Basis of Presentation

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2022

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]

Basis of Presentation

Basis of Presentation

The Company’s fiscal quarters end on the Sunday closest to the last day of each calendar quarter. For convenience, the fiscal quarters of each year are referred to as ending on March 31, June 30, September 30 and December 31. The first fiscal quarter of 2022 began on January 3, 2022 and ended on April 3, 2022. The first fiscal quarter of 2021 began on January 4, 2021 and ended on April 4, 2021.

The accompanying consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its subsidiaries that are consolidated in accordance with U.S. GAAP. All intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated.

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires the Company’s management to make assumptions and estimates that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities, if any, at the date of the consolidated financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Significant estimates may include the calculation and assessment of the following: impairment of goodwill, other intangible assets and tangible assets; income taxes; allowance for credit losses on accounts and notes receivables; lease accounting estimates; contingencies; and stock-based compensation. On an ongoing basis, the Company evaluates its estimates based on historical experience, current conditions and various other assumptions that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances. The Company adjusts such estimates and assumptions when facts and circumstances dictate. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Risks and Uncertainties

The Company was subject to risks and uncertainties as a result of the continuing outbreak of a novel strain of coronavirus, designated “COVID-19,” and evolving variants thereof. The extent of the continued impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Company's business remains uncertain and difficult to predict, as measures taken in response to and the effect of the pandemic have varied and continue to vary by country, state and municipalities within states. The Company first began to experience impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, as federal, state, local and international governments reacted to the public health crisis by encouraging social distancing and requiring, in varying degrees, restaurant dine-in limitations and other restrictions that largely limited the restaurants of the Company's franchisees and its company-operated restaurants to take-out and delivery sales during the initial stages of the pandemic. Subsequently, government-imposed dine-in restrictions have been relaxed or removed in many of the locations in which the Company operates as incidents of infection decline and vaccination rates increase within the respective governmental jurisdictions. As of March 31, 2022, substantially all domestic Applebee's and IHOP restaurants were open and operating without government-mandated restrictions.

The severity of the continued impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Company's business will depend on a number of factors, including, but not limited to, how long the pandemic will last, whether/when recurrences of the virus and variants of the virus may arise, the availability and acceptance of vaccines, what restrictions on in-restaurant dining may be imposed or re-imposed, the timing and extent of customer re-engagement with the Company's brands and, in general, what the short- and long-term impact on consumer discretionary spending the COVID-19 pandemic might have on the Company and the restaurant industry as a whole, all of which are uncertain and cannot be predicted. The Company's future results of operations and liquidity could adversely be impacted by the resurgence of outbreaks of the virus and its variants that result in the re-imposition of dine-in restrictions, as well as the success of any initiatives or programs that the Company may undertake to address financial and operational challenges faced by itself and its franchisees. As such, the extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic may continue to materially impact the Company's financial condition, liquidity, or results of operations remains highly uncertain.