EX-99.1 2 q32018earningspressrelease.htm EXHIBIT 99.1
DENNY’S CORPORATION REPORTS RESULTS FOR THIRD QUARTER 2018
- Announces Refranchising And Development Strategy -
SPARTANBURG, S.C., October 30, 2018 - Denny’s Corporation (NASDAQ: DENN), franchisor and operator of one of America's largest franchised full-service restaurant chains, today reported results for its third quarter ended September 26, 2018, and announced a refranchising and development strategy.
Third Quarter 2018 Highlights

• | Total Operating Revenue grew 19.4% to $158.0 million, primarily due to the benefit of revenue recognition changes.

• | Domestic system-wide same-store sales** grew 1.0%, including increases of 2.1% at company restaurants and 0.8% at domestic franchised restaurants.

• | Completed 59 remodels, including 53 at franchised restaurants.

• | Operating Income was $18.5 million.

• | Company Restaurant Operating Margin* was $15.8 million and Franchise Operating Margin* was $26.2 million.

• | Net Income was $10.8 million, or $0.16 per diluted share.

• | Adjusted Net Income* was $11.4 million, or $0.17 per diluted share.

• | Adjusted EBITDA* was $27.3 million.

• | Adjusted Free Cash Flow* increased 5.7% to $13.7 million.

• | Repurchased $8.6 million of common stock.

John Miller, President and Chief Executive Officer, stated, “Denny's delivered another quarter of positive system-wide same-store sales** growth as we navigated through a challenging competitive environment where the focus is primarily on value offerings. Furthermore, the Company's total operating revenue growth coupled with a disciplined focus on costs resulted in strong cash flow generation and a 24.3% increase in Adjusted Net Income per share*."
Miller added, "We are excited to be announcing a strategic initiative that will further stimulate growth at Denny's. It is expected the Company will migrate to a business model that will be between 95% and 97% franchised through the sale of company operated restaurants over the next 18 months. Our refranchising and development strategy will enable us to further evolve as a franchisor of choice that provides more focused support services, all while yielding a higher quality, more asset-light business model. As always, we remain committed to profitable system sales growth, driving market share gains, delivering strong returns on invested capital and generating compelling returns for shareholders, including the return of capital.”
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Third Quarter Results
The following table summarizes the impact of adopting Accounting Standards Update 2014-09, "Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606)," on the line items within the Company's Consolidated Statement of Income for the quarter ended September 26, 2018. Additional details related to revenue recognition changes are located on page 4.

| Quarter ended September 26, 2018
Consolidated Statement of Income | As Reported |  | Adjustments |  | Amounts without adoption of Topic 606
| (In thousands, except per share amounts)
Franchise and license revenue | $ | 54,414 |  |  | $ | (20,397 | ) |  | $ | 34,017 |
Costs of franchise and license revenue | 28,174 |  |  | (20,007 | ) |  | 8,167 |
Provision for income taxes | 2,810 |  |  | (101 | ) |  | 2,709 |
Net income | 10,805 |  |  | (289 | ) |  | 10,516 |
Basic net income per share | $ | 0.17 |  |  | $ | 0.00 |  |  | $ | 0.17 |
Diluted net income per share | $ | 0.16 |  |  | $ | 0.00 |  |  | $ | 0.16 |

Denny’s total operating revenue grew 19.4% to $158.0 million primarily due to recognizing franchise advertising revenue on a gross basis in accordance with Topic 606 and an increase in company restaurant sales. Company restaurant sales grew 5.8% to $103.6 million due to a greater number of company restaurants compared to the prior year quarter and a 2.1% increase in same-store sales. Franchise and license revenue grew 57.9% to $54.4 million compared to $34.5 million in the prior year quarter. The increase was primarily due to recognizing $19.5 million of advertising revenue and a rise in initial fees, both of which were impacted by Topic 606, partially offset by lower occupancy revenue due to scheduled lease terminations.
Company Restaurant Operating Margin* was $15.8 million, or 15.2% of company restaurant sales, compared to $16.6 million, or 16.9%, in the prior year quarter. The change was primarily due to increases in minimum wages and third-party delivery costs, partially offset by higher sales. Franchise Operating Margin* was $26.2 million, or 48.2% of franchise and license revenue, compared to $25.0 million, or 72.5%, in the prior year quarter. This was primarily due to recording advertising revenue and related costs on a gross basis, an increase in initial fees, and an improving occupancy margin.
Total general and administrative expenses improved 2.8% to $16.0 million, compared to $16.4 million in the prior year quarter. This was primarily due to reductions in share-based compensation. Interest expense, net was $5.3 million versus $4.1 million in the prior year quarter primarily due to increases in the credit facility balance and related interest rates. Denny’s ended the quarter with $308.6 million of total debt outstanding, including $278.0 million of borrowings under its revolving credit facility.
The provision for income taxes was $2.8 million, reflecting an effective tax rate of 20.6%, primarily due to the new 21.0% federal statutory income tax rate. Given the Company's utilization of tax credit carryforwards, approximately $0.9 million in cash taxes was paid during the quarter.
Net Income was $10.8 million, or $0.16 per diluted share, compared to $9.3 million, or $0.13 per diluted share, in the prior year quarter. Adjusted Net Income Per Share* grew 24.3% to $0.17 compared to $0.14 in the prior year quarter.
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Adjusted Free Cash Flow* and Capital Allocation
Denny’s generated $13.7 million of Adjusted Free Cash Flow* in the quarter after investing $7.8 million in cash capital expenditures, including the remodel of six company restaurants, facilities maintenance, and new construction.
During the quarter, the Company allocated $8.6 million to share repurchases. As of September 26, 2018, the Company had approximately $159 million remaining in authorized share repurchases under its existing $200 million share repurchase authorization.
Business Outlook
The following full year 2018 expectations reflect the current business environment, the impacts of recent tax reform, and revenue recognition changes.

• | Same-store sales** growth at company restaurants between 1% and 2% (vs. 0% and 2%) and domestic franchised restaurants between 0% and 1% (vs. 0% and 2%).

• | 35 to 45 new restaurant openings, with net restaurant decline of 10 to 20 restaurants (vs. net decline of 5 to 10 restaurants).

• | Total operating revenue between $626 and $634 million including franchise and license revenue between $216 and $219 million.

• | Company Restaurant Operating Margin* between 15% and 16% and Franchise Operating Margin* between 47% and 48%.

• | Total general and administrative expenses between $67 and $69 million.

• | Adjusted EBITDA* between $105 and $107 million.

• | Depreciation and amortization expense between $27 and $28 million.

• | Net interest expense between $19.5 and $20.5 million.

• | Effective income tax rate between 16% and 19% with cash taxes between $3 and $5 million.

• | Cash capital expenditures between $37 and $39 million (vs. $33 to $35 million).

• | Adjusted Free Cash Flow* between $44 and $46 million (vs. $48 to $50 million).

Refranchising and Development Strategy
Over the next 18 months, the Company intends to migrate from a 90% franchised business model to one that is between 95% and 97% franchised. The anticipated sale of between 90 and 125 company operated restaurants with attached development commitments will create an opportunity for development-focused franchisees to expand their businesses, while also attracting and welcoming new, well-capitalized franchisees. With this transition, Denny's will further evolve into a franchisor of choice that provides more focused support services. The nature, timing and extent of any related corporate overhead changes will be shared in the coming quarters. In addition to refranchising, we will upgrade the quality of our real estate portfolio through a series of like-kind exchanges. Refranchising proceeds and a moderate increase in leverage will be used to generate more compelling returns for shareholders, including the return of capital.
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* | Please refer to the Reconciliation of Net Income to Non-GAAP Financial Measures, as well as the Reconciliation of Operating Income to Non-GAAP Financial Measures included in the following tables. The Company is not able to reconcile the forward-looking non-GAAP estimates set forth above to their most directly comparable GAAP estimates without unreasonable efforts because it is unable to predict, forecast or determine the probable significance of the items impacting these estimates, including gains, losses and other charges, with a reasonable degree of accuracy. Accordingly, the most directly comparable forward-looking GAAP estimates are not provided.

** S ame-store sales include sales at company restaurants and non-consolidated franchised and licensed restaurants that were open the same period in the prior year. Total operating revenue is limited to company restaurant sales and royalties, fees and occupancy revenue from franchised and licensed restaurants. Accordingly, domestic franchise same-store sales and domestic system-wide same-store sales should be considered as a supplement to, not a substitute for, our results as reported under GAAP.
Revenue Recognition Changes
Effective December 28, 2017, the first day of fiscal 2018, the Company adopted Accounting Standards Update 2014-09, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606),” and all subsequent ASUs that modified Topic 606 on a modified retrospective basis. Results for reporting periods beginning after December 28, 2017 are presented under Topic 606. Prior period amounts are not adjusted and continue to be reported in accordance with our historical accounting under Topic 605 “Revenue Recognition.”
The adoption of Topic 606 did not impact the recognition of company restaurant sales or royalties from franchised restaurants. The most significant effects of the new guidance on the comparability of our results of operations between 2018 and 2017 include the following:

• | Under Topic 606, advertising revenues and expenditures are recorded on a gross basis within the Consolidated Statements of Income. Under the previous guidance of Topic 605, the Company recorded franchise advertising expense net of contributions from franchisees to our advertising programs, including local co-operatives. While this change materially impacts the gross amount of reported franchise and license revenue and costs of franchise and license revenue, the impact is generally an offsetting increase to both revenue and expense with little, if any, impact on operating income and net income. Similarly, upon adoption, other franchise services fees are recorded on a gross basis within the Consolidated Statements of Income, whereas, under previous guidance, they were netted against the related expenses.

• | Under Topic 606, recognition of initial franchise fees is deferred until the commencement date of the agreement and occurs over time based on the term of the underlying franchise agreement. In the event a franchise agreement is terminated, any remaining deferred fees are recognized in the period of termination. Under the previous guidance, initial franchise fees were recognized upon the opening of a franchise restaurant. The effect of the required deferral of initial franchise fees received in a given year is mitigated by the recognition of revenue from fees received in prior periods. Upon adoption, the Company recorded deferred franchise revenue of $21.0 million, and increases of $15.6 million to opening deficit and $5.4 million to deferred tax assets. The deferred franchise revenue will be amortized over the term of the individual franchise agreements.

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• | Under previous guidance, we recorded gift card breakage when the likelihood of redemption was remote. Breakage was recorded as a benefit to our advertising fund or reduction to other operating expenses, depending on where the gift cards were sold. Under Topic 606, gift card breakage is recognized proportionally as redemptions occur. The Company's gift card breakage primarily relates to cards sold by third parties. Breakage revenue related to third party sales is recorded as advertising revenue (included as a component of franchise and license revenue) with an offsetting amount recorded as advertising expense (included as a component of costs of franchise and license revenue).

Conference Call and Webcast Information
Denny’s will provide further commentary on the results for the third quarter ended September 26, 2018, and the newly announced refranchising and development strategy on its quarterly investor conference call today, Tuesday, October 30, 2018 at 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time. Interested parties are invited to listen to a live broadcast of the conference call accessible through the investor relations section of Denny’s website at investor.dennys.com. A replay of the call may be accessed at the same location later in the day and will remain available for 30 days.
About Denny’s
Denny's Corporation is the franchisor and operator of one of America's largest franchised full-service restaurant chains, based on the number of restaurants. As of September 26, 2018, Denny’s had 1,715 franchised, licensed, and company restaurants around the world including 128 restaurants in Canada, Puerto Rico, Mexico, New Zealand, Honduras, the Philippines, Costa Rica, the United Arab Emirates, Guam, El Salvador, Guatemala, and the United Kingdom. For further information on Denny's, including news releases, links to SEC filings, and other financial information, please visit the Denny's investor relations website at investor.dennys.com.
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The Company urges caution in considering its current trends and any outlook on earnings disclosed in this press release. In addition, certain matters discussed in this release may constitute forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements, which reflect its best judgment based on factors currently known, are intended to speak only as of the date such statements are made and involve risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause the actual performance of Denny’s Corporation, its subsidiaries, and underlying restaurants to be materially different from the performance indicated or implied by such statements. Words such as “expect”, “anticipate”, “believe”, “intend”, “plan”, “hope”, and variations of such words and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Except as may be required by law, the Company expressly disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this release or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. Factors that could cause actual performance to differ materially from the performance indicated by these forward-looking statements include, among others: competitive pressures from within the restaurant industry; the level of success of our operating initiatives and advertising and promotional efforts; adverse publicity; health concerns arising from food-related pandemics, outbreaks of flu viruses, such as avian flu, or other diseases; changes in business strategy or development plans; terms and availability of capital; regional weather conditions; overall changes in the general economy (including with regard to energy costs), particularly at the retail level; political environment (including acts of war and terrorism); and other factors from time to time set forth in the Company’s SEC reports and other filings, including but not limited to the discussion in Management’s Discussion and Analysis and the risks identified in Item 1A. Risk Factors contained in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 27, 2017 (and in the Company’s subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q).
Investor Contact:
Curt Nichols
877-784-7167
Media Contact:
Hadas Streit, Allison+Partners
646-248-0629
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DENNY’S CORPORATION
Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets
(Unaudited)
(In thousands) | 9/26/18 |  | 12/27/17
Assets |  |  |
| Current assets |  |  |
|  | Cash and cash equivalents | $ | 1,871 |  |  | $ | 4,983 |
|  | Investments | 1,709 |  |  | — |
|  | Receivables, net | 17,186 |  |  | 21,384 |
|  | Assets held for sale | 193 |  |  | — |
|  | Other current assets | 13,546 |  |  | 14,922 |
|  |  | Total current assets | 34,505 |  |  | 41,289 |
| Property, net | 143,459 |  |  | 139,856 |
| Goodwill | 39,843 |  |  | 38,269 |
| Intangible assets, net | 59,907 |  |  | 57,109 |
| Deferred income taxes | 15,595 |  |  | 16,945 |
| Other noncurrent assets | 35,449 |  |  | 30,314 |
|  |  | Total assets | $ | 328,758 |  |  | $ | 323,782 |
Liabilities |  |  |
| Current liabilities |  |  |
|  | Current maturities of capital lease obligations | $ | 3,282 |  |  | $ | 3,168 |
|  | Accounts payable | 20,327 |  |  | 32,487 |
|  | Other current liabilities | 53,911 |  |  | 59,246 |
|  |  | Total current liabilities | 77,520 |  |  | 94,901 |
| Long-term liabilities |  |  |
|  | Long-term debt, less current maturities | 278,000 |  |  | 259,000 |
|  | Capital lease obligations, less current maturities | 27,305 |  |  | 27,054 |
|  | Other | 55,913 |  |  | 40,187 |
|  |  | Total long-term liabilities | 361,218 |  |  | 326,241 |
|  |  | Total liabilities | 438,738 |  |  | 421,142 |
Shareholders' deficit |  |  |
|  | Common stock | 1,085 |  |  | 1,077 |
|  | Paid-in capital | 597,344 |  |  | 594,166 |
|  | Deficit | (317,917 | ) |  | (334,661 | )
|  | Accumulated other comprehensive loss, net of tax | 2,541 |  |  | (2,316 | )
|  | Treasury stock | (393,033 | ) |  | (355,626 | )
|  |  | Total shareholders' deficit | (109,980 | ) |  | (97,360 | )
|  |  | Total liabilities and shareholders' deficit | $ | 328,758 |  |  | $ | 323,782 |
Debt Balances
(In thousands) | 9/26/18 |  | 12/27/17
Credit facility revolver due 2022 | $ | 278,000 |  |  | $ | 259,000 |
Capital leases | 30,587 |  |  | 30,222 |
| Total debt | $ | 308,587 |  |  | $ | 289,222 |

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DENNY’S CORPORATION
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income
(Unaudited)
|  |  | Quarter Ended
(In thousands, except per share amounts) | 9/26/18 |  | 9/27/17
Revenue: |  |  |
| Company restaurant sales | $ | 103,609 |  |  | $ | 97,915 |
| Franchise and license revenue | 54,414 |  |  | 34,469 |
|  | Total operating revenue | 158,023 |  |  | 132,384 |
Costs of company restaurant sales | 87,846 |  |  | 81,322 |
Costs of franchise and license revenue | 28,174 |  |  | 9,493 |
General and administrative expenses | 15,981 |  |  | 16,446 |
Depreciation and amortization | 6,760 |  |  | 5,958 |
Operating (gains), losses and other charges, net | 793 |  |  | 630 |
|  | Total operating costs and expenses, net | 139,554 |  |  | 113,849 |
Operating income | 18,469 |  |  | 18,535 |
Interest expense, net | 5,314 |  |  | 4,067 |
Other nonoperating income, net | (460 | ) |  | (286 | )
Net income before income taxes | 13,615 |  |  | 14,754 |
Provision for income taxes | 2,810 |  |  | 5,429 |
Net income | $ | 10,805 |  |  | $ | 9,325 |
Basic net income per share | $ | 0.17 |  |  | $ | 0.14 |
Diluted net income per share | $ | 0.16 |  |  | $ | 0.13 |
Basic weighted average shares outstanding | 63,246 |  |  | 66,873 |
Diluted weighted average shares outstanding | 65,522 |  |  | 69,210 |
Comprehensive income | $ | 15,363 |  |  | $ | 9,548 |
General and Administrative Expenses | Quarter Ended
(In thousands) | 9/26/18 |  | 9/27/17
Share-based compensation | $ | 1,100 |  |  | $ | 2,493 |
Other general and administrative expenses | 14,881 |  |  | 13,953 |
| Total general and administrative expenses | $ | 15,981 |  |  | $ | 16,446 |

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DENNY’S CORPORATION
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income
(Unaudited)
|  |  | Three Quarters Ended
(In thousands, except per share amounts) | 9/26/18 |  | 9/27/17
Revenue: |  |  |
| Company restaurant sales | $ | 307,543 |  |  | $ | 290,049 |
| Franchise and license revenue | 163,087 |  |  | 103,621 |
|  | Total operating revenue | 470,630 |  |  | 393,670 |
Costs of company restaurant sales | 261,279 |  |  | 240,854 |
Costs of franchise and license revenue | 85,779 |  |  | 29,483 |
General and administrative expenses | 48,138 |  |  | 50,536 |
Depreciation and amortization | 19,965 |  |  | 17,493 |
Operating (gains), losses and other charges, net | 1,615 |  |  | 3,459 |
|  | Total operating costs and expenses, net | 416,776 |  |  | 341,825 |
Operating income | 53,854 |  |  | 51,845 |
Interest expense, net | 15,324 |  |  | 11,348 |
Other nonoperating income, net | (877 | ) |  | (1,053 | )
Net income before income taxes | 39,407 |  |  | 41,550 |
Provision for income taxes | 7,217 |  |  | 15,103 |
Net income | $ | 32,190 |  |  | $ | 26,447 |
Basic net income per share | $ | 0.50 |  |  | $ | 0.38 |
Diluted net income per share | $ | 0.49 |  |  | $ | 0.37 |
Basic weighted average shares outstanding | 63,774 |  |  | 69,095 |
Diluted weighted average shares outstanding | 66,122 |  |  | 71,377 |
Comprehensive income | $ | 37,047 |  |  | $ | 24,531 |
General and Administrative Expenses | Three Quarters Ended
(In thousands) | 9/26/18 |  | 9/27/17
Share-based compensation | $ | 3,661 |  |  | $ | 6,546 |
Other general and administrative expenses | 44,477 |  |  | 43,990 |
| Total general and administrative expenses | $ | 48,138 |  |  | $ | 50,536 |

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DENNY’S CORPORATION
Reconciliation of Net Income to Non-GAAP Financial Measures
(Unaudited)

The Company believes that, in addition to GAAP measures, certain other non-GAAP financial measures are appropriate indicators to assist in the evaluation of operating performance on a period-to-period basis. The Company uses Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted Free Cash Flow and Adjusted Net Income internally as performance measures for planning purposes, including the preparation of annual operating budgets, and for compensation purposes, including bonuses for certain employees. Adjusted EBITDA is also used to evaluate the ability to service debt because the excluded charges do not have an impact on prospective debt servicing capability and these adjustments are contemplated in our credit facility for the computation of our debt covenant ratios. We define Adjusted Free Cash Flow for a given period as Adjusted EBITDA less the cash portion of interest expense net of interest income, capital expenditures, and cash taxes. Management believes that the presentation of Adjusted Free Cash Flow provides useful information to investors because it represents a liquidity measure used to evaluate, among other things, operating effectiveness and is used in decisions regarding the allocation of resources. However, each of these non-GAAP financial measures should be considered as a supplement to, not a substitute for, operating income, net income or other financial performance measures prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.

| Quarter Ended |  | Three Quarters Ended
(In thousands, except per share amounts) | 9/26/18 |  | 9/27/17 |  | 9/26/18 |  | 9/27/17
Net income | $ | 10,805 |  |  | $ | 9,325 |  |  | $ | 32,190 |  |  | $ | 26,447 |
Provision for income taxes | 2,810 |  |  | 5,429 |  |  | 7,217 |  |  | 15,103 |
Operating (gains), losses and other charges, net | 793 |  |  | 630 |  |  | 1,615 |  |  | 3,459 |
Other nonoperating income, net | (460 | ) |  | (286 | ) |  | (877 | ) |  | (1,053 | )
Share-based compensation | 1,100 |  |  | 2,493 |  |  | 3,661 |  |  | 6,546 |
Deferred compensation plan valuation adjustments | 457 |  |  | 286 |  |  | 487 |  |  | 1,117 |
Interest expense, net | 5,314 |  |  | 4,067 |  |  | 15,324 |  |  | 11,348 |
Depreciation and amortization | 6,760 |  |  | 5,958 |  |  | 19,965 |  |  | 17,493 |
Cash payments for restructuring charges and exit costs | (236 | ) |  | (274 | ) |  | (801 | ) |  | (1,483 | )
Cash payments for share-based compensation | (21 | ) |  | — |  |  | (1,934 | ) |  | (3,946 | )
Adjusted EBITDA | $ | 27,322 |  |  | $ | 27,628 |  |  | $ | 76,847 |  |  | $ | 75,031 |
Cash interest expense, net | (5,017 | ) |  | (3,800 | ) |  | (14,468 | ) |  | (10,536 | )
Cash paid for income taxes, net | (852 | ) |  | (2,371 | ) |  | (2,347 | ) |  | (5,039 | )
Cash paid for capital expenditures | (7,782 | ) |  | (8,522 | ) |  | (27,710 | ) |  | (23,601 | )
Adjusted Free Cash Flow | $ | 13,671 |  |  | $ | 12,935 |  |  | $ | 32,322 |  |  | $ | 35,855 |
| Quarter Ended |  | Three Quarters Ended
(In thousands, except per share amounts) | 9/26/18 |  | 9/27/17 |  | 9/26/18 |  | 9/27/17
Net income | $ | 10,805 |  |  | $ | 9,325 |  |  | $ | 32,190 |  |  | $ | 26,447 |
Losses (gains) on sales of assets and other, net | (695 | ) |  | 590 |  |  | (759 | ) |  | 3,023 |
Impairment charges | 1,440 |  |  | — |  |  | 1,558 |  |  | — |
Tax effect (1) | (136 | ) |  | (214 | ) |  | (146 | ) |  | (1,097 | )
Adjusted Net Income | $ | 11,414 |  |  | $ | 9,701 |  |  | $ | 32,843 |  |  | $ | 28,373 |
Diluted weighted average shares outstanding | 65,522 |  |  | 69,210 |  |  | 66,122 |  |  | 71,377 |
Diluted Net Income Per Share | $ | 0.16 |  |  | $ | 0.13 |  |  | $ | 0.49 |  |  | $ | 0.37 |
Adjustments Per Share | $ | 0.01 |  |  | $ | 0.01 |  |  | $ | 0.01 |  |  | $ | 0.03 |
Adjusted Net Income Per Share | $ | 0.17 |  |  | $ | 0.14 |  |  | $ | 0.50 |  |  | $ | 0.40 |

(1) | Tax adjustments for the three and nine months ended September 26, 2018 are calculated using the Company's year-to-date effective tax rate of 18.3%. Tax adjustments for the three and nine months ended September 27, 2017 are calculated using the Company's year-to-date effective tax rate of 36.3%.

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DENNY’S CORPORATION
Reconciliation of Operating Income to Non-GAAP Financial Measures
(Unaudited)

The Company believes that, in addition to GAAP measures, certain other non-GAAP financial measures are appropriate indicators to assist in the evaluation of restaurant-level operating efficiency and performance of ongoing restaurant-level operations. The Company uses Total Operating Margin, Company Restaurant Operating Margin and Franchise Operating Margin internally as performance measures for planning purposes, including the preparation of annual operating budgets, and these three non-GAAP measures are used to evaluate operating effectiveness.
We define Total Operating Margin as operating income excluding the following three items: general and administrative expenses, depreciation and amortization, and operating (gains), losses and other charges, net. We present Total Operating Margin as a percent of total operating revenue. We exclude general and administrative expenses, which includes primarily non-restaurant-level costs associated with support of company and franchise restaurants and other activities at our corporate office. We exclude depreciation and amortization expense, substantially all of which is related to company restaurant-level assets, because such expenses represent historical sunk costs which do not reflect current cash outlays for the restaurants. We exclude special items, included within operating (gains), losses and other charges, net, to provide investors with a clearer perspective of the Company’s ongoing operating performance and a more relevant comparison to prior period results.
Total Operating Margin is the total of Company Restaurant Operating Margin and Franchise Operating Margin. We define Company Restaurant Operating Margin as company restaurant sales less costs of company restaurant sales (which include product costs, company restaurant level payroll and benefits, occupancy costs, and other operating costs including utilities, repairs and maintenance, marketing and other expenses) and present it as a percent of company restaurant sales. We define Franchise Operating Margin as franchise and license revenue (which includes franchise royalties and other non-food and beverage revenue streams such as initial franchise fees and occupancy revenue) less costs of franchise and license revenue and present it as a percent of franchise and license revenue.
These non-GAAP financial measures provide a meaningful comparison between periods and enable investors to focus on the performance of restaurant-level operations by excluding revenues and costs unrelated to food and beverage sales in addition to corporate general and administrative expense, depreciation and amortization, and other gains and charges. However, each of these non-GAAP financial measures should be considered as a supplement to, not a substitute for, operating income, net income or other financial performance measures prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. Total Operating Margin, Company Restaurant Operating Margin and Franchise Operating Margin do not accrue directly to the benefit of shareholders because of the aforementioned excluded costs, and are not indicative of the overall results for the Company.

| Quarter Ended |  | Three Quarters Ended
(In thousands) | 9/26/18 |  | 9/27/17 |  | 9/26/18 |  | 9/27/17
Operating income | $ | 18,469 |  |  | $ | 18,535 |  |  | $ | 53,854 |  |  | $ | 51,845 |
General and administrative expenses | 15,981 |  |  | 16,446 |  |  | 48,138 |  |  | 50,536 |
Depreciation and amortization | 6,760 |  |  | 5,958 |  |  | 19,965 |  |  | 17,493 |
Operating (gains), losses and other charges, net | 793 |  |  | 630 |  |  | 1,615 |  |  | 3,459 |
Total Operating Margin | $ | 42,003 |  |  | $ | 41,569 |  |  | $ | 123,572 |  |  | $ | 123,333 |
Total Operating Margin consists of: |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Company Restaurant Operating Margin (1) | $ | 15,763 |  |  | $ | 16,593 |  |  | $ | 46,264 |  |  | $ | 49,195 |
Franchise Operating Margin (2) | 26,240 |  |  | 24,976 |  |  | 77,308 |  |  | 74,138 |
Total Operating Margin | $ | 42,003 |  |  | $ | 41,569 |  |  | $ | 123,572 |  |  | $ | 123,333 |

(1) | Company Restaurant Operating Margin is calculated as operating income plus general and administrative expenses; depreciation and amortization; operating (gains), losses and other charges; and costs of franchise and license revenue; less franchise and license revenue.
(2) | Franchise Operating Margin is calculated as operating income plus general and administrative expenses; depreciation and amortization; operating (gains), losses and other charges; and costs of company restaurant sales; less company restaurant sales.

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DENNY’S CORPORATION
Operating Margins
(Unaudited)
|  |  |  | Quarter Ended
(In thousands) | 9/26/18 |  | 9/27/17
Company restaurant operations: (1) |  |  |  |  |
| Company restaurant sales | $ | 103,609 |  | 100.0 | % |  | $ | 97,915 |  | 100.0 | %
| Costs of company restaurant sales: |  |  |  |  |
|  | Product costs | 25,303 |  | 24.4 | % |  | 24,896 |  | 25.4 | %
|  | Payroll and benefits | 41,041 |  | 39.6 | % |  | 37,332 |  | 38.1 | %
|  | Occupancy | 6,083 |  | 5.9 | % |  | 5,054 |  | 5.2 | %
|  | Other operating costs: |  |  |  |  |
|  |  | Utilities | 3,926 |  | 3.8 | % |  | 3,767 |  | 3.8 | %
|  |  | Repairs and maintenance | 1,870 |  | 1.8 | % |  | 1,642 |  | 1.7 | %
|  |  | Marketing | 3,791 |  | 3.7 | % |  | 3,740 |  | 3.8 | %
|  |  | Other | 5,832 |  | 5.6 | % |  | 4,891 |  | 5.0 | %
| Total costs of company restaurant sales | $ | 87,846 |  | 84.8 | % |  | $ | 81,322 |  | 83.1 | %
| Company restaurant operating margin (non-GAAP) (2) | $ | 15,763 |  | 15.2 | % |  | $ | 16,593 |  | 16.9 | %
Franchise operations: (3) |  |  |  |  |
| Franchise and license revenue: |  |  |  |  |
| Royalties | $ | 25,518 |  | 46.9 | % |  | $ | 25,174 |  | 73.0 | %
| Advertising revenue | 19,546 |  | 35.9 | % |  | — |  | — | %
| Initial and other fees | 1,415 |  | 2.6 | % |  | 507 |  | 1.5 | %
| Occupancy revenue | 7,935 |  | 14.6 | % |  | 8,788 |  | 25.5 | %
| Total franchise and license revenue | $ | 54,414 |  | 100.0 | % |  | $ | 34,469 |  | 100.0 | %
| Costs of franchise and license revenue: |  |  |  |  |
| Advertising costs | $ | 19,546 |  | 35.9 | % |  | $ | 364 |  | 1.1 | %
| Occupancy costs | 5,585 |  | 10.3 | % |  | 6,343 |  | 18.4 | %
| Other direct costs | 3,043 |  | 5.6 | % |  | 2,786 |  | 8.1 | %
| Total costs of franchise and license revenue | $ | 28,174 |  | 51.8 | % |  | $ | 9,493 |  | 27.5 | %
| Franchise operating margin (non-GAAP) (2) | $ | 26,240 |  | 48.2 | % |  | $ | 24,976 |  | 72.5 | %
Total operating revenue (4) | $ | 158,023 |  | 100.0 | % |  | $ | 132,384 |  | 100.0 | %
Total costs of operating revenue (4) | 116,020 |  | 73.4 | % |  | 90,815 |  | 68.6 | %
Total operating margin (non-GAAP) (4)(2) | $ | 42,003 |  | 26.6 | % |  | $ | 41,569 |  | 31.4 | %
Other operating expenses: (4)(2) |  |  |  |  |
| General and administrative expenses | $ | 15,981 |  | 10.1 | % |  | $ | 16,446 |  | 12.4 | %
| Depreciation and amortization | 6,760 |  | 4.3 | % |  | 5,958 |  | 4.5 | %
| Operating (gains), losses and other charges, net | 793 |  | 0.5 | % |  | 630 |  | 0.5 | %
| Total other operating expenses | $ | 23,534 |  | 14.9 | % |  | $ | 23,034 |  | 17.4 | %
Operating income (4) | $ | 18,469 |  | 11.7 | % |  | $ | 18,535 |  | 14.0 | %
(1) | As a percentage of company restaurant sales.
(2) | Other operating expenses such as general and administrative expenses and depreciation and amortization relate to both company and franchise operations and are not allocated to costs of company restaurant sales and costs of franchise and license revenue. As such, operating margin is considered a non-GAAP financial measure. Operating margins should be considered as a supplement to, not as a substitute for, operating income, net income or other financial measures prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.
(3) | As a percentage of franchise and license revenue.
(4) | As a percentage of total operating revenue.

12

DENNY’S CORPORATION
Operating Margins
(Unaudited)
|  |  |  | Three Quarters Ended
(In thousands) | 9/26/18 |  | 9/27/17
Company restaurant operations: (1) |  |  |  |  |
| Company restaurant sales | $ | 307,543 |  | 100.0 | % |  | $ | 290,049 |  | 100.0 | %
| Costs of company restaurant sales: |  |  |  |  |
|  | Product costs | 75,292 |  | 24.5 | % |  | 72,798 |  | 25.1 | %
|  | Payroll and benefits | 123,332 |  | 40.1 | % |  | 113,221 |  | 39.0 | %
|  | Occupancy | 17,165 |  | 5.6 | % |  | 15,291 |  | 5.3 | %
|  | Other operating costs: |  |  |  |  |
|  |  | Utilities | 10,690 |  | 3.5 | % |  | 9,873 |  | 3.4 | %
|  |  | Repairs and maintenance | 5,647 |  | 1.8 | % |  | 4,972 |  | 1.7 | %
|  |  | Marketing | 11,267 |  | 3.7 | % |  | 10,982 |  | 3.8 | %
|  |  | Other | 17,886 |  | 5.8 | % |  | 13,717 |  | 4.7 | %
| Total costs of company restaurant sales | $ | 261,279 |  | 85.0 | % |  | $ | 240,854 |  | 83.0 | %
| Company restaurant operating margin (non-GAAP) (2) | $ | 46,264 |  | 15.0 | % |  | $ | 49,195 |  | 17.0 | %
Franchise operations: (3) |  |  |  |  |
| Franchise and license revenue: |  |  |  |  |
| Royalties | $ | 75,875 |  | 46.5 | % |  | $ | 75,056 |  | 72.4 | %
| Advertising revenue | 58,386 |  | 35.8 | % |  | — |  | — | %
| Initial and other fees | 4,642 |  | 2.8 | % |  | 1,579 |  | 1.5 | %
| Occupancy revenue | 24,184 |  | 14.8 | % |  | 26,986 |  | 26.0 | %
| Total franchise and license revenue | $ | 163,087 |  | 100.0 | % |  | $ | 103,621 |  | 100.0 | %
| Costs of franchise and license revenue: |  |  |  |  |
| Advertising costs | $ | 58,386 |  | 35.8 | % |  | $ | 1,477 |  | 1.4 | %
| Occupancy costs | 17,059 |  | 10.5 | % |  | 19,420 |  | 18.7 | %
| Other direct costs | 10,334 |  | 6.3 | % |  | 8,586 |  | 8.3 | %
| Total costs of franchise and license revenue | $ | 85,779 |  | 52.6 | % |  | $ | 29,483 |  | 28.5 | %
| Franchise operating margin (non-GAAP) (2) | $ | 77,308 |  | 47.4 | % |  | $ | 74,138 |  | 71.5 | %
Total operating revenue (4) | $ | 470,630 |  | 100.0 | % |  | $ | 393,670 |  | 100.0 | %
Total costs of operating revenue (4) | 347,058 |  | 73.7 | % |  | 270,337 |  | 68.7 | %
Total operating margin (non-GAAP) (4)(2) | $ | 123,572 |  | 26.3 | % |  | $ | 123,333 |  | 31.3 | %
Other operating expenses: (4)(2) |  |  |  |  |
| General and administrative expenses | $ | 48,138 |  | 10.2 | % |  | $ | 50,536 |  | 12.8 | %
| Depreciation and amortization | 19,965 |  | 4.2 | % |  | 17,493 |  | 4.4 | %
| Operating gains, losses and other charges, net | 1,615 |  | 0.3 | % |  | 3,459 |  | 0.9 | %
| Total other operating expenses | $ | 69,718 |  | 14.8 | % |  | $ | 71,488 |  | 18.2 | %
Operating income (4) | $ | 53,854 |  | 11.4 | % |  | $ | 51,845 |  | 13.2 | %
(1) | As a percentage of company restaurant sales
(2) | Other operating expenses such as general and administrative expenses and depreciation and amortization relate to both company and franchise operations and are not allocated to costs of company restaurant sales and costs of franchise and license revenue. As such, operating margin is considered a non-GAAP financial measure. Operating margins should be considered as a supplement to, not as a substitute for, operating income, net income or other financial measures prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.
(3) | As a percentage of franchise and license revenue
(4) | As a percentage of total operating revenue

13

DENNY’S CORPORATION
Statistical Data
(Unaudited)
Changes in Same-Store Sales (1) | Quarter Ended |  | Three Quarters Ended
(increase vs. prior year) | 9/26/18 |  | 9/27/17 |  | 9/26/18 |  | 9/27/17
| Company Restaurants | 2.1 | % |  | 0.6 | % |  | 1.7 | % |  | 0.6 | %
| Domestic Franchised Restaurants | 0.8 | % |  | 0.6 | % |  | 0.4 | % |  | 0.7 | %
| Domestic System-wide Restaurants | 1.0 | % |  | 0.6 | % |  | 0.6 | % |  | 0.7 | %
Average Unit Sales | Quarter Ended |  | Three Quarters Ended
(In thousands) | 9/26/18 |  | 9/27/17 |  | 9/26/18 |  | 9/27/17
| Company Restaurants | $ | 582 |  |  | $ | 577 |  |  | $ | 1,716 |  |  | $ | 1,706 |
| Franchised Restaurants | $ | 409 |  |  | $ | 403 |  |  | $ | 1,207 |  |  | $ | 1,188 |
|  |  |  |  | Franchised |  |  |  |
Restaurant Unit Activity | Company |  | & Licensed |  | Total |  |
Ending Units June 27, 2018 | 180 |  |  | 1,540 |  |  | 1,720 |  |  |
| Units Opened | 1 |  |  | 6 |  |  | 7 |  |  |
| Units Reacquired | — |  |  | — |  |  | — |  |  |
| Units Closed | — |  |  | (12 | ) |  | (12 | ) |  |
|  | Net Change | 1 |  |  | (6 | ) |  | (5 | ) |  |
Ending Units September 26, 2018 | 181 |  |  | 1,534 |  |  | 1,715 |  |  |
Equivalent Units |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Third Quarter 2018 | 178 |  |  | 1,536 |  |  | 1,714 |  |  |
| Third Quarter 2017 | 170 |  |  | 1,550 |  |  | 1,720 |  |  |
|  | Net Change | 8 |  |  | (14 | ) |  | (6 | ) |  |
|  |  |  |  | Franchised |  |  |  |
Restaurant Unit Activity | Company |  | & Licensed |  | Total |  |
Ending Units December 27, 2017 | 178 |  |  | 1,557 |  |  | 1,735 |  |  |
| Units Opened | 1 |  |  | 24 |  |  | 25 |  |  |
| Units Reacquired | 6 |  |  | (6 | ) |  | — |  |  |
| Units Closed | (4 | ) |  | (41 | ) |  | (45 | ) |  |
|  | Net Change | 3 |  |  | (23 | ) |  | (20 | ) |  |
Ending Units September 26, 2018 | 181 |  |  | 1,534 |  |  | 1,715 |  |  |
Equivalent Units |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Year-to-Date 2018 | 179 |  |  | 1,541 |  |  | 1,720 |  |  |
| Year-to-Date 2017 | 170 |  |  | 1,557 |  |  | 1,727 |  |  |
|  | Net Change | 9 |  |  | (16 | ) |  | (7 | ) |  |
(1) | Same-store sales include sales at company restaurants and non-consolidated franchised and licensed restaurants that were open the same period in the prior year. Total operating revenue is limited to company restaurant sales and royalties, fees and occupancy revenue from franchised and licensed restaurants. Accordingly, domestic franchise same-store sales and domestic system-wide same-store sales should be considered as a supplement to, not a substitute for, our results as reported under GAAP.

14