CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC	12 Months Ended
Oct. 03, 2020
Coronavirus Pandemic
CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC	NOTE 8. CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC: In March 2020, a novel strain of coronavirus was declared a global pandemic and a National Public Health Emergency. The novel coronavirus pandemic and related “shelter-in-place” orders and other governmental mandates relating thereto (collectively, “COVID-19”) adversely affected and will, in all likelihood continue to adversely affect, our restaurant operations and financial results for the foreseeable future. Due to COVID-19, from mid-March 2020 through mid-May 2020, we ceased all dining and bar services at all of our restaurants, limiting service to take-out and delivery only of food, and implemented reduced hours at our retail package liquor stores. From mid-May 2020 through the beginning of July 2020, there was a gradual elimination of restrictions on our restaurant operations, permitting us to, among other things, provide dining for outdoor seating patrons with appropriate social distancing and provide dining for indoor patrons at up to 50% capacity (depending on the location of the restaurant), but with no bar service and increased operating hours at our package liquor stores. From the beginning of July 2020 through the beginning of September 2020, we ceased dine-in service at all of our Miami-Dade County, Florida restaurants, (two Company-owned and six limited partnership owned restaurants). Since the beginning of September 2020, we have been offering both food and bar options at all of our restaurants, including those located in Miami-Dade County, Florida, with appropriate social distancing and dine-in service at up to 100% capacity, including outdoor dining. Due to COVID-19, we implemented (i) certain cost cutting measures including material layoffs at our restaurants and reduced corporate personnel salaries; and (ii) a number of changes to our operations such as the establishment of an in-house delivery service and an adjustment to our traditional staffing model to meet customer demand. We have been in regular contact with our suppliers and while to date we have not experienced significant disruptions in our supply chain, we could see future disruptions should the impacts of COVID-19 extend for a considerable amount of time. To support our employees, we have implemented work from home support, increased sanitization of high touch, high traffic areas in our restaurants, retail package liquor stores and corporate offices, provided personal protective equipment for our employees and increased the frequency of personal hygiene practices. From March 29, 2020 through May 9, 2020, the salaries of all our non-executive corporate office personnel were reduced by 20%, the base salaries of our Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer were each reduced by 50% and our Chief Executive Officer waived his base salary, representing salary savings of approximately $135,000 during this period. Our employee headcount as of fiscal year end 2020 was 1,804 persons reduced from 1,870 persons as of our fiscal year end 2019. In addition and also due to COVID-19, we did not make any quarterly distributions to our limited partners for the quarter ended March 31, 2020. For each of the quarters ended June 30, 2020 and September 30, 2020, we made quarterly distributions to our limited partners equal to one-half (½) of the amounts that would have been distributed for the quarter ended March 31, 2020. During the third quarter of fiscal year end 2020, the United States government passed a $2.0 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (“CARES Act”) designed primarily to help keep businesses running during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. The CARES Act included provisions for certain deductions and tax credits, filing deadline extensions, filing payment deadlines and making available certain grant money to assist businesses. This CARES ACT allowed us to take advantage of credits, deferments, and deductions, and PPP Loans (described below) during the third quarter of our fiscal year 2020. As a result, during the third and fourth quarter of 2020, we reversed certain of our cost cutting measures, including (i) reinstating employees laid off at our restaurants in anticipation of resuming dine-in service, (ii) restoring corporate personnel and executive salaries and (iii) paying prior salary reductions. During the third quarter of our fiscal year 2020, we, certain of the entities owning the limited partnership stores (the “LP’s”), franchised stores (the “Franchisees”) as well as the store we manage but do not own (the “Managed Store”), (collectively, the “Borrowers”), applied for and received loans from an unrelated third party lender pursuant to the Paycheck Protection Program (the “PPP”) under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (the “CARES Act”) enacted March 27, 2020, in the aggregate principal amount of approximately $13.1 million, (the “PPP Loans”), of which approximately: (i) $5.9 million was loaned to us; (ii) $4.1 million was loaned to 8 of the LP’s; (iii) $2.6 million was loaned to 5 of the Franchisees; and (iv) $0.5 million was loaned to the Managed Store. The PPP Loans to the Franchisees and the Managed Store are not included in our consolidated financial statements. Due to our receipt of the PPP Loans, we reversed certain cost cutting measures, including reinstating employees laid off at our restaurants in anticipation of resuming dine-in service and restoring corporate personnel salaries. The PPP Loans, which are in the form of Notes issued by each of the Borrowers, mature two years from the date of funding (dates ranging from May 5, 2022 to May 11, 2022) and bear interest at a rate of 1.00% per annum, payable monthly commencing approximately six months from the date of issuance of the Notes (issuance dates ranging from April 30, 2020 to May 6, 2020). The Notes may be prepaid by the applicable Borrower at any time prior to maturity with no prepayment penalties. Proceeds from the PPP Loans have been used and are available to the respective Borrower to fund designated expenses, including certain payroll costs, group health care benefits and other permitted expenses, including rent and interest on mortgages and other debt obligations incurred before February 15, 2020. Under the terms of the PPP, up to the entire amount of principal and accrued interest may be forgiven to the extent the proceeds of the PPP Loans are used for qualifying expenses as described in the CARES Act and applicable implementing guidance issued by the U.S. Small Business Administration under the PPP. No assurance can be given that the Borrowers will obtain forgiveness of the PPP Loans in whole or in part. With respect to any portion of any of the PPP Loans that is not forgiven under the terms of the PPP, such amounts will be subject to customary provisions for a loan of this type, including customary events of default relating to, among other things, payment defaults, breaches of the provisions of the applicable PPP Note and cross-defaults on any other loan with the Lender or other creditors. We do not believe COVID-19 has had a material adverse effect on our access to supplies or labor, although there can be no assurance that there will not be a significant adverse impact on our supply chain or access to labor in the future. We are actively monitoring our food suppliers to assess how they are managing their operations to mitigate supply flow and food safety risks. To ensure we mitigate potential supply availability risk, we are building additional inventory back stock levels when appropriate and we have also identified alternative supply sources in key product categories including but not limited to food, sanitation and safety supplies. Prior to obtaining the PPP Loans, we were in compliance with the financial covenants contained in our loans with our unrelated third party institutional lender (the “Institutional Lender”) under which as of October 3, 2020, we owe in the aggregate, approximately $12,209,000 (the “Institutional Loans”). We determined that as of the end of the third quarter of our fiscal year 2020, we were not in compliance with our financial covenants contained in the Institutional Loans related to the Rent Adjusted Funded Debt to EBITDA Ratio because our consolidated debt during the third quarter of our fiscal year 2020 increased due to our repayment obligations under the PPP Loans (the “Covenant Breach’). Pursuant to the terms of the Institutional Loans, the Covenant Breach, grants the Institutional Lender the right to exercise certain remedies under the Institutional Loans, including the right to accelerate the indebtedness owed by us to the Institutional Lender thereunder. On August 10, 2020, we received a written waiver of the Covenant Breach from the Institutional Lender, which, among other things, waives the Covenant Breach through June 30, 2021. As of October 3, 2020, we are in compliance with the financial covenants contained in our loans with our Institutional Lender. There can be no assurances that we will be in compliance with our financial covenants thereafter due to, among other things, that our results of operations will likely continue to be materially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Absent a waiver, failure to be in compliance with our financial covenants would constitute a default under the Institutional Loans with our Institutional Lender when reported. Such a default, if not cured or waived, would allow the Institutional Lender to accelerate the maturity of the indebtedness we owe under the Institutional Loans, making it due and payable at the time. If maturity of the Institutional Loans were accelerated, it would have a material adverse impact on our consolidated financial statements and results of operations.

CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC

12 Months Ended

Oct. 03, 2020

NOTE 8. CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC:

In March 2020, a novel strain of coronavirus was declared a global pandemic and a National Public Health Emergency. The novel coronavirus pandemic and related “shelter-in-place” orders and other governmental mandates relating thereto (collectively, “COVID-19”) adversely affected and will, in all likelihood continue to adversely affect, our restaurant operations and financial results for the foreseeable future. Due to COVID-19, from mid-March 2020 through mid-May 2020, we ceased all dining and bar services at all of our restaurants, limiting service to take-out and delivery only of food, and implemented reduced hours at our retail package liquor stores. From mid-May 2020 through the beginning of July 2020, there was a gradual elimination of restrictions on our restaurant operations, permitting us to, among other things, provide dining for outdoor seating patrons with appropriate social distancing and provide dining for indoor patrons at up to 50% capacity (depending on the location of the restaurant), but with no bar service and increased operating hours at our package liquor stores. From the beginning of July 2020 through the beginning of September 2020, we ceased dine-in service at all of our Miami-Dade County, Florida restaurants, (two Company-owned and six limited partnership owned restaurants). Since the beginning of September 2020, we have been offering both food and bar options at all of our restaurants, including those located in Miami-Dade County, Florida, with appropriate social distancing and dine-in service at up to 100% capacity, including outdoor dining.

Due to COVID-19, we implemented (i) certain cost cutting measures including material layoffs at our restaurants and reduced corporate personnel salaries; and (ii) a number of changes to our operations such as the establishment of an in-house delivery service and an adjustment to our traditional staffing model to meet customer demand. We have been in regular contact with our suppliers and while to date we have not experienced significant disruptions in our supply chain, we could see future disruptions should the impacts of COVID-19 extend for a considerable amount of time. To support our employees, we have implemented work from home support, increased sanitization of high touch, high traffic areas in our restaurants, retail package liquor stores and corporate offices, provided personal protective equipment for our employees and increased the frequency of personal hygiene practices. From March 29, 2020 through May 9, 2020, the salaries of all our non-executive corporate office personnel were reduced by 20%, the base salaries of our Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer were each reduced by 50% and our Chief Executive Officer waived his base salary, representing salary savings of approximately $135,000 during this period. Our employee headcount as of fiscal year end 2020 was 1,804 persons reduced from 1,870 persons as of our fiscal year end 2019.

In addition and also due to COVID-19, we did not make any quarterly distributions to our limited partners for the quarter ended March 31, 2020. For each of the quarters ended June 30, 2020 and September 30, 2020, we made quarterly distributions to our limited partners equal to one-half (½) of the amounts that would have been distributed for the quarter ended March 31, 2020.

During the third quarter of fiscal year end 2020, the United States government passed a $2.0 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (“CARES Act”) designed primarily to help keep businesses running during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. The CARES Act included provisions for certain deductions and tax credits, filing deadline extensions, filing payment deadlines and making available certain grant money to assist businesses. This CARES ACT allowed us to take advantage of credits, deferments, and deductions, and PPP Loans (described below) during the third quarter of our fiscal year 2020. As a result, during the third and fourth quarter of 2020, we reversed certain of our cost cutting measures, including (i) reinstating employees laid off at our restaurants in anticipation of resuming dine-in service, (ii) restoring corporate personnel and executive salaries and (iii) paying prior salary reductions.

During the third quarter of our fiscal year 2020, we, certain of the entities owning the limited partnership stores (the “LP’s”), franchised stores (the “Franchisees”) as well as the store we manage but do not own (the “Managed Store”), (collectively, the “Borrowers”), applied for and received loans from an unrelated third party lender pursuant to the Paycheck Protection Program (the “PPP”) under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (the “CARES Act”) enacted March 27, 2020, in the aggregate principal amount of approximately $13.1 million, (the “PPP Loans”), of which approximately: (i) $5.9 million was loaned to us; (ii) $4.1 million was loaned to 8 of the LP’s; (iii) $2.6 million was loaned to 5 of the Franchisees; and (iv) $0.5 million was loaned to the Managed Store. The PPP Loans to the Franchisees and the Managed Store are not included in our consolidated financial statements. Due to our receipt of the PPP Loans, we reversed certain cost cutting measures, including reinstating employees laid off at our restaurants in anticipation of resuming dine-in service and restoring corporate personnel salaries.

The PPP Loans, which are in the form of Notes issued by each of the Borrowers, mature two years from the date of funding (dates ranging from May 5, 2022 to May 11, 2022) and bear interest at a rate of 1.00% per annum, payable monthly commencing approximately six months from the date of issuance of the Notes (issuance dates ranging from April 30, 2020 to May 6, 2020). The Notes may be prepaid by the applicable Borrower at any time prior to maturity with no prepayment penalties. Proceeds from the PPP Loans have been used and are available to the respective Borrower to fund designated expenses, including certain payroll costs, group health care benefits and other permitted expenses, including rent and interest on mortgages and other debt obligations incurred before February 15, 2020. Under the terms of the PPP, up to the entire amount of principal and accrued interest may be forgiven to the extent the proceeds of the PPP Loans are used for qualifying expenses as described in the CARES Act and applicable implementing guidance issued by the U.S. Small Business Administration under the PPP. No assurance can be given that the Borrowers will obtain forgiveness of the PPP Loans in whole or in part.

With respect to any portion of any of the PPP Loans that is not forgiven under the terms of the PPP, such amounts will be subject to customary provisions for a loan of this type, including customary events of default relating to, among other things, payment defaults, breaches of the provisions of the applicable PPP Note and cross-defaults on any other loan with the Lender or other creditors.

We do not believe COVID-19 has had a material adverse effect on our access to supplies or labor, although there can be no assurance that there will not be a significant adverse impact on our supply chain or access to labor in the future. We are actively monitoring our food suppliers to assess how they are managing their operations to mitigate supply flow and food safety risks. To ensure we mitigate potential supply availability risk, we are building additional inventory back stock levels when appropriate and we have also identified alternative supply sources in key product categories including but not limited to food, sanitation and safety supplies.

Prior to obtaining the PPP Loans, we were in compliance with the financial covenants contained in our loans with our unrelated third party institutional lender (the “Institutional Lender”) under which as of October 3, 2020, we owe in the aggregate, approximately $12,209,000 (the “Institutional Loans”). We determined that as of the end of the third quarter of our fiscal year 2020, we were not in compliance with our financial covenants contained in the Institutional Loans related to the Rent Adjusted Funded Debt to EBITDA Ratio because our consolidated debt during the third quarter of our fiscal year 2020 increased due to our repayment obligations under the PPP Loans (the “Covenant Breach’). Pursuant to the terms of the Institutional Loans, the Covenant Breach, grants the Institutional Lender the right to exercise certain remedies under the Institutional Loans, including the right to accelerate the indebtedness owed by us to the Institutional Lender thereunder. On August 10, 2020, we received a written waiver of the Covenant Breach from the Institutional Lender, which, among other things, waives the Covenant Breach through June 30, 2021. As of October 3, 2020, we are in compliance with the financial covenants contained in our loans with our Institutional Lender.

There can be no assurances that we will be in compliance with our financial covenants thereafter due to, among other things, that our results of operations will likely continue to be materially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Absent a waiver, failure to be in compliance with our financial covenants would constitute a default under the Institutional Loans with our Institutional Lender when reported. Such a default, if not cured or waived, would allow the Institutional Lender to accelerate the maturity of the indebtedness we owe under the Institutional Loans, making it due and payable at the time. If maturity of the Institutional Loans were accelerated, it would have a material adverse impact on our consolidated financial statements and results of operations.