UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 10-K
| [X] | ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
For the year ended December 31, 2017
OR
| [ ] | TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
Muscle Maker, INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
| California | 000-55918 | 47-2555533 | ||
(State or other jurisdiction of |
(Commission | (I.R.S. Employer | ||
| incorporation) | File No.) | Identification No.) |
308 East Renfro Street, Suite 101
Burleson, Texas 76028
(Address of principal executive offices)
Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (832)-632-1386
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
NONE
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:
Common Stock, no par value
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes [ ] No [X]
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. Yes [ ] No [X]
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to the filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes [X] No [ ]
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files). Yes [X] No [ ]
Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K. [ ]
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act (check one):
| Large accelerated filer | [ ] | Accelerated filer | [ ] | |
| Non-accelerated filer | [ ] | (Do not check if a smaller reporting company) | Smaller reporting company | [X] |
Emerging growth company [X]
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. [ ]
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act). Yes [ ] No [X]
State the aggregate market value of the voting and non-voting common equity held by non-affiliates computed by reference to the price at which the common equity was last sold, or the average bid and asked price of such common equity, as of the last business day of the registrant’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter.
The common stock of Muscle Maker Inc. is not listed on any securities exchange or quoted on any automated quotation system. Accordingly, no aggregate market value of Muscle Maker, Inc.’s common stock held.
As of February 25, 2019, there were 7,803,881 shares of common stock outstanding.
DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE
None.
MUSCLE MAKER, INC
ANNUAL REPORT ON FORM 10-K
YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2017
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Forward-Looking Statements
This Annual Report contains forward-looking statements as that term is defined in the federal securities laws. The events described in forward-looking statements contained in this Annual Report may not occur. Generally these statements relate to business plans or strategies, projected or anticipated benefits or other consequences of our plans or strategies, projected or anticipated benefits from acquisitions to be made by us, or projections involving anticipated revenues, earnings or other aspects of our operating results. The words “may,” “will,” “expect,” “believe,” “anticipate,” “project,” “plan,” “forecast,” “model,” “proposal,” “should,” “may,” “intend,” “estimate,” and “continue,” and their opposites and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. We caution you that these statements are not guarantees of future performance or events and are subject to a number of uncertainties, risks and other influences, many of which are beyond our control that may influence the accuracy of the statements and the projections upon which the statements are based. Factors which may affect our results include, but are not limited to, the risks and uncertainties discussed in Item 7 of this Annual Report under “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Result of Operations”.
Any one or more of these uncertainties, risks and other influences could materially affect our results of operations and whether forward-looking statements made by us ultimately prove to be accurate. Our actual results, performance and achievements could differ materially from those expressed or implied in these forward-looking statements. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether from new information, future events or otherwise
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| ITEM 1. | BUSINESS. |
Our Business Overview
Muscle Maker is a fast casual restaurant concept that specializes in preparing healthy-inspired, high-quality, fresh, made-to-order lean, protein-based meals featuring chicken, seafood, pasta, burgers, wraps and flat breads. In addition, we feature freshly prepared entrée salads and an appealing selection of sides, protein shakes and fruit smoothies. We operate in the fast casual restaurant segment.
We believe our healthier restaurant concept delivers a highly differentiated customer experience. We combine the quality and hospitality that customers commonly associate with our full service and fast casual restaurant competitors with the convenience and value customers generally expect from traditional fast food restaurants, but in a healthier way. The following core values form the foundation of our brand:
| ● | Quality. Commitment to provide high quality, healthy-inspired food for a wonderful experience. | |
| ● | Empowerment and Respect. We seek to empower our employees to take initiative and give their best while respecting themselves and others to maintain an environment for team work and growth. | |
| ● | Service. Provide world class service to achieve excellence each passing day. | |
| ● | Value. Our combination of high-quality, healthy-inspired food, empowerment of our employees, world class service, all delivered at an affordable price, strengthens the value proposition for our customers. |
In striving for these goals, we aspire to connect with our target market and create a great brand with a strong and loyal customer base.
As of December 31, 2017, Muscle Maker and its subsidiaries and franchisees operated 53 Muscle Maker Grill restaurants located in 15 states and Kuwait, 13 of which are owned and operated by Muscle Maker, and 40 are franchise restaurants. Our restaurants generated company-operated restaurant revenue of $5,215,285 and $2,735,222 for the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively. For the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016, total company revenues, which includes revenue derived from franchisees were $7,929,137 and $4,953,205, respectively. For the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016, we reported net losses of $15,567,751 and $4,219,687, respectively, and negative cash flows from operating activities of $3,676,999 and $2,110,702, respectively. As of December 31, 2017, we had an aggregate accumulated deficit of $17,052,086. We anticipate that we will continue to report losses and negative cash flow. As a result of the net loss and cash flow deficit for the year ended December 31, 2017 and other factors, our independent auditors issued an audit opinion with respect to our financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2017 that indicated that there is a substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern.
We are the owner of the trade name and service mark Muscle Maker Grill® and other trademarks and intellectual property we use in connection with the operation of Muscle Maker Grill® restaurants. We license the right to use the Muscle Maker Grill® trademarks and intellectual property to our wholly-owned subsidiaries, Muscle Maker Development and Muscle Maker Corp., and to further sublicense them to our franchisees for use in connection with Muscle Maker Grill® restaurants.
Seasonal factors and the timing of holidays cause our revenue to fluctuate from quarter to quarter. Our revenue per restaurant is typically lower in the fourth quarter due to reduced November and December traffic and higher traffic in the first, second, and third quarters.
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Our Industry
We operate within the LSR (Limited Service Restaurant) segment of the U.S. restaurant industry, which includes QSR and fast-casual restaurants. We offer fast-casual quality food combined with quick-service speed, convenience and value across multiple dayparts. We believe our differentiated, high-quality healthier menu delivers great value all day, every day and positions us to compete successfully against both QSR and fast-casual concepts, providing us with a large addressable market.
We expect that the upward trend towards healthier eating will attract and increase consumer demand for fresh and hand-prepared dishes, leading to a positive impact on our sales.
Our Strategy
We plan to pursue the following strategies to grow our revenues and profits.
Expand Our System-Wide Restaurant Base. We believe we are in the early stages of our turn-around growth story with 40 current locations in 15 states and Kuwait, as of February 25, 2019.
| ● | Our near term strategy focuses on two areas of unit level growth – company-operated restaurants in non-traditional locations such as military bases and franchise growth by expanding in existing markets, especially in the Northeast region of the United States. We believe this market provides an attractive opportunity to leverage our brand awareness and infrastructure. | |
| ● | For the year ended 2017, we opened 6 new company-operated and 6 new franchised restaurants. For the year ended 2018, we opened 1 new company-operated and 5 new franchise restaurants. The company plans on opening 6 to 8 new company-operated restaurants and 4 to 6 franchise operated locations in 2019. In addition to the US based franchise locations, our international franchisee in Kuwait opened 1 location in fiscal 2017, no locations in fiscal 2018 and plans on opening 1 to 2 locations in fiscal 2019. |
Improve Comparable Restaurant Sales. We plan to improve comparable restaurant sales growth through the following strategies:
| ● | Menu Strategy and Evolution. We will continue to adapt our menu to create entrees that complement our health-inspired offerings and that reinforce our differentiated fast casual positioning. We believe we have opportunities for menu innovation as we look to provide customers more choices through customization and limited time alternative proteins, recipes and other healthier ingredients. Our marketing and operations teams collaborate to ensure that the items developed in our test stores can be executed to our high standards in our restaurants with the speed and value that our customers have come to expect. To provide added variety, from time to time we introduce limited time offerings such as our grass-fed burger bar menu, “wrappy” new year featuring 6 new healthy wraps, fish tacos and other seasonal items. Some of these items have been permanently added to the menu. | |
| ● | Attract New Customers Through Expanded Brand Awareness: We expect to attract new customers as Muscle Maker Grill becomes more widely known due to new restaurant openings and marketing efforts focused on broadening the reach and appeal of our brand. We expect consumers will become more familiar with Muscle Maker Grill as we continue to penetrate our markets, which we believe will benefit our existing restaurant base. Our marketing strategy centers on our “Great Food with Your Health in Mind” campaign, which highlights the desirability of healthy-inspired food and in-house made or proprietary recipe quality of our food. We also utilize social media community engagement and public relations to increase the reach of our brand. Additionally, our system will benefit from increased contributions to our franchise marketing and various franchise advertising funds as we continue to grow our restaurant base. |
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| ● | Increase Existing Customer Frequency: We are striving to increase customer frequency by providing a service experience and environment that “complements” the quality of our food and models our culture. We expect to accomplish this by enhancing customer engagement, while also improving throughput, order execution and quality. We not only reward our guests with a great value and guest experience, we reward them for their loyalty as well. Frequent Muscle Maker Grill guests can take advantage of its loyalty program, Muscle Maker Grill Rewards, where points are awarded for every dollar spent towards free or discounted menu items. Members use the Muscle Maker Grill Rewards app to receive notifications announcing new menu items, special events and more. The program is enjoyed by over 25,000 guests today. | |
| ● | Continue to Grow Dayparts: We currently have multiple dayparts and segments where revenue is generated in our restaurants. These dayparts and segments include: breakfast (select locations), lunch, dinner, catering, grab & go (select locations), smoothies/protein shakes and meal plans. We expect to drive growth across these dayparts through enhanced menu offerings, innovative merchandising and marketing campaigns. We plan to continue introducing and marketing limited time offers to increase occasions across our dayparts as well as to educate customers on our lunch and dinner offerings. Muscle Maker Grill has the unique opportunity to grow in the pre-packaged, portion controlled meal plan category. Currently, we offer pre-portioned and packaged meal plans for consumers who want to specifically plan their weekly meals for dietary or nutritional needs. These meal plans can be delivered to a consumer’s home or picked up at each restaurant location. Third party delivery services such as Uber Eats, Grub Hub, DoorDash, Seamless and others offer an expansion beyond the four walls of our restaurants and represents a growing segment of our overall revenue. |
Improve Profitability. We continuously look for ways to improve profitability, while also investing in personnel and infrastructure to support our future growth. We will seek to further enhance margins over the long-term by maintaining fiscal discipline and leveraging fixed costs. We constantly focus on restaurant-level operations, including cost controls, while ensuring that we do not sacrifice the quality and service for which we are known. Additionally, as our restaurant base grows, we believe we will be able to leverage support costs as general and administrative expenses grow at a slower rate than our revenues.
Our Strengths
Iconic and Unique Concept: We provide guests healthier versions of mainstream-favorite dishes that taste great, making it convenient, affordable and enjoyable to eat healthier. Our diverse menu was created for everyone – fitness enthusiasts, those starting their journey to a healthier lifestyle, and people trying to eat better while on-the-go. Now, guests can have delicious, nutritionally balanced food without the regret. More than just food, our restaurants are a friendly, relaxed and social environment where guests can enjoy great-tasting food and engage with fellow health enthusiasts in their area.
We are focused on expanding our presence within new and existing markets by continuing to add franchise partners to our system and increasing the number of corporate-owned locations. Our corporate-owned restaurants will focus on an expansion in non-traditional locations such as military bases. The company believes its concept is a unique fit with the military’s “Operation Live Well” campaign and a focus on healthier eating habits.
Innovative, Healthier Menu: Providing “Great Food with Your Health in Mind,” Muscle Maker Grill’s menu features items with grass-fed steak, all-natural chicken, lean turkey and plant-based products as well as options that satisfy all dietary preferences – from the carb-free consumer to guests following gluten-free or vegetarian diets. Muscle Maker Grill does not sacrifice taste to serve healthy options. We boast superfoods such as avocado, kale, quinoa, broccoli, romaine and spinach, and use only healthier carb options such as cauliflower or brown rice and whole wheat pasta. We develop and source proprietary sauces and fat free or zero-carb dressings to enhance our unique flavor profiles. Our open style kitchen allows guests to experience our preparation and cooking methods such as an open flame grill and sauté. In addition to our healthier and diverse food platform, Muscle Maker Grill offers 100% real fruit smoothies, boosters and proprietary protein shakes as well as retail supplements
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Muscle Maker Grill prides itself on making healthier versions of the guest’s favorite food, giving them easy access to the food they love, without any guilt. This means catering to an array of healthy eating lifestyles. For over 20 years Muscle Maker Grill has been keeping gluten-free diners, low-carb consumers and vegetarians satisfied. We offer 30+ healthier versions of salads, wraps, bowls, sandwiches and flatbreads.
Cook to Order Preparation: Our guests can expect to enjoy their healthier meals prepared in less time than a typical fast casual restaurant. While our service time may be slightly higher than the QSR segment, it fits well within the range of the fast-casual segment.
Daypart Mix and Revenue Streams: Standard operating hours for a Muscle Maker Grill are from 10:30 AM to 8:30 PM, Monday through Friday, 11:00 AM to 6 PM, Saturday and Sunday. However, many of our locations are closed on Sunday. Our daypart mix is typical to the QSR fast casual segment which is 5% pre-lunch, 45% lunch, 35% dinner and 15% late evening. We have multiple revenue streams including: dine-in, take-out, delivery, catering, meal plans and retail. We also have franchisees that leverage grab & go coolers as well as food trucks.
Attractive Price Point and Perceived Value: Muscle Maker Grill offers meals with free ‘power sides’ beginning at $8.99, using only the highest quality ingredients such as grass-fed beef, all natural chicken, whole wheat pastas, brown rice and a power blend of kale, romaine and spinach. Our cook to order method, speed of service, hospitality and the experience of our exhibition style kitchen creates a great value perception for our customers. Meal Plan meals begin at $8 a meal making them not only convenient but affordable too.
Delivery: A significant differentiator is that Muscle Maker Grill offers delivery at every location nation-wide. Delivery is an option through our mobile app or online ordering platform making it easy and convenient for our guests. Delivery percentages range from 10% up to 56% of sales. We strongly believe this segment will continue to grow as our core demographic has demonstrated the need for online ordering and delivery versus dine-in and take-out. The company leverages our own employees for local delivery but also uses third party services such as Uber Eats, GrubHub, DoorDash, Seamless and others to fulfill delivery orders.
Catering: Our diverse menu items are also offered through our catering program making it easy and affordable to feed a large group. We can feed a group ranging from 10 to 5,000. Our boxed lunch program, which includes a wrap, salad, or entrée, a side and a drink for a set price is available within schools and other organizations.
Meal Plans: To make healthier eating even easier, Muscle Maker Grill’s healthier nutritionally-focused menu items are available through its Meal Plan program, allowing pre-orders of meals that taste great via phone, online or in-store, available for pick up or delivered right to their door. Available as five, 10, 15 or 20 meals, guests can choose from 28 Muscle Maker Grill menu items, including the Hollywood Salad, Turkey Meatball Wrap, Arizona and many more.
Retail: All Muscle Maker Grill locations participate in our retail merchandising and supplement program. This is a unique revenue stream specific to the Muscle Maker Grill brand and is atypical in the QSR fast casual segment. Guests can purchase our propriety protein in bulk, supplements, boosters, protein and meal replacement bars and cookies. This program gives our guests the opportunity to manage their healthy lifestyle beyond the four walls of our restaurants.
Grab and Go Kiosks: Muscle Maker Grill offers grab and go kiosks both in the restaurants and non-traditional locations. The kiosks are comprised of 10 to 12 core meal plan menu items. We have positioned the kiosks so that guests can grab a meal on the run. These meals are convenient to guests that chose not to dine in or want additional meals for themselves or family members.
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Our Properties
Rent Structure: Our restaurants are typically in-line or food court locations. A typical restaurant generally ranges from 1,200 to 2,500 square feet with seating for approximately 40 people. Our leases for company-operated locations generally have terms of 5 years, with 1 or 2 renewal terms of 5 years. Restaurant leases provide for a specified annual rent, and some leases call for additional or contingent rent based on revenue above specified levels. Generally, our leases are “net leases” that require us to pay a pro rata share of taxes, insurance and maintenance costs. New leases for military locations usually have rent calculated as a percentage of net sales. The company does not guarantee performance or have any liability regarding franchise location leases.
System-Wide Restaurant Counts: As of December 31, 2017, our restaurant system consisted of 53 restaurants comprised of 13 company-operated restaurants and 40 franchised restaurants located in Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Massachusetts, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Texas and Virginia.
Through January 28, 2019, the company closed 8 of the 13 company-operated locations as a cost saving measure while opening 1 new company-operated location in Fort Sill, Oklahoma. The opening of the Fort Sill location represents a strategy shift for company-operated locations to focus on non-traditional restaurants such as military bases or administrative buildings. The company currently has a new second location at Fort Benning under lease/construction.
As of February 25, 2019, company-operated, franchised and total system-wide restaurants by jurisdiction are:
| State | Company-Owned Restaurants | Franchise Restaurants | Total Restaurants | |||||||||
| Arizona | - | 1 | 1 | |||||||||
| California | 1 | 2 | 3 | |||||||||
| Florida | - | 3 | 3 | |||||||||
| Georgia | 1 | - | 1 | |||||||||
| Illinois | - | 2 | 2 | |||||||||
| Kansas | - | 1 | 1 | |||||||||
| Massachusetts | - | 1 | 1 | |||||||||
| Nevada | - | 1 | 1 | |||||||||
| New Jersey | 1 | 6 | 7 | |||||||||
| New York | 1 | 4 | 5 | |||||||||
| North Carolina | - | 2 | 2 | |||||||||
| Oklahoma | 1 | - | 1 | |||||||||
| Pennsylvania | - | 2 | 2 | |||||||||
| Texas | 1 | 6 | 7 | |||||||||
| Virginia | - | 2 | 2 | |||||||||
| Kuwait | - | 1 | 1 | |||||||||
| TOTAL | 6 | 34 | 40 | |||||||||
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Site Selection Process: We consider the location of a restaurant to be a critical variable in its long-term success, and as such, we devote significant effort to the investigation and evaluation of potential restaurant locations. Our in-house management team has extensive experience developing hundreds of locations for various brands. We use a combination of our in-house team and outside real estate consultants to locate, evaluate and negotiate new sites using various criteria including demographic characteristics, daytime population thresholds and traffic patterns, along with the potential visibility of, and accessibility to, the restaurant. The process for selecting locations incorporates management’s and franchisee’s experience and expertise and includes data collection and analysis. Additionally, we use information and intelligence gathered from managers and other restaurant personnel that live in or near the neighborhoods we are considering.
A typical Muscle Maker Grill may be free standing or located in malls, airports, gyms, strip shopping centers, health clubs, military bases, non-traditional or highly concentrated business and residential demographic areas. Customers order their food at the counter and food servers deliver the food to the appropriate table. A typical restaurant located in urban and suburban settings ranges from 1,200 to 2,500 square feet. Based on our experience and results, we are currently focused on developing inline sites for franchising and non-traditional locations such as military bases for company-operated locations. Our restaurants can perform well in a variety of neighborhoods, which gives us greater flexibility and lowers operating risk when selecting new restaurant locations.
Our Restaurant Design
After identifying a lease site, we commence our restaurant buildout. Our typical restaurant is an inline retail space or food court that ranges in size from 1,200 to 2,500 square feet. Our restaurants are characterized by a unique exterior and interior design, color schemes, and layout, including specially designed decor and furnishings. Restaurant interiors incorporate modern designs and rich colors in an effort to provide a clean and inviting environment and fun, family-friendly atmosphere. Each restaurant is designed in accordance with plans we develop; and constructed with a similar design motif and trade dress. Restaurants are generally located near other business establishments that will attract customers who desire healthier food at fair prices served in a casual, fun environment.
Our new restaurants are typically inline or food court buildouts. We estimate that each inline or food court buildout of a restaurant will require an average total cash investment of approximately $200,000 to $350,000 net of tenant allowances. On average, it takes us approximately 4 to 6 months from identification of the specific site to opening the restaurant. In order to maintain consistency of food and customer service, as well as our colorful, bright and contemporary restaurant environment, we have set processes and timelines to follow for all restaurant openings.
Our restaurants are built-out in approximately 10 weeks and the development and construction of our new sites is the responsibility of our Development Department. Real estate managers are responsible for locating and leasing potential restaurant sites. Construction managers are then responsible for building the restaurants, and several staff members manage purchasing, budgeting, scheduling and other related administrative functions.
Our Restaurant Management and Operations
Service: We are extremely focused on customer service. We aim to provide fast, friendly service on a solid foundation of dedicated, driven team members and managers. Our cashiers are trained on the menu items we offer and provide customers thoughtful suggestions to enhance the ordering process. Our team members and managers are responsible for our dining room environment, personally visiting tables to ensure every customer’s satisfaction. In most instances, customers order their meals and then relax in our dining areas while enjoying watching TV. Meals are brought to the customers table using actual dishes and customers are free to leave their dishes when finished as team members clear and clean tables as guests leave the restaurant.
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Operations: We measure the execution of our system standards within each restaurant through our audit program for quality, service and cleanliness. These audits are conducted periodically and may be more or less frequent based upon restaurant performance. Additionally, we have food safety and quality assurance programs designed to maintain the highest standards for food and food preparation procedures used by both company-operated and franchised restaurants.
Managers and Team Members: Each of our restaurants typically has a general manager, and shift leaders. There are between 6 and 10 total team members who prepare our food fresh daily and provide customer service. Overseeing the restaurants is our Vice President of Operations and Director of Operations, jointly responsible for overseeing our company-operated restaurants, and franchise restaurants managing both sales and profitability targets.
We are selective in our hiring processes, aiming to staff our restaurants with team members that are friendly, customer focused, and driven to provide high-quality products. Our team members are cross-trained in several disciplines to maximize depth of competency and efficiency in critical restaurant functions.
Training: The majority of our company-operated restaurant management staff is comprised of former team members who have advanced along the Muscle Maker Grill career path. Skilled team members who display leadership qualities are encouraged to enter the team leader training program. Successive steps along the management path add increasing levels of duties and responsibilities. Our Franchisee training generally consists of 10-14 days in a certified training location, and an additional 7-10 days post opening training. Our operational team members provide consistent, ongoing training through follow up restaurant visits, inspections, and email/phone correspondences.
Our Franchise Program
Overview: We use a franchising strategy to increase new restaurant growth in certain US and International markets, leveraging the ownership of entrepreneurs with specific local market expertise and requiring a relatively minimal capital commitment by us. We believe the franchise revenue generated from our franchise base has historically served as an important source of stable and recurring cash flows to us and, as such, we plan to expand our base of franchised restaurants. In existing markets, we encourage growth from current franchisees. In our expansion markets, we seek highly qualified and experienced new franchisees for multi-unit development opportunities. We seek franchisees of successful, non- competitive brands operating in our expansion markets. Through strategic networking and participation in select franchise conferences, we aim to identify highly-qualified prospects. Additionally, we market our franchise opportunities with the support of a franchising section on our website and printed brochures.
As of February 2019, the company is not actively selling franchise locations, multi-unit development agreements or area representative agreements but anticipates a new effort in franchise sales beginning in Q2, 2019 as part of our ongoing strategy.
Franchise Owner Support: We believe creating a foundation of initial and on-going support is important to future success for both our franchisees and our brand. For that reason, we have structured our corporate staff, programs and communication systems to ensure that we are delivering high-quality support to our franchisees.
We have a mandatory training program that was designed to ensure that our franchise owners and their managers are equipped with the knowledge and skills necessary to position themselves for success. The program consists of hands-on training in the operation and management of the restaurant. Training is conducted by a general training manager who has been certified by us for training. Instructional materials for the initial training program include our operations manual, crew training system, wall charts, job aids, recipe books, product build cards, management training materials, food safety book, videos and other materials we may create from time to time. Training must be successfully completed before a trainee can be assigned to a restaurant as a manager.
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We also provide numerous opportunities for communication and shared feedback between us and franchise owners. Currently, we communicate on a frequent basis through email and system wide conference calls allowing for Q&A with all franchisees. In addition, our operations and marketing teams conduct phone calls and on-site visits on a frequent basis with franchisees on current operational changes, new products, revenue generating ideas, cost savings, local store marketing, etc.
Franchise Arrangements: Muscle Maker Development, our wholly-owned subsidiary, became the franchisor of Muscle Maker Grill restaurants on August 25, 2017 upon receipt of the operating assets of the franchise system formerly held by Muscle Maker Brands, our former majority-owned subsidiary, which has since been converted into a corporation and merged into Muscle Maker. Muscle Maker Brands had become the franchisor of Muscle Maker Grill restaurants on March 1, 2015 upon receipt of the operating assets of the franchise system formerly held by Muscle Maker Franchising. At the time of the acquisition from Muscle Maker Brands, we succeeded to Muscle Maker Brands’ rights and obligations under 40 franchise agreements for the operation of 40 Muscle Maker Grill franchise restaurants. At December 31, 2017, Muscle Maker Development franchises the operation of a total of 40 Muscle Maker Grill restaurants.
The franchise agreements currently:
| ● | Have terms for 15 years, with termination dates ranging from 2023 until 2033. These agreements are generally renewable for terms ranging from 5 to 10 years. | |
| ● | Provide for the payment of initial franchise fees of $35,000. | |
| ● | Require the payment of on-going royalty payments of 5% of net sales at the franchise location. In addition, franchisees contribute 2% (total) of net sales to the marketing and brand development/advertising fund. |
Since our acquisition of franchise assets from Muscle Maker Franchising, we have undertaken an extensive review of the terms and conditions of our franchise relationships and have recently finalized the terms of our revised standard franchise agreement and multi-unit development agreement which we intend to govern the relationship between Muscle Maker Development and its new franchisees. Under this franchise agreement:
| ● | Franchisees are licensed the right to use the Muscle Maker Grill® trademarks, its confidential operating manual and other intellectual property in connection with the operation of a Muscle Maker Grill restaurant at a location authorized by us. | |
| ● | Franchisees are protected from the establishment of another Muscle Maker Grill restaurant within a geographic territory, the scope of which is the subject of negotiation between Muscle Maker Development and the franchisee. | |
| ● | The initial term of a franchise is 15 years, which may be renewed for up to two additional terms of five years each. | |
| ● | Franchisees pay Muscle Maker Development an initial franchise fee of $35,000 in a lump sum at the time the Franchise Agreement is signed; however, we may offer financing assistance under certain circumstances. | |
| ● | Franchisees pay Muscle Maker Development an on-going royalty in an amount equal to 5% of Net sales at the franchise location, payable weekly. | |
| ● | Franchisees pay a weekly amount equal to 2% (total) of net sales at the franchise location into a cooperative advertising fund and brand development/advertising fund. The cooperative advertising fee is used by franchisees for local store marketing efforts and the brand development/advertising fund is for the benefit of all locations and is administered by Muscle Maker. |
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| ● | A company affiliated with Muscle Maker in 2017 and through June 2018 received a software license fee of $3,500 for our proprietary Muscle Power (R Power) computer software, payable in a lump sum at the time the franchisee orders the required electronic cash register/computer system from our affiliate. As of Q2 2018 Muscle Maker is no longer affiliated with this entity but continues to receive the software license fee of $3,500 per new location. | |
| ● | Franchisees are required to offer only those food products that are authorized by Muscle Maker Development, prepared using our proprietary recipes; and may obtain most supplies only from suppliers that are approved or designated by Muscle Maker Development. | |
| ● | As partial consideration for payment of the initial franchise fee and on-going royalties, Muscle Maker Development loans its franchisees a copy of its confidential operating manual, administers the advertising/brand development fund, and provides franchisees with pre-opening and on-going assistance including site selection assistance, pre-opening training, and in-term training |
As of February 2019, we are no longer offering Franchise agreements but anticipate re-launching the program in Q2 of 2019.
Multi-Unit Development Agreements: Franchisees who desire to develop more than one restaurant and who have the financial strength and managerial capability to develop more than one restaurant may enter into a Multi-Unit Agreement. Under a multi-unit development agreement, the franchisee agrees to open a specified number of restaurants, at least two, within a defined geographic area in accordance with an agreed upon development schedule. Each restaurant requires the execution of a separate Franchise Agreement, which will be the then current Franchise Agreement, except that the initial franchise fee, royalty and advertising expenditures will be those in effect at the time the multi-unit agreement is executed. Multi-Unit Agreements require the payment of a development fee (the “Development Fee”) equal to $35,000 for the first restaurant plus $17,500 multiplied by the number of additional Muscle Maker Grill® restaurants that must be opened under the Development Agreement. The entire Development Fee is payable at the time the Multi-Unit Agreement is signed; however, the development fee actually paid for a particular restaurant is credited as a deposit against the initial franchise fee that is payable when the Franchise Agreement for the particular franchise is signed.
As of February 2019, we are no longer offering Multi-Unit Development agreements but anticipate re-launching the program in Q2 of 2019.
Area Representative Agreements: We became the successor franchisor of Muscle Maker Grill restaurants on March 1, 2015 upon the receipt by our former majority-owned subsidiary, Muscle Maker Brands, of the operating assets of the franchise system formerly held by Muscle Maker Franchising. We began to offer franchises as the successor in March 2015. We succeeded as the successor to various area representative agreements that had been entered into by our predecessor, Muscle Maker Franchising. Under the area representative agreements that we succeeded to, the area representatives will identify and refer prospective franchisee candidates to us, provide franchisees with our site selection criteria and assist franchisees to complete a site review package, and will advise franchisees concerning our standards and specifications and make on-site visits, but we retain control of all decision-making authority relative to the franchisees, including franchisee approval, site location approval and determination whether franchisees are in compliance with their franchise agreements.
Area representative agreements are generally for a term of 15 years, in consideration for which we generally compensate area representatives with 1% of net sales of the franchises that are under the area representative for the 15 year term.
As of February 2019, we are no longer offering Area Representative agreements but anticipate re-launching the program in Q2 of 2019.
Our Marketing and Advertising
We promote our restaurants and products through multiple advertising campaigns. The campaigns aim to deliver our message of fresh and healthier product offerings. The campaign emphasizes our points of differentiation, from our fresh ingredients and in-house preparation, to the preparation of our healthier inspired meals.
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We use multiple marketing channels, including social media such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, email, app notifications, local store marketing, public relations/press releases and other methods to broadly drive brand awareness and purchases of our featured products. We complement this periodically with direct mail and our Muscle Maker Grill Rewards mobile app and e-mail marketing program, which allows us to reach more than 25,000 members. Muscle Maker Grill Rewards is our e-club and loyalty program. We engage members via e-mails and push notifications featuring news of promotional offers, member rewards and product previews.
Our Purchasing and Distribution
Maintaining a high degree of quality in our restaurants depends in part on our ability to acquire fresh ingredients and other necessary supplies that meet our specifications from reliable suppliers. We contract with Sysco, a major foodservice distributor, for substantially all of our food and supplies. Food and supplies are delivered to most of our restaurants one to two times per week. Our distributor relationship with Sysco has been in place since 2007. Our franchisees are required to use our primary distributor, or an approved regional distributor and franchisees must purchase food and supplies from approved suppliers. In our normal course of business, we evaluate bids from multiple suppliers for various products. Fluctuations in supply and prices can significantly impact our restaurant service and profit performance.
Our Intellectual Property
We have registered Muscle Maker Grill® and certain other names used by our restaurants as trademarks or service marks with the United States Patent and Trademark Office and Muscle Maker Grill® in approximately two foreign countries. Our brand campaign, Great Food with Your Health in Mind™, has also been approved for registration with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. In addition, the Muscle Maker Grill logo, website name and address and Facebook, Instagram and Twitter accounts are our intellectual property. Our policy is to pursue and maintain registration of service marks and trademarks in those countries where business strategy requires us to do so and to oppose vigorously any infringement or dilution of the service marks or trademarks in such countries. We maintain the recipe for our healthy inspired recipes, as well as certain proprietary standards, specifications and operating procedures, as trade secrets or confidential proprietary information.
Our Competition
We operate in the restaurant industry, which is highly competitive and fragmented. The number, size and strength of competitors vary by region. Our competition includes a variety of locally owned restaurants and national and regional chains that offer dine-in, carry-out and delivery services. Our competition in the broadest perspective includes restaurants, pizza parlors, convenience food stores, delicatessens, supermarkets and club stores. However, we indirectly compete with fast casual restaurants, including Chipotle and Panera Bread, among others, and with healthy inspired fast casual restaurants, such as the Protein Bar, Freshii and Veggie Grill, among others.
We believe competition within the fast-casual restaurant segment is based primarily on ambience, price, taste, quality and the freshness of the menu items. We also believe that QSR competition is based primarily on quality, taste, speed of service, value, brand recognition, restaurant location and customer service.
As consumer preferences continue to evolve into healthier eating options, most restaurants are developing healthier menu options. As more restaurants offer healthier options, the competition for our product offerings becomes more intense and could pose a significant threat to future revenues. However, we believe our experience, size and flexibility allows Muscle Maker to adapt faster than many other restaurant chains.
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Our Management Information Systems
All of our company-operated and franchised restaurants use computerized point-of-sale and back office systems, which we believe are scalable to support our long-term growth plans. The point-of-sale system provides a touch screen interface and a stand-alone high speed credit card and gift card processing terminal. The point-of-sale system is used to collect daily transaction data, which generates information about daily sales and product mix that we actively analyze.
Our in-restaurant back office computer system is designed to assist in the management of our restaurants and provide labor and food cost management tools. The system also provides corporate headquarters and restaurant operations management quick access to detailed business data and reduces the time spent by our restaurant managers on administrative needs. The system also provides sales, bank deposit and variance data to our accounting department.
Our Corporate Structure
Overview: Muscle Maker, Inc. serves as a holding company of the following subsidiaries:
| ● | Muscle Maker Development, LLC, a directly wholly owned subsidiary, which was formed in Nevada on July 18, 2017 for the purpose of running our existing franchise operations and continuing to franchise the Muscle Maker Grill name and business system to qualified franchisees | |
| ● | Muscle Maker Corp., LLC, a directly wholly owned subsidiary, which was formed in Nevada on July 18, 2017 for the purposes of developing new corporate stores and to also operate these new and existing corporate restaurants. | |
| ● | Custom Technology, Inc, is a technology and point of sale systems dealer and technology consultant. Muscle Maker Corp., LLC has a direct 70% ownership interest in Custom Technology, Inc., which was formed in New Jersey on July 29, 2015. As of May, 2018, Muscle Maker no longer has a direct ownership interest in Custom Technology, Inc. |
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| ITEM 1A. | RISK FACTORS |
An investment in the Company’s Common Stock involves a high degree of risk. You should carefully consider the risks described below as well as other information provided to you in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, including information in the section of this document entitled “Information Regarding Forward Looking Statements.” The risks and uncertainties described below are not the only ones facing us. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us or that we currently believe are immaterial may also impair our business operations. If any of the following risks actually occur, our business, financial condition or results of operations could be materially adversely affected, the value of our Common Stock could decline, and you may lose all or part of your investment.
Risks Related to Our Business and Industry
We have a history of operating losses and our auditors have indicated that there is a substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern.
To date, we have not been profitable and have incurred significant losses and cash flow deficits. For the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016, we reported net losses of $15,567,751 and $4,219,687, respectively, and negative cash flow from operating activities of $3,676,999 and $2,110,702, respectively. As of December 31, 2017, we had an aggregate accumulated deficit of $17,052,086. We anticipate that we will continue to report losses and negative cash flow. As a result of these net losses and cash flow deficits and other factors, our independent auditors issued an audit opinion with respect to our financial statements for the two years ended December 31, 2017 that indicated that there is a substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern.
Our financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty. These adjustments would likely include substantial impairment of the carrying amount of our assets and potential contingent liabilities that may arise if we are unable to fulfill various operational commitments. In addition, the value of our securities would be greatly impaired. Our ability to continue as a going concern is dependent upon generating sufficient cash flow from operations and obtaining additional capital and financing. If our ability to generate cash flow from operations is delayed or reduced and we are unable to raise additional funding from other sources, we may be unable to continue in business. For further discussion about our ability to continue as a going concern and our plan for future liquidity, see “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations”
We will need additional capital to fund our operations, which, if obtained, could result in substantial dilution or significant debt service obligations. We may not be able to obtain additional capital on commercially reasonable terms, which could adversely affect our liquidity and financial position.
At December 31, 2017, Muscle Maker had a cash balance of approximately $78,683, a working capital deficit of approximately $4,306,947, and an accumulated deficit of approximately $17,052,086. As of February 11, 2019, Muscle Maker had a cash balance of approximately $245,000 (unaudited). Even if we are able to substantially increase revenues and reduce operating expenses, we may need to raise additional capital. In order to continue operating, we may need to obtain additional financing, either through borrowings, private offerings, public offerings, or some type of business combination, such as a merger, or buyout, and there can be no assurance that we will be successful in such pursuits. We may be unable to acquire the additional funding necessary to continue operating. Accordingly, if we are unable to generate adequate cash from operations, and if we are unable to find sources of funding, it may be necessary for us to sell one or more lines of business or all or a portion of our assets, enter into a business combination, or reduce or eliminate operations. These possibilities, to the extent available, may be on terms that result in significant dilution to our shareholders or that result in our shareholders losing all of their investment in our Company. In order to satisfy the Company’s monthly expenses and continue in operation through December 31, 2019, the Company will need to raise a minimum of $2,000,000. In order to fully implement our business plan for 2019, the Company will need to raise a minimum of $5,000,000.
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If we are able to raise additional capital, we do not know what the terms of any such capital raising would be. In addition, any future sale of our equity securities would dilute the ownership and control of your shares and could be at prices substantially below prices at which our shares currently trade. Our inability to raise capital could require us to significantly curtail or terminate our operations. We may seek to increase our cash reserves through the sale of additional equity or debt securities. The sale of convertible debt securities or additional equity securities could result in additional and potentially substantial dilution to our shareholders. The incurrence of indebtedness would result in increased debt service obligations and could result in operating and financing covenants that would restrict our operations and liquidity. In addition, our ability to obtain additional capital on acceptable terms is subject to a variety of uncertainties. We cannot assure you that financing will be available in amounts or on terms acceptable to us, if at all. Any failure to raise additional funds on favorable terms could have a material adverse effect on our liquidity and financial condition.
We are vulnerable to changes in consumer preferences and economic conditions that could harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flow.
Food service businesses depend on consumer discretionary spending and are often affected by changes in consumer tastes, national, regional and local economic conditions and demographic trends. Factors such as traffic patterns, weather, fuel prices, local demographics, troop deployments or base closures specific to our military locations and the type, number and locations of competing restaurants may adversely affect the performances of individual locations. In addition, economic downturns, inflation or increased food or energy costs could harm the restaurant industry in general and our locations in particular. Adverse changes in any of these factors could reduce consumer traffic or impose practical limits on pricing that could harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flow. There can be no assurance that consumers will continue to regard healthy-inspired fast food favorably or that we will be able to develop new menu items that appeal to consumer preferences. Our business, financial condition and results of operations depend in part on our ability to anticipate, identify and respond to changing consumer preferences and economic conditions. In addition, the restaurant industry is currently under heightened legal and legislative scrutiny related to menu labeling and resulting from the perception that the practices of restaurant companies have contributed to nutritional, caloric intake, obesity or other health concerns of their guests. If we are unable to adapt to changes in consumer preferences and trends, we may lose customers and our revenues may decline or our costs to produce our products could significantly increase.
Our growth strategy depends in part on opening new restaurants in existing and new markets, including military bases and expanding our franchise system. We may be unsuccessful in opening new company-operated or franchised restaurants or establishing new markets, which could adversely affect our growth.
One of the key means to achieving our growth strategy will be through opening new restaurants and operating those restaurants on a profitable basis. Our ability to open new restaurants is dependent upon a number of factors, many of which are beyond our control, including our and our franchisees’ ability to:
| ● | identify available and suitable restaurant sites; | |
| ● | compete for restaurant sites; | |
| ● | reach acceptable agreements regarding the lease or purchase of locations; | |
| ● | obtain or have available the financing required to acquire and operate a restaurant, including construction and opening costs, which includes access to build-to-suit leases and equipment financing leases at favorable interest and capitalization rates; | |
| ● | respond to unforeseen engineering or environmental problems with leased premises; | |
| ● | avoid the impact of inclement weather, natural disasters and other calamities; | |
| ● | hire, train and retain the skilled management and other employees necessary to meet staffing needs; | |
| ● | obtain, in a timely manner and for an acceptable cost, required licenses, permits and regulatory approvals and respond effectively to any changes in local, state or federal law and regulations that adversely affect our and our franchisees’ costs or ability to open new restaurants; and | |
| ● | control construction and equipment cost increases for new restaurants. |
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There is no guarantee that a sufficient number of suitable restaurant sites will be available in desirable areas, military bases or on terms that are acceptable to us in order to achieve our growth plan. If we are unable to open new restaurants or sign new franchisees, or if existing franchisees do not open new restaurants, or if restaurant openings are significantly delayed, our revenues or earnings growth could be adversely affected and our business negatively affected.
As part of our long-term growth strategy, we may enter into geographic markets, including military bases, in which we have little or no prior operating or franchising experience through company-operated restaurant growth and through franchise development agreements. The challenges of entering new markets include, but are not limited to: difficulties in hiring experienced personnel; unfamiliarity with local real estate markets and demographics; food distribution networks; lack of marketing efficiencies; operational support efficiencies; consumer unfamiliarity with our brand; and different competitive and economic conditions, consumer tastes and discretionary spending patterns that are more difficult to predict or satisfy than in our existing markets. Consumer recognition of our brand has been important in the success of company-operated and franchised restaurants in our existing markets. Restaurants we open in new markets may take longer to reach expected sales and profit levels on a consistent basis and may have higher construction, occupancy and operating costs than existing restaurants, thereby affecting our overall profitability. Any failure on our part to recognize or respond to these challenges may adversely affect the success of any new restaurants. Expanding our franchise system could require the implementation, expense and successful management of enhanced business support systems, management information systems and financial controls as well as additional staffing, franchise support and capital expenditures and working capital.
Due to brand recognition and logistical synergies, as part of our growth strategy, we also intend to open new restaurants in areas where we have existing restaurants. The operating results and comparable restaurant sales for our restaurants could be adversely affected due to close proximity with our other restaurants and market saturation.
New restaurants, once opened, may not be profitable or may close.
Some of our restaurants open with an initial start-up period of higher than normal sales volumes, which subsequently decrease to stabilized levels. In new markets, the length of time before average sales for new restaurants stabilize is less predictable and can be longer as a result of our limited knowledge of these markets and consumers’ limited awareness of our brand. In addition, our average restaurant revenues and comparable restaurant sales may not increase at the rates achieved over the past several years. Our ability to operate new restaurants profitably and increase average restaurant revenues and comparable restaurant sales will depend on many factors, some of which are beyond our control, including:
| ● | consumer awareness and understanding of our brand; | |
| ● | Troop deployments, reductions or closures of our military base locations; | |
| ● | general economic conditions, which can affect restaurant traffic, local labor costs and prices we pay for the food products and other supplies we use; | |
| ● | consumption patterns and food preferences that may differ from region to region; | |
| ● | changes in consumer preferences and discretionary spending; | |
| ● | difficulties obtaining or maintaining adequate relationships with distributors or suppliers in new markets; |
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| ● | increases in prices for commodities, including proteins; | |
| ● | inefficiency in our labor costs as the staff gains experience; | |
| ● | competition, either from our competitors in the restaurant industry or our own restaurants; | |
| ● | temporary and permanent site characteristics of new restaurants; | |
| ● | changes in government regulation; and | |
| ● | other unanticipated increases in costs, any of which could give rise to delays or cost overruns. |
If our new restaurants do not perform as planned or close, our business and future prospects could be harmed. In addition, an inability to achieve our expected average restaurant revenues would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Opening new restaurants in existing markets may negatively impact sales at our and our franchisees’ existing restaurants.
The consumer target area of our and our franchisees’ restaurants varies by location, depending on a number of factors, including population density, other local retail and business attractions, area demographics and geography. As a result, the opening of a new restaurant in or near markets in which we or our franchisees’ already have restaurants could adversely impact sales at these existing restaurants. Existing restaurants could also make it more difficult to build our and our franchisees’ consumer base for a new restaurant in the same market. Our core business strategy does not entail opening new restaurants that we believe will materially affect sales at our or our franchisees’ existing restaurants. However, we cannot guarantee there will not be significant impact in some cases, and we may selectively open new restaurants in and around areas of existing restaurants that are operating at or near capacity to effectively serve our customers. Sales cannibalization between our restaurants may become significant in the future as we continue to expand our operations and could affect our sales growth, which could, in turn, materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Our sales growth and ability to achieve profitability could be adversely affected if comparable restaurant sales are less than we expect.
The level of comparable restaurant sales, which reflect the change in year-over-year sales for restaurants in the fiscal month following 15 months of operation using a mid-month convention, will affect our sales growth and will continue to be a critical factor affecting our ability to generate profits because the profit margin on comparable restaurant sales is generally higher than the profit margin on new restaurant sales. Our ability to increase comparable restaurant sales depends in part on our ability to successfully implement our initiatives to build sales. It is possible such initiatives will not be successful, that we will not achieve our target comparable restaurant sales growth or that the change in comparable restaurant sales could be negative, which may cause a decrease in sales growth and ability to achieve profitability that would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Our marketing programs may not be successful, and our new menu items, advertising campaigns and restaurant designs or remodels may not generate increased sales or profits.
We incur costs and expend other resources in our marketing efforts on new menu items, advertising campaigns and restaurant designs and remodels to raise brand awareness and attract and retain customers. These initiatives may not be successful, resulting in expenses incurred without the benefit of higher revenues. Additionally, some of our competitors have greater financial resources, which enable them to spend significantly more on marketing and advertising and other initiatives than we are able to. Should our competitors increase spending on marketing and advertising and other initiatives or our marketing funds decrease for any reason, or should our advertising, promotions, new menu items and restaurant designs and remodels be less effective than our competitors, there could be a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition.
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Changes in food and supply costs or failure to receive frequent deliveries of food ingredients and other supplies could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Our profitability depends in part on our ability to anticipate and react to changes in food and supply costs, and our ability to maintain our menu depends in part on our ability to acquire ingredients that meet specifications from reliable suppliers. Shortages or interruptions in the availability of certain supplies caused by unanticipated demand, problems in production or distribution, food contamination, inclement weather or other conditions could adversely affect the availability, quality and cost of our ingredients, which could harm our operations. Any increase in the prices of the food products most critical to our menu, such as chicken, seafood, beef, fresh produce, dairy products, packaging and other proteins, could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations. Although we try to manage the impact that these fluctuations have on our operating results, we remain susceptible to increases in food costs as a result of factors beyond our control, such as general economic conditions, seasonal fluctuations, weather conditions, demand, food safety concerns, generalized infectious diseases, product recalls, fuel prices and government regulations. Therefore, material increases in the prices of the ingredients most critical to our menu could adversely affect our operating results or cause us to consider changes to our product delivery strategy and adjustments to our menu pricing.
If any of our distributors or suppliers perform inadequately, or our distribution or supply relationships are disrupted for any reason, there could be a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations or cash flows. Although we often enter into contracts for the purchase of food products and supplies, we do not have long-term contracts for the purchase of all such food products and supplies. As a result, we may not be able to anticipate or react to changing food costs by adjusting our purchasing practices or menu prices, which could cause our operating results to deteriorate. If we cannot replace or engage distributors or suppliers who meet our specifications in a short period of time, that could increase our expenses and cause shortages of food and other items at our restaurants, which could cause a restaurant to remove items from its menu. If that were to happen, affected restaurants could experience significant reductions in sales during the shortage or thereafter, if customers change their dining habits as a result. In addition, although we provide modestly priced food, we may choose not to, or may be unable to, pass along commodity price increases to consumers, including price increases with respect to ground beef, chicken, produce, dairy, packaging or other commodities. These potential changes in food and supply costs could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We may not be able to compete successfully with other quick-service and fast-casual restaurants. Intense competition in the restaurant industry could make it more difficult to expand our business and could also have a negative impact on our operating results if customers favor our competitors or we are forced to change our pricing and other marketing strategies.
The food service industry, and particularly its quick-service and fast-casual segments, is intensely competitive. We expect competition in each of our markets to continue to be intense because consumer trends are favoring limited service restaurants that offer healthier menu items made with better quality products, and many limited service restaurants are responding to these trends. Competition in our industry is primarily based on price, convenience, quality of service, brand recognition, restaurant location and type and quality of food. If our company-operated and franchised restaurants cannot compete successfully with other quick-service and fast-casual restaurants in new and existing markets, we could lose customers and our revenues could decline. Our company-operated and franchised restaurants compete with national and regional quick-service and fast-casual restaurant chains for customers, restaurant locations and qualified management and other staff. Compared with us, some of our competitors have substantially greater financial and other resources, have been in business longer, have greater brand recognition or are better established in the markets where our restaurants are located or are planned to be located. Any of these competitive factors may materially adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations.
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Failure to manage our growth effectively could harm our business and operating results.
Our growth plan includes opening a significant number of new restaurants, both franchised and company owned. Our existing restaurant management systems, financial and management controls and information systems may be inadequate to support our planned expansion. Managing our growth effectively will require us to continue to enhance these systems, procedures and controls and to hire, train and retain managers and team members. We may not respond quickly enough to the changing demands that our expansion will impose on our management, restaurant teams and existing infrastructure, which could harm our business, financial condition and results of operations.
The planned rapid increase in the number of our restaurants may make our future results unpredictable.
We intend to continue to increase the number of our company owned and franchised restaurants in the next several years. This growth strategy and the substantial investment associated with the development of each new restaurant may cause our operating results to fluctuate unpredictably or have an adverse effect on our profits. In addition, we may find that our restaurant concept has limited appeal in new markets or we may experience a decline in the popularity of our restaurant concept in the markets in which we operate. Newly opened restaurants or our future markets and restaurants may not be successful or our system-wide average restaurant revenue may not increase, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
The financial performance of our franchisees can negatively impact our business.
As approximately 85% of our restaurants are franchised as of December 31, 2018, our financial results are dependent in significant part upon the operational and financial success of our franchisees. We receive royalties, franchise fees, vendor rebates, contributions to our marketing development fund and contributions to our national and local co-op advertising funds, and other fees from our franchisees. We also collect rebates from vendors supplying franchisees for food purchases, services and materials. We have established operational standards and guidelines for our franchisees; however, we have limited control over how our franchisees’ businesses are run. While we are responsible for the anticipated success of our entire system of restaurants and for taking a longer-term view with respect to system improvements, our franchisees have individual business strategies and objectives, which might conflict with our interests. Our franchisees may not be able to secure adequate financing to open or continue operating their Muscle Maker Grill restaurants. If they incur too much debt or if economic or sales trends deteriorate such that they are unable to repay existing debt, our franchisees could experience financial distress or even bankruptcy. We anticipate that we and our franchisees will continue to be financially impacted by the recent health care reform legislation. In addition, minimum wage and overtime requirements are a significant factor in the profitability of our and our franchisees restaurants. If a significant number of franchisees become financially distressed, it could harm our operating results through reduced royalty revenues and the impact on our profitability could be greater than the percentage decrease in the royalty revenues. Closure of franchised restaurants would reduce our royalty revenues and other sources of income and could negatively impact margins, since we may not be able to reduce fixed costs which we continue to incur.
We have limited control with respect to the operations of our franchisees, which could have a negative impact on our business.
Franchisees are independent business operators and are not our employees, and we do not exercise control over the day-to-day operations of their restaurants. We provide training and support to franchisees, and set and monitor operational standards, but the quality of franchised restaurants may be diminished by any number of factors beyond our control. Consequently, franchisees may not successfully operate restaurants in a manner consistent with our standards and requirements or may not hire and train qualified managers and other restaurant personnel. If franchisees do not operate to our expectations, our image and reputation, and the image and reputation of other franchisees, may suffer materially and system-wide sales could decline significantly, which would reduce our royalty and other revenues, and the impact on profitability could be greater than the percentage decrease in royalties and fees.
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The challenging economic environment may affect our franchisees, with adverse consequences to us.
We rely in part on our franchisees and the manner in which they operate their locations to develop and promote our business. Due to the continuing challenging economic environment, it is possible that some franchisees could file for bankruptcy or become delinquent in their payments to us, which could have a significant adverse impact on our business due to loss or delay in payments of royalties, contributions to our marketing development fund and brand development/advertising funds and other fees. Bankruptcies by our franchisees could prevent us from terminating their franchise agreements so that we can offer their territories to other franchisees, negatively impact our market share and operating results as we may have fewer well-performing restaurants, and adversely impact our ability to attract new franchisees.
We cannot be certain that the developers and franchisees we select will have the business acumen or financial resources necessary to open and operate successful franchises in their franchise areas, and state franchise laws may limit our ability to terminate or modify these franchise arrangements. Moreover, franchisees may not successfully operate restaurants in a manner consistent with our standards and requirements, or may not hire and train qualified managers and other restaurant personnel. The failure of developers and franchisees to open and operate franchises successfully could have a material adverse effect on us, our reputation, our brand and our ability to attract prospective franchisees and could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
Franchisees may not have access to the financial or management resources that they need to open the restaurants contemplated by their agreements with us or be able to find suitable sites on which to develop them. Franchisees may not be able to negotiate acceptable lease or purchase terms for restaurant sites, obtain the necessary permits and government approvals or meet construction schedules. Any of these problems could slow our growth and reduce our franchise revenues. Additionally, our franchisees typically depend on financing from banks and other financial institutions, which may not always be available to them, in order to construct and open new restaurants. For these reasons, franchisees operating under development agreements may not be able to meet the new restaurant opening dates required under those agreements.
Our system-wide restaurant base is geographically concentrated in the Northeastern United States, and we could be negatively affected by conditions specific to that region.
Our company-operated and franchised restaurants in the Northeastern United States represent approximately 37% of our system-wide restaurants as of December 31, 2018. Our company-operated and franchised restaurants in New Jersey and New York represent approximately 29% of our system-wide restaurants as of December 31, 2018. Approximately 33% of our company-operated restaurants are located in New Jersey and New York. Adverse changes in demographic, unemployment, economic, regulatory or weather conditions in the Northeastern United States have had, and may continue to have, material adverse effects on our business. As a result of our concentration in this market, we have been, and in the future may be, disproportionately affected by these adverse conditions compared to other chain restaurants with a national footprint.
In addition, our competitors could open additional restaurants in New Jersey and New York, where we have significant concentration with 12 of our system restaurants, which could result in reduced market share for us and may adversely impact our profitability.
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Negative publicity could reduce sales at some or all of our restaurants.
We may, from time to time, be faced with negative publicity relating to food quality, the safety, sanitation and welfare of our restaurant facilities, customer complaints or litigation alleging illness or injury, health inspection scores, integrity of our or our suppliers’ food processing and other policies, practices and procedures, employee relationships and welfare or other matters at one or more of our restaurants. Negative publicity may adversely affect us, regardless of whether the allegations are valid or whether we are held to be responsible. In addition, the negative impact of adverse publicity relating to one restaurant may extend far beyond the restaurant involved, especially due to the high geographic concentration of many of our restaurants, to affect some or all of our other restaurants, including our franchised restaurants. The risk of negative publicity is particularly great with respect to our franchised restaurants because we are limited in the manner in which we can regulate them, especially on a real-time basis and negative publicity from our franchised restaurants may also significantly impact company-operated restaurants. A similar risk exists with respect to food service businesses unrelated to us, if customers mistakenly associate such unrelated businesses with our operations. Employee claims against us based on, among other things, wage and hour violations, discrimination, harassment or wrongful termination may also create not only legal and financial liability but negative publicity that could adversely affect us and divert our financial and management resources that would otherwise be used to benefit the future performance of our operations. These types of employee claims could also be asserted against us, on a co-employer theory, by employees of our franchisees. A significant increase in the number of these claims or an increase in the number of successful claims could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
Food safety and quality concerns may negatively impact our business and profitability, our internal operational controls and standards may not always be met and our employees may not always act professionally, responsibly and in our and our customers’ best interests. Any possible instances of food-borne illness could reduce our restaurant sales.
Incidents or reports of food-borne or water-borne illness or other food safety issues, food contamination or tampering, employee hygiene and cleanliness failures or improper employee conduct at our restaurants could lead to product liability or other claims. Such incidents or reports could negatively affect our brand and reputation as well as our business, revenues and profits. Similar incidents or reports occurring at limited service restaurants unrelated to us could likewise create negative publicity, which could negatively impact consumer behavior towards us.
We cannot guarantee to consumers that our internal controls and training will be fully effective in preventing all food-borne illnesses. Furthermore, our reliance on third-party food processors and distributors makes it difficult to monitor food safety compliance and may increase the risk that food-borne illness would affect multiple locations rather than single restaurants. Some food-borne illness incidents could be caused by third-party food suppliers and transporters outside of our control. New illnesses resistant to our current precautions may develop in the future, or diseases with long incubation periods could arise, that could give rise to claims or allegations on a retroactive basis. One or more instances of food-borne illness in one of our company-operated or franchised restaurants could negatively affect sales at all of our restaurants if highly publicized, especially due to the high geographic concentration of many of our restaurants. This risk exists even if it were later determined that the illness was wrongly attributed to one of our restaurants. A number of other restaurant chains have experienced incidents related to food-borne illnesses that have had material adverse impacts on their operations, and we cannot assure you that we could avoid a similar impact upon the occurrence of a similar incident at one of our restaurants. Additionally, even if food-borne illnesses were not identified at our restaurants, our restaurant sales could be adversely affected if instances of food-borne illnesses at other restaurant chains were highly publicized. In addition, our restaurant sales could be adversely affected by publicity regarding other high-profile illnesses such as avian flu that customers may associate with our food products.
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We rely on only one company to distribute substantially all of our food and supplies to company-operated and franchised restaurants, and on a limited number of companies, and, in some cases, a sole company, to supply certain products, supplies and ingredients to our distributor. Failure to receive timely deliveries of food or other supplies could result in a loss of revenues and materially and adversely impact our operations.
Our franchisees’ ability to maintain consistent quality menu items and prices significantly depends upon our ability to acquire quality food products from reliable sources in accordance with our specifications on a timely basis. Shortages or interruptions in the supply of food products caused by unanticipated demand, problems in production or distribution, contamination of food products, an outbreak of protein-based diseases, inclement weather, fuel supplies or other conditions could materially adversely affect the availability, quality and cost of ingredients, which would adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. We have contracts with a limited number of suppliers, and, in some cases, a sole supplier, for certain products, supplies and ingredients. If that distributor or any supplier fails to perform as anticipated or seeks to terminate agreements with us, or if there is any disruption in any of our supply or distribution relationships for any reason, our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows could be materially adversely affected. If we or our franchisees temporarily close a restaurant or remove popular items from a restaurant’s menu due to a supply shortage, that restaurant may experience a significant reduction in revenues during the time affected by the shortage and thereafter if our customers change their dining habits as a result.
The volatile credit and capital markets could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition.
Our ability to manage our debt is dependent on our level of cash flow from company-operated and franchised restaurants, net of costs. It is anticipated that in 2019 the company will not have positive cash flow and will require additional outside funding to maintain operations. An economic downturn may negatively impact our cash flows. Credit and capital markets can be volatile, which could make it more difficult for us to refinance our existing debt or to obtain additional debt or equity financings in the future. Such constraints could increase our costs of borrowing and could restrict our access to other potential sources of future liquidity. Our failure to have sufficient liquidity to make interest and other payments required by our debt could result in a default of such debt and acceleration of our borrowings, which would have a material adverse effect on our business and financial condition. The lack of availability or access to build-to-suit leases and equipment financing leases could result in a decreased number of new restaurants and have a negative impact on our growth.
Our strategy to open all company owned and operated restaurants on non-traditional sites such as military bases could fail.
While the company has a relationship with the military and AAFES specifically, as of January 2019 we currently do not have a signed agreement for a specific number of locations. In the event these locations do not become available in the future, the total restaurant count of company owned and operated locations will be materially affected. In addition, military sites tend to have a lower capital investment to build out and more favorable lease terms. In the event the company cannot obtain military sites, the total outlay of capital expenditures could increase significantly over time for new locations outside of military installations.
A prolonged economic downturn could materially affect us in the future.
The restaurant industry is dependent upon consumer discretionary spending. The recession from late 2007 to mid-2009 reduced consumer confidence to historic lows, impacting the public’s ability and desire to spend discretionary dollars as a result of job losses, home foreclosures, significantly reduced home values, investment losses, bankruptcies and reduced access to credit, resulting in lower levels of customer traffic and lower average check sizes in fast casual restaurants, similar to ours. If the economy experiences another significant decline, our business and results of operations could be materially adversely affected and may result in a deceleration of the number and timing of new restaurant openings by us and our franchisees. Deterioration in customer traffic or a reduction in average check size would negatively impact our revenues and profitability and could result in reductions in staff levels, additional impairment charges and potential restaurant closures.
A military conflict or large troop deployment could affect our revenue at company and franchise locations in the future
Our current corporately owned location strategy focuses on building restaurants on non-traditional locations such as military bases in support of “Operation Live Well” and the desire of the military to offer healthier eating options on all bases. In the event of a large troop deployment or military conflict, the total number of troops present on any given base could be materially reduced and therefore our total revenues would likely be reduced accordingly.
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The interests of our franchisees may conflict with ours or yours in the future and we could face liability from our franchisees or related to our relationship with our franchisees.
Franchisees, as independent business operators, may from time to time disagree with us and our strategies regarding the business or our interpretation of our respective rights and obligations under the franchise agreement and the terms and conditions of the franchisee/franchisor relationship. This may lead to disputes with our franchisees and we expect such disputes to occur from time to time in the future as we continue to offer franchises. Such disputes may result in legal action against us. To the extent we have such disputes, the attention, time and financial resources of our management and our franchisees will be diverted from our restaurants, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows even if we have a successful outcome in the dispute.
In addition, various state and federal laws govern our relationship with our franchisees and our potential sale of a franchise. A franchisee and/or a government agency may bring legal action against us based on the franchisee/franchisor relationships that could result in the award of damages to franchisees and/or the imposition of fines or other penalties against us.
Information technology system failures or breaches of our network security could interrupt our operations and adversely affect our business.
We and our franchisees rely on our computer systems and network infrastructure across our operations, including point-of-sale processing at our restaurants. Our and our franchisees’ operations depend upon our and our franchisees’ ability to protect our computer equipment and systems against damage from physical theft, fire, power loss, telecommunications failure or other catastrophic events, as well as from internal and external security breaches, viruses and other disruptive problems. Any damage or failure of our computer systems or network infrastructure that causes an interruption in our operations could have a material adverse effect on our business and subject us or our franchisees to litigation or to actions by regulatory authorities.
We anticipate expanding, upgrading and developing our information technology capabilities. If we are unable to successfully upgrade or expand our technological capabilities, we may not be able to take advantage of market opportunities, manage our costs and transactional data effectively, satisfy customer requirements, execute our business plan or respond to competitive pressures.
If we or our franchisees are unable to protect our customers’ credit and debit card data, we could be exposed to data loss, litigation, liability and reputational damage.
In connection with credit and debit card sales, we and our franchisees transmit confidential credit and debit card information by way of secure private retail networks. Although we and our franchisees use private networks, third parties may have the technology or know-how to breach the security of the customer information transmitted in connection with credit and debit card sales, and our and our franchisees’ security measures and those of our and our franchisees’ technology vendors may not effectively prohibit others from obtaining improper access to this information. If a person were able to circumvent these security measures, he or she could destroy or steal valuable information or disrupt our and our franchisees’ operations. Any security breach could expose us and our franchisees to risks of data loss, litigation and liability and could seriously disrupt our and our franchisees’ operations and any resulting negative publicity could significantly harm our reputation.
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The failure to enforce and maintain our trademarks and protect our other intellectual property could materially adversely affect our business, including our ability to establish and maintain brand awareness.
We have registered Muscle Maker Grill® and certain other names used by our restaurants as trademarks or service marks with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. The Muscle Maker Grill® trademark is also registered in some form in one foreign country. Our current brand campaign, “Great Food with Your Health in Mind” has also been approved for registration with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. In addition, the Muscle Maker Grill logo, website name and address (www.musclemakergrill.com) and Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and other social media accounts are our intellectual property. The success of our business strategy depends on our continued ability to use our existing trademarks and service marks in order to increase brand awareness and develop our branded products. If our efforts to protect our intellectual property are not adequate, or if any third-party misappropriates or infringes on our intellectual property, whether in print, on the Internet or through other media, the value of our brands may be harmed, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, including the failure of our brands and branded products to achieve and maintain market acceptance. There can be no assurance that all of the steps we have taken to protect our intellectual property in the United States and in foreign countries will be adequate. In addition, the laws of some foreign countries do not protect intellectual property rights to the same extent as do the laws of the United States.
We or our suppliers maintain the seasonings and additives for our food offerings, as well as certain standards, specifications and operating procedures, as trade secrets or confidential information. We may not be able to prevent the unauthorized disclosure or use of our trade secrets or information, despite the existence of confidentiality agreements and other measures. While we try to ensure that the quality of our brand and branded products is maintained by all of our franchisees, we cannot be certain that these franchisees will not take actions that adversely affect the value of our intellectual property or reputation. If any of our trade secrets or information were to be disclosed to or independently developed by a competitor, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially adversely affected.
Third-party claims with respect to intellectual property assets, if decided against us, may result in competing uses or require adoption of new, non-infringing intellectual property, which may in turn adversely affect sales and revenues.
There can be no assurance that third parties will not assert infringement or misappropriation claims against us, or assert claims that our rights in our trademarks, service marks, trade dress and other intellectual property assets are invalid or unenforceable. Any such claims could have a material adverse effect on us or our franchisees if such claims were to be decided against us. If our rights in any intellectual property were invalidated or deemed unenforceable, it could permit competing uses of intellectual property which, in turn, could lead to a decline in restaurant revenues. If the intellectual property became subject to third-party infringement, misappropriation or other claims, and such claims were decided against us, we may be forced to pay damages, be required to develop or adopt non-infringing intellectual property or be obligated to acquire a license to the intellectual property that is the subject of the asserted claim. There could be significant expenses associated with the defense of any infringement, misappropriation, or other third-party claims.
We depend on our executive officers, the loss of whom could materially harm our business.
We rely upon the accumulated knowledge, skills and experience of our executive officers and significant employees. Our executive officers and significant employees have cumulative experience of more than 100 years in the food service industry. If they were to leave us or become incapacitated, we might suffer in our planning and execution of business strategy and operations, impacting our brand and financial results. We also do not maintain any key man life insurance policies for any of our employees.
Matters relating to employment and labor law may adversely affect our business.
Various federal and state labor laws govern our relationships with our employees and affect operating costs. These laws include employee classifications as exempt or non-exempt, minimum wage requirements, unemployment tax rates, workers’ compensation rates, citizenship requirements and other wage and benefit requirements for employees classified as non-exempt. Significant additional government regulations and new laws, including mandating increases in minimum wages, changes in exempt and non-exempt status, or mandated benefits such as health insurance could materially affect our business, financial condition, operating results or cash flow. Furthermore, if our or our franchisees’ employees unionize, it could materially affect our business, financial condition, operating results or cash flow.
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We are also subject in the ordinary course of business to employee claims against us based, among other things, on discrimination, harassment, wrongful termination, or violation of wage and labor laws. Such claims could also be asserted against us by employees of our franchisees. Moreover, claims asserted against franchisees may at times be made against us as a franchisor. These claims may divert our financial and management resources that would otherwise be used to benefit our operations. The ongoing expense of any resulting lawsuits, and any substantial settlement payment or damage award against us, could adversely affect our business, brand image, employee recruitment, financial condition, operating results or cash flows.
In addition, various states in which we operate are considering or have already adopted new immigration laws or enforcement programs, and the U.S. Congress and Department of Homeland Security from time to time consider and may implement changes to federal immigration laws, regulations or enforcement programs as well. Some of these changes may increase our obligations for compliance and oversight, which could subject us to additional costs and make our hiring process more cumbersome or reduce the availability of potential employees. Although we require all workers to provide us with government-specified documentation evidencing their employment eligibility, some of our employees may, without our knowledge, be unauthorized workers. Unauthorized workers are subject to deportation and may subject us to fines or penalties, and if any of our workers are found to be unauthorized, we could experience adverse publicity that negatively impacts our brand and may make it more difficult to hire and keep qualified employees. Termination of a significant number of employees who were unauthorized employees may disrupt our operations, cause temporary increases in our labor costs as we train new employees and result in additional adverse publicity. We could also become subject to fines, penalties and other costs related to claims that we did not fully comply with all recordkeeping obligations of federal and state immigration compliance laws. These factors could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Restaurant companies have been the target of class action lawsuits and other proceedings alleging, among other things, violations of federal and state workplace and employment laws. Proceedings of this nature are costly, divert management attention and, if successful, could result in our payment of substantial damages or settlement costs.
Our business is subject to the risk of litigation by employees, consumers, suppliers, franchisees, stockholders or others through private actions, class actions, administrative proceedings, regulatory actions or other litigation. The outcome of litigation, particularly class action and regulatory actions, is difficult to assess or quantify. In recent years, restaurant companies, including us, have been subject to lawsuits, including lawsuits, alleging violations of federal and state laws regarding workplace and employment conditions, discrimination and similar matters. A number of these lawsuits have resulted in the payment of substantial damages by the defendants. Similar lawsuits have been instituted from time to time alleging violations of various federal and state wage and hour laws regarding, among other things, employee meal deductions, overtime eligibility of managers and failure to pay for all hours worked.
Occasionally, our customers file complaints or lawsuits against us alleging that we are responsible for some illness or injury they suffered at or after a visit to one of our restaurants, including actions seeking damages resulting from food-borne illness or accidents in our restaurants. We are also subject to a variety of other claims from third parties arising in the ordinary course of our business, including contract claims. The restaurant industry has also been subject to a growing number of claims that the menus and actions of restaurant chains have led to the obesity of certain of their customers. We may also be subject to lawsuits from our employees, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission or others alleging violations of federal and state laws regarding workplace and employment conditions, discrimination and similar matters.
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Regardless of whether any claims against us are valid or whether we are liable, claims may be expensive to defend and may divert time and money away from our operations and result in increases in our insurance premiums. In addition, they may generate negative publicity, which could reduce customer traffic and sales. Although we maintain what we believe to have adequate levels of insurance, insurance may not be available at all or in sufficient amounts to cover any liabilities with respect to these or other matters. A judgment or other liability in excess of our insurance coverage for any claims or any adverse publicity resulting from claims could adversely affect our business and results of operations.
If we or our franchisees face labor shortages or increased labor costs, our results of operations and our growth could be adversely affected.
Labor is a primary component in the cost of operating our company-operated and franchised restaurants. If we or our franchisees face labor shortages or increased labor costs because of increased competition for employees, higher employee-turnover rates, unionization of restaurant workers, or increases in the federally-mandated or state-mandated minimum wage, change in exempt and non-exempt status, or other employee benefits costs (including costs associated with health insurance coverage or workers’ compensation insurance), our and our franchisees’ operating expenses could increase and our growth could be adversely affected.
We have a substantial number of hourly employees who are paid wage rates at or based on the applicable federal or state minimum wage and increases in the minimum wage will increase our labor costs and the labor costs of our franchisees. The federal minimum wage has been $7.25 per hour since July 24, 2009. Federally-mandated, state-mandated or locally-mandated minimum wages may be raised in the future. We may be unable to increase our menu prices in order to pass future increased labor costs on to our customers, in which case our margins would be negatively affected. Also, reduced margins of franchisees could make it more difficult to sell franchises. If menu prices are increased by us and our franchisees to cover increased labor costs, the higher prices could adversely affect transactions which could lower sales and thereby reduce our margins and the royalties that we receive from franchisees.
In addition, our success depends in part upon our and our franchisees’ ability to attract, motivate and retain a sufficient number of well-qualified restaurant operators, management personnel and other employees. Qualified individuals needed to fill these positions can be in short supply in some geographic areas. In addition, limited service restaurants have traditionally experienced relatively high employee turnover rates. Although we have not yet experienced any significant problems in recruiting employees, our and our franchisees’ ability to recruit and retain such individuals may delay the planned openings of new restaurants or result in higher employee turnover in existing restaurants, which could increase our and our franchisees’ labor costs and have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations or cash flows. If we or our franchisees are unable to recruit and retain sufficiently qualified individuals, our business and our growth could be adversely affected. Competition for these employees could require us or our franchisees to pay higher wages, which could also result in higher labor costs.
We are locked into long-term and non-cancelable leases and may be unable to renew leases at the end of their terms.
Many of our restaurant leases are non-cancelable and typically have initial terms up to between 5 and 10 years and 1-3 renewal terms of 5 years each that we may exercise at our option. Even if we close a restaurant, we are required to perform our obligations under the applicable lease, which could include, among other things, a provision for a closed restaurant reserve when the restaurant is closed, which would impact our profitability, and payment of the base rent, property taxes, insurance and maintenance for the balance of the lease term. In addition, in connection with leases for restaurants that we will continue to operate, we may, at the end of the lease term and any renewal period for a restaurant, be unable to renew the lease without substantial additional cost, if at all. As a result, we may close or relocate the restaurant, which could subject us to construction and other costs and risks. Additionally, the revenues and profit, if any, generated at a relocated restaurant may not equal the revenues and profit generated at the existing restaurant. As of January, 2019, the Company currently has 4 restaurant locations that have been closed where a settlement on the outstanding lease amounts has not yet been determined. The outcome on these 4 restaurant leases could have a negative material impact on our cash reserves as well as future earnings.
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We and our franchisees are subject to extensive government regulations that could result in claims leading to increased costs and restrict our ability to operate or sell franchises.
We and our franchisees are subject to extensive government regulation at the federal, state and local government levels. These include, but are not limited to, regulations relating to the preparation and sale of food, zoning and building codes, franchising, land use and employee, health, sanitation and safety matters. We and our franchisees are required to obtain and maintain a wide variety of governmental licenses, permits and approvals. Difficulty or failure in obtaining them in the future could result in delaying or canceling the opening of new restaurants. Local authorities may suspend or deny renewal of our governmental licenses if they determine that our operations do not meet the standards for initial grant or renewal. This risk would be even higher if there were a major change in the licensing requirements affecting our types of restaurants.
We are subject to the U.S. Americans with Disabilities Act (the “ADA”) and similar state laws that give civil rights protections to individuals with disabilities in the context of employment, public accommodations and other areas, including our restaurants. We may in the future have to modify restaurants by adding access ramps or redesigning certain architectural fixtures, for example, to provide service to or make reasonable accommodations for disabled persons. The expenses associated with these modifications could be material.
Our operations are also subject to the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Act, which governs worker health and safety, the U.S. Fair Labor Standards Act, which governs such matters as minimum wages and overtime, the U.S. Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, and a variety of similar federal, state and local laws that govern these and other employment law matters. We and our franchisees may also be subject to lawsuits from our employees, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission or others alleging violations of federal and state laws regarding workplace and employment matters, discrimination and similar matters, and we have been a party to such matters in the past. In addition, federal, state and local proposals related to paid sick leave or similar matters could, if implemented, have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 (the “PPACA”) requires employers such as us to provide adequate and affordable health insurance for all qualifying employees or pay a monthly per-employee fee or penalty for non-compliance beginning in fiscal 2015. We began to offer such health insurance benefits on January 1, 2015 to all eligible employees, and may incur substantial additional expense due to organizing and maintaining the plan which we anticipate will be more expensive on a per person basis and for an increased number of employees who we anticipate at other times may elect to obtain coverage through a healthcare plan that we partially subsidize. If we fail to offer such benefits, or the benefits that we elect to offer do not meet the applicable requirements, we may incur penalties. Since the PPACA also requires individuals to obtain coverage or face individual penalties, employees who are currently eligible but elect not to participate in our healthcare plans may find it more advantageous to do so when such individual penalties increase in size. It is also possible that by making changes or failing to make changes in the healthcare plans offered by us, we will become less competitive in the market for our labor. Finally, implementing the requirements of the PPACA is likely to impose additional administrative costs. The costs and other effects of these new healthcare requirements cannot be determined with certainty, but they may significantly increase our healthcare coverage costs and could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
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There is also a potential for increased regulation of certain food establishments in the United States, where compliance with a Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (“HACCP”) approach would be required. HACCP refers to a management system in which food safety is addressed through the analysis and control of potential hazards from production, procurement and handling, to manufacturing, distribution and consumption of the finished product. Many states have required restaurants to develop and implement HACCP Systems, and the United States government continues to expand the sectors of the food industry that must adopt and implement HACCP programs. For example, the Food Safety Modernization Act (the “FSMA”), signed into law in January 2011, granted the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (the “FDA”) new authority regarding the safety of the entire food system, including through increased inspections and mandatory food recalls. Although restaurants are specifically exempted from or not directly implicated by some of these new requirements, we anticipate that the new requirements may impact our industry. Additionally, our suppliers may initiate or otherwise be subject to food recalls that may impact the availability of certain products, result in adverse publicity or require us to take actions that could be costly for us or otherwise impact our business.
We are also subject to regulation by the Federal Trade Commission and subject to state laws that govern the offer, sale, renewal and termination of franchises and our relationship with our franchisees. The failure to comply with these laws and regulations in any jurisdiction or to obtain required approvals could result in a ban or temporary suspension on franchise sales, fines or the requirement that we make a rescission offer to franchisees, any of which could affect our ability to open new restaurants in the future and thus could materially adversely affect our business and operating results. Any such failure could also subject us to liability to our franchisees.
Federal, State and Local Regulation and Compliance
We are subject to extensive federal, state and local government regulation, including those relating to, among others, public health and safety, zoning and fire codes, and franchising. Failure to obtain or retain food or other licenses and registrations or exemptions would adversely affect the operations of restaurants. Although we have not experienced and do not anticipate any significant problems in obtaining required licenses, permits or approvals, any difficulties, delays or failures in obtaining such licenses, permits, registrations, exemptions, or approvals could delay or prevent the opening of, or adversely impact the viability of, a restaurant in a particular area.
The development and construction of additional restaurants will be subject to compliance with applicable zoning, land use and environmental regulations. We believe federal and state environmental regulations have not had a material effect on operations, but more stringent and varied requirements of local government bodies with respect to zoning, land use and environmental factors could delay construction and increase development costs for new restaurants.
We are also subject to the Fair Labor Standards Act, the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 and various federal and state laws governing such matters as minimum wages, overtime, unemployment tax rates, workers’ compensation rates, citizenship requirements and other working conditions. A significant portion of the hourly staff is paid at rates consistent with the applicable federal or state minimum wage and, accordingly, increases in the minimum wage will increase labor costs. In addition, the PPACA increased medical costs beginning in fiscal 2015. We are also subject to the Americans With Disabilities Act, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in public accommodations and employment, which may require us to design or modify our restaurants to make reasonable accommodations for disabled persons.
In addition, we must comply with regulations adopted by the Federal Trade Commission, or the FTC, and with several state laws that regulate the offer and sale of franchises. The FTC’s Trade Regulation Rule on Franchising, or the FTC Rule, and certain state laws require that we furnish prospective franchisees with a franchise offering circular or Franchise Disclosure Document containing information prescribed by the FTC Rule and applicable state laws and regulations.
We also must comply with a number of state laws that regulate some substantive aspects of the franchisor-franchisee relationship. These laws may limit a franchisor’s ability to: terminate or not renew a franchise without good cause; prohibit interference with the right of free association among franchisees; alter franchise agreements; disapprove the transfer of a franchise; discriminate among franchisees with regard to charges, royalties and other fees; and place new stores near existing franchises. Bills intended to regulate certain aspects of franchise relationships have been introduced into Congress on several occasions during the last decade, but none have been enacted.
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Compliance with environmental laws may negatively affect our business.
We are subject to federal, state and local laws and regulations, including those concerning waste disposal, pollution, protection of the environment, and the presence, discharge, storage, handling, release and disposal of, and exposure to, hazardous or toxic substances. These environmental laws provide for significant fines and penalties for non-compliance and liabilities for remediation, sometimes without regard to whether the owner or operator of the property knew of, or was responsible for, the release or presence of hazardous toxic substances. Third parties may also make claims against owners or operators of properties for personal injuries and property damage associated with releases of, or actual or alleged exposure to, such hazardous or toxic substances at, on or from our restaurants. Environmental conditions relating to the presence of hazardous substances at prior, existing or future restaurant sites could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. Further, environmental laws and regulations, and the administration, interpretation and enforcement thereof, are subject to change and may become more stringent in the future, each of which could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We are subject to federal, state and local laws and regulations relating to environmental protection, including regulation of discharges into the air and water, storage and disposal of waste and clean-up of contaminated soil and groundwater. Under various federal, state and local laws, an owner or operator of real estate may be liable for the costs of removal or remediation of hazardous or toxic substances on, in or emanating from such property. Such liability may be imposed without regard to whether the owner or operator knew of, or was responsible for, the presence of such hazardous or toxic substances, and in some cases we may have obligations imposed by indemnity provisions in our leases.
No assurance can be given that we have identified all of the potential environmental liabilities at our properties or that such liabilities will not have a material adverse effect on our financial condition.
Legislation and regulations requiring the display and provision of nutritional information for our menu offerings, and new information or attitudes regarding diet and health or adverse opinions about the health effects of consuming our menu offerings, could affect consumer preferences and negatively impact our results of operations.
Government regulation and consumer eating habits may impact our business as a result of changes in attitudes regarding diet and health or new information regarding the health effects of consuming our menu offerings. These changes have resulted in, and may continue to result in, the enactment of laws and regulations that impact the ingredients and nutritional content of our menu offerings, or laws and regulations requiring us to disclose the nutritional content of our food offerings.
The PPACA establishes a uniform, federal requirement for certain restaurants to post certain nutritional information on their menus. Specifically, the PPACA amended the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act to, as of December 1, 2015, require chain restaurants with 20 or more locations operating under the same name and offering substantially the same menus to publish the total number of calories of standard menu items on menus and menu boards, along with a statement that puts this calorie information in the context of a total daily calorie intake. The PPACA also requires covered restaurants to, as of December 1, 2015, provide to consumers, upon request, a written summary of detailed nutritional information for each standard menu item, and to provide a statement on menus and menu boards about the availability of this information. The PPACA further permits the United States Food and Drug Administration to require covered restaurants to make additional nutrient disclosures, such as disclosure of trans-fat content. An unfavorable report on, or reaction to, our menu ingredients, the size of our portions or the nutritional content of our menu items could negatively influence the demand for our offerings
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Furthermore, a number of states, counties and cities have enacted menu labeling laws requiring multi-unit restaurant operators to disclose certain nutritional information to customers or have enacted legislation restricting the use of certain types of ingredients in restaurants.
Compliance with current and future laws and regulations regarding the ingredients and nutritional content of our menu items may be costly and time-consuming. Additionally, if consumer health regulations or consumer eating habits change significantly, we may be required to modify or discontinue certain menu items, and we may experience higher costs associated with the implementation of those changes. Additionally, some government authorities are increasing regulations regarding trans-fats and sodium, which may require us to limit or eliminate trans-fats and sodium in our menu offerings or switch to higher cost ingredients or may hinder our ability to operate in certain markets. Some jurisdictions have banned certain cooking ingredients, such as trans-fats, which a limited number of our menu products contain in small, but measurable amounts, or have discussed banning certain products, such as large sodas. Removal of these products and ingredients from our menus could affect product tastes, customer satisfaction levels, and sales volumes, whereas if we fail to comply with these laws or regulations, our business could experience a material adverse effect.
We cannot make any assurances regarding our ability to effectively respond to changes in consumer health perceptions or our ability to successfully implement the nutrient content disclosure requirements and to adapt our menu offerings to trends in eating habits. The imposition of additional menu-labeling laws could have an adverse effect on our results of operations and financial position, as well as on the restaurant industry in general.
We may become subject to liabilities arising from environmental laws that could likely increase our operating expenses and materially and adversely affect our business and results of operations.
We are subject to federal, state and local laws, regulations and ordinances that:
| ● | govern activities or operations that may have adverse environmental effects, such as discharges to air and water, as well as waste handling and disposal practices for solid and hazardous wastes; and | |
| ● | impose liability for the costs of cleaning up, and damage resulting from, sites of past spills, disposals or other releases of hazardous materials. |
In particular, under applicable environmental laws, we may be responsible for remediation of environmental conditions and may be subject to associated liabilities, including liabilities for clean-up costs and personal injury or property damage, relating to our restaurants and the land on which our restaurants are located, regardless of whether we lease or own the restaurants in question and regardless of whether such environmental conditions were created by us or by a prior owner or tenant. If we are found liable for the costs of remediating contamination at any of our properties, our operating expenses would likely increase and our results of operations would be materially adversely affected. See “Description of Business—Environmental Matters.” Some of our leases provide for indemnification of our landlords for environmental contamination, clean-up or owner liability.
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We are exposed to the risk of natural disasters, unusual weather conditions, pandemic outbreaks, political events, war and terrorism that could disrupt business and result in lower sales, increased operating costs and capital expenditures.
Our headquarters, company-operated and franchised restaurant locations, third-party sole distributor and its facilities, as well as certain of our vendors and customers, are located in areas which have been and could be subject to natural disasters such as floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, fires or earthquakes. Adverse weather conditions or other extreme changes in the weather, including resulting electrical and technological failures, especially such events which occur in New Jersey and New York, as a result of the concentration of our restaurants, may disrupt our and our franchisees’ business and may adversely affect our and our franchisees’ ability to obtain food and supplies and sell menu items. Our business may be harmed if our or our franchisees’ ability to obtain food and supplies and sell menu items is impacted by any such events, any of which could influence customer trends and purchases and may negatively impact our and our franchisees’ revenues, properties or operations. Such events could result in physical damage to one or more of our or our franchisees’ properties, the temporary closure of some or all of our company-operated restaurants, franchised restaurants and third-party distributor, the temporary lack of an adequate work force in a market, temporary or long-term disruption in the transport of goods, delay in the delivery of goods and supplies to our company-operated and franchised restaurants and third-party distributor, disruption of our technology support or information systems, or fuel shortages or dramatic increases in fuel prices, all of which would increase the cost of doing business. These events also could have indirect consequences such as increases in the costs of insurance if they result in significant loss of property or other insurable damage. Any of these factors, or any combination thereof, could adversely affect our operations. Some of our restaurants are located on military bases. Our strategy as of January 2019 is to continue to build corporately owned and operated restaurants on military bases. In the event of a significant troop deployment, our total revenue and operating profits could be materially adversely affected.
Upon the expansion of our operations internationally, we could be adversely affected by violations of the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and similar worldwide anti-bribery and anti-kickback laws.
We anticipate developing franchised locations located outside the United States. The U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, and other similar anti-bribery and anti-kickback laws and regulations, generally prohibit companies and their intermediaries from making improper payments to non-U.S. officials for the purpose of obtaining or retaining business. We cannot assure you that we will be successful in preventing our franchisees or other agents from taking actions in violation of these laws or regulations. Such violations, or allegations of such violations, could disrupt our business and result in a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
If we are unable to implement and maintain effective internal control over financial reporting in the future, investors may lose confidence in the accuracy and completeness of our financial reports and the market price of our Common Stock may decline.
As a public company, we are required to maintain internal control over financial reporting and to report any material weaknesses in such internal control. Further, we are required to report any changes in internal controls on a quarterly basis. In addition, we must furnish a report by management on the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting pursuant to Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. We will design, implement, and test the internal controls over financial reporting required to comply with these obligations. If we identify material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting, if we are unable to comply with the requirements of Section 404 in a timely manner or assert that our internal control over financial reporting is effective, or if our independent registered public accounting firm is unable to express an opinion as to the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting when required, investors may lose confidence in the accuracy and completeness of our financial reports and the market price of the Common Stock could be negatively affected. We also could become subject to investigations by the stock exchange if we are ever listed on an exchange, the Commission, or other regulatory authorities, which could require additional financial and management resources. As of December 31, 2017, we had material weakness in our internal controls.
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As an emerging growth company, our auditor is not required to attest to the effectiveness of our internal controls.
Our independent registered public accounting firm is not required to attest to the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting while we are an emerging growth company. This means that the effectiveness of our financial operations may differ from our peer companies in that they may be required to obtain independent registered public accounting firm attestations as to the effectiveness of their internal controls over financial reporting and we are not. While our management will be required to attest to internal control over financial reporting and we will be required to detail changes to our internal controls on a quarterly basis, we cannot provide assurance that the independent registered public accounting firm’s review process in assessing the effectiveness of our internal controls over financial reporting, if obtained, would not find one or more material weaknesses or significant deficiencies. Further, once we cease to be an emerging growth company we will be subject to independent registered public accounting firm attestation regarding the effectiveness of our internal controls over financial reporting. Even if management finds such controls to be effective, our independent registered public accounting firm may decline to attest to the effectiveness of such internal controls and issue a qualified report.
As a smaller reporting company and will be exempt from certain disclosure requirements, which could make our Common Stock less attractive to potential investors.
Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act defines a “smaller reporting company” as an issuer that is not an investment company, an asset-backed issuer, or a majority-owned subsidiary of a parent that is not a smaller reporting company and that:
| ● | had a public float of less than $75 million as of the last business day of its most recently completed second fiscal quarter, computed by multiplying the aggregate worldwide number of shares of its voting and non-voting common equity held by non-affiliates by the price at which the common equity was last sold, or the average of the bid and asked prices of common equity, in the principal market for the common equity; or |
| ● | in the case of an initial registration statement under the Securities Act, or the Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, which we refer to as the Exchange Act, for shares of its common equity, had a public float of less than $75 million as of a date within 30 days of the date of the filing of the registration statement, computed by multiplying the aggregate worldwide number of such shares held by non-affiliates before the registration plus, in the case of a Securities Act registration statement, the number of such shares included in the registration statement by the estimated public offering price of the shares; or |
| ● | in the case of an issuer whose public float as calculated under paragraph (1) or (2) of this definition was zero, had annual revenues of less than $50 million during the most recently completed fiscal year for which audited financial statements are available. |
As a smaller reporting company, we will not be required and may not include a Compensation Discussion and Analysis section in our proxy statements; we will provide only two years of financial statements; and we need not provide the table of selected financial data. We also will have other “scaled” disclosure requirements that are less comprehensive than issuers that are not smaller reporting companies which could make our Common Stock less attractive to potential investors, which could make it more difficult for our stockholders to sell their shares.
As a public company, we will incur significant increased costs as a result of operating as a public company, and our management will be required to devote substantial time to new compliance initiatives.
As a public company, we will incur significant legal, accounting and other expenses that we did not incur as a private company. In addition, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, and rules of the SEC and those of the NYSE American or NASDAQ Capital Market have imposed various requirements on public companies including requiring establishment and maintenance of effective disclosure and financial controls. Our management and other personnel will need to devote a substantial amount of time to these compliance initiatives. Moreover, these rules and regulations have increased and will continue to increase our legal and financial compliance costs and will make some activities more time-consuming and costlier. For example, we expect that these rules and regulations may make it more difficult and more expensive for us to obtain directors’ and officers’ liability insurance, which could make it more difficult for us to attract and retain qualified members of our board of directors. We cannot predict or estimate the amount of additional costs we will incur as a public company or the timing of such costs.
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The Sarbanes-Oxley Act requires, among other things, that we maintain effective internal control over financial reporting and disclosure controls and procedures. In particular, we must perform system and process evaluation and testing of our internal control over financial reporting to allow management to report on the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting, as required by Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. In addition, we will be required to have our independent registered public accounting firm attest to the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting the later of our second annual report on Form 10-K or the first annual report on Form 10-K following the date on which we are no longer an emerging growth company. Our compliance with Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act will require that we incur substantial accounting expense and expend significant management efforts. We currently do not have an internal audit group, and we will need to hire additional accounting and financial staff with appropriate public company experience and technical accounting knowledge. If we are not able to comply with the requirements of Section 404 in a timely manner, or if we or our independent registered public accounting firm identify deficiencies in our internal control over financial reporting that are deemed to be material weaknesses, the market price of our stock could decline and we could be subject to sanctions or investigations by the exchange we are listed on, the SEC or other regulatory authorities, which would require additional financial and management resources.
Our ability to successfully implement our business plan and comply with Section 404 requires us to be able to prepare timely and accurate financial statements. We expect that we will need to continue to improve existing, and implement new operational and financial systems, procedures and controls to manage our business effectively. Any delay in the implementation of, or disruption in the transition to, new or enhanced systems, procedures or controls, may cause our operations to suffer and we may be unable to conclude that our internal control over financial reporting is effective and to obtain an unqualified report on internal controls from our auditors as required under Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. This, in turn, could have an adverse impact on trading prices for our common stock, and could adversely affect our ability to access the capital markets.
We are an emerging growth company and subject to less rigorous public reporting requirements and cannot be certain if the reduced reporting requirements applicable to emerging growth companies will make our Common Stock less attractive to investors.
We are a public reporting company under the Exchange Act, and thereafter publicly report on an ongoing basis as an “emerging growth company” (as defined in the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012, which we refer to as the JOBS Act) under the reporting rules set forth under the Exchange Act. For so long as we remain an “emerging growth company”, we may take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other Exchange Act reporting companies that are not “emerging growth companies”, including but not limited to:
| ● | Not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act; | |
| ● | Taking advantage of extensions of time to comply with certain new or revised financial accounting standards; | |
| ● | Being permitted to comply with reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements; and | |
| ● | Being exempt from the requirement to hold a non-binding advisory vote on executive compensations and stockholder approval of an golden parachute payments not previously approved. |
We expect to take advantage of these reporting exemptions until we are no longer an emerging growth company. We could be an emerging growth company for up to five years, circumstances could cause us to lose that status earlier, including if the market value of our Common Stock held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million, if we issue $1 billion or more in non-convertible debt during a three-year period, or if our annual gross revenues exceed $1 billion. We would cease to be an emerging growth company on the last day of the fiscal year following the date of the fifth anniversary of our first sale of common equity securities under an effective registration statement or a fiscal year in which we have $1 billion in gross revenues. Finally, at any time we may choose to opt-out of the emerging growth company reporting requirements. If we choose to opt out, we will be unable to opt back in to being an emerging growth company.
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We cannot predict if investors will find our Common Stock less attractive because we may rely on these exemptions. If some investors find our Common Stock less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading market for our Common Stock and our stock price may be more volatile.
If our shares of Common Stock become subject to the penny stock rules, it would become more difficult to trade our shares.
The Commission has adopted rules that regulate broker-dealer practices in connection with transactions in penny stocks. Penny stocks are generally equity securities with a price per share of less than $5.00, other than securities registered on certain national securities exchanges or authorized for quotation on certain automated quotation systems, provided that current price and volume information with respect to transactions in such securities is provided by the exchange or system. If we do not obtain or retain a listing on the NYSE American or NASDAQ Capital Market and if the price of our Common Stock is less than $5.00 per share, our Common Stock will be deemed a penny stock. The penny stock rules require a broker-dealer, before effecting a transaction in a penny stock not otherwise exempt from those rules, to deliver a standardized risk disclosure document containing specified information. In addition, the penny stock rules require that, before effecting any such transaction in a penny stock not otherwise exempt from those rules, a broker-dealer must make a special written determination that the penny stock is a suitable investment for the purchaser and receive (i) the purchaser’s written acknowledgment of the receipt of a risk disclosure statement; (ii) a written agreement to transactions involving penny stocks; and (iii) a signed and dated copy of a written suitability statement. These disclosure requirements may have the effect of reducing the trading activity in the secondary market for our Common Stock, and therefore stockholders may have difficulty selling their shares.
FINRA sales practice requirements may limit a stockholder’s ability to buy and sell our stock.
In addition to the “penny stock” rules described above, FINRA has adopted rules that require that in recommending an investment to a customer, a broker-dealer must have reasonable grounds for believing that the investment is suitable for that customer. Prior to recommending speculative, low-priced securities to their non-institutional customers, broker-dealers must make reasonable efforts to obtain information about the customer’s financial status, tax status, investment objectives and other information. The FINRA requirements may make it more difficult for broker-dealers to recommend that their customers buy our Common Stock, which may have the effect of reducing the level of trading activity in our Common Stock. As a result, fewer broker-dealers may be willing to make a market in our common stock, reducing a stockholder’s ability to resell shares of our Common Stock.
Muscle Maker is a holding company with no operations and relies on its operating subsidiaries to provide it with funds necessary to meet its financial obligations and to pay taxes, expenses and dividends.
We are a holding company with no direct operations that will hold as our principal assets (i) a 100% ownership interest in Muscle Maker Development, LLC (“Muscle Maker Development”), which runs our franchising restaurant operations and (ii) a 100% ownership interest in Muscle Maker Corp., LLC (“Muscle Maker Corp.”; together with Muscle Maker Development, referred to as the “Subsidiaries”), which runs our company restaurant operations, and holds a 70% ownership interest in Custom Technology, Inc. (“CTI”), a technology and point of sale (“POS”) systems dealer and technology consultant, and will rely on the Subsidiaries to provide us with funds necessary to meet any financial obligations. As such, we will have no independent means of generating revenue. We intend to cause the Subsidiaries to make distributions or, in the case of certain expenses, payments in an amount sufficient to allow us to pay our taxes and operating expenses. However, the Subsidiaries’ ability to make such distributions and payments to Muscle Maker may be subject to various limitations and restrictions, including the operating results, cash requirements and financial condition of the Subsidiaries, the applicable provisions of California law that may limit the amount of funds available for distribution to the shareholders of the Subsidiaries, compliance by the Subsidiaries with restrictions, covenants and financial ratios related to existing or future indebtedness, and other agreements entered into by the Subsidiaries with third parties. If we do not have sufficient funds to pay tax or other liabilities or to fund our operations (i.e., as a result of the Subsidiaries’ inability to make distributions due to various limitations and restrictions), we may have to borrow funds, and thus our liquidity and financial condition could be materially and adversely affected. As of June 2019, the Company no longer holds a 70% ownership interest in CTI.
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Members of our board of directors and our executive officers will have other business interests and obligations to other entities.
Neither our directors nor our executive officers will be required to manage the Company as their sole and exclusive function and they may have other business interests and may engage in other activities in addition to those relating to the Company, provided that such activities do not compete with the business of the Company or otherwise breach their agreements with the Company. We are dependent on our directors and executive officers to successfully operate our Company. Their other business interests and activities could divert time and attention from operating our business.
Risks Related to Ownership of Our Common Stock and Lack of Liquidity
An active trading market for our common stock may not develop and you may not be able to resell your shares.
There has been no public market for shares of our common stock. In the absence of an active trading market for our common stock, investors may not be able to sell their common stock or at the time that they would like to sell. In addition, we intend to list our common stock on the NYSE American (“NYSE American”) or NASDAQ Capital Market, there is no guarantee that we can meet the listing standards or that our listing application with the NYSE American or NASDAQ Capital Market will be accepted. Even if our common stock is accepted and our common stock is listed on the NYSE American or NASDAQ Capital Market, an active trading market for our common stock may never develop, which will adversely impact your ability to sell our shares. If shares of common stock are not eligible for listing on the NYSE American or NASDAQ Capital Market, we intend to apply for quotation of our common stock on the OTC Marketplace by the OTC Markets Group, Inc.. Even if we obtain quotation on the OTC, we do not know the extent to which investor interest will lead to the development and maintenance of a liquid trading market.
The OTC, as with other public markets, has from time to time experienced significant price and volume fluctuations. As a result, the market price of shares of our common stock may be similarly volatile, and holders of shares of our common stock may from time to time experience a decrease in the value of their shares, including decreases unrelated to our operating performance or prospects. The price of shares of our common stock could be subject to wide fluctuations in response to a number of factors, including those listed in this “Risk Factors” section.
No assurance can be given that the market price of shares of our common stock will not fluctuate or decline significantly in the future or that common stockholders will be able to sell their shares when desired on favorable terms, or at all.
The Company’s stock price may be volatile.
The market price of the Company’s Common Stock is likely to be highly volatile and could fluctuate widely in price in response to various potential factors, many of which will be beyond the Company’s control, including the following:
| ● | services by the Company or its competitors; | |
| ● | additions or departures of key personnel; | |
| ● | the Company’s ability to execute its business plan; | |
| ● | operating results that fall below expectations; |
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| ● | loss of any strategic relationship; | |
| ● | industry developments; | |
| ● | economic and other external factors; and | |
| ● | period-to-period fluctuations in the Company’s financial results. |
In addition, the securities markets have from time to time experienced significant price and volume fluctuations that are unrelated to the operating performance of particular companies. These market fluctuations may also materially and adversely affect the market price of the Company’s common stock.
If our securities are quoted on the OTC rather than listed on the NYSE American or NASDAQ Capital Market, our securities holders may face significant restrictions on the resale of our securities due to state “Blue Sky” laws.
Each state has its own securities laws, often called “blue sky” laws, which (i) limit sales of securities to a state’s residents unless the securities are registered in that state or qualify for an exemption from registration, and (ii) govern the reporting requirements for broker-dealers doing business directly or indirectly in the state. Before a security is sold in a state, there must be a registration in place to cover the transaction, or the transaction must be exempt from registration. The applicable broker must be registered in that state. We do not know whether our common stock will be registered or exempt from registration under the laws of any state. If our securities are quoted on the OTC rather than listed on the NYSE American or NASDAQ Capital Market, a determination regarding registration will be made by those broker-dealers, if any, who agree to serve as the market-makers for our common stock. There may be significant state blue sky law restrictions on the ability of investors to sell, and on purchasers to buy, our common stock. You should therefore consider the resale market for our common stock to be limited, as you may be unable to resell your common stock without the significant expense of state registration or qualification.
We do not intend to pay dividends for the foreseeable future.
We have never declared or paid any cash dividends on our common stock and do not intend to pay any cash dividends in the foreseeable future. We anticipate that we will retain all of our future earnings for use in the development of our business and for general corporate purposes. Any determination to pay dividends in the future will be at the discretion of our board of directors. Accordingly, investors must rely on sales of their common stock after price appreciation, which may never occur, as the only way to realize any future gains on their investments.
| ITEM 1B. | UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS. |
Not applicable.
| ITEM 2. | PROPERTIES. |
We leased an executive office, consisting of approximately 2,500 square feet in Houston, Texas, for a term expiring in 2020, plus one five-year extension option. We vacated the property on April 30, 2018, prior to the initial lease term ending date. The Company received a notice from the landlord demanding payment of past due rents in the amount of $12,192. The resolution on payments and settlement for future lease obligations is still open as of January 2019.
As of May 2019, we are using an office in Burleson, Texas, as our executive office. We believe our current office space is suitable and adequate for its intended purposes and our near-term expansion plans.
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Currently Operating System-Wide Restaurants
As of February 25, 2019, company-operated, franchised and total system-wide restaurants by jurisdiction are:
| State | Company-Owned Restaurants | Franchised Restaurants | Total Restaurants | |||||||||
| Arizona | - | 1 | 1 | |||||||||
| California | 1 | 2 | 3 | |||||||||
| Florida | - | 3 | 3 | |||||||||
| Georgia | 1 | - | 1 | |||||||||
| Illinois | - | 2 | 2 | |||||||||
| Kansas | - | 1 | 1 | |||||||||
| Massachusetts | - | 1 | 1 | |||||||||
| Nevada | - | 1 | 1 | |||||||||
| New Jersey | 1 | 6 | 7 | |||||||||
| New York | 1 | 4 | 5 | |||||||||
| North Carolina | - | 2 | 2 | |||||||||
| Oklahoma | 1 | - | 1 | |||||||||
| Pennsylvania | - | 2 | 2 | |||||||||
| Texas | 1 | 6 | 7 | |||||||||
| Virginia | - | 2 | 2 | |||||||||
| Kuwait | - | 1 | 1 | |||||||||
| TOTAL | 6 | 34 | 40 | |||||||||
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| ITEM 3. | LEGAL PROCEEDINGS. |
From time to time, we are a defendant or plaintiff in various legal actions that arise in the normal course of business. We record legal costs associated with loss contingencies as incurred and have accrued for all probable and estimable settlements.
We are not currently involved in any material disputes and do not have any material litigation matters pending except:
In April 2018, Muscle Maker and ARH was listed as a defendant in a lawsuit filed by a landlord (“Former Landlord”) in the Superior Court of the State of California. The Former Landlord is seeking $531,594 in damages for rent, interest and other expenses. The original lease was for a 5-year period and commenced on or about September 30, 2015. On January 18, 2019, the Company successfully worked out a settlement and payment plan with the Plaintiff pursuant to a confidential settlement agreement.
On May 4, 2018, Stratford Road Partners, LLC (“Stafford”) filed suit against us and our subsidiary for non-payment of rent in the small Claims court in the state of North Carolina. Since then the property has been vacated and the landlord offered a settlement of $10,000 with no further lease obligation. As of the date of this report the company has not signed the settlement agreement dated June 30, 2018.
In May 2018, Muscle Maker, ARH and Robert E. Morgan (the former CEO of the Company) were listed as defendants to a lawsuit filed by Crownhall Realty, LLC (“Crownhall”) in the Supreme Court of the State of New York county of New York, #154467. Crownhall is seeking $1,034,087 in damages for rent, interest and other expenses. The original lease was for a 10-year period of time and commenced on January 1, 2016. In 2017, Limestone Associates LLC (“Limestone”) filed a complaint against ARH in the Civil Court of the City of New York, County of New York, #78549/2017 for commercial non-payment of rent for the amount of $25,748 plus cost and disbursements of this proceeding. In May 2018, Limestone filed a complaint against ARH and Mr. Morgan in the Supreme Court of the State of New York, County of New York, index # 154469 seeking $1,357,243 in damages for rent, interest and other expenses. On October 3, 2018, the Company, ARH and Robert E. Morgan entered into a settlement agreement with Crownhall and Limestone agreeing to forfeit all security deposits in the amount of $87,093, pay an upfront amount of $25,000 and an additional $175,000 to be paid over 20 months. This agreement settles litigation surrounding two closed locations, which the plaintiffs were seeking a total of $2,391,330 in past damages for rent, interest and other expenses.
On May 25, 2018, the Civil Court of the City of New York, County of New York, entered into a settlement agreement between the Company and a landlord, in the amount of $55,891 for past due rent. The Company agreed to make the following payments (i) $15,000 on or before May 31, 2018, and (ii) $40,891 on or before September 4,2018. These amounts have been paid in full.
On December 12, 2018, Muscle Maker was listed as a defendant to a lawsuit filed by a landlord in the Superior Court of the State of California. The landlord is seeking approximately $121,000 in damages for rent, interest and other expenses. On February 15, 2019, the company entered into a settlement agreement and payment plan in the amount of $85,000.
Resolute Contractors, Inc, Quality Tile, MTL Construction, Genesis Electric, JNB Interiors and Captive Aire filed a Mechanics Lien for labor, service, equipment and materials in the total amount of $98,005.22.
On or about May 1, 2018, a suit was filed in the Supreme Court of the State of New York, County of Rockland, by Imperial Bag & Paper seeking $44,585 in past due amounts for goods received. The company entered into a payment plan and as of January 2019 this amount has been paid in full.
On or about April 5, 2018, American Restaurant Holdings, Inc entered into a settlement agreement with 918-924 Belmont, LLC for $100,000 regarding past rents owed, other charges and the termination of its lease at this location. The settlement calls for monthly payments of $8,333 thru March 2019.
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On or about June 29, 2018, an arbitrator ruled all claims denied from a previous suit filed in 2013. The original suit was titled John Marques and J. Crown, Inc., Cross-Claim and Third Party Plaintiffs v. Muscle Maker Franchising, LLC, Cross-Claim Defendant, and Rodney Silva and Robert Morgan, Third Party Defendants, Docket No. MID-L-4223-13, Superior Court of New Jersey Law Division: Middlesex County.
On September 25, 2018, the Supreme Court of the State of New York, County of Rockland, entered into a judgement in favor of a creditor, in the amount of $69,367. The Company worked with legal counsel and on October 22, 2018, the Company entered into a settlement agreement with the creditor in the amount of $36,000 that was payable on or before November 16, 2018.
A convertible note holder filed a complaint in the Iowa District Court for Polk County #CVCV056029 against MMB, LLC, a subsidiary of the Company, for failure to pay the remaining balance due on a promissory note in the amount of $100,000, together with interest, attorney fees and other costs are $171,035. A default judgement was entered against MMB, LLC.
Muscle Maker or its subsidiaries failed in certain instances in paying past state and local sales taxes collected from customers in specific states that impose a tax on sales of the Company’s products during 2017. The Company had accrued a liability for approximately $356,000 as of December 31, 2017 related to this matter. All current state and local sales taxes from January 1, 2018 for open company owned locations have been fully paid and in a timely manner. The Company has completed or is in discussions on payment plans with the various state or local entities for these past owed amounts.
| ITEM 4. | MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES. |
Not applicable.
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| ITEM 5. | MARKET FOR REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES. |
The common stock of Muscle Maker, Inc. is not listed on any securities exchange or quoted on any automated quotation system.
Transfer Agent
Our transfer agent is Computershare, Inc, 118 Fernwood Avenue, Edison, NJ 08837.
Holders
As of February 25, 2019, there were 653 holders of record of our common stock.
Dividends
We have never declared or paid any cash dividends on our common stock. We currently intend to retain future earnings, if any, to finance the expansion of our business. As a result, we do not anticipate paying any cash dividends in the foreseeable future.
Warrants
As of December 31, 2017, and 2016, we had warrants to purchase an aggregate of 521,045 and 318,116 shares of common stock, respectively, outstanding with a weighted average exercise price of $9.03 and $8.84 per share, respectively.
Securities Authorized for Issuance Under Equity Compensation Plans
Equity Compensation Plan Information
The following table provides information, as of February 25, 2019 with respect to equity securities authorized for issuance under compensation plans:
| Plan Category | Number of Securities to be Issued Upon Exercise of Outstanding Options under the Plan (a) | Weighted- Average Exercise Price of Outstanding Options under the Plan (b) | Number of (c) | |||||||||
| Equity compensation plans approved by security holders | 0 | $ | - | 1,039,286 | ||||||||
| Equity compensation plans not approved by security holders | 0 | $ | - | - | ||||||||
| TOTAL | 0 | $ | - | 1,039,286 | ||||||||
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Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds
On January 23, 2015, in connection with original capitalization of the Company, MMI issued 4,339,285 shares of its common stock to ARH in exchange for cash of $3,645,000 and an obligation to repay an aggregate of $604,000 of principal due under Note I and Note II issued to MMF in connection with the acquisition of 74% of MMB.
On January 23, 2015, MMI issued 53,571 shares of common stock valued at $1.31 per share, or an aggregate of $70,000, to former members of MMF, in connection with the acquisition of 74% of MMB.
On January 24, 2015, MMI granted 21,428 shares of its common stock valued at $1.31 per share to its Director of Brand Development, in connection with the DBD Agreement. The shares vested immediately and MMI recorded stock-based compensation of $28,000 in connection with issuance of these shares.
On January 24, 2015, the Company issued 45,918 shares of its common stock to the Director of Brand Development in exchange for cash proceeds of $1.31 per share, or $60,000.
On July 23, 2015 and August 28, 2015, the Company issued 80,356 and 53,571 shares of its common stock, and 3-year warrants for the purchase of 40,178 and 26,785 shares of common stock respectively, for aggregate cash proceeds of $750,000. The warrants are exercisable at $7.00 per share.
On December 15, 2016, the Company granted a three-year warrant for the purchase of 245,797 shares of MMI common stock at an exercise price of $9.33 to the Former Parent, in connection with the issuance of the 2016 ARH Note.
On April 21, 2016, the Company granted a three-year warrant for the purchase of 5,356 shares of the Company’s common stock at an exercise price of $9.33 per share to a franchisee and developer of the Company in exchange for services.
On December 15, 2016, the Company granted a three-year warrant for the purchase of 245,797 shares of MMI common stock at an exercise price of $9.33 to the Former Parent, in connection with the issuance of the 2016 ARH Note.
In May 2017, Muscle Maker granted 119,709 shares of its restricted common stock to its employees and consultants, with an aggregate grant date value of $1,117,403 or $9.33 per share.
On July 21, 2017, the Company issued 6,696 shares of common stock of the company to an investor at a purchase price of $7.47 per share providing $50,000 of proceeds to the Company.
On July 25, 2017, a warrant was exercised for the 5,356 shares of common stock of the Company at an exercise price of $9.33 per share for gross proceeds of $50,000.
On July 27, 2017, the Company issued stand-alone non-qualified stock options, not pursuant to a plan, to purchase an aggregate of 33,750 shares of the Company’s common stock to its franchisees.
On August 25, 2017, the Company issued an aggregate of 42,856 shares of common stock of the company to investors at a purchase price of $7.47 per share providing $320,000 of proceeds to the Company.
On September 1, 2017, the Company issued 6,698 shares of common stock of the company to an investor at a purchase price of $7.47 per share providing $50,000 of proceeds to the Company.
On September 21, 2017, the Company granted an aggregate amount of 32,136 shares of its restricted common stock at a price of $9.33 per share to its directors.
During the year ended December 31, 2017, the Company issued three-year warrants for the purchase of an aggregate of 208,285 shares of the Company’s common stock exercisable at $9.33.
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During the year ended December 31, 2017, the Company issued 1,314,753 shares of its common stock upon conversion of various ARH Notes in the aggregate principal amount of $5,361,177.
During the year ended December 31, 2017, the Company issued in connection with the issuances of the convertible promissory notes, three-year warrants for the purchase of an aggregate of 84,736 shares of the Company’s common stock exercisable at the Conversion Price
The offers, sales, and issuances of the securities described above were deemed to be exempt from registration under the Securities Act in reliance on Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act or Regulation D promulgated thereunder as transactions by an issuer not involving a public offering. The recipients of securities in each of these transactions acquired the securities for investment only and not with a view to or for sale in connection with any distribution thereof and appropriate legends were affixed to the securities issued in these transactions. Each of the recipients of securities in these transactions was an accredited or sophisticated person and had adequate access, through employment, business or other relationships, to information about us.
Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities
None.
| ITEM 6. | SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA. |
We are not required to provide the information required by this item because we are a smaller reporting company.
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| ITEM 7. | MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS. |
The following discussion and analysis of the results of operations and financial condition of Muscle Maker, Inc.(“Muscle Maker”), together with its subsidiaries (collectively, the “Company”) as of December 31, 2017 and 2016 and for the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016 should be read in conjunction with our financial statements and the notes to those financial statements that are included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K following Item 16. References in this Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations to “us,” “we,” “our,” and similar terms refer to Muscle Maker. “Muscle Maker Grill” refers to the name under which our corporate and franchised restaurants do business. This Annual Report contains forward-looking statements as that term is defined in the federal securities laws. The events described in forward-looking statements contained in this Annual Report may not occur. Generally, these statements relate to business plans or strategies, projected or anticipated benefits or other consequences of our plans or strategies, projected or anticipated benefits from acquisitions to be made by us, or projections involving anticipated revenues, earnings or other aspects of our operating results. The words “may,” “will,” “expect,” “believe,” “anticipate,” “project,” “plan,” “forecast,” “model,” “proposal,” “should,” “may,” “intend,” “estimate,” and “continue,” and their opposites and similar expressions, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. We caution you that these statements are not guarantees of future performance or events and are subject to a number of uncertainties, risks and other influences, many of which are beyond our control, which may influence the accuracy of the statements and the projections upon which the statements are based. Reference is made to “Factors That May Affect Future Results and Financial Condition” in this Item 7 for a discussion of some of the uncertainties, risks and assumptions associated with these statements.
OVERVIEW
We operate under the name Muscle Maker Grill as a franchisor and owner-operator of Muscle Maker Grill restaurants. As of December 31, 2017, our restaurant system included thirteen Company-owned restaurants and forty franchised restaurants.
Muscle Maker Grill is a fast-casual restaurant concept that specializes in preparing healthy-inspired, high-quality, fresh, made-to-order lean, protein-based meals featuring chicken, seafood, pasta, burgers, wraps and flat breads. In addition, we feature freshly prepared entrée salads and an appealing selection of sides, protein shakes and fruit smoothies. We operate in the fast casual restaurant segment.
We believe our healthier restaurant concept delivers a highly differentiated customer experience by combining the quality and hospitality that customers commonly associate with our full service and fast casual restaurant competitors with the convenience and value customers generally expect from traditional fast food restaurants. The foundation of our brand is based on our core values of quality, empowerment, respect, service and value.
As of December 31, 2017, we had an accumulated deficit of $17,052,086 and expect to continue to incur substantial operating and net losses for the foreseeable future. In its report on our consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2017, our independent registered public accounting firm included an explanatory paragraph relating to our ability to continue as a going concern. See “Liquidity and Capital Resources – Availability of Additional Funds and Going Concern” and Note 1 – Business Organization and Nature of Operations, Going Concern and Management’s Plans to Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information describing the circumstances that led to the inclusion of this explanatory paragraph.
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Key Financial Definitions
Total Revenues
Our revenues are derived from three primary sources: company restaurant sales, franchise revenues and vendor rebates. Franchise revenues are comprised of franchise royalty revenues collected based on 5% of franchisee net sales and, to a lesser extent, other franchise revenues which include initial and renewal franchisee fees. Vendor rebates are received based on volume purchases or services from both company owned and franchise owned locations.
Food and Beverage Costs
Food and beverage costs include the direct costs associated with food, beverage and packaging of our menu items at company-operated restaurants. The components of food, beverages and supplies are variable in nature, change with sales volume, are affected by menu mix and are subject to fluctuations in commodity costs. The current management team in place since May 2018 has the opinion that food and beverage costs for 2016 and 2017 are too high and has begun implementing multiple operational changes to lower food and paper costs.
Labor
Restaurant labor costs, including preopening labor, consist of company-operated restaurant-level management and hourly labor costs, including salaries, wages, payroll taxes, workers’ compensation expense, benefits and bonuses paid to our company-operated restaurant-level team members. Like other cost items, we expect restaurant labor costs at our company-operated restaurants to increase due to inflation and as our company restaurant revenues grow. Factors that influence labor costs include minimum wage and employer payroll tax legislation, mandated health care costs and operational productivity established by the management team. The current management team in place since May 2018 has the opinion that labor costs for 2016 and 2017 are too high and has begun implementing operational changes to lower restaurant level labor costs overall.
Rent
Restaurant rent, including preopening rental charges, consists of company-operated restaurant-level rental or lease payments applicable to executed rental or lease agreements. In many cases these rental payments may include payments for common area maintenance as well as property tax assessments. The current management team in place since May 2018 has the opinion that rent costs for 2016 and 2017 as a percentage of total restaurant sales are too high. Our rent strategy moving forward consists of a variable rent structure calculated on net sales of the restaurant. While this can have a negative effect on higher volume locations where we cannot leverage a fixed rent, it provides a downside protection for lower volume locations. While we cannot guarantee a favorable variable rent expense in all future leases, it is in our forecasts at an 8% average level.
Other restaurant operating expenses
Other restaurant operating expenses, including preopening operating expenses, consist of company-operated restaurant-level ancillary expenses not inclusive of food and beverage, labor and rent expense. These expenses are generally marketing, advertisings, merchant and bank fees, utilities, leasehold and equipment repairs and maintenance. A portion of these costs are associated with third party delivery services such as Uber Eats, Grub Hub, DoorDash, Seamless, etc. The fees associated with these third-party delivery services can range up to 25% of the total order being delivered. Management believes delivery is a critical component of our business model and industry trends will continue to push consumers towards delivery. Our cost structure will need to be adjusted to reflect a different pricing model, portion sizes, menu offerings, etc to potentially offset these rising costs of delivery.
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Depreciation and Amortization
Depreciation and amortization primarily consist of the depreciation of property and equipment and amortization of intangible assets at the restaurant level.
General and Administrative Expenses
General and administrative expenses include expenses associated with corporate and administrative functions that support our operations, including wages, benefits, travel expense, stock-based compensation expense, legal and professional fees, training, and other corporate costs. This expense item also includes national advertising and marketing campaigns to promote brand awareness which includes, but is not limited to, television, radio, social media, billboards, point-of-sale materials, sponsorships, and multi-media. A certain portion of these expenses are related to the preparation of an initial stock offering and should be considered one-time expenses.
Other (Expense) Income
Other (expenses) income primarily consists of amortization of debt discounts on the convertible notes payable to Former Parent and interest expense related to convertible notes payable.
Income Taxes
Income taxes represent federal, state, and local current and deferred income tax expense.
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Consolidated Results of Operations
The following table represents selected items in our consolidated statements of operations for the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively:
| For the Years Ended | ||||||||
| December 31, | ||||||||
| 2017 | 2016 | |||||||
| Revenues: | ||||||||
| Company restaurant sales, net of discounts | $ | 5,215,285 | $ | 2,735,222 | ||||
| Franchise royalties and fees | 1,988,167 | 1,660,877 | ||||||
| Other revenues | 725,685 | 557,106 | ||||||
| Total Revenues | 7,929,137 | 4,953,205 | ||||||
| Operating Costs and Expenses: | ||||||||
| Restaurant operating expenses: | ||||||||
| Food and beverage costs | 1,946,643 | 1,028,098 | ||||||
| Labor | 2,634,730 | 1,306,614 | ||||||
| Rent | 927,610 | 728,064 | ||||||
| Other restaurant operating expenses | 1,283,286 | 586,248 | ||||||
| Total restaurant operating expenses | 6,792,269 | 3,649,024 | ||||||
| Costs of other revenues | 330,367 | 295,231 | ||||||
| Depreciation and amortization | 446,369 | 204,486 | ||||||
| Impairment of intangible assets | 410,225 | - | ||||||
| Impairment of fixed assets | 1,375,790 | - | ||||||
| Impairment of goodwill | 2,521,468 | - | ||||||
| General and administrative expenses | 7,983,673 | 4,770,613 | ||||||
| Total Costs and Expenses | 19,860,161 | 8,919,354 | ||||||
| Loss from Operations | (11,931,024 | ) | (3,966,149 | ) | ||||
| Other (Expense) Income: | ||||||||
| Other income | 88,874 | 6,563 | ||||||
| Interest (expense) income, net | (15,336 | ) | 6,114 | |||||
| Amortization of debt discount | (3,956,792 | ) | (138,933 | ) | ||||
| Total Other (Expense) Income, net | (3,883,254 | ) | (126,256 | ) | ||||
| Net Loss Before Income Tax | (15,814,278 | ) | (4,092,405 | ) | ||||
| Income tax benefit (provision) | 246,527 | (127,282 | ) | |||||
| Net Loss | (15,567,751 | ) | (4,219,687 | ) | ||||
| Net loss attributable to the non-controlling interest | (2,357,303 | ) | (1,110,106 | ) | ||||
| Net Loss Attributable to Controlling Interest | $ | (13,210,448 | ) | $ | (3,109,581 | ) | ||
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Year Ended December 31, 2017 Compared With Year Ended December 31, 2016
Revenues
Company total revenues totaled $7,929,137 for the year ended December 31, 2017 compared to $4,953,205 for the year ended December 31, 2016. The 60% increase was primarily attributable to full year revenues for five Company-owned restaurants opened throughout 2016 and the addition of three Company-owned restaurants, which opened throughout the year ended December 31, 2017.
We generated restaurant sales, net of discounts, of $5,215,285 for the year ended December 31, 2017 compared to $2,735,222, for the year ended December 31, 2016. This represented an increase of $2,480,063, or 91%, which resulted primarily from the increase in company owned restaurant sales revenues due to the addition of five Company-owned restaurants, which opened throughout 2016, and three Company-owned restaurants during the year ended December 31, 2017.
Franchise royalties and fees for the year ended December 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016 totaled $1,988,167 compared to $1,660,877, respectively. The $327,290 increase is primarily attributable to recognition of deferred revenue for franchise agreements that have been terminated.
Other revenues increased to $725,685 for the year ended December 31, 2017 from $557,106 for the year ended December 31, 2016, representing an increase of $168,579 or 30%. The increase is primarily attributable to CTI’s revenue increases for 3rd party sales growth.
Operating Costs and Expenses
Operating costs and expenses consist of restaurant food and beverage costs, restaurant labor expense, restaurant rent expense, other restaurant operating expenses, cost of other revenues, depreciation and amortization expenses, impairment losses and general and administrative expenses.
Restaurant food and beverage costs for the year ended December 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016 totaled $1,946,643 or 37%, as a percentage of company restaurant net sales, and $1,028,098, or 38%, as a percentage of company restaurant net sales, respectively. The $918,545 increase results primarily from the addition of five new Company-owned locations for the full year of 2017 as compared to 2016, and the addition of three Company-owned restaurant opened during 2017 as noted above. The decrease as a percentage of sales is primarily attributable to fewer new company owned stores opened during 2017 compared to 2016. Thus, there was less preopening training in which food and beverage inventory is utilized to train staff on the preparation of menu items, as well as lost efficiencies with new staff in portioning and preparation as compared to current period. The current management team in place since May 2018 believes the overall food cost percentages for both 2016 and 2017 are too high and new operational measures need to be implemented to lower these costs in 2018 and 2019.
Restaurant labor for the year ended December 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016 totaled $2,634,730, or 51%, as a percentage of company restaurant net sales, and $1,306,614, or 48%, as a percentage of company restaurant net sales, respectively. The $1,328,116 increase results primarily from the addition of new Company-owned locations noted above. The increase as a percentage of sales is primarily attributable to the impact of preopening training with newly hired staff, as well as lost efficiencies that are inherent in the start-up of new restaurants given the high level of attrition and retraining that occurs. Additionally, it is estimated that it takes approximately four to six months of extensive marketing efforts to effectively generate brand awareness in new geographical locations. These factors may negatively impact labor margins in the early phases of operations of new restaurants. The current management team in place since May 2018 believes the overall labor cost percentages for both 2016 and 2017 are too high and new operational measures need to be implemented to lower these costs as a percentage of corporate restaurant net sales in 2018 and 2019.
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Restaurant rent expense for the year ended December 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016 totaled $927,610, or 18%, as a percentage of restaurant sales, and $728,064, or 27%, as a percentage of restaurant sales, respectively. The $199,546 increase results primarily from the addition of new Company-owned locations noted above, offset by $248,437 of deferred rent expense for stores that closed during 2018. The decrease as a percentage of sales is primarily attributable to the impact of recognizing deferred rent expenses for stores that closed during 2018. Additionally, we have executed new lease agreements that have higher rental charges as a percentage of current sales volumes than historical agreements. As the company seeks to grow brand concepts, several factors are considered when deciding on leased locations. These include, but are not limited to, estimated foot traffic, lease term, lease rate, adjacent businesses, surrounding community economics, etc. As such, new lease agreements may tend to have a higher percentage of revenue as the brand establishes itself in new markets and the surrounding markets themselves grow. Current management in place since May 2018 believes rent as a percentage of company revenue net sales is too high. Our current strategy focuses on new corporately owned non-traditional locations such as military bases with variable rent structures no greater than 8% of corporate restaurant revenue net sales. This is a significantly lower number than what was reported in 2016 and 2017.
Other restaurant operating expenses for the year ended December 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016 totaled $1,283,286, or 25% as a percentage of restaurant sales, and $586,248, or 21% as a percentage of restaurant sales, respectively. The $697,038 increase results primarily from the addition of new Company-owned locations which opened throughout the year ended December 31, 2017.
Cost of other revenues for the year ended December 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016 totaled $330,367, or 46%, as a percentage of other revenue, and $295,231, or 53%, as a percentage of other revenue, respectively. The $35,136 increase as a percentage of other revenues resulted primarily from increased costs from service providers with no corresponding increase in monthly services fees being charged to our customers.
Depreciation and amortization expense for the year ended December 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016 totaled $446,369 and $204,486, respectively. The $241,883 increase is primarily attributable to new property and equipment related to the addition of three new company owned locations.
Impairment of intangible assets for the year ended December 31, 2017 totaled $410,225 The impairment of the intangible assets was based on a recoverability test on the franchise agreements that failed the test based on projected future undiscounted cash flows.
Impairment of property and equipment for the year ended December 31, 2017 totaled $1,375,790. The Company performed an impairment analysis on various assets and concludes that they were fully impaired.
Impairment of goodwill for the year ended December 31, 2017, totaled $2,521,468. The impairment charges resulted from decrease in the company’s estimates undiscounted cash flows from the expected future operations of the assets. These estimates considered factors such as expected future operating income, operating trends and prospects, as well as the effects of demands, competition and other factors.
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General and administrative expenses for the year ended December 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016 totaled $7,983,673, or 101% of total revenue, and $4,770,613, or 96% of total revenue, respectively. The $3,213,060 increase is primarily attributable to the “build-up” of the company’s corporate infrastructure to support new company owned store growth as well as third party related expenses to prepare the Company for a private placement offering and IPO. Wages and related expenses increased approximately $726,000 compared to the prior year with the addition of key management positions. Travel and related expenses increased approximately $64,000 to support buildout and store openings as well as evaluate new site locations. Advertising and marketing increased approximately $455,000 to grow national brand awareness. Third party accounting and legal fees increased approximately $1,100,000 with temporary accounting services and nonrecurring legal reorganizational research to facilitate SEC financial statement preparation. Audit fees increased approximately $256,000 with audits for 2015 and 2016 and June 2017 and 2016 reviews. Restricted stock compensation increased approximately $729,000 for restricted stock issued in 2017 and not in 2016. Additionally, bonuses increased approximately $75,000 for incentives related to IPO efforts.
Loss from Operations
Our loss from operations for the year ended December 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016 totaled $11,931,024, or 150% of total revenues and $3,966,149, or 80% of total revenue, respectively. The increased loss of $7,964,875 is primarily attributable to growth in general administrative expenses to build company infrastructure, inefficiencies in preopening expenses, new rental charges, local and national marketing campaigns, and third-party consulting services to facilitate our anticipated private placement and IPO. In addition to impairment charges of our intangible assets, property and equipment and goodwill attributed an aggregate amount of $4,307,483 for reasons discussed previously.
Other (Expense) Income
Other (expense) income for the year ended December 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016 totaled $(3,883,254) and $(126,256) respectively. The $3,756,998 increase in expense was primarily attributable to an increase in amortization of debt discount of approximately $3,817,859 in connection with convertible notes payable to a former related party, partially offset by an increase in other income of $82,311.
Net Loss
Our net loss for the year ended December 31, 2017 increased by $11,348,064 to $15,567,751 as compared to $4,219,687 for the year ended December 31, 2016, resulting primarily from an increase in amortization of debt discounts to a former related party totaling $3,817,859 and significant increases in general and administrative expenses incurred for the contemplated IPO as well as employee expenses incurred for restricted stock. In addition, impairment charge associated with intangible assets, property and equipment and goodwill in an aggregate amount of $4,307,483 that was incurred during 2017. Our net loss attributable to the controlling interest was $13,210,448 and $3,109,581 for the year ended December 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016, respectively.
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Liquidity and Capital Resources
Liquidity
We measure our liquidity in a number of ways, including the following:
| December 31, 2017 | December 31, 2016 | |||||||
| Cash | $ | 78,683 | $ | 335,724 | ||||
| Working Capital Deficiency | $ | (4,306,947 | ) | $ | (1,723,852 | ) | ||
| Convertible notes payable, including related parties | $ | 2,349,340 | $ | - | ||||
| Other notes payable, including related parties | $ | 555,000 | $ | - | ||||
| Convertible notes payable to Former Parent (Gross) | $ | - | $ | 3,704,462 | ||||
Availability of Additional Funds and Going Concern
Based upon our working capital deficiency and accumulated deficit of $4,306,947 and $17,052,086, respectively, as of December 31, 2017, plus our use of $3,676,999 of cash in operating activities during the year ended December 31, 2017, we require additional equity and/or debt financing to continue our operations. These conditions raise substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern for at least one year from the date of this filing. As a result of the foregoing factors, together with our recurring losses from operations and negative cash flows since inception, our independent registered public accounting firm included an explanatory paragraph relating to our ability to continue as a going concern in its report on our audited consolidated financial statements for the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016.
During prior periods our operations have primarily been funded through proceeds from American Restaurant Holdings in exchange for equity and debt.
Our principal source of liquidity to date has been provided from American Restaurant Holdings, who is a private equity restaurant group, by loans from related and unrelated third parties and the sale of common stock through private placements. More specifically, American Restaurant Holdings has invested over $5 million in growth capital into Muscle Maker to date.
We expect to have ongoing needs for working capital in order to (a) fund operations; plus (b) expand operations by opening additional corporate-owned restaurants. To that end, we may be required to raise additional funds through equity or debt financing. However, there can be no assurance that we will be successful in securing additional capital. If we are unsuccessful, we may need to (a) initiate cost reductions; (b) forego business development opportunities; (c) seek extensions of time to fund its liabilities, or (d) seek protection from creditors.
In addition, if we are unable to generate adequate cash from operations, and if we are unable to find sources of funding, it may be necessary for us to sell one or more lines of business or all or a portion of our assets, enter into a business combination, or reduce or eliminate operations. These possibilities, to the extent available, may be on terms that result in significant dilution to our shareholders or that result in our shareholders losing all of their investment in our Company.
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If we are able to raise additional capital, we do not know what the terms of any such capital raising would be. In addition, any future sale of our equity securities would dilute the ownership and control of your shares and could be at prices substantially below prices at which our shares currently trade. Our inability to raise capital could require us to significantly curtail or terminate our operations. We may seek to increase our cash reserves through the sale of additional equity or debt securities. The sale of convertible debt securities or additional equity securities could result in additional and potentially substantial dilution to our shareholders. The incurrence of indebtedness would result in increased debt service obligations and could result in operating and financing covenants that would restrict our operations and liquidity. In addition, our ability to obtain additional capital on acceptable terms is subject to a variety of uncertainties.
Our audited consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this 10K document have been prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”), which contemplate our continuation as a going concern and the realization of assets and the satisfaction of liabilities in the normal course of business. The carrying amounts of assets and liabilities presented in the consolidated financial statements do not necessarily purport to represent realizable or settlement values. The consolidated financial statements do not include any adjustment that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty.
Sources and Uses of Cash for the Years Ended December 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016
For the year ended December 31, 2017 and 2016, we used cash of $3,676,999 and $2,110,702, respectively, in operations. Our cash used for the year ended December 31, 2017 was primarily attributable to our net loss of $15,567,751, adjusted for net non-cash income in the aggregate amount of $10,053,902, partially offset by $1,836,850 of net cash provided by changes in the levels of operating assets and liabilities. Our cash used for the year ended December 31, 2016 was primarily attributable to our net loss of $4,219,687, adjusted for net non-cash income in the aggregate amount of $663,287, partially offset by $1,445,698 of net cash provided by changes in the levels of operating assets and liabilities.
During the year ended December 31, 2017, cash used in investing activities was $843,169, of which $968,831 was used to purchase property and equipment, and $125,662 was used to issue loans to franchisees and related parties net of repayments. During the year ended December 31, 2016, cash used in investing activities was $1,095,675, of which $957,387 was used to purchase property and equipment, and $124,117 to acquire a franchised location. $14,171 was used to issue loans to franchisees and a related party net of repayments.
Net cash provided by financing activities for the year ended December 31, 2017 was $4,263,127 of which $1,138,800 was proceeds from convertible notes payable to American Restaurant Holdings, $555,000 proceeds from other notes payable from various investors and related parties, $2,349,340 proceeds from convertible notes to various parties and related parties, $50,000 in proceeds from the exercise of warrants and $420,000 in proceeds from the issuance of restricted stock, partially offset by $250,013 of repayments of advances from American Restaurant Holdings. Net cash provided by financing activities for the year ended December 31, 2016 was $2,942,823 of which $2,621,842 was proceeds from convertible notes payable to American Restaurant Holdings and $329,081 was advances from American Restaurant Holdings, partially offset by $8,100 of repayments of notes payable.
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Critical Accounting Policies
Use of Estimates
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities and disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of expenses during the reporting period.
Management bases its estimates on historical experience and on various assumptions that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying value of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Significant estimates include:
| ● | the fair value of assets acquired and liabilities assumed in a business combination; | |
| ● | the assessment of recoverability of long-lived assets, including property and equipment, goodwill and intangible assets; | |
| ● | the estimated useful lives of intangible and depreciable assets; | |
| ● | the recognition of revenue; and | |
| ● | the recognition, measurement and valuation of current and deferred income taxes |
Estimates and assumptions are periodically reviewed, and the effects of any material revisions are reflected in the financial statements in the period that they are determined to be necessary. Actual results could differ from those estimates and assumptions.
Intangible Assets
We account for recorded intangible assets in accordance with ASC 350 “Intangibles - Goodwill and Other”. In accordance with ASC 350, we do not amortize intangible assets with indefinite useful lives. Our goodwill and trademarks are deemed to have indefinite lives, and accordingly are not amortized, but are evaluated for impairment at least annually, or more often whenever changes in facts and circumstances may indicate that the carrying value may not be recoverable. The Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) requires that goodwill be tested for impairment at the reporting unit level (operating segment or one level below an operating segment). Application of the goodwill impairment test requires judgment, including the identification of reporting units, assigning assets and liabilities to reporting units, assigning goodwill to reporting units, and determining the fair value. Significant judgment is required to estimate the fair value of reporting units which includes estimating future cash flows, determining appropriate discount rates and other assumptions. Changes in these estimates and assumptions could materially affect the determination of fair value and/or goodwill impairment.
When testing goodwill for impairment, we may assess qualitative factors for some or all of our reporting units to determine whether it is more likely than not (that is, a likelihood of more than 50 percent) that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, including goodwill. Alternatively, we may bypass this qualitative assessment for some or all of our reporting units and perform a detailed quantitative test of impairment (step 1). If we performed the detailed quantitative impairment test and the carrying amount of the reporting unit exceeds its fair value, we would perform an analysis (step 2) to measure such impairment. In 2017 and 2016, we performed a qualitative assessment to identify and evaluate events and circumstances to conclude whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of our reporting units is less than their carrying amounts. Based on our qualitative assessments, it is more likely than not that the fair value of the reporting units exceeded their carrying values and no impairments were identified in 2016. See Note 8 – Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets, Net for details associated with impairment of certain intangible assets in 2017 based on our qualitative assessments.
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Other intangible assets include franchise agreements and a non-compete agreement which are amortized on a straight-line basis over their estimated useful lives of 13 years and 5 years, respectively.
Impairment of Long-Lived Assets
When circumstances, such as adverse market conditions, indicate that the carrying value of a long-lived asset may be impaired, we perform an analysis to review the recoverability of the asset’s carrying value, which includes estimating the undiscounted cash flows (excluding interest charges) from the expected future operations of the asset. These estimates consider factors such as expected future operating income, operating trends and prospects, as well as the effects of demand, competition and other factors. If the analysis indicates that the carrying value is not recoverable from future cash flows, an impairment loss is recognized to the extent that the carrying value exceeds the estimated fair value. Any impairment losses are recorded as operating expenses, which reduce net income. See Note 8 – Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets, Net, and Note 7 – Property and Equipment, Net to Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for details associated with impairment of certain intangible assets and property and equipment.
Deferred Revenue
Deferred revenue consists of initial franchise fees received by us, for which the restaurant has not yet opened, as well as unearned vendor rebates and customer deposits accrued in connection with technology sales and services by CTI. We collect initial franchise fees when franchise agreements are signed and recognize the initial franchise fees as revenue when the store is opened, which is when we have performed substantially all initial services required by the franchise agreement.
Revenue Recognition
In accordance with the Accounting Standard Codification Topic 605 “Revenue Recognition” (“ASC 605”), we recognize revenue when the following four criteria are met: (1) delivery has occurred or services rendered; (2) persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists; (3) there are no continuing obligations to the customer; and (4) the collection of related accounts receivable is probable.
Restaurant Sales
Retail store revenue at our operated restaurants are recognized when payment is tendered at the point of sale, net of discounts, sales tax and other sales related taxes.
Franchise Royalties and Fees
Royalties and franchise fees principally consist of royalties and franchise fees. Royalties are based on a percentage of franchisee net sales revenue. Initial franchise fees are recognized upon opening of a restaurant or granting of a new franchise term, which is when we performed substantially all material obligations and initial services required by the franchise agreement. We recognize renewal fees in income when a renewal agreement becomes effective.
We have supply agreements with certain food and beverage vendors. Pursuant to the terms of these agreements, rebates are provided to us based upon the dollar volume of purchases for all our owned and franchised restaurants from these vendors. Rebates, net of rebates attributable to company owned stores, are recorded as revenue during the period in which the related food and beverage purchases are made. Company owned store rebates are recorded net of cost of goods sold.
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Other Revenues
Through our subsidiary, CTI, we derive revenue from the sale of POS computer systems, cash registers, digital menu boards and camera systems, and from the provision of related consulting and support services, which generally include implementation, installation and training services. We recognize revenue when persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists, delivery of the product or service has occurred, the fee is fixed or determinable and collectability is reasonably assured.
Income Taxes
We account for income taxes under Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 740 Income Taxes (“ASC 740”). Under ASC 740, deferred tax assets and liabilities are determined based on the difference between the financial reporting and tax bases of assets and liabilities and net operating loss and credit carryforwards using enacted tax rates in effect for the year in which the differences are expected to impact taxable income. Valuation allowances are established when necessary to reduce deferred tax assets to the amounts expected to be realized.
ASC 740 also clarifies the accounting for uncertainty in income taxes recognized in an enterprise’s financial statements and prescribes a recognition threshold and measurement process for financial statement recognition and measurement of a tax position taken or expected to be taken in a tax return.
Tax benefits claimed or expected to be claimed on a tax return are recorded in our financial statements. A tax benefit from an uncertain tax position is only recognized if it is more likely than not that the tax position will be sustained on examination by the taxing authorities, based on the technical merits of the position. The tax benefits recognized in the financial statements from such a position are measured based on the largest benefit that has a greater than fifty percent likelihood of being realized upon ultimate resolution.
Our policy is to classify assessments, if any, for tax related interest as interest expense and penalties as general and administrative expenses in the consolidated statements of operations.
Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements
See Note 3 to our consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2017.
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
We have no off-balance sheet arrangements that have or are reasonably likely to have a current or future effect on our financial condition, changes in financial condition, revenues or expenses, results of operations, liquidity, capital expenditures or capital resources that is material to investors.
| ITEM 7A. | QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK. |
Not applicable.
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| ITEM 8. | FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA |
The financial statements required by this Item 8 are included in this Annual Report following Item 16 hereof. As a smaller reporting company, we are not required to provide supplementary financial information.
| ITEM 9. | CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS ON ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE. |
None.
| ITEM 9A. | CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES. |
(a) Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures
Our management, with the participation of our Principal Executive Officer and Principal Financial Officer, has evaluated the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures (as such term is defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Exchange Act), as of the end of the period covered by this Annual Report. Based on such evaluation, our Principal Executive Officer and Principal Financial Officer have concluded that, as of the end of the period covered by this Annual Report, our disclosure controls and procedures were not effective because of a material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting as discussed below.
Notwithstanding this material weakness, our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer have concluded that the Consolidated Financial Statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company at December 31, 2017 and 2016 and the consolidated results of operations and cash flows for each of the years presented herein in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.
(b) Management’s Annual Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
The management of the Company is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting, as required by Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) Section 404(a). The Company’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed under the supervision of the Company’s Principal Executive Officer and Principal Financial Officer and effected by the Company’s Board of Directors, management and other personnel, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of the Company’s consolidated financial statements for external purposes in accordance with United States generally accepted accounting principles.
Management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting, as defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) of the Exchange Act. Internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements in accordance with US GAAP. Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projection of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods is subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.
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A material weakness is a deficiency, or a combination of deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting, such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of the Company’s annual or interim financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis. In connection with management’s assessment of our internal control over financial reporting as required under Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, we identified the following material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2017:
| ● | The Company does not have written documentation of our internal control policies and procedures. | |
| ● | The Company does not have sufficient resources in its accounting function, which restricts the Company’s ability to gather, analyze and properly review information related to financial reporting in a timely manner. In addition, due to our size and nature, segregation of all conflicting duties may not always be possible and may not be economically feasible. However, to the extent possible, the initiation of transactions, the custody of assets and the recording of transactions should be performed by separate individuals. | |
| ● | The Company has inadequate controls to ensure that information necessary to properly record transactions is adequately communicated on a timely basis from non-financial personnel to those responsible for financial reporting. |
Remediation of Material Weaknesses in Internal Control over Financial Reporting
As a company with limited resources, the Company does not have the resources to fund sufficient staff to ensure a complete segregation of responsibilities within the accounting function. However, Company management does review, and will increase the review of the financial statements. This action, in addition to future improvements, will minimize any risk of a potential material misstatement occurring.
(c) Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting
There have been no changes in our internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the fourth fiscal quarter of the year ended December 31, 2017 that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.
| ITEM 9B. | OTHER INFORMATION. |
None.
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| ITEM 10. | DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE. |
Board of Directors and Executive Officers
Our directors hold office until their successors are elected and qualified, or until their deaths, resignations or removals. Our executive officers hold office at the pleasure of our board of directors, or until their deaths, resignations or removals.
As of February 25, 2019, our current directors and executive officers and their ages are:
| Name | Age | Principal Positions Held With Us | ||
| Kevin Mohan | 45 | Chief Investment Officer and Chairman of the Board | ||
| Michael J. Roper | 54 | CEO, Secretary | ||
| Kenneth Miller | 49 | Chief Operating Officer | ||
| Ferdinand Groenewald | 34 | Chief Financial Officer | ||
| Noel DeWinter | 79 | Director, Treasurer | ||
| A.B. Southall III | 57 | Director | ||
| Paul L. Menchik | 71 | Director | ||
| John Marques | 58 | Director | ||
| Peter S. Petrosian | 66 | Director | ||
| Omprakash Vajinapalli | 47 | Director |
Executive Officers
Kevin Mohan. Mr. Mohan has served as Chairman of the Board and a director of Muscle Maker, Inc since April 16, 2018. From April 16, 2018 through May 1, 2018, he also served as the Interim President of the Company. He has also served as the Chief Investment Officer since September 17, 2018. From June 2012 through March 2017, Mr. Mohan served as the VP of Capital Markets for American Restaurant Holdings, Inc., a company focused on acquiring and expanding fast casual restaurant brands.
Based on his experience we have deemed Mr. Mohan fit to serve on the Board and as Chairman of the Board.
Michael J. Roper. Mr. Roper has served as Chief Executive Officer, of Muscle Maker, Inc since May 1, 2018. Mr. Roper has unique experience ranging from owning and operating several franchise locations through the corporate executive levels. From May 2015 through October 2017, Mr. Roper served as Chief Executive Officer of Taco Bueno where he was responsible for defining strategy and providing leadership to 162 company owned and operated locations along with 23 franchised locations. From March 2014 through May 2015, Mr. Roper served as the Chief Operating Officer of Taco Bueno and from July 2013 through March 2014 as the Chief Development and Technology Officer of Taco Bueno. Prior to joining Taco Bueno, Mr. Roper was a franchise owner and operator of a IMS Barter franchise and held several roles with Quiznos Sub from 2000 to 2012 starting as a franchise owner and culminating in his appointment as the Chief Operating Officer/Executive Vice President of Operations in 2009. Mr. Roper received a Bachelor of Science in Business and General Management from Northern Illinois University.
Based on his education and extensive experience in the restaurant/franchise industry, we have deemed Mr. Roper fit to serve as our principal executive officer.
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Kenneth Miller. Mr. Miller has served as Chief Operating Officer of Muscle Maker, Inc since September 26, 2018. Mr. Miller has served in the restaurant business for an extensive portion of his career. Prior to joining the Company as Chief Operating Officer on September 26, 2018, Mr. Miller served as the Senior Vice President of Operations for Dickey’s BBQ Restaurant from April 2018 through September 2018 and in various capacities with Taco Bueno Restaurants, LP from October 2013 through April 2018 culminating in the position of Senior Vice President of Operations. Mr. Miller received a Bachelor of Arts in Business/Exercise Science from Tabor College in 1991.
Based on his education and extensive experience in the restaurant/franchise industry, we have deemed Mr. Miller fit to serve as our Chief Operating Officer.
Ferdinand Groenewald. Mr. Groenewald has served as the Chief Financial Officer of Muscle Maker, Inc. since September 2018. Mr. Groenewald had previously served as the Vice President of Finance, Principal Financial Officer and Principal Accounting Officer of the Company, Muscle Maker Development, LLC and Muscle Maker Corp., LLC from January 25, 2018 through May 29, 2018. In addition, Mr. Groenewald has served as our controller from October 2017 through May 29, 2018. Mr. Groenewald is a certified public accountant with significant experience in finance and accounting. From February 2017 to October 2017, Mr. Groenewald served as Senior Financial Accounting Consultant at Pharos Advisors, Inc. serving a broad range of industries. From November 2013 to February 2017, he served as a Senior Staff Accountant at Financial Consulting Strategies, LLC where he provided a broad range of accounting, financial reporting, and pre-auditing services to various industries. From August 2015 to December 2015, Mr. Groenewald served as a Financial Reporting Analyst at Valley National Bank. Mr. Groenewald holds a Bachelor of Science in accounting from the University of South Africa.
Based on his education and extensive experience in the financial and accounting industries, we have deemed Mr. Groenewald fit to serve as our Chief Financial Officer.
Noel DeWinter. Mr. DeWinter has served as director of Muscle Maker, Inc since February 2017. Mr. DeWinter has over 40 years of both private and public accounting and finance experience within a number of different industries. Since January 2011, he has served as Chief Financial Officer of FileLife, a private developer of file protection and control system products. He was also the Chief Financial Officer of Apollo Medical Holdings from 2008 until 2010. Apollo Medical (AMEH) is a public healthcare company providing inpatient hospitalist services to various Southern California hospitals. Additional experience includes the Chief Financial Officer of Capital Pacific Homes and the same position at Wahlco Environmental Systems. Wahlco was an NYSE-listed public company during his tenure as Chief Financial Officer. Mr. DeWinter received his MBA from the University of Pennsylvania.
Based on his education and extensive experience in financial and accounting matters, we have deemed Mr. DeWinter fit to serve on the Board.
A.B. Southall III. Mr. Southall has served as director of Muscle Maker, Inc since February 2017. He has over 35 years of experience managing construction and land developing businesses. Since 1997 he has been the President of a Custom Home Building Company, in addition to 20 years as President of a 189 boat slip marina complex. His involvement in the marina business led him to co-founding a local Waterway Association, where he has been on the board since its inception. He has diversely invested across multiple sectors including private placements, oil & gas, real estate, restaurant businesses and commodities. Mr. Southall is an advocate of a healthy approach to the food industry and the restaurant business.
Based on his vast business and financial experience with real estate and restaurants, we have deemed Mr. Southall fit to serve on the Board.
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Paul L. Menchik. Mr. Menchik has served as director of Muscle Maker, Inc since February 2017. Since 1986, Mr. Menchik has been Professor of Economics at Michigan State University where he has been Department chairperson and Director of Graduate Programs. He has served as Senior Economist for Economic Policy for the White House Office of Management and Budget (where among other matters he worked on Social Security solvency issues) and served as Visiting Scholar at the Tax Analysis Division of the Congressional Budget Office. Menchik has also been on the faculty of Rutgers University and the University of Wisconsin, and has served as visiting faculty at University of Pennsylvania, London School of Economics, University College London, and Victoria University in Wellington New Zealand. Over the years he has advised three state governments and five US government agencies. He holds a Ph.D. from the Wharton School of Finance and Commerce at the University of Pennsylvania. He has over 40 publications including a book on household and family economics, made over 85 paper presentations at other universities and conferences around the world and has refereed for over 20 academic journals and is currently a member of the editorial board for the Journal of Income Distribution. He is a member of Who’s Who in Economics and Who’s Who in America.
Based on his education and extensive experience in economic and financial matters, we have deemed Mr. Menchik fit to serve on the Board.
John Marques Mr. Marques has served as director of Muscle Maker, Inc since April 2018. Since 1994, Mr. Marques has owned and operated various businesses in the trucking and real estate industries for the past twenty years. Since 1992, Mr. Marques served as the President of Continental Transportation Corp., a motor freight transportation company.
Based on his experience in various business entities, we have deemed Mr. Marques fit to serve on the Board.
Peter Petrosian. Mr. Petrosian has served as director of Muscle Maker, Inc since May 2018. Mr. Petrosian is a senior level food service executive with diversified leadership experience in casual dining, contract management, quick service and quick casual segments with a background in growth and turnaround situations, demonstrated expertise in operations, mergers and acquisitions, profit improvement, strategic planning and business development. Since 2005 to the present, Mr. Petrosian owned and operated PSP Management Consulting providing interim executive support in areas of organizational development, business, franchise and operational planning and valuation assistance to private equity firms in the restaurant industry. From November 2013 to January 2017, Mr. Petrosian served as the Chief Development Officer of Franchise Sports Concepts, LLC, a franchisor of Beef ‘O’ Brady’s and the Brass Tap. From 2007 to 2013, Mr. Petrosian was the Chief Operating Officer of Steak-Out Franchising, Inc., a franchisor of a char-broiled steak and full meal delivery concept. Prior to 2007, Mr. Petrosian held various positions with McAlister’s Corporation, AFC Enterprises (Church’s Chicken), Service America Corporation (wholly owned subsidiary of GE Capital) and Marriott Corporation.
Based on his experience with various restaurant concepts and senior executive level positions, we have deemed Mr. Petrosian fit to serve on the Board.
Omprakash Vajinapalli. Mr. Vajinapalli has served as director of Muscle Maker, Inc since July 2018. Mr. Vajinapalli, since July 2007, has served as the CEO/President of HighRise IT Consultancy LLC. Mr. Vajinapalli received a Bachelor of Engineering from Bangalore University in 1993.
Based on his experience with various technology and IT related industries and education, we deem Mr. Vajinapalli fit to serve on the Board
Family Relationships
There are no family relationships among any of our executive officers and directors.
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Corporate Governance
Board of Directors and Board Committees
We intend to apply to list our common stock on the on NASDAQ capital market. Under the rules of NASDAQ, “independent” directors must make up a majority of a listed company’s board of directors. In addition, applicable NASDAQ rules require that, subject to specified exceptions, each member of a listed company’s audit and compensation committees be independent within the meaning of the applicable NASDAQ rules. Audit committee members must also satisfy the independence criteria set forth in Rule 10A-3 under the Exchange Act.
As of January 2019, our Board has not undertaken a review of the independence of each director and has not considered whether any director has a material relationship with us that could compromise his ability to exercise independent judgment to carry out their responsibilities.
If we are not approved for listing on the Exchange, we intend to apply for quotation of our common stock on the OTCQX Marketplace of the OTC Markets by having a market maker file an application with FINRA for our common stock to be eligible for trading on the OTCQX Marketplace of the OTC Markets. We are not required to comply with the corporate governance rules of the Exchange, and instead may comply with less stringent corporate governance standards while listed on the OTCQX. The OTCQX does not require any of its members to establish any committees comprised of members of our board of directors, including an Audit Committee, a Compensation Committee or a Nominating Committee, any committee performing a similar function. Instead, the functions of those committees may be undertaken by the board of directors as a whole. Upon quotation of our common stock on the OTCQX, our securities would not be quoted on an exchange that has requirements that a majority of our board members be independent and we would not otherwise be subject to any law, rule or regulation requiring that all or any portion of our board of directors include “independent” directors, nor are we currently required to establish or maintain an Audit Committee or other committee of our board of directors. Although we may comply with less stringent corporate governance standards while listed on the OTCQX, we have elected to voluntarily comply with the corporate governance rules of the NASDAQ American.
Board Leadership Structure and Board’s Role in Risk Oversight
Kevin Mohan is the Chairman of the Board. The Chairman has authority, among other things, to preside over Board meetings and set the agenda for Board meetings. Accordingly, the Chairman has substantial ability to shape the work of our Board. We currently believe that separation of the roles of Chairman and Chief Executive Officer ensures appropriate oversight by the Board of our business and affairs. However, no single leadership model is right for all companies and at all times. The Board recognizes that depending on the circumstances, other leadership models, such as the appointment of a lead independent director, might be appropriate. Accordingly, the Board may periodically review its leadership structure. In addition, following the qualification of the offering, the Board will hold executive sessions in which only independent directors are present.
Our Board is generally responsible for the oversight of corporate risk in its review and deliberations relating to our activities. Our principal source of risk falls into two categories, financial and product commercialization. The audit committee oversees management of financial risks; our Board regularly reviews information regarding our cash position, liquidity and operations, as well as the risks associated with each. The Board regularly reviews plans, results and potential risks related to our system-wide restaurant growth, brand awareness and menu offerings. Our Compensation Committee is expected to oversee risk management as it relates to our compensation plans, policies and practices for all employees including executives and directors, particularly whether our compensation programs may create incentives for our employees to take excessive or inappropriate risks which could have a material adverse effect on the Company.
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Committees of the Board of Directors
The Board of Directors has already established an audit committee (the “Audit Committee”), a Compensation Committee (the “Compensation Committee”) and a Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee (“Governance Committee”). The composition and function of each committee are described below.
Audit Committee
The Audit Committee has three members, including Messrs. DeWinter, Marques and Petrosian. Mr. DeWinter serves as the chairman of the Audit Committee and satisfies the definition of “audit committee financial expert”.
Our audit committee is authorized to:
| ● | approve and retain the independent auditors to conduct the annual audit of our financial statements; | |
| ● | review the proposed scope and results of the audit; | |
| ● | review and pre-approve audit and non-audit fees and services; | |
| ● | review accounting and financial controls with the independent auditors and our financial and accounting staff; | |
| ● | review and approve transactions between us and our directors, officers and affiliates; | |
| ● | recognize and prevent prohibited non-audit services; and | |
| ● | establish procedures for complaints received by us regarding accounting matters; oversee internal audit functions, if any. |
Compensation Committee
The Compensation Committee has two members, including Messrs. DeWinter and Southall. Mr. DeWinter serves as the chairman of the Compensation Committee.
Our Compensation Committee is authorized to:
| ● | review and determine the compensation arrangements for management; | |
| ● | establish and review general compensation policies with the objective to attract and retain superior talent, to reward individual performance and to achieve our financial goals; | |
| ● | administer our stock incentive and purchase plans; | |
| ● | oversee the evaluation of the Board of Directors and management; and | |
| ● | review the independence of any compensation advisers. |
Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee
The Governance Committee has three members, including Messrs. Menchik, Southall and DeWinter. Mr. Menchik serves as the chairman of the Governance Committee.
The functions of our Governance Committee, among other things, include:
| ● | identifying individuals qualified to become board members and recommending director; | |
| ● | nominees and board members for committee membership; | |
| ● | developing and recommending to our board corporate governance guidelines; | |
| ● | review and determine the compensation arrangements for directors; and | |
| ● | overseeing the evaluation of our board of directors and its committees and management. |
Our goal is to assemble a Board that brings together a variety of skills derived from high quality business and professional experience.
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Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation
None of the members of our Compensation Committee, at any time, has been one of our officers or employees. None of our executive officers currently serves, or in the past year has served, as a member of the Board of Directors or Compensation Committee of any entity that has one or more executive officers on our Board of Directors or Compensation Committee. For a description of transactions between us and members of our Compensation Committee and affiliates of such members, please see “Certain Relationships and Related Party Transactions”.
Code of Business Conduct and Ethics
We have adopted a code of business conduct and ethics that applies to all of our employees, officers and directors, including those officers responsible for financial reporting.
Section 16(a) Beneficial Ownership Reporting Compliance
As of December 31, 2017, we did not have a class of securities registered under Section 12 of the Exchange Act and therefore our directors, executive officers, and any persons holding more than ten percent of our Common Stock were not required to comply with Section 16 of the Exchange Act. Such persons became obligated to comply with such rules upon the March 29, 2018 filing of our Form 8-A12B registering our class of Common Stock.
| ITEM 11. | EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION. |
Summary Compensation Table
The following Summary Compensation Table sets forth all compensation earned in all capacities during the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016 by (i) our principal executive officer, (ii) our two most highly compensated executive officers, other than our principal executive officer, who were serving as executive officers as of December 31, 2017 and whose total compensation for the 2017 year, as determined by Regulation S-K, Item 402, exceeded $100,000, (iii) a person who would have been included as one of our two most highly compensated executive officers, other than our principal executive officer, but for the fact that he was not serving as one of our executive officers as of December 31, 2017 (the individuals falling within categories (i), (ii) and (iii) are collectively referred to as the “Named Executive Officers”):
Summary Compensation Table
| Name
and Principal Position | Year | Salary | Bonus | Stock Award(4) | Option Awards | Non-Equity Incentive Plan Compensation | Non-Qualified Deferred Compensation Earnings | All
Other Compensation(5) | Total | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Robert E. Morgan(1) Chief Executive Officer, President, and Director of Muscle Maker, Inc (principal executive officer of Muscle Maker, Inc) | 2017 | $ | 270,000 | $ | 0 | $ | 0 | $ | 0 | $ | 0 | $ | 0 | $ | 64,800 | $ | 334,800 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Chief Executive Officer and President of Muscle Maker Brands, LLC | 2016 | $ | 270,000 | $ | 0 | $ | 0 | $ | 0 | $ | 0 | $ | 0 | $ | 64,800 | $ | 334,800 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Rodney C. Silva(2) Chief Culture Officer of Muscle Maker Brands, LLC | 2017 | $ | 150,000 | $ | 0 | $ | 59,864 | $ | 0 | $ | 0 | $ | 0 | $ | 28,800 | $ | 238,664 | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2016 | $ | 150,000 | $ | 0 | $ | 0 | $ | 0 | $ | 0 | $ | 0 | $ | 28,800 | $ | 178,800 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Grady Metoyer(3) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chief Financial Officer of Muscle Maker, Inc (principal financial officer of Muscle Maker, Inc) | 2017 | $ | 146,409 | $ | 0 | $ | 59,864 | $ | 0 | $ | 0 | $ | 0 | $ | 0 | $ | 206,273 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Chief Financial Officer and Manager of Muscle Maker Brands, LLC | 2016 | $ | 0 | $ | 0 | $ | 0 | $ | 0 | $ | 0 | $ | 0 | $ | 0 | $ | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||
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(1) Mr. Morgan served as Chief Executive Officer and President of Muscle Maker, Inc since October 2015 through April 11, 2018. He also served as the Chief Executive Officer and President of each of Muscle Maker Development, LLC and Muscle Maker Corp., LLC since August 25, 2017 and September 15, 2017, respectively through April 11, 2018. From June 6, 2017 to September 15, 2017, Mr. Morgan served as Chief Executive Officer and President of Muscle Maker Brands Conversion, Inc. From October 2015 through June 5, 2017, Mr. Morgan served as the Chief Executive Officer and President of Muscle Maker Brands, LLC, which converted into Muscle Maker Brands Conversion, Inc. on June 6, 2017. From December 2014 to October 2015, Mr. Morgan served as the Chief Operating Officer of Muscle Maker Brands, LLC.
(2) Mr. Silva has served as the Chief Culture Officer of each of Muscle Maker Development, LLC and Muscle Maker Corp., LLC since August 25, 2017 and September 15, 2017, respectively. From June 6, 2017 to September 15, 2017, Mr. Silva served as Chief Culture Officer of Muscle Maker Brands Conversion, Inc. From October 2015 through June 5, 2017, he served as the Chief Culture Officer of Muscle Maker Brands, LLC, which converted into Muscle Maker Brands Conversion, Inc. on June 6, 2017. From January 2015 to October 2015, Mr. Silva served as Director of Brand Development of Muscle Maker Brands, LLC.
(3) Mr. Metoyer has served as the Chief Financial Officer of Muscle Maker, Inc. since March 2017 through January 17, 2018. He has also served as the Chief Financial Officer of each of Muscle Maker Development, LLC and Muscle Maker Corp., LLC since August 25, 2017 and September 15, 2017, respectively. From June 6, 2017 to September 15, 2017, Mr. Metoyer served as Chief Financial Officer of Muscle Maker Brands Conversion, Inc. From March 2017 through June 5, 2017, he served as the Chief Financial Officer of Muscle Maker Brands, LLC, which converted into Muscle Maker Brands Conversion, Inc. on June 6, 2017.
(4) On May 11, 2017, Muscle Maker, Inc. issued 16,071 restricted shares to Mr. Silva and to Mr. Metoyer, respectively. The restricted common stock awards granted will vest in five equal installments with the first installment vesting on the date of grant and the remaining installments vesting on the first day of each of the next four calendar years thereafter. The value of the shares issued were $9.33 per share of which the vested and partially shares had an aggregate fair value amount of $119,728 ($59,864) was vested and partial vesting).
(5) For Messrs. Morgan and Silva includes the following perquisites and benefits:
| ● | Housing Allowance: For 2017, $3,000 per month ($36,000 per year) for Mr. Morgan and $0 for Mr. Silva and for 2016, $3,000 per month ($36,000 per year) for Mr. Morgan and $0 for Mr. Silva | |
| ● | Healthcare Allowance: For 2017, $2,000 per month ($24,000 per year) for Mr. Morgan and $2,000 per month ($24,000 per year) for Mr. Silva; and for 2016, $2,000 per month ($24,000 per year) for Mr. Morgan and $2,000 ($24,000 per year) per month for Mr. Silva. | |
| ● | Auto Allowance: For 2017 and 2016, $400 per month ($4,800 per year) for Mr. Morgan and $400 ($4,800 per year) per month for Mr. Silva; and for 2016, $400 per month ($4,800 per year) for Mr. Morgan and $400 per month ($4,800 per year) for Mr. Silva. |
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Employment Agreements
Robert Morgan
Muscle Maker entered into an employment agreement with Robert Morgan for a two-year term that is to commence as of the date Muscle Maker successfully receives at least $5,000,000 in gross proceeds from an SEC qualified offering under Regulation A+ under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. The term of the employment agreement is two years and is automatically extended for successive one-year periods unless either party delivers a 60-day notice of termination. The employment agreements did not become effective since the company terminated its Regulation A+ offering on March 29, 2018, yielding proceeds of approximately $143,497.
Grady Metoyer
Muscle Maker entered into an employment agreement with Grady Metoyer for a one-year term that is to commence as of the date Muscle Maker successfully receives at least $5,000,000 in gross proceeds from an SEC qualified offering under Regulation A+ under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. The term of the employment agreement is two years and is automatically extended for successive one-year periods unless either party delivers a 60-day notice of termination. The employment agreements did not become effective since the company terminated its Regulation A+ offering on March 29, 2018, yielding proceeds of approximately $143,497.
Rodney C. Silva
Muscle Maker entered into an employment agreement with Rodney Silva for a one-year term that is to commence as of the date Muscle Maker successfully receives at least $5,000,000 in gross proceeds from an SEC qualified offering under Regulation A+ under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. The term of the employment agreement is two years and is automatically extended for successive one-year periods unless either party delivers a 60-day notice of termination. The employment agreements did not become effective since the company terminated its Regulation A+ offering on March 29, 2018, yielding proceeds of approximately $143,497.
Ferdinand Groenewald
On September 26, 2018, the Company appointed Ferdinand Groenewald as Chief Financial Officer of the Company and entered into an Employment Agreement with Mr. Groenewald. Pursuant to the agreement, Mr. Groenewald will be employed as Chief Financial Officer of the Company for a period of two years unless earlier terminated pursuant to the terms of the agreement. During the term of the agreement, Mr. Groenewald will be entitled to a base salary at the annualized rate of $150,000 and will be eligible for a discretionary performance cash bonuses which will include $10,000 upon completion of the audit for the year ended December 31, 2017 and $25,000 and up to 10,000 shares of common stock upon completion of a public offering of not less than $3 million together with listing on a national exchange (the “Public Offering”), which may be increased to 25,000 in the event $5 million is raised. Mr. Groenewald’s salary will increase to $175,000 upon closing of the Public Offering. Mr. Groenewald is also eligible to participate in employee benefits plans as the Company may institute from time to time that are available for full-time employees.
Kenneth Miller
On September 26, 2018, the Company appointed Kenneth Miller as Chief Operating Officer of the Company and entered into an Employment Agreement with Mr. Miller. Pursuant to the agreement, Mr. Miller will be employed as Chief Operating Officer of the Company for a period of two years unless earlier terminated pursuant to the terms of the agreement. During the term of the agreement, Mr. Miller will be entitled to a base salary at the annualized rate of $200,000, which will be increased to $275,000 upon successful closing of the Public Offering. Mr. Miller is eligible for a discretionary performance cash and equity bonuses which will include cash of $50,000 and 75,000 shares of common stock upon completion of the Public Offering, which may be increased to 125,000 shares in the event $5 million is raised. Mr. Miller is also eligible to participate in employee benefits plans as the Company may institute from time to time that are available for full-time employees.
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Pursuant to the agreements, the executives may be terminated for “cause” as defined therein and the executives may resign for “good reason” as defined. In the event the executives are terminated without cause or resign for good reason, the Company will be required to pay the executives all accrued salary and bonuses, reimbursement for all business expenses and provide the executives with the monthly salary and benefits for a term of 12 months. In the event the executives are terminated with cause, resign without good reason, die or are disabled, the Company will be required to pay the executives all accrued salary and bonuses and reimbursement for all business expenses through such date. Under the agreement the executives are subject to confidentiality, non-compete and non-solicitation restrictions.
Michael Roper
On October 26, 2018, the Company entered into an Employment Agreement with Michael Roper, which replaced his employment agreement from May 2018. Pursuant to the Employment Agreement, Mr. Roper will continue to be employed as Chief Executive Officer of the Company for a period of two years unless earlier terminated pursuant to the terms of the agreement. The Employment Agreement will be automatically extended upon listing the Company on a national exchange and raising $3,000,000 (the “IPO”). During the term of the Employment Agreement, Mr. Roper will be entitled to a base salary at the annualized rate of $250,000, which will be increased to $275,000 upon achieving various milestones required by the Investors that participated in the September 2018 Offering and again to $350,000 upon the Company completing the IPO. Mr. Roper will be eligible for a discretionary performance bonus to be paid in cash or equity, provided, however, no cash bonus will be paid until the closing of the IPO. Mr. Roper is entitled to $100,000 bonus upon closing of the IPO. In addition to 350,000 restricted stock units previously granted, the Company agreed to issue Mr. Roper up to 250,000 additional restricted stock units. In the event the Company raises $3 million or $5 million, then Mr. Roper will receive 150,000 restricted stock units or 250,000 restricted stock units, respectively. In addition, Mr. Roper will receive 100,000 restricted stock units upon the one and two year anniversaries of his employment.
Kevin Mohan
On October 26, 2018, the Company entered into an Employment Agreement with Kevin Mohan. Pursuant to the Employment Agreement, Mr. Mohan will be engaged as Chief Investment Officer of the Company for a period of two years unless earlier terminated pursuant to the terms of the agreement. The Employment Agreement will be automatically extended upon the IPO. During the term of the Employment Agreement, Mr. Mohan will be entitled to a base salary at the annualized rate of $156,000, which will be increased to $175,000 upon the IPO. Mr. Mohan will be eligible for a discretionary performance bonus to be paid in cash following the closing of the IPO. Mr. Mohan is entitled to $50,000 bonus upon closing of the IPO. The Company agreed to issue Mr. Mohan up to 200,000 additional restricted stock units. In the event the Company raises $3 million or $5 million, then Mr. Mohan will receive 100,000 restricted stock units or 200,000 restricted stock units, respectively.
Pursuant to the agreements, Mr. Roper and Mr. Mohan may be terminated for “cause” as defined and Mr. Roper and Mr. Mohan may resign for “good reason” as defined. In the event either party is terminated without cause or resigns for good reason, the Company will be required to pay Mr. Roper and Mr. Mohan all accrued salary and bonuses, reimbursement for all business expenses and provide Mr. Roper and Mr. Mohan with the monthly salary and benefits for a period of 24 and six months, respectively, following the termination or resignation. In the event Mr. Roper or Mr. Mohan are terminated with cause, resigns without good reason, dies or is disabled, the Company will be required to pay the executives all accrued salary and bonuses and reimbursement for all business expenses through such date. Under the Employment Agreement, both parties are subject to confidentiality, non-compete and non-solicitation restrictions.
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Elements of Compensation
None of our named executive officers, except for Messrs. Morgan, Silva and Metoyer, was compensated in 2017, and except for Messrs. Morgan and Silva, was compensated in 2016, by us or Muscle Maker Brands. Messrs. Morgan and Silva were provided with the following primary elements of compensation in 2017 and 2016:
Base Salary
Messrs. Morgan, Silva and Metoyer received a fixed base salary in an amount determined in accordance with his then employment agreement with Muscle Maker Brands, and based on a number of factors, including:
| ● | The nature, responsibilities and duties of the officer’s position; | |
| ● | The officer’s expertise, demonstrated leadership ability and prior performance; | |
| ● | The officer’s salary history and total compensation, including annual cash bonuses and long-term incentive compensation; and | |
| ● | The competitiveness of the market for the officer’s services. |
Stock Award
In fiscal 2017, we issued 16,071 restricted shares of our common stock to Rod Silva and to Grady Metoyer The restricted common stock awards granted will vest in five equal installments with the first installment vesting on the date of grant and the remaining installments vesting on the first day of each of the next four calendar years thereafter.
Other Benefits
In 2017 and 2016, Mr. Morgan, our former CEO & President, and Mr. Silva, our Chief Cultural Officer, were provided with certain limited fringe benefits that we believe are commonly provided to similarly situated executives in the market in which we compete for talent and therefore are important to our ability to attract and retain top-level executive management. These benefits include (a) healthcare allowance and auto allowance for both Messrs. Morgan and Silva and (b) housing allowance for Mr. Morgan. The amounts paid to Messrs. Morgan and Silva in 2016 and 2015 in respect of these benefits is reflected above in the “Summary Compensation Table” section under the “Item 11 – Executive Compensation” heading.
Equity Incentive Plans
The board and shareholders of the Company approved of the 2017 Stock Option and Stock Issuance Plan (the “Plan”) on July 27, 2017 and September 21, 2017, respectively. The Plan provides incentives to eligible employees, officers, directors and consultants in the form of incentive stock options and non-qualified stock options. The Company has reserved a total of 1,071,428 shares of common stock for issuance under the Plan. Of these shares, approximately 32,142 shares were issued to the directors (5,356 shares per director) under the Plan by the Board of Directors on September 21, 2017.
The Plan Administrator (which is the Board of Directors or a committee or other person(s) appointed or designated by the Board) has the authority to administer the Plan and determine, among other things, the interpretation of any provisions of the Plan, the eligible employees who are granted options, the number of options that may be granted, vesting schedules, and option exercise prices. The Company’s stock options have a contractual life not to exceed ten years. The Company issues new shares of common stock upon exercise of stock options.
The options may constitute either “incentive stock options” within the meaning of Section 422 of the Internal Revenue Code or “non-statutory stock options.” The primary difference between incentive stock options and non-statutory stock options is that the former are not available to non-employees of the corporation. In addition, while neither is subject to tax at the time of grant, incentive stock options are not subject to tax at the time of exercise (but could be subject to alternative minimum tax), while upon exercise of the non-qualified options, the optionee will recognize ordinary income with respect to any vested shares purchased under the option; such income will be in an amount equal to the excess of the value of the vested shares on the exercise date over the exercise price paid for those shares.
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Equity Compensation Plan Information
The following table provides information, as of December 31, 2017, with respect to equity securities authorized for issuance under compensation plans:
| Plan Category | Number of Securities to be Issued Upon Exercise of Outstanding Options under the Plan (a) | Weighted- Average Exercise Price of Outstanding Options under the Plan (b) | Number of (c) | |||||||||
| Equity compensation plans approved by security holders | 0 | $ | - | 1,039,286 | ||||||||
| Equity compensation plans not approved by security holders | 0 | $ | - | - | ||||||||
| TOTAL | 0 | $ | - | 1,039,286 | ||||||||
Director Compensation
Historically, our directors have not received compensation for their service. During 2017 we adopted a new director compensation program recommended by our corporate governance committee pursuant to which we would make equity-plan based awards to the directors and, (i) each of our non-employee directors will receive (a) $2,500 per board meeting that they personally attend or (b) $500 per board meeting that they attend telephonically or other form of telecommunication and (ii) chairs of our committees will receive $500 per committee meeting that they personally attend. No additional compensation will be provided for attending committee meetings. Our corporate governance committee will continue to review and make recommendations to the board regarding compensation of directors, including equity-based plans. We will reimburse our non-employee directors for reasonable travel expenses incurred in attending board and committee meetings. We also intend to allow our non-employee directors to participate in any equity compensation plans that we adopt in the future.
On September 21, 2017, Muscle Maker granted 5,356 shares of common stock under its Muscle Maker 2017 Stock Option and Stock Issuance Plan to each of its six directors of Muscle Maker (32,142 shares of common stock in the aggregate) at a value of $9.33 per share. Such share grants are subject to graduated vesting in the following installments on each of the following dates: (i) 66.666% as of the date of grant and (ii) 8.333% as of (a) October 1, 2017, (b) November 1, 2017, (c) December 1, 2017, and (d) January 1, 2018.
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Executive Compensation Philosophy
Our Board of Directors determines the compensation given to our executive officers in their sole determination. Our Board of Directors reserves the right to pay our executives or any future executives a salary, and/or issue them shares of common stock issued in consideration for services rendered and/or to award incentive bonuses which are linked to our performance, as well as to the individual executive officer’s performance. This package may also include long-term stock-based compensation to certain executives, which is intended to align the performance of our executives with our long-term business strategies. Additionally, while our Board of Directors has not granted any performance base stock options to date, the Board of Directors reserves the right to grant such options in the future, if the Board in its sole determination believes such grants would be in the best interests of the Company.
Incentive Bonus
The Board of Directors may grant incentive bonuses to our executive officers and/or future executive officers in its sole discretion, if the Board of Directors believes such bonuses are in the Company’s best interest, after analyzing our current business objectives and growth, if any, and the amount of revenue we are able to generate each month, which revenue is a direct result of the actions and ability of such executives.
Long-Term, Stock Based Compensation
In order to attract, retain and motivate executive talent necessary to support the Company’s long-term business strategy we may award our executives and any future executives with long-term, stock-based compensation in the future, at the sole discretion of our Board of Directors.
Option Grants to Franchisees
On July 27, 2017, we granted stand-alone (non-Plan based) non-qualified stock options to purchase an aggregate of 33,750 shares of our common stock to our franchisees. The options are fully vested, have an exercise price of $9.33 per share and expire 3 years after the date of grant.
| ITEM 12. | SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT AND RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS. |
The following table sets forth information about the beneficial ownership of our common stock at February 25, 2018, for:
| ● | each person known to us to be the beneficial owner of more than 5% of our common stock; | |
| ● | each named executive officer; | |
| ● | each of our directors; and | |
| ● | all of our executive officers and directors as a group. |
Unless otherwise noted below, the address for each beneficial owner listed on the table is in care of Muscle Maker, Inc, 308 East Renfro Street, Suite 101, Burleson, Texas 76028 We have determined beneficial ownership in accordance with the rules of the SEC. We believe, based on the information furnished to us, that the persons and entities named in the tables below have sole voting and investment power with respect to all shares of common stock that they beneficially own, subject to applicable community property laws. We have based our calculation of the percentage of beneficial ownership on 10,117,597 shares of our common stock outstanding as of February 25, 2018. The share information in this table has been adjusted to reflect the 1-for-7 reverse stock split of our common stock that was effective September 20, 2017 and the 3-for-4 reverse stock split of our common stock that was effective January 31, 2018.
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In computing the number of shares of common stock beneficially owned by a person and the percentage ownership of that person, we deemed outstanding shares of common stock subject to options or restricted stock units held by that person that are currently exercisable or exercisable within 60 days of February 25, 2018. We did not deem these shares outstanding, however, for the purpose of computing the percentage ownership of any other person.
| Shares of Common Stock Beneficially Owned |
||||||||
| Number | Percent (15) | |||||||
| Name of Beneficial Owner | ||||||||
| 5% Stockholders: | ||||||||
| P. John, LLC (1) | 1,067,301 | 10.39 | % | |||||
| John Marques (2) | 1,174,956 | 11.30 | % | |||||
| Directors and Named Executive Officers: | ||||||||
| Kevin Mohan (3) | 354,080 | 3.49 | % | |||||
| Michael J. Roper | - | 0.00 | % | |||||
| Kenneth Miller | - | 0.00 | % | |||||
| Ferdinand Groenewald | - | 0.00 | % | |||||
| Rod Silva (4) | 120,684 | 1.19 | % | |||||
| Noel DeWinter (5) | 39,481 | 0.39 | % | |||||
| A.B. Southall, III (6) | 291,965 | 2.85 | % | |||||
| Paul L. Menchik (7) | 126,557 | 1.25 | % | |||||
| John Marques (2) | 1,174,957 | 11.30 | % | |||||
| All named executive officers and directors as a group (12 persons) | 2,107,724 | 20.47 | % | |||||
| (1) | P. John, LLC directly beneficially owns 906,177 shares of Common Stock of Muscle Maker, and (ii) 125,000 shares of Common Stock of Muscle Maker subject to presently exercisable purchase warrants. P. John, LLC’s members are John Feeney and his two adult sons, Michael Feeney and Ryan Feeney. Pursuant to the terms of the Operating Agreement of P. John, LLC, decisions relating to the business and affairs of P. John are made by the majority consent of the members, where each member has the right to a percentage vote based on his percentage ownership of the outstanding membership interests (Michael Feeney (45%), Ryan Feeney (10%), and John Feeney (45%)). Michael Feeney and Ryan Feeney do not reside in the same household as John Feeney and therefore John Feeney disclaims beneficial ownership of Michael Feeney and Ryan Feeney’s percentage interest of P. John LLC in Muscle Maker. John Feeney also directly beneficially owns (i) 2,678 shares of Common Stock of Muscle Maker subject to presently exercisable purchase warrants issued to John Feeney, (ii) 30,769 shares of Common Stock of Muscle Maker subject to presently convertible debt held by John Feeney, and (iii) 2,677 shares of Common Stock of Muscle Maker which were granted to John Feeney by Muscle Maker. | |
| (2) | John Marques beneficially owns (i) indirectly 896,524 shares of Common Stock of Muscle Maker through Membership, LLC, (ii) directly 155,356 shares of Common Stock of Muscle Maker subject to presently exercisable purchase warrants issued to John Marques, and (iii) indirectly 123,076 shares of Common Stock of Muscle Maker subject to presently convertible debt held by Membership, LLC. John Marques is the sole member and manager of Membership, LLC. As such, Mr. Marques may be deemed to have voting and dispositive power of all securities beneficially owned by Membership, LLC reported herein. | |
| (3) | Kevin Mohan beneficially owns (i) indirectly 39,000 shares of Common Stock of Muscle Maker through various family members that reside in the same household as Kevin Mohan, (ii) directly 284,311 shares of common stock of Muscle Maker and (iii) directly 30,769 shares of Common Stock of Muscle Maker subject to presently convertible debt held by Kevin Mohan. | |
| (4) | Rodney Silva beneficially owns (i) indirectly 58,695 shares of Common Stock of Muscle Maker through JSOS, LLC, an entity he controls and (ii) directly 61,989 shares of Common Stock of Muscle Maker. | |
| (5) | Noel De Winter beneficially owns (i) indirectly 29,250 shares of Common Stock of Muscle Maker as trustee of the Arthur Noel DeWinter Trust; (ii) directly 10,231 shares of Common Stock of Muscle Maker. | |
| (6) | A.B. Southall beneficially owns (i) directly 150,071 shares of Common Stock of Muscle Maker, (ii) directly 30,356 shares of Common Stock of Muscle Maker subject to presently exercisable purchase warrants issued to A.B. Southall, and (iii) directly 111,538 shares of Common Stock of Muscle Maker subject to presently convertible debt held by A.B. Southall. | |
| (7) | Paul L. Menchik beneficially owns (i) directly 76,557 shares of Common Stock of Muscle Maker, and (ii) directly 50,000 shares of Common Stock of Muscle Maker subject to presently convertible debt held by Paul L. Menchik. |
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| ITEM 13. | CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS, AND DIRECTOR INDEPENDENCE. |
Policies and Procedures for Related Party Transactions
Following this offering, pursuant to the written charter of our Audit Committee, the Audit Committee will be responsible for reviewing and approving, prior to our entry into any such transaction, all related party transactions and potential conflict of interest situations involving:
| ● | any of our directors, director nominees or executive officers; | |
| ● | any beneficial owner of more than 5% of our outstanding stock; and | |
| ● | any immediate family member of any of the foregoing. |
Our Audit Committee will review any financial transaction, arrangement or relationship that:
| ● | involves or will involve, directly or indirectly, any related party identified above and is in an amount greater than $0; | |
| ● | would cast doubt on the independence of a director; | |
| ● | would present the appearance of a conflict of interest between us and the related party; or | |
| ● | is otherwise prohibited by law, rule or regulation. |
The Audit Committee will review each such transaction, arrangement or relationship to determine whether a related party has, has had or expects to have a direct or indirect material interest. Following its review, the Audit Committee will take such action as it deems necessary and appropriate under the circumstances, including approving, disapproving, ratifying, canceling or recommending to management how to proceed if it determines a related party has a direct or indirect material interest in a transaction, arrangement or relationship with us. Any member of the Audit Committee who is a related party with respect to a transaction under review will not be permitted to participate in the discussions or evaluations of the transaction; however, the Audit Committee member will provide all material information concerning the transaction to the Audit Committee. The Audit Committee will report its action with respect to any related party transaction to the board of directors.
Transactions with American Restaurants, LLC or American Restaurant Holdings, Inc.
On January 23, 2015, in connection with the acquisition of Muscle Maker Brands, we issued two promissory notes payable in the amount of $400,000 (“MM Note”) and $204,000 (“MMB Note”), respectively. MM Note includes interest imputed at the rate of 0.41% per annum and is payable in three installments with the final installment due eighteen months after the closing date of the Acquisition of Muscle Maker Brands. MMB Note was secured by the assets of Colonia, bore no stated interest and was due on March 9, 2015.
On January 23, 2015, Muscle Maker issued 4,339,285 shares of Common Stock to American Restaurant Holdings in exchange for cash of $3,645,000 and an obligation to repay an aggregate of $604,000 of principal due under MM Note and MMB Note.
On March 9, 2015, the American Restaurant Holdings repaid MMB Note in full. On July 21, 2015, January 23, 2016 and July 23, 2016, installments of $100,000, $150,000 and $150,000 were repaid on the balance of MM Note by the American Restaurant Holdings. As of July 23, 2016, there is no balance outstanding related to MM Note.
On December 31, 2015, we issued a promissory note in the amount of $1,082,620 to American Restaurant (the “2015 ARH Note”). The note bore note stated interest or maturity date, and was convertible into shares of Common Stock of Muscle Maker at a conversion price of $4.67 per share. On March 14, 2017, American Restaurant Holdings elected to convert the 2015 ARH Note in the principal amount of $1,082,620 into 231,990 shares of Common Stock of Muscle Maker at a conversion price of $4.67 per share.
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During the period from January 1 through December 15, 2016, we received $2,621,842 of advances from the American Restaurant Holdings. The payable due to the American Restaurant Holdings as a result of these advances was exchanged for a convertible promissory note in the amount of $2,621,842 (the “2016 ARH Note”). The 2016 ARH Note had no stated interest rate or maturity date and was convertible into shares of the Common Stock of Muscle Maker at a conversion price of $3.73 per share at a time to be determined by the lender. The 2016 American Restaurant Holdings Note included a three-year warrant for the purchase of 245,797 shares of our common stock at an exercise price of $9.33 per share. On March 14, 2017, the American Restaurant Holdings elected to convert the 2016 ARH Note into 702,279 shares of Common Stock of Muscle Maker.
On February 15, 2017, the Company issued a promissory note in the amount of $980,949 (the “First 2017 ARH Note”) and on March 15, 2017, MMI issued a promissory note in the amount of $338,834 (the “Second 2017 ARH Note”), both to ARH. The First 2017 ARH Note and the Second 2017 ARH Note bear no stated interest rate or maturity date and are convertible into 262,753 and 72,606 shares of the Company’s common stock at a conversion price of $3.73 per share and $4.67 per share, respectively, at a time to be determined by the Former Parent. On March 14, 2017, the American Restaurant Holdings elected to convert the First 2017 ARH Note into 262,753 shares of our common stock.
The First 2017 ARH Note and the Second 2017 ARH note include a three-year warrant for the purchase of 91,963 and 15,793 shares, respectively, of Muscle Maker common stock at an exercise price of $9.33 per share. The warrants issued in connection with the First 2017 ARH Note and the Second 2017 ARH note had a grant date value of $122,820 and $23,120, respectively. Muscle Maker allocated the proceeds to the First 2017 ARH Note and the Second 2017 ARH and related warrants based on the relative fair values at the time of issuance, resulting in an effective conversion price of $3.27 and $4.35 per share, respectively. The fair value of Muscle Maker common stock on the dates the notes were issued was $7.15 per share, creating an intrinsic value of $3.88 and $2.80 per share, respectively.
The 2015 ARH Note, 2016 ARH Note, First 2017 ARH Note, Second 2017 ARH Note and Third 2017 ARH Note are together, the “ARH Notes”.
On March 14, 2017, American Restaurant Holdings elected to convert aggregate principal of $4,685,411 under the 2015 ARH Note, the 2016 ARH Note and the First 2017 ARH Note into an aggregate 1,197,022 shares of Muscle Makers common stock.
On July 18, 2017, we issued a convertible promissory note (the “Third 2017 ARH Note”) to American Restaurant Holdings in exchange for cash proceeds of $336,932. The Third 2017 ARH Note has no stated interest rate or maturity date and is convertible into shares of the Company’s common stock at a conversion price of $7.47 per share at a time to be determined by the lender. The Third 2017 ARH Note includes a three-year warrant for the purchase of 15,793 shares of the Company’s common stock at an exercise price of $9.33 per share.
On September 19, 2017, American Restaurant Holdings elected to convert aggregate principal of $675,766 under the Second 2017 ARH Note and the Third 2017 Note into an aggregate 117,731 shares of Muscle Makers common stock.
On April 6, 2018, we issued a $475,000 convertible promissory note (the “2018 ARH Note”) to American Restaurant Holdings. The 2018 ARH Note has no stated interest rate or maturity date and is convertible into shares of Muscle Makers common stock at a conversion price of $0.50 per share at a time to be determined by the lender.
On April 11, 2018, American Restaurant Holdings elected to partially convert the 2018 ARHI Note for the principal of $392,542 into 785,085 shares of the Company’s common stock.
Transactions with Officers, Directors and Executives of Muscle Maker
On December 22, 2014, Muscle Maker issued 10,713 shares of its common stock to the Chief Executive Officer of American Restaurant Holdings as founder shares for cash proceeds of $10.
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On August 1, 2015, we entered into a consulting agreement (the “Consulting Agreement”) with an officer of Custom Technology, Inc, who is also a stockholder of CTI, (the “Consultant”). The Consulting Agreement has a term of five years, and automatically extends for successive one-year periods, unless either party provides written notice of termination at least 60 days prior to the end of the term. Pursuant to the terms of the agreement, the Consultant will receive a base fee of $11,667 per month. In connection with the agreement, we provided a $100,000 advance to the consultant, to be repaid in equal monthly installments of $1,667, over the term of the consulting agreement.
On January 24, 2015, we granted 21,428 shares of our common stock valued at $1.31 per share to our Director of Brand Development, in connection with his employment agreement. On January 24, 2015, we issued 45,918 shares of our common stock to the Director of Brand Development in exchange for cash proceeds of $1.31 per share, or $60,000.
In May 2017, Muscle Maker granted 119,721 shares of its common stock to its employees and consultants. Such share grants are subject to graduated vesting in equal installments of 20% on each of the following dates: (i) the date of grant, (ii) January 1, 2018, (iii) January 1, 2019, (iv) January 1, 2020, and (v) January 1, 2021. In the event of resignation or termination for any reason of an employee or consultant that receives such shares, the remaining non-vested shares of such employee or consultant prior to such resignation or termination will be forfeited.
In May 2017, we granted 16,071 shares of our common stock to Grady Metoyer, our chief financial officer. Such share grant is subject to graduated vesting in equal installments of 20% on each of the following dates: (i) the date of grant, (ii) January 1, 2018, (iii) January 1, 2019, (iv) January 1, 2020, and (v) January 1, 2021. In the event of resignation or termination for any reason of Mr. Metoyer, the remaining non-vested shares of Mr. Metoyer prior to such resignation or termination will be forfeited.
On September 15, 2017, we issued 298,262 shares of our common stock to Robert Morgan, our chief executive officer, in connection with the Merger of MMBC into Muscle Maker.
Muscle Maker entered into an Employment Agreement with each of (i) Robert Morgan, as Chief Executive Officer, (ii) Grady Metoyer, as Chief Financial Officer and (iii) Rodney Silva, as Chief Culture Officer, effective as of the date Muscle Maker successfully receives at least $5,000,000 in gross proceeds from an SEC qualified offering under this Offering Statement under Regulation A+ under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. See “Executive Compensation – Employment Agreements”.
On September 21, 2017, Muscle Maker granted 5,356 shares (post-reverse stock split) of common stock under its Muscle Maker 2017 Stock Option and Stock Issuance Plan to each of its six directors of Muscle Maker (32,142 shares of common stock in the aggregate) at a value of $9.33 per share. Such share grants are subject to graduated vesting in the following installments on each of the following dates: (i) 66.666% as of the date of grant and (ii) 8.333% as of (a) October 1, 2017, (b) November 1, 2017, (c) December 1, 2017, and (d) January 1, 2018.
On May 1, 2018, Muscle Maker granted 100,000 restricted stock units to Michael Roper, its Chief Executive Officer, as part of his initial employment agreement. These shares become fully vested upon the successful completion of an Initial Public Offering of at least $3,000,000. In addition, on June 29, 2018, Muscle Maker granted an additional 250,000 restricted stock units. These shares become fully vested upon the successful completion on an Initial Public Offering of at least $3,000,000. Mr. Roper is also eligible to receive 100,000 restricted stock units on each anniversary of his employment date during the employment contract period as well as up to 250,000 additional restricted stock units upon the successful completion of an initial public offering of at least $5,000,000.
On June 29, 2018, Muscle Maker granted Kevin Mohan an additional 250,000 restricted stock units. These shares become fully vested upon the successful completion of an Initial Public Offering of at least $3,000,000.
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We have entered into indemnification agreements with each of our directors and entered into such agreements with certain of our executive officers. These agreements require us, among other things, to indemnify these individuals for certain expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines and settlement amounts reasonably incurred by such person in any action or proceeding, including any action by or in our right, on account of any services undertaken by such person on behalf of our company or that person’s status as a member of our Board of Directors to the maximum extent allowed under California law.
| ITEM 14. | PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTANT FEES AND SERVICES. |
Marcum LLP has served as our independent registered public accountants for the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016.
The following is a summary of the fees billed or expected to be billed to us by Marcum LLP, our independent registered public accountants, for professional services rendered with respect to the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016:
| 2017 | 2016 | |||||||
| Audit fees (1) | $ | 345,050 | $ | 48,475 | ||||
| Audit-related fees (2) | - | - | ||||||
| Tax fees (3) | - | - | ||||||
| All other fees (4) | - | - | ||||||
| $ | 345,050 | $ | 48,475 | |||||
| (1) | Audit Fees consist of fees billed and expected to be billed for services rendered for the audit of our consolidated financial statements for the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016 and in connection with the filing of Forms 1-A. |
| (2) | Audit-Related Fees consist of fees billed for assurance and related services that are reasonably related to the performance of the audit of our financial statements and are not reported under “Audit Fees.” |
| (3) | Tax Fees consist of fees billed for professional services related to preparation of our U.S. federal and state income tax returns and tax advice. |
| (4) | All Other Fees consist of fees billed for products and services provided by our independent registered public accountants, other than those disclosed above. |
The Audit Committee is responsible for the appointment, compensation and oversight of the work of the independent registered public accountants and approves in advance any services to be performed by the independent registered public accountants, whether audit-related or not. The Audit Committee reviews each proposed engagement to determine whether the provision of services is compatible with maintaining the independence of the independent registered public accountants. The fees shown above were pre-approved either by our Board or our Audit Committee.
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| ITEM 15. | EXHIBITS AND FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES. |
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† Includes management contracts and compensation plans and arrangements
*Filed herewith.
+Previously filed.
| ITEM 16. | FORM 10-K SUMMARY. |
Not applicable.
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Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
| MUSCLE MAKER, INC | ||
| By: | /s/ Michael Roper | |
| Michael Roper | ||
| Dated: February 27, 2019 | Chief Executive Officer | |
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
| Name | Title | |
| /s/ Michael J. Roper | Chief Executive Officer, and | |
| Michael J. Roper | Secretary (Principal Executive Officer) | |
| /s/ Ferdinand Groenewald | Chief Financial Officer | |
| Ferdinand Groenewald | (Principal Financial Officer and Principal Accounting Officer) | |
| /s/ Kevin Mohan | Chief Investment Officer and Chairman of the Board | |
| Kevin Mohan | ||
| /s/ Noel DeWinter | Director, Treasurer | |
| Noel DeWinter | ||
| /s/ A.B. Southhall III | Director | |
| A.B. Southall III | ||
| /s/ Paul L. Menchik | Director | |
| Paul L. Menchik | ||
| /s/ John Marques | Director | |
| John Marques | ||
| /s/ Peter S. Petrosian | Director | |
| Peter S. Petrosian | ||
| /s/ Omprakash Vajinapalli | Director | |
| Omprakash Vajinapalli |
| 77 |
MUSCLE MAKER, INC AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
| F-1 |
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
To the Shareholders and Board of Directors of
Muscle Maker, Inc. and Subsidiaries
Opinion on the Financial Statements
We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Muscle Maker, Inc. and Subsidiaries (the “Company”) as of December 31, 2017 and 2016, the related consolidated statements of operations, changes in stockholders’ (deficit)/equity and cash flows for each of the two years in the period ended December 31, 2017, and the related notes (collectively referred to as the “financial statements”). In our opinion, the financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of December 31, 2017 and 2016, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the two years in the period ended December 31, 2017, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
Explanatory Paragraph – Going Concern
The accompanying financial statements have been prepared assuming that the Company will continue as a going concern. As more fully described in Note 1, the Company has a significant working capital deficiency, has incurred significant losses and needs to raise additional funds to meet its obligations and sustain its operations. These conditions raise substantial doubt about the Company's ability to continue as a going concern. Management's plans in regard to these matters are also described in Note 1. The consolidated financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty.
Basis for Opinion
These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company's management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company's financial statements based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) ("PCAOB") and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. The Company is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. As part of our audits we are required to obtain an understanding of internal control over financial reporting but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Company's internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.
Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2016.
/s/ Marcum llp
Marcum llp
Melville, NY
February 27, 2019
| F-2 |
MUSCLE MAKER, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
| December 31, 2017 | December 31, 2016 | |||||||
| Assets | ||||||||
| Current Assets: | ||||||||
| Cash | $ | 78,683 | $ | 335,724 | ||||
| Accounts
receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts of $4,500 as of December 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016 | 152,256 | 203,100 | ||||||
| Inventory | 92,768 | 64,120 | ||||||
| Current
portion of loans receivable, net of allowance of $55,000 and $25,000 at December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively | 20,146 | 30,434 | ||||||
| Current
portion of loans receivable from related party, net of allowance of $45,000 and $0 at December 31, 2017 and 2016 | 9,704 | 20,000 | ||||||
| Prepaid expenses and other current assets | 23,287 | 50,316 | ||||||
| Total Current Assets | 376,844 | 703,694 | ||||||
| Property and equipment, net | 517,002 | 1,072,545 | ||||||
| Goodwill | - | 2,521,468 | ||||||
| Intangible assets, net | 3,181,880 | 3,702,649 | ||||||
| Loans receivable - non current | 150,522 | 53,229 | ||||||
| Loans receivables from related parties - non current | - | 51,667 | ||||||
| Security deposits and other assets | 21,401 | 148,772 | ||||||
| Total Assets | $ | 4,247,649 | $ | 8,254,024 | ||||
| Liabilities and Stockholders’ (Deficit)/Equity | ||||||||
| Current Liabilities: | ||||||||
| Accounts payable and accrued expenses | $ | 2,710,193 | $ | 966,341 | ||||
| Convertible notes payable | 150,000 | - | ||||||
| Other notes payable | 20,000 | - | ||||||
| Deferred revenue | 1,391,860 | 1,302,967 | ||||||
| Deferred rent, current | 25,620 | - | ||||||
| Payable to Former Parent, current | 16,995 | - | ||||||
| Other current liabilities | 369,123 | 158,238 | ||||||
| Total Current Liabilities | 4,683,791 | 2,427,546 | ||||||
| Convertible notes payable to Former Parent, net of debt discount of $0 and $2,699,726 at December 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016, respectively | - | 1,004,736 | ||||||
| Convertible notes payable | 1,899,340 | - | ||||||
| Convertible notes payable, related parties | 300,000 | - | ||||||
| Other notes payable | 200,000 | - | ||||||
| Other notes payable, related parties | 335,000 | - | ||||||
| Payable to Former Parent, non-current | - | 74,145 | ||||||
| Deferred tax liability | - | 246,527 | ||||||
| Deferred rent, non-current | 31,313 | 183,638 | ||||||
| Total Liabilities | 7,449,444 | 3,936,592 | ||||||
| Commitments and Contingencies | ||||||||
| Stockholders’ (Deficit)/Equity: | ||||||||
| Common stock, no par value, 100,000,000 shares authorized, 7,637,855 and 4,604,842 shares issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016, respectively | 13,367,549 | 5,157,010 | ||||||
| Additional paid-in capital | 552,670 | 2,842,343 | ||||||
| Accumulated deficit | (17,052,086 | ) | (3,841,638 | ) | ||||
| Total Controlling Interest | (3,131,867 | ) | 4,157,715 | |||||
| Non-controlling interest | (69,928 | ) | 159,717 | |||||
| Total Stockholders’ (Deficit)/Equity | (3,201,795 | ) | 4,317,432 | |||||
| Total Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity | $ | 4,247,649 | $ | 8,254,024 | ||||
See Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements
| F-3 |
MUSCLE MAKER, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
| For
the Years Ended December 31, | ||||||||
| 2017 | 2016 | |||||||
| Revenues: | ||||||||
| Company restaurant sales, net of discounts | $ | 5,215,285 | $ | 2,735,222 | ||||
| Franchise royalties and fees | 1,988,167 | 1,660,877 | ||||||
| Other revenues | 725,685 | 557,106 | ||||||
| Total Revenues | 7,929,137 | 4,953,205 | ||||||
| Operating Costs and Expenses: | ||||||||
| Restaurant operating expenses: | ||||||||
| Food and beverage costs | 1,946,643 | 1,028,098 | ||||||
| Labor | 2,634,730 | 1,306,614 | ||||||
| Rent | 927,610 | 728,064 | ||||||
| Other restaurant operating expenses | 1,283,286 | 586,248 | ||||||
| Total restaurant operating expenses | 6,792,269 | 3,649,024 | ||||||
| Costs of other revenues | 330,367 | 295,231 | ||||||
| Depreciation and amortization | 446,369 | 204,486 | ||||||
| Impairment of intangible assets | 410,225 | - | ||||||
| Impairment of property and equipment | 1,375,790 | - | ||||||
| Impairment of goodwill | 2,521,468 | - | ||||||
| General and administrative expenses | 7,983,673 | 4,770,613 | ||||||
| Total Costs and Expenses | 19,860,161 | 8,919,354 | ||||||
| Loss from Operations | (11,931,024 | ) | (3,966,149 | ) | ||||
| Other (Expense) Income: | ||||||||
| Other income | 88,874 | 6,563 | ||||||
| Interest (expense) income, net | (15,336 | ) | 6,114 | |||||
| Amortization of debt discounts | (3,956,792 | ) | (138,933 | ) | ||||
| Total Other Expense, Net | (3,883,254 | ) | (126,256 | ) | ||||
| Net Loss Before Income Tax | (15,814,278 | ) | (4,092,405 | ) | ||||
| Income tax benefit (provision) | 246,527 | (127,282 | ) | |||||
| Net Loss | (15,567,751 | ) | (4,219,687 | ) | ||||
| Net loss attributable to the non-controlling interest | (2,357,303 | ) | (1,110,106 | ) | ||||
| Net Loss Attributable to Controlling Interest | $ | (13,210,448 | ) | $ | (3,109,581 | ) | ||
| Net Loss Attributable to Controlling Interest Per Share: | ||||||||
| Basic and Diluted | $ | (2.19 | ) | $ | (0.51 | ) | ||
| Weighted Average Number of Common Shares Outstanding: | ||||||||
| Basic and Diluted | 6,039,731 | 6,139,789 | ||||||
See Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements
| F-4 |
MUSCLE MAKER, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN STOCKHOLDERS’ (DEFICIT)/EQUITY
| No Par Common Stock | Additional Paid-in | Accumulated | Total Controlling | Non- Controlling | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Shares | Amount | Capital | Deficit | Interest | Interest | Total | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Balance - December 31, 2015 | 4,604,842 | $ | 5,157,010 | $ | 216,524 | $ | (732,057 | ) | $ | 4,641,477 | $ | 1,269,823 | $ | 5,911,300 | ||||||||||||||
| Beneficial conversion feature - 2016 ARH Note | - | - | 2,381,107 | - | 2,381,107 | - | 2,381,107 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Warrants issued in connection with convertible debt | - | - | 241,028 | - | 241,028 | - | 241,028 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Warrants issued in exchange for services | - | - | 3,684 | - | 3,684 | - | 3,684 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Net loss | - | - | - | (3,109,581 | ) | (3,109,581 | ) | (1,110,106 | ) | (4,219,687 | ) | |||||||||||||||||
| Balance - December 31, 2016 | 4,604,842 | 5,157,010 | 2,842,343 | (3,841,638 | ) | 4,157,715 | 159,717 | 4,317,432 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Issuance of restricted stock | 53,383 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Shares issued for cash | 56,250 | 420,000 | - | - | 420,000 | - | 420,000 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Exercise
of warrants for purchase of common stock | 5,356 | 50,000 | - | - | 50,000 | - | 50,000 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Restricted stock issued as compensation for services | 52,307 | 170,000 | - | - | 170,000 | - | 170,000 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Shares issued in connection with merger | 1,550,964 | 1,466,541 | (3,594,199 | ) | - | (2,127,658 | ) | 2,127,658 | - | |||||||||||||||||||
| Options issued to franchisees | - | 47,583 | - | 47,583 | - | 47,583 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Conversion of convertible notes payable to Former Parent into common stock | 1,314,753 | 5,361,177 | - | - | 5,361,177 | - | 5,361,177 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Beneficial conversion feature - First, Second and Third 2017 ARH Notes | - | - | 1,085,985 | - | 1,085,985 | - | 1,085,985 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Warrants issued in connection with convertible debt | - | - | 170,958 | - | 170,958 | - | 170,958 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Stock-based compensation: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Amortization of restricted stock | - | 742,821 | - | - | 742,821 | - | 742,821 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Net loss | - | - | - | (13,210,448 | ) | (13,210,448 | ) | (2,357,303 | ) | (15,567,751 | ) | |||||||||||||||||
| Balance - December 31, 2017 | 7,637,855 | $ | 13,367,549 | $ | 552,670 | $ | (17,052,086 | ) | $ | (3,131,867 | ) | $ | 69,928 | $ | (3,201,795 | ) | ||||||||||||
See Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements
| F-5 |
MUSCLE MAKER, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
| For the Years Ended | ||||||||
| December 31, | ||||||||
| 2017 | 2016 | |||||||
| Cash Flows from Operating Activities | ||||||||
| Net loss | $ | (15,567,751 | ) | $ | (4,219,687 | ) | ||
| Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities: | ||||||||
| Depreciation and amortization | 446,369 | 204,486 | ||||||
| Stock-based compensation | 742,821 | 3,684 | ||||||
| Options issued to franchisees | 47,583 | - | ||||||
| Restricted stock issued as compensation for services | 170,000 | - | ||||||
| Amortization of debt discount | 3,956,792 | 138,933 | ||||||
| Impairment of intangible asset | 410,225 | - | ||||||
| Impairment of property and equipment | 1,375,790 | - | ||||||
| Impairment of Goodwill | 2,521,468 | - | ||||||
| Write off of security deposits | 137,160 | - | ||||||
| Bad debt expense | 128,855 | 113,932 | ||||||
| Deferred rent | (126,705 | ) | - | |||||
| Deferred income tax (benefit) provision | (246,527 | ) | 127,282 | |||||
| Expenses paid by former parent | 490,071 | 74,970 | ||||||
| Changes in operating assets and liabilities: | ||||||||
| Accounts receivable | (8,008 | ) | (50,211 | ) | ||||
| Inventory | (28,648 | ) | (49,921 | ) | ||||
| Prepaid expenses and other current assets | 27,029 | (89,281 | ) | |||||
| Security deposits and other assets | (9,789 | ) | (42,446 | ) | ||||
| Accounts payable and accrued expenses | 1,556,488 | 850,937 | ||||||
| Deferred revenue | 88,893 | 656,466 | ||||||
| Other current liabilities | 210,885 | 170,154 | ||||||
| Total Adjustments | 11,890,752 | 2,108,985 | ||||||
| Net Cash Used in Operating Activities | (3,676,999 | ) | (2,110,702 | ) | ||||
| Cash Flows from Investing Activities | ||||||||
| Purchases of property and equipment | (968,831 | ) | (957,387 | ) | ||||
| Cash paid in connection with acquisition of Winston Salem | - | (124,117 | ) | |||||
| Issuance of loans receivable | (58,753 | ) | (192,500 | ) | ||||
| Issuance of loans receivable - related parties | (5,533 | ) | - | |||||
| Collections from loans receivable | 167,452 | 158,329 | ||||||
| Collections from loans receivable - related parties | 22,496 | 20,000 | ||||||
| Net Cash Used in Investing Activities | (843,169 | ) | (1,095,675 | ) | ||||
| Cash Flows from Financing Activities | ||||||||
| Proceeds from exercise of warrants | 50,000 | - | ||||||
| Proceeds from issuance of restricted stock | 420,000 | - | ||||||
| (Repayments) Advances from Former Parent | (250,013 | ) | 329,081 | |||||
| Repayments of notes payable | - | (8,100 | ) | |||||
| Proceeds from convertible notes payable | 2,049,340 | - | ||||||
| Proceeds from convertible notes payable - related parties | 300,000 | - | ||||||
| Proceeds from other notes payable | 220,000 | - | ||||||
| Proceeds from other notes payable - related parties | 335,000 | - | ||||||
| Proceeds from convertible notes payable to Former Parent | 1,138,800 | 2,621,842 | ||||||
| Net Cash Provided by Financing Activities | 4,263,127 | 2,942,823 | ||||||
| Net Decrease in Cash | (257,041 | ) | (263,554 | ) | ||||
| Cash - Beginning of Period | 335,724 | 599,278 | ||||||
| Cash - End of Period | $ | 78,683 | $ | 335,724 | ||||
See Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements
| F-6 |
MUSCLE MAKER, INC. & SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS – CONTINUED
| For the Years Ended | ||||||||
| December 31, | ||||||||
| 2017 | 2016 | |||||||
| Supplemental Disclosures of Cash Flow Information: | ||||||||
| Cash paid for interest | $ | 25,116 | $ | 119 | ||||
| Supplemental disclosures of non-cash investing and financing activities | ||||||||
| Beneficial conversion feature | $ | 1,085,985 | $ | 2,381,107 | ||||
| Warrants issued in connection with convertible debt | $ | 170,958 | $ | 241,028 | ||||
| Payment on note payable by parent in exchange for reduction in receivable from Former Parent | $ | - | $ | 300,000 | ||||
| Payable to Former Parent exchanged for convertible notes | $ | 517,915 | $ | - | ||||
| Conversion of convertible notes payable to Former Parent into common stock | $ | 5,361,177 | $ | - | ||||
| Loan receivable advanced by Former Parent | $ | 162,500 | ||||||
| Accounts payable associated with purchases of property and equipment | $ | 187,241 | $ | - | ||||
| F-7 |
MUSCLE MAKER, INC. & SUBSIDIARIES
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
NOTE 1 – BUSINESS ORGANIZATION AND NATURE OF OPERATIONS, GOING CONCERN AND MANAGEMENT’S PLANS
Muscle Maker, Inc. (“MMI”), a former subsidiary of American Restaurant Holdings (“ARH” or “Former Parent”) was incorporated in California on December 8, 2014 and was a majority owner of Muscle Maker Brands, LLC, (“MMB”). MMB’s subsidiaries include Company owned restaurants as well as Custom Technology, Inc, (“CTI”) a technology and point of sale (“POS”) systems dealer and technology consultant. MMB was formed on December 22, 2014 in the state of California for the purpose of acquiring and operating company owned restaurants, as well as franchising its name and business system to qualified franchisees. Muscle Maker Franchising, LLC (“MMF”) was founded in 1995 in order to develop a brand of healthy-option fast food restaurants.
On January 23, 2015 (the “Closing Date”), MMI, MMB and MMF entered into an agreement whereby MMB purchased substantially all of the assets and liabilities of MMF, MMI acquired 74% of the membership units of MMB, and certain members of MMF acquired 26% of the membership units of MMB.
On March 23, 2017, ARH authorized and facilitated the distribution of 5,536,308 shares of Common Stock of MMI held by American Restaurants, LLC, the wholly owned subsidiary of ARH, to the shareholders of the Former Parent (the “Spin-Off”). As a result of the Spin-Off on March 23, 2017, ARH is no longer a majority owner of MMI.
On June 8, 2017, MMB converted from a limited liability company into a California corporation named Muscle Maker Brands Conversion, Inc. (“MMBC”).
On July 18, 2017, MMI formed Muscle Maker Development, LLC (“Muscle Maker Development”) in the state of Nevada for the purpose of running our existing franchise operations and continuing to franchise the Muscle Maker Grill name and business system to qualified franchisees. Muscle Maker Development issued 1,000 membership units to its sole member and manager, MMI. MMB assigned all the existing franchise agreements to Muscle Maker Development (“Assignment and Assumption Agreement”) pursuant to the terms of that certain Assignment and Assumption Agreement, dated August 25, 2017, among MMI, MMB and Muscle Maker Development.
On July 18, 2017, MMI formed Muscle Maker Corp., LLC (“Muscle Maker Corp.”) in the state of Nevada for the purpose of developing new corporate stores and operating new and existing corporate stores of MMI. Muscle Maker Corp. issued 1,000 membership units to its sole member and manager, MMI and MMI assigned all the existing corporate stores to Muscle Maker Corp.
On September 15, 2017 (“Effective Merger Date”), pursuant to an Agreement of Merger, MMBC was merged (“Merger”) into MMI, with MMI as the surviving corporation, in a tax-free reorganization. Pursuant to the Merger, each share of common stock of MMBC (the “MMBC Common Stock”) owned by the members of MMF was converted into 796 shares of common stock of MMI, resulting in aggregate consideration of 1,550,964 shares of common stock of MMI to the members of MMF. As a result of the Merger, MMI directly owned 70% of the shares of CTI.
MMI and its subsidiaries is the “Company”.
| F-8 |
MUSCLE MAKER, INC. & SUBSIDIARIES
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
NOTE 1 – BUSINESS ORGANIZATION AND NATURE OF OPERATIONS, GOING CONCERN AND MANAGEMENT’S PLANS, Continued
The Company operates under the name Muscle Maker Grill and is a franchisor and owner operator of Muscle Maker Grill restaurants. As of December 31, 2017, the Company’s restaurant system included thirteen company-owned restaurants, and forty franchised restaurants. One company-owned restaurant was subsequently open for operation and eight company-owned restaurants were closed as of the date of the issuance of these consolidated financial statements. In addition, the Company currently has thirty-three United States based and one Kuwait based franchise locations open as of the date of the issuance of these consolidated financial statements. A Muscle Maker Grill restaurant offers quality food freshly prepared with the Company’s proprietary recipes created with the guest’s health in mind. The menu is protein based, and features various supplements, health food snacks, along with a nutritious children’s menu.
Going Concern and Management’s Plans
As of December 31, 2017, the Company had a cash balance, a working capital deficiency and an accumulated deficit of $78,683, $4,306,947, and $17,052,086, respectively. For the year ended December 31, 2017, the Company incurred a pre-tax net loss of $15,814,278. These conditions indicate that there is substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern for at least one year from the date of the issuance of these consolidated financial statements.
The Company’s operations have primarily been funded through proceeds from the issuance of equity and debt. Subsequent to December 31, 2017, the Company received an aggregate of $1,813,165 associated with the issuances of convertible promissory notes payable and warrants and other notes to various lenders, of which $1,072,000 was converted into common stock. From September 12, 2018 through the date of this report, the Company entered into Securities Purchase Agreements (“SPA”) with several accredited investors (the “Investors”) providing for the sale by the Company to the Investors of 15% Senior Secured Convertible Promissory Notes (the “SPA Notes”) in the aggregate amount of $1,835,000, in addition $635,000 in existing convertible debt was converted into SPA Notes. (See Note 17 – Subsequent Events -15% Senior Secured Convertible Notes).
Although management believes that the Company has access to capital resources, there are no commitments, other than aforementioned, in place for new financing as of the date of the issuance of these consolidated financial statements there can be no assurance that the Company will be able to obtain funds on commercially acceptable terms, if at all. The Company expects to have ongoing needs for working capital in order to (a) fund operations; plus (b) expand operations by opening additional corporate-owned restaurants. To that end, the Company may be required to raise additional funds through equity or debt financing. However, there can be no assurance that the Company will be successful in securing additional capital. If the Company is unsuccessful, the Company may need to (a) initiate cost reductions; (b) forego business development opportunities; (c) seek extensions of time to fund its liabilities, or (d) seek protection from creditors.
| F-9 |
MUSCLE MAKER, INC. & SUBSIDIARIES
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
NOTE 1 – BUSINESS ORGANIZATION AND NATURE OF OPERATIONS, GOING CONCERN AND MANAGEMENT’S PLANS, Continued
Going Concern and Management’s Plans, continued
The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”), which contemplate continuation of the Company as a going concern and the realization of assets and the satisfaction of liabilities in the normal course of business. The carrying amounts of assets and liabilities presented in the consolidated financial statements do not necessarily purport to represent realizable or settlement values. The consolidated financial statements do not include any adjustment that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty.
NOTE 2 – REVERSE STOCK SPLITS
Effective September 20, 2017, pursuant to authority granted by the stockholders of the Company, the Company implemented a 1-for-7 reverse split of the Company’s issued common stock (the “Reverse Split”).
Effective January 31, 2018, pursuant to authority granted by the stockholders of the Company, the Company implemented a 3-for-4 reverse split of the Company’s issued common stock (the “Second Reverse Split”).
All share and per share information has been retroactively adjusted to reflect the Reverse Split and Second Reverse Split for all periods presented.
NOTE 3 – SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
Principles of Consolidation
The accompanying consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its wholly-owned subsidiaries and majority-owned subsidiary. Any intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated in consolidation.
Use of Estimates
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities and disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of expenses during the reporting period.
Management bases its estimates on historical experience and on various assumptions that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying value of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Significant estimates include:
| ● | the fair value of assets acquired and liabilities assumed in a business combination; |
| ● | the assessment of recoverability of long-lived assets, including property and equipment, goodwill and intangible assets; |
| F-10 |
MUSCLE MAKER, INC. & SUBSIDIARIES
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
NOTE 3 – SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES, continued
Use of Estimates, continued
| ● | the estimated useful lives of intangible and depreciable assets; |
| ● | the recognition of revenue; and |
| ● | the recognition, measurement and valuation of current and deferred income taxes |
Estimates and assumptions are periodically reviewed, and the effects of any material revisions are reflected in the financial statements in the period that they are determined to be necessary. Actual results could differ from those estimates and assumptions.
Cash and Cash Equivalents
The Company considers all highly-liquid instruments with an original maturity of three months or less when purchased to be cash equivalents. There were no cash equivalents as of December 31, 2017 or 2016.
Inventory
Inventories, which are stated at the lower of cost or net realizable value, consist primarily of perishable food items and supplies. Cost is determined using the first-in, first out method.
Property and Equipment
Property and equipment are stated at cost less accumulated depreciation and amortization. Major improvements are capitalized, and minor replacements, maintenance and repairs are charged to expense as incurred. Depreciation and amortization are calculated on the straight-line basis over the estimated useful lives of the assets. Leasehold improvements are amortized over the shorter of the estimated useful life or the lease term of the related asset. The estimated useful lives are as follows:
| Furniture and equipment | 5 - 7 years | |
| Leasehold improvements | 1.7 – 10.4 years |
Intangible Assets
The Company accounts for recorded intangible assets in accordance with ASC 350 “Intangibles - Goodwill and Other”. In accordance with ASC 350, the Company does not amortize intangible assets having indefinite useful lives. The Company’s goodwill and trademarks are deemed to have indefinite lives, and accordingly are not amortized, but are evaluated for impairment at least annually, or more often whenever changes in facts and circumstances may indicate that the carrying value may not be recoverable. The Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) requires that goodwill be tested for impairment at the reporting unit level (operating segment or one level below an operating segment). Application of the goodwill impairment test requires judgment, including the identification of reporting units, assigning assets and liabilities to reporting units, assigning goodwill to reporting units, and determining the fair value. Significant judgment is required to estimate the fair value of reporting units which includes estimating future cash flows, determining appropriate discount rates and other assumptions. Changes in these estimates and assumptions could materially affect the determination of fair value and/or goodwill impairment.
| F-11 |
MUSCLE MAKER, INC. & SUBSIDIARIES
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
NOTE 3 – SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES, continued
Intangible Assets, continued
When testing goodwill for impairment, the Company may assess qualitative factors for some or all of our reporting units to determine whether it is more likely than not (that is, a likelihood of more than 50 percent) that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, including goodwill. Alternatively, the Company may bypass this qualitative assessment for some or all of our reporting units and perform a detailed quantitative test of impairment (step 1). If the Company performs the detailed quantitative impairment test and the carrying amount of the reporting unit exceeds its fair value, the Company would perform an analysis (step 2) to measure such impairment. In 2016, the Company performed a qualitative assessment to identify and evaluate events and circumstances to conclude whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of the Company’s reporting units is less than their carrying amounts. Based on the Company’s qualitative assessments, it is more likely than not that the fair value of the reporting units exceeded their carrying values and no impairments were identified in 2016. See Note 8 – Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets, Net for details associated with impairment of goodwill and certain intangible assets in 2017 based on the Company’s quantitative assessments.
Other intangible assets include franchise agreements and a non-compete agreement which are amortized on a straight-line basis over their estimated useful lives of 13 years and 5 years, respectively.
Impairment of Long-Lived Assets
When circumstances, such as adverse market conditions, indicate that the carrying value of a long-lived asset may be impaired, the Company performs an analysis to review the recoverability of the asset’s carrying value, which includes estimating the undiscounted cash flows (excluding interest charges) from the expected future operations of the asset. These estimates consider factors such as expected future operating income, operating trends and prospects, as well as the effects of demand, competition and other factors. If the analysis indicates that the carrying value is not recoverable from future cash flows, an impairment loss is recognized to the extent that the carrying value exceeds the estimated fair value. Any impairment losses are recorded as operating expenses, which reduce net income. See Note 8 – Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets, Net, and Note 7 – Property and Equipment, Net for details associated with impairment of goodwill and certain intangible assets and property and equipment.
Convertible Instruments
The Company evaluates its convertible instruments to determine if those contracts or embedded components of those contracts qualify as derivative financial instruments to be separately accounted for in accordance with Topic 815 of the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”). The accounting treatment of derivative financial instruments requires that the Company record embedded conversion options and any related freestanding instruments at their fair values as of the inception date of the agreement and at fair value as of each subsequent balance sheet date. Any change in fair value is recorded as non-operating, non-cash income or expense for each reporting period at each balance sheet date. The Company reassesses the classification of its derivative instruments at each balance sheet date. If the classification changes as a result of events during the period, the contract is reclassified as of the date of the event that caused the reclassification. Embedded conversion options and any related freestanding instruments are recorded as a discount to the host instrument.
| F-12 |
MUSCLE MAKER, INC. & SUBSIDIARIES
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
NOTE 3 – SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES, continued
Convertible Instruments, continued
If the instrument is determined not to be a derivative liability, the Company then evaluates for the existence of a beneficial conversion feature by comparing the market price of the Company’s common stock as of the commitment date to the effective conversion price of the instrument.
As of December 31, 2017, and December 31, 2016, the Company did not have any derivative liabilities on its balance sheets.
Revenue Recognition
In accordance with the Accounting Standard Codification Topic 605 “Revenue Recognition” (“ASC 605”), the Company recognizes revenue when the following four criteria are met: (1) delivery has occurred or services rendered; (2) persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists; (3) there are no continuing obligations to the customer; and (4) the collection of related accounts receivable is probable.
Restaurant Sales
Retail store revenue at company operated restaurants is recognized when payment is tendered at the point of sale, net of sales tax, discount and other sales related taxes.
Franchise Royalties and Fees
Franchise royalties and fees principally consists of royalties and franchise fees. Royalties are based on a percentage of franchisee net sales revenue. Initial franchise fees are recognized upon either termination of franchise agreement prior to opening or upon opening of a restaurant or granting of a new franchise term, which is when the Company has performed substantially all material obligations and initial services required by the franchise agreement. The Company recognizes renewal fees as income when a renewal agreement becomes effective.
The Company has supply agreements with certain food and beverage vendors. Pursuant to the terms of these agreements, rebates are provided to the Company based upon the dollar volume of purchases for all company-owned and franchised restaurants from these vendors. Rebates earned on purchases by franchise stores are recorded as revenue during the period in which the related food and beverage purchases are made. The Company recorded revenue from rebates of $337,786 and $333,248 during the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively, which is included in franchise royalties and fees on the accompanying consolidated statements of operations. Rebates earned on purchases by company owned stores are recorded as a reduction of cost of goods sold during the period in which the related food and beverage purchases are made.
| F-13 |
MUSCLE MAKER, INC. & SUBSIDIARIES
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
NOTE 3 – SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES, continued
Other Revenues
Through its subsidiary CTI, the Company derives revenue from the sale of POS computer systems, cash registers, digital menu boards and camera systems, and from the provision of related consulting and support services, which generally include implementation, installation and training services. We recognize revenue when persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists, delivery of the product or service has occurred, the fee is fixed or determinable and collectability is reasonably assured. The Company recorded $725,685 and $557,106 of revenues from these technology sales and services during the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively.
Deferred Revenue
Deferred revenue primarily includes initial franchise fees received by the Company, for which the restaurant has not yet opened, as well as unearned vendor rebates and customer deposits received in connection with technology sales and services by CTI (see Note 12 – Deferred Revenue).
The Company collects initial franchise fees when franchise agreements are signed and recognizes the initial franchise fees as revenue when the store is opened, which is when the Company has performed substantially all initial services required by the franchise agreement. Customer deposits received for technology sales or services are recorded as deferred revenue and recognized when the sale is complete, or the service is performed.
Advertising
Advertising costs are charged to expense as incurred. Advertising costs were approximately $609,000 and $173,000 for the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively, and are included in general and administrative expenses in the consolidated statements of operations. Advertising costs incurred related to our national advertising fund are netted with contributions from our Company-owned stores and our franchisees.
Net Loss per Share
Basic loss per common share is computed by dividing net loss attributable to common stockholders by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period. Diluted loss per common share is computed by dividing net loss attributable to common stockholders by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding, plus the impact of potential common shares, if dilutive, resulting from the exercise of warrants, and stock options from the conversion of convertible debt, from the conversion of Muscle Maker Brands, LLC (“MMB”) membership units and the vesting of restricted stock which were obtained by the non-controlling interest in connection with the acquisition of MMB and are convertible into shares of common stock of MMI.
| F-14 |
MUSCLE MAKER, INC. & SUBSIDIARIES
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
NOTE 3 – SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES, continued
Net Loss per Share, continued
The following securities are excluded from the calculation of weighted average diluted common shares at December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively, because their inclusion would have been anti-dilutive:
| December 31, | ||||||||
| 2017 | 2016 | |||||||
| Warrants | 521,045 | 318,116 | ||||||
| Options | 33,750 | - | ||||||
| Convertible debt | 1,445,748 | 1,005,366 | ||||||
| MMB membership units | - | 1,550,964 | ||||||
| Total potentially dilutive shares | 2,000,543 | 2,874,446 | ||||||
Concentration of Credit Risk
The Company is subject to credit risk through its loans receivable consisting primarily of amounts due from franchisees. The financial condition of these franchisees is largely dependent upon the underlying business trends of our brand and market conditions within the quick service restaurant industry. At December 31, 2017, one franchisee accounted for 78% of loans receivable and at December 31, 2016, two franchisees accounted for 37% and 19%, respectively, of loans receivable. At December 31, 2017 and 2016, a loan to a consultant, who is also a stockholder of CTI, accounted for 4% and 53%, respectively, of loans receivable.
Major Vendor
The Company engages various vendors to distribute food products to their Company-owned restaurants. Purchases from the Company’s largest supplier totaled 82% and 84% of the Company’s purchases for the year ended December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively.
Controlling and Non-Controlling Interest
MMI used to own a 74% controlling interest in MMB through the Effective Merger Date and owns a 70% controlling interest in CTI. The profits and losses of CTI are allocated among the controlling interest and the CTI non-controlling interest in the same proportions as their membership interests. All of the profits and losses of MMB and its subsidiaries were allocated among the controlling interest and MMB non-controlling Interest in proportion to the ownership interests through the Effective Merger Date.
Income Taxes
The Company accounts for income taxes under Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 740 Income Taxes (“ASC 740”). Under ASC 740, deferred tax assets and liabilities are determined based on the difference between the financial reporting and tax bases of assets and liabilities and net operating loss and credit carryforwards using enacted tax rates in effect for the year in which the differences are expected to impact taxable income. Valuation allowances are established when necessary to reduce deferred tax assets to the amounts expected to be realized.
| F-15 |
MUSCLE MAKER, INC. & SUBSIDIARIES
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
NOTE 3 – SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES, continued
Income Taxes, continued
ASC 740 also clarifies the accounting for uncertainty in income taxes recognized in an enterprise’s financial statements and prescribes a recognition threshold and measurement process for financial statement recognition and measurement of a tax position taken or expected to be taken in a tax return.
Tax benefits claimed or expected to be claimed on a tax return are recorded in the Company’s financial statements. A tax benefit from an uncertain tax position is only recognized if it is more likely than not that the tax position will be sustained on examination by the taxing authorities, based on the technical merits of the position. The tax benefits recognized in the financial statements from such a position are measured based on the largest benefit that has a greater than fifty percent likelihood of being realized upon ultimate resolution. Uncertain tax positions have had no impact on the Company’s financial condition, results of operations or cash flows. The Company does not expect any significant changes in its unrecognized tax benefits within twelve months of the reporting date.
The Company’s policy is to classify assessments, if any, for tax related interest as interest expense and penalties as general and administrative expenses in the consolidated statements of operations.
Reclassifications
Certain prior year balances have been reclassified in order to conform to current year presentation. These reclassifications have no effect on the previously reported results of operations or loss per share.
Stock-Based Compensation
The Company measures the cost of services received in exchange for an award of equity instruments based on the fair value of the award. For employees and directors, the fair value of the award is measured on the grant date and for non-employees, the fair value of the award is generally recorded on the grant date and re-measured on financial reporting dates and vesting dates until the service period is complete. The fair value amount of the award is then recognized over the period services are required to be provided in exchange for the award, usually the vesting period.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02, “Leases (Topic 842)” (“ASU 2016-02”). ASU 2016-02 requires an entity to recognize assets and liabilities arising from a lease for both financing and operating leases. ASU 2016-02 will also require new qualitative and quantitative disclosures to help investors and other financial statement users better understand the amount, timing, and uncertainty of cash flows arising from leases. ASU 2016-02 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, with early adoption permitted. The Company is currently evaluating ASU 2016-02 and its impact on its consolidated financial statements and disclosures.
| F-16 |
MUSCLE MAKER, INC. & SUBSIDIARIES
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
NOTE 3 – SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES, continued
Recent Accounting Pronouncements, continued
In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-08, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers - Principal versus Agent Considerations”, in April 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-10, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606) - Identifying Performance Obligations and Licensing” and in May 9, 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-12, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606)” (“ASU 2016-12”). This update provides clarifying guidance regarding the application of ASU No. 2014-09 - Revenue From Contracts with Customers which is not yet effective. These new standards provide for a single, principles-based model for revenue recognition that replaces the existing revenue recognition guidance. In July 2015, the FASB deferred the effective date of ASU 2014-09 for private companies and emerging growth public companies until annual and interim periods beginning on or after December 15, 2018. It will replace most existing revenue recognition guidance under U.S. GAAP when it becomes effective. The Company will evaluate the effects, if any, that adoption of this guidance will have on its consolidated financial statements.
In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-09,” Compensation – Stock Compensation (Topic 718)” (“ASU 2016-09”). ASU 2016-09 requires an entity to simplify several aspects of the accounting for share-based payment transactions, including the income tax consequences, classification of awards as either equity or liabilities, and classification on the statement of cash flows. ASU 2016-09 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016, with early adoption permitted. The Company adopted ASU 2016-09 on the required effective date of January 1, 2017. The adoption of ASU 2016-09 did not have a material impact on the Company’s financial position, results of operations or cash flows.
In August 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-15, “Statement of Cash Flows - Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments (Topic 230)” (“ASU 2016-15”). ASU 2016-15 will make eight targeted changes to how cash receipts and cash payments are presented and classified in the statement of cash flows. ASU 2016-15 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017. The ASU requires adoption on a retrospective basis unless it is impracticable to apply, in which case we will be required to apply the amendments prospectively as of the earliest date practicable. We are currently evaluating the effect that adopting this new accounting guidance will have on its consolidated cash flows and related disclosures.
In December 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-20, “Technical Corrections and Improvements to Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers.” ASU No. 2016-20 amends certain aspects of ASU No. 2014-09 and clarifies, rather than changes, the core revenue recognition principles in ASU No. 2014-09. It is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2018. We are currently evaluating the effect that adopting this new accounting guidance will have on its consolidated cash flows and related disclosures.
| F-17 |
MUSCLE MAKER, INC. & SUBSIDIARIES
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
NOTE 3 – SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES, continued
Recent Accounting Pronouncements, continued
In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-04, “Intangibles - Goodwill and Other (Topic 350)” (“ASU 2017-04”) Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment. The update simplifies how an entity is required to test goodwill for impairment by eliminating Step 2 from the goodwill impairment test. Step 2 measures a goodwill impairment loss by comparing the implied fair value of a reporting unit’s goodwill with the carrying amount of that goodwill. It affects public entities that have goodwill reported in their financial statements and have not elected the private company alternative for the subsequent measurement of goodwill. A public entity that is a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) filer should adopt the amendments in this update for its annual or any interim goodwill impairment tests in fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019. We are currently reviewing the new standard and assessing the impact of its adoption.
In May 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-09, Compensation - Stock Compensation (Topic 718); Scope of Modification Accounting. The amendments in this ASU provide guidance that clarifies when changes to the terms or conditions of a share-based payment award must be accounted for as modifications. If the value, vesting conditions or classification of the award changes, modification accounting will apply. The guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, and interim periods within those fiscal years. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of the adoption of this standard on its consolidated financial statements.
In February 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-02, Income Statement - Reporting Comprehensive Income (Topic 220): Reclassification of Certain Tax Effects from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income, which allows a reclassification from accumulated other comprehensive income to retained earnings for stranded tax effects resulting from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. This guidance is effective for all entities for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2018, with early adoption permitted. The amendments in ASU 2018-02 should be applied either in the period of adoption or retrospectively to each period in which the effect of the change in the U.S. federal corporate income tax rate in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act is recognized. The adoption of this guidance is not expected to have a material impact the Company’s consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.
In June 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-07, “Compensation — Stock Compensation (Topic 718),” (“ASU 2018-07”). ASU 2018-07 is intended to reduce cost and complexity and to improve financial reporting for nonemployee share-based payments. Currently, the accounting requirements for nonemployee and employee share-based payment transactions are significantly different. ASU 2018-07 expands the scope of Topic 718, Compensation — Stock Compensation (which currently only includes share-based payments to employees) to include share-based payments issued to nonemployees for goods or services. Consequently, the accounting for share-based payments to nonemployees and employees will be substantially aligned. This ASU supersedes Subtopic 505-50, Equity — Equity-Based Payments to Nonemployees. The amendments in this ASU are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019, and interim periods within fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2020. Early adoption is permitted, but no earlier than a company’s adoption date of Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers. The Company is currently evaluating ASU 2018-07 and its impact on the consolidated financial statements.
| F-18 |
MUSCLE MAKER, INC. & SUBSIDIARIES
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
NOTE 3 – SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES, continued
Recent Accounting Pronouncements, continued
In July 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-09, “Codification Improvements” (“ASU 2018-09”). These amendments provide clarifications and corrections to certain ASC subtopics including the following: Income Statement - Reporting Comprehensive Income – Overall (Topic 220-10), Debt - Modifications and Extinguishments (Topic 470-50), Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity – Overall (Topic 480-10), Compensation - Stock Compensation - Income Taxes (Topic 718-740), Business Combinations - Income Taxes (Topic 805-740), Derivatives and Hedging – Overall (Topic 815-10), and Fair Value Measurement – Overall (Topic 820-10). The majority of the amendments in ASU 2018-09 will be effective in annual periods beginning after December 15, 2018. The Company is currently evaluating and assessing the impact this guidance will have on its consolidated financial statements.
In July 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-10, “Codification Improvements to Topic 842, Leases” (“ASU 2018-10”). The amendments in ASU 2018-10 provide additional clarification and implementation guidance on certain aspects of the previously issued ASU No. 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842) (“ASU 2016-02”) and have the same effective and transition requirements as ASU 2016-02. Upon the effective date, ASU 2018-10 will supersede the current lease guidance in ASC Topic 840, Leases. Under the new guidance, lessees will be required to recognize for all leases, with the exception of short-term leases, a lease liability, which is a lessee’s obligation to make lease payments arising from a lease, measured on a discounted basis. Concurrently, lessees will be required to recognize a right-of-use asset, which is an asset that represents the lessee’s right to use, or control the use of, a specified asset for the lease term. ASU 2018-10 is effective for emerging growth companies for interim and annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2019, with early adoption permitted. The guidance is required to be applied using a modified retrospective transition approach for leases existing at, or entered into after, the beginning of the earliest comparative periods presented in the financial statements. The Company is currently assessing the impact this guidance will have on its consolidated financial statements.
In July 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-11, “Leases (Topic 842): Targeted Improvements,” (“ASU 2018-11”). The amendments in ASU 2018-11 related to transition relief on comparative reporting at adoption affect all entities with lease contracts that choose the additional transition method and separating components of a contract affect only lessors whose lease contracts qualify for the practical expedient. The amendments in ASU 2018-11 are effective for emerging growth companies for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019, and interim periods within those fiscal years. The Company is currently assessing the impact this guidance will have on its consolidated financial statements.
Subsequent Events
The Company evaluated events that have occurred after the balance sheet date but before the financial statements are issued. Based upon the evaluation and transactions, the Company did not identify any subsequent events that would have required adjustment or disclosure in the financial statements, except as disclosed in Note 17 – Subsequent Events.
| F-19 |
MUSCLE MAKER, INC. & SUBSIDIARIES
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
NOTE 4 – ACQUISITIONS
On September 30, 2016, MMB acquired a business in Winston-Salem, North Carolina (the “Winston Acquisition”). The purchase price of the store was $124,117, of which $120,000 relates to leasehold improvements and equipment purchases and the remaining $4,117 relates to security deposits. The Winston-Salem store commenced operations on January 11, 2017.
NOTE 5 - LOANS RECEIVABLE
At December 31, 2017 and 2016, the Company’s loans receivable consists of the following:
| December 31, 2017 | December 31, 2016 | |||||||
| Loans receivable, net | $ | 170,668 | $ | 83,663 | ||||
| Less: current portion | (20,146 | ) | (30,434 | ) | ||||
| Loans receivable, non-current | $ | 150,522 | $ | 53,229 | ||||
Loans receivable includes loans to franchisees totaling, in the aggregate, $170,668 and $83,663, net of reserves for uncollectible loans of $55,000 and $25,000 at December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively. The loans have original terms ranging from 6 months to 5 years, earn interest at rates ranging from 0% to 5%, and are being repaid on a weekly or monthly basis.
NOTE 6 – LOANS RECEIVABLE FROM RELATED PARTIES
At December 31, 2017 and 2016, the Company’s loans receivable from related parties consist of the following:
| December 31, 2017 | December 31, 2016 | |||||||
| Loans receivable from related parties, net | $ | 9,704 | $ | 71,667 | ||||
| Less: current portion | (9,704 | ) | (20,000 | ) | ||||
| Loans receivable from related parties, non-current | $ | - | $ | 51,667 | ||||
Included in loans receivable from related parties at December 31, 2017 and 2016, is $9,704 and $71,667, net of reserve for uncollectible related party loans of $45,000 and $0 at December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively, related to an advance to the Chief Operating Officer (“COO”) and stockholder of CTI, in connection with a consulting agreement. Included in loans receivables from related parties at December 31, 2017 and 2016, is $3,037 and $2,250, respectively, related to advance to employees.
| F-20 |
MUSCLE MAKER, INC. & SUBSIDIARIES
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
NOTE 7 – PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT, NET
At December 31, 2017 and 2016, property and equipment consists of the following:
| December 31, 2017 | December 31, 2016 | |||||||
| Furniture and equipment | $ | 189,401 | $ | 517,603 | ||||
| Leasehold improvements | 472,218 | 665,350 | ||||||
| 661,619 | 1,182,953 | |||||||
| Less: accumulated depreciation and amortization | (144,617 | ) | (110,408 | ) | ||||
| Property and equipment, net | $ | 517,002 | $ | 1,072,545 | ||||
Depreciation expense amounted to $335,825 and $93,641 for the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively.
During the year ended December 31, 2017, the Company performed an impairment analysis on various assets and concluded that they were fully impaired. The Company recorded impairment charges for those assets in the amount of $1,375,790.
NOTE 8 – GOODWILL AND OTHER INTANGIBLE ASSETS, NET
The Company’s intangible assets include a trademark with an indefinite useful life as well as franchise agreements and a non-compete agreement, which are amortized over useful lives of thirteen years and five years, respectively.
A summary of the intangible assets is presented below:
| Intangible Assets | Trademark | Franchise Agreements | Non-Compete Agreement | Total | ||||||||||||
| Intangible assets, net at December 31, 2015 | $ | 2,524,000 | $ | 1,262,039 | $ | 27,455 | $ | 3,813,494 | ||||||||
| Amortization expense | - | (104,835 | ) | (6,010 | ) | (110,845 | ) | |||||||||
| Intangible assets, net at December 31, 2016 | 2,524,000 | 1,157,204 | 21,445 | 3,702,649 | ||||||||||||
| Amortization expense | - | (104,550 | ) | (5,994 | ) | (110,544 | ) | |||||||||
| Impairment of intangible assets | - | (410,225 | ) | - | (410,225 | ) | ||||||||||
| Intangible assets, net at December 31, 2017 | $ | 2,524,000 | $ | 642,429 | $ | 15,451 | $ | 3,181,880 | ||||||||
| Weighted average remaining amortization period at December 31, 2017 (in years) | 10.1 | 2.6 | ||||||||||||||
Amortization expense related to intangible assets was $110,544 and $110,845 for the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively.
| F-21 |
MUSCLE MAKER, INC. & SUBSIDIARIES
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
NOTE 8 – GOODWILL AND OTHER INTANGIBLE ASSETS, NET, continued
The Company sustained operating and cash flow losses from inception which formed a basis for performing an impairment test of its Intangible Assets. The Company performed a recoverability test on the franchise agreements that failed the test based on its projected future undiscounted cash flows generated through the asset’s use and eventual disposal. We measured and recorded an impairment charge based on a measurement of fair value of those assets using an income approach. The key assumptions used in the estimates of projected cash flows utilized in both the test and measurement steps of the impairment analysis were projected revenues and royalty payments. These forecasts were based on actual revenues and take into account recent developments as well as the Company’s plans and intentions. Based upon the results of the undiscounted cash flow analysis, the Company recorded an impairment charge on the franchise agreements of $410,225 during the year ended December 31, 2017.
The estimated future amortization expense is as follows:
| For the Year Ended December 31, | Franchise Agreements | Non-Compete Agreement | Total | |||||||||
| 2018 | $ | 63,806 | $ | 5,993 | $ | 69,799 | ||||||
| 2019 | 63,806 | 5,993 | 69,799 | |||||||||
| 2020 | 63,981 | 3,465 | 67,446 | |||||||||
| 2021 | 63,806 | - | 63,806 | |||||||||
| 2022 | 63,806 | - | 63,806 | |||||||||
| Thereafter | 323,224 | - | 323,224 | |||||||||
| $ | 642,429 | $ | 15,451 | $ | 657,880 | |||||||
During the fourth quarter of 2017, the Company performed the annual assessment and determined that goodwill was impaired, and recorded impairment of goodwill of $2,521,468. The impairment charges resulted from decrease in the Company’s estimated undiscounted cash flows from the expected future operations of the assets. These estimates considered factors such as expected future operating income, operating trends and prospects, as well as the effects of demand, competition and other factors.
NOTE 9 – ACCOUNTS PAYABLES AND ACCRUED EXPENSES
Accounts payables and accrued expenses consist of the following:
| December 31, | ||||||||
| 2017 | 2016 | |||||||
| Accounts payable | $ | 1,425,281 | $ | 360,250 | ||||
| Accrued payroll | 150,709 | 28,554 | ||||||
| Accrued vacation | 93,477 | 58,477 | ||||||
| Accrued professional fees | 318,379 | 205,935 | ||||||
| Accrued board members fees | 31,500 | - | ||||||
| Accrued rent expense | 284,999 | 33,455 | ||||||
| Sales taxes payable (1) | 355,692 | 111,760 | ||||||
| Accrued interest | 24,275 | - | ||||||
| Other accrued expenses | 25,881 | 167,910 | ||||||
| $ | 2,710,193 | $ | 966,341 | |||||
| (1) | See Note 15 – Commitments and Contingencies –Taxes for detailed related to delinquent sales taxes. |
| F-22 |
MUSCLE MAKER, INC. & SUBSIDIARIES
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
NOTE 10 – CONVERTIBLE NOTES PAYABLE TO FORMER PARENT
On December 31, 2015, the Company issued a promissory note in the amount of $1,082,620 (the “2015 ARH Note”) to the holder of a majority of the Company’s common stock. The 2015 ARH Note has no stated interest rate or maturity date. The note is convertible into 231,990 shares of the Company’s common stock at $4.67 per share. The fair value of the Company’s common stock on the date the note was issued was $5.60 per share, creating an intrinsic value of $0.93 per share.
On December 15, 2016, the Company issued a promissory note in the amount of $2,621,842 (the “2016 ARH Note”) to the Former Parent. The 2016 ARH Note has no stated interest rate or maturity date. The note is convertible into 702,279 shares of the Company’s common stock at $3.73 per share. The 2016 ARH Note was issued with a three-year warrant for the purchase of 245,797 shares of the Company’s common stock at an exercise price of $9.33 per share, with an aggregate grant date value of $241,028. The Company allocated the proceeds to the 2016 ARH Note and related warrant based on the relative fair values at the time of issuance, resulting in an effective conversion price of $3.39 per share. The fair value of the Company’s common stock on the date the note was issued was $6.78 per share, creating an intrinsic value of $3.39 per share.
On February 15, 2017, the Company issued a promissory note in the amount of $980,949 (the “First 2017 ARH Note”) and on March 15, 2017, MMI issued a promissory note in the amount of $338,834 (the “Second 2017 ARH Note”), both to the Former Parent. The First 2017 ARH Note and the Second 2017 ARH Note bear no stated interest rate or maturity date and are convertible into 262,753 and 72,606 shares of the Company’s common stock at a conversion price of $3.73 per share and $4.67 per share, respectively, at a time to be determined by the Former Parent.
The First 2017 ARH Note and the Second 2017 ARH note include a three-year warrant for the purchase of 91,963 and 15,793 shares, respectively, of the Company’s common stock at an exercise price of $9.33 per share. The warrants issued in connection with the First 2017 ARH Note and the Second 2017 ARH note had a grant date value of $122,820 and $23,120, respectively. The Company allocated the proceeds to the First 2017 ARH Note and the Second 2017 ARH and related warrants based on the relative fair values at the time of issuance, resulting in an effective conversion price of $3.27 and $4.35 per share, respectively. The fair value of the Company’s common stock on the dates the notes were issued was $7.15 per share, creating an intrinsic value of $3.88 and $2.80 per share, respectively.
On July 18, 2017, the Company issued a convertible promissory note (the “Third 2017 ARH Note”) to the Former Parent in exchange for cash proceeds of $336,932. The Third 2017 ARH Note has no stated interest rate or maturity date and is convertible into shares of the Company’s common stock at a conversion price of $7.47 per share at a time to be determined by the lender. The Third 2017 ARH Note includes a three-year warrant for the purchase of 15,793 shares of the Company’s common stock at an exercise price of $9.33 per share, with an aggregate grant date value of $25,018.
The 2015 ARH Note, 2016 ARH Note, First 2017 ARH Note, Second 2017 ARH Note and Third 2017 ARH Note are together, the “ARH Notes”.
On March 14, 2017, the Former Parent elected to convert aggregate principal of $4,685,411 under the 2015 ARH Note, the 2016 ARH Note and the First 2017 ARH Note into an aggregate 1,197,022 shares of the Company’s common stock.
| F-23 |
MUSCLE MAKER, INC. & SUBSIDIARIES
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
NOTE 10 – CONVERTIBLE NOTES PAYABLE TO FORMER PARENT, continued
On September 19, 2017, the Former Parent elected to convert aggregate principal of $675,766 under the Second 2017 ARH Note and the Third 2017 Note into an aggregate 117,731 shares of the Company’s common stock.
In accordance with ASC 470-20 “Debt with Conversion and other Options”, the intrinsic value related to the convertible notes results in a beneficial conversion feature which is recorded as a debt discount with a corresponding credit to additional paid in capital. The relative fair value of the warrant at the date of grant of is also recorded as a debt discount. For the year ended December 31, 2016 the Company recorded aggregate debt discounts of $241,028 and $2,381,107, related to the warrants and the beneficial conversion feature, respectively, on the ARH notes and for the year ended December 31, 2017 the Company recorded aggregate debt discounts of $170,958 and $1,085,985, related to the warrants and the beneficial conversion feature, respectively, on the ARH Notes, which were amortized over the expected terms of the respective notes. The grant date fair value of the warrants issued was valued on the date of issuance using the Black-Scholes option pricing model with the following weighted average assumptions:
| For the Years Ended December 31, | ||||||||
| 2017 | 2016 | |||||||
| Risk free interest rate | 1.07% - 1.57 | % | 1.61 | % | ||||
| Contractual term (years) | 3.00 | 3.00 | ||||||
| Expected volatility | 43.5 | % | 37 | % | ||||
| Expected dividend | 0.00 | % | 0.00 | % | ||||
| Stock price | $ | 7.06 - $7.47 | $ | 6.78 | ||||
NOTE 11 - OTHER NOTES PAYABLE
Convertible Notes
During the year ended December 31, 2017, the Company received an aggregate of $1,550,000 associated with the issuances of convertible promissory notes payable and warrants to various parties, of which convertible promissory notes in the aggregate amount of $300,000 were issued to related parties. These notes are convertible into shares of the Company’s common stock upon the occurrence of the initial public offering at a 50% discount to the initial public offering price (the “Conversion Price”). If the convertible notes are not converted within six months, they are to be repaid with 10% interest. The maturity dates of all of the notes were extended subsequent to the year ended December 31, 2017. See Note 17 – Subsequent Events- Convertible Notes Payable for details related to subsequent issuances and extensions. In connection with the issuances of the convertible promissory notes, the Company issued three-year warrants for the purchase of an aggregate of 84,736 shares of the Company’s common stock exercisable at the Conversion Price (see Note 17 - Equity – Warrants).
During the year ended December 31, 2017, the Company received an aggregate of $799,340 associated with the issuances of convertible promissory notes payable to various parties. The notes are automatically converted into common stock at the Conversion Price upon the earlier of the closing of the offering or the maturity dates of the notes. See Note 17 – Subsequent Events- Convertible Notes Payable for details related to subsequent issuances or extensions and details related to automatic conversions of convertible notes.
| F-24 |
MUSCLE MAKER, INC. & SUBSIDIARIES
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
NOTE 11 - OTHER NOTES PAYABLE, continued
Other Notes Payable
During the year ended December 31, 2017, the Company received an aggregate of $555,000 associated with the issuances of promissory notes, as amended and extended (See Note 17 – Subsequent Events – Other Notes Payable), payable to various parties, of which $335,000 were issued to a related party with a stated interest rate of 10% per the original 60-day-term.
NOTE 12 – DEFERRED REVENUE
At December 31, 2017 and 2016, deferred revenue consists of the following:
| December 31, 2017 | December 31, 2016 | |||||||
| Customer deposits | $ | 18,179 | $ | 46,441 | ||||
| Franchise fees | 1,223,608 | 1,256,526 | ||||||
| Unearned vendor rebates | 150,073 | - | ||||||
| $ | 1,391,860 | $ | 1,302,967 | |||||
During the year ended December 31, 2017, the Company entered into a new agreement with a vendor whereby the vendor advanced the Company approximately $200,000 against future rebates that the Company will earn from the vendor.
NOTE 13 – OTHER CURRENT LIABILITIES
Other current liabilities consist of the following:
| December 31, | ||||||||
| 2017 | 2016 | |||||||
| Gift card liability | $ | 107,568 | $ | 91,318 | ||||
| Marketing and co-op advertising fund liability | 261,555 | 66,920 | ||||||
| $ | 369,123 | $ | 158,238 | |||||
| F-25 |
MUSCLE MAKER, INC. & SUBSIDIARIES
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
NOTE 14 – INCOME TAXES
The tax effects of temporary differences that give rise to deferred tax assets and liabilities as of December 31, 2017 and 2016 are presented below:
| For the Years Ended | ||||||||
| December 31, | ||||||||
| 2017 | 2016 | |||||||
| Deferred tax assets: | ||||||||
| Net operating loss carryforwards | $ | 2,058,299 | $ | 1,544,234 | ||||
| Receivable allowance | 27,000 | 18,000 | ||||||
| Stock-based compensation | 200,471 | - | ||||||
| Accruals | 20,250 | - | ||||||
| Intangible assets | 603,746 | - | ||||||
| Deferred revenues | 264,330 | 174,600 | ||||||
| Gross deferred tax asset | 3,174,096 | 1,736,834 | ||||||
| Deferred tax liabilities: | ||||||||
| Beneficial conversion feature | - | (952,336 | ) | |||||
| Intangible assets | - | (246,527 | ) | |||||
| Gross deferred tax liabilities | - | (1,198,863 | ) | |||||
| Net deferred tax assets | 3,174,096 | 537,971 | ||||||
| Valuation allowance | (3,174,096 | ) | (784,498 | ) | ||||
| Net deferred tax liability | $ | - | $ | (246,527 | ) | |||
The income tax provision for the periods shown consist of the following:
| For the Years Ended | ||||||||
| December 31, | ||||||||
| 2017 | 2016 | |||||||
| Federal: | ||||||||
| Current | $ | - | $ | - | ||||
| Deferred | 2,050,319 | 206,566 | ||||||
| State and local: | ||||||||
| Current | - | - | ||||||
| Deferred | 585,806 | 36,452 | ||||||
| 2,636,125 | 243,018 | |||||||
| Change in valuation allowance | (2,389,598 | ) | (370,300 | ) | ||||
| Income tax benefit (provision) | $ | 246,527 | $ | (127,282 | ) | |||
| F-26 |
MUSCLE MAKER, INC. & SUBSIDIARIES
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
NOTE 14 – INCOME TAXES, continued
A reconciliation of the statutory federal income tax rate to the Company’s effective tax rate for the periods shown, are as follows:
| For the Years Ended | ||||||||
| December 31, | ||||||||
| 2017 | 2016 | |||||||
| Federal income tax benefit at statutory rate | 21.0 | % | 34.0 | % | ||||
| State income tax benefit, net of federal impact | 6.0 | % | 6.0 | % | ||||
| Permanent differences | (0.8 | %) | (0.3 | %) | ||||
| Income passed through to non-controlling interests | (4.1 | %) | (10.5 | %) | ||||
| Change in effective rate | (9.8 | %) | - | |||||
| Other | (0.9 | %) | - | |||||
| Change in valuation allowance | (13.1 | %) | (32.3 | %) | ||||
| Effective income tax rate | (1.7 | %) | (3.1 | %) | ||||
At December 31, 2017, the Company had approximately $7.6 million each of federal and state net operating losses that may be available to offset future taxable income. The net operating loss carry-forwards, if not utilized, will expire from 2030 to 2037 for federal purposes. In accordance with Section 382 of the Internal Revenue Code, the usage of the Company’s net operating loss carry-forwards could be subject to annual limitations if there have been greater than 50% ownership changes. The Company completed a Section 382 analysis and determined that none of it’s operating losses would be limited.
The Company has filed income tax returns in the U.S. federal jurisdiction and the states of California, New Jersey, Texas and New York. The Company’s tax return filed for 2017, 2016 and 2015 remains subject to examination.
On December 22, 2017, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the “2017 Tax Act”) was enacted. The 2017 Tax Act includes a number of changes to existing U.S. tax laws that impact the company, most notably a reduction of the U.S. corporate income tax rate from 35 percent to 21 percent for tax years beginning after December 31, 2017. The company measures deferred tax assets and liabilities using enacted tax rates that will apply in the years in which the temporary differences are expected to be recovered or paid. Accordingly, the company’s deferred tax assets and liabilities were remeasured to reflect the reduction in the U.S. corporate income tax rate from 35% to 21%, resulting in a $1,529,547 decrease in net deferred tax assets for the year ended December 31, 2017 and a corresponding $1,529,547 decrease in valuation allowance as of December 31, 2017.
The SEC staff issued Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 118 (“SAB 118”) to address the application of U.S. GAAP in situations when a registrant does not have the necessary information available, prepared, or analyzed (including computations) in reasonable detail to complete the accounting for certain income tax effects of the 2017 Tax Act. SAB 118 provides a measurement period that should not extend beyond one year from the 2017 Tax Act enactment date for companies to complete the accounting for the income tax effects of certain elements of the 2017 Tax Act. In accordance with SAB 118, we have recognized the provisional tax impacts related to the remeasurement of deferred tax assets and liabilities and included these amounts in our financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2017. The ultimate impact may differ from these provisional amounts, possibly materially, due to, among other things, additional analysis, changes in interpretations and assumptions we have made, additional regulatory guidance that may be issued, and actions we may take as a result of the 2017 Tax Act.
| F-27 |
MUSCLE MAKER, INC. & SUBSIDIARIES
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
NOTE 15 – COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
Operating Leases
During the year ended December 31, 2016, the Company became obligated for payments pursuant to six lease agreements for restaurant spaces with lease terms ranging from 3 years to 10 years, exclusive of options to renew. Rent expenses pursuant to these lease agreements range from $2,897 to $13,176 per month.
During the year ended December 31, 2017, the Company became obligated for payments pursuant to four lease agreements for restaurant spaces with lease terms ranging from 5 years to 10 years, exclusive of options to renew. One of the lease agreements has a monthly rent expense based on a percentage fee of eight percent of gross sales for each year of the agreement. Rent expenses pursuant to the remaining three lease agreements range from $5,916 to $7,532 per month.
The leases are subject to certain annual escalations as defined in the agreements. The Company recognizes rent on a straight-line basis. The cumulative difference between the rent payments and the rent expense since the inception of the leases was $56,933 at December 31, 2017.
The Company has recorded security deposits, totaling, in the aggregate, approximately $21,000 and $149,000 as of December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively.
Future aggregate minimum lease payments for these leases and others as of December 31, 2017 are:
| Future Minimum Lease Payments | ||||
| 2018 | $ | 234,248 | ||
| 2019 | 217,043 | |||
| 2020 | 154,810 | |||
| 2021 | 86,947 | |||
| 2022 | 80,926 | |||
| Thereafter | 303,295 | |||
| $ | 1,077,269 | |||
Total rent expense was $980,238 and $806,724 for the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively.
Subsequent to December 31, 2017, the Company became obligated for payments pursuant to two new lease agreements for restaurant spaces with lease terms of 10 years, exclusive of options to renew. These lease agreements have a monthly rent expense based on a percentage fee of eight percent of gross sales for each year of the agreement.
| F-28 |
MUSCLE MAKER, INC. & SUBSIDIARIES
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
NOTE 15 – COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES, continued
Employment Agreements
On January 23, 2015, the Company entered into an employment agreement (the “COO Agreement”) with its Chief Operations Officer (the “COO”). The COO Agreement provides for a base salary of $22,500 per month and performance-based bonuses, as well as standard employee insurance and other benefits as defined in the COO Agreement. The COO Agreement expired on January 23, 2017.
On January 23, 2015, the Company entered into an employment agreement (the “DBD Agreement”) with its Director of Brand Development (the “DBD”). The DBD Agreement provides for a base salary of $12,500 per month and performance-based bonuses, as well as standard employee insurance and other benefits as defined in the DBD Agreement. Upon the execution of the DBD Agreement, the DBD received 21,428 shares of immediately vested Company common stock valued at $1.31 per share or $28,000. The DBD Agreement expired on January 23, 2017.
The Company entered into an at-will employment agreement with each of (i) Robert Morgan, as former Chief Executive Officer (the “CEO Agreement”), (ii) Grady Metoyer, as former Chief Financial Officer (the “CFO Agreement”) and (iii) Rodney Silva, as Chief Culture Officer (the “CCO Agreement). The employment agreements are effective as of the date the Company receives at least $5,000,000 in gross proceeds from an SEC qualified offering under the Offering Statement under Regulation A+ under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. The term of these employment agreements are two years and are automatically extended for successive one-year periods unless either party delivers a 60-day notice of termination. These employment agreements did not become effective since the company terminated its Regulation A+ offering on March 29, 2018, yielding proceeds of approximately $143,497. See Note 17 – Subsequent Events - Termination of Offering.
Taxes
The Company failed in certain instances in paying sales taxes collected from customers in specific states that impose a tax on sales of the Company’s products. The Company had accrued for approximate $356,000 liability, which includes interest, as of December 31, 2017 related to this matter.
Consulting Agreement
On August 1, 2015, the Company entered into a consulting agreement (the “Consulting Agreement) with an officer of CTI, who is also a stockholder of CTI, (the “Consultant”). The Consulting Agreement has a term of five years, and automatically extends for successive one-year periods, unless either party provides written notice of termination at least 60 days prior to the end of the term. Pursuant to the terms of the agreement, the Consultant will receive a base fee of $11,667 per month. In connection with the agreement, the Company provided a $100,000 advance to the consultant, to be repaid in equal monthly installments of $1,667, over the term of the consulting agreement (See Note 6 – Loans Receivable from Related Parties).
| F-29 |
MUSCLE MAKER, INC. & SUBSIDIARIES
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
NOTE 15 – COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES, continued
Litigations, Claims and Assessments
In 2017, Limestone Associates LLC (“Limestone”) filed a complaint against ARH in the Civil Court of the City of New York, County of New York, #78549/2017 for commercial non-payment of rent for the amount of $25,748 plus costs and disbursements of this proceeding. In May 2018, Limestone filed a complaint against ARH and Mr. Morgan in the Supreme Court of the State of New York, County of New York, index # 154469 seeking $1,357,243 in damages for rent, interest and other expenses.
On or about December 1, 2017, a landlord commenced legal proceedings in the Supreme Court of New Jersey, Special Civil Part, Union County docket number LT-010222-17 due to the Company’s default under the lease. This was resolved by the Company on January 23, 2018. The Company again defaulted under the terms of the lease and the landlord evicted the Company from the premises.
In the normal course of business, the Company may be involved in legal proceedings, claims and assessments arising in the ordinary course of business, and as of December 31, 2017, none are expected to materially impact the Company’s financial position.
The Company records legal costs associated with loss contingencies as incurred and accrues for all probable and estimable settlements.
NOTE 16 – EQUITY
Authorized Capital
As of December 31, 2017, the Company was authorized to issue 100,000,000 shares of no par value common stock. The holders of the Company’s common stock are entitled to one vote per share.
Common Stock Issuances
On July 21, 2017, the Company issued 6,696 shares of common stock of the company to an investor at a purchase price of $7.47 per share providing $50,000 of proceeds to the Company.
On August 25, 2017, the Company issued an aggregate of 42,856 shares of common stock of the company to investors at a purchase price of $7.47 per share providing $320,000 of proceeds to the Company.
On September 1, 2017, the Company issued 6,698 shares of common stock of the company to an investor at a purchase price of $7.47 per share providing $50,000 of proceeds to the Company.
During the year ended December 31, 2017, the Company issued 1,314,753 shares of its common stock upon conversion of various ARH Notes in the aggregate principal amount of $5,361,177 (See Note 10 – Convertible Notes Payable to Former Parent).
| F-30 |
MUSCLE MAKER, INC. & SUBSIDIARIES
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
NOTE 16 – EQUITY, continued
Stock Option and Stock Issuance Plan
The Company’s board of directors and shareholders adopted and approved on July 27, 2017 and September 21, 2017, respectively, the Stock Option and Stock Issuance Plan (“2017 Plan”), effective September 21, 2017, under which stock options and restricted stock may be granted to officers, directors, employees and consultants. Under the 2017 Plan, the company reserved 1,071,428 shares of common stock, no par value per share, for issuance. As of the date of the issuance of these consolidated financial statements 1,039,292 shares of common stock were outstanding under the 2017 Plan.
Warrant and Option Valuation
The Company has computed the fair value of warrants and options granted using the Black-Scholes option pricing model. The expected term used for warrants and options issued to non-employees is the contractual life. The Company is utilizing an expected volatility figure based on a review of the historical volatilities, over a period of time, equivalent to the expected life of the instrument being valued, of similarly positioned public companies within its industry. The risk-free interest rate was determined from the implied yields from U.S. Treasury zero-coupon bonds with a remaining term consistent with the expected term of the instrument being valued.
Options Granted
On July 27, 2017, the Company issued stand-alone non-qualified stock options, not pursuant to a plan, to purchase an aggregate of 33,750 shares of the Company’s common stock to its franchisees. The options are fully vested on the date of issuance and have an exercise price of $9.33 per share. The options expire three years from the date of issuance. The options have a grant date value of $47,583. The Company has estimated the fair value of the options granted using the Black-Scholes model using the following assumptions: expected volatility of 37%, risk-free rate of 1.52%, expected term of 3 years, expected dividends of 0%, and stock price of $7.47.
Restricted Common Stock Issuances
In May 2017, Muscle Maker granted 119,709 shares of its restricted common stock to its employees and consultants, with an aggregate grant date value of $1,117,403 or $9.33 per share. The restricted common stock awards granted to the employees will vest in five equal installments with the first installment vesting on the date of grant and the remaining installments vesting on the first day of each of the next four calendar years thereafter. In the event of resignation or termination for any reason of an employee or consultant that received such shares, any remaining non-vested shares will be forfeited. These awards were granted under the 2017 Plan.
Effective July 20, 2017, the Company entered into a Master Services Agreement (the “MSA”), with a consultant for marketing services to the Company in connection with the Regulation A + offering. Pursuant to the terms of the MSA, the Company issued 52,307 shares of fully vested restricted common stock at a value of $3.25 per share with an aggregate value of $170,000, as well as a cash fee of $145,000.
| F-31 |
MUSCLE MAKER, INC. & SUBSIDIARIES
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
NOTE 16 – EQUITY, continued
Restricted Common Stock Issuances, continued
On September 21, 2017, the Company granted an aggregate amount of 32,136 shares of its restricted common stock at a price of $9.33 per share to its directors. The restricted common stock awards granted to the directors are subject to graded vesting in the following installments: (i) 66.67% as of the date of grant and (ii) four installments of 8.333% vesting on the first day of each of the next four calendar months.
At December 31, 2017, the unamortized value of the restricted common stock was $662,940. The unamortized amount will be expensed over a weighted average period of 3.01 years. A summary of the activity related to the restricted common stock for the year ended December 31, 2017 is presented below:
| Weighted | ||||||||
| Average Grant | ||||||||
| Total | Date Fair Value | |||||||
| Outstanding at January 1, 2017 | - | $ | - | |||||
| Granted | 204,152 | 7.78 | ||||||
| Forfeited | (1,285 | ) | 9.33 | |||||
| Vested | (105,690 | ) | 6.32 | |||||
| Outstanding at December 31, 2017 | 97,177 | $ | 6.82 | |||||
Stock-Based Compensation Expense
Stock-based compensation related to restricted stock issued to employees, directors and consultants amounted to $912,485 and $3,684 for the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively, of which $729,073 and $3,684, respectively, was recorded in general and administrative expenses, $13,748 and $0, respectively, was recorded in labor expense with restaurant operating expenses and $170,000 and $0, respectively, was recorded in consulting expenses.
Stock-based compensation related to options issued to franchisees amounted to $47,583 year ended December 31, 2017 of which was offset against franchisee royalties and fees in the statement of operations.
Warrants
On April 21, 2016, the Company granted a three-year warrant for the purchase of 5,356 shares of the Company’s common stock at an exercise price of $9.33 per share to a franchisee and developer of the Company in exchange for services. The warrant had a grant date value of $3,684.
On July 25, 2017, a warrant was exercised for the 5,356 shares of common stock of the Company at an exercise price of $9.33 per share for gross proceeds of $50,000.
| F-32 |
MUSCLE MAKER, INC. & SUBSIDIARIES
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
NOTE 16 – EQUITY, continued
Warrants, continued
A summary of warrants activity during the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016 is presented below (See Note 10 —Convertible Notes Payable to Former Parent and Note 11 —Other Notes Payable for warrants issued during the year ended December 31, 2017):
| Weighted | ||||||||||||
| Weighted | Average | |||||||||||
| Average | Remaining | |||||||||||
| Number of | Exercise | Life | ||||||||||
| Warrants | Price | In Years | ||||||||||
| Outstanding, December 31, 2015 | - | $ | - | - | ||||||||
| Issued | 318,116 | 8.84 | ||||||||||
| Exercised | - | - | ||||||||||
| Outstanding, December 31, 2016 | 318,116 | $ | 8.84 | 2.2 | ||||||||
| Issued | 208,285 | 9.33 | ||||||||||
| Exercised | (5,356 | ) | 9.33 | |||||||||
| Outstanding, December 31, 2017 | 521,045 | 9.03 | 1.9 | |||||||||
| Exercisable, December 31, 2017 | 521,045 | $ | 9.03 | 1.9 | ||||||||
The grant date fair value of warrants granted during the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016 was determined on the date of issuance using the Black-Scholes option pricing model with the following assumptions: expected volatility, dividend rate, risk free interest rate and the expected life. The Company calculates the expected volatility using the historical volatility of comparable companies over the most recent period equal to the expected term and evaluates the extent to which available information indicates that future volatility may differ from historical volatility. The expected dividend rate is zero as the Company does not expect to pay or declare any cash dividends on common stock. The risk-free rates for the expected terms of the stock options are based on the U.S. Treasury yield curve in effect at the time of the grant. The Company has not experienced significant exercise activity on stock options. Due to the lack of historical information, the Company determined the expected term of its stock option awards issued using the simplified method. In applying the Black-Scholes option pricing model, the Company used the following assumptions:
| For the Years Ended | ||||||||
| December 31, | ||||||||
| 2017 | 2016 | |||||||
| Risk free interest rate | 1.07% - 1.59 | % | 1.61 | % | ||||
| Expected term (years) | 3.00 | 3.00 | ||||||
| Expected volatility | 43.50 | % | 40.00 | % | ||||
| Expected dividends | 0.00 | % | 0.00 | % | ||||
| F-33 |
MUSCLE MAKER, INC. & SUBSIDIARIES
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
NOTE 17 – SUBSEQUENT EVENTS
Company-Owned Restaurants
Subsequent to December 31, 2017 and through the date of the issuance of these consolidated financial statements, the Company opened one additional company-owned restaurant.
Subsequent to December 31, 2017 and through the date of the issuance of these consolidated financial statement, various franchisees opened five franchised restaurants and closed eleven franchised restaurants.
From March 2018 through July 2018, as a cost saving measure, the Company closed eight of its thirteen corporate locations. As a result of these closures, the Company’s subsidiaries have been involved in several lawsuits as outlined below under litigations, claims and assessments.
Convertible Notes Payable to Former Parent
On April 6, 2018, the Company issued a $475,000 convertible promissory note (the “2018 ARH Note”) to the Former Parent. The 2018 ARH Note has no stated interest rate or maturity date and is convertible into shares of the Company’s common stock at a conversion price of $0.50 per share at a time to be determined by the lender.
On April 11, 2018, the Former Parent elected to partially convert the 2018 ARH Note for the principal of $392,542 into 785,085 shares of the Company’s common stock.
Convertible Notes
On January 4, 2018 the Company issued a $100,000 convertible promissory note. The note bears no stated interest or maturity date. The note as amended and extended on January 29, 2018, will automatically convert into shares of the Company’s common stock upon the earlier of (a) twelve months from the extension date or (b) the approval of the Form 1-A Registration Statement, at a 50% discount to the initial public offering price.
During January 24, 2018 to January 25, 2018, the Company received an aggregate of $150,000 associated with the issuances of convertible promissory notes payable, of which $100,000 were issued to a related party, as amended and extended on or about January 29, 2018, with a stated interest rate of 10% per the original 60-day-term, convertible at the option of the holder into common stock at a price per share of $1.625 (50% of initial public offering price), and, if not converted, will become due and payable along with the principal amount upon the earlier of (a) six months following the extension or (b) the approval of the Form 1-A Registration Statement.
In January 2018, the Company and certain note holders, including related parties, agreed to extend the maturity date of additional notes payables and convertible notes payable in the aggregate principal amount of $2,151,800 to be upon the earlier of the closing of the initial public offering, but no later than July 29, 2018. See automatic note conversion and further note extension during August 2018.
During May 8, 2018 to July 11, 2018, the Company received an aggregate of $972,000 associated with the issuances of convertible promissory notes payable, of which $550,000 were issued to a related party. The note bears no stated interest or maturity date. The notes are convertible into shares of the Company’s stock upon the earlier of (a) six months from the issue date or (b) the first day the company’s stock is publicly traded or (c) converted at the option of the holder. In connection with the issuances of the convertible promissory notes, the Company issued three-year warrants for the purchase of an aggregate of 486,000 shares of MMI’s common stock at an exercise price of $3.25 per share.
| F-34 |
MUSCLE MAKER, INC. & SUBSIDIARIES
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
NOTE 17 – SUBSEQUENT EVENTS, continued
Convertible Notes, continued
On or about January 23, 2019, the Company and certain note holders, including related parties, agreed to extend the maturity date of the convertible notes payable, as amended and extended on or about August 2018, in the aggregate principal amount of $1,550,000 to be upon the earlier of (a) January 24, 2020 or (b) the first day the company’s stock is publicly traded. All interest due and payable on the notes, shall be converted into shares of common stock at a conversion price of $1.00 per share.
Subsequent to December 31, 2017, other convertible promissory notes with an aggregate principal amount of $1,871,340 were automatically converted into 1,525,425 shares of the Company’s common stock pursuant to the terms of the notes.
Other Notes Payable
On January 4, 2018 the Company issued a $25,000 promissory note to a related party. The note has a stated interest of 10% over the original term of sixty days. The note as amended and extended on January 29, 2018 becomes due and payable upon the earlier of (a) six month following the date of extension or (b) the approval of the Form 1-A Registration Statement.
On January 24, 2018, the Company entered into a promissory note with an unrelated third party in the principal amount of $511,765 with a maturity date of March 30, 2018. The note is issued with a 15% original issue discount of which the Company received cash proceeds of $435,000. In connection with the promissory note, the Company issued three-year warrants for the purchase of an aggregate of 78,733 shares of the Company’s common stock with an exercise price per share at 50% of initial public offering price. The warrant contains a cashless exercise provision and piggyback registration rights as to the common stock underlying the warrants subsequent to the filing and effectiveness of the Form 8-A with the SEC following the closing of the initial public offering. In the event of default, the principal amount of the note is to be increased by 30% of the original principal amount and another three-year warrant for the purchase of an additional 78,333 shares of the Company’s common stock with an exercise price per share at 50% of initial public offering price, which together with the original warrant would constitute 100% warrant coverage. The Company has since defaulted on the note and note was subsequently converted into SPA Notes (see Note 17 Subsequent Events - 15% Senior Secured Convertible Notes).
On February 7, 2018, the Company and a note holder entered into an amendment to a promissory note issued by the Company on May 31, 2017, whereby the parties agreed to (i) extend the term of the note to March 15, 2018 and (ii) the Company agreed to payments on the following dates: (a) $70,000 upon entering into the amendment and (b) $100,000 on March 15, 2018. See Note 17 – Subsequent Events - Litigations, Claims and Assessments for further action taken by the note holder.
On or about January 23, 2019, the Company and certain note holders, including related parties, agreed to extend the maturity date of the notes payable, as amended and extended on or about August 2018, in the aggregate principal amount of $560,000 to be upon the earlier of (a) January 24, 2020 or (b) the first day the company’s stock is publicly traded. All interest due and payable on the notes, shall be converted into shares of common stock at a conversion price of $1.00 per share
| F-35 |
MUSCLE MAKER, INC. & SUBSIDIARIES
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
NOTE 17 – SUBSEQUENT EVENTS, continued
Termination of Offering
On March 29, 2018, the Company decided to terminate its Regulation A+ offering in order to register its common stock with the SEC under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, using a Form 8-A12g and become a publicly reporting company. Prior to terminating the Regulation A+ offering, the Company sold 44,153 shares in the offering at $3.25 per share, yielding proceeds of approximately $143,497.
15% Senior Secured Convertible Notes
From September 12, 2018 through the date of the issuance of these consolidated financial statements, the Company entered into securities purchase agreements with several accredited investors (the “Investors”) providing for the sale by the Company to the investors of 15% SPA Notes in the aggregate amount of $2,470,000, which included $635,000 in convertible notes converted into SPA Notes (the “September 2018 Offering”). The Notes bear interest at 15% per annum paid quarterly and mature 18 months from issuance. Following the initial closing, there shall be two additional closings in the amount of $1,000,000 each provided the Company achieves certain business milestones outlined in the Securities Purchase Agreement.
In addition to the SPA Notes, the Investors also received warrants to purchase common stock of the Company (the “Warrants”) to acquire an aggregate of 1,082,000 shares of common stock of the Company. The Warrants are exercisable for five years at an exercise price of $1.20. The Investors may exercise the Warrants on a cashless basis.
The Securities Purchase Agreements require that until the Listing Event, Catalytic Capital LLC holds the right to designate one member and one observer to the board of directors of the Company and that the Company shall engage an investor relations firm mutually agreed to by the Company and Catalytic Capital LLC from the time of the Listing Event until six months after the Listing Event. The Company is also required to engage Insight Advisory as a consultant to provide business and financial advice.
The Company granted the Investors piggy back registration rights with respect to the shares of common stock underlying the Notes and the Warrants
Sale of CTI
On May 24, 2018, the Company entered into a stock purchase agreement between John Guild, JohnG Solutions LLC and CTI in which the Company agreed to sell their 70% ownership in CTI for a total purchase price of $1.00.
Employment Agreements
On January 17, 2018, Grady Metoyer resigned as the Company’s Chief Financial Officer, effective immediately.
| F-36 |
MUSCLE MAKER, INC. & SUBSIDIARIES
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
NOTE 17 – SUBSEQUENT EVENTS, continued
Employment Agreements, continued
In connection with the resignation of Grady Metoyer, on January 25, 2018, the Company’s board of directors appointed Ferdinand Groenewald as its Vice President of Finance, Principal Financial Officer and Principal Accounting Officer. The Company entered into an at-will employment agreement with Ferdinand Groenewald for a one-year term that is to commence as of the date the Company successfully receives at least $5,000,000 in gross proceeds from an SEC qualified offering under Offering Statement under Regulation A+ under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
On April 11, 2018, Robert E. Morgan resigned as Chief Executive Officer, President and Director of the Company and all other positions with subsidiaries of the Company.
On April 16, 2018, Kevin Mohan was appointed by the Company to serve as the Interim President of the Company.
On April 30, 2018, Tim M. Betts resigned as a director of the Company for personal reasons.
On May 1, 2018, the Company appointed Michael J. Roper as Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”) of the Company and entered into an Employment Agreement with Mr. Roper. In addition, Mr. Mohan resigned as Interim President of the Company.
On May 29, 2018, Ferdinand Groenewald, the Vice President of Finance, Principal Financial Officer and Principal Accounting Officer, notified Muscle Maker, Inc. (the “Company”) that he is resigning from his positions with the Company and its subsidiaries effective May 29, 2018.
On September 26, 2018, Muscle Maker, Inc. (the “Company”) appointed Ferdinand Groenewald as Chief Financial Officer of the Company and entered into an Employment Agreement with Mr. Groenewald.
On September 26, 2018, the Company appointed Kenneth Miller as Chief Operating Officer of the Company and entered into an Employment Agreement with Mr. Miller.
On October 26, 2018, the Company entered into an Employment Agreement with Michael Roper, which replaced his employment agreement from May 2018. Pursuant to the Employment Agreement, Mr. Roper will continue to be employed as Chief Executive Officer of the Company for a period of two years unless earlier terminated pursuant to the terms of the agreement. The Employment Agreement will be automatically extended upon listing the Company on a national exchange and raising $3,000,000 (the “IPO”). During the term of the Employment Agreement, Mr. Roper will be entitled to a base salary at the annualized rate of $250,000, which will be increased to $275,000 upon achieving various milestones required by the Investors that participated in the September 2018 Offering and again to $350,000 upon the Company completing the IPO. Mr. Roper will be eligible for a discretionary performance bonus to be paid in cash or equity, provided, however, no cash bonus will be paid until the closing of the IPO. Mr. Roper is entitled to $100,000 bonus upon closing of the IPO. In addition to 350,000 restricted stock units previously granted, the Company agreed to issue Mr. Roper up to 250,000 additional restricted stock units. In the event the Company raises $3 million or $5 million, then Mr. Roper will receive 150,000 restricted stock units or 250,000 restricted stock units, respectively. In addition, Mr. Roper will receive 100,000 restricted stock units upon the one- and two-year anniversaries of his employment.
| F-37 |
MUSCLE MAKER, INC. & SUBSIDIARIES
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
NOTE 17 – SUBSEQUENT EVENTS, continued
Employment Agreements, continued
On October 26, 2018, the Company entered into an Employment Agreement with Kevin Mohan. Pursuant to the Employment Agreement, Mr. Mohan will be engaged as Chief Investment Officer of the Company for a period of two years unless earlier terminated pursuant to the terms of the agreement. The Employment Agreement will be automatically extended upon the IPO. During the term of the Employment Agreement, Mr. Mohan will be entitled to a base salary at the annualized rate of $156,000, which will be increased to $175,000 upon the IPO. Mr. Mohan will be eligible for a discretionary performance bonus to be paid in cash following the closing of the IPO. Mr. Mohan is entitled to $50,000 bonus upon closing of the IPO. The Company agreed to issue Mr. Mohan up to 200,000 additional restricted stock units. In the event the Company raises $3 million or $5 million, then Mr. Mohan will receive 100,000 restricted stock units or 200,000 restricted stock units, respectively.
Litigations, Claims and Assessments
On March 27, 2018 a convertible note holder filed a complaint in the Iowa District Court for Polk County #CVCV056029 against the Company for failure to pay the remaining balance due on a promissory note in the amount of $100,000, together with interest, attorney fees and other costs of $171,035. On June 6, 2018 a default judgement was entered against the Company for the amount of $171,035.
In April 2018, the Company and Former Parent was listed as a defendant in a lawsuit filed by a landlord (“Former Landlord”) in the Superior Court of the State of California. The Former Landlord is seeking $531,594 in damages for rent, interest and other expenses. The original lease was for a 5-year period and commenced on or about September 30, 2015. On January 15, 2019, the Company and the Former Landlord entered a settlement and release agreement. Pursuant to the settlement the Company shall pay the amount of $531,594 as follows (i) first payment of $49,815, net of security deposit of $11,185, on or before January 23, 2019, (ii) second payment of $25,000 on or before February 28, 2019 and (iii) thereafter sixty-nine payments of $6,400 on or before the 15th of each month beginning on March 15, 2019. Conditioned on the Company making twelve timely installment payments of $6,400, the Company would be released of the remaining liability pursuant to the judgement.
On or about April 5, 2018, the Company and Former Parent, Inc entered into a settlement agreement with 918-924 Belmont, LLC for $100,000 regarding past rents owed, other charges and the termination of its lease at this location. The settlement calls for monthly payments of $8,333 thru March 2019.
On May 4, 2018, Stratford Road Partners, LLC (“Stratford”) filed suit against the Company’s subsidiary for non-payment of rent in the small Claims court in the state of North Carolina. Since then the property has been vacated and the landlord offered a settlement of $10,000 with no further lease obligation. The Company has not signed the settlement agreement dated June 30, 2018.
In May 2018, Resolute Contractors, Inc, Quality Tile, MTL Construction, Genesis Electric, JNB Interiors and Captive Aire filed a Mechanics Lien for labor, service, equipment and materials in the total amount of $98,005. The Company intends to set up various payment plans with these vendors.
On or about May 1, 2018, a suit was filed in the Supreme Court of the State of New York, County of Rockland, by Imperial Bag & Paper seeking $44,585 in past due amounts for goods received. The company entered into a payment plan and as of January 2019 this amount has been paid in full.
| F-38 |
MUSCLE MAKER, INC. & SUBSIDIARIES
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
NOTE 17 – SUBSEQUENT EVENTS, continued
Litigations, Claims and Assessments, continued
On May 25, 2018, the Civil Court of the City of New York, County of New York, entered into a settlement agreement between the Company and a landlord, in the amount of $55,891 for past due rent. The Company agreed to make the following payments (i) $15,000 on or before May 31, 2018, and (ii) $40,891 on or before September 4,2018. These amounts have been paid in full.
On September 25, 2018, the Supreme Court of the State of New York, County of Rockland, entered into a judgement in favor of a creditor, in the amount of $69,367. The Company worked with legal counsel and on October 22, 2018, the Company entered into a settlement agreement with the creditor in the amount of $36,000 that was payable on or before November 16, 2018.
On December 12, 2018, the Company was listed as a defendant to a lawsuit filed by a landlord in the Superior Court of the State of California. The landlord is seeking approximately $121,000 in damages for rent, interest and other expenses. On February 15, 2019, the company entered into a settlement agreement and payment plan in the amount of $85,000.
| F-39 |
Exhibit 31.1
CERTIFICATION OF PRINCIPAL EXECUTIVE OFFICER
PURSUANT TO 18 U.S.C. SECTION 1350,
AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO SECTION 302 OF
THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002
I, Michael J. Roper, certify that:
| 1. | I have reviewed this annual report on Form 10-K of Muscle Maker, Inc.; | |
| 2. | Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report; | |
| 3. | Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods present in this report; | |
| 4. | The registrant’s other certifying officer(s) and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13-a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the registrant and have: |
| a) | Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared; | ||
| b) | Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles; | ||
| c) | Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and | ||
| d) | Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant’s internal control over financing reporting that occurred during the registrant’s most recent fiscal quarter (the registrant’s fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting; and |
| 5. | The registrant’s other certifying officer(s) and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of the registrant’s board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions): |
| a) | All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and | ||
| b) | Any fraud, whether or not material, that involved management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting. |
| By: | /s/ Michael J. Roper | |
| Michael J. Roper | ||
| Chief Executive Officer and Secretary | ||
| (Principal Executive Officer) | ||
| February 27, 2019 |
Exhibit 31.2
CERTIFICATION OF PRINCIPAL FINANCIAL OFFICER
PURSUANT TO 18 U.S.C. SECTION 1350,
AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO SECTION 302 OF
THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002
I, Ferdinand Groenewald, certify that:
| 1. | I have reviewed this annual report on Form 10-K of Muscle Maker, Inc.; | |
| 2. | Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report; | |
| 3. | Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods present in this report; | |
| 4. | The registrant’s other certifying officer(s) and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13-a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the registrant and have: |
| a) | Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared; | ||
| b) | Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles; | ||
| c) | Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and | ||
| d) | Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant’s internal control over financing reporting that occurred during the registrant’s most recent fiscal quarter (the registrant’s fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting; and |
| 5. | The registrant’s other certifying officer(s) and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of the registrant’s board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions): |
| a) | All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and | ||
| b) | Any fraud, whether or not material, that involved management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting. |
| By: | /s/ Ferdinand Groenewald | |
| Ferdinand Groenewald | ||
Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial Officer and Principal Accounting Officer) |
||
| February 27, 2019 |
Exhibit 32.1
CERTIFICATION OF PRINCIPAL EXECUTIVE OFFICER
PURSUANT TO 18 U.S.C. SECTION 1350,
AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO
SECTION 906 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002
In connection with this Annual Report of Muscle Maker, Inc. (the “Company”) on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on the date hereof (the “Report”), I, Michael J. Roper, Chief Executive Officer and Secretary of the Company, certifies to the best of his knowledge, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Sec. 1350, as adopted pursuant to Sec. 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, that:
| 1. | Such Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017, fully complies with the requirements of section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934; and |
| 2. | The information contained in such Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017, fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of Muscle Maker, Inc. |
| By: | /s/ Michael J. Roper | |
| Michael J. Roper | ||
| Chief Executive Officer and Secretary | ||
| (Principal Executive Officer) | ||
| February 27, 2019 |
Exhibit 32.2
CERTIFICATION OF PRINCIPAL FINANCIAL OFFICER
PURSUANT TO 18 U.S.C. SECTION 1350,
AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO
SECTION 906 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002
In connection with this Annual Report of Muscle Maker, Inc. (the “Company”) on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on the date hereof (the “Report”), Ferdinand Groenewald, Chief Financial Officer of the Company, certifies to the best of his knowledge, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Sec. 1350, as adopted pursuant to Sec. 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, that:
| 1. | Such Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017, fully complies with the requirements of section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934; and |
| 2. | The information contained in such Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017, fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of Muscle Maker, Inc. |
| By: | /s/ Ferdinand Groenewald | |
| Ferdinand Groenewald | ||
|
Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial Officer and Principal Accounting Officer) |
Document and Entity Information - USD ($) |
12 Months Ended | ||
|---|---|---|---|
Dec. 31, 2017 |
Feb. 25, 2019 |
Jun. 30, 2017 |
|
| Document And Entity Information | |||
| Entity Registrant Name | Muscle Maker, Inc. | ||
| Entity Central Index Key | 0001701756 | ||
| Document Type | 10-K | ||
| Document Period End Date | Dec. 31, 2017 | ||
| Amendment Flag | false | ||
| Current Fiscal Year End Date | --12-31 | ||
| Entity a Well-known Seasoned Issuer | No | ||
| Entity a Voluntary Filer | No | ||
| Entity's Reporting Status Current | Yes | ||
| Entity Filer Category | Non-accelerated Filer | ||
| Entity Small Business | true | ||
| Entity Emerging Growth Company | true | ||
| Entity Ex Transition Period | false | ||
| Entity Shell Company | false | ||
| Entity Public Float | $ 0 | ||
| Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding | 7,803,881 | ||
| Document Fiscal Period Focus | FY | ||
| Document Fiscal Year Focus | 2017 |
Consolidated Balance Sheets (Parenthetical) - USD ($) |
Dec. 31, 2017 |
Dec. 31, 2016 |
|---|---|---|
| Statement of Financial Position [Abstract] | ||
| Allowance for doubtful accounts receivable | $ 4,500 | $ 4,500 |
| Allowance for loan receivable | 55,000 | 25,000 |
| Net allowance of loan receivable from related party | 45,000 | 0 |
| Debt discount on convertible notes payable to Former Parent | $ 0 | $ 2,699,726 |
| Common stock, no par value | ||
| Common stock, shares authorized | 100,000,000 | 100,000,000 |
| Common stock, shares issued | 7,637,855 | 4,604,842 |
| Common stock, shares outstanding | 7,637,855 | 4,604,842 |
Business Organization and Nature of Operations, Going Concern and Management's Plans |
12 Months Ended |
|---|---|
Dec. 31, 2017 | |
| Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract] | |
| Business Organization and Nature of Operations, Going Concern and Management's Plans |
NOTE 1 – BUSINESS ORGANIZATION AND NATURE OF OPERATIONS, GOING CONCERN AND MANAGEMENT’S PLANS
Muscle Maker, Inc. (“MMI”), a former subsidiary of American Restaurant Holdings (“ARH” or “Former Parent”) was incorporated in California on December 8, 2014 and was a majority owner of Muscle Maker Brands, LLC, (“MMB”). MMB’s subsidiaries include Company owned restaurants as well as Custom Technology, Inc, (“CTI”) a technology and point of sale (“POS”) systems dealer and technology consultant. MMB was formed on December 22, 2014 in the state of California for the purpose of acquiring and operating company owned restaurants, as well as franchising its name and business system to qualified franchisees. Muscle Maker Franchising, LLC (“MMF”) was founded in 1995 in order to develop a brand of healthy-option fast food restaurants.
On January 23, 2015 (the “Closing Date”), MMI, MMB and MMF entered into an agreement whereby MMB purchased substantially all of the assets and liabilities of MMF, MMI acquired 74% of the membership units of MMB, and certain members of MMF acquired 26% of the membership units of MMB.
On March 23, 2017, ARH authorized and facilitated the distribution of 5,536,308 shares of Common Stock of MMI held by American Restaurants, LLC, the wholly owned subsidiary of ARH, to the shareholders of the Former Parent (the “Spin-Off”). As a result of the Spin-Off on March 23, 2017, ARH is no longer a majority owner of MMI.
On June 8, 2017, MMB converted from a limited liability company into a California corporation named Muscle Maker Brands Conversion, Inc. (“MMBC”).
On July 18, 2017, MMI formed Muscle Maker Development, LLC (“Muscle Maker Development”) in the state of Nevada for the purpose of running our existing franchise operations and continuing to franchise the Muscle Maker Grill name and business system to qualified franchisees. Muscle Maker Development issued 1,000 membership units to its sole member and manager, MMI. MMB assigned all the existing franchise agreements to Muscle Maker Development (“Assignment and Assumption Agreement”) pursuant to the terms of that certain Assignment and Assumption Agreement, dated August 25, 2017, among MMI, MMB and Muscle Maker Development.
On July 18, 2017, MMI formed Muscle Maker Corp., LLC (“Muscle Maker Corp.”) in the state of Nevada for the purpose of developing new corporate stores and operating new and existing corporate stores of MMI. Muscle Maker Corp. issued 1,000 membership units to its sole member and manager, MMI and MMI assigned all the existing corporate stores to Muscle Maker Corp.
On September 15, 2017 (“Effective Merger Date”), pursuant to an Agreement of Merger, MMBC was merged (“Merger”) into MMI, with MMI as the surviving corporation, in a tax-free reorganization. Pursuant to the Merger, each share of common stock of MMBC (the “MMBC Common Stock”) owned by the members of MMF was converted into 796 shares of common stock of MMI, resulting in aggregate consideration of 1,550,964 shares of common stock of MMI to the members of MMF. As a result of the Merger, MMI directly owned 70% of the shares of CTI.
MMI and its subsidiaries is the “Company”.
The Company operates under the name Muscle Maker Grill and is a franchisor and owner operator of Muscle Maker Grill restaurants. As of December 31, 2017, the Company’s restaurant system included thirteen company-owned restaurants, and forty franchised restaurants. One company-owned restaurant was subsequently open for operation and eight company-owned restaurants were closed as of the date of the issuance of these consolidated financial statements. In addition, the Company currently has thirty-three United States based and one Kuwait based franchise locations open as of the date of the issuance of these consolidated financial statements. A Muscle Maker Grill restaurant offers quality food freshly prepared with the Company’s proprietary recipes created with the guest’s health in mind. The menu is protein based, and features various supplements, health food snacks, along with a nutritious children’s menu.
Going Concern and Management’s Plans
As of December 31, 2017, the Company had a cash balance, a working capital deficiency and an accumulated deficit of $78,683, $4,306,947, and $17,052,086, respectively. For the year ended December 31, 2017, the Company incurred a pre-tax net loss of $15,814,278. These conditions indicate that there is substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern for at least one year from the date of the issuance of these consolidated financial statements.
The Company’s operations have primarily been funded through proceeds from the issuance of equity and debt. Subsequent to December 31, 2017, the Company received an aggregate of $1,813,165 associated with the issuances of convertible promissory notes payable and warrants and other notes to various lenders, of which $1,072,000 was converted into common stock. From September 12, 2018 through the date of this report, the Company entered into Securities Purchase Agreements (“SPA”) with several accredited investors (the “Investors”) providing for the sale by the Company to the Investors of 15% Senior Secured Convertible Promissory Notes (the “SPA Notes”) in the aggregate amount of $1,835,000, in addition $635,000 in existing convertible debt was converted into SPA Notes. (See Note 17 – Subsequent Events -15% Senior Secured Convertible Notes).
Although management believes that the Company has access to capital resources, there are no commitments, other than aforementioned, in place for new financing as of the date of the issuance of these consolidated financial statements there can be no assurance that the Company will be able to obtain funds on commercially acceptable terms, if at all. The Company expects to have ongoing needs for working capital in order to (a) fund operations; plus (b) expand operations by opening additional corporate-owned restaurants. To that end, the Company may be required to raise additional funds through equity or debt financing. However, there can be no assurance that the Company will be successful in securing additional capital. If the Company is unsuccessful, the Company may need to (a) initiate cost reductions; (b) forego business development opportunities; (c) seek extensions of time to fund its liabilities, or (d) seek protection from creditors.
The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”), which contemplate continuation of the Company as a going concern and the realization of assets and the satisfaction of liabilities in the normal course of business. The carrying amounts of assets and liabilities presented in the consolidated financial statements do not necessarily purport to represent realizable or settlement values. The consolidated financial statements do not include any adjustment that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty. |
Reverse Stock Splits |
12 Months Ended |
|---|---|
Dec. 31, 2017 | |
| Reverse Stock Splits | |
| Reverse Stock Splits |
NOTE 2 – REVERSE STOCK SPLITS
Effective September 20, 2017, pursuant to authority granted by the stockholders of the Company, the Company implemented a 1-for-7 reverse split of the Company’s issued common stock (the “Reverse Split”).
Effective January 31, 2018, pursuant to authority granted by the stockholders of the Company, the Company implemented a 3-for-4 reverse split of the Company’s issued common stock (the “Second Reverse Split”).
All share and per share information has been retroactively adjusted to reflect the Reverse Split and Second Reverse Split for all periods presented. |
Significant Accounting Policies |
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| Significant Accounting Policies |
NOTE 3 – SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
Principles of Consolidation
The accompanying consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its wholly-owned subsidiaries and majority-owned subsidiary. Any intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated in consolidation.
Use of Estimates
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities and disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of expenses during the reporting period.
Management bases its estimates on historical experience and on various assumptions that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying value of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Significant estimates include:
Estimates and assumptions are periodically reviewed, and the effects of any material revisions are reflected in the financial statements in the period that they are determined to be necessary. Actual results could differ from those estimates and assumptions.
Cash and Cash Equivalents
The Company considers all highly-liquid instruments with an original maturity of three months or less when purchased to be cash equivalents. There were no cash equivalents as of December 31, 2017 or 2016.
Inventory
Inventories, which are stated at the lower of cost or net realizable value, consist primarily of perishable food items and supplies. Cost is determined using the first-in, first out method.
Property and Equipment
Property and equipment are stated at cost less accumulated depreciation and amortization. Major improvements are capitalized, and minor replacements, maintenance and repairs are charged to expense as incurred. Depreciation and amortization are calculated on the straight-line basis over the estimated useful lives of the assets. Leasehold improvements are amortized over the shorter of the estimated useful life or the lease term of the related asset. The estimated useful lives are as follows:
Intangible Assets
The Company accounts for recorded intangible assets in accordance with ASC 350 “Intangibles - Goodwill and Other”. In accordance with ASC 350, the Company does not amortize intangible assets having indefinite useful lives. The Company’s goodwill and trademarks are deemed to have indefinite lives, and accordingly are not amortized, but are evaluated for impairment at least annually, or more often whenever changes in facts and circumstances may indicate that the carrying value may not be recoverable. The Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) requires that goodwill be tested for impairment at the reporting unit level (operating segment or one level below an operating segment). Application of the goodwill impairment test requires judgment, including the identification of reporting units, assigning assets and liabilities to reporting units, assigning goodwill to reporting units, and determining the fair value. Significant judgment is required to estimate the fair value of reporting units which includes estimating future cash flows, determining appropriate discount rates and other assumptions. Changes in these estimates and assumptions could materially affect the determination of fair value and/or goodwill impairment.
When testing goodwill for impairment, the Company may assess qualitative factors for some or all of our reporting units to determine whether it is more likely than not (that is, a likelihood of more than 50 percent) that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, including goodwill. Alternatively, the Company may bypass this qualitative assessment for some or all of our reporting units and perform a detailed quantitative test of impairment (step 1). If the Company performs the detailed quantitative impairment test and the carrying amount of the reporting unit exceeds its fair value, the Company would perform an analysis (step 2) to measure such impairment. In 2016, the Company performed a qualitative assessment to identify and evaluate events and circumstances to conclude whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of the Company’s reporting units is less than their carrying amounts. Based on the Company’s qualitative assessments, it is more likely than not that the fair value of the reporting units exceeded their carrying values and no impairments were identified in 2016. See Note 8 – Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets, Net for details associated with impairment of goodwill and certain intangible assets in 2017 based on the Company’s quantitative assessments.
Other intangible assets include franchise agreements and a non-compete agreement which are amortized on a straight-line basis over their estimated useful lives of 13 years and 5 years, respectively.
Impairment of Long-Lived Assets
When circumstances, such as adverse market conditions, indicate that the carrying value of a long-lived asset may be impaired, the Company performs an analysis to review the recoverability of the asset’s carrying value, which includes estimating the undiscounted cash flows (excluding interest charges) from the expected future operations of the asset. These estimates consider factors such as expected future operating income, operating trends and prospects, as well as the effects of demand, competition and other factors. If the analysis indicates that the carrying value is not recoverable from future cash flows, an impairment loss is recognized to the extent that the carrying value exceeds the estimated fair value. Any impairment losses are recorded as operating expenses, which reduce net income. See Note 8 – Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets, Net, and Note 7 – Property and Equipment, Net for details associated with impairment of goodwill and certain intangible assets and property and equipment.
Convertible Instruments
The Company evaluates its convertible instruments to determine if those contracts or embedded components of those contracts qualify as derivative financial instruments to be separately accounted for in accordance with Topic 815 of the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”). The accounting treatment of derivative financial instruments requires that the Company record embedded conversion options and any related freestanding instruments at their fair values as of the inception date of the agreement and at fair value as of each subsequent balance sheet date. Any change in fair value is recorded as non-operating, non-cash income or expense for each reporting period at each balance sheet date. The Company reassesses the classification of its derivative instruments at each balance sheet date. If the classification changes as a result of events during the period, the contract is reclassified as of the date of the event that caused the reclassification. Embedded conversion options and any related freestanding instruments are recorded as a discount to the host instrument.
If the instrument is determined not to be a derivative liability, the Company then evaluates for the existence of a beneficial conversion feature by comparing the market price of the Company’s common stock as of the commitment date to the effective conversion price of the instrument.
As of December 31, 2017, and December 31, 2016, the Company did not have any derivative liabilities on its balance sheets.
Revenue Recognition
In accordance with the Accounting Standard Codification Topic 605 “Revenue Recognition” (“ASC 605”), the Company recognizes revenue when the following four criteria are met: (1) delivery has occurred or services rendered; (2) persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists; (3) there are no continuing obligations to the customer; and (4) the collection of related accounts receivable is probable.
Restaurant Sales
Retail store revenue at company operated restaurants is recognized when payment is tendered at the point of sale, net of sales tax, discount and other sales related taxes.
Franchise Royalties and Fees
Franchise royalties and fees principally consists of royalties and franchise fees. Royalties are based on a percentage of franchisee net sales revenue. Initial franchise fees are recognized upon either termination of franchise agreement prior to opening or upon opening of a restaurant or granting of a new franchise term, which is when the Company has performed substantially all material obligations and initial services required by the franchise agreement. The Company recognizes renewal fees as income when a renewal agreement becomes effective.
The Company has supply agreements with certain food and beverage vendors. Pursuant to the terms of these agreements, rebates are provided to the Company based upon the dollar volume of purchases for all company-owned and franchised restaurants from these vendors. Rebates earned on purchases by franchise stores are recorded as revenue during the period in which the related food and beverage purchases are made. The Company recorded revenue from rebates of $337,786 and $333,248 during the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively, which is included in franchise royalties and fees on the accompanying consolidated statements of operations. Rebates earned on purchases by company owned stores are recorded as a reduction of cost of goods sold during the period in which the related food and beverage purchases are made.
Other Revenues
Through its subsidiary CTI, the Company derives revenue from the sale of POS computer systems, cash registers, digital menu boards and camera systems, and from the provision of related consulting and support services, which generally include implementation, installation and training services. We recognize revenue when persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists, delivery of the product or service has occurred, the fee is fixed or determinable and collectability is reasonably assured. The Company recorded $725,685 and $557,106 of revenues from these technology sales and services during the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively.
Deferred Revenue
Deferred revenue primarily includes initial franchise fees received by the Company, for which the restaurant has not yet opened, as well as unearned vendor rebates and customer deposits received in connection with technology sales and services by CTI (see Note 12 – Deferred Revenue).
The Company collects initial franchise fees when franchise agreements are signed and recognizes the initial franchise fees as revenue when the store is opened, which is when the Company has performed substantially all initial services required by the franchise agreement. Customer deposits received for technology sales or services are recorded as deferred revenue and recognized when the sale is complete, or the service is performed.
Advertising
Advertising costs are charged to expense as incurred. Advertising costs were approximately $609,000 and $173,000 for the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively, and are included in general and administrative expenses in the consolidated statements of operations. Advertising costs incurred related to our national advertising fund are netted with contributions from our Company-owned stores and our franchisees.
Net Loss per Share
Basic loss per common share is computed by dividing net loss attributable to common stockholders by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period. Diluted loss per common share is computed by dividing net loss attributable to common stockholders by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding, plus the impact of potential common shares, if dilutive, resulting from the exercise of warrants, and stock options from the conversion of convertible debt, from the conversion of Muscle Maker Brands, LLC (“MMB”) membership units and the vesting of restricted stock which were obtained by the non-controlling interest in connection with the acquisition of MMB and are convertible into shares of common stock of MMI.
The following securities are excluded from the calculation of weighted average diluted common shares at December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively, because their inclusion would have been anti-dilutive:
Concentration of Credit Risk
The Company is subject to credit risk through its loans receivable consisting primarily of amounts due from franchisees. The financial condition of these franchisees is largely dependent upon the underlying business trends of our brand and market conditions within the quick service restaurant industry. At December 31, 2017, one franchisee accounted for 78% of loans receivable and at December 31, 2016, two franchisees accounted for 37% and 19%, respectively, of loans receivable. At December 31, 2017 and 2016, a loan to a consultant, who is also a stockholder of CTI, accounted for 4% and 53%, respectively, of loans receivable.
Major Vendor
The Company engages various vendors to distribute food products to their Company-owned restaurants. Purchases from the Company’s largest supplier totaled 82% and 84% of the Company’s purchases for the year ended December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively.
Controlling and Non-Controlling Interest
MMI used to own a 74% controlling interest in MMB through the Effective Merger Date and owns a 70% controlling interest in CTI. The profits and losses of CTI are allocated among the controlling interest and the CTI non-controlling interest in the same proportions as their membership interests. All of the profits and losses of MMB and its subsidiaries were allocated among the controlling interest and MMB non-controlling Interest in proportion to the ownership interests through the Effective Merger Date.
Income Taxes
The Company accounts for income taxes under Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 740 Income Taxes (“ASC 740”). Under ASC 740, deferred tax assets and liabilities are determined based on the difference between the financial reporting and tax bases of assets and liabilities and net operating loss and credit carryforwards using enacted tax rates in effect for the year in which the differences are expected to impact taxable income. Valuation allowances are established when necessary to reduce deferred tax assets to the amounts expected to be realized.
ASC 740 also clarifies the accounting for uncertainty in income taxes recognized in an enterprise’s financial statements and prescribes a recognition threshold and measurement process for financial statement recognition and measurement of a tax position taken or expected to be taken in a tax return.
Tax benefits claimed or expected to be claimed on a tax return are recorded in the Company’s financial statements. A tax benefit from an uncertain tax position is only recognized if it is more likely than not that the tax position will be sustained on examination by the taxing authorities, based on the technical merits of the position. The tax benefits recognized in the financial statements from such a position are measured based on the largest benefit that has a greater than fifty percent likelihood of being realized upon ultimate resolution. Uncertain tax positions have had no impact on the Company’s financial condition, results of operations or cash flows. The Company does not expect any significant changes in its unrecognized tax benefits within twelve months of the reporting date.
The Company’s policy is to classify assessments, if any, for tax related interest as interest expense and penalties as general and administrative expenses in the consolidated statements of operations.
Reclassifications
Certain prior year balances have been reclassified in order to conform to current year presentation. These reclassifications have no effect on the previously reported results of operations or loss per share.
Stock-Based Compensation
The Company measures the cost of services received in exchange for an award of equity instruments based on the fair value of the award. For employees and directors, the fair value of the award is measured on the grant date and for non-employees, the fair value of the award is generally recorded on the grant date and re-measured on financial reporting dates and vesting dates until the service period is complete. The fair value amount of the award is then recognized over the period services are required to be provided in exchange for the award, usually the vesting period.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02, “Leases (Topic 842)” (“ASU 2016-02”). ASU 2016-02 requires an entity to recognize assets and liabilities arising from a lease for both financing and operating leases. ASU 2016-02 will also require new qualitative and quantitative disclosures to help investors and other financial statement users better understand the amount, timing, and uncertainty of cash flows arising from leases. ASU 2016-02 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, with early adoption permitted. The Company is currently evaluating ASU 2016-02 and its impact on its consolidated financial statements and disclosures.
In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-08, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers - Principal versus Agent Considerations”, in April 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-10, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606) - Identifying Performance Obligations and Licensing” and in May 9, 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-12, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606)” (“ASU 2016-12”). This update provides clarifying guidance regarding the application of ASU No. 2014-09 - Revenue From Contracts with Customers which is not yet effective. These new standards provide for a single, principles-based model for revenue recognition that replaces the existing revenue recognition guidance. In July 2015, the FASB deferred the effective date of ASU 2014-09 for private companies and emerging growth public companies until annual and interim periods beginning on or after December 15, 2018. It will replace most existing revenue recognition guidance under U.S. GAAP when it becomes effective. The Company will evaluate the effects, if any, that adoption of this guidance will have on its consolidated financial statements.
In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-09,” Compensation – Stock Compensation (Topic 718)” (“ASU 2016-09”). ASU 2016-09 requires an entity to simplify several aspects of the accounting for share-based payment transactions, including the income tax consequences, classification of awards as either equity or liabilities, and classification on the statement of cash flows. ASU 2016-09 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016, with early adoption permitted. The Company adopted ASU 2016-09 on the required effective date of January 1, 2017. The adoption of ASU 2016-09 did not have a material impact on the Company’s financial position, results of operations or cash flows.
In August 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-15, “Statement of Cash Flows - Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments (Topic 230)” (“ASU 2016-15”). ASU 2016-15 will make eight targeted changes to how cash receipts and cash payments are presented and classified in the statement of cash flows. ASU 2016-15 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017. The ASU requires adoption on a retrospective basis unless it is impracticable to apply, in which case we will be required to apply the amendments prospectively as of the earliest date practicable. We are currently evaluating the effect that adopting this new accounting guidance will have on its consolidated cash flows and related disclosures.
In December 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-20, “Technical Corrections and Improvements to Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers.” ASU No. 2016-20 amends certain aspects of ASU No. 2014-09 and clarifies, rather than changes, the core revenue recognition principles in ASU No. 2014-09. It is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2018. We are currently evaluating the effect that adopting this new accounting guidance will have on its consolidated cash flows and related disclosures.
In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-04, “Intangibles - Goodwill and Other (Topic 350)” (“ASU 2017-04”) Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment. The update simplifies how an entity is required to test goodwill for impairment by eliminating Step 2 from the goodwill impairment test. Step 2 measures a goodwill impairment loss by comparing the implied fair value of a reporting unit’s goodwill with the carrying amount of that goodwill. It affects public entities that have goodwill reported in their financial statements and have not elected the private company alternative for the subsequent measurement of goodwill. A public entity that is a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) filer should adopt the amendments in this update for its annual or any interim goodwill impairment tests in fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019. We are currently reviewing the new standard and assessing the impact of its adoption.
In May 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-09, Compensation - Stock Compensation (Topic 718); Scope of Modification Accounting. The amendments in this ASU provide guidance that clarifies when changes to the terms or conditions of a share-based payment award must be accounted for as modifications. If the value, vesting conditions or classification of the award changes, modification accounting will apply. The guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, and interim periods within those fiscal years. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of the adoption of this standard on its consolidated financial statements.
In February 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-02, Income Statement - Reporting Comprehensive Income (Topic 220): Reclassification of Certain Tax Effects from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income, which allows a reclassification from accumulated other comprehensive income to retained earnings for stranded tax effects resulting from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. This guidance is effective for all entities for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2018, with early adoption permitted. The amendments in ASU 2018-02 should be applied either in the period of adoption or retrospectively to each period in which the effect of the change in the U.S. federal corporate income tax rate in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act is recognized. The adoption of this guidance is not expected to have a material impact the Company’s consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.
In June 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-07, “Compensation — Stock Compensation (Topic 718),” (“ASU 2018-07”). ASU 2018-07 is intended to reduce cost and complexity and to improve financial reporting for nonemployee share-based payments. Currently, the accounting requirements for nonemployee and employee share-based payment transactions are significantly different. ASU 2018-07 expands the scope of Topic 718, Compensation — Stock Compensation (which currently only includes share-based payments to employees) to include share-based payments issued to nonemployees for goods or services. Consequently, the accounting for share-based payments to nonemployees and employees will be substantially aligned. This ASU supersedes Subtopic 505-50, Equity — Equity-Based Payments to Nonemployees. The amendments in this ASU are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019, and interim periods within fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2020. Early adoption is permitted, but no earlier than a company’s adoption date of Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers. The Company is currently evaluating ASU 2018-07 and its impact on the consolidated financial statements.
In July 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-09, “Codification Improvements” (“ASU 2018-09”). These amendments provide clarifications and corrections to certain ASC subtopics including the following: Income Statement - Reporting Comprehensive Income – Overall (Topic 220-10), Debt - Modifications and Extinguishments (Topic 470-50), Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity – Overall (Topic 480-10), Compensation - Stock Compensation - Income Taxes (Topic 718-740), Business Combinations - Income Taxes (Topic 805-740), Derivatives and Hedging – Overall (Topic 815-10), and Fair Value Measurement – Overall (Topic 820-10). The majority of the amendments in ASU 2018-09 will be effective in annual periods beginning after December 15, 2018. The Company is currently evaluating and assessing the impact this guidance will have on its consolidated financial statements.
In July 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-10, “Codification Improvements to Topic 842, Leases” (“ASU 2018-10”). The amendments in ASU 2018-10 provide additional clarification and implementation guidance on certain aspects of the previously issued ASU No. 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842) (“ASU 2016-02”) and have the same effective and transition requirements as ASU 2016-02. Upon the effective date, ASU 2018-10 will supersede the current lease guidance in ASC Topic 840, Leases. Under the new guidance, lessees will be required to recognize for all leases, with the exception of short-term leases, a lease liability, which is a lessee’s obligation to make lease payments arising from a lease, measured on a discounted basis. Concurrently, lessees will be required to recognize a right-of-use asset, which is an asset that represents the lessee’s right to use, or control the use of, a specified asset for the lease term. ASU 2018-10 is effective for emerging growth companies for interim and annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2019, with early adoption permitted. The guidance is required to be applied using a modified retrospective transition approach for leases existing at, or entered into after, the beginning of the earliest comparative periods presented in the financial statements. The Company is currently assessing the impact this guidance will have on its consolidated financial statements.
In July 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-11, “Leases (Topic 842): Targeted Improvements,” (“ASU 2018-11”). The amendments in ASU 2018-11 related to transition relief on comparative reporting at adoption affect all entities with lease contracts that choose the additional transition method and separating components of a contract affect only lessors whose lease contracts qualify for the practical expedient. The amendments in ASU 2018-11 are effective for emerging growth companies for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019, and interim periods within those fiscal years. The Company is currently assessing the impact this guidance will have on its consolidated financial statements.
Subsequent Events
The Company evaluated events that have occurred after the balance sheet date but before the financial statements are issued. Based upon the evaluation and transactions, the Company did not identify any subsequent events that would have required adjustment or disclosure in the financial statements, except as disclosed in Note 17 – Subsequent Events. |
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Acquisitions |
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| Business Combinations [Abstract] | |
| Acquisitions |
NOTE 4 – ACQUISITIONS
On September 30, 2016, MMB acquired a business in Winston-Salem, North Carolina (the “Winston Acquisition”). The purchase price of the store was $124,117, of which $120,000 relates to leasehold improvements and equipment purchases and the remaining $4,117 relates to security deposits. The Winston-Salem store commenced operations on January 11, 2017. |
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| Loans Receivable |
NOTE 5 - LOANS RECEIVABLE
At December 31, 2017 and 2016, the Company’s loans receivable consists of the following:
Loans receivable includes loans to franchisees totaling, in the aggregate, $170,668 and $83,663, net of reserves for uncollectible loans of $55,000 and $25,000 at December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively. The loans have original terms ranging from 6 months to 5 years, earn interest at rates ranging from 0% to 5%, and are being repaid on a weekly or monthly basis. |
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Loans Receivable from Related Parties |
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| Loans Receivable from Related Parties |
NOTE 6 – LOANS RECEIVABLE FROM RELATED PARTIES
At December 31, 2017 and 2016, the Company’s loans receivable from related parties consist of the following:
Included in loans receivable from related parties at December 31, 2017 and 2016, is $9,704 and $71,667, net of reserve for uncollectible related party loans of $45,000 and $0 at December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively, related to an advance to the Chief Operating Officer (“COO”) and stockholder of CTI, in connection with a consulting agreement. Included in loans receivables from related parties at December 31, 2017 and 2016, is $3,037 and $2,250, respectively, related to advance to employees. |
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| Property and Equipment, Net |
NOTE 7 – PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT, NET
At December 31, 2017 and 2016, property and equipment consists of the following:
Depreciation expense amounted to $335,825 and $93,641 for the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively. During the year ended December 31, 2017, the Company performed an impairment analysis on various assets and concluded that they were fully impaired. The Company recorded impairment charges for those assets in the amount of $1,375,790. |
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Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets, Net |
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| Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets, Net |
NOTE 8 – GOODWILL AND OTHER INTANGIBLE ASSETS, NET
The Company’s intangible assets include a trademark with an indefinite useful life as well as franchise agreements and a non-compete agreement, which are amortized over useful lives of thirteen years and five years, respectively.
A summary of the intangible assets is presented below:
Amortization expense related to intangible assets was $110,544 and $110,845 for the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively.
The Company sustained operating and cash flow losses from inception which formed a basis for performing an impairment test of its Intangible Assets. The Company performed a recoverability test on the franchise agreements that failed the test based on its projected future undiscounted cash flows generated through the asset’s use and eventual disposal. We measured and recorded an impairment charge based on a measurement of fair value of those assets using an income approach. The key assumptions used in the estimates of projected cash flows utilized in both the test and measurement steps of the impairment analysis were projected revenues and royalty payments. These forecasts were based on actual revenues and take into account recent developments as well as the Company’s plans and intentions. Based upon the results of the undiscounted cash flow analysis, the Company recorded an impairment charge on the franchise agreements of $410,225 during the year ended December 31, 2017.
The estimated future amortization expense is as follows:
During the fourth quarter of 2017, the Company performed the annual assessment and determined that goodwill was impaired, and recorded impairment of goodwill of $2,521,468. The impairment charges resulted from decrease in the Company’s estimated undiscounted cash flows from the expected future operations of the assets. These estimates considered factors such as expected future operating income, operating trends and prospects, as well as the effects of demand, competition and other factors. |
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Accounts Payables and Accrued Expenses |
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| Payables and Accruals [Abstract] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Accounts Payables and Accrued Expenses |
NOTE 9 – ACCOUNTS PAYABLES AND ACCRUED EXPENSES
Accounts payables and accrued expenses consist of the following:
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Convertible Notes Payable to Former Parent |
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| Debt Disclosure [Abstract] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Convertible Notes Payable to Former Parent |
NOTE 10 – CONVERTIBLE NOTES PAYABLE TO FORMER PARENT
On December 31, 2015, the Company issued a promissory note in the amount of $1,082,620 (the “2015 ARH Note”) to the holder of a majority of the Company’s common stock. The 2015 ARH Note has no stated interest rate or maturity date. The note is convertible into 231,990 shares of the Company’s common stock at $4.67 per share. The fair value of the Company’s common stock on the date the note was issued was $5.60 per share, creating an intrinsic value of $0.93 per share.
On December 15, 2016, the Company issued a promissory note in the amount of $2,621,842 (the “2016 ARH Note”) to the Former Parent. The 2016 ARH Note has no stated interest rate or maturity date. The note is convertible into 702,279 shares of the Company’s common stock at $3.73 per share. The 2016 ARH Note was issued with a three-year warrant for the purchase of 245,797 shares of the Company’s common stock at an exercise price of $9.33 per share, with an aggregate grant date value of $241,028. The Company allocated the proceeds to the 2016 ARH Note and related warrant based on the relative fair values at the time of issuance, resulting in an effective conversion price of $3.39 per share. The fair value of the Company’s common stock on the date the note was issued was $6.78 per share, creating an intrinsic value of $3.39 per share.
On February 15, 2017, the Company issued a promissory note in the amount of $980,949 (the “First 2017 ARH Note”) and on March 15, 2017, MMI issued a promissory note in the amount of $338,834 (the “Second 2017 ARH Note”), both to the Former Parent. The First 2017 ARH Note and the Second 2017 ARH Note bear no stated interest rate or maturity date and are convertible into 262,753 and 72,606 shares of the Company’s common stock at a conversion price of $3.73 per share and $4.67 per share, respectively, at a time to be determined by the Former Parent.
The First 2017 ARH Note and the Second 2017 ARH note include a three-year warrant for the purchase of 91,963 and 15,793 shares, respectively, of the Company’s common stock at an exercise price of $9.33 per share. The warrants issued in connection with the First 2017 ARH Note and the Second 2017 ARH note had a grant date value of $122,820 and $23,120, respectively. The Company allocated the proceeds to the First 2017 ARH Note and the Second 2017 ARH and related warrants based on the relative fair values at the time of issuance, resulting in an effective conversion price of $3.27 and $4.35 per share, respectively. The fair value of the Company’s common stock on the dates the notes were issued was $7.15 per share, creating an intrinsic value of $3.88 and $2.80 per share, respectively.
On July 18, 2017, the Company issued a convertible promissory note (the “Third 2017 ARH Note”) to the Former Parent in exchange for cash proceeds of $336,932. The Third 2017 ARH Note has no stated interest rate or maturity date and is convertible into shares of the Company’s common stock at a conversion price of $7.47 per share at a time to be determined by the lender. The Third 2017 ARH Note includes a three-year warrant for the purchase of 15,793 shares of the Company’s common stock at an exercise price of $9.33 per share, with an aggregate grant date value of $25,018. The 2015 ARH Note, 2016 ARH Note, First 2017 ARH Note, Second 2017 ARH Note and Third 2017 ARH Note are together, the “ARH Notes”.
On March 14, 2017, the Former Parent elected to convert aggregate principal of $4,685,411 under the 2015 ARH Note, the 2016 ARH Note and the First 2017 ARH Note into an aggregate 1,197,022 shares of the Company’s common stock.
On September 19, 2017, the Former Parent elected to convert aggregate principal of $675,766 under the Second 2017 ARH Note and the Third 2017 Note into an aggregate 117,731 shares of the Company’s common stock.
In accordance with ASC 470-20 “Debt with Conversion and other Options”, the intrinsic value related to the convertible notes results in a beneficial conversion feature which is recorded as a debt discount with a corresponding credit to additional paid in capital. The relative fair value of the warrant at the date of grant of is also recorded as a debt discount. For the year ended December 31, 2016 the Company recorded aggregate debt discounts of $241,028 and $2,381,107, related to the warrants and the beneficial conversion feature, respectively, on the ARH notes and for the year ended December 31, 2017 the Company recorded aggregate debt discounts of $170,958 and $1,085,985, related to the warrants and the beneficial conversion feature, respectively, on the ARH Notes, which were amortized over the expected terms of the respective notes. The grant date fair value of the warrants issued was valued on the date of issuance using the Black-Scholes option pricing model with the following weighted average assumptions:
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Other Notes Payable |
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Dec. 31, 2017 | |
| Debt Disclosure [Abstract] | |
| Other Notes Payable |
NOTE 11 - OTHER NOTES PAYABLE
Convertible Notes
During the year ended December 31, 2017, the Company received an aggregate of $1,550,000 associated with the issuances of convertible promissory notes payable and warrants to various parties, of which convertible promissory notes in the aggregate amount of $300,000 were issued to related parties. These notes are convertible into shares of the Company’s common stock upon the occurrence of the initial public offering at a 50% discount to the initial public offering price (the “Conversion Price”). If the convertible notes are not converted within six months, they are to be repaid with 10% interest. The maturity dates of all of the notes were extended subsequent to the year ended December 31, 2017. See Note 17 – Subsequent Events- Convertible Notes Payable for details related to subsequent issuances and extensions. In connection with the issuances of the convertible promissory notes, the Company issued three-year warrants for the purchase of an aggregate of 84,736 shares of the Company’s common stock exercisable at the Conversion Price (see Note 17 - Equity – Warrants).
During the year ended December 31, 2017, the Company received an aggregate of $799,340 associated with the issuances of convertible promissory notes payable to various parties. The notes are automatically converted into common stock at the Conversion Price upon the earlier of the closing of the offering or the maturity dates of the notes. See Note 17 – Subsequent Events- Convertible Notes Payable for details related to subsequent issuances or extensions and details related to automatic conversions of convertible notes.
Other Notes Payable
During the year ended December 31, 2017, the Company received an aggregate of $555,000 associated with the issuances of promissory notes, as amended and extended (See Note 17 – Subsequent Events – Other Notes Payable), payable to various parties, of which $335,000 were issued to a related party with a stated interest rate of 10% per the original 60-day-term. |
Deferred Revenue |
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| Revenue Recognition and Deferred Revenue [Abstract] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Deferred Revenue |
NOTE 12 – DEFERRED REVENUE
At December 31, 2017 and 2016, deferred revenue consists of the following:
During the year ended December 31, 2017, the Company entered into a new agreement with a vendor whereby the vendor advanced the Company approximately $200,000 against future rebates that the Company will earn from the vendor. |
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Other Current Liabilities |
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Dec. 31, 2017 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Other Liabilities Disclosure [Abstract] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Other Current Liabilities |
NOTE 13 – OTHER CURRENT LIABILITIES
Other current liabilities consist of the following:
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Income Taxes |
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| Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Income Taxes |
NOTE 14 – INCOME TAXES
The tax effects of temporary differences that give rise to deferred tax assets and liabilities as of December 31, 2017 and 2016 are presented below:
The income tax provision for the periods shown consist of the following:
A reconciliation of the statutory federal income tax rate to the Company’s effective tax rate for the periods shown, are as follows:
At December 31, 2017, the Company had approximately $7.6 million each of federal and state net operating losses that may be available to offset future taxable income. The net operating loss carry-forwards, if not utilized, will expire from 2030 to 2037 for federal purposes. In accordance with Section 382 of the Internal Revenue Code, the usage of the Company’s net operating loss carry-forwards could be subject to annual limitations if there have been greater than 50% ownership changes. The Company completed a Section 382 analysis and determined that none of it’s operating losses would be limited.
The Company has filed income tax returns in the U.S. federal jurisdiction and the states of California, New Jersey, Texas and New York. The Company’s tax return filed for 2017, 2016 and 2015 remains subject to examination.
On December 22, 2017, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the “2017 Tax Act”) was enacted. The 2017 Tax Act includes a number of changes to existing U.S. tax laws that impact the company, most notably a reduction of the U.S. corporate income tax rate from 35 percent to 21 percent for tax years beginning after December 31, 2017. The company measures deferred tax assets and liabilities using enacted tax rates that will apply in the years in which the temporary differences are expected to be recovered or paid. Accordingly, the company’s deferred tax assets and liabilities were remeasured to reflect the reduction in the U.S. corporate income tax rate from 35% to 21%, resulting in a $1,529,547 decrease in net deferred tax assets for the year ended December 31, 2017 and a corresponding $1,529,547 decrease in valuation allowance as of December 31, 2017.
The SEC staff issued Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 118 (“SAB 118”) to address the application of U.S. GAAP in situations when a registrant does not have the necessary information available, prepared, or analyzed (including computations) in reasonable detail to complete the accounting for certain income tax effects of the 2017 Tax Act. SAB 118 provides a measurement period that should not extend beyond one year from the 2017 Tax Act enactment date for companies to complete the accounting for the income tax effects of certain elements of the 2017 Tax Act. In accordance with SAB 118, we have recognized the provisional tax impacts related to the remeasurement of deferred tax assets and liabilities and included these amounts in our financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2017. The ultimate impact may differ from these provisional amounts, possibly materially, due to, among other things, additional analysis, changes in interpretations and assumptions we have made, additional regulatory guidance that may be issued, and actions we may take as a result of the 2017 Tax Act. |
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Commitments and Contingencies |
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| Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Commitments and Contingencies |
NOTE 15 – COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
Operating Leases
During the year ended December 31, 2016, the Company became obligated for payments pursuant to six lease agreements for restaurant spaces with lease terms ranging from 3 years to 10 years, exclusive of options to renew. Rent expenses pursuant to these lease agreements range from $2,897 to $13,176 per month.
During the year ended December 31, 2017, the Company became obligated for payments pursuant to four lease agreements for restaurant spaces with lease terms ranging from 5 years to 10 years, exclusive of options to renew. One of the lease agreements has a monthly rent expense based on a percentage fee of eight percent of gross sales for each year of the agreement. Rent expenses pursuant to the remaining three lease agreements range from $5,916 to $7,532 per month.
The leases are subject to certain annual escalations as defined in the agreements. The Company recognizes rent on a straight-line basis. The cumulative difference between the rent payments and the rent expense since the inception of the leases was $56,933 at December 31, 2017.
The Company has recorded security deposits, totaling, in the aggregate, approximately $21,000 and $149,000 as of December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively.
Future aggregate minimum lease payments for these leases and others as of December 31, 2017 are:
Total rent expense was $980,238 and $806,724 for the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively.
Subsequent to December 31, 2017, the Company became obligated for payments pursuant to two new lease agreements for restaurant spaces with lease terms of 10 years, exclusive of options to renew. These lease agreements have a monthly rent expense based on a percentage fee of eight percent of gross sales for each year of the agreement.
Employment Agreements
On January 23, 2015, the Company entered into an employment agreement (the “COO Agreement”) with its Chief Operations Officer (the “COO”). The COO Agreement provides for a base salary of $22,500 per month and performance-based bonuses, as well as standard employee insurance and other benefits as defined in the COO Agreement. The COO Agreement expired on January 23, 2017.
On January 23, 2015, the Company entered into an employment agreement (the “DBD Agreement”) with its Director of Brand Development (the “DBD”). The DBD Agreement provides for a base salary of $12,500 per month and performance-based bonuses, as well as standard employee insurance and other benefits as defined in the DBD Agreement. Upon the execution of the DBD Agreement, the DBD received 21,428 shares of immediately vested Company common stock valued at $1.31 per share or $28,000. The DBD Agreement expired on January 23, 2017.
The Company entered into an at-will employment agreement with each of (i) Robert Morgan, as former Chief Executive Officer (the “CEO Agreement”), (ii) Grady Metoyer, as former Chief Financial Officer (the “CFO Agreement”) and (iii) Rodney Silva, as Chief Culture Officer (the “CCO Agreement). The employment agreements are effective as of the date the Company receives at least $5,000,000 in gross proceeds from an SEC qualified offering under the Offering Statement under Regulation A+ under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. The term of these employment agreements are two years and are automatically extended for successive one-year periods unless either party delivers a 60-day notice of termination. These employment agreements did not become effective since the company terminated its Regulation A+ offering on March 29, 2018, yielding proceeds of approximately $143,497. See Note 17 – Subsequent Events - Termination of Offering.
Taxes
The Company failed in certain instances in paying sales taxes collected from customers in specific states that impose a tax on sales of the Company’s products. The Company had accrued for approximate $356,000 liability, which includes interest, as of December 31, 2017 related to this matter.
Consulting Agreement
On August 1, 2015, the Company entered into a consulting agreement (the “Consulting Agreement) with an officer of CTI, who is also a stockholder of CTI, (the “Consultant”). The Consulting Agreement has a term of five years, and automatically extends for successive one-year periods, unless either party provides written notice of termination at least 60 days prior to the end of the term. Pursuant to the terms of the agreement, the Consultant will receive a base fee of $11,667 per month. In connection with the agreement, the Company provided a $100,000 advance to the consultant, to be repaid in equal monthly installments of $1,667, over the term of the consulting agreement (See Note 6 – Loans Receivable from Related Parties).
Litigations, Claims and Assessments
In 2017, Limestone Associates LLC (“Limestone”) filed a complaint against ARH in the Civil Court of the City of New York, County of New York, #78549/2017 for commercial non-payment of rent for the amount of $25,748 plus costs and disbursements of this proceeding. In May 2018, Limestone filed a complaint against ARH and Mr. Morgan in the Supreme Court of the State of New York, County of New York, index # 154469 seeking $1,357,243 in damages for rent, interest and other expenses.
On or about December 1, 2017, a landlord commenced legal proceedings in the Supreme Court of New Jersey, Special Civil Part, Union County docket number LT-010222-17 due to the Company’s default under the lease. This was resolved by the Company on January 23, 2018. The Company again defaulted under the terms of the lease and the landlord evicted the Company from the premises.
In the normal course of business, the Company may be involved in legal proceedings, claims and assessments arising in the ordinary course of business, and as of December 31, 2017, none are expected to materially impact the Company’s financial position.
The Company records legal costs associated with loss contingencies as incurred and accrues for all probable and estimable settlements. |
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Equity |
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| Equity [Abstract] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Equity |
NOTE 16 – EQUITY
Authorized Capital
As of December 31, 2017, the Company was authorized to issue 100,000,000 shares of no par value common stock. The holders of the Company’s common stock are entitled to one vote per share.
Common Stock Issuances
On July 21, 2017, the Company issued 6,696 shares of common stock of the company to an investor at a purchase price of $7.47 per share providing $50,000 of proceeds to the Company.
On August 25, 2017, the Company issued an aggregate of 42,856 shares of common stock of the company to investors at a purchase price of $7.47 per share providing $320,000 of proceeds to the Company.
On September 1, 2017, the Company issued 6,698 shares of common stock of the company to an investor at a purchase price of $7.47 per share providing $50,000 of proceeds to the Company.
During the year ended December 31, 2017, the Company issued 1,314,753 shares of its common stock upon conversion of various ARH Notes in the aggregate principal amount of $5,361,177 (See Note 10 – Convertible Notes Payable to Former Parent).
Stock Option and Stock Issuance Plan
The Company’s board of directors and shareholders adopted and approved on July 27, 2017 and September 21, 2017, respectively, the Stock Option and Stock Issuance Plan (“2017 Plan”), effective September 21, 2017, under which stock options and restricted stock may be granted to officers, directors, employees and consultants. Under the 2017 Plan, the company reserved 1,071,428 shares of common stock, no par value per share, for issuance. As of the date of the issuance of these consolidated financial statements 1,039,292 shares of common stock were outstanding under the 2017 Plan.
Warrant and Option Valuation
The Company has computed the fair value of warrants and options granted using the Black-Scholes option pricing model. The expected term used for warrants and options issued to non-employees is the contractual life. The Company is utilizing an expected volatility figure based on a review of the historical volatilities, over a period of time, equivalent to the expected life of the instrument being valued, of similarly positioned public companies within its industry. The risk-free interest rate was determined from the implied yields from U.S. Treasury zero-coupon bonds with a remaining term consistent with the expected term of the instrument being valued.
Options Granted
On July 27, 2017, the Company issued stand-alone non-qualified stock options, not pursuant to a plan, to purchase an aggregate of 33,750 shares of the Company’s common stock to its franchisees. The options are fully vested on the date of issuance and have an exercise price of $9.33 per share. The options expire three years from the date of issuance. The options have a grant date value of $47,583. The Company has estimated the fair value of the options granted using the Black-Scholes model using the following assumptions: expected volatility of 37%, risk-free rate of 1.52%, expected term of 3 years, expected dividends of 0%, and stock price of $7.47.
Restricted Common Stock Issuances
In May 2017, Muscle Maker granted 119,709 shares of its restricted common stock to its employees and consultants, with an aggregate grant date value of $1,117,403 or $9.33 per share. The restricted common stock awards granted to the employees will vest in five equal installments with the first installment vesting on the date of grant and the remaining installments vesting on the first day of each of the next four calendar years thereafter. In the event of resignation or termination for any reason of an employee or consultant that received such shares, any remaining non-vested shares will be forfeited. These awards were granted under the 2017 Plan.
Effective July 20, 2017, the Company entered into a Master Services Agreement (the “MSA”), with a consultant for marketing services to the Company in connection with the Regulation A + offering. Pursuant to the terms of the MSA, the Company issued 52,307 shares of fully vested restricted common stock at a value of $3.25 per share with an aggregate value of $170,000, as well as a cash fee of $145,000.
On September 21, 2017, the Company granted an aggregate amount of 32,136 shares of its restricted common stock at a price of $9.33 per share to its directors. The restricted common stock awards granted to the directors are subject to graded vesting in the following installments: (i) 66.67% as of the date of grant and (ii) four installments of 8.333% vesting on the first day of each of the next four calendar months.
At December 31, 2017, the unamortized value of the restricted common stock was $662,940. The unamortized amount will be expensed over a weighted average period of 3.01 years. A summary of the activity related to the restricted common stock for the year ended December 31, 2017 is presented below:
Stock-Based Compensation Expense
Stock-based compensation related to restricted stock issued to employees, directors and consultants amounted to $912,485 and $3,684 for the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively, of which $729,073 and $3,684, respectively, was recorded in general and administrative expenses, $13,748 and $0, respectively, was recorded in labor expense with restaurant operating expenses and $170,000 and $0, respectively, was recorded in consulting expenses.
Stock-based compensation related to options issued to franchisees amounted to $47,583 year ended December 31, 2017 of which was offset against franchisee royalties and fees in the statement of operations.
Warrants
On April 21, 2016, the Company granted a three-year warrant for the purchase of 5,356 shares of the Company’s common stock at an exercise price of $9.33 per share to a franchisee and developer of the Company in exchange for services. The warrant had a grant date value of $3,684.
On July 25, 2017, a warrant was exercised for the 5,356 shares of common stock of the Company at an exercise price of $9.33 per share for gross proceeds of $50,000.
A summary of warrants activity during the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016 is presented below (See Note 10 —Convertible Notes Payable to Former Parent and Note 11 —Other Notes Payable for warrants issued during the year ended December 31, 2017):
The grant date fair value of warrants granted during the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016 was determined on the date of issuance using the Black-Scholes option pricing model with the following assumptions: expected volatility, dividend rate, risk free interest rate and the expected life. The Company calculates the expected volatility using the historical volatility of comparable companies over the most recent period equal to the expected term and evaluates the extent to which available information indicates that future volatility may differ from historical volatility. The expected dividend rate is zero as the Company does not expect to pay or declare any cash dividends on common stock. The risk-free rates for the expected terms of the stock options are based on the U.S. Treasury yield curve in effect at the time of the grant. The Company has not experienced significant exercise activity on stock options. Due to the lack of historical information, the Company determined the expected term of its stock option awards issued using the simplified method. In applying the Black-Scholes option pricing model, the Company used the following assumptions:
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Subsequent Events |
12 Months Ended |
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Dec. 31, 2017 | |
| Subsequent Events [Abstract] | |
| Subsequent Events |
NOTE 17 – SUBSEQUENT EVENTS
Company-Owned Restaurants
Subsequent to December 31, 2017 and through the date of the issuance of these consolidated financial statements, the Company opened one additional company-owned restaurant.
Subsequent to December 31, 2017 and through the date of the issuance of these consolidated financial statement, various franchisees opened five franchised restaurants and closed eleven franchised restaurants.
From March 2018 through July 2018, as a cost saving measure, the Company closed eight of its thirteen corporate locations. As a result of these closures, the Company’s subsidiaries have been involved in several lawsuits as outlined below under litigations, claims and assessments.
Convertible Notes Payable to Former Parent
On April 6, 2018, the Company issued a $475,000 convertible promissory note (the “2018 ARH Note”) to the Former Parent. The 2018 ARH Note has no stated interest rate or maturity date and is convertible into shares of the Company’s common stock at a conversion price of $0.50 per share at a time to be determined by the lender.
On April 11, 2018, the Former Parent elected to partially convert the 2018 ARH Note for the principal of $392,542 into 785,085 shares of the Company’s common stock.
Convertible Notes
On January 4, 2018 the Company issued a $100,000 convertible promissory note. The note bears no stated interest or maturity date. The note as amended and extended on January 29, 2018, will automatically convert into shares of the Company’s common stock upon the earlier of (a) twelve months from the extension date or (b) the approval of the Form 1-A Registration Statement, at a 50% discount to the initial public offering price.
During January 24, 2018 to January 25, 2018, the Company received an aggregate of $150,000 associated with the issuances of convertible promissory notes payable, of which $100,000 were issued to a related party, as amended and extended on or about January 29, 2018, with a stated interest rate of 10% per the original 60-day-term, convertible at the option of the holder into common stock at a price per share of $1.625 (50% of initial public offering price), and, if not converted, will become due and payable along with the principal amount upon the earlier of (a) six months following the extension or (b) the approval of the Form 1-A Registration Statement.
In January 2018, the Company and certain note holders, including related parties, agreed to extend the maturity date of additional notes payables and convertible notes payable in the aggregate principal amount of $2,151,800 to be upon the earlier of the closing of the initial public offering, but no later than July 29, 2018. See automatic note conversion and further note extension during August 2018.
During May 8, 2018 to July 11, 2018, the Company received an aggregate of $972,000 associated with the issuances of convertible promissory notes payable, of which $550,000 were issued to a related party. The note bears no stated interest or maturity date. The notes are convertible into shares of the Company’s stock upon the earlier of (a) six months from the issue date or (b) the first day the company’s stock is publicly traded or (c) converted at the option of the holder. In connection with the issuances of the convertible promissory notes, the Company issued three-year warrants for the purchase of an aggregate of 486,000 shares of MMI’s common stock at an exercise price of $3.25 per share.
Convertible Notes, continued
On or about January 23, 2019, the Company and certain note holders, including related parties, agreed to extend the maturity date of the convertible notes payable, as amended and extended on or about August 2018, in the aggregate principal amount of $1,550,000 to be upon the earlier of (a) January 24, 2020 or (b) the first day the company’s stock is publicly traded. All interest due and payable on the notes, shall be converted into shares of common stock at a conversion price of $1.00 per share.
Subsequent to December 31, 2017, other convertible promissory notes with an aggregate principal amount of $1,871,340 were automatically converted into 1,525,425 shares of the Company’s common stock pursuant to the terms of the notes.
Other Notes Payable
On January 4, 2018 the Company issued a $25,000 promissory note to a related party. The note has a stated interest of 10% over the original term of sixty days. The note as amended and extended on January 29, 2018 becomes due and payable upon the earlier of (a) six month following the date of extension or (b) the approval of the Form 1-A Registration Statement.
On January 24, 2018, the Company entered into a promissory note with an unrelated third party in the principal amount of $511,765 with a maturity date of March 30, 2018. The note is issued with a 15% original issue discount of which the Company received cash proceeds of $435,000. In connection with the promissory note, the Company issued three-year warrants for the purchase of an aggregate of 78,733 shares of the Company’s common stock with an exercise price per share at 50% of initial public offering price. The warrant contains a cashless exercise provision and piggyback registration rights as to the common stock underlying the warrants subsequent to the filing and effectiveness of the Form 8-A with the SEC following the closing of the initial public offering. In the event of default, the principal amount of the note is to be increased by 30% of the original principal amount and another three-year warrant for the purchase of an additional 78,333 shares of the Company’s common stock with an exercise price per share at 50% of initial public offering price, which together with the original warrant would constitute 100% warrant coverage. The Company has since defaulted on the note and note was subsequently converted into SPA Notes (see Note 17 Subsequent Events - 15% Senior Secured Convertible Notes).
On February 7, 2018, the Company and a note holder entered into an amendment to a promissory note issued by the Company on May 31, 2017, whereby the parties agreed to (i) extend the term of the note to March 15, 2018 and (ii) the Company agreed to payments on the following dates: (a) $70,000 upon entering into the amendment and (b) $100,000 on March 15, 2018. See Note 17 – Subsequent Events - Litigations, Claims and Assessments for further action taken by the note holder.
On or about January 23, 2019, the Company and certain note holders, including related parties, agreed to extend the maturity date of the notes payable, as amended and extended on or about August 2018, in the aggregate principal amount of $560,000 to be upon the earlier of (a) January 24, 2020 or (b) the first day the company’s stock is publicly traded. All interest due and payable on the notes, shall be converted into shares of common stock at a conversion price of $1.00 per share
Termination of Offering
On March 29, 2018, the Company decided to terminate its Regulation A+ offering in order to register its common stock with the SEC under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, using a Form 8-A12g and become a publicly reporting company. Prior to terminating the Regulation A+ offering, the Company sold 44,153 shares in the offering at $3.25 per share, yielding proceeds of approximately $143,497.
15% Senior Secured Convertible Notes
From September 12, 2018 through the date of the issuance of these consolidated financial statements, the Company entered into securities purchase agreements with several accredited investors (the “Investors”) providing for the sale by the Company to the investors of 15% SPA Notes in the aggregate amount of $2,470,000, which included $635,000 in convertible notes converted into SPA Notes (the “September 2018 Offering”). The Notes bear interest at 15% per annum paid quarterly and mature 18 months from issuance. Following the initial closing, there shall be two additional closings in the amount of $1,000,000 each provided the Company achieves certain business milestones outlined in the Securities Purchase Agreement.
In addition to the SPA Notes, the Investors also received warrants to purchase common stock of the Company (the “Warrants”) to acquire an aggregate of 1,082,000 shares of common stock of the Company. The Warrants are exercisable for five years at an exercise price of $1.20. The Investors may exercise the Warrants on a cashless basis.
The Securities Purchase Agreements require that until the Listing Event, Catalytic Capital LLC holds the right to designate one member and one observer to the board of directors of the Company and that the Company shall engage an investor relations firm mutually agreed to by the Company and Catalytic Capital LLC from the time of the Listing Event until six months after the Listing Event. The Company is also required to engage Insight Advisory as a consultant to provide business and financial advice.
The Company granted the Investors piggy back registration rights with respect to the shares of common stock underlying the Notes and the Warrants
Sale of CTI
On May 24, 2018, the Company entered into a stock purchase agreement between John Guild, JohnG Solutions LLC and CTI in which the Company agreed to sell their 70% ownership in CTI for a total purchase price of $1.00.
Employment Agreements
On January 17, 2018, Grady Metoyer resigned as the Company’s Chief Financial Officer, effective immediately.
Employment Agreements, continued
In connection with the resignation of Grady Metoyer, on January 25, 2018, the Company’s board of directors appointed Ferdinand Groenewald as its Vice President of Finance, Principal Financial Officer and Principal Accounting Officer. The Company entered into an at-will employment agreement with Ferdinand Groenewald for a one-year term that is to commence as of the date the Company successfully receives at least $5,000,000 in gross proceeds from an SEC qualified offering under Offering Statement under Regulation A+ under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
On April 11, 2018, Robert E. Morgan resigned as Chief Executive Officer, President and Director of the Company and all other positions with subsidiaries of the Company.
On April 16, 2018, Kevin Mohan was appointed by the Company to serve as the Interim President of the Company.
On April 30, 2018, Tim M. Betts resigned as a director of the Company for personal reasons.
On May 1, 2018, the Company appointed Michael J. Roper as Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”) of the Company and entered into an Employment Agreement with Mr. Roper. In addition, Mr. Mohan resigned as Interim President of the Company.
On May 29, 2018, Ferdinand Groenewald, the Vice President of Finance, Principal Financial Officer and Principal Accounting Officer, notified Muscle Maker, Inc. (the “Company”) that he is resigning from his positions with the Company and its subsidiaries effective May 29, 2018.
On September 26, 2018, Muscle Maker, Inc. (the “Company”) appointed Ferdinand Groenewald as Chief Financial Officer of the Company and entered into an Employment Agreement with Mr. Groenewald.
On September 26, 2018, the Company appointed Kenneth Miller as Chief Operating Officer of the Company and entered into an Employment Agreement with Mr. Miller.
On October 26, 2018, the Company entered into an Employment Agreement with Michael Roper, which replaced his employment agreement from May 2018. Pursuant to the Employment Agreement, Mr. Roper will continue to be employed as Chief Executive Officer of the Company for a period of two years unless earlier terminated pursuant to the terms of the agreement. The Employment Agreement will be automatically extended upon listing the Company on a national exchange and raising $3,000,000 (the “IPO”). During the term of the Employment Agreement, Mr. Roper will be entitled to a base salary at the annualized rate of $250,000, which will be increased to $275,000 upon achieving various milestones required by the Investors that participated in the September 2018 Offering and again to $350,000 upon the Company completing the IPO. Mr. Roper will be eligible for a discretionary performance bonus to be paid in cash or equity, provided, however, no cash bonus will be paid until the closing of the IPO. Mr. Roper is entitled to $100,000 bonus upon closing of the IPO. In addition to 350,000 restricted stock units previously granted, the Company agreed to issue Mr. Roper up to 250,000 additional restricted stock units. In the event the Company raises $3 million or $5 million, then Mr. Roper will receive 150,000 restricted stock units or 250,000 restricted stock units, respectively. In addition, Mr. Roper will receive 100,000 restricted stock units upon the one- and two-year anniversaries of his employment.
Employment Agreements, continued
On October 26, 2018, the Company entered into an Employment Agreement with Kevin Mohan. Pursuant to the Employment Agreement, Mr. Mohan will be engaged as Chief Investment Officer of the Company for a period of two years unless earlier terminated pursuant to the terms of the agreement. The Employment Agreement will be automatically extended upon the IPO. During the term of the Employment Agreement, Mr. Mohan will be entitled to a base salary at the annualized rate of $156,000, which will be increased to $175,000 upon the IPO. Mr. Mohan will be eligible for a discretionary performance bonus to be paid in cash following the closing of the IPO. Mr. Mohan is entitled to $50,000 bonus upon closing of the IPO. The Company agreed to issue Mr. Mohan up to 200,000 additional restricted stock units. In the event the Company raises $3 million or $5 million, then Mr. Mohan will receive 100,000 restricted stock units or 200,000 restricted stock units, respectively.
Litigations, Claims and Assessments
On March 27, 2018 a convertible note holder filed a complaint in the Iowa District Court for Polk County #CVCV056029 against the Company for failure to pay the remaining balance due on a promissory note in the amount of $100,000, together with interest, attorney fees and other costs of $171,035. On June 6, 2018 a default judgement was entered against the Company for the amount of $171,035.
In April 2018, the Company and Former Parent was listed as a defendant in a lawsuit filed by a landlord (“Former Landlord”) in the Superior Court of the State of California. The Former Landlord is seeking $531,594 in damages for rent, interest and other expenses. The original lease was for a 5-year period and commenced on or about September 30, 2015. On January 15, 2019, the Company and the Former Landlord entered a settlement and release agreement. Pursuant to the settlement the Company shall pay the amount of $531,594 as follows (i) first payment of $49,815, net of security deposit of $11,185, on or before January 23, 2019, (ii) second payment of $25,000 on or before February 28, 2019 and (iii) thereafter sixty-nine payments of $6,400 on or before the 15th of each month beginning on March 15, 2019. Conditioned on the Company making twelve timely installment payments of $6,400, the Company would be released of the remaining liability pursuant to the judgement.
On or about April 5, 2018, the Company and Former Parent, Inc entered into a settlement agreement with 918-924 Belmont, LLC for $100,000 regarding past rents owed, other charges and the termination of its lease at this location. The settlement calls for monthly payments of $8,333 thru March 2019.
On May 4, 2018, Stratford Road Partners, LLC (“Stratford”) filed suit against the Company’s subsidiary for non-payment of rent in the small Claims court in the state of North Carolina. Since then the property has been vacated and the landlord offered a settlement of $10,000 with no further lease obligation. The Company has not signed the settlement agreement dated June 30, 2018.
In May 2018, Resolute Contractors, Inc, Quality Tile, MTL Construction, Genesis Electric, JNB Interiors and Captive Aire filed a Mechanics Lien for labor, service, equipment and materials in the total amount of $98,005. The Company intends to set up various payment plans with these vendors.
On or about May 1, 2018, a suit was filed in the Supreme Court of the State of New York, County of Rockland, by Imperial Bag & Paper seeking $44,585 in past due amounts for goods received. The company entered into a payment plan and as of January 2019 this amount has been paid in full.
Litigations, Claims and Assessments, continued
On May 25, 2018, the Civil Court of the City of New York, County of New York, entered into a settlement agreement between the Company and a landlord, in the amount of $55,891 for past due rent. The Company agreed to make the following payments (i) $15,000 on or before May 31, 2018, and (ii) $40,891 on or before September 4,2018. These amounts have been paid in full.
On September 25, 2018, the Supreme Court of the State of New York, County of Rockland, entered into a judgement in favor of a creditor, in the amount of $69,367. The Company worked with legal counsel and on October 22, 2018, the Company entered into a settlement agreement with the creditor in the amount of $36,000 that was payable on or before November 16, 2018.
On December 12, 2018, the Company was listed as a defendant to a lawsuit filed by a landlord in the Superior Court of the State of California. The landlord is seeking approximately $121,000 in damages for rent, interest and other expenses. On February 15, 2019, the company entered into a settlement agreement and payment plan in the amount of $85,000. |
Significant Accounting Policies (Policies) |
12 Months Ended | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Accounting Policies [Abstract] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Principles of Consolidation |
Principles of Consolidation
The accompanying consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its wholly-owned subsidiaries and majority-owned subsidiary. Any intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated in consolidation. |
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| Use of Estimates |
Use of Estimates
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities and disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of expenses during the reporting period.
Management bases its estimates on historical experience and on various assumptions that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying value of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Significant estimates include:
Estimates and assumptions are periodically reviewed, and the effects of any material revisions are reflected in the financial statements in the period that they are determined to be necessary. Actual results could differ from those estimates and assumptions. |
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| Cash and Cash Equivalents |
Cash and Cash Equivalents
The Company considers all highly-liquid instruments with an original maturity of three months or less when purchased to be cash equivalents. There were no cash equivalents as of December 31, 2017 or 2016. |
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| Inventory |
Inventory
Inventories, which are stated at the lower of cost or net realizable value, consist primarily of perishable food items and supplies. Cost is determined using the first-in, first out method. |
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| Property and Equipment |
Property and Equipment
Property and equipment are stated at cost less accumulated depreciation and amortization. Major improvements are capitalized, and minor replacements, maintenance and repairs are charged to expense as incurred. Depreciation and amortization are calculated on the straight-line basis over the estimated useful lives of the assets. Leasehold improvements are amortized over the shorter of the estimated useful life or the lease term of the related asset. The estimated useful lives are as follows:
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| Intangible Assets |
Intangible Assets
The Company accounts for recorded intangible assets in accordance with ASC 350 “Intangibles - Goodwill and Other”. In accordance with ASC 350, the Company does not amortize intangible assets having indefinite useful lives. The Company’s goodwill and trademarks are deemed to have indefinite lives, and accordingly are not amortized, but are evaluated for impairment at least annually, or more often whenever changes in facts and circumstances may indicate that the carrying value may not be recoverable. The Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) requires that goodwill be tested for impairment at the reporting unit level (operating segment or one level below an operating segment). Application of the goodwill impairment test requires judgment, including the identification of reporting units, assigning assets and liabilities to reporting units, assigning goodwill to reporting units, and determining the fair value. Significant judgment is required to estimate the fair value of reporting units which includes estimating future cash flows, determining appropriate discount rates and other assumptions. Changes in these estimates and assumptions could materially affect the determination of fair value and/or goodwill impairment.
When testing goodwill for impairment, the Company may assess qualitative factors for some or all of our reporting units to determine whether it is more likely than not (that is, a likelihood of more than 50 percent) that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, including goodwill. Alternatively, the Company may bypass this qualitative assessment for some or all of our reporting units and perform a detailed quantitative test of impairment (step 1). If the Company performs the detailed quantitative impairment test and the carrying amount of the reporting unit exceeds its fair value, the Company would perform an analysis (step 2) to measure such impairment. In 2016, the Company performed a qualitative assessment to identify and evaluate events and circumstances to conclude whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of the Company’s reporting units is less than their carrying amounts. Based on the Company’s qualitative assessments, it is more likely than not that the fair value of the reporting units exceeded their carrying values and no impairments were identified in 2016. See Note 8 – Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets, Net for details associated with impairment of goodwill and certain intangible assets in 2017 based on the Company’s quantitative assessments.
Other intangible assets include franchise agreements and a non-compete agreement which are amortized on a straight-line basis over their estimated useful lives of 13 years and 5 years, respectively. |
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| Impairment of Long-Lived Assets |
Impairment of Long-Lived Assets
When circumstances, such as adverse market conditions, indicate that the carrying value of a long-lived asset may be impaired, the Company performs an analysis to review the recoverability of the asset’s carrying value, which includes estimating the undiscounted cash flows (excluding interest charges) from the expected future operations of the asset. These estimates consider factors such as expected future operating income, operating trends and prospects, as well as the effects of demand, competition and other factors. If the analysis indicates that the carrying value is not recoverable from future cash flows, an impairment loss is recognized to the extent that the carrying value exceeds the estimated fair value. Any impairment losses are recorded as operating expenses, which reduce net income. See Note 8 – Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets, Net, and Note 7 – Property and Equipment, Net for details associated with impairment of goodwill and certain intangible assets and property and equipment. |
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| Convertible Instruments |
Convertible Instruments
The Company evaluates its convertible instruments to determine if those contracts or embedded components of those contracts qualify as derivative financial instruments to be separately accounted for in accordance with Topic 815 of the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”). The accounting treatment of derivative financial instruments requires that the Company record embedded conversion options and any related freestanding instruments at their fair values as of the inception date of the agreement and at fair value as of each subsequent balance sheet date. Any change in fair value is recorded as non-operating, non-cash income or expense for each reporting period at each balance sheet date. The Company reassesses the classification of its derivative instruments at each balance sheet date. If the classification changes as a result of events during the period, the contract is reclassified as of the date of the event that caused the reclassification. Embedded conversion options and any related freestanding instruments are recorded as a discount to the host instrument.
If the instrument is determined not to be a derivative liability, the Company then evaluates for the existence of a beneficial conversion feature by comparing the market price of the Company’s common stock as of the commitment date to the effective conversion price of the instrument.
As of December 31, 2017, and December 31, 2016, the Company did not have any derivative liabilities on its balance sheets. |
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| Revenue Recognition |
Revenue Recognition
In accordance with the Accounting Standard Codification Topic 605 “Revenue Recognition” (“ASC 605”), the Company recognizes revenue when the following four criteria are met: (1) delivery has occurred or services rendered; (2) persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists; (3) there are no continuing obligations to the customer; and (4) the collection of related accounts receivable is probable.
Restaurant Sales
Retail store revenue at company operated restaurants is recognized when payment is tendered at the point of sale, net of sales tax, discount and other sales related taxes.
Franchise Royalties and Fees
Franchise royalties and fees principally consists of royalties and franchise fees. Royalties are based on a percentage of franchisee net sales revenue. Initial franchise fees are recognized upon either termination of franchise agreement prior to opening or upon opening of a restaurant or granting of a new franchise term, which is when the Company has performed substantially all material obligations and initial services required by the franchise agreement. The Company recognizes renewal fees as income when a renewal agreement becomes effective.
The Company has supply agreements with certain food and beverage vendors. Pursuant to the terms of these agreements, rebates are provided to the Company based upon the dollar volume of purchases for all company-owned and franchised restaurants from these vendors. Rebates earned on purchases by franchise stores are recorded as revenue during the period in which the related food and beverage purchases are made. The Company recorded revenue from rebates of $337,786 and $333,248 during the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively, which is included in franchise royalties and fees on the accompanying consolidated statements of operations. Rebates earned on purchases by company owned stores are recorded as a reduction of cost of goods sold during the period in which the related food and beverage purchases are made.
Other Revenues
Through its subsidiary CTI, the Company derives revenue from the sale of POS computer systems, cash registers, digital menu boards and camera systems, and from the provision of related consulting and support services, which generally include implementation, installation and training services. We recognize revenue when persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists, delivery of the product or service has occurred, the fee is fixed or determinable and collectability is reasonably assured. The Company recorded $725,685 and $557,106 of revenues from these technology sales and services during the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively.
Deferred Revenue
Deferred revenue primarily includes initial franchise fees received by the Company, for which the restaurant has not yet opened, as well as unearned vendor rebates and customer deposits received in connection with technology sales and services by CTI (see Note 12 – Deferred Revenue).
The Company collects initial franchise fees when franchise agreements are signed and recognizes the initial franchise fees as revenue when the store is opened, which is when the Company has performed substantially all initial services required by the franchise agreement. Customer deposits received for technology sales or services are recorded as deferred revenue and recognized when the sale is complete, or the service is performed. |
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| Advertising |
Advertising
Advertising costs are charged to expense as incurred. Advertising costs were approximately $609,000 and $173,000 for the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively, and are included in general and administrative expenses in the consolidated statements of operations. Advertising costs incurred related to our national advertising fund are netted with contributions from our Company-owned stores and our franchisees. |
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| Net Loss Per Share |
Net Loss per Share
Basic loss per common share is computed by dividing net loss attributable to common stockholders by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period. Diluted loss per common share is computed by dividing net loss attributable to common stockholders by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding, plus the impact of potential common shares, if dilutive, resulting from the exercise of warrants, and stock options from the conversion of convertible debt, from the conversion of Muscle Maker Brands, LLC (“MMB”) membership units and the vesting of restricted stock which were obtained by the non-controlling interest in connection with the acquisition of MMB and are convertible into shares of common stock of MMI.
The following securities are excluded from the calculation of weighted average diluted common shares at December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively, because their inclusion would have been anti-dilutive:
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| Concentration of Credit Risk |
Concentration of Credit Risk
The Company is subject to credit risk through its loans receivable consisting primarily of amounts due from franchisees. The financial condition of these franchisees is largely dependent upon the underlying business trends of our brand and market conditions within the quick service restaurant industry. At December 31, 2017, one franchisee accounted for 78% of loans receivable and at December 31, 2016, two franchisees accounted for 37% and 19%, respectively, of loans receivable. At December 31, 2017 and 2016, a loan to a consultant, who is also a stockholder of CTI, accounted for 4% and 53%, respectively, of loans receivable. |
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| Major Vendor |
Major Vendor
The Company engages various vendors to distribute food products to their Company-owned restaurants. Purchases from the Company’s largest supplier totaled 82% and 84% of the Company’s purchases for the year ended December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively. |
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| Controlling and Non-Controlling Interest |
Controlling and Non-Controlling Interest
MMI used to own a 74% controlling interest in MMB through the Effective Merger Date and owns a 70% controlling interest in CTI. The profits and losses of CTI are allocated among the controlling interest and the CTI non-controlling interest in the same proportions as their membership interests. All of the profits and losses of MMB and its subsidiaries were allocated among the controlling interest and MMB non-controlling Interest in proportion to the ownership interests through the Effective Merger Date. |
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| Income Taxes |
Income Taxes
The Company accounts for income taxes under Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 740 Income Taxes (“ASC 740”). Under ASC 740, deferred tax assets and liabilities are determined based on the difference between the financial reporting and tax bases of assets and liabilities and net operating loss and credit carryforwards using enacted tax rates in effect for the year in which the differences are expected to impact taxable income. Valuation allowances are established when necessary to reduce deferred tax assets to the amounts expected to be realized.
ASC 740 also clarifies the accounting for uncertainty in income taxes recognized in an enterprise’s financial statements and prescribes a recognition threshold and measurement process for financial statement recognition and measurement of a tax position taken or expected to be taken in a tax return.
Tax benefits claimed or expected to be claimed on a tax return are recorded in the Company’s financial statements. A tax benefit from an uncertain tax position is only recognized if it is more likely than not that the tax position will be sustained on examination by the taxing authorities, based on the technical merits of the position. The tax benefits recognized in the financial statements from such a position are measured based on the largest benefit that has a greater than fifty percent likelihood of being realized upon ultimate resolution. Uncertain tax positions have had no impact on the Company’s financial condition, results of operations or cash flows. The Company does not expect any significant changes in its unrecognized tax benefits within twelve months of the reporting date.
The Company’s policy is to classify assessments, if any, for tax related interest as interest expense and penalties as general and administrative expenses in the consolidated statements of operations. |
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| Reclassifications |
Reclassifications
Certain prior year balances have been reclassified in order to conform to current year presentation. These reclassifications have no effect on the previously reported results of operations or loss per share. |
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| Stock-Based Compensation |
Stock-Based Compensation
The Company measures the cost of services received in exchange for an award of equity instruments based on the fair value of the award. For employees and directors, the fair value of the award is measured on the grant date and for non-employees, the fair value of the award is generally recorded on the grant date and re-measured on financial reporting dates and vesting dates until the service period is complete. The fair value amount of the award is then recognized over the period services are required to be provided in exchange for the award, usually the vesting period. |
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| Recent Accounting Pronouncements |
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02, “Leases (Topic 842)” (“ASU 2016-02”). ASU 2016-02 requires an entity to recognize assets and liabilities arising from a lease for both financing and operating leases. ASU 2016-02 will also require new qualitative and quantitative disclosures to help investors and other financial statement users better understand the amount, timing, and uncertainty of cash flows arising from leases. ASU 2016-02 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, with early adoption permitted. The Company is currently evaluating ASU 2016-02 and its impact on its consolidated financial statements and disclosures.
In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-08, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers - Principal versus Agent Considerations”, in April 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-10, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606) - Identifying Performance Obligations and Licensing” and in May 9, 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-12, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606)” (“ASU 2016-12”). This update provides clarifying guidance regarding the application of ASU No. 2014-09 - Revenue From Contracts with Customers which is not yet effective. These new standards provide for a single, principles-based model for revenue recognition that replaces the existing revenue recognition guidance. In July 2015, the FASB deferred the effective date of ASU 2014-09 for private companies and emerging growth public companies until annual and interim periods beginning on or after December 15, 2018. It will replace most existing revenue recognition guidance under U.S. GAAP when it becomes effective. The Company will evaluate the effects, if any, that adoption of this guidance will have on its consolidated financial statements.
In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-09,” Compensation – Stock Compensation (Topic 718)” (“ASU 2016-09”). ASU 2016-09 requires an entity to simplify several aspects of the accounting for share-based payment transactions, including the income tax consequences, classification of awards as either equity or liabilities, and classification on the statement of cash flows. ASU 2016-09 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016, with early adoption permitted. The Company adopted ASU 2016-09 on the required effective date of January 1, 2017. The adoption of ASU 2016-09 did not have a material impact on the Company’s financial position, results of operations or cash flows.
In August 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-15, “Statement of Cash Flows - Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments (Topic 230)” (“ASU 2016-15”). ASU 2016-15 will make eight targeted changes to how cash receipts and cash payments are presented and classified in the statement of cash flows. ASU 2016-15 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017. The ASU requires adoption on a retrospective basis unless it is impracticable to apply, in which case we will be required to apply the amendments prospectively as of the earliest date practicable. We are currently evaluating the effect that adopting this new accounting guidance will have on its consolidated cash flows and related disclosures.
In December 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-20, “Technical Corrections and Improvements to Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers.” ASU No. 2016-20 amends certain aspects of ASU No. 2014-09 and clarifies, rather than changes, the core revenue recognition principles in ASU No. 2014-09. It is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2018. We are currently evaluating the effect that adopting this new accounting guidance will have on its consolidated cash flows and related disclosures.
In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-04, “Intangibles - Goodwill and Other (Topic 350)” (“ASU 2017-04”) Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment. The update simplifies how an entity is required to test goodwill for impairment by eliminating Step 2 from the goodwill impairment test. Step 2 measures a goodwill impairment loss by comparing the implied fair value of a reporting unit’s goodwill with the carrying amount of that goodwill. It affects public entities that have goodwill reported in their financial statements and have not elected the private company alternative for the subsequent measurement of goodwill. A public entity that is a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) filer should adopt the amendments in this update for its annual or any interim goodwill impairment tests in fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019. We are currently reviewing the new standard and assessing the impact of its adoption.
In May 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-09, Compensation - Stock Compensation (Topic 718); Scope of Modification Accounting. The amendments in this ASU provide guidance that clarifies when changes to the terms or conditions of a share-based payment award must be accounted for as modifications. If the value, vesting conditions or classification of the award changes, modification accounting will apply. The guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, and interim periods within those fiscal years. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of the adoption of this standard on its consolidated financial statements.
In February 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-02, Income Statement - Reporting Comprehensive Income (Topic 220): Reclassification of Certain Tax Effects from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income, which allows a reclassification from accumulated other comprehensive income to retained earnings for stranded tax effects resulting from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. This guidance is effective for all entities for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2018, with early adoption permitted. The amendments in ASU 2018-02 should be applied either in the period of adoption or retrospectively to each period in which the effect of the change in the U.S. federal corporate income tax rate in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act is recognized. The adoption of this guidance is not expected to have a material impact the Company’s consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.
In June 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-07, “Compensation — Stock Compensation (Topic 718),” (“ASU 2018-07”). ASU 2018-07 is intended to reduce cost and complexity and to improve financial reporting for nonemployee share-based payments. Currently, the accounting requirements for nonemployee and employee share-based payment transactions are significantly different. ASU 2018-07 expands the scope of Topic 718, Compensation — Stock Compensation (which currently only includes share-based payments to employees) to include share-based payments issued to nonemployees for goods or services. Consequently, the accounting for share-based payments to nonemployees and employees will be substantially aligned. This ASU supersedes Subtopic 505-50, Equity — Equity-Based Payments to Nonemployees. The amendments in this ASU are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019, and interim periods within fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2020. Early adoption is permitted, but no earlier than a company’s adoption date of Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers. The Company is currently evaluating ASU 2018-07 and its impact on the consolidated financial statements.
In July 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-09, “Codification Improvements” (“ASU 2018-09”). These amendments provide clarifications and corrections to certain ASC subtopics including the following: Income Statement - Reporting Comprehensive Income – Overall (Topic 220-10), Debt - Modifications and Extinguishments (Topic 470-50), Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity – Overall (Topic 480-10), Compensation - Stock Compensation - Income Taxes (Topic 718-740), Business Combinations - Income Taxes (Topic 805-740), Derivatives and Hedging – Overall (Topic 815-10), and Fair Value Measurement – Overall (Topic 820-10). The majority of the amendments in ASU 2018-09 will be effective in annual periods beginning after December 15, 2018. The Company is currently evaluating and assessing the impact this guidance will have on its consolidated financial statements.
In July 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-10, “Codification Improvements to Topic 842, Leases” (“ASU 2018-10”). The amendments in ASU 2018-10 provide additional clarification and implementation guidance on certain aspects of the previously issued ASU No. 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842) (“ASU 2016-02”) and have the same effective and transition requirements as ASU 2016-02. Upon the effective date, ASU 2018-10 will supersede the current lease guidance in ASC Topic 840, Leases. Under the new guidance, lessees will be required to recognize for all leases, with the exception of short-term leases, a lease liability, which is a lessee’s obligation to make lease payments arising from a lease, measured on a discounted basis. Concurrently, lessees will be required to recognize a right-of-use asset, which is an asset that represents the lessee’s right to use, or control the use of, a specified asset for the lease term. ASU 2018-10 is effective for emerging growth companies for interim and annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2019, with early adoption permitted. The guidance is required to be applied using a modified retrospective transition approach for leases existing at, or entered into after, the beginning of the earliest comparative periods presented in the financial statements. The Company is currently assessing the impact this guidance will have on its consolidated financial statements.
In July 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-11, “Leases (Topic 842): Targeted Improvements,” (“ASU 2018-11”). The amendments in ASU 2018-11 related to transition relief on comparative reporting at adoption affect all entities with lease contracts that choose the additional transition method and separating components of a contract affect only lessors whose lease contracts qualify for the practical expedient. The amendments in ASU 2018-11 are effective for emerging growth companies for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019, and interim periods within those fiscal years. The Company is currently assessing the impact this guidance will have on its consolidated financial statements. |
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| Subsequent Events |
Subsequent Events
The Company evaluated events that have occurred after the balance sheet date but before the financial statements are issued. Based upon the evaluation and transactions, the Company did not identify any subsequent events that would have required adjustment or disclosure in the financial statements, except as disclosed in Note 17 – Subsequent Events. |
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Significant Accounting Policies (Tables) |
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| Accounting Policies [Abstract] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Schedule of Estimated Useful Lives of Property and Equipment |
The estimated useful lives are as follows:
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| Schedule of Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share |
The following securities are excluded from the calculation of weighted average diluted common shares at December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively, because their inclusion would have been anti-dilutive:
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Loans Receivable (Tables) |
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Dec. 31, 2017 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Receivables [Abstract] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Schedule of Loans Receivables |
At December 31, 2017 and 2016, the Company’s loans receivable consists of the following:
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Loans Receivable from Related Parties (Tables) |
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| Receivables [Abstract] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Schedule of Loans Receivable from Related Parties |
At December 31, 2017 and 2016, the Company’s loans receivable from related parties consist of the following:
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Property and Equipment, Net (Tables) |
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| Property, Plant and Equipment [Abstract] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Schedule of Property and Equipment, Net |
At December 31, 2017 and 2016, property and equipment consists of the following:
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Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets, Net (Tables) |
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| Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Schedule of Intangible Assets |
A summary of the intangible assets is presented below:
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| Schedule of Future Amortization Expense |
The estimated future amortization expense is as follows:
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Accounts Payables and Accrued Expenses (Tables) |
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| Payables and Accruals [Abstract] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Schedule of Accounts Payables and Accrued Expenses |
Accounts payables and accrued expenses consist of the following:
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Convertible Notes Payable to Former Parent (Tables) |
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| Debt Disclosure [Abstract] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Schedule Fair Value of Weighted Average Assumptions |
The grant date fair value of the warrants issued was valued on the date of issuance using the Black-Scholes option pricing model with the following weighted average assumptions:
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Deferred Revenue (Tables) |
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| Revenue Recognition and Deferred Revenue [Abstract] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Schedule of Deferred Revenue |
At December 31, 2017 and 2016, deferred revenue consists of the following:
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Other Current Liabilities (Tables) |
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| Other Liabilities Disclosure [Abstract] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Schedule of Other Current Liabilities |
Other current liabilities consist of the following:
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Income Taxes (Tables) |
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| Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Schedule of Deferred Tax Assets and Liabilities |
The tax effects of temporary differences that give rise to deferred tax assets and liabilities as of December 31, 2017 and 2016 are presented below:
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| Schedule of Income Tax Provision |
The income tax provision for the periods shown consist of the following:
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| Schedule of Reconciliation of Statutory Federal Income Tax Rate |
A reconciliation of the statutory federal income tax rate to the Company’s effective tax rate for the periods shown, are as follows:
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Commitments and Contingencies (Tables) |
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| Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Schedule of Future Minimum Lease Payments |
Future aggregate minimum lease payments for these leases and others as of December 31, 2017 are:
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Equity (Tables) |
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| Equity [Abstract] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Schedule of Activity Related to Restricted Common Stock |
A summary of the activity related to the restricted common stock for the year ended December 31, 2017 is presented below:
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| Schedule of Warrants Activity |
A summary of warrants activity during the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016 is presented below (See Note 10 - Convertible Notes Payable to Former Parent and Note 11 - Other Notes Payable for warrants issued during the year ended December 31, 2017):
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| Schedule of Stock Options Assumptions |
In applying the Black-Scholes option pricing model, the Company used the following assumptions:
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Reverse Stock Splits (Details Narrative) |
12 Months Ended | |
|---|---|---|
Sep. 20, 2017 |
Dec. 31, 2017 |
|
| Reverse split | Company implemented a 1-for-7 reverse split of the Company's issued common stock (the "Reverse Split"). | |
| Reserve split ratio | 0.142 | |
| January 31, 2018 [Member] | ||
| Reverse split | Company implemented a 3-for-4 reverse split of the Company's issued common stock (the "Second Reverse Split"). | |
| Reserve split ratio | 0.75 |
Significant Accounting Policies - Schedule of Estimated Useful Lives of Property and Equipment (Details) |
12 Months Ended |
|---|---|
Dec. 31, 2017 | |
| Furniture and Equipment [Member] | Minimum [Member] | |
| Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items] | |
| Estimated useful life | 5 years |
| Furniture and Equipment [Member] | Maximum [Member] | |
| Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items] | |
| Estimated useful life | 7 years |
| Leasehold Improvements [Member] | Minimum [Member] | |
| Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items] | |
| Estimated useful life | 1 year 8 months 12 days |
| Leasehold Improvements [Member] | Maximum [Member] | |
| Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items] | |
| Estimated useful life | 10 years 4 months 24 days |
Significant Accounting Policies - Schedule of Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share (Details) - shares |
12 Months Ended | |
|---|---|---|
Dec. 31, 2017 |
Dec. 31, 2016 |
|
| Total potentially dilutive shares | 2,000,543 | 2,874,446 |
| Warrants [Member] | ||
| Total potentially dilutive shares | 521,045 | 318,116 |
| Options [Member] | ||
| Total potentially dilutive shares | 33,750 | |
| Convertible Debt [Member] | ||
| Total potentially dilutive shares | 1,445,748 | 1,005,366 |
| MMB Membership Units [Member] | ||
| Total potentially dilutive shares | 1,550,964 | |
Acquisitions (Details Narrative) - Winston Acquisition [Member] |
Sep. 30, 2016
USD ($)
|
|---|---|
| Business acquisition purchase price | $ 124,117 |
| Security Deposits [Member] | |
| Business acquisition purchase price | 4,117 |
| Leasehold Improvements [Member] | |
| Business acquisition purchase price | $ 120,000 |
Loans Receivable (Details Narrative) - USD ($) |
12 Months Ended | |
|---|---|---|
Dec. 31, 2017 |
Dec. 31, 2016 |
|
| Loans receivable | $ 170,668 | $ 83,663 |
| Net of reserves for uncollectible loans | $ 55,000 | $ 25,000 |
| Minimum [Member] | ||
| Loan original term | 6 months | |
| Interest rate | 0.00% | |
| Maximum [Member] | ||
| Loan original term | 5 years | |
| Interest rate | 5.00% |
Loans Receivable - Schedule of Loans Receivables (Details) - USD ($) |
Dec. 31, 2017 |
Dec. 31, 2016 |
|---|---|---|
| Receivables [Abstract] | ||
| Loans receivable, net | $ 170,668 | $ 83,663 |
| Less: current portion | (20,146) | (30,434) |
| Loans receivable, non-current | $ 150,522 | $ 53,229 |
Loans Receivable from Related Parties (Details Narrative) - USD ($) |
Dec. 31, 2017 |
Dec. 31, 2016 |
|---|---|---|
| Chief Operating Officer and Stockholder [Member] | ||
| Loans receivable from related parties | $ 9,704 | $ 71,667 |
| Net of reserve for uncollectible related party loans | 45,000 | 0 |
| Employees [Member] | ||
| Loans receivable from related parties | $ 3,037 | $ 2,250 |
Loans Receivable from Related Parties - Schedule of Loans Receivable from Related Parties (Details) - USD ($) |
Dec. 31, 2017 |
Dec. 31, 2016 |
|---|---|---|
| Receivables [Abstract] | ||
| Loans receivable from related parties, net | $ 9,704 | $ 71,667 |
| Less: current portion | (9,704) | (20,000) |
| Loans receivable from related parties, non-current | $ 51,667 |
Property and Equipment, Net (Details Narrative) - USD ($) |
12 Months Ended | |
|---|---|---|
Dec. 31, 2017 |
Dec. 31, 2016 |
|
| Property, Plant and Equipment [Abstract] | ||
| Depreciation expense | $ 335,825 | $ 93,641 |
| Assets impairment charges | $ 1,375,790 | |
Property and Equipment, Net - Schedule of Property and Equipment, Net (Details) - USD ($) |
Dec. 31, 2017 |
Dec. 31, 2016 |
|---|---|---|
| Property, Plant and Equipment [Abstract] | ||
| Furniture and equipment | $ 189,401 | $ 517,603 |
| Leasehold improvements | 472,218 | 665,350 |
| Property and equipment, gross | 661,619 | 1,182,953 |
| Less: accumulated depreciation and amortization | (144,617) | (110,408) |
| Property and equipment, net | $ 517,002 | $ 1,072,545 |
Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets, Net (Details Narrative) - USD ($) |
3 Months Ended | 12 Months Ended | |
|---|---|---|---|
Dec. 31, 2017 |
Dec. 31, 2017 |
Dec. 31, 2016 |
|
| Amortization expense | $ 110,544 | $ 110,845 | |
| Impairment of intangible assets | (410,225) | ||
| Impairment of goodwill | $ 2,521,468 | $ 2,521,468 | |
| Franchise Agreements [Member] | |||
| Other intangible asset, useful life | 13 years | ||
| Impairment of intangible assets | $ 410,225 | ||
| Non-compete Agreements [Member] | |||
| Other intangible asset, useful life | 5 years | ||
Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets, Net - Schedule of Future Amortization Expense (Details) |
Dec. 31, 2017
USD ($)
|
|---|---|
| 2018 | $ 69,799 |
| 2019 | 69,799 |
| 2020 | 67,446 |
| 2021 | 63,806 |
| 2022 | 63,806 |
| Thereafter | 323,224 |
| Estimated future amortization expense | 657,880 |
| Franchise Agreements [Member] | |
| 2018 | 63,806 |
| 2019 | 63,806 |
| 2020 | 63,981 |
| 2021 | 63,806 |
| 2022 | 63,806 |
| Thereafter | 323,224 |
| Estimated future amortization expense | 642,429 |
| Non-compete Agreements [Member] | |
| 2018 | 5,993 |
| 2019 | 5,993 |
| 2020 | 3,465 |
| 2021 | |
| 2022 | |
| Thereafter | |
| Estimated future amortization expense | $ 15,451 |
Accounts Payables and Accrued Expenses - Schedule of Accounts Payables and Accrued Expenses (Details) - USD ($) |
Dec. 31, 2017 |
Dec. 31, 2016 |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Payables and Accruals [Abstract] | ||||
| Accounts payable | $ 1,425,281 | $ 360,250 | ||
| Accrued payroll | 150,709 | 28,554 | ||
| Accrued vacation | 93,477 | 58,477 | ||
| Accrued professional fees | 318,379 | 205,935 | ||
| Accrued board members fees | 31,500 | |||
| Accrued rent expense | 284,999 | 33,455 | ||
| Sales taxes payable | [1] | 355,692 | 111,760 | |
| Accrued interest | 24,275 | |||
| Other accrued expenses | 25,881 | 167,910 | ||
| Accounts payables and accrued expenses | $ 2,710,193 | $ 966,341 | ||
| ||||
Other Notes Payable (Details Narrative) |
12 Months Ended |
|---|---|
|
Dec. 31, 2017
USD ($)
shares
| |
| Proceeds from issuance of notes payable | $ 799,340 |
| Convertible Promissory Notes [Member] | |
| Proceeds from issuance of notes payable | 1,550,000 |
| Due to related parties | $ 300,000 |
| Offering conversion price percentage | 50.00% |
| Debt interest percentage | 10.00% |
| Warrants term | 3 years |
| Warrants to purchase shares of common stock | shares | 84,736 |
| Other Notes Payable [Member] | |
| Proceeds from issuance of notes payable | $ 555,000 |
| Due to related parties | $ 335,000 |
| Debt interest percentage | 10.00% |
| Warrants term | 60 days |
Deferred Revenue (Details Narrative) |
12 Months Ended |
|---|---|
|
Dec. 31, 2017
USD ($)
| |
| Vendor [Member] | |
| Payments on future rebates | $ 200,000 |
Deferred Revenue - Schedule of Deferred Revenue (Details) - USD ($) |
Dec. 31, 2017 |
Dec. 31, 2016 |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Recognition and Deferred Revenue [Abstract] | ||
| Customer deposits | $ 18,179 | $ 46,441 |
| Franchise fees | 1,223,608 | 1,256,526 |
| Unearned vendor rebates | 150,073 | |
| Deferred revenue | $ 1,391,860 | $ 1,302,967 |
Other Current Liabilities - Schedule of Other Current Liabilities (Details) - USD ($) |
Dec. 31, 2017 |
Dec. 31, 2016 |
|---|---|---|
| Other Liabilities Disclosure [Abstract] | ||
| Gift card liability | $ 107,568 | $ 91,318 |
| Marketing and co-op advertising fund liability | 261,555 | 66,920 |
| Other current liabilities | $ 369,123 | $ 158,238 |
Income Taxes (Details Narrative) - USD ($) |
12 Months Ended | |
|---|---|---|
Dec. 31, 2017 |
Dec. 31, 2016 |
|
| Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract] | ||
| Net operating losses of federal and state | $ 7,600,000 | |
| Operating loss carryforward expiration term | Will expire from 2030 to 2037 | |
| Ownership percentage | 50.00% | |
| Corporate income tax rate | 21.00% | 34.00% |
| Income tax reconciliation description | On December 22, 2017, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the "2017 Tax Act") was enacted. The 2017 Tax Act includes a number of changes to existing U.S. tax laws that impact the company, most notably a reduction of the U.S. corporate income tax rate from 35 percent to 21 percent for tax years beginning after December 31, 2017. | |
| Decrease in deferred tax assets | $ 1,529,547 | |
| Decrease in valuation allowance | $ 2,389,598 | $ 370,300 |
Income Taxes - Schedule of Deferred Tax Assets and Liabilities (Details) - USD ($) |
Dec. 31, 2017 |
Dec. 31, 2016 |
|---|---|---|
| Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract] | ||
| Net operating loss carryforwards | $ 2,058,299 | $ 1,544,234 |
| Receivable allowance | 27,000 | 18,000 |
| Stock-based compensation | 200,471 | |
| Accruals | 20,250 | |
| Intangible assets | 603,746 | |
| Deferred revenues | 264,330 | 174,600 |
| Gross deferred tax asset | 3,174,096 | 1,736,834 |
| Beneficial conversion feature | (952,336) | |
| Intangible assets | (246,527) | |
| Gross deferred tax liabilities | (1,198,863) | |
| Net deferred tax assets | 3,174,096 | 537,971 |
| Valuation allowance | (3,174,096) | (784,498) |
| Net deferred tax liability | $ (246,527) |
Income Taxes - Schedule of Income Tax Provision (Details) - USD ($) |
12 Months Ended | |
|---|---|---|
Dec. 31, 2017 |
Dec. 31, 2016 |
|
| Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract] | ||
| Federal Current | ||
| Federal Deferred | 2,050,319 | 206,566 |
| State and local Current | ||
| State and local Deferred | 585,806 | 36,452 |
| Deferred Federal, State and Local, Tax Expense (Benefit) | 2,636,125 | 243,018 |
| Change in valuation allowance | (2,389,598) | (370,300) |
| Income tax benefit (provision) | $ 246,527 | $ (127,282) |
Income Taxes - Schedule of Reconciliation of Statutory Federal Income Tax Rate (Details) |
12 Months Ended | |
|---|---|---|
Dec. 31, 2017 |
Dec. 31, 2016 |
|
| Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract] | ||
| Federal income tax benefit at statutory rate | 21.00% | 34.00% |
| State income tax benefit, net of federal impact | 6.00% | 6.00% |
| Permanent differences | (0.80%) | (0.30%) |
| Income passed through to non-controlling interests | (4.10%) | (10.50%) |
| Change in effective rate | (9.80%) | |
| Other | (0.90%) | |
| Change in valuation allowance | (13.10%) | (32.30%) |
| Effective income tax rate | (1.70%) | (3.10%) |
Commitments and Contingencies - Schedule of Future Minimum Lease Payments (Details) |
Dec. 31, 2017
USD ($)
|
|---|---|
| Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract] | |
| 2018 | $ 234,248 |
| 2019 | 217,043 |
| 2020 | 154,810 |
| 2021 | 86,947 |
| 2022 | 80,926 |
| Thereafter | 303,295 |
| Total | $ 1,077,269 |
Equity - Schedule of Activity Related to Restricted Common Stock (Details) - Restricted Common Stock [Member] |
12 Months Ended |
|---|---|
|
Dec. 31, 2017
$ / shares
shares
| |
| Restricted Common Stock, Outstanding Beginning | shares | |
| Restricted Common Stock, Granted | shares | 204,152 |
| Restricted Common Stock, Forfeited | shares | (1,285) |
| Restricted Common Stock, Vested | shares | (105,690) |
| Restricted Common Stock, Outstanding Ending | shares | 97,177 |
| Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value, Outstanding Beginning | $ / shares | |
| Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value, Granted | $ / shares | 7.78 |
| Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value, Forfeited | $ / shares | 9.33 |
| Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value, Vested | $ / shares | 6.32 |
| Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value, Outstanding Ending | $ / shares | $ 6.82 |
Equity - Schedule of Warrants Activity (Details) - $ / shares |
12 Months Ended | |
|---|---|---|
Dec. 31, 2017 |
Dec. 31, 2016 |
|
| Equity [Abstract] | ||
| Number of Warrants, Outstanding Beginning | 318,116 | |
| Number of Warrants, Issued | 208,285 | 318,116 |
| Number of Warrants, Exercised | (5,356) | |
| Number of Warrants, Outstanding Ending | 521,045 | 318,116 |
| Number of Warrants, Exercisable | 521,045 | |
| Weighted Average Exercise Price, Outstanding Beginning | $ 8.84 | |
| Weighted Average Exercise Price, Issued | 9.33 | 8.84 |
| Weighted Average Exercise Price, Exercised | 9.33 | |
| Weighted Average Exercise Price, Outstanding Ending | 9.03 | $ 8.84 |
| Weighted Average Exercise Price, Exercisable | $ 9.03 | |
| Weighted Average Remaining Life In Years, Outstanding Beginning | 2 years 2 months 12 days | 0 years |
| Weighted Average Remaining Life In Years, Outstanding Ending | 1 year 10 months 25 days | 2 years 2 months 12 days |
| Weighted Average Remaining Life In Years, Exercisable | 1 year 10 months 25 days | |
Equity - Schedule of Stock Options Assumptions (Details) |
12 Months Ended | |
|---|---|---|
Dec. 31, 2017 |
Dec. 31, 2016 |
|
| Risk free interest rate | 1.61% | |
| Expected term (years) | 3 years | 3 years |
| Expected volatility | 43.50% | 40.00% |
| Expected dividends | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Minimum [Member] | ||
| Risk free interest rate | 1.07% | |
| Maximum [Member] | ||
| Risk free interest rate | 1.59% | |