Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

Commitments and Contingencies

v3.20.2
Commitments and Contingencies
6 Months Ended
Jul. 12, 2020
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]  
Commitments and Contingencies Commitments and Contingencies
On July 14, 2017, a current hourly employee filed a class action lawsuit alleging that the Company failed to provide required meal breaks and rest periods and failed to reimburse business expenses, among other claims. The case is styled Manuel Vigueras v. Red Robin International, Inc. and is currently pending before the United States District Court in Santa Ana, California. In a related action, on September 21, 2017, a companion case, styled Genny Vasquez v. Red Robin International, Inc. was filed and is currently pending in California Superior Court in Santa Ana, California and involves claims under the California Private Attorneys' General Act that partially overlap the claims made in the Vigueras matter. In the first quarter of 2020, the Company reached a tentative settlement agreement resolving all claims and the cost of class administration in both cases for an aggregate $8.5 million. The Company is in the process of finalizing the settlement agreement, which will then be submitted to the court for approval. Court approval is required before any settlement agreement between the parties becomes final. An additional $4.5 million was accrued to reach the $8.5 million settlement amount during the first fiscal quarter of 2020. Amounts recorded in the periods presented for litigation contingencies are disclosed in Note 7, Other Charges.
In the normal course of business, there are various claims in process, matters in litigation, and other contingencies. These include employment-related claims and claims alleging illness, injury, or other food quality, health, or operational issues. Evaluating contingencies related to litigation is a complex process involving subjective judgment on the potential outcome of future events, and the ultimate resolution of litigated claims may differ from our current analysis. We review the adequacy of accruals and disclosures pertaining to litigation matters each quarter in consultation with legal counsel, and we assess the probability and range of possible losses associated with contingencies for potential accrual in the consolidated financial statements. While it is not possible to predict the outcome of these claims with certainty, management is of the opinion that adequate provision for potential losses associated with these matters has been made in the condensed consolidated financial statements.