Fair Value Measurements

3 Months Ended

Mar. 22, 2020

5. Fair Value Measurements

Fair value measurements enable the reader of the financial statements to assess the inputs used to develop those measurements by establishing a hierarchy for ranking the quality and reliability of the information used to determine fair values. The Company classifies and discloses assets and liabilities carried at fair value in one of the following three categories:

Level 1: Quoted market prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities.

Level 2: Observable market-based inputs or unobservable inputs that are corroborated by market data.

Level 3: Unobservable inputs that are not corroborated by market data.

The fair values of the Company’s cash equivalents and investments in marketable securities are based on quoted prices in active markets for identical assets. The following tables summarize the carrying amounts and fair values of certain assets at March 22, 2020 and December 29, 2019:


	At March 22, 2020
			Fair Value Estimated Using
	Carrying		Level 1		Level 2		Level 3
	Amount		Inputs		Inputs		Inputs
Cash equivalents	$	173,317	$	173,317	$	—	$	—
Restricted cash equivalents		106,225		106,225		—		—
Investments in marketable securities		10,989		10,989		—		—
Advertising fund cash equivalents, restricted		78,134		78,134		—		—


	At December 29, 2019
			Fair Value Estimated Using
	Carrying		Level 1		Level 2		Level 3
	Amount		Inputs		Inputs		Inputs
Cash equivalents	$	180,459	$	180,459	$	—	$	—
Restricted cash equivalents		126,963		126,963		—		—
Investments in marketable securities		11,982		11,982		—		—
Advertising fund cash equivalents, restricted		67,851		67,851		—		—

Management estimated the approximate fair values of the 2015 fixed rate notes, the 2017 fixed and floating rate notes, the 2018 fixed rate notes and the 2019 fixed rate notes as follows:


	March 22, 2020				December 29, 2019
	Principal Amount		Fair Value		Principal Amount		Fair Value
2015 Ten-Year Fixed Rate Notes	$	772,000	$	711,784	$	774,000	$	804,960
2017 Five-Year Fixed Rate Notes		586,500		549,551		588,000		588,588
2017 Ten-Year Fixed Rate Notes		977,500		825,010		980,000		1,017,240
2017 Five-Year Floating Rate Notes		293,250		251,315		294,000		294,000
2018 7.5-Year Fixed Rate Notes		418,625		387,228		419,688		431,439
2018 9.25-Year Fixed Rate Notes		394,000		351,054		395,000		414,355
2019 Ten-Year Fixed Rate Notes		673,313		544,037		675,000		675,675

The Company’s variable funding notes are a variable rate loan and the fair value of this loan approximates book value based on the borrowing rates currently available for variable rate loans obtained from third party lending institutions. This fair value represents a Level 2 measurement. The Company did not have any outstanding borrowings under its variable funding notes at March 22, 2020 or December 29, 2019. Subsequent to the first quarter of 2020, the Company borrowed $158.0 million under its variable funding notes

The fair values in the table above represent the fair value of such notes at March 22, 2020 and December 29, 2019. In light of the

COVID-19

pandemic (discussed further in Note 10), these fair values fluctuated significantly during the first quarter and may continue to fluctuate based on market conditions and other factors.

The fixed and floating rate notes are classified as Level 2 measurements, as the Company estimates the fair value amount by using available market information. The Company obtained quotes from two separate brokerage firms that are knowledgeable about the Company’s fixed and floating rate notes and, at times, trade these notes. The Company also performed its own internal analysis based on the information gathered from public markets, including information on notes that are similar to those of the Company. However, considerable judgment is required to interpret market data to estimate fair value. Accordingly, the fair value estimates presented are not necessarily indicative of the amount that the Company or the debtholders could realize in a current market exchange. The use of different assumptions and/or estimation methodologies may have a material effect on the estimated fair values stated above.

- Definition

The entire disclosure for the fair value of financial instruments (as defined), including financial assets and financial liabilities (collectively, as defined), and the measurements of those instruments as well as disclosures related to the fair value of non-financial assets and liabilities. Such disclosures about the financial instruments, assets, and liabilities would include: (1) the fair value of the required items together with their carrying amounts (as appropriate); (2) for items for which it is not practicable to estimate fair value, disclosure would include: (a) information pertinent to estimating fair value (including, carrying amount, effective interest rate, and maturity, and (b) the reasons why it is not practicable to estimate fair value; (3) significant concentrations of credit risk including: (a) information about the activity, region, or economic characteristics identifying a concentration, (b) the maximum amount of loss the entity is exposed to based on the gross fair value of the related item, (c) policy for requiring collateral or other security and information as to accessing such collateral or security, and (d) the nature and brief description of such collateral or security; (4) quantitative information about market risks and how such risks are managed; (5) for items measured on both a recurring and nonrecurring basis information regarding the inputs used to develop the fair value measurement; and (6) for items presented in the financial statement for which fair value measurement is elected: (a) information necessary to understand the reasons for the election, (b) discussion of the effect of fair value changes on earnings, (c) a description of [similar groups] items for which the election is made and the relation thereof to the balance sheet, the aggregate carrying value of items included in the balance sheet that are not eligible for the election; (7) all other required (as defined) and desired information.

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