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Summary of Significant Accounting Policies | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2017
Accounting Policies [Abstract] |
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies | Summary of significant accounting policies The following is a summary of significant accounting policies followed by the Company in the preparation of the consolidated financial statements. Use of estimates The preparation of the consolidated financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles 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 revenues and expenses during the reporting periods. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Foreign currency matters The financial statements of the Company’s foreign operating subsidiaries are translated in accordance with guidance in ASC 830 Foreign Currency Matters. Except for the Company’s Venezuelan operations, the functional currencies of the Foreign currency matters (continued) Company’s foreign operating subsidiaries are the local currencies of the countries in which they conduct their operations. Therefore, assets and liabilities are translated into US dollars at the balance sheet date exchange rates, and revenues, expenses and cash flow are translated at average rates prevailing during the periods. Translation adjustments are included in the “Accumulated other comprehensive losses” component of shareholders’ equity. The Company includes foreign currency exchange results related to monetary assets and liabilities transactions, including intercompany transactions, denominated in currencies other than its functional currencies in its income (loss) statement. Since January 1, 2010, Venezuela has considered to be highly inflationary, and as such, the financial statements of the Company’s Venezuelan subsidiaries are remeasured as its functional currency was the reporting currency (US dollars). As a result, remeasurement gains and losses are recognized in earnings rather than in the cumulative translation adjustment, component of “Accumulated other comprehensive losses” within shareholders’ equity. See Note 22 for additional information pertaining to the Company’s Venezuelan operations, including currency restrictions and controls existing in the country and a discussion of the exchange rate used for remeasurement purposes. Cash and cash equivalents The Company considers all highly liquid investments with an original maturity of three months or less, from the date of purchase, to be cash equivalents. Revenue recognition The Company’s revenues consist of sales by Company-operated restaurants and revenues from restaurants operated by franchisees. Sales by Company-operated restaurants are recognized at the point of sale. The Company presents sales net of sales tax and other sales-related taxes. Revenues from restaurants operated by franchisees include rental income, initial franchise fees and royalty income. Rental income is measured on a monthly basis based on the greater of a fixed rent, computed on a straight-line basis, or a certain percentage of gross sales reported by franchisees. Initial franchise fees represent the difference between the amount the Company collects from the franchisee and the amount the Company pays to McDonald’s Corporation upon the opening of a new restaurant. Royalty income represents the difference, if any, between the amount the Company collects from the franchisee and the amount the Company is required to pay to McDonald’s Corporation. Royalty income is recognized in the period earned. Accounts and notes receivable and allowance for doubtful accounts Accounts receivable primarily consist of royalty and rent receivables due from franchisees and debit and credit card receivables. Accounts receivable are initially recorded at fair value and do not bear interest. Notes receivable relates to interest-bearing financing granted to certain franchisees in connection with the acquisition of equipment and third-party suppliers. The Company maintains an allowance for doubtful accounts in an amount that it considers sufficient to cover losses resulting from the inability of its franchisees to make required payments. In judging the adequacy of the allowance for doubtful accounts, the Company considers multiple factors including historical bad debt experience, the current economic environment and the aging of the receivables. Other receivables Other receivables primarily consist of value-added tax and other tax receivables (amounting to $16,215 and $15,089 as of December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively). Other receivables are reported at the amount expected to be collected. Inventories Inventories are stated at the lower of cost or market, with cost being determined on a first-in, first-out basis. Property and equipment, net Property and equipment are stated at cost, net of accumulated depreciation. Property costs include costs of land and building for both company-operated and franchise restaurants while equipment costs primarily relate to company-operated restaurants. Cost of property and equipment acquired from McDonald’s Corporation (as part of the acquisition of LatAm business) was determined based on its estimated fair market value at the acquisition date, then partially reduced by the allocation of the negative goodwill that resulted from the purchase price allocation. Cost of property and equipment acquired or constructed after the acquisition of LatAm business in connection with the Company’s restaurant reimaging and extension program is comprised of acquisition and construction costs and capitalized internal costs. Capitalized internal costs include payroll expenses related to employees fully dedicated to restaurant construction projects and related travel expenses. Capitalized payroll costs are allocated to each new restaurant location based on the actual time spent on each project. The Company commences capitalizing costs related to construction projects when it becomes probable that the project will be developed – when the site has been identified and the related profitability assessment has been approved. Maintenance and repairs are expensed as incurred. Accumulated depreciation is calculated using the straight-line method over the following estimated useful lives: buildings – up to 40 years; leasehold improvements – the lesser of useful lives of assets or lease terms which generally include option periods; and equipment 3 to 12 years. Intangible assets, net Intangible assets include computer software costs, initial franchise fees, reacquired rights under franchise agreements, letter of credit fees and others. The Company follows the provisions of ASC 350-40-30 within ASC 350 Intangibles, Subtopic 40 Internal Use Software which requires the capitalization of costs incurred in connection with developing or obtaining software for internal use. These costs are amortized over a period of three years on a straight line basis. The Company is required to pay to McDonald’s Corporation an initial franchisee fee upon opening of a new restaurant. The initial franchise fee related to Company-operated restaurants is capitalized as an intangible asset and amortized on a straight-line basis over the term of the franchise. A reacquired franchise right is recognized as an intangible asset as part of the business combination in the acquisition of franchised restaurants apart from goodwill with an assigned amortizable life limited to the remaining contractual term (i.e., not including any renewal periods). The value assigned to the reacquired franchise right excludes any amounts recognized as a settlement gain or loss and is limited to the value associated with the remaining contractual term and operating conditions for the acquired restaurants. The reacquired franchise right is measured using a valuation technique that considers restaurant's cash flows after payment of an at-market royalty rate to the Company. The cash flows are projected for the remaining contractual term, regardless of whether market participants would consider potential contractual renewals in determining its fair value. Letter of credit fees are amortized on a straight-line basis over the term of the Letter of Credit. Impairment and disposal of long-lived assets In accordance with the guidance within ASC 360-10-35, the Company reviews long-lived assets for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate the carrying value of the asset may not be recoverable. For purposes of reviewing assets for potential impairment, assets are grouped at a country level for each of the operating markets. The Company manages its restaurants as a group or portfolio with significant common costs and promotional activities; as such, each restaurant’s Impairment and disposal of long-lived assets (continued) cash flows are not largely independent of the cash flows of others in a market. If an indicator of impairment exists for any grouping of assets, an estimate of undiscounted future cash flows produced by each individual restaurant within the asset grouping is compared to its carrying value. If an individual restaurant is determined to be impaired, the loss is measured by the excess of the carrying amount of the restaurant over its fair value considering its highest and best use, as determined by an estimate of discounted future cash flows or its market value. During March 2015, the Company performed an impairment testing of its long-lived assets in Venezuela considering the operating losses incurred in this market as a consequence of the Company’s currency exchange rate changes (indicator of potential impairment), as mentioned in Note 22. As a result of this analysis, the Company recorded impairment charges of $7,804 during the fiscal year 2015, primarily associated to an advanced payment for a real estate given during the fourth quarter of 2013, using a fair market value approach. The impairment charges also included certain restaurants with undiscounted future cash flows insufficient to recover their carrying value. In the fourth quarter of 2017, 2016 and 2015, the Company assessed all markets for impairment indicators. As a result of these assessments, the Company concluded the second step was required to be performed as a component of the impairment testing of its long-lived assets in the following markets on a per store basis:
|  | 2017 |  | 2016 |  | 2015
Puerto Rico |  | Yes |  | Yes |  | Yes
Mexico |  | Yes |  | Yes |  | Yes
Peru |  | Yes |  | Yes |  | Yes
Aruba |  | Yes |  | Yes |  | Yes
Curacao |  | No |  | No |  | Yes
USVI |  | Yes |  | Yes |  | Yes
Venezuela |  | Yes |  | Yes |  | Yes
Colombia |  | Yes |  | Yes |  | Yes
Ecuador |  | Yes |  | Yes |  | Yes
Trinidad and Tobago |  | Yes |  | Yes |  | No
As a result of the impairment testing the Company recorded the following impairment charges, for the markets indicated below, within Other operating income, net on the Statements of Income (loss):
Fiscal year |  | Markets |  | Total
2017 |  | Mexico, Puerto Rico, USVI, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela and Trinidad and Tobago |  | $ | 17,564 |
2016 |  | Mexico, Puerto Rico, USVI, Peru, Ecuador, Venezuela and Trinidad and Tobago |  | 7,697 |
2015 |  | Mexico, Peru, Colombia and Venezuela |  | 12,343 |
Goodwill Goodwill represents the excess of cost over the estimated fair market value of net tangible assets and identifiable intangible assets acquired. In accordance with the guidance within ASC 350 Intangibles-Goodwill and Other, goodwill is stated at cost and reviewed for impairment on an annual basis. The annual impairment test is performed during the fourth quarter of the fiscal year and compares the fair value of each reporting unit, generally based on discounted future cash flows, with its Goodwill (continued) carrying amount including goodwill. If the carrying amount of the reporting unit exceeds its fair value, an impairment loss is measured as the difference between the implied fair value of the reporting unit’s goodwill and the carrying amount of goodwill. In assessing the recoverability of the goodwill, the Company considers changes in economic conditions and makes assumptions regarding estimated future cash flows and other factors. Estimates of future cash flows are highly subjective judgments based on the Company’s experience and knowledge of its operations. These estimates can be significantly impacted by many factors including changes in global and local business and economic conditions, operating costs, inflation, competition, and consumer and demographic trends. As a result of the analyses performed the Company recorded the following impairment charges, related to goodwill generated in the acquisition of franchised restaurants, for the markets indicated below within Other operating income, net on the statements of income (loss):
Fiscal year |  | Markets |  | Total
2017 |  | Mexico |  | $ | 200 |
2016 |  | Mexico |  | 5,045 |
2015 |  | Argentina |  | 679 |
Advertising costs Advertising costs are expensed as incurred. Advertising expenses related to Company-operated restaurants were $130,277, $117,250 and $122,920 in 2017, 2016 and 2015, respectively. Advertising expenses related to franchised operations do not affect the Company’s expenses since these are recovered from franchisees. Advertising expenses related to franchised operations were $46,536, $36,374 and $35,131 in 2017, 2016 and 2015, respectively. Accounting for income taxes The Company records deferred income taxes using the liability method. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the future tax consequences attributable to differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases. The guidance requires companies to set up a valuation allowance for that component of net deferred tax assets which does not meet the more likely than not criterion for realization. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in income in the period that includes the enactment date. The Company is regularly audited by tax authorities, and tax assessments may arise several years after tax returns have been filed. Accordingly, tax liabilities are recorded when, in management’s judgment, a tax position does not meet the more likely than not threshold for recognition. For tax positions that meet the more likely than not threshold, a tax liability may be recorded depending on management’s assessment of how the tax position will ultimately be settled. The Company records interest and penalties on unrecognized tax benefits in the provision for income taxes. Accounts payable outsourcing The Company offers its suppliers access to an accounts payable services arrangement provided by third party financial institutions. This service allows the Company’s suppliers to view its scheduled payments online, enabling them to better manage Accounts payable outsourcing (continued) their cash flow and reduce payment processing costs. Independent of the Company, the financial institutions also allow suppliers to sell their receivables to the financial institutions in an arrangement separately negotiated by the supplier and the financial institution. The Company has no economic interest in the sale of these receivables and no direct relationship with the financial institutions concerning the sale of receivables. All of the Company’s obligations, including amounts due, remain to the Company’s suppliers as stated in the supplier agreements. As of December 31, 2017 and 2016, $2,117 and $2,241, respectively, of the Company’s total accounts payable are available for this purpose and have been sold by suppliers to participating financial institutions. Share-based compensation The Company recognizes compensation expense as services required to earn the benefits are rendered. See Note 17 for details of the outstanding plans and the related accounting policies. Derivative financial instruments The Company utilizes certain hedge instruments to manage its interest rate and foreign currency rate exposures. The counterparties to these instruments generally are major financial institutions. The Company does not hold or issue derivative instruments for trading purposes. In entering into these contracts, the Company assumes the risk that might arise from the possible inability of counterparties to meet the terms of their contracts. The Company does not expect any losses as a result of counterparty defaults. All derivatives are recognized as either assets or liabilities in the balance sheets and are measured at fair value. Additionally, the fair value adjustments will affect either shareholders’ equity as accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) or net income (loss) depending on whether the derivative instrument qualifies as a hedge for accounting purposes and, if so, the nature of the hedging activity. Severance payments Under certain laws and labor agreements of the countries in which the Company operates, the Company is required to make minimum severance payments to employees who are dismissed without cause and employees leaving its employment in certain other circumstances. The Company accrues severance costs if they relate to services already rendered, are related to rights that accumulate or vest, are probable of payment and can be reasonably estimated. Otherwise, severance payments are expensed as incurred. Provision for contingencies The Company accrues liabilities when it is probable that future costs will be incurred and such costs can be reasonably estimated. Such accruals are based on developments to date, the Company’s estimates of the outcomes of these matters and the Company’s lawyers’ experience in contesting, litigating and settling other matters. As the scope of the liabilities becomes better defined, there may be changes in the estimates of future costs. See Note 18 for details. Comprehensive income (loss) Comprehensive income (loss) includes net income as currently reported under generally accepted accounting principles and also includes the impact of other events and circumstances from non-owner sources which are recorded as a separate component of shareholders’ equity. The Company reports foreign currency translation gains and losses, unrealized results on cash flow hedges as well as unrecognized post-retirement benefits as components of comprehensive income (loss). Sales of property and equipment and restaurant businesses The Company recognizes the sale of property and equipment when: (a) the profit is determinable, that is, the collectibility of the sales price is reasonably assured or the amount that will not be collectible can be estimated, and (b) the earnings process is virtually complete, that is, the Company is not obliged to perform significant activities after the sale to earn the profit. The sale of restaurant businesses is recognized when the Company transfers substantially all of the risks and rewards of ownership. In order to determine the gain or loss on the disposal, the goodwill associated with the sold of property and equipment and restaurant business, if any, is considered within the carrying value. The amount of goodwill to be included in that carrying amount is based on the relative fair value of the item to be disposed and the portion of the reporting unit that will be retained. During fiscal years 2017, 2016 and 2015, the Company recorded results from sales of property and equipment and restaurant businesses, amounting to $107,867, $71,712 and $14,332, respectively, included within “Other operating income Sales of property and equipment and restaurant businesses (continued) (expenses), net”. The sales performed during fiscal years 2017 and 2016, were primarily related to the redevelopment of certain real estate assets and restaurant businesses, related to the refranchising of a number of company-operated restaurants. In addition, as of December 31, 2016, the Company received advances related to the redevelopment of certain real estate assets and restaurant businesses plan for which the sales had not met the aforementioned conditions, amounting to $34,341, recorded within the current portion of “Accrued payroll and other Liabilities”. Recent accounting pronouncements In May 2014, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2014-09 (ASC 606), “Revenue Recognition - Revenue from Contracts with Customers,” which amends the guidance in former ASC 605, “Revenue Recognition,” and becomes effective beginning January 1, 2017. In August 12, 2015, the FASB deferred the effective date to annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017. The standard’s core principle is that a Company must recognize revenue when it transfers promised goods or services to customers, in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the Company expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. After evaluating the effect of adopting the new standard, the Company concluded that the sole source of revenue affected would be the initial franchise fee. The Company's current accounting policy is to recognize it when a new restaurant opens or at the start of a new franchise term, however, in accordance with the new guidance, the initial franchise services are not distinct from the continuing rights or services offered during the term of the franchise agreement, and will therefore be treated as a single performance obligation. As such, initial franchise fees received will be deferred over the term of the franchise agreement. The Company will adopt the modified retrospective method as of the date the new guidance become effective. Consequently, a deferred income of $5 million will be recognized from date of the adoption (January 2018). In addition, in February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842), which modifies lease accounting for lessees to increase transparency and comparability by recording a right-of-use asset and lease liability on their balance sheet for operating leases. Entities will need to disclose qualitative and quantitative information about their leases, including characteristics and amounts recognized in the financial statements. This standard is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2018, including interim periods. The Company will adopt ASU 2016-02 in its first quarter of 2019 utilizing the modified retrospective transition method and expects to apply the transition practical expedients allowed by the standard. The Company is currently evaluating the impact this guidance will have on its consolidated financial statements. No other new accounting pronouncement issued or effective during the periods had or is expected to have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

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