Shareholders' Equity

12 Months Ended

Jan. 03, 2023

Equity [Abstract]

Shareholders' Equity

. Shareholders’ Equity

Private Placement

On May 5, 2020, we completed the sale of $70 million of our common stock to certain funds and accounts advised by T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc., acting as investment adviser, and to Act III Holdings, LLC (“Act III,” and collectively “the investors”). The investors purchased a total of 3,500,000 shares of BJ’s Restaurants common stock for $20.00 per share in a private placement under Section 4(2) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. The Company also issued a five year warrant to purchase 875,000 shares of our common stock with an exercise price of $27.00 per share to Act III. The warrant expires on May 4, 2025, five years following the issuance.

We accounted for the common stock and the warrant issued based on their relative fair values. The fair value of the warrant was estimated using the Black-Scholes pricing model. We recorded the net proceeds of $64.0 million related to the 3,500,000 shares of common stock to “Retained earnings” and the net proceeds of $3.4 million related to the warrant to “Capital surplus” on our Consolidated Balance Sheets.

At-the-Market Offering

On January 21, 2021, we sold 703,399 shares of our common stock at $42.65 per share for cash proceeds of $30.0 million (before commission and other fees) through an at-the market (“ATM”) offering program. As a result of the anti-dilution provisions contained in ACT III’s warrant, the number of shares issuable upon exercise of such warrant was adjusted to 876,949 and the exercise price was adjusted to $26.94.

Preferred Stock

We are authorized to issue 5.0 million shares of one or more series of preferred stock and we are authorized to determine the rights, preferences, privileges and restrictions to be granted to, or imposed upon, any such series, including the voting rights, redemption provisions (including sinking fund provisions), dividend rights, dividend rates, liquidation rates, liquidation preferences, conversion rights and the description and number of shares constituting any wholly unissued series of preferred stock. No shares of preferred stock were issued or outstanding at January 3, 2023 or December 28, 2021. We currently have no plans to issue shares of preferred stock.

Common Stock

Shareholders are entitled to one vote for each share of common stock held of record. Pursuant to the requirements of California law, shareholders are entitled to accumulate votes in connection with the election of directors. Shareholders of our outstanding common stock are entitled to receive dividends if and when declared by the Board of Directors.

Cash Dividends

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, our Board of Directors suspended quarterly cash dividends until it is determined that resumption of dividend payments is in the best interest of the Company and its shareholders. As such, the only cash dividends paid during fiscal 2022 and 2021 were related to dividends (declared prior to fiscal 2020) which vested under our stock compensation plans.

Stock Repurchases

During fiscal 2022, we repurchased and retired approximately 91,000 shares of our common stock at an average price of $26.12 per share for a total of $2.4 million, which is recorded as a reduction in common stock, with any excess charged to retained earnings. These repurchases are the first since the program was suspended in the first quarter of 2020. As of January 3,

2023, we have approximately $22.1 million remaining under the current $500 million share repurchase plan approved by our Board of Directors. Repurchases may be made at any time.