Operating (Gains), Losses and Other Charges, Net

Operating (gains), losses and other charges, net were comprised of the following:



	Fiscal Year Ended
	December 26, 2018			December 27, 2017			December 28, 2016
	(In thousands)
Pension settlement loss	$	—		$	—		$	24,297
Software implementation costs	—			5,247			—
(Gains) losses on sales of assets and other, net	(513		)	(1,729		)	29
Restructuring charges and exit costs	1,575			485			1,486
Impairment charges	1,558			326			1,098
Operating (gains), losses and other charges, net	$	2,620		$	4,329		$	26,910

Gains on sales of assets and other, net of $0.5 million for the year ended December 26, 2018 primarily related to gains of $1.2 million of insurance settlements on fire-damaged and hurricane-damaged restaurants, partially offset by $0.7 million of losses on sales of company owned units to franchisees. See Note 4 for details on refranchisings. Gains on the sales of assets and other, net of $1.7 million for the year ended December 27, 2017 primarily related to real estate sold to franchisees. Software implementation costs of $5.2 million for the year ended December 27, 2017 were the result of our investment in a new cloud-based Enterprise Resource Planning system. The pre-tax pension settlement loss of $24.3 million related to the completion of the liquidation of the Advantica Pension Plan during the year ended December 28, 2016. See Note 13 for details on the Pension Plan liquidation.

Restructuring charges and exit costs were comprised of the following:



	Fiscal Year Ended
	December 26, 2018		December 27, 2017		December 28, 2016
	(In thousands)
Exit costs	$	518	$	385	$	591
Severance and other restructuring charges	1,057		100		895
Total restructuring charges and exit costs	$	1,575	$	485	$	1,486

Exit costs are primarily comprised of lease costs related to closed restaurants. The components of the change in accrued exit cost liabilities were as follows:



	December 26, 2018			December 27, 2017
	(In thousands)
Balance, beginning of year	$	1,180		$	1,896
Exit costs ⁽¹⁾	518			385
Payments, net of sublease receipts	(615		)	(1,189		)
Interest accretion	72			88
Balance, end of year	1,155			1,180
Less current portion included in other current liabilities	546			345
Long-term portion included in other noncurrent liabilities	$	609		$	835


(1)	Included as a component of operating (gains), losses and other charges, net.

The increase in severance and other restructuring charges for the year ended December 26, 2018, was primarily the result of positions eliminated as part of our refranchising and development strategy announced during the fourth quarter. As of December 26, 2018 and December 27, 2017, we had accrued severance and other restructuring charges of $0.6 million and less than $0.1 million, respectively. The balance as of December 26, 2018 is expected to be paid during the next 12 months.

Estimated net cash payments related to exit cost liabilities in the next five years are as follows:



	(In thousands)
2019	$	532
2020	177
2021	178
2022	178
2023	166
Thereafter	—
Total	1,231
Less imputed interest	76
Present value of exit cost liabilities	$	1,155

The present value of exit cost liabilities is net of $1.2 million of subleases. See Note 10 for a schedule of future minimum lease commitments and amounts to be received as lessor or sub-lessor for both open and closed restaurants.

Impairment charges of $1.6 million for the year ended December 26, 2018 primarily related to the impairment of an underperforming unit. Impairment charges of $0.3 million for the year ended December 27, 2017 related to the relocation of two high-performing company restaurants due to the loss of property control. Impairment charges of $1.1 million for the year ended December 28, 2016 resulted primarily from the impairment of restaurants identified as assets held for sale.