XML 51 R32.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT v3.24.3
Nature of Business, Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)
12 Months Ended
Sep. 27, 2024
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]  
Basis of Presentation
Aramark (the "Company") is a leading global provider of food and facilities services to education, healthcare, business & industry, and sports, leisure & corrections clients. The Company's largest market is the United States, which is supplemented by an additional 15-country footprint. The Company also provides services on a more limited basis in several additional countries and in offshore locations. The Company operates its business in two reportable segments that share many of the same operating characteristics:
Food and Support Services United States ("FSS United States") - Food, refreshment, specialized dietary and support services, including facility maintenance and housekeeping, provided to business, educational and healthcare institutions and in sports, leisure and other facilities within the United States.
Food and Support Services International ("FSS International") - Food, refreshment, specialized dietary and support services, including facility maintenance and housekeeping, provided to business, educational and healthcare institutions and in sports, leisure and other facilities outside of the United States with the largest operations within Canada, Chile, China, Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom.
The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and all of its subsidiaries in which a controlling financial interest is maintained in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States ("U.S. GAAP"). All significant intercompany transactions and accounts have been eliminated.
Fiscal Year
Fiscal Year
The Company's fiscal year is the fifty-two or fifty-three week period which ends on the Friday nearest September 30th. The fiscal years ended September 27, 2024, September 29, 2023 and September 30, 2022 were each fifty-two week periods.
New Accounting Standard Updates
New Accounting Standards Updates
Adopted Standards (from most to least recent date of issuance)
In September 2022, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued Accounting Standard Update ("ASU") 2022-04 Liabilities - Supplier Finance Programs (Subtopic 405-50) to enhance the transparency of supplier finance programs, which may be referred to as reverse factoring, payables finance or structured payables arrangements. The guidance requires that a buyer in a supplier finance program disclose the program's nature, activity and potential magnitude. The guidance was effective for the Company in the first quarter of fiscal 2024. The Company reviewed existing supplier finance agreements and enhanced disclosures with qualitative and quantitative information about its supplier finance program, but the adoption of this guidance did not have a material impact on the consolidated financial statements.
In October 2021, the FASB issued ASU 2021-08 Business Combinations (Topic 805): Accounting for Contract Assets and Contract Liabilities from Contracts with Customers which required that an entity (acquirer) recognize and measure contract assets and contract liabilities acquired in a business combination in accordance with Accounting Standards Codification 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers ("ASC 606") as if it had originated the contracts. The guidance was effective for the Company in the first quarter of fiscal 2024. The adoption of this guidance did not have a material impact on the consolidated financial statements.
Standards Not Yet Adopted (from most to least recent date of issuance)
In March 2024, the SEC adopted final climate-related disclosure rules under SEC Release Nos. 33-11275 and 34-99678, The Enhancement and Standardization of Climate-Related Disclosures for Investors. The rules require disclosure of governance, risk management and strategy related to material climate-related risks as well as disclosure of material greenhouse gas emissions in registration statements and annual reports. In addition, the rules require presentation of certain material climate-related disclosures in the annual consolidated financial statements. On April 4, 2024, the SEC voluntarily stayed the effective date of the final rules pending completion of judicial review following legal challenges. The disclosure requirements will apply to the Company's fiscal year reporting beginning October 4, 2025, pending resolution of the stay. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of the rules on the Company’s disclosures.
In December 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-09 Income Taxes (Topic 740): Improvements to Income Tax Disclosures to enhance the transparency and decision usefulness of income tax disclosures. The guidance will require improvements to income tax disclosures primarily related to the rate reconciliation and income taxes paid information. The guidance is effective for the Company's annual disclosures for fiscal 2026 and early adoption is permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of this standard.
In November 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-07 Segment Reporting (Topic 280): Improvements to Reportable Segment Disclosures to enhance the reportable segment disclosures. The guidance will require additional disclosures about significant segment expenses. The guidance is effective for the Company's annual disclosures for fiscal 2025 and early adoption is permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of this standard.
Other new accounting pronouncements recently issued or newly effective were not applicable to the Company, did not have a material impact on the consolidated financial statements or are not expected to have a material impact on the consolidated financial statements.
Revenue Recognition
Revenue Recognition
The Company recognizes revenue when its performance obligation is satisfied upon the transfer of control of the promised product or service to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration the Company expects to be entitled to in exchange for those goods and services. In each of the Company's operating segments, revenue is recognized over time in the period in which services are provided pursuant to the terms of the Company's contractual relationships with its clients. The Company generally records revenue on contracts (both profit and loss contracts and client interest contracts) on a gross basis as the Company is the primary obligor and service provider. See Note 9 for additional information on revenue recognition.
Certain profit and loss contracts include payments to the client, typically calculated as a fixed or variable percentage of various categories of revenue and income. In some cases these contracts require minimum guaranteed payments that are contingent on certain future events. These expenses are currently recorded in "Cost of services provided (exclusive of depreciation and amortization)."
Revenue from client interest contracts is generally comprised of amounts billed to clients for food, labor and other costs that the Company incurs, controls and pays for. Revenue from these contracts also includes any associated management fees, client subsidies or incentive fees based upon the Company's performance under the contract. Revenue from direct marketing activities is recognized at a point in time upon shipment. All revenue related taxes are presented on a net basis.
The timing of revenue recognition may differ from the timing of invoicing to customers. The Company records an accounts receivable balance when revenue is recognized prior to or at the time of invoicing the customer. The majority of the Company’s receivables balances are based on contracts with customers.
The Company estimates and reserves for its credit loss exposure based on historical experience, current conditions and reasonable and supportable forecasts that affect the collectability of the reported amount in estimating credit losses. Credit loss expense is classified within "Cost of services provided (exclusive of depreciation and amortization)."
Vendor Consideration
Consideration received from vendors includes rebates, allowances and volume discounts and are accounted for as an adjustment to the cost of the vendors' products or services and are reported as a reduction of "Cost of services provided (exclusive of depreciation and amortization)," "Inventory," or "Property and equipment, net." Income from rebates, allowances and volume discounts is recognized based on actual purchases in the fiscal period relative to total actual purchases to be made for the contractual rebate period agreed to with the vendor. Rebates, allowances and volume discounts related to “Inventory” held at the balance sheet date are deducted from the carrying value of these inventories. Rebates, allowances and volume discounts related to "Property and equipment, net" are deducted from the costs capitalized.
Use of Estimates
Use of Estimates
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could materially differ from those estimates.
Comprehensive Income
Comprehensive Income
Comprehensive income includes all changes to stockholders' equity during a period, except those resulting from investments by and distributions to stockholders. Components of comprehensive income include net income, changes in foreign currency translation adjustments (net of tax), pension plan adjustments (net of tax), changes in the fair value of cash flow hedges (net of tax) and changes to the share of any equity investees' comprehensive income (net of tax).
Currency Translation
Currency Translation
Gains and losses resulting from the translation of financial statements of non-United States subsidiaries are reflected as a component of accumulated other comprehensive loss in stockholders' equity. Beginning in fiscal 2018, Argentina was determined to have a highly inflationary economy. As a result, the Company remeasures the financial statements of Argentina's operations in accordance with the accounting guidance for highly inflationary economies. The impact of the remeasurements was a foreign currency transaction loss of $5.4 million, $10.4 million and $3.5 million during fiscal 2024, fiscal 2023 and fiscal 2022, respectively, to the Consolidated Statements of Income. The impact of foreign currency transaction gains and losses exclusive of Argentina's operations included in the Company's operating results for fiscal 2024, fiscal 2023 and fiscal 2022 were immaterial to the consolidated financial statements.
Current Assets
Current Assets
The Company considers all highly liquid investments with an original maturity of three months or less to be cash equivalents.
The Company insures portions of its risk related to general liability, automobile liability, workers’ compensation liability claims as well as certain property damage risks through a wholly owned captive insurance subsidiary (the "Captive") as part of its approach to risk finance. The Captive is subject to regulations within its domicile of Bermuda, including regulations established by the Bermuda Monetary Authority (the "BMA") relating to levels of liquidity and solvency as such concepts are defined by the BMA. The Captive was in compliance with these regulations as of September 27, 2024. These regulations may have the effect of limiting the Company's ability to access certain cash and cash equivalents held by the Captive for uses other than for
the payment of its general liability, automobile liability, workers’ compensation liability, certain property damage and related Captive costs.
Property and Equipment
Property and Equipment
Property and equipment are stated at cost and are depreciated over their estimated useful lives on a straight-line basis. Gains and losses on dispositions are included in operating results. Maintenance and repairs are charged to current operations and replacements and significant improvements that extend the useful life of the asset are capitalized. The estimated useful lives for the major categories of property and equipment are generally 10 years to 40 years for buildings and improvements and three years to 20 years for service equipment and fixtures.
Supply Chain Finance Program
Supply Chain Finance Program
The Company has agreements with third-party administrators that allow participating vendors to voluntarily elect to sell payment obligations from the Company to financial institutions as part of a Supply Chain Finance Program ("SCF Program"). The Company's payment terms to the financial institutions, including the timing and amount of payments, are based on the original supplier invoices. When participating vendors elect to sell one or more of the Company's payment obligations, the Company's rights and obligations to settle the payable on their contractual due date are not impacted. The Company has no economic or commercial interest in a vendor's decision to sell the Company's payment obligations. The Company agrees on commercial terms with vendors for the goods and services procured, which are consistent with payment terms observed at other peer companies in the industry, and the terms are not impacted by the SCF Program. For the SCF Program, the Company does not provide asset pledges, or other forms of guarantees, as security for the committed payment to the financial institutions.
Fair Value of Financial Instruments
Fair value is defined as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. Assets and liabilities recorded at fair value are classified based upon the level of judgment associated with the inputs used to measure their fair value. The hierarchical levels related to the subjectivity of the valuation inputs are defined as follows:
•    Level 1—inputs to the valuation methodology are quoted prices (unadjusted) for identical assets or liabilities in active markets
•    Level 2—inputs to the valuation methodology include quoted prices for similar assets and liabilities in active markets, and inputs that are observable for the asset or liability, either directly or indirectly, for substantially the full term of the financial instrument
•    Level 3—inputs to the valuation methodology are unobservable and significant to the fair value measurement
Recurring Fair Value Measurements
The Company's financial instruments consist primarily of cash and cash equivalents, marketable securities, accounts receivable, accounts payable, borrowings and derivatives. Management believes that the carrying value of cash and cash equivalents, marketable securities, accounts receivable and accounts payable are representative of their respective fair values. In conjunction with the fair value measurement of the derivative instruments, the Company made an accounting policy election to measure the credit risk of its derivative instruments that are subject to master netting agreements on a net basis by counterparty portfolio, as the gross values would not be materially different.