Note P - Stockholders' Equity	9 Months Ended
Dec. 27, 2020
Notes to Financial Statements
Stockholders' Equity Note Disclosure [Text Block]	NOTE P – STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY 1. Dividends Effective June 12, 2020, the Board declared its first quarterly cash dividend of $0.35 per share for fiscal year 2021, aggregating $1,440,000, which was paid on June 26, 2020 to stockholders of record as of the close of business on June 22, 2020. Effective August 7, 2020, the Board declared its second quarterly cash dividend of $0.35 per share for fiscal year 2021, aggregating $1,440,000, which was paid on September 4, 2020 to stockholders of record as of the close of business on August 24, 2020. Effective November 6, 2020 the Board declared its third quarterly cash dividend of $0.35 per share for fiscal year 2021, aggregating $1,440,000, which was paid on December 4, 2020 to stockholders of record as of the close of business on November 23, 2020. Effective February 5, 2021 the Board declared its fourth quarterly cash dividend of $0.35 per share payable on March 5, 2021 to stockholders of record as of the close of business on February 22, 2021. Our ability to pay future dividends is limited by the terms of the Indenture with U.S. Bank National Association, as trustee and collateral trustee (see Note Q). In addition to the terms of the Indenture, the declaration and payment of any cash dividends in the future are subject to final determination of the Board and will be dependent upon our earnings and financial requirements. 2. Stock Incentive Plans On September 13, 2012, the Company amended the Nathan’s Famous, Inc. 2010 Stock Incentive Plan (the “2010 Plan”) increasing the number of shares available for issuance by 250,000 shares. Shares to be issued under the 2010 Plan may be made available from authorized but unissued stock, common stock held by the Company in its treasury, or common stock purchased by the Company on the open market or otherwise. The number of shares issuable and the grant, purchase or exercise price of outstanding awards are subject to adjustment in the amount that the Company’s Compensation Committee considers appropriate upon the occurrence of certain events, including stock dividends, stock splits, mergers, consolidations, reorganizations, recapitalizations, or other capital adjustments. On September 18, 2019, the Company’s shareholders approved the Nathan’s Famous, Inc. 2019 Stock Incentive Plan (the “2019 Plan”). The 2019 Plan became effective July 1, 2020 (the "Effective Date"). Following the Effective Date, (i) no additional stock awards were granted under the 2010 Plan and (ii) all outstanding stock awards previously granted under the 2010 Plan remained subject to the terms of the 2010 Plan. All awards granted on or after the Effective Date of the 2019 Plan shall be subject to the terms of the 2019 Plan. As of the Effective Date, we were able to issue up to: (a) 369,584 shares of common stock under the 2019 Plan which includes: (i) shares that had been authorized but not issued pursuant to the 2010 Plan as of the Effective Date up to a maximum of an additional 208,584 shares and (ii) any shares subject to any outstanding options or restricted stock grants under any plan of the Company that were outstanding as of the Effective Date and that subsequently expire unexercised, or are otherwise forfeited, up to a maximum of an additional 11,000 shares. As of December 27, 2020, there were up to 208,584 shares available to be issued for future option grants or up to 184,808 shares of restricted stock to be granted under the 2019 Plan. 3. Stock Repurchase Program During the period from October 2001 through December 27, 2020, Nathan’s purchased 5,254,081 shares of common stock at a cost of $84,770,000 pursuant to various stock repurchase plans previously authorized by the Board of Directors. During the thirty-nine week period ended December 27, 2020, we repurchased 26,676 shares of common stock at a cost of $1,501,000. In 2016, the Company’s Board of Directors authorized increases to the sixth stock repurchase plan for the purchase of up to 1,200,000 shares of its common stock on behalf of the Company. As of December 27, 2020, Nathan’s had repurchased 1,066,450 shares at a cost of $37,108,000 under the sixth stock repurchase plan. At December 27, 2020 there were 133,550 shares remaining to be repurchased pursuant to the sixth stock repurchase plan. The plan does not have a set expiration date. Purchases under the Company’s stock repurchase program may be made from time to time, depending on market conditions, in open market or privately-negotiated transactions, at prices deemed appropriate by management. There is no set time limit on the repurchases. On March 13, 2020, the Company’s Board of Directors approved a 10b5-1 stock plan (the “10b5-1 Plan”) which expired on August 12, 2020. During the fiscal 2021 period, the Company repurchased in open market transactions 26,676 shares of the Company’s common stock at an average share price of $56.26 for a total cost of $1,501,000 under the 10b5-1 Plan.

Note P - Stockholders' Equity

9 Months Ended

Dec. 27, 2020

Stockholders' Equity Note Disclosure [Text Block]

NOTE P – STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY

1. Dividends

Effective June 12, 2020, the Board declared its first quarterly cash dividend of $0.35 per share for fiscal year 2021, aggregating $1,440,000, which was paid on June 26, 2020 to stockholders of record as of the close of business on June 22, 2020.

Effective August 7, 2020, the Board declared its second quarterly cash dividend of $0.35 per share for fiscal year 2021, aggregating $1,440,000, which was paid on September 4, 2020 to stockholders of record as of the close of business on August 24, 2020.

Effective November 6, 2020 the Board declared its third quarterly cash dividend of $0.35 per share for fiscal year 2021, aggregating $1,440,000, which was paid on December 4, 2020 to stockholders of record as of the close of business on November 23, 2020.

Effective February 5, 2021 the Board declared its fourth quarterly cash dividend of $0.35 per share payable on March 5, 2021 to stockholders of record as of the close of business on February 22, 2021.

Our ability to pay future dividends is limited by the terms of the Indenture with U.S. Bank National Association, as trustee and collateral trustee (see Note Q). In addition to the terms of the Indenture, the declaration and payment of any cash dividends in the future are subject to final determination of the Board and will be dependent upon our earnings and financial requirements.

2. Stock Incentive Plans

On September 13, 2012, the Company amended the Nathan’s Famous, Inc. 2010 Stock Incentive Plan (the “2010 Plan”) increasing the number of shares available for issuance by 250,000 shares. Shares to be issued under the 2010 Plan may be made available from authorized but unissued stock, common stock held by the Company in its treasury, or common stock purchased by the Company on the open market or otherwise. The number of shares issuable and the grant, purchase or exercise price of outstanding awards are subject to adjustment in the amount that the Company’s Compensation Committee considers appropriate upon the occurrence of certain events, including stock dividends, stock splits, mergers, consolidations, reorganizations, recapitalizations, or other capital adjustments.

On September 18, 2019, the Company’s shareholders approved the Nathan’s Famous, Inc. 2019 Stock Incentive Plan (the “2019 Plan”). The 2019 Plan became effective July 1, 2020 (the "Effective Date"). Following the Effective Date, (i) no additional stock awards were granted under the 2010 Plan and (ii) all outstanding stock awards previously granted under the 2010 Plan remained subject to the terms of the 2010 Plan. All awards granted on or after the Effective Date of the 2019 Plan shall be subject to the terms of the 2019 Plan.

As of the Effective Date, we were able to issue up to: (a) 369,584 shares of common stock under the 2019 Plan which includes: (i) shares that had been authorized but not issued pursuant to the 2010 Plan as of the Effective Date up to a maximum of an additional 208,584 shares and (ii) any shares subject to any outstanding options or restricted stock grants under any plan of the Company that were outstanding as of the Effective Date and that subsequently expire unexercised, or are otherwise forfeited, up to a maximum of an additional 11,000 shares. As of December 27, 2020, there were up to 208,584 shares available to be issued for future option grants or up to 184,808 shares of restricted stock to be granted under the 2019 Plan.

3. Stock Repurchase Program

During the period from October 2001 through December 27, 2020, Nathan’s purchased 5,254,081 shares of common stock at a cost of $84,770,000 pursuant to various stock repurchase plans previously authorized by the Board of Directors. During the thirty-nine week period ended December 27, 2020, we repurchased 26,676 shares of common stock at a cost of $1,501,000.

In 2016, the Company’s Board of Directors authorized increases to the sixth stock repurchase plan for the purchase of up to 1,200,000 shares of its common stock on behalf of the Company. As of December 27, 2020, Nathan’s had repurchased 1,066,450 shares at a cost of $37,108,000 under the sixth stock repurchase plan. At December 27, 2020 there were 133,550 shares remaining to be repurchased pursuant to the sixth stock repurchase plan. The plan does not have a set expiration date. Purchases under the Company’s stock repurchase program may be made from time to time, depending on market conditions, in open market or privately-negotiated transactions, at prices deemed appropriate by management. There is no set time limit on the repurchases.

On March 13, 2020, the Company’s Board of Directors approved a 10b5-1 stock plan (the “10b5-1 Plan”) which expired on August 12, 2020. During the fiscal 2021 period, the Company repurchased in open market transactions 26,676 shares of the Company’s common stock at an average share price of $56.26 for a total cost of $1,501,000 under the 10b5-1 Plan.