EX-99.1 2 dex991.htm PRESS RELEASE Press Release

Exhibit 99.1

 

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For information contact:

Paul R. Flanders

Chief Financial Officer

(315) 424-0513

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

 

CARROLS CORPORATION REPORTS INCREASE IN SECOND QUARTER REVENUES AND EARNINGS

 

SYRACUSE, NEW YORK (August 2, 2004) – Carrols Corporation reported that revenues for the second quarter ended June 30, 2004 increased 7.4% to $177.9 million from $165.6 million in 2003 and that net income increased to $4.1 million for the second quarter ended June 30, 2004 from $2.3 million in 2003. For the six months ended June 30, 2004 revenues increased 5.3% to $334.8 million and net income increased to $4.4 million from $1.0 million in 2003.

 

The Company indicated that EBITDA (earnings before interest, income taxes, depreciation and amortization) increased 4.3% in the second quarter to $24.8 million from $23.8 million in 2003. For the six months ended June 30, 2004, EBITDA increased 8.1% to $44.1 million from $40.8 million in 2003. Also for the six months ended June 30, 2004 cash provided from operating activities increased to $28.6 million from $21.7 million in 2003.

 

Carrols also reported that revenues from its Hispanic restaurant brands, which include the Taco Cabana and Pollo Tropical restaurant chains, increased 11.9% in the second quarter to $82.6 million and that EBITDA increased 17.9% to $14.2 million. Sales from the Company’s Burger King restaurants increased 3.8% in the quarter to $95.3 million and EBITDA was $10.6 million in the quarter compared to $11.8 million in the prior year.

 

Alan Vituli, Chairman and CEO of Carrols stated, “Sales results were solid across the board with comparable unit sales increases posted at all of our restaurant concepts. Sales at our Hispanic brands were particularly strong as we continued to experience positive momentum from a number of marketing, product and operational initiatives undertaken over the past year. Pollo Tropical comparable unit sales increased 14.1% continuing its very strong performance trends from the past several quarters; Taco Cabana comparable unit sales increased 5.2%.”

 

“On an overall basis, increases in both EBITDA and net income for the second quarter mostly reflected the strong performance at Pollo Tropical including improvements in both sales and operating margins. Taco Cabana EBITDA, while increasing for the first six months, was slightly lower in the second quarter due to the timing of advertising promotions this year as well as from rent increases related to a number of sale/leaseback transactions completed over the past year.”

 

Vituli added, “We were also encouraged by the positive results from a number of Burger King’s premium new product introductions including the TenderCrisp Chicken Sandwich, a new line of salads, and more recently, the new Angus Steakburger. Sales at our comparable Burger King restaurants increased 4.2% in the second quarter. These sales gains were, however, offset by lower margins resulting from increases in beef costs over the past several months.”

 

For the six months ended June 30, 2004 Hispanic restaurant brand revenues increased 11.4% to $158.4 million and EBITDA increased 19.9% to $27.7 million. Comparable unit sales increases were 11.0% and 4.9%, respectively, for Pollo Tropical and Taco Cabana. For the six month period, sales for the Company’s Burger King restaurants increased to $176.4 million and reflected a .7% increase at its comparable units.

 

Carrols Corporation • 968 James Street • PO Box 6969 • Syracuse, NY 13217 • Tel: (315) 424-0513 • Fax: (315) 475-9616


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Carrols Corporation is one of the largest restaurant companies in the U.S. operating 536 restaurants in 16 states. It’s the largest franchisee of Burger King restaurants with 352 Burger Kings located in 13 Northeastern, Midwestern and Southeastern states. It also operates two regional Hispanic restaurant chains that operate or franchise more than 200 restaurants. Carrols owns and operates 124 Taco Cabana restaurants in Texas and Oklahoma, and franchises nine Taco Cabana restaurants. Carrols also owns and operates 60 Pollo Tropical restaurants in South and Central Florida, and franchises 25 Pollo Tropical restaurants in Puerto Rico (20 units), Ecuador (4 units) and South Florida.

 

This report contains certain forward-looking statements that reflect management’s current expectations and are based upon currently available data; however, actual results are subject to future events, risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Investors are referred to the full discussion of risks and uncertainties as contained in Carrols Corporation’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

On June 22, 2004, Carrols Holding Corporation, the corporate parent of the Company, filed a registration statement on Form S-1 with the Securities and Exchange Commission for the registration and sale of Enhanced Yield Securities. Consequently, the Company indicated that it would not be holding an investor conference call to further discuss its quarterly results, but that it anticipates filing of its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q in the next couple of weeks.


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Carrols Corporation

 

(unaudited)

 

(dollars in thousands)


  

Thirteen Weeks

Ended June 30,


    Twenty-Six Weeks
Ended June 30,


 
           Restated (1)           Restated (1)  
     2004

    2003

    2004

    2003

 

Revenues:

                                

Burger King restaurants

   $ 95,297     $ 91,783     $ 176,426     $ 175,725  

Pollo Tropical restaurants

     30,724       26,787       60,096       53,277  

Taco Cabana restaurants

     51,501       46,693       97,545       88,163  

Franchise royalty revenues and fees

     401       358       756       696  
    


 


 


 


Total revenues

     177,923       165,621       334,823       317,861  

Cost of sales

     52,320       45,385       96,001       87,819  

Restaurant wages and related expenses

     51,671       49,780       99,522       96,824  

Restaurant rent expense

     8,723       7,532       17,287       15,350  

Other restaurant operating expenses

     29,905       30,185       57,622       58,817  

General and administrative

     10,487       8,938       20,246       18,212  

Depreciation and amortization

     11,103       11,584       22,255       22,469  
    


 


 


 


Total operating expenses

     164,209       153,404       312,933       299,491  
    


 


 


 


Income from operations

     13,714       12,217       21,890       18,370  

Interest expense

     7,324       8,287       14,901       16,643  
    


 


 


 


Income before income taxes

     6,390       3,930       6,989       1,727  

Provision for income taxes

     2,337       1,607       2,557       744  
    


 


 


 


Net income

   $ 4,053     $ 2,323     $ 4,432     $ 983  
    


 


 


 


EBITDA (2) by Operating Segment:

                                

Burger King

   $ 10,613     $ 11,758     $ 16,399     $ 17,697  

Pollo Tropical

     7,499       5,151       14,748       10,940  

Taco Cabana

     6,705       6,892       12,998       12,202  
    


 


 


 


Total

   $ 24,817     $ 23,801     $ 44,145     $ 40,839  
    


 


 


 


Change in Comparable Restaurant Sales:

                                

Burger King

     4.2 %     (10.5 )%     0.7 %     (9.0 )%

Pollo Tropical

     14.1 %     (2.1 )%     11.0 %     (0.8 )%

Taco Cabana

     5.2 %     (5.5 )%     4.9 %     (5.1 )%

Total long-term debt at end of quarter (3)

                   $ 349,049     $ 422,749  

(1) For a discussion of the restatement refer to Note 2 of the consolidated financial statements included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2003.
(2) Earnings before interest, income taxes, depreciation and amortization.
(3) Outstanding debt at June 30, 2004 includes $170.0 million of subordinated notes due 2008, $94.0 million outstanding under the Company’s senior credit facility, $83.6 million of lease financing obligations and $1.4 million related to capital leases and other debt.


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Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures

 

EBITDA is presented because we believe it is a useful financial indicator of our historical debt capacity and our ability to pay debt service. However, EBITDA should not be considered as an alternative to net income as a measure of operating results or to operating cash flows as a measure of liquidity in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. A reconciliation of EBITDA to cash provided from operating activities is as follows:

 

    

Thirteen Weeks

Ended June 30,


   

Twenty-Six Weeks

Ended June 30,


 
           Restated           Restated  
     2004

    2003

    2004

    2003

 

EBITDA

   $ 24,817     $ 23,801     $ 44,145     $ 40,839  

Adjustments to reconcile EBITDA to cash provided from operating activities:

                                

Gain on sale of assets

     (288 )     —         (288 )     —    

Interest expense

     (7,324 )     (8,287 )     (14,901 )     (16,643 )

Income tax expense

     (2,337 )     (1,607 )     (2,557 )     (744 )

Deferred taxes

     (322 )     1,114       (560 )     248  

Change in operating assets and liabilities

     3,598       (2,978 )     2,769       (1,966 )
    


 


 


 


Cash provided from operating activities

   $ 18,144     $ 12,043     $ 28,608     $ 21,734  
    


 


 


 


 

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