Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

Revenue

v3.10.0.1
Revenue
9 Months Ended
Oct. 07, 2018
Revenue from Contract with Customer [Abstract]  
Revenue
Revenue
In May 2014, the FASB issued Revenue from Contracts with Customers (“Topic 606”), subsequently amended by various standard updates. This guidance requires an entity to recognize revenue when it transfers promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. Additionally, this guidance expands related disclosure requirements. The Company adopted Topic 606 in first quarter 2018 and applied the guidance retrospectively to all prior periods presented. Topic 606 impacts the accounting treatment of the Company’s advertising contribution funds, and the Company’s financial statements, as outlined below.
Advertising Fund Contributions
Under Red Robin franchise agreements, the Company and its franchisees are required to contribute a certain percentage of revenues to two national media advertising funds. The Company’s national advertising services are provided on a system-wide basis and, therefore, not considered distinct performance obligations for individual franchisees. The Company previously recorded the advertising contributions from franchisees as a reduction to advertising expense under Selling, general, and administrative expenses. In accordance with Topic 606, the Company recognizes these sales-based advertising contributions from franchisees as franchise revenue when the underlying franchisee sales occur. The Company records the related advertising expenses as incurred under Selling, general, and administrative expenses. When an advertising fund is over-spent at year end, advertising expenses will be reported on the consolidated statement of operations in an amount that is greater than the revenue recorded for advertising contributions. Conversely, when an advertising fund is under-spent at year end, the Company will accrue advertising costs up to advertising contributions recorded in revenue. All prior periods presented have been retrospectively adjusted for this change in accounting policy. The adoption of this standard did not impact previously reported amounts of net income.
Impacts on Financial Statements
Franchise and other revenue for the twelve weeks ended October 1, 2017 were previously reported as $3.1 million with adjustments of $1.5 million, resulting in an adjusted amount of $4.6 million. Franchise and other revenue for the forty weeks ended October 1, 2017 were previously reported as $11.7 million with adjustments of $5.1 million, resulting in an adjusted amount of $16.8 million.
Selling, general, and administrative expenses were previously reported as $28.9 million prior to the reclassification of $3.3 million of local marketing costs and adjustments of $1.5 million, resulting in an adjusted amount of $33.7 million for third quarter 2017. Selling, general, and administrative expenses were previously reported as $104.2 million prior to the reclassification of $8.7 million of local marketing costs and adjustments of $5.1 million, resulting in an adjusted amount of $118.0 million for forty weeks ended October 1, 2017. See “Reclassifications” under Note 1, Basis of Presentation and Recent Accounting Pronouncements.
Revenue recognition
Revenues consist of sales from restaurant operations; franchise revenue; and other revenue, including gift card breakage and miscellaneous revenue. The Company recognizes revenue when it satisfies a performance obligation by transferring control over a product or service to a restaurant guest, franchisee, or other customer.
Restaurant revenue
The Company recognizes revenues from restaurant sales when payment is tendered at the point of sale, as the Company’s performance obligation to provide food and beverage to the customer has been satisfied.
The Company sells gift cards which do not have an expiration date, and it does not deduct dormancy fees from outstanding gift card balances. We recognize revenue from gift cards as either: (i) Restaurant revenue, when the Company’s performance obligation to provide food and beverage to the customer is satisfied upon redemption of the gift card, or (ii) gift card breakage, as discussed in Other revenue below.
Red Robin Royalty™ deferred revenue primarily relates to a program in which registered members earn an award for a free entrée for every nine entrées purchased. We recognize the current sale of an entrée and defer a portion of the revenue to reflect partial pre-payment for the future entrée the member is entitled to receive. We estimate the future value of the award based on the historical average value of redemptions. We also estimate what portion of registered members are not likely to reach the ninth purchase based on historical activity and recognize the deferred revenue related to those purchases. We recognize the deferred revenue in restaurant revenue on earned rewards when the Company satisfies its performance obligation at redemption, or upon expiration. We compare the estimate of the value of future awards to historical redemptions to evaluate the reasonableness of the deferred amount.
Franchise revenue
Revenues we receive from our franchise arrangements include sales-based royalties and advertising fund contributions, area development fees, and franchise fees. Red Robin franchisees are required to remit 4.0% to 5.0% of their revenues as royalties to the Company and contribute up to 3.0% of revenues to two national advertising funds. The Company recognizes these sales-based royalties and advertising fund contributions as the underlying franchisee sales occur.
The Company also provides its franchisees with management expertise, training, pre-opening assistance, and restaurant operating assistance in exchange for area development fees and franchise fees. The Company capitalizes these fees upon collection from the franchisee, which then amortize over the contracted franchise term as the services comprising the performance obligation are satisfied. The Company typically grants franchise rights to franchisees for a term of 20 years, with the right to extend the term for an additional ten years if various conditions are satisfied by the franchisee.
Other revenue
Gift card breakage is recognized when the likelihood of a gift card being redeemed by the customer is remote and the Company determines that there is not a legal obligation to remit the unredeemed gift card balance to the relevant jurisdiction. The determination of the gift card breakage rate is based upon the Company’s specific historical redemption patterns. The Company recognizes gift card breakage by applying its estimate of the rate of gift card breakage on a pro rata basis over the period of estimated redemption.
Other revenue also consists of miscellaneous revenues considered insignificant to the Company’s business.
Disaggregation of revenue
In the following table, revenue is disaggregated by type of good or service (in thousands):
 
 
Twelve Weeks Ended
 
Forty Weeks Ended
 
 
October 7, 2018
 
October 1, 2017
 
October 7, 2018
 
October 1, 2017
Restaurant revenue
 
$
290,218

 
$
301,100

 
$
1,015,312

 
$
1,026,902

Franchise revenue
 
3,914

 
3,855

 
13,363

 
13,506

Other revenue
 
745

 
745

 
3,109

 
3,231

Total revenues
 
$
294,877

 
$
305,700

 
$
1,031,784

 
$
1,043,639


Contract liabilities
Unearned gift card revenue at October 7, 2018 and December 31, 2017 was $28.3 million and $45.4 million. Deferred loyalty revenue, which was also included in Unearned revenue in the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets, was $10.0 million and $10.6 million at October 7, 2018 and December 31, 2017.
Revenue recognized in the condensed consolidated statements of operations for the redemption of gift cards that were included in the liability balance at the beginning of the fiscal year was as follows (in thousands):
 
 
Forty Weeks Ended
 
 
October 7, 2018
 
October 1, 2017
Gift card revenue
 
$
16,842

 
$
16,873