INCOME PER SHARE OF COMMON STOCK

12 Months Ended

Oct. 03, 2020

Basic earnings per share is computed by dividing net income attributable to Ark Restaurants Corp. by the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding for the period. Diluted earnings per share is computed similarly to basic earnings per share, except that it reflects the effect of common shares issuable upon exercise of stock options, using the treasury stock method in periods in which they have a dilutive effect.

A reconciliation of shares used in calculating earnings per basic and diluted share follows:


	Year Ended
	October 3, 2020	September 28, 2019
	(in thousands)
Basic	3,500	3,479
Effect of dilutive securities:
Stock options	—	52
Diluted	3,500	3,531

For the year ended October 3, 2020, all options were excluded from diluted earnings per share as their impact would have been anti-dilutive.

For the year ended September 28, 2019, the dilutive effect of options to purchase 208,000 shares of common stock at exercise prices ranging from $20.18 per share to $22.50 per share were not included in diluted earnings per share as their impact would have been anti-dilutive.

DIVIDENDS

On November 26, 2019, the Board of Directors declared a quarterly dividend of $0.25 per share on the Company’s common stock which was paid on January 7, 2020, to shareholders of record at the close of business on December 16, 2019.

On March 13, 2020, the Company announced that, in light of the unprecedented circumstances and rapidly changing situation with respect to COVID-19, as part of an overall plan to preserve cash flow, the Board of Directors determined that it was appropriate for the Company to defer payment of the dividend that was declared on March 2, 2020. Payment of such dividend, which was scheduled for April 6, 2020 to shareholders of record on March 16, 2020, was canceled on July 1, 2020.

The payment of future dividends is at the discretion of the Company’s Board of Directors and is based on future earnings, cash flow, financial condition, capital requirements and other relevant factors. The Company does not expect to pay quarterly cash dividends for the foreseeable future as a result of the disruption to its operations from the COVID-19 pandemic.