2.	CONSOLIDATION OF VARIABLE INTEREST ENTITIES

The Company consolidates any variable interest entities in which it holds a variable interest and is the primary beneficiary. Generally, a variable interest entity, or VIE, is an entity with one or more of the following characteristics: (a) the total equity investment at risk is not sufficient to permit the entity to finance its activities without additional subordinated financial support; (b) as a group the holders of the equity investment at risk lack (i) the ability to make decisions about an entity’s activities through voting or similar rights, (ii) the obligation to absorb the expected losses of the entity, or (iii) the right to receive the expected residual returns of the entity; or (c) the equity investors have voting rights that are not proportional to their economic interests and substantially all of the entity’s activities either involve, or are conducted on behalf of, an investor that has disproportionately few voting rights. The primary beneficiary of a VIE is generally the entity that has (a) the power to direct the activities of the VIE that most significantly impact the VIE’s economic performance, and (b) the obligation to absorb losses or the right to receive benefits that could potentially be significant to the VIE.

The Company has determined that it is the primary beneficiary of three VIEs and, accordingly, consolidates the financial results of these entities. Following are the required disclosures associated with the Company’s consolidated VIEs:

	September 30, 2017		October 1, 2016
	(in thousands)

Cash and cash equivalents	$	363	$	889
Accounts receivable		716		429
Inventories		22		23
Prepaid and refundable income taxes		226		178
Prepaid expenses and other current assets		63		50
Due from Ark Restaurants Corp. and affiliates (1)		185		—
Fixed assets - net		6		22
Other assets		71		71
Total assets	$	1,652	$	1,662

Accounts payable - trade	$	116	$	114
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities		260		238
Due to Ark Restaurants Corp. and affiliates (1)		—		173
Operating lease deferred credit		51		73
Total liabilities		427		598
Equity of variable interest entities		1,225		1,064
Total liabilities and equity	$	1,652	$	1,662

(1)

Amounts due from Ark Restaurants Corp. and affiliates are eliminated upon consolidation.

The liabilities recognized as a result of consolidating these VIEs do not represent additional claims on the Company’s general assets; rather, they represent claims against the specific assets of the consolidated VIEs.

Conversely, assets recognized as a result of consolidating these VIEs do not represent additional assets that could be used to satisfy claims against the Company’s general assets.