Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. Announces Third Quarter 2010 Results

DENVER  (Restaurant News Release)  Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (NYSE: CMG) today reported financial results for its third quarter ended September 30, 2010.

Highlights for the third quarter of 2010 as compared to the third quarter of 2009 include:

  • Revenue increased 23.0% to $476.9 million
  • Comparable restaurant sales increased 11.4%
  • Restaurant level operating margin was 27.7%, an increase of 220 basis points
  • Net income was $48.2 million, an increase of 39.9%
  • Diluted earnings per share was $1.52, an increase of 40.7%

Highlights for the nine months ended September 30, 2010 as compared to the prior year include:

  • Revenue increased 19.7% to $1.35 billion
  • Comparable restaurant sales increased 8.3%
  • Restaurant level operating margin was 26.9%, an increase of 180 basis points
  • Net income was $ 132.5 million, an increase of 39.1%
  • Diluted earnings per share was $4.18, an increase of 41.2%

Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. Announces Third Quarter 2010 Results“We’re delighted that our continuing efforts to serve the very best food made from high quality ingredients raised with respect for the animals, the environment, and the farmers are resonating with our customers, allowing us to deliver double digit comps during the quarter. Our focus on strengthening our food culture, our people culture and our business model is resulting in even stronger customer loyalty and allowing us to deliver industry leading financial results,” said Founder, Chairman, and Co-CEO Steve Ells.

Third quarter 2010 results

Revenue for the quarter was $476.9 million, up 23.0% from the prior year period. The growth in revenue was the result of new restaurants not in the comparable base and an 11.4% increase in comparable restaurant sales. Comparable restaurant sales growth was primarily driven by increased traffic in the quarter.

During the quarter Chipotle opened 22 new restaurants, bringing the total restaurant count to 1,023.

Restaurant level operating margin was 27.7% in the quarter, an increase of 220 basis points over the prior year period. The increase was primarily driven by the impact of comparable restaurant sales growth.

G&A costs were 7.0% of revenue, up 70 basis points from the prior year period. The increase as a percent of revenue was driven by the impact of holding the biennial All Managers’ Conference in the third quarter and higher stock based compensation expense, partially offset by the positive impact of comparable restaurant sales growth.

Net income for the third quarter of 2010 was $48.2 million, or $1.52 per diluted share, compared to $34.5 million, or $1.08 per diluted share, in the third quarter of 2009.

Results for the nine months ended September 30, 2010

Revenue for the first nine months of 2010 was $1.35 billion, up 19.7% from the prior year period. The growth in revenue was the result of new restaurants not in the comparable base and an 8.3% increase in comparable restaurant sales. Comparable restaurant sales growth was primarily driven by increased traffic during the first nine months of 2010.

Year to date, Chipotle has opened 67 restaurants, including one restaurant in London and one in Toronto, Canada.

Restaurant level operating margin was 26.9% for the first nine months of 2010, an increase of 180 basis points over the prior year period. The increase was primarily driven by the impact of comparable restaurant sales growth, along with a decline in food costs.

G&A costs for the first nine months of 2010 were 6.6% of revenue, up 10 basis points from the prior year period. The increase as a percent of revenue was driven by higher stock based compensation expense and the biennial All Managers’ Conference, partially offset by the positive impact of comparable restaurant sales growth.

Net income for the first nine months of 2010 was $132.5 million, or $4.18 per diluted share, compared to $95.2 million, or $2.96 per diluted share, in the first nine months of 2009.

“Our strong people culture continues to drive our success in attracting loyal customers and delivering exceptional results. Our restaurant teams are ambitious, passionate, and dedicated to delivering the best dining experience possible, while developing talented future leaders from crew. Our Restaurateurs and restaurant managers who aspire to become Restaurateurs are committed to hiring and developing top performers to achieve high standards in our restaurants every day,” commented Monty Moran, Co-CEO.

Outlook

For 2010, management expects the following:

  • 120-130 new restaurant openings
  • High single digit comparable restaurant sales growth
  • An effective tax rate of approximately 38.3%

For 2011, management expects the following:

  • 135-145 new restaurant openings
  • Low single digit comparable restaurant sales growth
  • An effective tax rate of approximately 38.4%

Definitions

The following definitions apply to these terms as used throughout this release:

Comparable restaurant sales increases represent the change in period-over-period sales for the comparable restaurant base. A restaurant becomes comparable in its 13th full calendar month of operation.

Average restaurant sales refers to the average trailing 12-month sales for restaurants in operation for at least 12 full calendar months.

Restaurant level operating margin represents total revenue less restaurant operating costs, expressed as a percent of total revenue.

Conference Call

Chipotle will host a conference call to discuss third quarter 2010 financial results today at 4:30 PM Eastern Time. The conference call can be accessed live over the phone by dialing 1-888-337-8198 or 1-719-325-2178 for international callers. A replay will be available one hour after the call and can be accessed by dialing 1-877-870-5176 or 1-858-384-5517 for international callers. The password is 2947394. The replay will be available until October 28, 2010. The call will be webcast live from the Company’s website at chipotle.com under the Investor Relations section. An archived webcast will be available approximately one hour after the end of the call.

About Chipotle

Steve Ells, Founder, Chairman and Co-Chief Executive Officer, started Chipotle with the idea that food served fast did not have to be a typical fast food experience. Today, Chipotle continues to offer a focused menu of burritos, tacos, burrito bowls (a burrito without the tortilla) and salads made from fresh, high-quality raw ingredients, prepared using classic cooking methods and served in a distinctive atmosphere. Through our vision of Food With Integrity, Chipotle is seeking better food not only from using fresh ingredients, but ingredients that are sustainably grown and naturally raised with respect for the animals, the land, and the farmers who produce the food. Chipotle opened its first restaurant in 1993 and currently operates more than 1,000 restaurants. For more information, visit chipotle.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements in this press release, including statements under the heading “Outlook” of our expected number of new restaurant openings, comparable restaurant sales increases and effective tax rate in 2010 and 2011, are forward-looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. We use words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “could,” “should,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “predict,” “project,” “target,” and similar terms and phrases, including references to assumptions, to identify forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements in this press release are based on information available to us as of the date any such statements are made and we assume no obligation to update these forward-looking statements. These statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the following: the uncertainty of our ability to achieve expected levels of comparable restaurant sales increases; factors that could affect our ability to achieve and manage our planned expansion, such as the availability of a sufficient number of suitable new restaurant sites and the availability of qualified employees; the performance of new restaurants and their impact on existing restaurant sales; changes in consumer preferences, general economic conditions or consumer discretionary spending; increases in the cost of food ingredients and other key supplies; the risk of food-borne illnesses and other health concerns about our food; the potential for increased labor costs or difficulty retaining qualified employees; the impact of federal, state or local government regulations relating to our employees and the sale of food or alcoholic beverages; risks relating to our expansion into new markets; risks related to our development and implementation of a new marketing strategy; the effects of continuing economic uncertainty on our business and on our suppliers, landlords and potential developers; risks relating to litigation; the uncertainty of our ability to protect our name, logo and other proprietary information or the reputation of our brand; the potential effects of inclement weather; the effect of competition in the restaurant industry; risks related to the tax treatment of our separation from McDonald’s; and other risk factors described from time to time in our SEC reports, including our most recent annual report on Form 10-K and subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, all of which are available on the Investor Relations page of our website at chipotle.com.

 
Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc.
Consolidated Statement of Income
(in thousands, except per share data)
(unaudited)
 
    Three months ended September 30,
    2010   2009
     
Revenue   $ 476,874     100.0 %   $ 387,581     100.0 %
                 
Restaurant operating costs:                
Food, beverage and packaging     145,688     30.6       119,473     30.8  
Labor     115,234     24.2       96,419     24.9  
Occupancy     32,096     6.7       28,677     7.4  
Other operating costs     51,977     10.9       44,118     11.4  
General and administrative expenses     33,522     7.0       24,555     6.3  
Depreciation and amortization     17,319     3.6       15,451     4.0  
Pre-opening costs     1,943     0.4       2,535     0.7  
Loss on disposal of assets     1,511     0.3       1,544     0.4  
Total operating expenses     399,290     83.7       332,772     85.9  
Income from operations     77,584     16.3       54,809     14.1  
                 
Interest and other income     395     0.1       132     0.0  
Interest and other expense     (14 )   0.0       (74 )   0.0  
Income before income taxes     77,965     16.3       54,867     14.2  
Provision for income taxes     (29,737 )   (6.2 )     (20,403 )   (5.3 )
Net income   $ 48,228     10.1 %   $ 34,464     8.9 %
                 
Earnings per share:                
Basic   $ 1.55         $ 1.09      
Diluted   $ 1.52         $ 1.08      
Weighted average common shares outstanding:                
Basic     31,031           31,625      
Diluted     31,629           31,949      
                 
Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc.
Consolidated Statement of Income
(in thousands, except per share data)
(unaudited)
 
    Nine months ended September 30,
    2010   2009
     
Revenue   $ 1,353,401     100.0 %   $ 1,130,873     100.0 %
                 
Restaurant operating costs:                
Food, beverage and packaging     411,518     30.4       349,564     30.9  
Labor     334,041     24.7       285,375     25.2  
Occupancy     94,956     7.0       83,801     7.4  
Other operating costs     148,623     11.0       128,626     11.4  
General and administrative expenses     89,857     6.6       74,071     6.5  
Depreciation and amortization     51,106     3.8       45,368     4.0  
Pre-opening costs     5,169     0.4       5,996     0.5  
Loss on disposal of assets     4,292     0.3       4,752     0.4  
Total operating expenses     1,139,562     84.2       977,553     86.4  
Income from operations     213,839     15.8       153,320     13.6  
                 
Interest and other income     1,097     0.1       623     0.1  
Interest and other expense     (178 )   0.0       (333 )   0.0  
Income before income taxes     214,758     15.9       153,610     13.6  
Provision for income taxes     (82,222 )   (6.1 )     (58,361 )   (5.2 )
Net income   $ 132,536     9.8 %   $ 95,249     8.4 %
                 
Earnings per share:                
Basic   $ 4.24         $ 2.99      
Diluted   $ 4.18         $ 2.96      
Weighted average common shares outstanding:                
Basic     31,278           31,827      
Diluted     31,731           32,168      
                         
Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc.

Consolidated Balance Sheet

(in thousands, except per share data)

         
    September
30, 2010
  December
31, 2009
    (unaudited)    
Assets        
Current assets:        
Cash and cash equivalents   $ 210,996     $ 219,566  
Accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts
of $99 and $339 as of September 30, 2010 and December 31, 2009, respectively
    4,446       4,763  
Inventory     7,175       5,614  
Current deferred tax asset     3,758       3,134  
Prepaid expenses     18,933       14,377  
Available-for-sale securities     90,000       50,000  
Income tax receivable     10,091        
Total current assets     345,399       297,454  
Leasehold improvements, property and equipment, net     658,423       636,411  
Other assets     6,610       5,701  
Goodwill     21,939       21,939  
Total assets   $ 1,032,371     $ 961,505  
         
Liabilities and shareholders’ equity        
Current liabilities:        
Accounts payable   $ 35,641     $ 25,230  
Accrued payroll and benefits     39,085       41,404  
Accrued liabilities     28,590       31,216  
Current portion of deemed landlord financing     117       96  
Income tax payable           4,207  
Total current liabilities     103,433       102,153  
Deferred rent     118,394       106,395  
Deemed landlord financing     3,693       3,782  
Deferred income tax liability     36,448       38,863  
Other liabilities     9,374       6,851  
Total liabilities     271,342       258,044  
         
Shareholders’ equity:        
Preferred stock, $0.01 par value, 600,000 shares authorized, no shares issued as of September 30, 2010 and December 31, 2009            
Common stock, $0.01 par value, 230,000 shares authorized, 33,749 and 33,473 shares issued as of September 30, 2010 and December 31, 2009, respectively     338       335  
Additional paid-in capital     575,554       539,880  
Treasury stock, at cost, 2,810 and 1,990 shares at September 30, 2010 and December 31, 2009, respectively     (225,796 )     (114,316 )
Accumulated other comprehensive income     864       29  
Retained earnings     410,069       277,533  
Total shareholders’ equity     761,029       703,461  
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity   $ 1,032,371     $ 961,505  
                 
Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc.

Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows

(unaudited)

(in thousands)

     
    Nine months ended
September 30,
    2010   2009
         
Operating activities        
Net income   $ 132,536     $ 95,249  
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:        
Depreciation and amortization     51,106       45,368  
Deferred income tax (benefit) provision     (3,039 )     10,381  
Loss on disposal of assets     4,292       4,752  
Bad debt allowance     (228 )     (245 )
Stock-based compensation     17,846       11,479  
Other           172  
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:        
Accounts receivable     545       755  
Inventory     (1,560 )     (1,069 )
Prepaid expenses     (4,553 )     (1,594 )
Other assets     (903 )     (637 )
Accounts payable     4,883       3,230  
Accrued liabilities     (4,948 )     1,676  
Income tax receivable/payable     (14,298 )     (4,691 )
Deferred rent     11,994       12,497  
Other long-term liabilities     2,523       1,770  
Net cash provided by operating activities     196,196       179,093  
         
Investing activities        
Purchases of leasehold improvements, property and equipment, net     (71,179 )     (80,282 )
Purchase of available-for-sale securities     (90,000 )      
Maturity of available-for-sale securities     50,000       99,990  
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities     (111,179 )     19,708  
         
Financing activities        
Proceeds from option exercises     11,295       11,406  
Excess tax benefit on stock-based compensation     5,887       10,257  
Payments on deemed landlord financing     (68 )     (61 )
Acquisition of treasury stock     (111,480 )     (70,001 )
Net cash used in financing activities     (94,366 )     (48,399 )
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents     779        
Net change in cash and cash equivalents     (8,570 )     150,402  
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period     219,566       88,044  
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period   $ 210,996     $ 238,446  
         
Supplemental disclosures of cash flow information        
Increase in purchases of leasehold improvements, property and equipment accrued in accounts payable   $ 5,525     $ 5,435  
                 
Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc.

Supplemental Financial and Other Data

(dollars in thousands)

(unaudited)
     
    For the three months ended
  Sept.
30,
  June
30,
  Mar.
31,
  Dec.
31,
  Sept.
30,
    2010   2010   2010   2009   2009
Number of restaurants opened     22       25       20       45       26  
Restaurant relocations or closures                             (1 )
Number of restaurants at end of period     1,023       1,001       976       956       911  
Average restaurant sales   $ 1,806     $ 1,763     $ 1,736     $ 1,728     $ 1,736  
Comparable restaurant sales increases     11.4 %     8.7 %     4.3 %     2.0 %     2.7 %