Related Party Transactions

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2016

Related Party Transactions [Abstract]

Related Party Transactions

RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS

Allocation of Darden Corporate Expenses to the Predecessor

Prior to the Spin-Off, we were managed in the normal course of business by Darden and its subsidiaries. All direct costs incurred in connection with our operations for which specific identification was practical have been included in the stand-alone combined financial statements. Additionally, certain shared costs and certain support functions have been allocated to us and reflected as expenses in the stand-alone consolidated and combined financial statements. Management considers the allocation methodologies used to be reasonable and appropriate reflections of the historical Darden expenses allocable to the Predecessor for purposes of the stand-alone financial statements; however, the expenses reflected in the consolidated and combined financial statements may not be indicative of the actual expenses that would have been incurred during the periods presented if we had operated as a separate, stand-alone entity. Management does not believe, however, that it is practicable to estimate what these expenses would have been had we operated as a separate, stand-alone entity, including any expenses associated with obtaining any of these services from unaffiliated entities. Actual costs that would have been incurred had we been a stand-alone entity would depend on multiple factors, including organizational structure and strategic decisions made in various areas, including information technology and infrastructure. In addition, the expenses reflected in the combined financial statements may not be indicative of expenses that will be incurred by us in the future.

The costs allocated to us were made on the basis of operating weeks, net sales or other relevant measures. Corporate expense allocations primarily relate to centralized corporate functions, including advertising, finance, accounting, treasury, tax, legal, internal audit, human resources, facilities, risk management functions, employee benefits and stock based compensation (except for specifically identified stock-based compensation benefits discussed in Note 9 - Stock-Based Compensation). In addition, corporate expenses include, among other costs, maintenance of existing software, technology and websites, development of new or improved software technology, professional fees for legal, accounting, and financial services, non-income taxes and expenses related to litigation, investigations, or similar matters. Corporate expenses allocated to us of $0.2 million for the three months ending March 31, 2015 were included within restaurant expenses in our combined statements of comprehensive income. All of the corporate allocations of costs are deemed to have been incurred and settled through parent company equity in the period where the costs were recorded. Following the Spin-Off, we began performing these functions using our own resources or purchased services. For an interim period, however, some of these functions were provided by Darden under transition services agreements. Subsequent to the Spin-Off on November 9, 2015, Darden was no longer a related party.