1. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2019

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Organization

Organization: The Company, with two wholly-owned subsidiaries, sells and services franchises and licenses and operates Company-owned foodservice locations for one non-traditional location and five traditional restaurants called Craft Pizza & Pub under the trade names “Noble Roman’s Pizza”, “Noble Roman’s Craft Pizza & Pub” and “Tuscano’s Italian Style Subs". Unless the context otherwise indicates, reference to the “Company” are to Noble Roman’s, Inc. and its two wholly-owned subsidiaries.

Principles of Consolidation

Principles of Consolidation: The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Noble Roman’s, Inc. and its wholly-owned subsidiaries, Pizzaco, Inc. and RH Roanoke, Inc. Inter-company balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.

Inventories

Inventories: Inventories consist of food, beverage, restaurant supplies, restaurant equipment and marketing materials and are stated at the lower of cost (first-in, first-out) or net realizable value.

Property and Equipment

Property and Equipment: Equipment and leasehold improvements are stated at cost. Depreciation and amortization are computed on the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives ranging from five years to 20 years. Leasehold improvements are amortized over the shorter of estimated useful life or the term of the lease including likely renewals. Construction and equipment in progress are stated at cost for leasehold improvements, equipment for a new restaurant being constructed and for pre-opening costs of any restaurant not yet open as of the date of the statements.

Significant Accounting Policies

Significant Accounting Policies: There have been no significant changes in the Company's accounting policies from those disclosed in its Annual Report on Form 10-K except for those policies described below in relation to the adoption of Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842).

The Company determines if an arrangement is a lease at inception. Operating leases are included in right-of-use assets ("ROU"), and lease liability obligations are included in the Company's balance sheets. ROU assets represent the Company's right to use an underlying asset for the lease term and lease liability obligations represent its obligation to make lease payments arising from the lease. Operating lease ROU assets and liabilities are recognized at the commencement date based on the present value of lease payments over the lease term. As the Company's leases typically do not provide an implicit rate, the Company estimates its incremental borrowing rate based on the information available at the commencement date in determining the present value of lease payments. The Company uses the implicit rate when readily determinable. The ROU asset also includes in the lease payments made and excludes lease incentives and lease direct costs. The Company's lease term may include options to extend or terminate the lease when it is reasonably certain that the Company will exercise that option. Lease expense is recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term.

The Company adopted the new standard to all material leases existing on January 1, 2019 and recognized a cumulative effect adjustment to the opening balance of accumulated deficit on that date.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

Cash and Cash Equivalents: Includes actual cash balance. The cash is not pledged nor are there any withdrawal restrictions.

Advertising Costs

Advertising Costs: The Company records advertising costs consistent with the Financial Accounting Standards Board’s (the “FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”)“Other Expense” topic and “Advertising Costs” subtopic. This statement requires the Company to expense advertising production costs the first time the production material is used.

Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures

Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures: The Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures topic of the FASB’s ASC requires companies to determine fair value based on the price that would be received to sell the assets or paid to transfer to liability to a market participant. The fair value measurements and disclosure topic emphasis that fair value is a market based measurement, not an entity specific measurement. The guidance requires that assets and liabilities carried at fair value be classified and disclosed in one of the following categories:

Level One: Quoted market prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities.

Level Two: Observable market –based inputs or unobservable inputs that are corroborated by

market data.

Level Three: Unobservable inputs that are not corroborated by market data.

Use of Estimates

Use of Estimates: The preparation of the consolidated financial statements in conformity with United States generally accepted accounting principles requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. Actual results could differ from those estimates. After a thorough review by management in 2018, the Company permanently wrote off $1.3 million and created an additional reserve for possible non-collection of $2.8 million. After a review in 2019 and also considering the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, it was decided to add an additional reserve for possible non-collections of $1.3 million. The actual amount the Company eventually collects may differ from this estimation. The Company evaluates its property and equipment and related costs periodically to assess whether any impairment indications are present, including recurring operating losses and significant adverse changes in legal factors or business climate that affect the recovery of recorded value. If any impairment of an individual asset is evident, a loss would be provided to reduce the carrying value to its estimated fair value.

Debt Issuance Costs

Debt Issuance Costs: Debt issuance cost is presented on the balance sheet as a direct reduction from the carrying amount of the associated liability. Debt issuance costs are amortized to interest expense ratably over the term of the applicable debt. The unamortized debt issuance cost at December 31, 2019 was $800,000.

Intangible Assets

Intangible Assets: The Company recorded goodwill of $278,000 as a result of the acquisition of RH Roanoke, Inc. of certain assets of a former franchisee of the Company. Goodwill has an indeterminable life and is assessed for impairment at least annually and more frequently as triggering events may occur. In making this assessment, management relies on a number of factors including operating results, business plans, economic projections, anticipated future cash flows, and transactions and marketplace data. Any impairment losses determined to exist are recorded in the period the determination is made. There are inherent uncertainties related to these factors and management’s judgment is involved in performing goodwill and other intangible assets valuation analyses, thus there is risk that the carrying value of goodwill and other intangible assets may be overstated or understated. The Company has elected to perform the annual impairment assessment of recorded goodwill as of the end of the Company’s fiscal year. The results of this annual impairment assessment indicated that the fair value of the reporting unit as of December 31, 2019, exceeded the carrying or book value, including goodwill, and therefore recorded goodwill was not subject to impairment.

Royalties, Administrative and Franchise Fees

Royalties, Administrative and Franchise Fees: Royalties are generally recognized as income monthly based on a percentage of monthly sales of franchised or licensed restaurants and from audits and other inspections as they come due and payable by the franchisee. Fees from the retail products in grocery stores are recognized monthly based on the distributors’ sale of those retail products to the grocery stores or grocery store distributors. Administrative fees are recognized as income monthly as earned. The Company adopted Accounting Standards Update 2014-09 effective January 2018 which did not materially affect the Company's recognition of royalties, fees from the sale of retail products in grocery stores, administrative fees or sales from Company-owned restaurants. However, initial franchise fees and related contract costs are now deferred and amortized on a straight-line basis over the term of the franchise agreements, generally five to ten years. The effect to comparable periods within the financial statements is not material as the initial franchise fee for the non-traditional franchise is intended to defray the initial contract cost, and the franchise fees and contract costs initially incurred and paid approximate the relative amortized franchise fees and contract costs for those same periods.

Exit or Disposal Activities Related to Discontinued Operations

Exit or Disposal Activities Related to Discontinued Operations: The Company records exit or disposal activity for discontinued operations when management commits to an exit or disposal plan and includes those charges under results of discontinued operations, as required by the ASC “Exit or Disposal Cost Obligations” topic.

Income Taxes

Income Taxes: The Company provides for current and deferred income tax liabilities and assets utilizing an asset and liability approach along with a valuation allowance as appropriate. The Company evaluated its deferred tax assets in 2018 and determined that $1,422,960 of the deferred tax credits may expire in 2019 and 2020 before they are fully utilized, which increased the Company’s tax expense for 2018 and reduced the deferred tax credit on the balance sheet. The Company again evaluated its deferred tax assets in 2019 and determined that $1.7 million of its net operating loss carry-forward may expire before they are used resulting in an additional $400 thousand in tax expense in 2019. As of December 31, 2019, the net operating loss carry-forward was approximately $11.8 million which expires between the years 2020 and 2036. As a result of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (the “2017 Tax Act”), the Company reduced the carrying value of the tax impact of the net operating loss carry-forward to reflect the new highest corporate income tax rate of 21% versus the old rate of 34%.

U.S. generally accepted accounting principles require the Company to examine its tax positions for uncertain positions. Management is not aware of any tax positions that are more likely than not to change in the next 12 months, or that would not sustain an examination by applicable taxing authorities. The Company’s policy is to recognize penalties and interest as incurred in its Consolidated Statements of Operations. None were included for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2018 and 2019. The Company’s federal and various state income tax returns for 2016 through 2019 are subject to examination by the applicable tax authorities, generally for three years after the later of the original or extended due date.

Basic and Diluted Net Income Per Share

Basic and Diluted Net Income Per Share: Net income per share is based on the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the respective year. When dilutive, stock options and warrants are included as share equivalents using the treasury stock method.

The following table sets forth the calculation of basic and diluted loss per share for the year ended December 31, 2017:

	Income (Numerator)			Shares (Denominator)		Per Share Amount
Loss per share – basic Net loss	$	(3,384,927	)		20,783,032	$	(.16	)
Effect of dilutive securities Options		-			222,624
Convertible notes		345,208			4,698,630
Diluted loss per share (1) Net loss	$	(3,039,719	)		25,704,286	$	(.16	)

(1) Net loss per share is shown the same as basic loss per share because the underlying dilutive securities have an anti-dilutive effect.

The following table sets forth the calculation of basic and diluted loss per share for the year ended December 31, 2018:

	Income (Numerator)			Shares (Denominator)		Per Share  Amount
Net loss per share – basic Net loss	$	(3,062,209	)		21,249,607	$	(.14	)
Effect of dilutive securities Options		-			511,260
Convertible notes		213,125			4,333,425
Diluted net income per share Net loss (1)	$	(2,849,084	)		26,094,292	$	(.14	)

(1) Net loss per share is shown the same as basic loss per share because the underlying dilutive securities have an anti-dilutive effect.

The following table sets forth the calculation of basic and diluted loss per share for the year ended December 31, 2019:

	Income  (Numerator)			Shares (Denominator)		Per Share Amount
Net loss per share – basic Net loss	$	(378,605	)		22,052,859	$	(.02	)
Effect of dilutive securities Options		-			12,836
Convertible notes					62,500		1,250,000
Diluted net loss per share
Net loss	$	(316,105	)		23,315,695	$	(.02	)

(1) Net loss per share is shown the same as basic loss per share because the underlying dilutive securities have an anti-dilutive effect.

Subsequent Events

Subsequent Events: The Company evaluated subsequent events through the date the consolidated statements were issued and filed with the annual report on Form 10-K. On February 7, 2020, the Company entered into a Senior Secured Promissory Note and Warrant Purchase Agreement (the “Agreement”) with Corbel Capital Partners SBIC, L.P. (the “Purchaser”). Pursuant to the Agreement, the Company issued to the Purchaser a senior secured promissory note (the “Senior Note”) in the initial principal amount of $8.0 million. The Company has used or will use the net proceeds of the Agreement as follows: (i) $4.2 million was used to repay the Company’s then-existing bank debt which was in the original amount of $6.1 million; (ii) $1,275,000 was used to repay the portion of the Company’s existing subordinated convertible debt the maturity date of which most had not previously been extended; (iii) debt issuance costs; and (iv) the remaining net proceeds will be used for working capital or other general corporate purposes, including development of new Company-owned Craft Pizza & Pub locations.

The Senior Note bears cash interest of LIBOR, as defined in the Agreement, plus 7.75%. In addition, the Senior Note requires payment-in-kind interest (“PIK Interest”) of 3% per annum, which will be added to the principal amount of the Senior Note. Interest is payable in arrears on the last calendar day of each month. The Senior Note matures on February 7, 2025. The Senior Note does not require any fixed principal payments until February 28, 2023, at which time required monthly payments of principal in the amount of $33,333 begin and continue until maturity. The Senior Note requires the Company to make additional payments on the principal balance of the Senior Note based on its consolidated excess cash flow, as defined in the Agreement.

In conjunction with the borrowing under the Senior Note, the Company issued to the Purchaser a warrant (the “Corbel Warrant”) to purchase up to 2,250,000 shares of Common Stock. The Corbel Warrant entitles the Purchaser to purchase from the Company, at any time or from time to time: (i) 1,200,000 shares of Common Stock at an exercise price of $0.57 per share (“Tranche 1”), (ii) 900,000 shares of Common Stock at an exercise price of $0.72 per share (“Tranche 2”), and (iii) 150,000 shares of Common Stock at an exercise price of $0.97 per share (“Tranche 3”). The Purchaser is required to exercise the Corbel Warrant with respect to Tranche 1 if the Common Stock is trading at $1.40 per share or higher for a specified period, and is further required to exercise the Corbel Warrant with respect to Tranche 2 if the Common Stock is trading at $1.50 per share or higher for a specified period. Cashless exercise of the Corbel Warrant is only permitted with respect to Tranche 3. The Purchaser has the right, within six months after the issuance of any shares under the Corbel Warrant, to require the Company to repurchase such shares for cash or for Put Notes, at the Company's discretion. The Corbel Warrant expires on the sixth anniversary of the date of its issuance.

On March 16, 2020, by order of the Governor of the State of Indiana (the “Governor”), all restaurants within Indiana were ordered to close for inside dining. Due to the Order, all Craft Pizza & Pub restaurants have been open for carry-out only primarily through the Company’s Pizza Valet system and third-party delivery providers. On May 1, 2020, the Governor issued another order allowing restaurants to be open for inside dining for up to 50% of capacity as of May 11, 2020, and on June 14, 2020 up to 75% of capacity, plus bars may open up to 50% of capacity, and on July 4, 2020 restaurants and bars may resume at 100% capacity. As the duration and scope of the pandemic is uncertain, these Orders are subject to further modification which could adversely affect the Company.

On April 25, 2020, the Company borrowed under the Payroll Protection Program in the amount of $715,000. The Company anticipates this note will be forgiven. The funds, according to the provision in the CARES Act, may be used for payroll costs including payroll benefits, interest on mortgage obligations incurred before February 15, 2020, rent under lease agreements in force before February 15, 2020 and utilities for which service began before February 15, 2020.

In February 2020, as discussed in Item 2. Properties, a lease for the Brownsburg location became effective which expires in February 2030. The obligation under this lease is included in future obligations of $7 million under operating leases, as described in Note 5.

No subsequent event required recognition or disclosure except as discussed above.