EX-99.1 2 cmw3436a.htm PRESS RELEASE

THE MARCUS CORPORATION REPORTS INCREASED THIRD QUARTER
REVENUES AND OPERATING INCOME

Operating income more than triples to $6.3 million

Milwaukee, Wis., March 19, 2008..... The Marcus Corporation (NYSE: MCS) today reported increased revenues and operating income for the third quarter ended February 28, 2008.

Third Quarter Fiscal 2008 Highlights

  Total revenues for the third quarter of fiscal 2008 were $86,040,000, a 20.5% increase from revenues of $71,418,000 for the third quarter of fiscal 2007.
  Operating income was $6,257,000 for the third quarter of fiscal 2008, a 237.7% increase from operating income of $1,853,000 for the same period in the prior year.
  Net earnings were $1,785,000 or $0.06 per diluted common share for the third quarter of fiscal 2008, compared to net earnings of $4,028,000 or $0.13 per diluted common share for the third quarter of the prior year.
  Last year’s net earnings included pre-tax gains on the disposition of property, equipment and other assets of $5,519,000, related primarily to development gains on the sale of units at the company’s condominium hotel project in Las Vegas. Prior year results also benefited from historic tax credits related to the renovation of the Skirvin Hilton in Oklahoma City.

First Three Quarters of Fiscal 2008 Highlights

  Total revenues were $281,612,000 for the first three quarters of fiscal 2008, a 19.6% increase from revenues of $235,430,000 for the same period in the prior year.
  Operating income was $38,410,000 for the first three quarters of fiscal 2008, a 21.9% increase from operating income of $31,502,000 for the same period in fiscal 2007.

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  Net earnings were $16,456,000 or $0.54 per diluted common share for the first three quarters of fiscal 2008, compared to earnings of $27,826,000 or $0.90 per diluted common share for the comparable prior period.
  Last year’s net earnings included pre-tax gains on the disposition of property, equipment and other assets of $14,088,000, related to the sale of surplus movie theatre and restaurant properties and development gains on the sale of units at the company’s condominium hotel project in Las Vegas. Prior year results also benefited from historic tax credits related to the renovation of the Skirvin Hilton in Oklahoma City.

“We are pleased to report operating income up more than three-fold over the third quarter of last year. The strong performance was driven by solid increases in revenues and operating income in both of our divisions for the quarter,” said Stephen H. Marcus, chairman and chief executive officer of The Marcus Corporation.

Marcus Theatres®

“Revenues for Marcus Theatres increased 21.3% in the third quarter, due to a solid slate of films and the addition of 122 screens at 11 locations acquired in April 2007 from Cinema Entertainment Corporation (CEC). We are especially pleased with the results, given that this year’s third quarter did not include the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, which we had last year during this quarter,” said Marcus.

Marcus said the top performing films for Marcus Theatres in the third quarter were National Treasure: Book of Secrets, Alvin and the Chipmunks, I Am Legend and Juno. “In addition, the Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert in Digital 3D presented at two of our theatre locations in Wisconsin was a huge success. In response to the overwhelming demand, this run was extended from one week to three weeks,” said Marcus.

“In addition to the 3D tests at these locations, last week we announced a test of the Thomson Technicolor Digital Cinema technology at our theatre in Sturtevant, Wis. This digital cinema projection system will deliver razor-sharp images and dynamic digital sound to moviegoers and will enable a range of programming opportunities such as live concerts, sporting events and 3D,” said Marcus.

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He noted that the company opened its eleventh UltraScreen® at an existing 16-screen location in the Columbus, Ohio, area and purchased a portion of the Silk Film Buying Company of Minneapolis in the third quarter. Marcus Theatres is now providing film buying, booking and other related services for a total of 747 motion picture screens in six states.

“The motion picture line-up for spring and summer includes a number of potentially strong hits. Movies that have already opened well early in our fourth quarter include 10,000 B.C. and Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who!. Additional films opening before the end of our fiscal year include Iron Man, Speed Racer, The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Skull. Promising films for the summer season include Sex and the City, Kung Fu Panda, Get Smart, The Love Guru, Pixar’s Wall-E, Journey to the Center of the Earth 3D and the latest Batman film, The Dark Knight,” said Marcus.

Marcus Hotels and Resorts

“This was also a much-improved quarter for Marcus Hotels and Resorts. Revenues rose 19.5% in the third quarter due to new properties opened during the past year and increased management and development fees. Revenue per available room (RevPAR) for company-owned properties (excluding the recently opened Skirvin Hilton) increased 9.2% for the third quarter and 6.9% year-to-date,” said Marcus.

Marcus said the improved performance at the company’s newest properties, the InterContinental Milwaukee, the Skirvin Hilton in Oklahoma City and the Platinum Hotel & Spa in Las Vegas, also reflects $1.9 million of preopening expenses in the third quarter of last year that did not recur in the third quarter of the current year. He noted that the Skirvin Hilton is completing its first full year of operation and is performing very well.

“Our newest managed property, the new 256-room Hilton Minneapolis/Bloomington in Bloomington, Minn. opened in January. This property is in a great location in an upscale western suburb of the Twin Cities, near the popular Mall of America. It features our fifth ChopHouse restaurant, along with 9,200 square feet of meeting and banquet space and the latest technology and industry amenities. The Hilton Minneapolis/Bloomington is our 20th property and 12th management contract, increasing our total owned or managed room count to approximately 5,200 rooms,” said Marcus.

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He noted that the company-owned Four Points® by Sheraton Chicago Downtown/Magnificent Mile was recently named the 2007 Four Points by Sheraton Property of the Year. “Our hotel was selected from 125 Four Points by Sheraton branded properties in 21 countries to be recognized for overall excellence. When we opened this property about two years ago, our goal was to set a new standard for service, comfort and value in the Chicago market. This award recognizes the success we have achieved in meeting these objectives,” added Marcus.

Summary

“Along with our improved financial performance, we are continuing to move forward with our growth strategies. Marcus Theatres is continuing to add new UltraScreens and new technology. Marcus Hotels and Resorts is benefitting from new properties and management contracts added during the past year. Both of our divisions are continuing to pursue additional growth opportunities,” said Gregory S. Marcus, recently elected president of The Marcus Corporation.

“We repurchased 383,000 shares of our common stock during the third quarter, bringing our total number repurchased for the year-to-date to 828,000 shares. In January, the Board authorized the purchase of an additional 2,000,000 shares of our common stock, extending our existing share repurchase program. We continue to believe that repurchasing shares is a good investment for the company. With our strong cash flow and balance sheet, we believe that when timing and market conditions are appropriate, we can repurchase shares to enhance shareholder value while at the same time continuing to invest in our businesses to facilitate our long-term growth,” he added.

Conference Call and Webcast

Marcus Corporation management will host a conference call today, March 19, 2008, at 10:00 a.m. Central/11:00 a.m. Eastern time to discuss the third quarter results. Interested parties can listen to the call live on the Internet through the investor relations section of the company’s Web site: www.marcuscorp.com, or by dialing 1-617-614-3529 and entering the passcode 26238872. Listeners should dial in to the call at least 5 – 10 minutes prior to the start of the call or should go to the Web site at least 15 minutes prior to the call to download and install any

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necessary audio software. The call will be available for telephone replay through Wednesday, March 26, 2008 by dialing 1-888-286-8010 and entering the passcode 38443087. The Webcast of the conference call will be archived on the company’s Web site until the next earnings release.

About The Marcus Corporation

Headquartered in Milwaukee, Wis., The Marcus Corporation is a leader in the lodging and entertainment industries. The Marcus Corporation’s movie theatre division, Marcus Theatres®, currently owns or manages 595 screens at 49 locations in Wisconsin, Illinois, Minnesota, Ohio, North Dakota and Iowa, and one family entertainment center in Wisconsin. The company’s lodging division, Marcus Hotels and Resorts, owns or manages 20 hotels, resorts and other properties in 10 states, with two additional properties under development. For more information, visit the company’s Web site at www.marcuscorp.com.

Certain matters discussed in this press release are “forward-looking statements” intended to qualify for the safe harbors from liability established by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements may generally be identified as such because the context of such statements will include words such as we “believe,” “anticipate,” “expect” or words of similar import. Similarly, statements that describe our future plans, objectives or goals are also forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause results to differ materially from those expected, including, but not limited to, the following: (1) the availability, in terms of both quantity and audience appeal, of motion pictures for our theatre division, as well as other industry dynamics such as the maintenance of a suitable window between the date such motion pictures are released in theatres and the date they are released to other distribution channels; (2) the effects of increasing depreciation expenses and preopening and start-up costs due to the capital intensive nature of our businesses; (3) the effects of adverse economic conditions in our markets, particularly with respect to our hotels and resorts division; (4) the effects of adverse weather conditions, particularly during the winter in the Midwest and in our other markets; (5) the effects on our occupancy and room rates from the relative industry supply of available rooms at comparable lodging facilities in our markets; (6) the effects of competitive conditions in our markets; (7) our ability to identify properties to acquire, develop and/or manage and continuing availability of funds for such development; and (8) the adverse impact on business and consumer spending on travel, leisure and entertainment resulting from terrorist attacks in the United States, the United States’ responses thereto and subsequent hostilities. Shareholders, potential investors and other readers are urged to consider these factors carefully in evaluating the forward-looking statements and are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements made herein are made only as of the date of this press release and we undertake no obligation to publicly update such forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances.

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THE MARCUS CORPORATION
Consolidated Statements of Earnings
(Unaudited)

(In thousands, except per share data)

13 Weeks Ended
39 Weeks Ended
February 28,
2008

February 22,
2007

February 28,
2008

February 22,
2007

Revenues:                    
    Rooms and telephone   $ 16,358   $ 14,361 $71,280   $ 64,482
    Theatre admissions    29,423    23,431    87,361    71,147  
    Theatre concessions    14,443    11,747    42,946    35,382  
    Food and beverage    13,162    10,918    42,056    34,724  
    Other revenues    12,654    10,961    37,969    29,695  




Total revenues    86,040    71,418    281,612    235,430  

Costs and expenses:
  
    Rooms and telephone    7,959    7,282    25,973    23,578  
    Theatre operations    24,681    19,585    71,626    57,605  
    Theatre concessions    3,473    2,630    10,797    7,858  
    Food and beverage    10,794    9,648    32,571    26,826  
    Advertising and marketing    4,593    4,602    14,900    14,183  
    Administrative    8,953    7,864    27,462    24,106  
    Depreciation and amortization    7,656    6,897    23,697    19,605  
    Rent    1,116    795    3,539    2,473  
    Property taxes    3,767    2,099    10,895    7,346  
    Preopening expenses    9    2,010    318    3,216  
    Other operating expenses    6,782    6,153    21,424    17,132  




Total costs and expenses    79,783    69,565    243,202    203,928  





Operating Income
    6,257    1,853    38,410    31,502  

Other Income (expense):
  
    Investment income    276    727    982    2,184  
    Interest expense    (3,566 )  (3,359 )  (11,502 )  (9,836 )
    Gain on disposition of property, equipment and other assets    155    5,519    48    14,088  
    Equity earnings (losses) from unconsolidated joint ventures    (184 )  24    (322 )  (1,375 )




     (3,319 )  2,911    (10,794 )  5,061  





Earnings from continuing operations
  
    before income taxes    2,938    4,764    27,616    36,563  
Income taxes    1,153    510    11,160    8,338  




Earnings from continuing operations    1,785    4,254    16,456    28,225  

Losses from discontinued operations,
  
    net of income taxes    --    (226 )  --    (399 )





Net earnings
   $ 1,785   $ 4,028   $ 16,456   $ 27,826  





Earnings per common share - diluted:
  
    Continuing operations   $ 0.06   $ 0.14   $ 0.54   $ 0.91  
    Discontinued operations   $ --   $ (0.01 ) $ --   $ (0.01 )




    Net earnings per share   $ 0.06   $ 0.13   $ 0.54   $ 0.90  





Weighted average shares outstanding - diluted
    29,823    30,872    30,372    30,805  

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THE MARCUS CORPORATION
Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets

(In thousands)

(Unaudited)
February 28,
2008

(Audited)
May 31,
2007


Assets:
           

     Cash and cash equivalents
   $ 9,503   $ 12,018  
     Cash held by intermediaries    811    5,749  
     Accounts and notes receivable    18,145    19,956  
     Refundable income taxes    354    5,939  
     Deferred income taxes    552    1,056  
     Condominium units held for sale    6,948    7,320  
     Other current assets    5,376    6,340  
     Assets of discontinued operations    --    975  
     Property and equipment, net    552,221    559,785  
     Other assets    76,751    79,245  



Total Assets
   $ 670,661   $ 698,383  



Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity:
  
     Accounts and notes payable   $ 14,052   $ 24,481  
     Taxes other than income taxes    11,595    11,215  
     Other current liabilities    33,584    31,466  
     Current maturities of long-term debt    31,904    57,250  
     Liabilities of discontinued operations    --    2,731  
     Long-term debt    211,012    199,425  
     Deferred income taxes    28,924    29,376  
     Deferred compensation and other    24,415    22,930  
     Shareholders’ equity    315,175    319,509  



Total Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity
   $ 670,661   $ 698,383  



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THE MARCUS CORPORATION
Business Segment Information
(Unaudited)

(In thousands)

Theatres
Hotels/
Resorts

Corporate
Items

Continuing
Operations
Total

Discontinued
Operations

Total
13 Weeks Ended February 28, 2008                            
Revenues   $ 46,116   $ 39,554   $ 370   $ 86,040    --   $ 86,040  
Operating income (loss)    8,852    (347 )  (2,248 )  6,257    --    6,257  
Depreciation and amortization    3,754    3,736    166    7,656    --    7,656  

13 Weeks Ended February 22, 2007
  
Revenues   $ 38,026   $ 33,112   $ 280   $ 71,418   $ 245   $ 71,663  
Operating income (loss)    8,281    (4,236 )  (2,192 )  1,853    3    1,856  
Depreciation and amortization    3,079    3,647    171    6,897    --    6,897  

39 Weeks Ended February 28, 2008
  
Revenues   $ 137,298   $ 143,251   $ 1,063   $ 281,612    --   $ 281,612  
Operating income (loss)    28,532    16,719    (6,841 )  38,410    --    38,410  
Depreciation and amortization    11,216    11,969    512    23,697    --    23,697  

39 Weeks Ended February 22, 2007
  
Revenues   $ 112,543   $ 121,977   $ 910   $ 235,430   $ 3,935   $ 239,365  
Operating income (loss)    25,289    12,916    (6,703 )  31,502    15    31,517  
Depreciation and amortization    8,715    10,304    586    19,605    12    19,617  

Corporate items include amounts not allocable to the business segments. Corporate revenues consist principally of rent and the corporate operating loss includes general corporate expenses. Corporate information technology costs and accounting shared services costs are allocated to the business segments based upon several factors, including actual usage and segment revenues.

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