are stated at the lower of cost or market. Cost of restaurant inventory and retail inventory valued using moving average cost are stated at the lower of cost and net realizable value. See Note 3 for additional information regarding the components of inventory.

Valuation provisions are included for retail inventory obsolescence, retail inventory shrinkage, returns and amortization of certain items. The estimate of retail inventory shrinkage is adjusted upon physical inventory counts. Annual physical inventory counts are conducted based upon a cyclical inventory schedule. An estimate of shrinkage is recorded for the time period between physical inventory counts by using a two-year average of the physical inventories’ results on a store-by-store basis.

Property and equipment

Property and equipment – Property and equipment are stated at cost. For financial reporting purposes, depreciation and amortization on these assets are computed by use of the straight-line and double-declining balance methods over the estimated useful lives of the respective assets, as follows:

	Years
Buildings and improvements	30-45
Restaurant and other equipment	2-10
Leasehold improvements	1-35

Accelerated depreciation methods are generally used for income tax purposes.

Total depreciation expense and depreciation expense related to store operations for each of the three years are as follows:

		2023				2022				2021
Total depreciation expense		$	103,691			$	102,297			$	107,090
Depreciation expense related to store operations*			96,339				96,243				100,054

*Depreciation expense related to store operations is included in other store operating expenses in the Consolidated Statements of Income.

Gain or loss is recognized upon disposal of property and equipment. The asset and related accumulated depreciation and amortization amounts are removed from the accounts.

Maintenance and repairs, including the replacement of minor items, are charged to expense and major additions to property and equipment are capitalized.

Impairment of long-lived assets

Impairment of long-lived assets – The Company assesses the impairment of long-lived assets whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value of an asset may not be recoverable. Recoverability of assets is measured by comparing the carrying value of the asset to the undiscounted future cash flows expected to be generated by the asset. If the total expected future cash flows are less than the carrying value of the asset, the carrying value is written down, for an asset to be held and used, to the estimated fair value or, for an asset to be disposed of, to the fair value, net of estimated costs of disposal. Any loss resulting from impairment is recognized by a charge to income. During 2023, six Cracker Barrel locations were determined to be impaired and the Company recorded an impairment charge of $11,692, which is included in the impairment and store closing costs line on the Consolidated Statement of Income.

Goodwill and other intangible assets

Goodwill and other intangible assets – The Company accounts for all transactions that represent business combinations using the acquisition method of accounting, where the identifiable assets acquired and the liabilities assumed are recognized and measured at their fair values on the date the Company obtains control in the acquiree. Such fair values that are not finalized for reporting periods following the acquisition date are estimated and recorded as estimated amounts. Adjustments to these estimated amounts during the measurement period (defined as the date through which all information required to identify and measure the consideration transferred, the assets acquired and the liabilities assumed has been obtained, limited to one year from the acquisition date) are recorded when identified. Goodwill is determined as the excess of the fair value of the consideration conveyed in the acquisition over the fair value of the net assets acquired. Goodwill and other intangibles are evaluated for impairment annually on June 1 or more frequently if events occur or circumstances change that, more likely than not, reduce the fair value of the reporting unit below its carrying value. At July 28, 2023 and July 29, 2022, the Company does not have any reporting units that are at risk of failing step one of the impairment test. At both July 28, 2023 and July 29, 2022, goodwill of $4,690 consisted of the Company’s acquisition of its 100% ownership of Maple Street Biscuit Company (“MSBC”), a breakfast and lunch fast casual concept.

Other intangibles primarily consist of the MSBC tradename and liquor licenses. The MSBC tradename was capitalized as an indefinite-lived intangible asset and, at both July 28, 2023 and July 29, 2022, was $20,960. The costs of obtaining non-transferable liquor licenses that are directly issued by local government agencies for nominal fees are expensed as incurred. The costs of purchasing transferable liquor licenses through open markets in jurisdictions with a limited number of authorized liquor licenses are capitalized as indefinite-lived intangible assets. Liquor licenses capitalized as intangible assets were $2,290 and $105, respectively, at July 28, 2023 and July 29, 2022.

Convertible Senior Notes

Convertible Senior Notes – In June 2021, the Company completed a $300,000 principal aggregate amount private offering of 0.625% convertible Senior Notes due in 2026 (the “Notes”). In accordance with accounting guidance on embedded conversion features indexed to and settled in equity, the Company valued and bifurcated the conversion option associated with the Notes from the respective host debt instrument. The carrying amount of the equity is recorded as a debt discount and represents the difference between the proceeds from the issuance of the Notes and the fair value of the liability component of the Notes. The significant assumptions used in the fair value of the liability component of the Notes were risk-free rate, discount rate based on the Company’s implied credit spread and term of the Notes, expected volatility of the Company’s stock price and dividend yield. The resulting debt discount on the Notes is amortized to interest expense using the effective interest method over the contractual term of the Notes. In addition, the debt issuance costs related to the issuance of the Notes were allocated between the liability and equity components based on their relative values. Debt issuance costs attributable to the liability component were recorded as a contra-liability and are presented net against the Notes balance on the Company’s consolidated balance sheets. These costs are amortized to interest expense using the effective interest method over the term of the Notes.

Due to the Company’s adoption of new accounting guidance for convertible instruments on July 31, 2021, the Company no longer bifurcates the Notes into a liability and an equity component in the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheets. Upon adoption of this new accounting guidance, the Notes are accounted for entirely as a liability, and the issuance costs of the Notes are accounted for wholly as debt issuance costs. The equity conversion feature that was recorded to equity, as well as the unamortized debt discount and amortization expense attributable to equity, have been derecognized.

Derivative instruments and hedging activities

Derivative instruments and hedging activities – The Company is exposed to market risk, such as changes in interest rates and commodity prices. The Company has interest rate risk relative to its outstanding borrowings under the revolving credit facility (see Note 4). The Company’s policy has been to manage interest cost using a mix of fixed and variable rate debt. To manage this risk in a cost-efficient manner, prior to 2022, the Company used derivative instruments, specifically interest rate swaps. In the fourth quarter of 2021, the Company terminated all of its interest rate swaps and issued the Notes (see discussion above under “Convertible Senior Notes” and Note 5 for further information).

Prior to the termination of the interest rate swaps in the fourth quarter of 2021, all of the Company’s interest rate swaps were accounted for as cash flow hedges. For derivative instruments that were designated and qualify as a cash flow hedge, the gain or loss on the derivative instrument was reported as a component of other comprehensive income and reclassified into earnings in the same period during which the hedged transaction affected earnings and was presented in the same statement of income line item as the earnings effect of the hedged item. Gains and losses on the derivative instrument representing hedge components excluded from the assessment of effectiveness, if any, are recognized currently in earnings in the same statement of income line item as the earnings effect of the hedged item. The Company did not elect to reclassify income tax effects resulting from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act to retained earnings; income tax effects are released on an individual basis to income tax expense.

Companies may elect whether or not to offset related assets and liabilities and report the net amount on their financial statements if the right of setoff exists. Under a master netting agreement, the Company has the legal right to offset the amounts owed to the Company against amounts owed by the Company under a derivative instrument that exists between the Company and a counterparty. When the Company is engaged in more than one outstanding derivative transaction with the same counterparty and also has a legally enforceable master netting agreement with that counterparty, its credit risk exposure is based on the net exposure under the master netting agreement. If, on a net basis, the Company owes the counterparty, the Company regards its credit exposure to the counterparty as being zero.

The Company does not hold or use derivative instruments for trading purposes. The Company also does not have any derivatives not designated as hedging instruments and has not designated any non-derivatives as hedging instruments. See Note 5 for additional information on the Company’s derivative and hedging activities.

Segment reporting

Segment reporting – Operating segments are components of an enterprise about which separate financial information is available that is evaluated regularly by the chief operating decision maker in deciding how to allocate resources and in assessing performance. Using these criteria, the Company manages its business on the basis of one reportable operating segment (see Note 7 for additional information regarding segment reporting).

Unredeemed gift cards and certificates

Unredeemed gift cards and certificates – Unredeemed gift cards and certificates represent a liability of the Company related to unearned income and are recorded at their expected redemption value. No revenue is recognized in connection with the point-of-sale transaction when gift cards or gift certificates are sold. Any amounts remitted to states under escheat or similar laws reduce the Company’s deferred revenue liability and have no effect on revenue or expense while any amounts that the Company is permitted to retain are recorded as revenue. See “Revenue recognition” section in this Note for information regarding breakage.

Revenue recognition

Revenue recognition – Revenue consists primarily of sales from restaurant and retail operations. The Company recognizes revenue when it satisfies a performance obligation by transferring control over a product or service to a restaurant guest, retail customer or other customer. The Company recognizes revenues from restaurant sales when payment is tendered at the point of sale, as the Company’s performance obligation to provide food and beverages is satisfied. The Company recognizes revenues from retail sales when payment is tendered at the point of sale, as the Company’s performance obligation to provide merchandise is satisfied. Ecommerce sales, including shipping revenue, are recorded upon delivery to the customer. Additionally, the Company provides for estimated returns based on return history and sales levels. The Company’s policy is to present sales in the Consolidated Statements of Income on a net presentation basis after deducting sales tax.

Included in restaurant and retail revenue is gift card breakage. Customer purchases of gift cards, to be utilized at the Company’s stores, are not recognized as sales until the card is redeemed and the customer purchases food and/or merchandise. Gift cards do not carry an expiration date; therefore, customers can redeem their gift cards indefinitely. A certain number of gift cards will not be fully redeemed. Management estimates unredeemed balances and recognizes gift card breakage revenue for these amounts in the Company’s Consolidated Statements of Income over the expected redemption period. Gift card breakage is recognized when the likelihood of a gift card being redeemed by the customer is remote and the Company determines that there is not a legal obligation to remit the unredeemed gift card balance to the relevant jurisdiction. The determination of the gift card breakage rate is based upon the Company’s specific historical redemption patterns. The Company recognizes gift card breakage by applying its estimate of the rate of gift card breakage over the period of estimated redemption. For 2023, 2022 and 2021, gift card breakage was $10,713, $9,572, and $6,349, respectively. Revenue recognized in the Consolidated Statements of Income for 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively, for the redemption of gift cards which were included in the deferred revenue balance at the beginning of the fiscal year was $40,103, $42,169, and $42,266, respectively. Deferred revenue related to the Company’s gift cards was $88,566 and $93,569, respectively, at July 28, 2023 and July 29, 2022.

Insurance – The Company self-insures a significant portion of its workers’ compensation and general liability programs. The Company purchases insurance for individual workers’ compensation claims that exceed $750 or $1,000 depending on the state in which the claim originates. The Company purchases insurance for individual general liability claims that exceed $500.

The Company records a reserve for workers’ compensation and general liability for all unresolved claims and for an estimate of incurred but not reported claims (“IBNR”). These reserves and estimates of IBNR claims are based upon a full scope actuarial study which is performed annually at the end of the Company’s third quarter and is adjusted by the actuarially determined losses and actual claims payments for the fourth quarter. Additionally, the Company performs limited scope actuarial studies on a quarterly basis to verify and/or modify the Company’s reserves. The reserves and losses in the actuarial study represent a range of possible outcomes within which no given estimate is more likely than any other estimate. As such, the Company records the losses at the lower half of that range and discounts them to present value using a risk-free interest rate based on projected timing of payments. The Company also monitors actual claims development, including incurrence or settlement of individual large claims during the interim periods between actuarial studies as another means of estimating the adequacy of its reserves.

The Company’s group health plans combine the use of self-insured and fully-insured programs. Benefits for any individual (employee or dependents) in the self-insured program are limited. The Company records a liability for the self-insured portion of its group health program for all unpaid claims based upon a loss development analysis derived from actual group health claims payment experience. The Company also records a liability for unpaid prescription drug claims based on historical experience.

Store pre-opening costs

Store pre-opening costs – Start-up costs of a new store are expensed when incurred.

Leases – The Company’s leases are classified as either finance or operating leases. The Company has ground leases for its leased stores and office space leases that are recorded as operating leases under various non-cancellable operating leases. The Company also leases its advertising billboards, vehicle fleets and certain equipment under various non-cancellable operating leases. To determine whether a contract is or contains a lease, the Company determines at contract inception whether it contains the right to control the use of an identified asset for a period of time in exchange for consideration. If the contract has the right to obtain substantially all of the economic benefit from use of the identified asset and the right to direct the use of the identified asset, the Company recognizes a right-of-use asset and lease liability.

The Company’s leases all have varying terms and expire at various dates through 2058. Restaurant leases typically have base terms of ten years with four to five optional renewal periods of five years each. The Company uses a lease life that generally begins on the commencement date, including the rent holiday periods, and generally extends through certain renewal periods that can be exercised at the Company’s option. During rent holiday periods, which include the pre-opening period during construction, the Company has possession of and access to the property, but is not obligated to, and normally does not, make rent payments. The Company has included lease renewal options in the lease term for calculations of the right-of-use asset and liability for which at the commencement of the lease it is reasonably certain that the Company will exercise those renewal options. Additionally, some of the leases have contingent rent provisions and others require adjustments for inflation or index. Contingent rent is determined as a percentage of gross sales in excess of specified levels. The Company records a contingent rent liability and corresponding rent expense when it is probable sales have been achieved in amounts in excess of the specified levels. The Company’s lease agreements do not contain any material residual value guarantees or material restrictive covenants.

Advertising – The Company expenses the costs of producing advertising the first time the advertising takes place. Other advertising costs are expensed as incurred.

Advertising expense for each of the three years was as follows:

		2023				2022				2021
Advertising expense		$	89,798			$	89,850			$	83,630

Share-based compensation

Share-based compensation – The Company’s share-based compensation consists of nonvested stock awards and units. Share-based compensation is recorded in general and administrative expenses in the Consolidated Statements of Income. Share-based compensation expense is recognized based on the grant date fair value and the achievement of performance conditions for certain awards. The Company recognizes share-based compensation expense on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period, which is generally the award’s vesting period, or to the date on which retirement eligibility is achieved, if shorter.

Certain nonvested stock awards and units contain performance conditions. Compensation expense for performance-based awards is recognized when it is probable that the performance criteria will be met. If any performance goals are not met, no compensation expense is ultimately recognized and, to the extent previously recognized, compensation expense is reversed.

If a share-based compensation award is modified after the grant date, incremental compensation expense is recognized in an amount equal to the excess of the fair value of the modified award over the fair value of the original award immediately before the modification. Incremental compensation expense for vested awards is recognized immediately. For unvested awards, the sum of the incremental compensation expense and the remaining unrecognized compensation expense for the original award on the modification date is recognized over the modified service period.

Additionally, the Company’s policy is to issue shares of common stock to satisfy exercises of share-based compensation awards.

Income taxes – The Company’s provision for income taxes includes employer tax credits for FICA taxes paid on employee tip income and other employer tax credits are accounted for by the flow-through method. Deferred income taxes reflect the net tax effects of temporary differences between the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities for financial reporting purposes and the amounts used for income tax purposes. The Company recognizes (or derecognizes) a tax position taken or expected to be taken in a tax return in the financial statements when it is more likely than not (i.e., a likelihood of more than fifty percent) that the position would be sustained (or not sustained) upon examination by tax authorities. A recognized tax position is then measured at the largest amount of benefit that is greater than fifty percent likely of being realized upon ultimate settlement. The Company recognizes, net of tax, interest and estimated penalties related to uncertain tax positions in its provision for income taxes. See Note 12 for additional information regarding income taxes.

Comprehensive income

Comprehensive income – Comprehensive income includes net income and the effective unrealized portion of the changes in the fair value of the Company’s interest rate swaps. The Company terminated all of its interest rate swaps in 2021.

Net income per share

Net income per share – Basic consolidated net income per share is computed by dividing consolidated net income available to common shareholders by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding for the reporting period. Diluted consolidated net income per share reflects the potential dilution that could occur if securities, options or other contracts to issue common stock were exercised or converted into common stock and is based upon the weighted average number of common and common equivalent shares outstanding during the reporting period. Common equivalent shares related to nonvested stock awards and units issued by the Company are calculated using the treasury stock method. The outstanding nonvested stock awards and units issued by the Company represent the only dilutive effects on diluted consolidated net income per share. Prior to the adoption of new accounting guidance for convertible instruments in 2022, the Company’s convertible senior notes and related warrants were calculated using the treasury stock method. Beginning in 2022, the convertible senior notes and related warrants are calculated using the net share settlement option under the if-converted method. Because the principal amount of the convertible senior notes will be settled in cash with any excess conversion value settled in cash or shares of common stock, the convertible senior notes have been excluded from the computation of diluted earnings per share because the average market price of the Company’s common stock during the reporting period did not exceed the conversion price of $169.80 as of July 28, 2023. Warrants were excluded from the computation of diluted earnings per share since the warrants’ strike price of $237.73 was greater than the average market price of the Company’s common stock during the period. See Note 13 for additional information regarding net income per share and Note 4 for additional information regarding the Company’s convertible senior notes.