UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

 

FORM 10-K

 

(Mark One)

 

xANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

 

For the fiscal year ended December 28, 201726, 2019

 

¨TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

 

For the transition period from ___________ to ___________

 

Commission File Number1-12604

 

THE MARCUS CORPORATION
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Wisconsin 39-1139844
(State or other jurisdiction of
incorporation or organization)
 (I.R.S. Employer
Identification No.)
   
100 East Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 1900
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
 53202-4125
(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code:  (414) 905-1000

 

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

 

Title of Each Class
Common stock, $1.00 par value
Trading Symbol(s)
MCS
Name of Each Exchange on Which
Registered
Common stock, $1.00 par value
New York Stock Exchange

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:
None

 

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:
None

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.

YesxNo      ¨Nox

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act.

Yes¨Nox

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to filing requirements for the past 90 days.

YesxNo¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Website, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§ 232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files).

YesxNo¨

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K (§ 229.405 of this chapter) is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K.¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer”filer,” “smaller reporting company” and “smaller reporting“emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one):

Large accelerated filer¨x Accelerated filerx¨

Non-accelerated filer¨

 Smaller reporting company¨
(Do not check if a smaller reporting company) Emerging growth company¨

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).

Yes¨Nox

The aggregate market value of the registrant’s common equity held by non-affiliates as of June 29, 201727, 2019 was approximately $546,520,582.$703,219,990. This value includes all shares of the registrant’s common stock, except for treasury shares and shares beneficially owned by the registrant’s directors and executive officers listed in Part I below.

Indicate the number of shares outstanding of each of the issuer’s classes of common stock, as of the latest practicable date.

Common stock outstanding at February 28, 201817, 202019,381,11223,023,221

Class B common stock outstanding at February 28, 201817, 20208,525,4857,925,504

 

Portions of the registrant’s definitive Proxy Statement for its 20182020 annual meeting of shareholders, which will be filed with the Commission under Regulation 14A within 120 days after the end of our fiscal year, will be incorporated by reference into Part III to the extent indicated therein upon such filing.

 

 

 

 

PART I

Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Certain matters discussed in this Annual Report on Form 10-K and the accompanying annual report to shareholders, particularly in the Shareholders’ Letter and Management’s Discussion and Analysis, are “forward-looking statements” intended to qualify for the safe harbors from liability established by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements may generally be identified as such because the context of such statements include words such as we “believe,” “anticipate,” “expect” or words of similar import. Similarly, statements that describe our future plans, objectives or goals are also forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties which may cause results to differ materially from those expected, including, but not limited to, the following: (1) the availability, in terms of both quantity and audience appeal, of motion pictures for our theatre division, as well as other industry dynamics such as the maintenance of a suitable window between the date such motion pictures are released in theatres and the date they are released to other distribution channels; (2) the effects of adverse economic conditions in our markets, particularly with respect to our hotels and resorts division; (3) the effects on our occupancy and room rates of the relative industry supply of available rooms at comparable lodging facilities in our markets; (4) the effects of competitive conditions in our markets; (5) our ability to achieve expected benefits and performance from our strategic initiatives and acquisitions; (6) the effects of increasing depreciation expenses, reduced operating profits during major property renovations, impairment losses, and preopening and start-up costs due to the capital intensive nature of our businesses; (7) the effects of weather conditions, particularly during the winter in the Midwest and in our other markets; (8) our ability to identify properties to acquire, develop and/or manage and the continuing availability of funds for such development; (9) the adverse impact on business and consumer spending on travel, leisure and entertainment resulting from terrorist attacks in the United States or other incidents of violence in public venues such as hotels and movie theatres; and (10) a disruption in our business and reputational and economic risks associated with civil securities claims brought by shareholders. shareholders; (11) our ability to timely and successfully integrate the Movie Tavern operations into our own circuit; and (12) our ability to achieve the additional revenues and operating income that we anticipate from our additional week of operations in fiscal 2020 and certain extraordinary events that will take place in or near Milwaukee during fiscal 2020, such as the Democratic National Convention and The Ryder Cup.Shareholders, potential investors and other readers are urged to consider these factors carefully in evaluating the forward-looking statements and are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements made herein are made only as of the date of this Form 10-K and we undertake no obligation to publicly update such forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances.

Item 1.Business.

 

General

General

We are engaged primarily in two business segments: movie theatres and hotels and resorts.

As of December 28, 2017,26, 2019, our theatre operations included 6991 movie theatres with 8951,106 screens throughout Wisconsin,17 states (Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas and Ohio,Virginia), including twoone movie theatrestheatre with 116 screens in Wisconsin and Nebraska owned by a third partiesparty and managed by us. We also operate a family entertainment center,Funset Boulevard,, that is adjacent to one of our theatres in Appleton, Wisconsin, and own theRonnie’s Plaza retail outlet in St. Louis, Missouri, an 84,000 square foot retail center featuring 21 shops and other businesses to which we lease retail space. As of the date of this Annual Report, we are the 4th largest theatre circuit in the United States.

As of December 28, 2017,26, 2019, our hotels and resorts operations included eight wholly-owned or majority-owned and operated hotels and resorts in Wisconsin, Illinois, Nebraska and Oklahoma. We also managed 1012 hotels, resorts and other properties for third parties in Wisconsin, California, Minnesota, Nevada, North CarolinaNebraska, Illinois and Texas. As of December 28, 2017,26, 2019, we owned or managed approximately 4,8415,400 hotel and resort rooms.

Both of these business segments are discussed in detail below. For information regarding the revenues, operating income or loss, assets and certain other financial information of these segments for the last three full fiscal years, and for our Transition Period ended December 31, 2015, please see our Consolidated Financial Statements and the accompanying Note 1214 in Part II below.

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Fiscal Year

In October 2015, we elected to change our fiscal year from the last Thursday in May to the last Thursday in December. As a result, on March 15, 2016, we filed a Transition Report on Form 10-K for the transition period beginning on May 29, 2015 and ended December 31, 2015, which we refer to in this Annual Report as the “Transition Period.” We refer in this Annual Report to the period beginning on December 30, 2016 and ended December 28, 2017 as “fiscal 2017.” We refer in this Annual Report to the period beginning on January 1, 2016 and ended December 29, 2016 as “fiscal 2016.” We refer in this Annual Report to the period beginning on May 30, 2014 and ended on May 28, 2015 as “fiscal 2015,” and the period beginning on May 31, 2013 and ended on May 29, 2014 as “fiscal 2014.” In this Annual Report, we compare (1) audited financial results for fiscal 2017 and fiscal 2016; (2) financial results for fiscal 2016, which are audited, with the financial results for the 53-week period ended December 31, 2015, which are unaudited; (3) financial results for the Transition Period, which are audited, with financial results for the 30-week period ended December 25, 2014, which are unaudited; and (4) as applicable, audited financial results for fiscal 2015 and fiscal 2014.

Strategic Plans

Please see our discussion under “Current Plans” in Item 7 – Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.

Theatre Operations

At the end of fiscal 2017,2019, we owned or operated 6991 movie theatre locations with a total of 8951,106 screens in Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas and Ohio.Virginia. We averaged 13.012.2 screens per location at the end of fiscal 2017,2019, compared to 13.013.1 screens per location at the end of fiscal 2016, 12.62018, compared to 13.0 screens per location at the end of the Transition Period, and 12.4 screens per location at the end of fiscal 2015.2017. Included in the fiscal 2017, fiscal 2016, Transition Period2019 and fiscal 20152018 totals is one theatre with six screens that we manage for a third party and included in the fiscal 2017 total are two theatres with 11 screens that we managemanaged for other owners.third parties. Our 6790 company-owned facilities include 4749 megaplex theatres (12 or more screens), representing approximately 80%67% of our total screens, 1940 multiplex theatres (two to 11 screens) and one single-screen theatre. At the end of fiscal 2017,2019, we operated 8661,077 first-run screens, 116 of which we operated under management contracts, and 29 budget-oriented screens.

We invested over $275$350 million, excluding acquisitions, to further enhance the movie-going experience and amenities in new and existing theatres over the last foursix and one-half calendar years, with more investments planned for fiscal 2018.2020. These investments include:

New theatres. Late in our fiscal 2015 fourth quarter, we opened a theatre in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, the Marcus Palace Cinema. Replacing an existing nearby theatre in Madison, Wisconsin, this new 12-screen theatre has exceeded our expectations, and we opened two additional screens at this location during the fourth quarter of fiscal 2016. In April 2017, we opened our new 10-screen Southbridge Crossing Cinema in Shakopee, Minnesota. This state-of-the-art theatre includes DreamLoungerSM recliner seating in every auditorium,all auditoriums, twoUltraScreen DLX®DLX® auditoriums, aZaffiro’s®Express andas well as aTake FiveSMLounge. OnandZaffiro’s®Express outlet. In June 30, 2017, we opened our first stand-alone all in-theatre dining location, branded BistroPlexSM®, located in Greendale, Wisconsin. This new theatre features eight in-theatre dining auditoriums with DreamLounger recliners, including twoSuperScreen DLX®DLX® auditoriums, plus a separate full-serviceTake Five Lounge. We have announced plans to further expand this concept, including aIn October 2019, we opened our new locationeight-screen Movie Tavern® by Marcus theatre in Brookfield, Wisconsin. ConstructionThis new theatre became the first Movie Tavern by Marcus in Wisconsin. It includes eight auditoriums, each with laser projection and comfortable DreamLounger recliner seating, a full-service bar and food and drink center, and a new delivery-to-seat service model that also allows guests to order food and beverage via our mobile phone application or in-theatre kiosk. Another new nine-screen theatre is currently under construction in Tacoma, Washington, with an expected to begin on this new location in 2018.opening date during our fiscal 2020 fourth quarter. In addition, we are looking forwill consider additional sites for potential new theatre locations in both new and existing markets.

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Theatre acquisitions. WeIn addition to building new theatres, we believe acquisitions of existing theatres or theatre circuits is also a viable growth strategy for us. In April 2016, we purchased a closed 16-screen theatre in Country Club Hills, Illinois, which is now our sixth theatre in the greater Chicago area, building on our strong presence in the Chicago southern suburbs. The purchase was part of an Internal Revenue Code §1031 like-kind exchange in which the tax gain from our October 2015 sale of the real estate related to the Hotel Phillips was deferred by reinvesting the applicable proceeds in replacement real estate within a prescribed time period. We opened the newly renovated theatre early in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2016. The renovation added DreamLounger recliner seating to all auditoriums, added oneUltraScreen DLX auditorium and twoSuperScreen DLX auditoriums, as well as aTake Five Lounge andReel Sizzle® outlet. In December 2016,On February 1, 2019, we acquired the assets of Wehrenberg Theatres® (which we refer to as Wehrenberg orMovie Tavern, a New Orleans-based industry leading circuit known for its in-theatre dining concept featuring chef-driven menus, premium quality food and drink and luxury seating. Now branded Movie Tavern by Marcus, Wehrenberg), a family-owned and operated theatrethe acquired circuit based in St. Louis, Missouri with 197consisted of 208 screens at 1422 locations in Missouri, Iowa, Illinoisnine states – Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas and Minnesota. ThisVirginia. The purchase price consisted of $30 million in cash, subject to certain adjustments, and 2,450,000 shares of our common stock (157,056 of which have been placed in escrow to secure certain post-closing indemnification obligations of the seller under the asset purchase agreement), for a total purchase price of approximately $139.3 million, based upon our closing share price on January 31, 2019. The acquisition of the Movie Tavern circuit increased our total number of screens by 29%an additional 23%. The movie theatre industry is very fragmented, with approximately 50% of United States screens owned by the three largest theatre circuits and the other 50% owned by approximatelyan estimated 800 smaller operators, making it very difficult to predict when acquisition opportunities may arise. We have engaged third-party assistance to actively help us seek additional acquisitions in the future. We do not believe that we are geographically constrained, and we believe that we may be able to add value to certain theatres through our various proprietary amenities and operating expertise.

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DreamLounger recliner additions. These luxurious, state-of-the-art recliners allow guests to go from upright to a full-recline position in seconds. These seat changes require full auditorium remodels to accommodate the necessary 84 inches of legroom, resulting in the loss of approximately 50% of the existing traditional seats in an average auditorium. To date, the addition of DreamLoungers has significantly increased attendance at each of our applicable theatres, outperforming nearby competitive theatres as well asand growing the overall market attendance in most cases. In addition toInitially, 12 of the two new22 acquired Movie Tavern theatres described above, wehad recliner seating. We added DreamLounger recliner seats to 15 morefour additional existing Movie Tavern theatres during fiscal 2017 (including six2019, as well as one Marcus Wehrenberg theatres).®theatre and one newly built Movie Tavern theatre. As a result, as of December 28, 2017,26, 2019, we offered all DreamLounger recliner seating in 3963 theatres, representing approximately 61%72% of our company-owned, first-run theatres (including the Marcus Wehrenberg theatres).theatres. Including our premium, large format (PLF) auditoriums with recliner seating, as of December 28, 2017,26, 2019, we offered our DreamLounger recliner seating in approximately 65%77% of our company-owned, first-run screens, (including the Marcus Wehrenberg screens), a percentage we believe to be the highest among the largest theatre chains in the nation. Currently, seven Marcus Wehrenberg theatres offer recliner seating in all of its auditoriums. We are currently completingcompleted the addition of DreamLounger recliner seats to three more theatres (including two Marcus Wehrenberg theatres)another Movie Tavern location during the first quarter of fiscal 2020, and we are currently evaluating opportunities to add our DreamLounger premium seating to five to sevenseveral additional theatres during the second half of fiscal 2018, including two Marcus Wehrenberg theatres. As a result, by the end of fiscal 2018, our percentage of total company-owned, first-run screens with DreamLounger recliner seating may be more than 75%.2020.

UltraScreen DLX andSuperScreen DLX (DreamLounger eXperience) conversions. We introduced one of the first PLF presentations to the industry when we rolled out our proprietaryUltraScreen®Screen® concept in 1999. During fiscal 2014, weapproximately 20 years ago. We later introduced ourUltraScreen DLX concept by combining our premium, large-format presentation with DreamLounger recliner seating and Dolby®Dolby® Atmos™ immersive sound to elevate the movie-going experience for our guests. More recently, we began including heated DreamLounger recliner seating in our DLX auditoriums. During fiscal 2017,2019, we opened twoone newUltraScreen DLX auditoriums at our newan existing Marcus Wehrenberg theatre in Minnesota and two newSuperScreen DLX auditoriums at our new BistroPlex theatre in Wisconsin, completed conversion of two traditionalUltraScreens andconverted one existing Wehrenberg-branded PLF screen tointo anUltraScreen DLX auditoriumsauditorium at a Movie Tavern by Marcus theatre. During fiscal 2019, we also converted 26 existing screens at 13 Movie Tavern by Marcus theatres in Wisconsin and Missouri, and converted 16 additionaltwo existing screens at one Marcus Wehrenberg theatre toSuperScreen DLX auditoriums and opened one newSuperScreen DLX auditorium at ten existing theatres in six states (including 11a newly built Movie Tavern by Marcus Wehrenberg screens). Severaltheatre. Most of our new PLF screens in fiscal 2017 includednow include the added feature of heated DreamLounger recliner seats. As of December 28, 2017,26, 2019, we had 2831UltraScreen DLX auditoriums, one traditionalUltraScreen auditorium, and 4380SuperScreen DLX auditoriums (a slightly smaller screen than anUltraScreen but with the same DreamLounger seating and Dolby Atmos sound) and three IMAX® PLF screens at 63 of our theatre locations. ThreeAs of the acquired Marcus Wehrenberg theatres feature IMAX® PLF screens. We currently offerDecember 26, 2019, we offered at least one PLF screen in approximately 69%72% of our first-run, company-owned theatres (including the Marcus Wehrenberg theatres) – once again a percentage we believe to be the highest percentage among the largest theatre chains in the nation. Our PLF screens generally have higher per-screen revenues and draw customers from a larger geographic region compared to our standard screens, and we charge a premium price to our guests for this experience. We are currently evaluating opportunities to convert twoseveral additional existing screens at two existing theatres toUltraScreen DLX andSuperScreen DLX auditoriums duringin fiscal 2018,2020. In addition, our new theatre under construction in addition to two newUltraScreen DLX auditoriums planned for a third existing theatre.Tacoma, Washington will include one PLF auditorium.

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Signature cocktail and dining concepts. We have continued to further enhance our food and beverage offerings within our existing theatres. We believe our 50-plus years of food and beverage experience in the hotel and restaurant businesses provides us with a unique advantage and expertise that we can leverage to further grow revenues in our theatres. The concepts we are expanding include:

iTake Five Lounge, andTake Five ExpressandThe Tavern– these full-service bars offer an inviting atmosphere and a chef-inspired dining menu, along with a complete selection of cocktails, locally-brewed beers and wines. We also offer full liquor service through the concession stand at two theatres. We acquired 22 new bars, known asThe Tavern, in conjunction with our Movie Tavern acquisition and opened fivea newTake Five LoungeTavern outletsat our new Brookfield, Wisconsin Movie Tavern by Marcus theatre in fiscal 2017, including two outlets opened at new theatres described above. In addition, two Marcus Wehrenberg theatres offer a lounge concept, one of which was converted to aTake Five Lounge during fiscal 2017.2019. As of December 28, 2017,26, 2019, we offered bars at 2651 theatres, representing approximately 41%59% of our company-owned, first-run theatres (including the Marcus Wehrenberg theatres).theatres. We are currently evaluating opportunities to add bar service to up to three additional theatres during fiscal 2018.2020, including our new theatre in Tacoma, Washington.

iZaffiro’s Express – these outlets offer lobby dining that includes appetizers, sandwiches, salads, desserts and our signatureZaffiro’sTHINCREDIBLE®THINCREDIBLE® handmade thin-crust pizza. In select locations without aTake Five Lounge outlet, we offer beer and wine at theZaffiro’s Express outlet. We opened fourone newZaffiro’s Express outletsoutlet during fiscal 2017,2019 at our new Movie Tavern by Marcus location in Brookfield, Wisconsin, increasing our number of theatres with this concept to 2629 as of December 28, 2017,26, 2019, representing approximately 41%45% of our company-owned, first-run theatres (including the Marcus Wehrenberg(excluding our in-theatre dining Movie Tavern theatres). We also operate threeZaffiro’s Pizzeria and Bar full-service restaurants. We are currently evaluating opportunities to add two additionalZaffiro’s Express outlets during fiscal 2018.

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iReel Sizzle®our newestthis signature dining concept serves menu items inspired by classic Hollywood and the iconic diners of the 1950s. We offer Americana fare like burgers and chicken sandwiches prepared on a griddle behind the counter, along with chicken tenders, crinkle cutcrinkle-cut fries, ice cream and signature shakes. Our new Movie Tavern by Marcus in Brookfield, Wisconsin includes aReal Sizzle. As of December 28, 2017,26, 2019, we operated seveneightReel Sizzle outlets, including two that we opened during fiscal 2017, and we are evaluating additional opportunitiesexpect to add oneReel Sizzle outletsoutlet to existing theatresthe new theatre currently under construction in the future.Tacoma, Washington.

iOther in-lobby dining – We also operate oneHollywood Café at an existing theatre, and four of the Marcus Wehrenberg theatres offer in-lobby dining concepts, operating under names such asFred’s Drive-InorFive Star. In addition, we are currently testing a Mexican food concept at one theatre, and we are considering expanding this new concept during fiscal 2020. Including these additional concepts, as of December 28, 2017,26, 2019, we offered one or more in-lobby dining concepts in 3640 theatres, representing approximately 56%62% of our company-owned, first-run theatres (including the Marcus Wehrenberg(excluding our in-theatre dining Movie Tavern theatres).

iBig Screen BistroIn-theatre diningthis concept offersAs of December 26, 2019, we offered full-service, in-theatre dining with a complete menu of drinks and chef-prepared salads, sandwiches, entrées and desserts. Including two Marcus Wehrenbergdesserts at 32 theatres that had proprietary in-theatre dining concepts converted toand a total of 248 auditoriums, operating under the namesBig Screen Bistro concepts during fiscal 2017, one Marcus Wehrenberg theatre offering in-theatre dining under the nameSM,Five StarBig Screen Bistro Express and the eight-screen newSM, BistroPlex theatre described above, we currently offer in-theatre dining at ten theatres in 37 total auditoriums (including one theatre and five screens managed for another owner)Movie Tavern by Marcus, representing approximately 14%37% of our company-owned, first-run theatres (including the Marcus Wehrenberg theatres). We will continue to evaluate additional opportunities to expand our in-theatre dining concepts in the future.theatres.

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We rolled outoffer a “$5 Tuesday” promotion at every theatre in our circuit in mid-November 2013. Coupled withthat includes a free 44-ozcomplimentary-size popcorn for everyone for the first five months of the program (subsequently offered only to our loyalty program members) and an aggressive marketing campaign, our goal was to increase overall attendance by reaching mid-week value customers who may have reduced their movie-going frequency or stopped going to the movies because of price.members. We have seen our Tuesday attendance increase dramatically since the introduction of the $5 Tuesday promotion. We believe this promotion has createdincreased movie-going frequency and reached a customer who may have stopped going to the movies because of price, creating another “weekend” day for us without adversely impacting the movie-going habits of our regular weekend customers. The newly-acquired Wehrenberg theatres previously offered a discounted price on Tuesday nights, but we immediatelyWe introduced our $5 Tuesday promotion with the free popcorn for loyalty members at our Marcus Wehrenberg theatres immediately upon acquiringacquisition in December 2016 and did the theatres and havesame thing in February 2019 with our newly acquired Movie Tavern theatres. We experienced an increase in Tuesday performance at thesethe Marcus Wehrenberg theatres asand have seen a result.similar response from customers at our Movie Tavern theatres. We also offer a “$6 Student Thursday” promotion at 36all of our locations that has been well received by that particular customer segment. In addition, we offer a $6 “Young-at-Heart” program for seniors on Friday afternoons that was also introduced to our Movie Tavern locations during our fiscal 2019 first quarter.

We launched a new,offer what we believe to be a best-in-class customer loyalty program called Magical Movie RewardsSM on March 30, 2014. Designed to enhance the movie-going experience for our customers, the response to this program has exceeded our expectations.. We currently have approximately 2.63.8 million members enrolled in the program. Approximately 45%42% of all transactions in our theatres during fiscal 20172019 were completed by registered members of the loyalty program. The program allows members to earn points for each dollar spent and access special offers available only to members. The rewards are redeemable at the box office, concession stand or at the many Marcus Theatres® food and beverage venues. In addition, we have partnered with Movio, a global leader in data analysis for the cinema industry, to allow more targeted communication with our loyalty members. The software provides us with insight into customer preferences, attendance habits and general demographics, which we believe will help us deliver customized communication to our members. In turn, members of this program can enjoy and plan for a more personalized movie-going experience. The program also gives us the ability to cost effectively promote non-traditional programming and special events, particularly during non-peak time periods. We believe that this will result in increased movie-going frequency, more frequent visits to the concession stand, increased loyalty to Marcus Theatres and ultimately, improved operating results. The acquired Wehrenberg theatres offered a loyalty program to their customers that had approximately 200,000 members. We converted these members to our Magical Movie Rewards program during fiscal 2017. The acquired Movie Tavern theatres did not offer a loyalty program to their customers. We introduced our Magical Movie Rewards program to these theatres during the second quarter of fiscal 2019 after all necessary technology requirements were completed.

We have recently enhanced our mobile ticketing capabilities, and added the Magical Movie Rewards loyalty program to our downloadable Marcus Theatres mobile application. We have redesignedapplication, and ourmarcustheatres.comwebsitewebsite. We also recently added food and continuedbeverage ordering capabilities to our mobile application at select theatres, including our recently opened Movie Tavern location in Brookfield, Wisconsin. We will continue to install additional theatre-level technology, such as new ticketing kiosks, and digital menu boards and concession advertising monitors. Each of these enhancements is designed to improve customer interactions, both at the theatre and through mobile platforms and other electronic devices.

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The addition of digital technology throughout our circuit (we offer digital cinema projection on 100% of our first-run screens) has provided us with additional opportunities to obtain non-motion picture programming from other new and existing content providers, including live and pre-recorded performances of the Metropolitan Opera, as well as sports, music and other events, at many of our locations. We offer weekday and weekend alternate programming at many of our theatres across our circuit. The special programming includes classic movies, live performances, comedy shows and children’s performances. We believe this type of programming is more impactful when presented on the big screen and provides an opportunity to continue to expand our audience base beyond traditional moviegoers.

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Revenues for the theatre business, and the motion picture industry in general, are heavily dependent on the general audience appeal of available films, together with studio marketing, advertising and support campaigns, factors over which we have no control. Consistent with prior periods in which blockbusters accounted for a significant portion of our total box office receipts,admission revenues, our top 15 performing films accounted for 41%48% of our fiscal 2017 box office receipts, compared to 43% during2019 total admission revenues and 42% of our fiscal 2016.2018 total admission revenues. The following five fiscal 20172019 films accounted for nearly 20%26% of our total box office and produced the greatest box office receiptsadmission revenues for our circuit:Star Wars:Avengers: Endgame, The Last Jedi,Beauty and the Beast,Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.Lion King, Frozen 2,,It Toy Story 4 andWonder WomanCaptain Marvel.

We obtain our films from several national motion picture production and distribution companies, and we are not dependent on any single motion picture supplier. Our booking, advertising, concession purchases and promotional activities are handled centrally by our administrative staff.

We strive to provide our movie patrons with high-quality picture and sound presentation in clean, comfortable, attractive and contemporary theatre environments. All of our movie theatre complexes feature digital cinema technology; either digital sound, Dolby or other stereo sound systems; acoustical ceilings; side wall insulation; engineered drapery folds to eliminate sound imbalance, reverberation and distortion; tiled floors; cup-holder chair-arms; and computer-controlled heating, air conditioning and ventilation. We offer stadium seating, a tiered seating system that permits unobstructed viewing, at substantially all of our first-run screens. Computerized box offices permit all of our movie theatres to sell tickets in advance.advance and all of our theatres offer reserved seating. Our theatres are accessible to persons with disabilities and provide wireless headphones for hearing-impaired moviegoers. Other amenities at certain theatres include touch-screen, computerized, self-service ticket kiosks, which simplify advance ticket purchases. We have an agreement to allow moviegoers to buy tickets on Fandango, the largest online ticket-seller. We have enhanced our web site and our mobile ticketing capabilities and added the Magical Movie Rewards loyalty program to our downloadable Marcus Theatres mobile application.

We have a master license agreement with a subsidiary of Cinedigm Digital Cinema Corp. to deploy digital cinema systems in the majority of our company-owned theatre locations. Under the terms of the agreement, Cinedigm’s subsidiary purchased the digital projection systems and licensed them to us under a long-term arrangement. The costs to deploy this new technology are being covered primarily through the payment of virtual print fees from studios to our selected implementation company, Cinedigm. Our goals from digital cinema included delivering an improved film presentation to our guests, increasing scheduling flexibility, providing a platform for additional 3D presentations as needed, as well as maximizing the opportunities for alternate programming that may be available with this technology. As of December 28, 2017,26, 2019, we had the ability to offer digital 3D presentations in 259,386, or approximately 31%36%, of our first-run screens, including the vast majority of ourUltraScreens. We have the ability to increase the number of digital 3D capable screens we offer to our guests in the future as needed, based on the number of digital 3D films anticipated to be released during future periods and our customers’ response to these 3D releases.

We sell food and beverage concessions in all of our movie theatres. We believe that a wide variety of food and beverage items, properly merchandised, increases concession revenue per patron. Although popcorn and soda remain the traditional favorites with moviegoers, we continue to upgrade our available concessions by offering varied choices. For example, some of our theatres offer hot dogs, pizza, ice cream, pretzel bites, frozen yogurt, coffee, mineral water and juices. We have also added self-serve soft drink dispensers and grab-and-go candy, frozen treat and bottled drink kiosks to many of our theatres. In recent years, we have added signature cocktail and dining concepts as described above. The response to our new food and beverage offerings has been positive, and we have plans to expand these food and beverage concepts at additional locations in the future.

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We have a variety of ancillary revenue sources in our theatres, with the largest related to the sale of pre-show and lobby advertising (through our current advertising provider, Screenvision)providers, Screenvision and National CineMedia). We also obtain ancillary revenues from corporate and group meeting sales, sponsorships, internet surcharge fees and alternate auditorium uses. We continue to pursue additional strategies to increase our ancillary revenue sources.

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We also own a family entertainment center,Funset Boulevard, adjacent to our 14-screen movie theatre in Appleton, Wisconsin.Funset Boulevard features a 40,000 square foot Hollywood-themed indoor amusement facility that includes a restaurant, party room, laser tag center, virtual reality games, arcade, outdoor miniature golf course and batting cages.

In connection with the Wehrenberg acquisition, we

We also acquiredown and operate theRonnie’s Plaza retail outlet in St. Louis, Missouri, an 84,000 square foot retail center featuring 21 shops and other businesses to which we lease retail space.

Hotels and Resorts Operations

Owned and Operated Hotels and Resorts

The Pfister®Pfister® Hotel

We own and operate The Pfister Hotel, which is located in downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The Pfister Hotel is a full-service luxury hotel and has 307 guest rooms (including 71 luxury suites), the exclusivePfister VIP Club Lounge, two restaurants (including our signature restaurant,Mason Street Grill), three cocktail lounges, a state-of-the-art WELL Spa® + Salon, a high-tech executive boardroom, high-end retail space leased to tenants and a 275-car parking ramp. The Pfister also has 25,000 square feet of banquet and convention facilities. The Pfister’s banquet and meeting rooms accommodate up to 3,000 people, and the hotel features two large ballrooms,facilities, including one of the largest ballrooms in the Milwaukee metropolitan area, with banquet seating for 900 people. A portion of The Pfister’s first-floor space is leased for retail use.area. In fiscal 2018, we will be celebratingcelebrated The Pfister’sPfister Hotel’s 125th anniversary. In February 2018,2019, The Pfister Hotel earned its 4243ndrd consecutive AAA Four Diamond Award from the American Automobile Association, which represents every year the award has been in existence. In October 2017,Also in 2019, The Pfister was recognized as a top hotel in the Midwest inCondé Nast Traveler’s Readers’ Choice Awards. The Pfister Hotel was also named amongAwards and the top five Best Hotels in Wisconsinnumber one downtown Milwaukee hotel byU.S. News & World Report for 2017. In August 2017, TripAdvisor awarded. The Pfister currently holds the TripAdvisor® 2017TripAdvisor® Certificate of Excellence. The PfisterExcellence distinction and is a member of Preferred Hotels and Resorts, an organization of independent luxury hotels and resorts, and Historic Hotels of America. The Pfister has a signature restaurant named theMason Street Grill, as well as a state-of-the-art WELL Spa® + Salon. In May 2013, we completed a renovation of the 23rd floor of this historic hotel that included an exclusivePfister VIP Club Lounge and a high-tech executive boardroom. In May 2014, we completed a renovation of the 176-room modern tower of The Pfister. As part of the renovation, we introduced two new club floors with added personalized conveniences and services that include access to the newPfister VIP Club Lounge.

The Hilton Milwaukee City Center

We own and operate the 729-room Hilton Milwaukee City Center. Several aspects of Hilton’s franchise program have benefited this hotel, including Hilton’s international centralized reservation and marketing system, advertising cooperatives and frequent stay programs. The hotel has two cocktail lounges, three restaurants (including our firstMiller Time® Pub & Grill), and an 870-car parking ramp. Directly connected to the Wisconsin Center convention facility by skywalk, the hotel offers more than 30,000 square feet of meeting and event spaces with state-of-the-art technologies. In February 2018,2019, the Hilton Milwaukee City Center earned its seventheighth consecutive AAA Four Diamond Award from the American Automobile Association. In August 2017, TripAdvisor awarded Hilton Milwaukee City CenterAssociation and was recognized byMeetings Today as the TripAdvisor® 2017 CertificateBest of Excellence. In May 2013, we renovated and introduced our firstMiller Time® Pub & Grill restaurant at this hotel.MidAmerica winner.

Hilton Madison at Monona Terrace

We own and operate the 240-room Hilton Madison at Monona Terrace in Madison, Wisconsin. The Hilton Madison which also benefits from the aspects of Hilton’s franchise program noted above,Monona Terrace is connected by skywalk to the Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center and has fourfive meeting rooms totaling 2,4004,200 square feet, an indoor swimming pool, a fitness center, a lounge and a restaurant. In August 2017, TripAdvisor awardedThe Hilton Madison at Monona Terrace currently holds the TripAdvisor® 2017TripAdvisor® Certificate of Excellence. In 2018,Excellence distinction. A major renovation of this hotel is scheduled to undergo a complete renovation,was completed in 2019, including common areas and guestrooms.

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The Grand Geneva®Geneva® Resort & Spa

We own and operate the Grand Geneva Resort & Spa in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. This full-facility destination resort is located on 1,300 acres and includes 355 guest rooms, 29 new two and three bedroom villas, the exclusiveGeneva Club Lounge, over 60,000 square feet of banquet, meeting and exhibit space, over 13,000 square feet of ballroom space, three specialty restaurants, two cocktail lounges, two championship golf courses, a ski hill, indoor and outdoor tennis courts, three swimming pools, a spastate-of-the-art WELL Spa® + Salon and fitness complex, horse stables and an on-site airport. In February 2018,2019, the Grand Geneva Resort & Spa earned its 2021thstconsecutive AAA Four Diamond Award from the American Automobile Association. In October 2017, the Grand Geneva Resort & SpaThe resort was also recognized as aone of the top resortfive resorts in the Midwest inCondé Nast Traveler’s Readers’ Choice Awards. Geneva Grand Resort & Spa was alsoAwards and named among the top two Best HotelsResorts in Wisconsin byU.S. News & World Reportfor 20172019. In August 2017,The resort currently holds the TripAdvisor awarded the Grand Geneva Resort & Spa the TripAdvisor® 2017 ®Certificate of Excellence. In May 2013, we opened an exclusiveGeneva Club Lounge as an added amenity for our guests. We opened 29 new all-season villas atExcellence distinction and was named to the Grand Geneva Resort & Spa in May 2017.TripAdvisor® Award of Excellence Hall of Fame.

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InterContinental Milwaukee

We own and operate the InterContinental Milwaukee in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The InterContinental Milwaukee has 220 rooms, 12,000 square feet of flexible banquet and meeting space, on-site parking, a fitness center, a restaurant and a lounge and is located in the heart of Milwaukee’s theatre and financial district. In January 2018, we announced plans to convert the InterContinental Milwaukee into an independent arts hotel by mid-2019.

Skirvin Hilton

We are the principal equity partner and operator of The Skirvin Hilton hotel in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, the oldest hotel in Oklahoma. This historic hotel has 225 rooms, including 20 one-bedroom suites and one Presidential Suite. The Skirvin Hilton benefits from the aspects of Hilton’s franchise program noted above and has a restaurant, lounge, fitness center, indoor swimming pool, business center and approximately 18,500 square feet of meeting space. In February 2018,2019, The Skirvin Hilton earned its 1112th consecutive AAA Four Diamond Award from the American Automobile Association. In October 2017, The Skirvin HiltonAssociation and was recognized as anamed among the top hotel in the Midwest inCondé Nast Traveler’s Readers’ Choice Awards. In fiscal 2016 and fiscal 2017, The Skirvin Hilton earned recognition as thethree Best HotelHotels in Oklahoma City byU.S. News & World Report. In August 2017,The hotel currently holds the TripAdvisor awarded The Skirvin Hilton the TripAdvisor® 2017 ®Certificate of Excellence.Excellence distinction. In January 2017, The Skirvin Hilton was rated #1 of all full-service Hilton Hotels for delivery of brand promise. In September 2016, we completed a $4.3 millionmajor renovation project at The Skirvin Hilton hotel,Hotel, which included renovations of all guestrooms and public spaces.the lobby and bar areas. Our equity interest in this hotel was 60% as of December 28, 2017.26, 2019.

AC Hotel Chicago Downtown

Pursuant to a long-term lease, we operate the AC Hotel Chicago Downtown, a 226-room hotel in Chicago, Illinois. Formerly operated as a Four Points by Sheraton, during fiscal 2015, we initiated a major renovation and conversion of this hotel, officially opening it as what was then the fourth AC Hotel by Marriott branded property in the U.S. in June 2015. Located in the heart of Chicago’s shopping, dining and entertainment district, the AC Hotel by Marriott lifestyle brand targets the millennial traveler searching for a design-led hotel in a vibrant location with high-quality service. The AC Hotel Chicago Downtown features urban, simplistic and clean designs with European aesthetics and elegance, the latest technology and communal function spaces. Amenities include the AC Lounge, a bar area with cocktails, craft beers, wine and tapas, and the AC Kitchen, serving a European-inspired breakfast menu, and the AC Library, a collaborative space with communal tables and self-service business center located just off the main lobby.menu. The AC Hotel Chicago Downtown also features an indoor swimming pool, fitness room, 3,000 square feet of meeting space and an on-site parking facility. In August 2017,The hotel currently holds the TripAdvisor awarded the AC Hotel Chicago Downtown the TripAdvisor® 2017® Certificate of Excellence.Excellence distinction. Our newSafeHouse®SafeHouse® Chicago is in space leased fromconnected to this hotel and the hotel has additional space leased and available to be leased toan area restaurants.restaurant.

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The Lincoln Marriott Cornhusker Hotel

During the majority of 2017, we were a 73% majority owner of a joint venture in

We own and operate The Lincoln Marriott Cornhusker Hotel in downtown Lincoln, Nebraska. In October 2017, we purchased the noncontrolling interest in this joint venture and as a result, we are now the sole owner of this hotel. The Lincoln Marriott Cornhusker Hotel is a 300-room,297-room, full-service hotel with 45,600 square feet of meeting space. Thespace and aMiller Time Pub & Grill. We also own the Cornhusker Office Plaza, which is a seven-story building with a total of 85,592 square feet of net leasable office space. The office building isspace connected to the hotel by a three-story atrium that is used for local events and exhibits.

Saint Kate®–The Arts Hotel

In September 2014,January 2019, we completed a majorclosed for renovation one of our owned hotels, the InterContinental Milwaukee hotel, and reopened it in which we renovatedJune 2019 as Saint Kate–The Arts Hotel. Located in the entireheart of Milwaukee’s theatre and entertainment district, the 219-room hotel including the lobby, all guestfeatures art-inspired guestrooms, 13,000 square feet of flexible meeting space, 11 event rooms and meeting space. Alsothree restaurants, as well as two bars and lounge areas. The hotel also includes a theatre that features plays, lectures, classes and musical and dance performances, a world-class gallery space, and other event spaces that host rotating exhibitions, screenings, workshops and more. Saint Kate–The Arts Hotel was named as a partBest New Hotel of this renovation, we opened our second2019 in theMiller Time Pub & GrillUSA Today. In November 2014, we were awarded the Business Leadership Award by The Downtown Lincoln Association, as part of its annual Impact Awards program for recent investment commitments to the city of Lincoln, Nebraska. In August 2017, TripAdvisor awarded The Lincoln Marriott Cornhusker Hotel the TripAdvisor® 2017 Certificate of Excellence. 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards.

Managed Hotels, Resorts and Other Properties

We also manage hotels, resorts and other properties for third parties, typically under long-term management agreements. Revenues from these management contracts may include both base management fees, often in the form of a fixed percentage of defined revenues, and incentive management fees, typically calculated based upon defined profit performance. We may also earn fees for technical and preopening services before a property opens, as well as for ongoing accounting and technology services.

We manage the Crowne Plaza-Northstar Hotel in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Crowne Plaza-Northstar Hotel is located in downtown Minneapolis and has 222 guest rooms, 12 meeting rooms, 10,000 square feet of meeting space, an outdoor Skygarden for group events, a restaurant, a cocktail lounge and an exercise facility.

We manage The Garland hotel in North Hollywood, California. The Garland hotel has 255 recently renovated guest rooms, including 12 suites, meeting space for up to 600, including an amphitheater and ballroom, an outdoor swimming pool and lighted tennis courts. The mission-style hotel is located on seven acres near Universal Studios. In August 2017, TripAdvisor awarded The Garland the TripAdvisor® 2017 Certificate of Excellence. In October 2017, The Garland was recognized as a top hotel in Los Angeles inCondé Nast Traveler’s Readers’ Choice Awards.

We also provide hospitality management services, including check-in, housekeeping and maintenance, for a vacation ownership development adjacent to the Grand Geneva Resort & Spa owned by Orange Lake Resort & Country Club of Orlando, Florida. The development includes 68 two-room timeshare units (136 rooms) and a timeshare sales center.

We manage the Hilton Garden Inn Houston NW/Chateau in Houston, Texas. The Hilton Garden Inn Houston NW/Chateau has 171 guest rooms, a ballroom, a restaurant, a fitness center, a convenience mart and a swimming pool. The hotel is a part of Chateau Court, a 13-acre, European-style mixed-use development that also includes retail space and an office village. In August 2017, TripAdvisor awarded Hilton Garden Inn Houston NW/Chateau the TripAdvisor® 2017 Certificate of Excellence.

We manage the Hilton Minneapolis/Bloomington in Bloomington, Minnesota. This “business class” hotel offers 257 rooms, an indoor swimming pool, a club level, a fitness center, a business center and 9,217 square feet of meeting space. We completed a $2 million renovation of the Hilton Minneapolis/Bloomington in April 2016. The renovation included renovations of the lobby area and entrance, food and beverage outlets, meeting spaces and the HHonors Executive Lounge. In August 2017, TripAdvisor awarded Hilton Minneapolis/Bloomington the TripAdvisor® 2017 Certificate of Excellence.

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We manage the Heidel House Resort & Spa in Green Lake, Wisconsin. The resort features 190 full-service rooms and is located on 20 wooded acres on the shore of Green Lake, near Ripon, Wisconsin. The resort has an award-winning spa, three restaurants, two lounges, an ice cream parlor, a 380-guest ballroom, an outdoor space for weddings, indoor and outdoor pools, a beach, a boat rental area, hiking and biking trails, as well as a yacht available for daily excursions.Wisconsin Meetings magazine voted Heidel House Resort & Spa among the Best Wisconsin Conference Centers for 2017.Spas of Americaranked Evensong Spa one of the Top 100 Spas of 2017.

In 2015, we became a 10% minority investor and manager of the new Omaha Marriott Downtown at The Capitol District hotel, which opened in August 2017. The 333-room, 12-story full service hotel serves as an anchor for the Capitol District, an upscale urban destination dining and entertainment community in downtown Omaha. The development also includes 218 luxury residential apartments, office space, a parking garage and retail space for restaurants, shops and entertainment. It also features a plaza for events and concerts.

In September 2017,April 2019, we assumed management of the Sheraton Chapel Hill HotelHyatt Regency Schaumburg in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.Schaumburg, Illinois. The Sheraton Chapel Hill Hotelnewly renovated Hyatt Regency Schaumburg is conveniently located in the Triangle regionapproximately 15 miles from Chicago O’Hare International Airport and 30 miles from downtown Chicago and is near some of North CarolinaChicagoland’s most popular attractions and features 168 guestrooms and suites, 16,000energetic business hubs. This 468-room hotel has more than 30,000 square feet of flexibleindoor and outdoor meeting and event space anand versatile venues such as a 3,100 square foot terrace. The hotel and its event venues feature the latest audiovisual and state-of-the-art technology, innovative on-site restaurant, fitness center, seasonal outdoor poolcatering and sun deck and local shuttle service.complimentary parking for guests.

In January 2018, we assumed management of

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We manage the newly-opened Murieta Inn and Spa in Rancho Murieta, California. FoundLocated near wine country and within the development containing the renowned Murieta Equestrian Center, the largest equestrian facility in California, the 83-room hotel features The Gate, a one-of-a-kind restaurant and bar that offers fresh, seasonal menus using ingredients from the hotel’s five-acre farm and state-of-the-art greenhouse. In addition to a remarkable “farm-to-fork” experience, guests can also enjoy wine from the burgeoning foothills’ wine country. The hotel has an invitinga resort-style outdoor pool and lavish hot tub adjacent to a private one-acre park overlooking the Cosumnes River. Guests can also relax at The Cupola, a luxury salon and day spa that will open in April 2018.spa. The Murieta Inn and Spa also offers up to 15,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor meeting and event space with advanced technologies suchthe latest audio visual and state-of the-art technology. The hotel currently holds the TripAdvisor® Certificate of Excellence distinction.

We manage the DoubleTree by Hilton El Paso Downtown in El Paso, Texas. Situated in El Paso’s Museum District, near the city’s prominent convention and performing arts center, the 200-room DoubleTree by Hilton El Paso Downtown features a rooftop pool and sun deck, along with 8,500 square feet of meeting space.

We manage the Courtyard by Marriott El Paso Downtown/Convention Center, which opened in August 2018. TheCourtyard by Marriott El Paso Downtown/Convention Center has 151 guest rooms, two meeting rooms and an outdoor terrace-top pool.

We manage the Crowne Plaza-Northstar Hotel in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Crowne Plaza-Northstar Hotel is located in downtown Minneapolis and has 222 guest rooms, 10,000 square feet of meeting space, an outdoor Skygarden for group events, a restaurant, a cocktail lounge and an exercise facility.

We manage The Garland hotel in North Hollywood, California. The Garland hotel has 257 recently renovated guest rooms, including 12 suites, over 23,000 square feet of meeting and event space, including an amphitheater, a ballroom and an outdoor event venue ideal for weddings, a restaurant, well-equipped fitness center and an outdoor swimming pool with two hot tubs. The mission-style hotel is located on seven acres near Universal Studios Hollywood. The hotel currently holds the TripAdvisor® Certificate of Excellence distinction. In 2019, The Garland was recognized as Fiber Speed WiFi and Staycast capabilitiesa top hotel in Los Angeles inCondé Nast Traveler’s Readers’ Choice Awards for the fifth year in a row. Additionally, The Garland was recognized as a Top 10 hotel in greater Los Angeles as ranked by the 2019Travel + Leisure World’s Best Awards.

We manage the Hilton Garden Inn Houston NW/Willowbrook in Houston, Texas. The Hilton Garden Inn Houston NW/Willowbrook has 171 guest rooms, a ballroom, a restaurant, a fitness center, a convenience mart and a dedicated coordinator assignedswimming pool. The hotel currently holds the TripAdvisor® Certificate of Excellence distinction.

We manage the Hilton Minneapolis/Bloomington in Bloomington, Minnesota. This hotel offers 257 rooms, 9,200 square feet of meeting space, an indoor swimming pool and a fitness center. The hotel currently holds the TripAdvisor® Certificate of Excellence distinction.

We manage and own a 10% minority equity interest in the Omaha Marriott Downtown at The Capitol District hotel. The 333-room, 12-story full service hotel serves as an anchor for the Capitol District, an upscale urban destination dining and entertainment community in downtown Omaha, Nebraska. The development also includes 218 luxury residential apartments, office space, a parking garage and retail space for restaurants, shops and entertainment. It also features a plaza for events and concerts. The hotel currently holds the TripAdvisor®Certificate of Excellence distinction.

We formerly managed the Heidel House Resort & Spa in Green Lake, Wisconsin. On May 20, 2019, the owners of this resort closed this property permanently.

We formerly managed the Sheraton Chapel Hill Hotel in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. In August 2019, the owners sold the hotel, and as a result our contract to every event.manage the hotel was terminated.

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We also provide hospitality management services, including check-in, housekeeping and maintenance, for a vacation ownership development adjacent to the Grand Geneva Resort & Spa branded as the Holiday Inn Club Vacations at Lake Geneva Resort. The development includes 68 two-room timeshare units (136 rooms) and a timeshare sales center.

We also manage two condominium hotels under long-term management contracts. Revenues from these management contracts are larger than typical management contracts because, under an agreed-upon rental pool arrangement, room revenues are shared at a defined percentage with individual condominium owners. In addition, we own all of the common areas of these facilities, including all restaurants, lounges, spas and gift shops, and retain all of the revenues from these outlets.

We manage the Timber Ridge Lodge, an indoor/outdoor water park and condominium hotel complex in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. The Timber Ridge Lodge is a 225-unit condominium hotel on the same campus as the Grand Geneva Resort & Spa. The Timber Ridge Lodge has meeting rooms totaling 3,640 square feet, a general store, a restaurant-cafe, a snack bar and lounge, a state-of-the-art fitness center and an entertainment arcade. In August 2017,The hotel currently holds the TripAdvisor awarded the Timber Ridge Lodge the TripAdvisor® 2017® Certificate of Excellence.Excellence distinction.

We manage the Platinum Hotel & Spa, a condominium hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada just off the Las Vegas Strip, and own the hotel’s public space. The Platinum Hotel & Spa has 255 one and two-bedroom suites. This non-gaming, non-smoking hotel also has an on-site restaurant, lounge, spa/salona WELL Spa® + Salon and 14,897 square feet of meeting space, including 6,336 square feet of outdoor space. In August 2017,The hotel currently holds the TripAdvisor awarded the Platinum Hotel & Spa the TripAdvisor® 2017® Certificate of Excellence.Excellence distinction. We own 16 previously unsold condominium units at the Platinum Hotel & Spa.

During fiscal 2017, we ceased management of the Sheraton Madison Hotel in Madison, Wisconsin and sold our 15% minority equity interest in the property. During fiscal 2017, we also ceased management of The Westin® Atlanta Perimeter North in Atlanta, Georgia and sold our 11%

We own a 0.49% minority interest in that property.

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During fiscal 2016, we ceased management of The Hotel Zamora and Castile Restaurant in St. Pete Beach, Florida and sold all but 0.49% of our 10% minority ownership interest in the property.Florida. We have agreed to sell this interest to the remaining interestmajority owner during the next several years.

In June 2015, we purchased

We own theSafeHouse in Milwaukee, Wisconsin adding another restaurant to our portfolio.after purchasing it in 2015. TheSafeHouse is an iconic, spy-themed restaurant and bar that has operated in Milwaukee for over 50 years. We completed a significant renovation of theSafeHouse in 2016. We opened a newSafeHouse location in Chicago, Illinois in March 2017 and also opened theEscapeHouse Chicago, a complimentary business capitalizing on the popularity of cooperative team escape games.

In December 2016, we announced that our

Our Wisconsin Hospitality Linen Service (WHLS) business unit completed a $2.3 million expansion. WHLS provides commercial laundry services for our hotel and resort properties in Wisconsin and for other unaffiliated hotels in the Midwest. WHLS currently processes over 10nearly 16 million pounds of linen each year, and the expansion is expected to enable WHLS to double its current capacity within the next five years.year. WHLS has been a leader in commercial laundry services for the hospitality industry in the Midwest for over 20 years.

In October 2015, we completed

We have taken our highly-regarded web development team and created a new business unit managed by the sale of the Hotel Phillips, a 217-room historic, landmark hotel in Kansas City, Missouri, which we had previously successfully ownedhotels and operatedresorts division called Graydient Creative. Graydient focuses on website design and development, branding and print design, social media management and new software and application development for 14 years.both our own properties and third party clients.

In 2017, TripAdvisor® awarded ten of our

We operate many award winning restaurants and lounges itswithin our hotel portfolio that have earned distinctions such as the TripAdvisor® Certificate of Excellence. These included: the Blu Bar & Lounge, Café at the Pfister, Geneva ChopHouse®, Kil@wat, Mason Street Grill, Miller Time Pub & Grill Lincoln, Milwaukee ChopHouse®, Ristoranté Brissago, Bloomington ChopHouse®, SafeHouse MilwaukeeExcellence and SAVOR bar & kitchen.theWine Spectator Award of Excellence.

In 2017, we were awarded the Service Excellence Award by Governor Scott Walker at the Wisconsin Governor’s Conference on Tourism, which took place March 12-14, 2017 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.Tourism. The Service Excellence Award honors a Wisconsin business that has achieved significant success and growth by providing exceptional service to its customers and a strong charitable involvement in its community. Marcus®  Hotels & Resorts received the award for its ongoing commitment to supporting Wisconsin charities and tourism-driven amenities. Last year, associatesinitiatives. In 2019, we were one of The Marcus Corporation and Marcus Hotels & Resorts volunteered more than 28,000 hours in their local communities.

We have taken our highly-regarded web development team and created a new business unit to be managed byten nationwide recipients of the hotels and resorts division called Graydient Creative. Graydient leverages our expertise in digital marketing, creating a new profit centerAmericans for the division by seeking new external customers. Services provided by Graydient include, but are not limited to, website designArts’ Arts and development, brandingBusiness Partnership Award, which recognizes businesses for their exceptional involvement with the arts that enriches the workplace, enhances education and print design, and social media management.transforms communities.

Competition

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Competition

Both of our businesses experience intense competition from national, regional and local chain and franchise operations, some of which have substantially greater financial and marketing resources than we have.  Most of our facilities are located in close proximity to competing facilities.

 

Our movie theatres compete with large national movie theatre operators, such as AMC Entertainment, Cinemark and Regal Cinemas, as well as with a wide array of smaller first-run exhibitors.  Movie exhibitors alsofacealso face competition from a number of other movie exhibition delivery systems, such as streaming services, digital downloads, video-on-demand, pay-per-view television, DVDs and network and syndicated television.  We also face competition from other forms of entertainment competing for the public’s leisure time and disposable income.

 

Our hotels and resorts compete with the hotels and resorts operated and/or franchised by Hyatt Corporation, Marriott Corporation, Hilton Worldwide and others, along with other regional and local hotels and resorts.  Increasingly, we also face competition from new channels of distribution in the travel industry, such as peer-to-peer inventory sources that allow travelers to book stays on websites that facilitate short-term rental of homes and apartments from owners, thereby providing an alternative to hotel rooms, such as Airbnb, Vrbo and HomeAway.  We compete for hotel management agreements with a wide variety of national, regional and local management companies based upon many factors, including the value and quality of our management services, our reputation, our ability and willingness to invest our capital in joint venture projects, the level of our management fees and our relationships with property owners and investors.

 

We believe that the principal factors of competition in both of our businesses, in varying degrees, are the price and quality of the product, quality and location of our facilities and customer service.  We believe that we are well positioned to compete on the basis of these factors.

 

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Seasonality

Seasonality

 

Due to our change to a December fiscal year end, we expect our quarterly results to be more consistent between quarters than they were in the past and our results for the last two years under the new calendar have met those expectations. Our first fiscal quarter will likely producetypically produces the weakest operating results in our hotels and resorts division due primarily to the effects of reduced travel during the winter months. We expect ourOur second and third fiscal quarters to often produce our strongest operating results because these periods coincide with the typical summer seasonality of the movie theatre industry and the summer strength of the lodging business. Due to the fact that the week between Christmas and New Year’s Eve is historically one of the strongest weeks of the year for our theatre division, we expect that the specific timing of the last Thursday in December will havehas an impact on the results of our fiscal first and fourth quarters in that division, particularly when we have a 53-week year.

Environmental Regulation

Federal, state and local environmental legislation has not had a material effect on our capital expenditures, earnings or competitive position. However, our activities in acquiring and selling real estate for business development purposes have been complicated by the continued emphasis that our personnel must place on properly analyzing real estate sites for potential environmental problems. This circumstance has resulted in, and is expected to continue to result in, greater time and increased costs involved in acquiring and selling properties associated with our various businesses.

Employees

As of December 28, 2017,26, 2019, we had approximately 7,80010,500 employees, approximately 59%67% of whom were employed on a variable or part-time basis. A number of our (1) hotel employees at the Crowne Plaza Northstar in Minneapolis, Minnesota are covered by a collective bargaining agreement that expires on April 30, 2019;October 31, 2020; (2) operating engineers at The Pfister Hotel and the Hilton Milwaukee City Center are covered by collective bargaining agreements that expire on April 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019, respectively; (3) hotel employees at the Hilton Milwaukee City Center and The Pfister Hotel are covered by a collective bargaining agreement that expires on February 14, 2019; and2022; (4) painters in the Hilton Milwaukee City Center and The Pfister Hotel are covered by a collective bargaining agreement that expires on May 31, 2018.2022; and (5) operating engineers at the Hyatt Regency Schaumburg are covered by a collective bargaining agreement that expires on February 29, 2020.

As of the end of fiscal 2017,2019, approximately 7%6% of our employees were covered by a collective bargaining agreement, of which approximately 1%16% were covered by an agreement that will expire within one year.

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Website Information and Other Access to Corporate Documents

Our corporate website iswww.marcuscorp.com. All of our Form 10-Ks, Form 10-Qs and Form 8-Ks, and amendments thereto, are available on this website as soon as practicable after they have been filed with the SEC. We are not including the information contained on our website as part of, or incorporating it by reference into, this Annual Report. In addition, our corporate governance guidelines and the charters for our Audit Committee, Compensation Committee and Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee are available on our website. If you would like us to mail you a copy of our corporate governance guidelines or a committee charter, please contact Thomas F. Kissinger, Senior Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary, The Marcus Corporation, 100 East Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 1900, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202-4125.

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Item 1A.Risk Factors.

The following risk factors and other information included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K should be carefully considered. The risks and uncertainties described below are not the only ones we face. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us or that we currently deem immaterial also may impair our business operations. If any of the following risks occur, our business, financial condition, operating results, and cash flows could be materially adversely affected.

The Lack of Both the Quantity and Audience Appeal of Motion Pictures May Adversely Affect Our Financial Results.

The financial results of our movie theatre business and the motion picture industry in general are heavily dependent on the general audience appeal of available films, together with studio marketing, advertising and support campaigns, factors over which we have no control. The relative success of our movie theatre business will continue to be largely dependent upon the quantity and audience appeal of films made available by the movie studios and other producers. Poor performance of films, a disruption in the production of films due to events such as a strike by actors, writers or directors, or a reduction in the marketing efforts of the film distributors to promote their films could have an adverse impact on our business and results of operations. Also, our quarterly results of operations are significantly dependent on the quantity and audience appeal of films that we exhibit during each quarter. As a result, our quarterly results may be unpredictable and somewhat volatile.

Our Financial Results May be Adversely Impacted by Unique Factors Affecting the Theatre Exhibition Industry, Such as the Shrinking Video Release Window, the Increasing Piracy of Feature Films and the Increasing Use of Alternative Film Distribution Channels and Other Competing Forms of Entertainment.

Over the last decade, the average video release window, which represents the time that elapses from the date of a film’s theatrical release to the date a film is released to other channels, including streaming services, video on-demand (VOD) and DVD, has decreased from approximately six months to, in some cases, less than fourthree months. Many current films are now released to ancillary markets within 75-90 days, andIn the past, more than one studio has been discussingdiscussed their interest in creating a new, shorter premium VOD window. We can provide no assurance that these release windows, which are determined by the film studios, will not shrink further, which could have an adverse impact on our movie theatre business and results of operations.

Piracy of motion pictures is prevalent in many parts of the world. Technological advances allowing the unauthorized dissemination of motion pictures increase the threat of piracy by making it easier to create, transmit and distribute high quality unauthorized copies of such motion pictures. The proliferation of unauthorized copies and piracy of motion pictures may have an adverse effect on our movie theatre business and results of operations.

We face competition for movie theatre patrons from a number of alternative motion picture distribution channels, such as DVD, network, cable and satellite television, video on-demand, pay-per-view television, digital downloads and downloading utilizingstreaming services. The number of streaming services has been increasing and, in some cases, streaming services are producing theatrical-quality original content that is bypassing the internet.theatrical release window entirely. Periodically, internet ticketing intermediaries introduce services and products with the stated intention of increasing movie-going frequency. The actual impact these services and products may have on our relationship with the customer and our results of operations is unknown at this time. We also compete with other forms of entertainment competing for our patrons’ leisure time and disposable income such as concerts, amusement parks, sporting events, home entertainment systems, video games and portable entertainment devices such as MP3 players, tablet computers and smart phones. An increase in popularity of these alternative film distribution channels and competing forms of entertainment may have an adverse effect on our movie theatre business and results of operations.

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A Deterioration in Relationships with Film Distributors Could Adversely Affect Our Ability to Obtain Commercially Successful Films or Increase Our Costs to Obtain Such Films.

We rely on the film distributors for the motion pictures shown in our theatres. Our business depends to a significant degree on maintaining good relationships with these distributors. Deterioration in our relationships with any of the major film distributors could adversely affect our access to commercially successful films or increase our costs to obtain such films and adversely affect our business and results of operations. Because the distribution of motion pictures is in large part regulated by federal and state antitrust laws and has been the subject of numerous antitrust cases and consent decrees, we cannot ensure a supply of motion pictures by entering into long-term arrangements with major distributors. Rather, we must compete for licenses on a film-by-film and theatre-by-theatre basis and are required to negotiate licenses for each film and for each theatre individually. We are periodically subject to audits on behalf of the film distributors to ensure that we are complying with the applicable license agreements.

The Relative Industry Supply of Available Rooms at Comparable Lodging Facilities May Adversely Affect Our Financial Results.

Historically, a material increase in the supply of new hotel rooms in a market can destabilize that market and cause existing hotels to experience decreasing occupancy, room rates and profitability. If such over-supply occurs in one or more of our major markets, we may experience an adverse effect on our hotels and resorts business and results of operations.

Adverse Economic Conditions in Our Markets May Adversely Affect Our Financial Results.

Downturns or adverse economic conditions affecting the United States economy generally, and particularly downturns or adverse economic conditions in the Midwest and in our other markets, adversely affect our results of operations, particularly with respect to our hotels and resorts division. Poor economic conditions can significantly adversely affect the business and group travel customers, which are the largest customer segments for our hotels and resorts division. Specific economic conditions that may directly impact travel, including financial instability of air carriers and increases in gas and other fuel prices, may adversely affect our results of operations. Additionally, although our theatre business has historically performed well during economic downturns as consumers seek less expensive forms of out-of-home entertainment, a significant reduction in consumer confidence or disposable income in general may temporarily affect the demand for motion pictures or severely impact the motion picture production industry, which, in turn, may adversely affect our results of operations.

If the Amount of Sales Made Through Third-Party Internet Travel Intermediaries Increases Significantly, Consumer Loyalty to Our Hotels Could Decrease and Our Revenues Could Fall.

We expect to derive most of our business from traditional channels of distribution. However, consumers now use internet travel intermediaries regularly. Some of these intermediaries are attempting to increase the importance of price and general indicators of quality (such as “four-star downtown hotel”) at the expense of brand/hotel identification. These agencies hope that consumers will eventually develop brand loyalties to their reservation system rather than to our hotels. If the amount of sales made through internet travel intermediaries increases significantly and consumers develop stronger loyalties to these intermediaries rather than to our hotels, we may experience an adverse effect on our hotels and resorts business and results of operations.

15

 

Each of Our Business Segments and Properties Experience Ongoing Intense Competition.

In each of our businesses we experience intense competition from national, regional and local chain and franchise operations, some of which have substantially greater financial and marketing resources than we have. Most of our facilities are located in close proximity to other facilities which compete directly with ours. The motion picture exhibition industry is fragmented and highly competitive with no significant barriers to entry. Theatres operated by national and regional circuits and by small independent exhibitors compete with our theatres, particularly with respect to film licensing, attracting patrons and developing new theatre sites. Moviegoers are generally not brand conscious and usuallyoften choose a theatre based on its location, its selection of films and its amenities. With respect to our hotels and resorts division, our ability to remain competitive and to attract and retain business and leisure travelers depends on our success in distinguishing the quality, value and efficiency of our lodging products and services from those offered by others. If we are unable to compete successfully in either of our divisions, this could adversely affect our results of operations.

13

We May Not Achieve the Expected Benefits and Performance of Our Strategic Initiatives and Acquisitions.

Our key strategic initiatives in our theatre and hotels and resorts divisions often require significant capital expenditures to implement. We expect to benefit from revenue enhancements and/or cost savings as a result of these initiatives. However, there can be no assurance that we will be able to generate sufficient cash flow from these initiatives to provide the return on investment we anticipated from the required capital expenditures.

There also can be no assurance that we will be able to generate sufficient cash flow to realize anticipated benefits from any strategic acquisitions that we may enter into.into, including our acquisition of the Movie Tavern business. Although we have a history of successfully integrating acquisitions into our existing theatre and hotels and resorts businesses, any acquisition may involve operating risks, such as (1) the difficulty of assimilating and integrating the acquired operations and personnel into our current business; (2) the potential disruption of our ongoing business; (3) the diversion of management’s attention and other resources; (4) the possible inability of management to maintain uniform standards, controls, policies and procedures; (5) the risks of entering markets in which we have little or no expertise; (6) the potential impairment of relationships with employees; (7) the possibility that any liabilities we may incur or assume may prove to be more burdensome than anticipated; and (8) the possibility the acquired property or properties do not perform as expected.

Our Businesses are Heavily Capital Intensive and Preopening and Start-Up Costs, Increasing Depreciation Expenses and Impairment Charges May Adversely Affect Our Financial Results.

Both our movie theatre and hotels and resorts businesses are heavily capital intensive. Purchasing properties and buildings, constructing buildings, renovating and remodeling buildings and investing in joint venture projects all require substantial upfront cash investments before these properties, facilities and joint ventures can generate sufficient revenues to pay for the upfront costs and positively contribute to our profitability. In addition, many growth opportunities, particularly for our hotels and resorts division, require lengthy development periods during which significant capital is committed and preopening costs and early start-up losses are incurred. We expense these preopening and start-up costs currently. As a result, our results of operations may be adversely affected by our significant levels of capital investments. Additionally, to the extent we capitalize our capital expenditures, our depreciation expenses may increase, thereby adversely affecting our results of operations.

We periodically consider whether indicators of impairment of long-lived assets held for use are present. Demographic changes, economic conditions and competitive pressures may cause some of our properties to become unprofitable. Deterioration in the performance of our properties could require us to recognize impairment losses, thereby adversely affecting our results of operations.

Our Ability to Identify Suitable Properties to Acquire, Develop and Manage Will Directly Impact Our Ability to Achieve Certain of Our Growth Objectives.

A portion of our ability to successfully achieve our growth objectives in both our theatre and hotels and resorts divisions is dependent upon our ability to successfully identify suitable properties to acquire, develop and manage. Failure to successfully identify, acquire and develop suitable and successful locations for new lodging properties and theatres will substantially limit our ability to achieve these important growth objectives.

16

14

 

Our Ability to Identify Suitable Joint Venture Partners or Raise Equity Funds to Acquire, Develop and Manage Hotels and Resorts Will Directly Impact Our Ability to Achieve Certain of Our Growth Objectives.

In addition to acquiring or developing hotels and resorts or entering into management contracts to operate hotels and resorts for other owners, we have from time to time invested, and expect to continue to invest, as a joint venture partner. We have also indicated that we may act as an investment fund sponsor in order to acquire additional hotel properties. A portion of our ability to successfully achieve our growth objectives in our hotels and resorts division is dependent upon our ability to successfully identify suitable joint venture partners or raise equity funds to acquire, develop and manage hotels and resorts. Failure to successfully identify suitable joint venture partners or raise equity for an investment fund will substantially limit our ability to achieve these important growth objectives.

Adverse Economic Conditions, Including Disruptions in the Financial Markets, May Adversely Affect Our Ability to Obtain Financing on Reasonable and Acceptable Terms, if at All, and Impact Our Ability to Achieve Certain of Our Growth Objectives.

We expect that we will require additional financing over time, the amount of which will depend upon a number of factors, including the number of theatres and hotels and resorts we acquire and/or develop, the amount of capital required to refurbish and improve existing properties, the amount of existing indebtedness that requires repayment in a given year and the cash flow generated by our businesses. Downturns or adverse economic conditions affecting the United States economy generally, and the United States stock and credit markets specifically, may adversely impact our ability to obtain additional short-term and long-term financing on reasonable terms or at all, which would negatively impact our liquidity and financial condition. As a result, a prolonged downturn in the stock or credit markets would also limit our ability to achieve our growth objectives.

Investing Through Partnerships or Joint Ventures Decreases Our Ability to Manage Risk.

Joint venture partners may have shared control or disproportionate control over the operation of our joint venture assets. Therefore, our joint venture investments may involve risks such as the possibility that our joint venture partner in an investment might become bankrupt or not have the financial resources to meet its obligations, or have economic or business interests or goals that are inconsistent with our business interests or goals, or be in a position to take action contrary to our instructions or requests or contrary to our policies or objectives. Consequently, actions by our joint venture partners might subject hotels and resorts owned by the joint venture to additional risk. Further, we may be unable to take action without the approval of our joint venture partners. Alternatively, our joint venture partners could take actions binding on the joint venture without our consent.

Our Properties are Subject to Risks Relating to Acts of God, Terrorist Activity and War and Any Such Event May Adversely Affect Our Financial Results.

Acts of God, natural disasters, war (including the potential for war), terrorist activity (including threats of terrorist activity), incidents of violence in public venues such as hotels and movie theatres, epidemics (such as SARs, bird flu and swine flu), travel-related accidents, as well as political unrest and other forms of civil strife and geopolitical uncertainty may adversely affect the lodging and movie exhibition industries and our results of operations. Terrorism or other similar incidents may significantly impact business and leisure travel or consumer choices regarding out-of-home entertainment options and consequently demand for hotel rooms or movie theatre attendance may suffer. In addition, inadequate preparedness, contingency planning, insurance coverage or recovery capability in relation to a major incident or crisis may prevent operational continuity and consequently impact the reputation of our businesses.

17

 

We Rely on Our Information Systems to Conduct Our Business, and Any Failure to Protect Our Information Systems and Other Confidential Information Against Cyber Attacks or Other Information Security Breaches or Any Failure or Interruption to the Availability of Our Information Systems Could Have a Material Adverse Effect on Our Business.

The operation of our business depends on the efficient and uninterrupted operation of our information technology systems. Our information technology systems may become unavailable or may fail to perform as anticipated, for any reason, including cyber attacks, loss of power, or human error. Information security risks have generally increased in recent years because of the proliferation of new technologies and the increased sophistication and activities of perpetrators of cyber attacks. AAny significant interruption in or failure inof our information systems or any breach of our information systems or other confidential information as a result of cyber attacks or other information security breaches could disrupt our business, result in the disclosure or misuse of confidential or proprietary information, damage our reputation, expose us to litigation, increase our costs or cause losses. As cyber and other information security threats continue to evolve, we may be required to expend additional resources to continue to enhance our information security measures or to investigate and remediate any information security vulnerabilities.

15

Recalls of Food Products and Associated Costs Could Adversely Affect Our Reputation and Financial Condition.

We may be found liable if the consumption of any of the food products we sell in our theatres or hotels causes illness or injury. We are also subject to recall by product manufacturers or if the food products become contaminated. Recalls could result in losses due to the cost of the recall, the destruction of the product and lost sales due to the unavailability of the product for a period of time.

We are Subject to Substantial Government Regulation, Which Could Entail Significant Cost.

We are subject to various federal, state and local laws, regulations and administrative practices affecting our business, and we must comply with provisions regulating health and sanitation standards, equal employment, environmental, and licensing for the sale of food and alcoholic beverages. Our properties must also comply with Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, or ADA. Compliance with the ADA requires that public accommodations "reasonably accommodate"“reasonably accommodate” individuals with disabilities and that new construction or alterations made to "commercial facilities"“commercial facilities” conform to accessibility guidelines unless "structurally impracticable"“structurally impracticable” for new construction or technically infeasible for alterations. Non-compliance with the ADA could result in the imposition of injunctive relief, fines or an award of damages to private litigants or additional capital expenditures to remedy such noncompliance. Changes in existing laws or implementation of new laws, regulations and practices could also have a significant impact on our business. For example, a significant portion of our staff level employees are part time workers who are paid at or near the applicable minimum wage in the relevant jurisdiction. Increases in the minimum wage and implementation of reforms requiring the provision of additional benefits would increase our labor costs.

We are Subject to Complex Taxation and Could be Subject to Changes in Our Tax Rates, the Adoption of New Tax Legislation or Exposure to Additional Tax Liabilities.

We are subject to different forms of taxation at the federal, state and local jurisdictions where we operate. Current economic and political conditions make tax rates in any jurisdiction subject to significant change. A recent example includes the U.S. Tax Cuts and Jobs Act signed into law in December 2017. Our future effective tax rate could be affected by changes in the mix of earnings in jurisdictions with differing tax rates, changes in the valuation of deferred tax assets and liabilities, or changes in tax laws or their interpretation. In addition, the tax authorities may not agree with the determinations we have made and such disagreements could result in lengthy legal disputes and, ultimately, in the payment of additional amounts for tax, interest and penalties. If our effective tax rate were to increase, or if the ultimate determination of our taxes owed in the U.S. or any of our jurisdictions is for an amount in excess of amounts previously accrued, our operating results, cash flows and financial condition could be adversely affected.

Our Business and Operations Could be Negatively Affected if We Become Subject to Any Securities Litigation or Shareholder Activism, Which Could Cause Us to Incur Significant Expense, Hinder Execution of Investment Strategy and Impact ourOur Stock Price.

While we are currently not subject to any securities litigation or shareholder activism, due to the potential volatility of our stock price and for a variety of other reasons, we may in the future become the target of securities litigation or shareholder activism. Securities litigation and shareholder activism, including potential proxy contests, could result in substantial costs and divert the attention of our management and board of directors and resources from our business. Additionally, such securities litigation and shareholder activism could give rise to perceived uncertainties as to our future, adversely affect our relationships with service providers and make it more difficult to attract and retain qualified personnel. Also, we may be required to incur significant legal fees and other expenses related to any securities litigation or activist shareholder matters. Further, our stock price could be subject to significant fluctuation or otherwise be adversely affected by the events, risks and uncertainties of any securities litigation or shareholder activism.

16

Adverse Weather Conditions, Particularly During the Winter in the Midwest and in Our Other Markets, May Adversely Affect Our Financial Results.

Poor weather conditions adversely affect business and leisure travel plans, which directly impacts our hotels and resorts division. In addition, theatre attendance on any given day may be negatively impacted by adverse weather conditions. In particular, adverse weather during peak movie-going weekends or holiday periods may negatively affect our results of operations. Adverse winter weather conditions may also increase our snow removal and other maintenance costs in both of our divisions.

18

 

Our Results May be Seasonal, Resulting in Unpredictable and Varied Quarterly Results.

Due to our change to a December fiscal year-end, we expect our quarterly results to be more consistent between quarters than they were in the past and our results for the last two years under the new calendar have met those expectations.

Our first fiscal quarter will likely producetypically produces the weakest operating results in our hotels and resorts division due primarily to the effects of reduced travel during the winter months. We expect ourOur second and third fiscal quarters to often produce our strongest operating results because these periods coincide with the typical summer seasonality of the movie theatre industry and the summer strength of the lodging business. Due to the fact that the week between Christmas and New Year’s Eve is historically one of the strongest weeks of the year for our theatre division, we expect that the specific timing of the last Thursday in December will havehas an impact on the results of our fiscal first and fourth quarters in that division, particularly when we have a 53-week year.

Item 1B.Unresolved Staff Comments.

None.

Item 2.Properties.

We own the real estate of a substantial portion of our facilities, including, as of December 28, 2017,26, 2019, The Pfister Hotel, the Hilton Milwaukee City Center, the Hilton Madison at Monona Terrace, the Grand Geneva Resort & Spa, the InterContinental Milwaukee,Saint Kate–The Arts Hotel, The Lincoln Marriott Cornhusker Hotel, The Skirvin Hilton (majority ownership), and the majority of our theatres. We lease the remainder of our facilities. As of December 28, 2017,26, 2019, we also managed one hotel for a joint venture in which we have a minority interest and nine12 hotels, resorts and other properties and two theatresone theatre that areis owned by a third parties.party. Additionally, we own properties acquired for the future construction and operation of new facilities. All of our properties are suitably maintained and adequately utilized to cover the respective business segment served.

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Our owned, leased and managed properties are summarized, as of December 28, 2017,26, 2019, in the following table:

Business Segment Total
Number of
Facilities in
Operation
  Owned(1)  Leased
from
Unrelated
Parties(2)
  Managed
for
Related
Parties
  Managed
for
Unrelated
Parties(2)
 
Theatres:                    
Movie Theatres  69   52   15   0   2 
Family Entertainment Center  1   1   0   0   0 
Other Properties(3)  1   1   0   0   0 
Hotels and Resorts:                    
Hotels  15   6   1   1   7 
Resorts  2   1   0   0   1 
Other Properties(4)  3   0   2   0   1 
Total  91   61   18   1   11 

Business Segment Total
Number of
Facilities in
Operation
  Owned(1)  

Leased
from
Unrelated
Parties(2)

  

Managed
for
Related
Parties

  

Managed
for
Unrelated

Parties(2)

 
Theatres:                    
Movie Theatres  91   50   40   0   1 
Family Entertainment Center  1   1   0   0   0 
Other Properties(3)  1   1   0   0   0 
Hotels and Resorts:                    
Hotels  18   6   1   1   10 
Resorts  1   1   0   0   0 
Other Properties(4)  3   0   2   0   1 
Total  115   59   43   1   12 

(1)SixFour of the movie theatres are on land leased from unrelated parties. One of the hotels is owned by a joint venture in which we are the principal equity partner (60% as of December 28, 2017)26, 2019).

 

(2)The 1540 theatres leased from unrelated parties have a total of 183423 screens, and the two theatresone theatre managed for an unrelated parties haveparty has a total of 11six screens. OneUltraScreen adjacent to an owned theatre is leased from an unrelated party.

 

(3)Includes an 84,000 square foot retail center managed by our theatre division.

 

(4)Includes a vacation ownership development adjacent to the Grand Geneva Resort & Spa owned by Orange Lake Resort & Country Club of Orlando, Florida for which we provide hospitality management services and twoSafeHouse restaurants located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and Chicago, Illinois, both of which we lease from an unrelated party and which are managed by our hotels and resorts division.

 

Certain of the individual properties or facilities identified above are subject to purchase money or construction mortgages or commercial lease financing arrangements, but we do not consider these encumbrances, individually or in the aggregate, to be material.

All of our operating property leases expire on various dates after the end of fiscal 20182020 (assuming we exercise all of our renewal and extension options).

All 22 Movie Tavern theatres acquired in February 2019 are leased from unrelated parties.

Item 3.Legal Proceedings.

None.

Item 4.Mine Safety Disclosures.

Not applicable.

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INFORMATION ABOUT OUR EXECUTIVE OFFICERS OF THE COMPANY

Each of our executive officers is identified below together with information about each officer’s age, position and employment history for at least the past five years:

NamePositionAge
Stephen H. MarcusChairman of the Board8284
Gregory S. MarcusPresident and Chief Executive Officer5355
Thomas F. KissingerSenior Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary5759
Douglas A. NeisExecutive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer5961
Rolando B. RodriguezExecutive Vice President of The Marcus Corporation and Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Marcus Theatres Corporation5860

Stephen H. Marcus has been our Chairman of the Board since December 1991. He served as our Chief Executive Officer from December 1988 to January 2009 and as our President from December 1988 until January 2008. Mr. Marcus has worked at our company for 5658 years.

Gregory S. Marcus joined our company in March 1992 as Director of Property Management/Corporate Development. He was promoted in 1999 to our Senior Vice President – Corporate Development and became an executive officer in July 2005. He has served as our President since January 2008 and was elected our Chief Executive Officer in January 2009. He was elected to serve on our Board of Directors in October 2005. He is the son of Stephen H. Marcus, our Chairman of the Board.

Thomas F. Kissinger joined our company in August 1993 as our Secretary and Director of Legal Affairs. In August 1995, he was promoted to our General Counsel and Secretary and in October 2004, he was promoted to Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary. In August 2013, he was promoted to Senior Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary. He also formerly served as interim President of Marcus Hotels & Resorts. Prior to August 1993, Mr. Kissinger was an associate with the law firm of Foley & Lardner LLP for five years.

Douglas A. Neis joined our company in February 1986 as Controller of the Marcus Theatres division and in November 1987, he was promoted to Controller of Marcus Restaurants. In July 1991, Mr. Neis was appointed Vice President of Planning and Administration for Marcus Restaurants. In September 1994, Mr. Neis was also named as our Director of Technology and in September 1995 he was elected as our Corporate Controller. In September 1996, Mr. Neis was promoted to Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer. In August 2018, Mr. Neis was promoted to Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer.

Rolando B. Rodriguez joined our company in August 2013 as our Executive Vice President and President and Chief Executive Officer of Marcus Theatres Corporation. Mr. Rodriguez served as Chief Executive Officer and President and as a board member of Rave Cinemas in Dallas, Texas for two years until its sale in May 2013. Prior to May 2011, he served in various positions with Wal-Mart for five years. He began his career in 1975 at AMC Theatres, serving for 30 years in various positions including senior vice president of North American field operations, senior vice president food & beverage group and executive vice president, North America operations service. In January 2017, Mr. Rodriguez was named Chairman of Marcus Theatres Corporation.

Our executive officers are generally elected annually by our Board of Directors after the annual meeting of shareholders. Each executive officer holds office until his successor has been duly qualified and elected or until his earlier death, resignation or removal.

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PART II

Item 5.Market for the Company’s Common Equity, Related Shareholder Matters and Issuer Repurchases of Equity Securities.

(a)       Stock Performance Graph

The following information in this Item 5 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K is not deemed to be “soliciting material” or to be “filed” with the SEC or subject to Regulation 14A or 14C under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 or to the liabilities of Section 18 of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934 and will not be deemed to be incorporated by reference into any filing under the Securities Act of 1933 or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, except to the extent we specifically incorporate it by reference into such a filing.

Set forth below is a graph comparing the annual percentage change during our last five full fiscal years and the Transition Periodtransition period beginning on May 29, 2015 and ended December 31, 2015 in our cumulative total shareholder return (stock price appreciation on a dividend reinvested basis) of our Common Shares to the cumulative total return of: (1) a composite peer group index selected by us that we have used historically (the “old” composite peer group index), (2) the composite peer group index selected by us that we intend to use going forward (the “new” composite peer group index) and (2)(3) companies included in the Russell 2000 Index. The old composite peer group index is comprised of the Dow Jones U.S. Hotels Index (weighted 40%35%) and a theatre index that we selected that includes Regal Entertainment Group and Cinemark Holdings, Inc. (weighted 60%65%). The results shown reflect the fact that Regal Entertainment Group ceased trading on February 28, 2018. The new composite index is comprised of the Dow Jones U.S. Hotels Index (weighted 35%) and a theatre index that we selected that includes Cinemark Holdings, Inc. and AMC Entertainment Holdings, Inc. (weighted 65%).

The indices within the composite peer group index are weighted to approximate the relative annual revenue contributions of each of our business segments to our total annual revenues over the past several fiscal years. The shareholder returns of the companies included in the Dow Jones U.S. Hotels Index and the theatre index that we selected are weighted based on each company’s relative market capitalization as of the beginning of the presented periods.

From May 29, 2014 to December 26, 2019

 

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  5/29/14  5/28/15  12/31/15  12/29/16  12/28/17  12/27/18  12/26/19 
The Marcus Corporation $100.00  $119.34  $116.45  $197.61  $173.36  $249.78  $215.31 
                             
Russell 2000 Index  100.00   111.36   101.84   124.09   142.86   124.39   158.98 
                             
Composite New Peer Group Index(1)  100.00   129.30   108.43   139.61   141.04   133.33   147.12 
                             
Composite Old Peer Group Index(2)  100.00   125.02   107.30   129.46   155.98   149.24   172.44 

(1)Weighted 35% for the Dow Jones U.S. Hotels Index and 65% for the old Company-selected Theatre Index.
(2)Weighted 35% for the Dow Jones U.S. Hotels Index and 65% for the new Company-selected Theatre Index.

From May 31, 2012 to December 28, 2017

Source: Zacks Investment Research, Inc.

  5/31/12  5/30/13  5/29/14  5/28/15  12/31/15  12/29/16  12/28/17 
                      
The Marcus Corporation $100.00  $112.75  $144.76  $172.76  $168.58  $286.06  $250.96 
                             
Composite Peer Group Index(1)  100.00   133.92   156.39   195.28   167.29   202.85   249.55 
                             
Russell 2000 Index  100.00   132.44   153.84   171.31   156.66   190.89   219.77 

(1) Weighted 40.0% for the Dow Jones U.S. Hotels Index and 60.0% for the Company-selected Theatre Index.

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(b)          
(b)Market Information

Our Common Stock, $1 par value, is listed and traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol “MCS.” Our Class B Common Stock, $1 par value, is neither listed nor traded on any exchange. During each quarter of fiscal 2017, we paid a dividend of $0.1250 per share on our Common Stock and $0.1136 per share on our Class B Common Stock. During each quarter of fiscal 2016, we paid a dividend of $0.1125 per share on our Common Stock and $0.10227 per share on our Class B Common Stock.

The following table lists the high and low sale prices of our Common Stock for the periods indicated (NYSE trading information only).

Fiscal 2017 1st
Quarter
  2nd
Quarter
  3rd
Quarter
  4th
Quarter
 
High $32.60  $34.90  $31.25  $29.55 
Low $29.15  $30.16  $23.85  $26.10 
                 
Fiscal 2016  1st
Quarter
   2nd
Quarter
   3rd
Quarter
   4th
Quarter
 
High $19.65  $21.36  $25.30  $32.15 
Low $17.44  $18.20  $20.79  $24.65 

On February 28, 2018,17, 2020, there were 1,2591,152 shareholders of record of our Common Stock and 4237 shareholders of record of our Class B Common Stock.

(c)          

(c)Stock Repurchases

The following table sets forth information with respect to purchases made by us or on our behalf of our Common Stock during the period indicated.

Period Total Number of
Shares
Purchased
  Average Price
Paid per Share
  Total Number of
Shares
Purchased as
Part of Publicly
Announced
Programs(1)
  Maximum
Number of
Shares that May
Yet be Purchased
Under the Plans or
 Programs(1)
 
September 29 – October 26          2,869,422 
October 27 – November 30           2,869,422 
December 1 – December 28           2,869,422 
Total          2,869,422 

Period Total Number of
Shares
Purchased
  Average Price
Paid per Share
  Total Number of
Shares
Purchased as
Part of Publicly
Announced
Programs(1)
  Maximum
Number of
Shares that May
Yet be Purchased
Under the Plans
or Programs(1)
 
September 27 – October 31           2,756,561 
November 1 – November 28           2,756,561 
November 29 – December 26           2,756,561 
Total           2,756,561 

(1)Through December 28, 2017,26, 2019, our Board of Directors had authorized the repurchase of up to 11.7 million shares of our outstanding Common Stock. Under these authorizations, we may repurchase shares of our Common Stock from time to time in the open market, pursuant to privately negotiated transactions or otherwise. As of December 28, 2017,26, 2019, we had repurchased approximately 8.88.9 million shares of our Common Stock under these authorizations. The repurchased shares are held in our treasury pending potential future issuance in connection with employee benefit, option or stock ownership plans or other general corporate purposes. These authorizations do not have an expiration date.

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Item 6.Selected Financial Data.

Five-Year Financial Summary

  F2017(3)  F2016  31 Weeks
 Ended
December 31,
2015
  F2015  F2014  F2013 

Operating Results
(in thousands)

                        
Revenues $622,714   543,864   324,267   488,067   447,939   412,836 
Net earnings attributable to The Marcus Corporation $64,996   37,902   23,565   23,995   25,001   17,506 
Common Stock Data(1)                        
Net earnings per common share $2.29   1.36   .84   .87   .92   .63 
Cash dividends per common share $.50   .45   .21   .39   .35   1.34 
Weighted-average shares outstanding
(in thousands)
  28,403   27,957   27,917   27,687   27,150   27,865 
Book value per share $15.98   14.10   13.13   12.48   11.95   11.33 

Financial Position
(in thousands)

                        
Total assets(2) $1,017,797   911,266   804,701   805,472   765,001   742,978 
Long-term debt(2) $289,813   271,343   207,376   229,096   232,691   230,739 
Shareholders’ equity attributable to The Marcus Corporation $445,024   390,112   363,352   343,779   326,211   306,702 
Capital expenditures and acquisitions $114,804   147,372   44,452   74,988   56,673   23,491 
Financial Ratios                        
Current ratio(2)  .48   .28   .35   .34   .33   .36 
Debt/capitalization ratio(2)  .40   .42   .38   .42   .42   .44 
Return on average shareholders’ equity  15.6%  10.1%  6.7%  7.2%  7.9%  5.4%

  F2019(1)  F2018(2)  F2017(3)  F2016  31 Weeks
Ended
December
31, 2015(4)
  F2015(5) 

Operating Results(in thousands)

                        
Revenues $820,863   707,120   653,552   574,324   341,664   517,832 
Net earnings attributable to The Marcus Corporation $42,017   53,391   64,996   37,902   23,565   23,995 
Common Stock Data(6)                        
Net earnings per common share $1.35   1.86   2.29   1.36   .84   .87 
Cash dividends per common share $.64   .60   .50   .45   .21   .39 
Weighted-average shares outstanding (in thousands)  31,152   28,713   28,403   27,957   27,917   27,687 
Book value per share $20.08   17.28   15.98   14.10   13.13   12.48 

Financial Position(in thousands)

                        
Total assets $1,359,186   989,331   1,017,797   911,266   804,701   805,472 
Long-term debt $206,432   228,863   289,813   271,343   207,376   229,096 
Shareholders’ equity attributable to The Marcus Corporation $621,435   490,009   445,024   390,112   363,352   343,779 
Capital expenditures and acquisitions $94,167   58,660   114,804   147,372   44,452   74,988 
Financial Ratios                        
Current ratio  .45   .46   .48   .28   .35   .34 
Debt/capitalization ratio  .26   .33   .40   .42   .38   .42 
Return on average shareholders’ equity  7.6%  11.4%  15.6%  10.1%  6.7%  7.2%

(1)AllFiscal 2019 operating results were negatively impacted by preopening and acquisition expenses related to the Movie Tavern acquisition ($2,475, or $0.06 per sharediluted common share), preopening expenses and shares outstanding data is on ainitial startup losses related to the closing of the InterContinental Milwaukee hotel for approximately five months and its subsequent reopening as an independent, arts-themed hotel, Saint Kate–The Arts Hotel ($6,830, or $0.16 per diluted basis. Earningscommon share) and an impairment charge ($1,874, or $0.04 per share data is calculated on our Common Stock using the two class method.diluted common share).

(2)In 2016, total assets, long-term debt, current ratio and debt/capitalization ratio

Fiscal 2018 operating results were adjusted onfavorably impacted by a retrospective basis for the adoption of Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2015-17,Balance Sheet Classification of Deferred Taxes, and ASU No. 2015-03,Simplifying the Presentation of Debt Issuance Costs. Accordingly, current deferred tax assets were reclassified to noncurrent assets and liabilities, and certain debt issuance costs previously included with long-term assets were reclassified as anonrecurring reduction in long-term debt.deferred income taxes related to a tax accounting method change ($1,947, or $0.07 per diluted common share) and unfavorably impacted by preopening and acquisition expenses related to the Movie Tavern acquisition ($1,674, or $0.04 per diluted common share) and preopening expenses and nonrecurring accelerated depreciation expense related to the closing of the InterContinental Milwaukee hotel for conversion into Saint Kate–The Arts Hotel ($4,259, or $0.11 per diluted common share).

(3)Fiscal 2017 net earnings includes a one-time reduction in deferred income taxes of $21,240, or $0.75 per diluted common share, related to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Acts of 2017.

(4)In October 2015, we changed our fiscal year end from the last Thursday in May to the last Thursday in December. This 31-week period represents the transition period from May 29, 2015 to December 31, 2015.

(5)Fiscal 2015 refers to the period beginning on May 30, 2014 and ended on May 28, 2015.

(6)All per share and shares outstanding data is on a diluted basis. Earnings per share data is calculated on our Common Stock using the two class method.

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Item 7.Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.

Results of Operations

General

 As a result of the change in our fiscal year end described below, we nowWe report our consolidated and individual segment results of operations on a 52- or 53-week fiscal year ending on the last Thursday in December. We divide our fiscal year into three 13-week quarters and a final quarter consisting of 13 or 14 weeks. Our primary operations are reported in two business segments: theatres, and hotels and resorts.

In October 2015, we changed our fiscal year end from the last Thursday in May to the last Thursday in December. The change resulted in a 31-week transition period from May 29, 2015 to December 31, 2015 (Transition Period), consisting of two 13-week periods and a final five-week period. We refer in this Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (MD&A) to the 13-week periods ended August 27, 2015 and November 26, 2015 as the first and second quarters of the Transition Period, respectively, and the five-week period ended December 31, 2015 as the last five weeks of the Transition Period. We compare our results for these periods to the comparable periods of fiscal 2015 – the unaudited 30-week period from May 30, 2014 to December 25, 2014, consisting of two 13-week periods and a final four-week period. We refer in this MD&A to the 13-week periods ended August 28, 2014 and November 27, 2014 as the first and second quarters of fiscal 2015, respectively.

Fiscal 2016 was a 52-week year, beginning on January 1, 2016 and ended on December 29, 2016. In this MD&A, we compare financial results from fiscal 2016 to the comparable period from the prior year that we refer to as “fiscal 2015C.” Fiscal 2015C consists of the unaudited 53-week period beginning December 26, 2014 and ended December 31, 2015. Fiscal 2015 and fiscal 2014 were 52-week years ending on the last Thursday in May. Fiscal 2017 was a 52-week year, beginning on December 30, 2016 and ending on December 28, 2017. Fiscal 2018 was a 52-week year, beginning on December 29, 2017 and ending on December 27, 2018. Fiscal 2019 was a 52-week year, beginning on December 28, 2018 and ending on December 26, 2019.

Fiscal 2020 will be a 52-week53-week year, which began on December 29, 201727, 2019 and will end on December 27, 2018.

Prior to31, 2020. We anticipate that our reported results for fiscal 2020 will benefit from the change in our fiscal year end, our first fiscal quarter had producedadditional week of reported operations. In particular, the strongest operating results because this period coincided with the typical summer seasonalityadditional week of the movie theatre industry and the summer strength of the lodging business. Our third fiscal quarter had historically produced the weakest operating results in our hotels and resorts division primarily due to the effects of reduced travel during the winter months. Our third fiscal quarter foroperations will most benefit our theatre division, as it includes the traditionally strong movie-going week between Christmas and New Year’s Day. The last time we had historically beenan additional week of operations was during our second strongest quarter, but was heavily dependent upon the quantity31-week transition period ending on December 31, 2015 (the “Transition Period”). Our additional 31st week of operations that year benefited both of our operating divisions (particularly our theatre division due to a newStar Wars film) and quality of films released during the Thanksgiving through Christmas holiday period.

Duecontributed approximately $17.4 million in additional revenues and $6.2 million in additional operating income to our changefinal five-week period and Transition Period results. After interest expense and income taxes, we estimate that the extra week of operations contributed approximately $3.6 million to our Transition Period net earnings, or approximately $0.13 per diluted common share. Although there can be no assurance that we will realize similar benefits in fiscal 2020, it is important to note that our theatre operations in 2015 did not include our two most recent acquisitions and we had a December fiscal year end, we expect our quarterly results to be more consistent between quarters than they were in the past and our results for the last two years under the new calendar have met those expectations. higher effective income tax rate.

Our first fiscal quarter will likely producetypically produces the weakest operating results in our hotels and resorts division due primarily to the effects of reduced travel during the winter months. We expectThe quality of film product in any given quarter typically impacts the operating results in our theatre division. Our second and third fiscal quarters to oftengenerally produce our strongest operating results because these periods coincide with the typical summer seasonality of the movie theatre industry and the summer strength of the lodging business. Due to the fact that the week between Christmas and New Year’s Eve is historically one of the strongest weeks of the year for our theatre division, we expect that the specific timing of the last Thursday in December will have an impact onimpacts the results of our fiscal first and fourth quarters in that division, particularly when we have a 53-week year.

This Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (“MD&A”) generally discusses fiscal 2019 and fiscal 2018 items and year-to-year comparisons between fiscal 2019 and fiscal 2018. Discussions of fiscal 2017 items and year-to-year comparisons between fiscal 2018 and fiscal 2017 that are not included in this MD&A can be found in “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in Part II, Item 7 of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 27, 2018.

Implementation of New Accounting Standards

During fiscal 2019, we adopted Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2016-02,Leases (Topic 842), intended to improve financial reporting related to leasing transactions. ASU No. 2016-02 requires a lessee to recognize a right-of-use (“ROU”) asset and a lease liability for most leases. The new guidance requires disclosures to help investors and other financial statement users better understand the amount, timing and uncertainty of cash flows arising from the leases. Leases are now classified as finance or operating, with classification affecting the pattern and classification of expense recognition in the consolidated statements of net earnings. ASU No. 2018-11,Leases (Topic 842): Targeted Improvements,amended ASU No. 2016-02 and allows entities the option to initially apply Topic 842 at the adoption date and recognize a cumulative-effect adjustment to the opening balance of retained earnings in the period of adoption. We adopted the new accounting standard as of the first day of fiscal 2019 using the modified retrospective approach, which results in the cumulative effect of adoption recognized at the date of application, rather than as of the earliest period presented. As a result, no adjustment was made to prior period financial information and disclosures.  

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In conjunction with the adoption of the new standard, companies were able to elect several practical expedients to aid in the transition to Topic 842. We elected the package of practical expedients which permits us to forego reassessment of our prior conclusions related to lease identification, lease classification and initial direct costs. Topic 842 also provides practical expedients for an entity’s ongoing accounting. We elected the practical expedient to not separate lease and non-lease components for all of our leases. We also made a policy election not to apply the lease recognition requirements for short-term leases. As a result, we did not recognize ROU assets or lease liabilities for short-term leases that qualify for the policy election (those with an initial term of 12 months or less which do not include a purchase or renewal option which is reasonably certain to be exercised), but instead will recognize these lease payments as lease costs on a straight-line basis over the lease term.

Adoption of this new standard resulted in a material impact related to the recognition of ROU assets and lease liabilities on the consolidated balance sheet for assets currently subject to operating leases. We recognized lease liabilities representing the present value of the remaining future minimum lease payments for all of our operating leases as of December 28, 2018 of $81.5 million. We recognized ROU assets for all assets subject to operating leases in an amount equal to the operating lease liabilities, adjusted for the balances of long-term prepaid rent, favorable lease intangible assets, deferred lease expense, unfavorable lease liabilities and deferred lease incentive liabilities as of December 28, 2018.

The adoption of the new standard did not have a material effect on our consolidated statements of net earnings.

During fiscal 2018, we adopted ASU No. 2014-09,Revenue from Contracts with Customers (ASU No. 2014-09), a comprehensive new revenue recognition model that requires a company to recognize revenue to depict the transfer of goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the company expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. We selected the modified retrospective method for adoption of ASU No. 2014-09 and its related ASU amendments. Under this method, we recognized the cumulative effect of the changes in retained earnings at the date of adoption and did not restate prior periods.

The adoption of the new standard primarily impacted our accounting for our loyalty programs and internet ticket fee revenue. Adopting this new standard during fiscal 2018 had the following impact on our financial statements:

·In accordance with the new guidance, the portion of theatre admission revenues, theatre concession revenues and food and beverage revenues attributable to loyalty points earned by customers is deferred as a reduction of these revenues until reward redemption. Through December 28, 2017, we recorded the estimated incremental cost of redeeming loyalty points at the time they were earned in advertising and marketing expense. Our adoption of the standard resulted in an immaterial reduction of theatre admission revenues and a corresponding immaterial increase in theatre concession revenues with an offsetting increase in other long-term liabilities based upon historical customer reward redemption patterns.

·Prior to the adoption of the new standard, we recorded internet ticket fee revenues net of third-party commission or service fees. In accordance with ASU No. 2014-09, we believe that we are the principal (as opposed to agent) in the arrangement with third-party internet ticketing companies in regards to sale of internet tickets to customers, and therefore, we will now recognize ticket fee revenue based on a gross transaction price. This change had the effect of increasing other revenues and other operating expense but had no impact on net earnings or cash flows from operations.

We recorded a one-time cumulative effect reduction to retained earnings, net of income taxes, of approximately $2.6 million during fiscal 2018 related to the adoption of ASU No. 2014-09.

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Consolidated Financial Comparisons

The following tables settable sets forth revenues, operating income, other income (expense), net earnings and net earnings per common share for the past three fiscal 2017, fiscal 2016, the unaudited prior year comparable 53-week period ended December 31, 2015 (F2015C), the Transition Period (TP), the unaudited prior year comparable 30-week period ended December 25, 2014 (PY), fiscal 2015 and fiscal 2014years (in millions, except for per share and percentage change data):

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        Change F19 v. F18     Change F18 v. F17 
  F2019  F2018  Amt.  Pct.  F2017  Amt.  Pct. 
Revenues $820.9  $707.1  $113.8   16.1% $653.6  $53.5   8.2%
Operating income  68.2   83.2   (15.0)  -18.0%  77.3   5.9   7.6%
Other income (expense)  (13.8)  (16.6)  2.8   17.1%  (9.2)  (7.4)  -80.5%
Net earnings (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests  0.1   0.1   -     -%  (0.5)  0.6   114.5%
Net earnings attributable to The Marcus Corporation $42.0  $53.4  $(11.4)  -21.3% $65.0  $(11.6)  -17.9%
Net earnings per common share - diluted $1.35  $1.86  $(0.51)  -27.4% $2.29  $(0.43)  -18.8%

        Change F17 v. F16     Change F16 v. F15C 
  F2017  F2016  Amt.  Pct.  F2015C  Amt.  Pct. 
Revenues $622.7  $543.9  $78.8   14.5% $531.7  $12.2   2.3%
Operating income  75.6   70.0   5.6   8.1%  61.0   9.0   14.6%
Other income (expense)  (7.5)  (9.4)  1.9   20.5%  (11.2)  1.8   16.0%
Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interests  (0.5)  (0.4)  (0.1)  -40.8%  (0.4)  -   -%
Net earnings attributable to The Marcus Corporation $65.0  $37.9  $27.1   71.5% $30.8  $7.1   23.1%
Net earnings per common share - diluted $2.29  $1.36  $0.93   68.4% $1.10  $0.26   23.6%

        Change TP v. PY 
  TP  PY  Amt.  Pct. 
Revenues $324.3  $280.6  $43.7   15.5%
Operating income  44.7   34.3   10.1   30.3%
Other income (expense)  (6.4)  (6.5)  0.1   1.6%
Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interests  (0.1)  (0.1)  -   -%
Net earnings attributable to The Marcus Corporation $23.6  $16.8  $6.8   40.4%
Net earnings per common share - diluted $0.84  $0.61  $0.23   37.7%

        Change F15 v. F14 
  F2015  F2014  Amt.  Pct. 
Revenues $488.1  $447.9  $40.2   9.0%
Operating income  50.6   48.9   1.7   3.6%
Other income (expense)  (11.3)  (11.2)  (0.1)  -1.4%
Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interests  (0.4)  (4.1)  3.7   91.4%
Net earnings attributable to The Marcus Corporation $24.0  $25.0  $(1.0)  -4.0%
Net earnings per common share - diluted $0.87  $0.92  $(0.05)  -5.4%

Fiscal 20172019 versus Fiscal 20162018

Our revenues increased during fiscal 20172019 compared to fiscal 20162018 due primarily to increased revenues from both our theatre division and hotels and resorts division. Our operating income (earnings before other income/expense and income taxes) increaseddecreased during fiscal 20172019 compared to fiscal 20162018 due to improveda decrease in both theatre division and hotels and resorts division operating resultsincome and a small increase in corporate operating losses. Both of our operating divisions were negatively impacted by nonrecurring expenses during fiscal 2019. Net earnings attributable to The Marcus Corporation for fiscal 2019 decreased compared to fiscal 2018 due to decreased operating income, partially offset by increased investment income and decreased interest expense and income taxes.

On February 1, 2019, we acquired the assets of Movie Tavern®consisting of 22 dine-in theatres with 208 screens located in nine states. A detailed description of this acquisition is included below in the “Current Plans” section of this MD&A. The acquisition increased our total number of screens by 23%, resulting in increased revenues from our theatre division partially offset by a decrease in operating income from our hotels and resorts division. Net earnings forduring fiscal 2017 increased2019 compared to fiscal 2016 due to2018. Excluding acquisition and preopening expenses, the increase inacquisition did not have a material impact on operating income an increased gain on disposition of property, equipment and other assets and a decrease in income tax expense, partially offset by an increase in interest expense.

New theatres favorably impacted revenues and operatingduring fiscal 2019.Operating income from our theatre division during fiscal 2017 compared to fiscal 2016. In mid-October 2016, we opened a newly renovated theatre in Country Club Hills, Illinois. In mid-December 2016, our theatre division acquired Wehrenberg Theatres® (which we refer to as Wehrenberg or Marcus Wehrenberg), a Midwestern theatre circuit consisting of 14 theatres with 197 screens, plus an 84,000 square foot retail center. In April 2017, we opened a new theatre in Shakopee, Minnesota. On June 30, 2017, we opened our first stand-alone all in-theatre dining location, branded BistroPlexSM and located in Greendale, Wisconsin.

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Operating results from our theatre division were2019 was unfavorably impacted by reduced attendance at our comparable theatres due to a weaker slate of movies during the fiscal 2017 second and third quarters2019 compared to the second and third quarters of fiscal 2016,2018, partially offset by a stronger slate of movies during the fiscal 2017 first and fourth quarters compared to the first and fourth quarters of fiscal 2016. Increased attendance resulting from positive customer response to our recent investments and pricing strategies and increased concession sales per person due to our expanded food and beverage offerings partially offset the negative impact of the weaker slate of movies during fiscal 2017as well as an increase in our average ticket price and contributed to our improved operating results during fiscal 2017 compared to fiscal 2016. Increasedother revenues. Acquisition and preopening expenses related to new theatresthe Movie Tavern acquisition and the opening of a newly built Movie Tavern theatre in Brookfield, Wisconsin negatively impacted our operating income by approximately $2.5 million, or $0.06 per diluted common share, during fiscal 2019 and by approximately $1.7 million, or $0.04 per diluted common share, during fiscal 2018. An impairment charge related to a specific theatre location negatively impacted our fiscal 2019 operating income by approximately $1.9 million, or $0.04 per diluted common share.

We closed the InterContinental Milwaukee hotel (the “InterContinental Milwaukee”) in early January 2019 and began a substantial renovation project that converted this hotel into an experiential arts hotel named Saint Kate®–The Arts Hotel (the “Saint Kate”). The newly renovated hotel reopened during the fiscal 2017 periods negatively impacted comparisons tofirst week of June 2019 (although a portion of the fiscal 2016 periods, as didrooms and food and beverage outlets didn’t fully open until later in the fact that our fiscal 2016 operating results included a significant one-time incentive payment from our pre-show advertising provider. Conversely, fiscal 2016 operating income was negatively impacted by one-time transaction costs related to the Wehrenberg acquisition.

month). Revenues from our hotels and resorts division were favorably impacted during fiscal 20172019 compared to fiscal 2018 were unfavorably impacted by the closing of the hotel for nearly six months for renovation, the negative impact of comparing a newly opened independent hotel (i.e. the Saint Kate) to a stabilized branded hotel (i.e. the InterContinental Milwaukee) and the impact of a major renovation at our newSafeHouse® restaurant and bar that we opened on March 1, 2017 in downtown Chicago, Illinois adjacent to our AC Chicago Downtown Hotel. IncreasedHilton Madison hotel during the first half of fiscal 2019, offset by increased room revenues during fiscal 2017, due in part to new villas that we opened during the second quarter of fiscal 2017 at the Grand Geneva Resort & Spa,and food and beverage revenues from our other six owned hotels and increased revenue per available room for comparablecost reimbursements from managed hotels during fiscal 20172019 compared to fiscal 2016, also contributed2018. Decreased operating income from our hotels and resorts division during fiscal 2019 compared to fiscal 2018 was primarily due to preopening expenses and initial start-up losses related to the increased total revenuesInterContinental Milwaukee closure and conversion to the Saint Kate. These costs totaled approximately $6.8 million, or $0.16 per diluted common share during fiscal 2017.2019. Operating income from our hotels and resorts division during fiscal 2018 was unfavorably impacted by preopening expenses of approximately $500,000 and start-up operating losses fromaccelerated depreciation of approximately $3.7 million related to the fiscal 2019 conversion of the former InterContinental Milwaukee hotel into the Saint Kate. These non-recurring items negatively impacted our newSafeHouse restaurant and bar during fiscal 2017, as well as a small decrease in our management company profits.2018 net earnings by approximately $0.11 per diluted common share.

Operating losses from our corporate items, which include amounts not allocable to the business segments, increased during fiscal 20172019 compared to fiscal 2016 primarily2018 due in part to one-time costs associated with the retirement of two directors from our board of directors during the second quarter of fiscal 2017 and the death of a director during the third quarter of fiscal 2017. Increasedincreased long-term incentive compensation expenses resulting fromexpenses. In addition, our improved financial performance and stock performance during the past several years also contributed to increasedfiscal 2019 operating lossesloss from our corporate items during fiscal 2017, as did an increase in our contributionwas negatively impacted by non-recurring items totaling approximately $550,000 related to our charitable foundation during fiscal 2017.a depreciation adjustment and a payroll tax audit settlement.

We recognized investment income of $588,000$1.4 million during fiscal 20172019 compared to investment income of $298,000$208,000 during fiscal 2016.2018. Investment income includes interest earned on cash and cash equivalents, as well as increasesincreases/decreases in the value of marketable securities and increases in the cash surrender value of a life insurance policy. We currently do not expect investmentInvestment income increased during fiscal 2019 due to increases in the value of marketable securities. Investment income during fiscal 2018 to2020 may vary significantly compared to fiscal 2017.2019, primarily dependent upon changes in the value of marketable securities.

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Interest expense totaled $12.1$11.8 million during fiscal 2017, an increase2019, a decrease of $2.9$1.3 million, or 31.9%9.8%, compared to interest expense of $9.2$13.1 million during fiscal 2016.2018. The increasedecrease in interest expense during fiscal 20172019 was due primarily to payments we made on the approximately $24.5 million of capital lease obligations we assumed in the Wehrenberg acquisition. We also experienced an increase in our total borrowings under long-term debt agreements during fiscal 2017reduced borrowing levels compared to fiscal 2016, further contributing to our increased2018. We currently do not expect a material change in interest expense during fiscal 2017, partially offset by a lower average interest rate during fiscal 2017, as we had a greater percentage of lower-cost variable rate debt in our debt portfolio during fiscal 2017 compared to fiscal 2016.

Based upon an expected decrease in our capital expenditures during fiscal 2018 (assuming no presently unidentified acquisitions), our total borrowings may decrease in fiscal 2018, favorably impacting interest expense in future periods. Conversely, anticipated increases in our short-term interest rates may negatively impact interest expense in fiscal 2018.2020. Changes in our borrowing levels due to variations in our operating results, capital expenditures, acquisition opportunities (or the lack thereof), share repurchases and asset sale proceeds, among other items, may impact, either favorably or unfavorably, our actual reported interest expense in future periods, as may changes in short-term interest rates.

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We incurred other expense of $1.9 million during fiscal 2019, a decrease of approximately $100,000, or 3.2%, compared to other expense of $2.0 million during fiscal 2018. Other expense consists of the non-service cost components of our periodic pension costs. Based upon information from an actuarial report for our pension plans, we expect other expense to increase by approximately $400,000 during fiscal 2020 compared to fiscal 2019.

We reported a net gainlosses on disposition of property, equipment and other assets of $4.0$1.1 million during fiscal 2017,2019, compared to net losses on disposition of property, equipment and other assets of $844,000$1.3 million during fiscal 2016.2018. The net gain during fiscal 2017 included a $4.9 million gain on the sale of our 11% minority interest in The Westin® Atlanta Perimeter North in October 2017, a $600,000 gain from the sale of our interest in Movietickets.com (which was purchased by a competing ticketing service, Fandango), as well as additional gains from the sale of two theatres (one that had previously closed and one that had been operating prior to its sale) and our sale of our 15% minority interest in the Sheraton Madison Hotel. Our net gain in fiscal 2017 was partially offset by losses from our disposal of old theatre seats and other items in conjunction with our significant number of theatre renovations during the fiscal 2017, as well as our write off of disposed equipment at one of our hotels during the first quarter of fiscal 2017. The majority of the losses during fiscal 20162019 and fiscal 2018 were due primarily to losses related to old theatre seats and other items disposed of in conjunction with our significant number of theatre renovations during the year, partially offset by a gain on the sale of an unused parcel of land during fiscal 2016.renovations. The timing of our periodic sales and disposals of property, equipment and other assets results in variations each year in the gains or losses that we report on dispositions of property, equipment and other assets. We anticipate the potential for additional disposition losses resulting from theatre renovations, as well as disposition gains or losses from periodic sales of property, equipment and other assets, during fiscal 20182020 and beyond. As discussed in more detail in the “Current Plans” section of this MD&A, we may report gains in future years from the potential sale of existing hotel assets.

We reported a net equity earningsloss from an unconsolidated joint venturesventure of $46,000$274,000 and $301,000,$399,000, respectively, during fiscal 20172019 and fiscal 2016. Net earnings2018. The net equity losses during the reported periods includedboth fiscal years consisted of our pro-rata share of losses from four hotel joint ventures in which we had minority ownership interests during portions of fiscal 2017 and 2016. During fiscal 2017, we ceased management of the Sheraton Madison Hotel in Madison, Wisconsin and The Westin Atlanta Perimeter North and sold our respective 15% and 11% minority ownership interests in these properties. During fiscal 2016, we ceased management of The Hotel Zamora and Castile Restaurant in St. Pete Beach, Florida and sold virtually all of our 10% minority ownership interest in the property. We have agreed to sell our remaining 0.49% interest during the next several years. Conversely, the new Omaha Marriott Downtown at The Capitol District hotel in Omaha, Nebraska opened in August 2017(the “Omaha Marriott”) – a hotel we manage and in which we have a 10% minority ownership interest. The Omaha Marriott is actually performing well from an operational perspective, but is experiencing overall losses due to depreciation and interest expense. We currently do not expect significant variations in net equity gains or losses from unconsolidated joint ventures during fiscal 20182020 compared to fiscal 2017,2019, unless we significantly increase the number of joint ventures in which we participate during fiscal 2018.2020.

We include the

The operating results of twoone majority-owned hotels,hotel, The Skirvin Hilton, and The Lincoln Marriott Cornhusker Hotel,are included in the hotels and resorts division revenue and operating income during fiscal 2019 and we add or deductfiscal 2018, and the after-tax net earnings or loss attributable to noncontrolling interests tois deducted from or fromadded to net earnings on the consolidated statementstatements of earnings. We reported net lossesearnings attributable to noncontrolling interestsinterest of $511,000$98,000 and $363,000,$74,000, respectively, during fiscal 20172019 and fiscal 2016. During the fourth quarter of fiscal 2017, we purchased the noncontrolling interest of The Lincoln Marriott Cornhusker Hotel from our former partner for $410,000.2018.

We reported income tax expense during fiscal 20172019 of $3.6$12.3 million, a decrease of approximately $19.4 million,$800,000, or 84.2%6.1%, compared to income tax expense of $23.0$13.1 million during fiscal 2016. Our fiscal 20172018. The decrease in income tax expense during fiscal 2019 was the result of the reduced earnings before income taxes, partially offset by an increased effective income tax rate. Our fiscal 2018 income tax expense and effective income tax rate were favorably impacted by the reversal of deferred income taxes of $21.2 million due to thea reduction in the federaldeferred tax rate from 35%liabilities of approximately $1.9 million related to 21% resulting fromtax accounting method changes we made subsequent to the December 22, 2017 signing of the Tax CutsCut and Jobs Act of 2017. We estimate that this one-time adjustment to deferred taxes favorably impacted our net earnings per share duringOur fiscal 2017 by approximately $0.75 per share. Excluding the one-time favorable adjustment to income tax expense, our2019 effective income tax rate, after adjusting for lossesearnings from noncontrolling interests that are not tax-effected because the entitiesentity involved areis a tax pass-through entities,entity, was 36.2% during fiscal 2017 and 37.8% during fiscal 2016. As a result of the changes in the tax law, we currently anticipate that22.7% compared to our fiscal 2018 effective income tax rate will decreaseof 19.7%, which benefited from the reduction in deferred income tax liabilities described above. Excluding the favorable adjustment to approximately 25-27%,income tax expense for the reduction in deferred tax liabilities, our effective income tax rate during fiscal 2018 was also 22.7%. We currently anticipate that our fiscal 2020 effective income tax rate may increase to the 24-26% range, depending upon the amount of excess tax benefits on share-based compensation that we recognize and excluding any potential further changes in federal or state income tax rates.rates or other one-time tax benefits.

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Weighted-average shares outstanding were 28.431.2 million during fiscal 20172019 and 28.028.7 million during fiscal 2016.2018. All per share data in this MD&A is presented on a fully diluted basis.

Fiscal 2016 versus Fiscal 2015C

Our revenues increased during fiscal 2016 compared to fiscal 2015C due to increased revenues from our theatre division, partially offset by a decrease in revenues from our hotels and resorts division and the fact that fiscal 2015C benefitted from an extra week of operations. Our operating income (earnings before other income/expense and income taxes) and net earnings for fiscal 2016 increased compared to fiscal 2015C due to improved operating results from both our theatre and hotels and resorts divisions, despite the favorable impact of the additional week of operations on fiscal 2015C operating results.

Operating results from our theatre division during fiscal 2016 were favorably impacted by a slightly stronger film slate during fiscal 2016, increased attendance and average ticket price resulting from continued positive customer responses to our recent investments in theatre amenities and pricing strategies, increased concession revenues, and increased pre-show advertising income compared to fiscal 2015C, partially offset by the fact that fiscal 2015C included an additional week of operations. In mid-December 2016, our theatre division acquired Wehrenberg Theatres, a Midwestern theatre circuit consisting of 14 theatres with 197 screens, plus an 84,000 square foot retail center. Our theatre division revenues benefitted from two weeks of operation of these screens, but the benefit to our fiscal 2016 operating income was offset by one-time transaction costs related to this acquisition.

Operating results from our hotels and resorts division during fiscal 2016 were favorably impacted by several factors, including strong cost controls and increased revenue per available room for comparable hotels during fiscal 2016 compared to fiscal 2015C. In addition, operating income for our hotels and resorts division during fiscal 2016 compared to fiscal 2015C was favorably impacted by the fact that operating income during fiscal 2015C included a $2.6 million impairment charge related to one specific hotel. Conversely, operating results from our hotels and resorts division during fiscal 2016 compared to fiscal 2015C were unfavorably impacted by the fact that fiscal 2015C results included an additional week of operations and included results from the Hotel Phillips, which we sold in October 2015. Operating results from our hotels and resorts division during fiscal 2016 were also negatively impacted by reduced food and beverage revenues compared to fiscal 2015C, due in part to the fact that fiscal 2016 ended on December 29 and did not include New Year’s Eve, historically a very strong food and beverage day for our properties.

Operating losses from our corporate items, which include amounts not allocable to the business segments, increased during fiscal 2016 compared to fiscal 2015C primarily due to the fact that the prior year period was favorably impacted by the reimbursement of approximately $1.4 million of costs previously expensed related to a mixed-use retail development known as The Corners of Brookfield. Increased compensation expenses related to our improved operating results during fiscal 2016 compared to fiscal 2015C also contributed to increased operating losses from our corporate items in fiscal 2016, partially offset by the fact that fiscal 2015C corporate operating losses included one-time costs associated with the fiscal year-end change and costs related to the additional week of operations.

As described above, our additional week of operations during fiscal 2015C benefitted both of our operating divisions, negatively impacting comparisons of fiscal 2016 operating results to fiscal 2015C operating results. We estimate that the additional week beginning December 26, 2014 and ended January 1, 2015 contributed approximately $14.3 million in revenues and $4.8 million in operating income to fiscal 2015C. After interest expense and income taxes, we estimate that the extra week of operations contributed approximately $2.8 million to our fiscal 2015C net earnings, or $0.10 per diluted common share.

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We recognized investment income of $298,000 during fiscal 2016 compared to investment income of $209,000 during fiscal 2015C.

Our interest expense totaled $9.2 million during fiscal 2016, a decrease of over $800,000, or 8.6%, compared to interest expense of $10.0 million during fiscal 2015C. The decrease in interest expense during fiscal 2016 was due primarily to a lower average interest rate, as certain principal payments we made on our fixed rate senior notes during fiscal 2016 were funded by borrowings on our revolving credit facility, which has a lower associated interest rate. A small decrease in our total borrowings during the majority of fiscal 2016 compared to fiscal 2015C also contributed to the decrease in interest expense during fiscal 2016.

We reported net losses on disposition of property, equipment and other assets of $844,000 during fiscal 2016, compared to approximately $1.2 million during fiscal 2015C. The majority of the losses during both periods were related to old theatre seats and other items disposed of in conjunction with our significant number of theatre renovations during the periods, partially offset by a gain on the sale of an unused parcel of land during fiscal 2016 and a small gain related to the sale of a former theatre during fiscal 2015C.

We reported net equity earnings from unconsolidated joint ventures of $301,000 during fiscal 2016 compared to net equity losses from unconsolidated joint ventures of $160,000 during fiscal 2015C. Net earnings/losses during the reported periods included our pro-rata share from two hotel joint ventures in which we had 15% and 11% ownership interests, respectively, as of December 29, 2016. During fiscal 2016, we ceased management of The Hotel Zamora and Castile Restaurant in St. Pete Beach, Florida and sold virtually all of our 10% minority ownership interest in the property. We have agreed to sell our remaining 0.49% interest during the next several years. This ownership interest and transaction did not significantly impact our financial results during the reported periods.

We include the operating results of two majority-owned hotels, The Skirvin Hilton and The Lincoln Marriott Cornhusker Hotel, in the hotels and resorts division revenue and operating income, and we add or deduct the after-tax net earnings or loss attributable to noncontrolling interests to or from net earnings on the consolidated statement of earnings. We reported net losses attributable to noncontrolling interests of $363,000 and $393,000, respectively, during fiscal 2016 and fiscal 2015C.

We reported income tax expense during fiscal 2016 of $23.0 million, an increase of approximately $3.6 million, or 18.4%, compared to income tax expense of $19.4 million during fiscal 2015C. Our effective income tax rate, after adjusting for losses from noncontrolling interests that are not tax-effected because the entities involved are tax pass-through entities, was 37.8% during fiscal 2016 and 38.7% during fiscal 2015C.

Weighted-average shares outstanding were 28.0 million during fiscal 2016 and 27.9 million during fiscal 2015C.

Transition Period versus Prior Year Comparable Period

Our revenues, operating income and net earnings for the 31-week Transition Period increased compared to the prior year comparable 30-week period (which we refer to as the prior year comparable period) due to improved operating results from both our theatre and hotels and resorts divisions, as well as the favorable impact of the additional week of operations. Operating results from our theatre division during the Transition Period were favorably impacted by increased attendance due primarily to a stronger film slate during the Transition Period and continued positive customer responses to our recent investments and pricing strategies, as well as increased concession revenues compared to the prior year comparable period. Operating results from our hotels and resorts division during the Transition Period were favorably impacted by several factors, including a higher average daily room rate, strong cost controls and reduced depreciation expense. Operating results from our corporate items, which include amounts not allocable to the business segments, were negatively impacted by one-time costs associated with the fiscal year-end change, costs related to the additional week of operations and increased compensation expenses related to our improved operating results during the Transition Period compared to the prior year comparable period.

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Our additional 31st week of operations, beginning December 25, 2015 and ended on December 31, 2015, benefitted both of our operating divisions and contributed approximately $17.4 million in revenues and $6.2 million in operating income to our Transition Period. After interest expense and income taxes, we estimate that the extra week of operations contributed approximately $3.6 million to our Transition Period net earnings, or $0.13 per diluted common share.

We did not have any significant variations in investment income or interest expense during the Transition Period compared to the prior year comparable period. We reported net equity losses from unconsolidated joint ventures of $36,000 during the Transition Period compared to net equity losses from unconsolidated joint ventures of $63,000 during the prior year comparable period. Net losses during the reported periods included our pro-rata share from three hotel joint ventures in which we had 15%, 11% and 10% ownership interests, respectively, as of December 31, 2015.

In October 2015, we sold the Hotel Phillips for a total purchase price of $13.5 million. Proceeds from the sale were approximately $13.1 million, net of transaction costs. Pursuant to the sale agreement, we also retained our rights to receive payments under a tax incremental financing (TIF) arrangement with the City of Kansas City, Missouri, which is recorded as a receivable at its estimated net realizable value on the consolidated balance sheet. The result of the transaction was a loss on sale of approximately $70,000.

We reported net losses on disposition of property, equipment and other assets of $490,000 during the Transition Period, compared to net losses on disposition of property, equipment and other assets of $719,000 during the prior year comparable period. In addition to the loss on the Hotel Phillips sale during the Transition Period, the majority of the remaining losses during both periods were related to old theatre seats and other items disposed of in conjunction with our significant number of theatre renovations during the periods, partially offset during the Transition Period by a small gain related to the sale of a former theatre.

We include the operating results of two majority-owned hotels, The Skirvin Hilton and The Lincoln Marriott Cornhusker Hotel, in the hotels and resorts division revenue and operating income, and we add or deduct the after-tax net earnings or loss attributable to noncontrolling interests to or from net earnings on the consolidated statement of earnings. We reported net losses attributable to noncontrolling interests of $122,000 and $82,000, respectively, during the Transition Period and prior year comparable period.

We reported income tax expense for the Transition Period of $14.8 million, an increase of approximately $3.8 million, or 33.9%, compared to income tax expense of $11.0 million for the prior year comparable period. Our effective income tax rate, after adjusting for losses from noncontrolling interests that are not tax-effected because the entities involved are tax pass-through entities, was 38.6% during the Transition Period and 39.7% during the prior year comparable period.

Weighted-average shares outstanding were 27.9 million during the Transition Period and 27.6 million during the prior year comparable period.

Fiscal 2015 versus Fiscal 2014

We reported increased revenues during fiscal 2015 due to increased revenues from both our theatre and hotels and resorts divisions. Operating income for fiscal 2015 increased compared to the prior year due to record operating results from our theatre division, partially offset by decreased operating income from our hotels and resorts division. Comparisons of our net earnings attributable to The Marcus Corporation during fiscal 2015 to net earnings attributable to The Marcus Corporation during fiscal 2014 were unfavorably impacted by an impairment charge during fiscal 2015 and a significant loss attributable to noncontrolling interests during fiscal 2014.

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Operating results from our theatre division during fiscal 2015 were favorably impacted by increased attendance, due primarily to positive customer responses to our recent investments, and our marketing and pricing strategies, partially offset by approximately $300,000 of non-cash impairment charges. Operating income from our hotels and resorts division during fiscal 2015 was negatively impacted by several factors, including increased depreciation expense, reduced results from our Chicago hotel as a result of the conversion of the hotel into a new brand and a $2.6 million non-cash impairment charge. We estimate that total impairment charges from both divisions negatively impacted our net earnings per share during fiscal 2015 by approximately $0.06 per share.

Fiscal 2015 operating losses from our corporate items, which include amounts not allocable to the business segments, decreased compared to the prior year due to the reversal of approximately $1.4 million of costs previously expensed related to a previously-described mixed-use retail development known as The Corners of Brookfield (partially situated on the site of a former Marcus theatre location). In February 2015, we entered into a joint venture agreement with IM Properties and Bradford Real Estate, two retail development and investment experts, to serve as the new project management team leading The Corners to completion. IM Properties and Bradford serve as managing members of the new joint venture, and we remain a 10% partner in the joint venture. Under this agreement, we contributed our land to the joint venture early in our fiscal 2015 fourth quarter and, in conjunction with the commencement of construction as defined in the agreement, we were reimbursed for the majority of our previously incurred predevelopment costs during the first quarter of the Transition Period. The joint venture agreement provides a put/call option for our interest to be sold to the managing members for an agreed-upon amount one year after the project is open and has reached a specified percentage of space leased.

In addition to changes in operating income, our reported results for fiscal 2015 compared to the prior year were also impacted by changes to other non-operating income and expense items. Net earnings attributable to The Marcus Corporation during fiscal 2015 were unfavorably impacted by a decrease in investment income and an increase in losses on disposition of property, equipment and other assets, partially offset by a decrease in interest expense and reduced equity losses from joint ventures during fiscal 2015 compared to the prior year.

We recognized investment income of $252,000 during fiscal 2015 compared to investment income of approximately $630,000 during the prior year. The decrease in investment income during fiscal 2015 compared to the prior year was due to the payoff of a note in our hotels and resorts division.

Our interest expense totaled $9.9 million during fiscal 2015, a decrease of approximately $700,000, or 5.9%, compared to interest expense of $10.6 million during fiscal 2014. The decrease in interest expense during fiscal 2015 was due entirely to a lower average interest rate, as we had slightly higher total borrowings during fiscal 2015 compared to fiscal 2014. Our average interest rate was lower during fiscal 2015 due primarily to our decision to pay off an approximately $21 million fixed rate mortgage related to one of our hotels at the end of May 2014 using borrowings from our revolving credit facility.

We reported net losses on disposition of property, equipment and other assets of approximately $1.5 million during fiscal 2015, compared to net losses on disposition of property, equipment and other assets of $993,000 during fiscal 2014. The majority of the losses during fiscal 2015 were related to old theatre seats and other items disposed of in conjunction with our significant number of theatre renovations during the year. Fiscal 2015 net losses also included losses related to the disposal of items in conjunction with the major renovation of our Chicago hotel. Approximately $750,000 of the loss during fiscal 2014 was related to the sale of our 15% joint venture ownership interest in the Westin Columbus hotel in Columbus, Ohio to our majority partner in that venture.

We reported net equity losses from unconsolidated joint ventures of $186,000 during fiscal 2015 compared to net equity losses from unconsolidated joint ventures of $250,000 during the prior year. Losses during fiscal 2015 and 2014 included our pro-rata share from two hotel joint ventures in which we had 15% and 11% ownership interests, respectively, as well as a hotel joint venture that we entered into during fiscal 2015 in which we had a 10% ownership interest.

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Net earnings attributable to The Marcus Corporation during fiscal 2014 benefitted from an allocation of a loss attributable to noncontrolling interests of $4.1 million related primarily to a legal settlement with our partners in The Skirvin Hilton hotel. The settlement resulted in a reallocation between partners of a prior year’s reported income from the extinguishment of debt at The Skirvin Hilton. We estimate that the loss attributable to noncontrolling interests related directly to this legal settlement during fiscal 2014 was approximately $3.6 million before income taxes and favorably impacted our net earnings attributable to The Marcus Corporation after income taxes by approximately $0.08 per share.

We reported income tax expense for fiscal 2015 of $15.7 million, a decrease of approximately $1.1 million, or 6.7%, compared to fiscal 2014 income tax expense of $16.8 million. Our effective income tax rate, after adjusting for earnings and losses from noncontrolling interests that are not tax-effected because the entities involved are tax pass-through entities, was 39.5% during fiscal 2015 and 40.2% during fiscal 2014.

Weighted-average shares outstanding were 27.7 million during fiscal 2015 and 27.2 million during fiscal 2014.

Current Plans

 

Our aggregate cash capital expenditures, acquisitions and purchases of interests in, and contributions to, joint ventures were approximately: (i)approximately $94 million during fiscal 2019, including approximately $30 million in cash consideration paid in conjunction with the Movie Tavern acquisition described below, compared to $59 million during fiscal 2018 and $115 million during fiscal 2017 compared to $147 million during fiscal 2016 and $86 million during fiscal 2015C; (ii) $46 million during the Transition Period compared to approximately $35 million during the prior year comparable 30-week period; and (iii) $77 million during fiscal 2015 compared to $58 million during fiscal 2014.2017. We currently anticipate that our fiscal 20182020 cash capital expenditures maywill be in the $65-$8085 million range, excluding any presently unidentified acquisitions that may arise during the year. We will, however, continue to monitor our operating results and economic and industry conditions so that we may adjust our plans accordingly.

 

Our current strategic plans include the following goals and strategies:

 

Theatres

 

iOur current plans for growth in our theatre division include several opportunities for new theatres and screens. Late in our fiscal 2015 fourth quarter, we opened a theatre in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, the Marcus Palace Cinema. Replacing an existing nearby theatre in Madison, Wisconsin, this new 12-screen theatre has exceeded our expectations, and we opened two additional screens at this location during the fourth quarter of fiscal 2016. In April 2017,October 2019, we opened our new 10-screen Southbridge Crossing Cinemaeight-screen Movie Tavern® by Marcus theatre in Shakopee, Minnesota.Brookfield, Wisconsin. This state-of-the-artnew theatre became the first Movie Tavern by Marcus in Wisconsin. It includes eight auditoriums, each with laser projection and DreamLoungerSM recliner seating, in all auditoriums, twoUltraScreen DLX® auditoriums, as well as aTake FiveSMLounge andZaffiro’s®Express outlet. On June 30, 2017, we opened our first stand-alone all in-theatre dining location, branded BistroPlexSM located in Greendale, Wisconsin. This new theatre features eight in-theatre dining auditoriums with DreamLounger recliners, including twoSuperScreen DLX® auditoriums, plus a separate full-serviceTake Five Lounge. We have announced plans to further expand this concept, including bar and food and drink center, and a new locationdelivery-to-seat service model that also allows guests to order food and beverage via our mobile phone application or in-theatre kiosk. Another new nine-screen theatre is currently under construction in Brookfield, Wisconsin. Construction isTacoma, Washington, with an expected to begin on this new location in 2018.opening date during our fiscal 2020 fourth quarter. In addition, we are looking forwill consider additional sites for potential new theatre locations in both new and existing markets.

 

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iIn addition to building new theatres, we believe acquisitions of existing theatres or theatre circuits is also a viable growth strategy for us. In April 2016,On February 1, 2019, we purchasedacquired the assets of Movie Tavern, a closed 16-screen theatreNew Orleans-based industry leading circuit known for its in-theatre dining concept featuring chef-driven menus, premium quality food and drink and luxury seating. Now branded Movie Tavern by Marcus, the acquired circuit consists of 208 screens at 22 locations in Country Club Hills, Illinois, which is now our sixth theatre in the greater Chicago area, building on our strong presence in the Chicago southern suburbs.nine states – Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas and Virginia. The purchase was partprice consisted of an Internal Revenue Code §1031 like-kind exchange$30 million in cash, subject to certain adjustments, and 2,450,000 shares of our common stock (157,056 of which the tax gain from our October 2015 salehave been placed in escrow to secure certain post-closing indemnification obligations of the real estate related toseller under the Hotel Phillips was deferredasset purchase agreement), for a total purchase price of approximately $139.3 million, based upon our closing share price on January 31, 2019. The acquisition of the Movie Tavern circuit increased our total number of screens by reinvesting the applicable proceeds in replacement real estate within a prescribed time period. We opened the newly renovated theatre early in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2016. The renovation added DreamLounger recliner seating to all auditoriums, added oneUltraScreen DLX auditorium and twoSuperScreen DLX auditoriums, as well as aTake Five Lounge andReel Sizzle® outlet.an additional 23%.

 

In December 2016,Now branded Movie Tavern by Marcus, we acquiredhave begun introducing new amenities to select Movie Tavern theatres, including our proprietary premium large format (PLF) screens and DreamLounger recliner seating, signature programming, such as $5 movies on Tuesdays with a free complimentary-size popcorn for loyalty members, and proven marketing, loyalty and pricing programs that will continue to benefit Movie Tavern guests in the assets of Wehrenberg,future.

We believe selective, disciplined acquisitions create a family-ownedcompelling opportunity to expand into new growth markets and operated theatre circuit based in St. Louis, Missouri with 197 screens at 14 locations in Missouri, Iowa, Illinois and Minnesota. This acquisition increasedleverage our total number of screens by 29%.proven success. The movie theatre industry is very fragmented, with approximately 50% of United States screens owned by the three largest theatre circuits and the other 50% owned by approximatelyan estimated 800 smaller operators, making it very difficult to predict when acquisition opportunities may arise. We have engaged third-party assistance to actively help us seek additional acquisitions in the future. We do not believe that we are geographically constrained, and we believe that we may be able to add value to certain theatres through our various proprietary amenities and operating expertise. In addition, by using shares of our common stock as a significant component of the purchase consideration for the Movie Tavern acquisition, we believe our balance sheet remains positioned to consider additional acquisitions in the future.

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iWe have invested over $275$350 million to further enhance the movie-going experience and amenities in new and existing theatres over the last foursix and one-half calendar years, with more investments planned for fiscal 2018.2020. These investments include:

 

DreamLounger recliner additions. These luxurious, state-of-the-art recliners allow guests to go from upright to a full-recline position in seconds. These seat changes require full auditorium remodels to accommodate the necessary 84 inches of legroom, resulting in the loss of approximately 50% of the existing traditional seats in an average auditorium. To date, the addition of DreamLoungers has increased attendance at each of our applicable theatres, outperforming nearby competitive theatres as well asand growing the overall market attendance in most cases. In addition toInitially, 12 of the two new22 acquired Movie Tavern theatres described above, wehad recliner seating. We added DreamLounger recliner seats to 15 morefour additional acquired Movie Tavern theatres during fiscal 2017 (including six2019, as well as one Marcus Wehrenberg theatres).® theatre and one newly built Movie Tavern. As a result, as of December 28, 2017,26, 2019, we offered all DreamLounger recliner seating in 3963 theatres, representing approximately 61%72% of our company-owned, first-run theatres (including the Marcus Wehrenberg theatres).theatres. Including our premium, large format (PLF)PLF auditoriums with recliner seating, as of December 28, 2017,26, 2019, we offered our DreamLounger recliner seating in approximately 65%77% of our company-owned, first-run screens, (including the Marcus Wehrenberg screens), a percentage we believe to be the highest among the largest theatre chains in the nation. Currently, seven Marcus Wehrenberg theatres offer recliner seating in all of its auditoriums.

We are currently completingcompleted the addition of Dream loungerDreamLounger recliner seats to three more theatres (including two Marcus Wehrenberg theatres)another Movie Tavern location during the first quarter of fiscal 2020, and we are currently evaluating opportunities to add our DreamLounger premium seating to five to sevenseveral additional theatres during the second half of fiscal 2018, including two Marcus Wehrenberg theatres. As a result, by the end of fiscal 2018, our percentage of total company-owned, first-run screens with DreamLounger recliner seating may be more than 75%.2020.

UltraScreen DLX® andSuperScreen DLX® (DreamLounger eXperience) conversions. We introduced one of the first PLF presentations to the industry when we rolled out our proprietaryUltraScreen®Screen® concept in 1999. During fiscal 2014, weapproximately 20 years ago. We later introduced ourUltraScreen DLX concept by combining our premium large-format presentation with DreamLounger recliner seating and Dolby®Dolby® Atmos™ immersive sound to elevate the movie-going experience for our guests. More recently, we began including heated DreamLounger recliner seating in our DLX auditoriums. During fiscal 2017,2019, we opened twoone newUltraScreen DLX auditoriums at our newan existing Marcus Wehrenberg theatre in Minnesota and two newSuperScreen DLX auditoriums at our new BistroPlex theatre in Wisconsin, completed conversion of two traditionalUltraScreens andconverted one existing Wehrenberg-branded PLF screen tointo anUltraScreen DLX auditoriumsauditorium at a Movie Tavern by Marcus theatre. During fiscal 2019, we also converted 26 existing screens at 13 Movie Tavern by Marcus theatres in Wisconsin and Missouri, and converted 16 additionaltwo existing screens toSuperScreen DLX auditoriums at ten existing theatres in six states (including 11one Marcus Wehrenberg screens). Several of our new PLF screens in fiscal 2017 included the added feature of heated DreamLounger recliner seats. As of December 28, 2017, we had 28UltraScreen DLX auditoriums, one traditionalUltraScreen auditorium, 43theatre toSuperScreen DLX auditoriums (a slightly smaller screen than anUltraScreen but with the same DreamLounger seating and Dolby Atmos sound) and opened one newSuperScreen DLX auditorium at a newly built Movie Tavern by Marcus theatre. Most of our PLF screens now include the added feature of heated DreamLounger recliner seats. As of December 26, 2019, we had 31UltraScreen DLX auditoriums, one traditionalUltraScreen auditorium, 80SuperScreen DLX auditoriums and three IMAX® PLF screens at 63 of our theatre locations. ThreeAs of the acquired Marcus Wehrenberg theatres feature IMAX® PLF screens. We currently offerDecember 26, 2019, we offered at least one PLF screen in approximately 69%72% of our first-run, company-owned theatres (including the Marcus Wehrenberg theatres) once again a percentage we believe to be the highest percentage among the largest theatre chains in the nation.

 

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Our PLF screens generally have higher per-screen revenues and draw customers from a larger geographic region compared to our standard screens, and we charge a premium price to our guests for this experience. We are currently evaluating opportunities to convert twoseveral additional existing screens at two existing theatres toUltraScreen DLX andSuperScreen DLX auditoriums during fiscal 2018,2020. In addition, our new theatre currently under construction in addition to two newUltraScreen DLX auditoriums planned for a third existing theatre.Tacoma, Washington will include one PLF auditorium.

 

Signature cocktail and dining concepts. We have continued to further enhance our food and beverage offerings within our existing theatres. We believe our 50-plus years of food and beverage experience in the hotel and restaurant businesses provides us with a unique advantage and expertise that we can leverage to further grow revenues in our theatres. The concepts we are expanding include:

 

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·Take FiveSMLounge and,Take Five Express andThe Tavern – these full-service bars offer an inviting atmosphere and a chef-inspired dining menu, along with a complete selection of cocktails, locally-brewed beers and wines. We also offer full liquor service through the concession stand at two theatres. We acquired 22 new bars, known asThe Tavern, in conjunction with our Movie Tavern acquisition and opened fivea newTake Five LoungeTavern outletsat our new Brookfield, Wisconsin Movie Tavern by Marcus theatre in fiscal 2017, including two outlets opened at new theatres described above. In addition, two Marcus Wehrenberg theatres offer a lounge concept, one of which was converted to aTake Five Lounge during fiscal 2017.2019. As of December 28, 2017,26, 2019, we offered barsbars/full liquor service at 2651 theatres, representing approximately 41%59% of our company-owned, first-run theatres (including the Marcus Wehrenberg theatres).theatres. We are currently evaluating opportunities to add bar service to up to three additional theatres during fiscal 2018.2020, including our new theatre under construction in Tacoma, Washington.

 

·Zaffiro’s®Express – these outlets offer lobby dining that includes appetizers, sandwiches, salads, desserts and our signatureZaffiro’s THINCREDIBLE® THINCREDIBLE®handmade thin-crust pizza. In select locations without aTake Five Lounge outlet, we offer beer and wine at theZaffiro’s Express outlet. We opened fourone newZaffiro’s Express outletsoutlet during fiscal 2017,2019 at our new Movie Tavern by Marcus location in Brookfield, Wisconsin, increasing our number of theatres with this concept to 2629 as of December 28, 2017,26, 2019, representing approximately 41%45% of our company-owned, first-run theatres (including the Marcus Wehrenberg(excluding our acquired in-theatre dining Movie Tavern theatres). We also operate threeZaffiro’s®Pizzeriaand Bar full-service restaurants. We are currently evaluating opportunities to add two additionalZaffiro’s Express outlets during fiscal 2018.

 

·Reel Sizzle®our newestthis signature dining concept serves menu items inspired by classic Hollywood and the iconic diners of the 1950s. We offer Americana fare like burgers and chicken sandwiches prepared on a griddle behind the counter, along with chicken tenders, crinkle cutcrinkle-cut fries, ice cream and signature shakes. Our new Movie Tavern by Marcus in Brookfield, Wisconsin includes aReal Sizzle. As of December 28, 2017,26, 2019, we operated seveneightReel Sizzle outlets, including two that we opened during fiscal 2017, and we are evaluating additional opportunitiesexpect to add oneReel Sizzle outletsoutlet to existing theatresthe new theatre currently under construction in the future.Tacoma, Washington.

 

·Other in-lobby dining – We also operate oneHollywood Café at an existing theatre, and four of the Marcus Wehrenberg theatres offer in-lobby dining concepts, operating under names such asFred’s Drive-In orFive Star. In addition, we are currently testing a Mexican food concept at one theatre, and we are considering expanding this new concept during fiscal 2020. Including these additional concepts, as of December 28, 2017,26, 2019, we offered one or more in-lobby dining concepts in 3640 theatres, representing approximately 56%62% of our company-owned, first-run theatres (including the Marcus Wehrenberg(excluding our in-theatre dining Movie Tavern theatres).

 

·Big Screen BistroIn-theatre diningthis concept offersAs of December 26, 2019, we offered full-service, in-theatre dining with a complete menu of drinks and chef-prepared salads, sandwiches, entrées and desserts. Including two Marcus Wehrenbergdesserts at 32 theatres that had proprietary in-theatre dining concepts converted toand a total of 248 auditoriums, operating under the namesBig Screen Bistro concepts during fiscal 2017, one Marcus Wehrenberg theatre offering in-theatre dining under the nameSM,Five StarBig Screen Bistro Express and the eight-screen newSM, BistroPlex theatre described above, we currently offer in-theatre dining at ten theatres in 37 total auditoriums (including one theatre ®and five screens managed for another owner)Movie Tavern by Marcus, representing approximately 14%37% of our company-owned, first-run theatres (including the Marcus Wehrenberg theatres). We will continue to evaluate additional opportunities to expand our in-theatre dining concepts in the future.theatres.

 

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iWith each of these strategies, our goal continues to be to introduce and create entertainment destinations that further define and enhance the customer value proposition for movie-going. We also willexpect to continue to maintain and enhance the value of our existing theatre assets by regularly upgrading and remodeling our theatres in order to keep them fresh. In order toTo accomplish the strategies noted above, we currently anticipate that our fiscal 20182020 capital expenditures in this division maywill total approximately $50-$45-$60 million, excluding any additional acquisitions.million.

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iIn addition to the growth strategies described above, our theatre division continues to focus on multiple strategies designed to further increase revenues and improve the profitability of our existing theatres. These strategies include various cost control efforts, as well as plans to expand ancillary theatre revenues, such as pre-show advertising, lobby advertising, additional corporate and group sales, sponsorships, special film series and alternate auditorium uses.

 

iWe also have several customer-focused strategies designed to elevate our consumer knowledge, expectation and connection, and provide us with a competitive advantage and the ability to deliver improved financial performance. These strategies include the following:

 

Marketing initiatives. We rolled outoffer a “$5 Tuesday” promotion at every theatre in our circuit in mid-November 2013. Coupled withthat includes a free 44-ozcomplimentary-size popcorn for everyone for the first five months of the program (subsequently offered only to our loyalty program members) and an aggressive marketing campaign, our goal was to increase overall attendance by reaching mid-week value customers who may have reduced their movie-going frequency or stopped going to the movies because of price.members. We have seen our Tuesday attendance increase dramatically since the introduction of the $5 Tuesday promotion. We believe this promotion has createdincreased movie going frequency and reached a customer who may have stopped going to the movies because of price, creating another “weekend” day for us without adversely impacting the movie-going habits of our regular weekend customers. The newly-acquired Wehrenberg theatres previously offered a discounted price on Tuesday nights, but we immediatelyWe introduced our $5 Tuesday promotion with the free popcorn for loyalty members at our Marcus Wehrenberg theatres immediately upon acquiringacquisition in December 2016 and did the theatres and havesame thing in February 2019 with our newly acquired Movie Tavern theatres. We experienced an increase in Tuesday performance at thesethe Marcus Wehrenberg theatres asand have seen a result.similar response from customers at our Movie Tavern theatres. We also offer a “$6 Student Thursday” promotion at 36all of our locations that has been well received by that particular customer segment. In addition, we offer a $6 “Young-at-Heart” program for seniors on Friday afternoons that was also introduced to our Movie Tavern locations during our fiscal 2019 first quarter.

 

Loyalty program. We launched a new,offer what we believe to be a best-in-class customer loyalty program called Magical Movie Rewards on March 30, 2014. Designed to enhance the movie-going experience for our customers, the response to this program has exceeded our expectations.SM. We currently have approximately 2.64.0 million members enrolled in the program. Approximately 45%42% of all transactions in our theatres during fiscal 20172019 were completed by registered members of the loyalty program. The program allows members to earn points for each dollar spent and access special offers available only to members. The rewards are redeemable at the box office, concession stand or at the many Marcus Theatres® food and beverage venues. In addition, we have partnered with Movio, a global leader in data analysis for the cinema industry, to allow more targeted communication with our loyalty members. The software provides us with insight into customer preferences, attendance habits and general demographics, which we believe will help us deliver customized communication to our members. In turn, members of this program can enjoy and plan for a more personalized movie-going experience. The program also gives us the ability to cost effectively promote non-traditional programming and special events, particularly during non-peak time periods. We believe that this will result in increased movie-going frequency, more frequent visits to the concession stand, increased loyalty to Marcus Theatres and, ultimately, improved operating results. The acquired Wehrenberg theatres offered a loyalty program to their customers that had approximately 200,000 members. We converted these members to our Magical Movie Rewards program during fiscal 2017.2017 and program membership at our Marcus Wehrenberg theatres has subsequently increased. The acquired Movie Tavern theatres did not offer a loyalty program to their customers. We introduced our Magical Movie Rewards program to these theatres during the second quarter of fiscal 2019 after all necessary technology requirements were completed.

 

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Technology enhancements. We have recently enhanced our mobile ticketing capabilities, and added the Magical Movie Rewards loyalty program to our downloadable Marcus Theatres mobile application. We have redesignedapplication, and ourmarcustheatres.com websitewebsite. We also recently added food and continuedbeverage ordering capabilities to our mobile application at select theatres, including our recently opened Movie Tavern location in Brookfield, Wisconsin. We will continue to install additional theatre-level technology, such as new ticketing kiosks, and digital menu boards and concession advertising monitors. Each of these enhancements is designed to improve customer interactions, both at the theatre and through mobile platforms and other electronic devices.

31

 

iThe addition of digital technology throughout our circuit (we offer digital cinema projection on 100% of our first-run screens) has provided us with additional opportunities to obtain non-motion picture programming from other new and existing content providers, including live and pre-recorded performances of the Metropolitan Opera, as well as sports, music and other events, at many of our locations. We offer weekday and weekend alternate programming at many of our theatres across our circuit. The special programming includes classic movies, live performances, comedy shows and children’s performances. We believe this type of programming is more impactful when presented on the big screen and provides an opportunity to continue to expand our audience base beyond traditional moviegoers.

 

iIn addition, digital 3D presentation of films has continued to positively contribute to our box office receipts during the periods presented in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. As of December 28, 2017,26, 2019, we had the ability to offer digital 3D presentations in 259,386, or approximately 31%36%, of our first-run screens, including the vast majority of ourUltraScreens. We have the ability to increase the number of digital 3D capable screens we offer to our guests in the future as needed,and will do so based on the number of digital 3D films anticipated to be released during future periods and our customers’ response to these 3D releases.

 

Hotels and Resorts

 

iOur hotels and resorts division is actively seeking opportunities to invest in new hotels and increase the number of rooms under management. The goal of our hotel investment business, MCS Capital, under the direction of a well-respected industry veteran with extensive hotel acquisition and development experience, is to seek opportunities where we may act as an investment fund sponsor, joint venture partner or sole investor in acquiring additional hotel properties. We continue to believe that opportunities to acquire high-quality hotels at reasonable valuations will be present in the future for well-capitalized companies, and we believe that there are partners available to work with us when the appropriate hotel assets are identified. We have a number of potential growth opportunities that we are evaluating.

 

iWe also continue to pursue additional management contracts for other owners, some of which may include small equity investments similar to the investments we have made in the past with strategic equity partners. Although total revenues from an individual hotel management contract are significantly less than from an owned hotel, the operating margins are generally significantly higher due to the fact that all direct costs of operating the property are typically borne by the owner of the property. Management contracts provide us with an opportunity to increase our total number of managed rooms without a significant investment, thereby increasing our returns on equity. During fiscal 2016,In April 2019, we expanded our hotel development team with the addition of a senior executive experienced in business development, marketing, feasibility and valuation. During the Transition Period, we became a minority investor and managerassumed management of the new Omaha Marriott Downtown at The Capitol DistrictHyatt Regency Schaumburg hotel in Omaha, Nebraska –Schaumburg, Illinois. This 468-room hotel recently completed a $15 million renovation and offers upscale accommodations, robust amenities and more than 30,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor meeting and event space, including a 3,100 square foot starlit terrace. This is our first Hyatt-branded hotel under management. Conversely, in May 2019, we ceased managing the hotel openedHeidel House Resort & Spa in August 2017. In September 2017, we assumed managementGreen Lake, Wisconsin, after the owners of this resort decided to close this property permanently. Early in our fiscal 2019 third quarter, the owners of the Sheraton Chapel Hill Hotel in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. In January 2018, we assumed management ofCarolina sold the newly-opened Murieta Innhotel, and Spa in Rancho Murieta, California.as a result, our contract to manage this hotel was terminated.

 

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iUnlike our theatre assets where the majority of our return on investment comes from the annual cash flow generated by operations, a portion of the return on our hotel investments is derived from effective portfolio management, which includes determining the proper branding strategy for a given asset along with the proper level of investment and upgrades, as well as identifying an effective divestiture strategy for the asset when appropriate. During fiscal 2015, we converted our company-owned Four Points by Sheraton Chicago Downtown/Magnificent Mile property into one of the first AC Hotels by Marriott in the United States. In January 2018, we announced plans to convert one of our owned hotels,We closed the InterContinental Milwaukee in early January 2019 and undertook a substantial renovation project that converted this hotel into an independentthe unbranded experiential arts hotel, by mid-2019. Conversely, earlythe Saint Kate. The newly renovated hotel reopened during the first week of June 2019 (although a portion of the rooms and food and beverage outlets didn’t fully open until later in the second quarter of fiscal 2017, we ceased management of the Sheraton Madison Hotel in Madison, Wisconsin and sold our 15% minority ownership interest in the property for a small gain of approximately $300,000. Early in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2017, we ceased management of The Westin® Atlanta Perimeter North in Atlanta, Georgia and sold our 11% minority interest in the property for a substantial gain of approximately $4.9 million.month).

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iWe have been very opportunistic in our past hotel investments as we have, on many occasions, acquired assets at favorable terms and then improved the properties and operations to create value. We also will continue to periodically explore opportunities to monetize one or more owned hotels. We will consider many factors as we actively review opportunities to execute this strategy, including income tax considerations, the ability to retain management, pricing and individual market considerations. We evaluate strategies for our hotels on an asset-by-asset basis. We have not set a specific goal for the number of hotels that may be considered for this strategy, nor have we set a specific timetable. It is very possible that we may sell a particular hotel or hotels during fiscal 20182020 or beyond if we determine that such action is in the best interest of our shareholders. In October 2015, we sold the Hotel Phillips in Kansas City, Missouri for $13.1 million of net proceeds. The Hotel Phillips was the smallest of our company-owned hotels, both in revenues and operating income.

 

iOur fiscal 20182020 plans for our hotels and resorts division also include continued reinvestment in our existing properties to maintain and enhance their value. During fiscal 2016, we made additional reinvestmentsLate in The Skirvin Hilton hotel, and we expanded our centralized laundry facility in order to increase our capacity to serve non-company owned businesses. During fiscal 2017, we added 29 spacious, all-season villas to the Grand Geneva Resort & Spa in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. This multi-million dollar investment was designed to enhance the resort experience for travelers who want expanded, upscale accommodations and increased our total combined units at this top Midwest destination property to more than 600 (including the Timber Ridge Lodge). During fiscal 2018 and carrying over into the first half of fiscal 2019, we plan to makemade additional reinvestments in the Hilton Madison at Monona Terrace. Late in fiscal 2020 and carrying over into fiscal 2021, we currently expect to make additional reinvestments in The Pfister® Hotel and Grand Geneva® Resort & Spa. Including possible growth opportunities currently being evaluated, we believe our total fiscal 20182020 hotels and resorts capital expenditures maywill total approximately $15 $20$20-$25 million, excluding any additional presently unidentified acquisitions.

 

iIn addition to the growth strategies described above, our hotels and resorts division continues to focus on several strategies that are intended to further grow the division’s revenues and profits. These include leveraging our food and beverage expertise for growth opportunities and growing our catering and events revenues. Early in the Transition Period, we purchased theSafeHouse in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, adding another restaurant brand toThis also includes hotel food and beverage concepts developed by our portfolio. TheMarcus Restaurant Group, featuring premier brands such as SafeHouseMason Street Grill is an iconic, spy-themed restaurant and bar that has operated in Milwaukee for nearly 50 years. During fiscal 2016, we completed a significant renovation of the Milwaukee,SafeHouseChopHouse®,Miller Time® Pub & Grill and began construction on a newSafeHouse® restaurant and bar in downtown Chicago, Illinois, adjacent to our AC Chicago Downtown Hotel. The new location opened on March 1, 2017. We also opened a complimentary business capitalizing on the popularity of team escape games, theEscapeHouse Chicago, in November 2016, next door to the newSafeHouserestaurants.Our current focus is on ensuringmaximizing the successcontribution of our newnewest restaurant,SafeHouse Chicago, but we anticipatewill consider exploring additional opportunities to expand this concept in the future.

 

39

iWe have also invested in sales, revenue management and internet marketing strategies in an effort to further increase our profitability, as well as human resource and cost improvement strategies designed to achieve operational excellence and improved operating margins. We are focused on developing our customer service delivery and technology enhancements to improve customer interactions through mobile platforms and other customer touch points.

 

iWe have taken our highly regarded web development team and created a new business unit to be managed by the hotels and resorts division called Graydient Creative. Graydient leverages our expertise in digital marketing, creating a new profit center for the division by seeking new external customers. Services provided by Graydient include, but are not limited to, website design and development, branding and print design, and social media management.

Corporate

 

iWe periodically review opportunities to make investments in long-term growth opportunities that may not be entirely related to our two primary businesses. During the Transition Period,businesses (but typically have some connection to entertainment, food and beverage, hospitality, real estate, etc.). We are currently reviewing several such opportunities and we purchased a riverfront parcel of land in downtown Milwaukee with significant development potential. The land purchase was part of an Internal Revenue Code §1031 tax-deferred like-kind exchange in conjunction with our sale of the Hotel Phillips. Various plans for a mixed-use development that are under consideration for this parcel include a movie theatre, office space and retail. In addition,may incur capital expenditures during fiscal 2016, the city of Milwaukee requested proposals for a parcel of land across the street from our Hilton Milwaukee City Center hotel. We responded2020 related to that request with a proposed plan for a mixed-use project that would expand the number of rooms operated by the Hilton, add a residential component and provide a transit center for a city-proposed streetcar extension. This was a preliminary proposal and an expansion of the city’s convention center would be a prerequisite for any action on this proposal, if our proposal were to be selected by the city. Both of the above-described projects have many open issues that would have to be resolved before we would move forward and we would consider bringing on a partner or partners on these projects if they were to proceed. We do not expect any substantial capital expenditures to be incurred on our part for these projects during fiscal 2018.strategy.

 

iIn addition to operational and growth strategies in our operating divisions, we continue to seek additional opportunities to enhance shareholder value, including strategies related to our dividend policy, share repurchases and asset divestitures. We increased our regular quarterly common stock cash dividend rate by 10.5% during the fourth quarter of fiscal 2015, another 7.1% during the first quarter of fiscal 2016, 11.1% during the first quarter of fiscal 2017 and 20.0% during the first quarter of fiscal 2018. We also2018, 6.7% during the first quarter of fiscal 2019 and 6.3% during the first quarter of fiscal 2020. In prior years, we have periodically paid special dividends and repurchased approximately 3.9 million shares of our common stock during the last six-plus fiscal years under our existing Board of Directors stock repurchase authorizations. We will also continue to evaluate opportunities to sell real estate when appropriate, allowing us to benefit from the underlying value of our real estate assets. When possible, we will attempt to avail ourselves of the provisions of Internal Revenue Code §1031 related to tax-deferred like-kind exchange transactions. In addition to the sale of a former theatre parcel in Madison, Wisconsin and/or selected hotels in our portfolio, we plan to evaluate opportunities to sell additional out-parcels at several owned theatre developments, as well as other non-operating and/or non-performing real estate in our portfolio.

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The actual number, mix and timing of our potential future new facilities and expansions and/or divestitures will depend, in large part, on industry and economic conditions, our financial performance and available capital, the competitive environment, evolving customer needs and trends, and the availability of attractive acquisition and investment opportunities. It is likely that our growth goals and strategies will continue to evolve and change in response to these and other factors, and there can be no assurance that we will achieve our current goals. Each of our goals and strategies are subject to the various risk factors discussed above in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

 

40Theatres

Theatres

 

Our oldest and most profitable division is our theatre division. The theatre division contributed: (i) 64.4%contributed 67.9% of our consolidated revenues and 86.3%88.4% of our consolidated operating income, excluding corporate items, during fiscal 2017,2019, compared to 60.3%63.2% and 83.1%87.7%, respectively, during fiscal 20162018 and 57.7%61.7% and 82.8%86.2%, respectively, during fiscal 2015C; (ii) 56.4% and 68.2%, respectively, during2017. As of December 26, 2019, the Transition Period, compared to 51.8% and 65.3%, respectively, during the prior year comparable period; and (iii) 55.2% and 83.8%, respectively, during fiscal 2015, compared to 54.3% and 74.3%, respectively, during fiscal 2014. The theatre division operatesoperated motion picture theatres in Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas and Ohio,Virginia, a family entertainment center in Wisconsin and a retail center in Missouri. The following tables set forth revenues, operating income, operating margin, screens and theatre locations for fiscal 2017, fiscal 2016, the unaudited prior year comparable 53-week period ended December 31, 2015 (F2015C), the Transition Period (TP), the unaudited prior year comparable 30-week period ended December 25, 2014 (PY), and the prior twolast three fiscal years:

 

    Change F17 v. F16     Change F16 v. F15C      Change F19 v. F18     Change F18 v. F17 
 F2017  F2016  Amt.  Pct.  F2015C  Amt.  Pct.  F2019  F2018  Amt.  Pct.  F2017  Amt.  Pct. 
 (in millions, except percentages)  (in millions, except percentages) 
Revenues $401.3  $328.2  $73.1   22.3% $306.7  $21.5   7.0% $557.1  $446.8  $110.3   24.7% $403.4  $43.4   10.8%
Operating income $80.3  $71.8  $8.5   11.9% $62.9  $8.9   14.1% $76.9  $88.8  $(11.9)  -13.4% $80.4  $8.4   10.4%
Operating margin  20.0%  21.9%          20.5%          13.8%  19.9%          19.9%        

 

        Change TP v. PY 
  TP  PY  Amt.  Pct. 
  (in millions, except percentages) 
Revenues $182.8  $145.3  $37.5   25.8%
Operating income $37.2  $27.7  $9.5   34.1%
Operating margin  20.3%  19.1%        

     Change F15 v. F14 
  F2015  F2014  Amt.  Pct. 
  (in millions, except percentages) 
Revenues $269.2  $243.2  $26.0   10.7%
Operating income $53.5  $46.5  $7.0   15.1%
Operating margin  19.9%  19.1%        

Number of screens and locations at period-end(1)(2) F2017  F2016  TP  F2015  F2014  F2019  F2018  F2017 
Theatre screens  895   885   668   681   685   1,106   889   885 
Theatre locations  69   68   53   55   55   91   68   69 
Average screens per location  13.0   13.0   12.6   12.4   12.5   12.2   13.1   13.0 

 

(1)Includes 6 screens at one location managed for another owner at the end of fiscal 2019 and fiscal 2018 and 11 screens at two locations managed for other owners in all five periods.at the end of fiscal 2017.
(2)Includes 29 budget screens at three locations at the end of fiscal 2017, 25 budget screens at three locations at the end of2019, fiscal 2016, 15 budget screens at two locations at the end of the Transition Period2018 and 28 budget screens at four locations in the two prior years.fiscal 2017. Compared to first-run theatres, budget theatres generally have lower box office revenues and associated film costs, but higher concession sales as a percentage of box office revenues.

 

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The following tables providetable provides a further breakdown of the components of revenues for the theatre division for the last three fiscal 2017, fiscal 2016, the unaudited prior year comparable 53-week period ended December 31, 2015 (F2015C), the Transition Period (TP), the unaudited comparable prior year 30-week period ended December 25, 2014 (PY) and the prior two fiscal years:years:

 

    Change F17 v. F16     Change F16 v. F15C      Change F19 v. F18     Change F18 v. F17 
 F2017  F2016  Amt.  Pct.  F2015C  Amt.  Pct.  F2019 F2018 Amt. Pct. F2017 Amt. Pct. 
 (in millions, except percentages)  (in millions, except percentages) 
Box office revenues $227.1  $186.8  $40.3   21.6% $176.3  $10.5   6.0%
Admission revenues $284.2  $246.4  $37.8   15.3% $227.1  $19.3   8.5%
Concession revenues  149.0   121.0   28.0   23.2%  115.1   5.9   5.1%  231.2   166.6   64.6   38.8%  149.0   17.6   11.8%
Other revenues  25.2   20.4   4.8   23.5%  15.3   5.1   33.3%  40.8   32.5   8.3   25.4%  25.2   7.3   29.2%
  556.2   445.5   110.7   24.8%  401.3   44.2   11.0%
Cost reimbursements  0.9   1.3   (0.4)  -32.1%  2.1   (0.8)  -39.6%
Total revenues $401.3  $328.2  $73.1   22.3% $306.7  $21.5   7.0% $557.1  $446.8  $110.3   24.7% $403.4  $43.4   10.8%

 

     

 

Change TP v. PY

 
  TP  PY  Amt.  Pct. 
  (in millions, except percentages) 
Box office revenues $104.6  $85.6  $19.0   22.2%
Concession revenues  69.2   52.9   16.3   30.9%
Other revenues  9.0   6.8   2.2   31.5%
Total revenues $182.8  $145.3  $37.5   25.8%

As described above in the “Current Plans” section of this MD&A, on February 1, 2019, we acquired the assets of Movie Tavern, a New Orleans-based industry leading circuit known for its in-theatre dining concept featuring chef-driven menus, premium quality food and drink and luxury seating. The acquired circuit consists of 208 screens at 22 locations in nine states – Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas and Virginia. The purchase price consisted of $30 million in cash, subject to certain adjustments, and 2,450,000 shares of our common stock, for a total purchase price of approximately $139.3 million, based upon our closing share price on January 31, 2019. The acquisition of the Movie Tavern circuit increased our total number of screens by an additional 23%. The impact that the Movie Tavern acquisition has had on our key financial measures and metrics is described further in the discussion below.

 

     Change F15 v. F14 
  F2015  F2014  Amt.  Pct. 
  (in millions, except percentages) 
Box office revenues $157.3  $146.0  $11.3   7.7%
Concession revenues  98.7   84.1   14.6   17.5%
Other revenues  13.2   13.1   0.1   0.7%
Total revenues $269.2  $243.2  $26.0   10.7%

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Fiscal 20172019 versus Fiscal 20162018

 

Our theatre division fiscal 20172019 revenues increased by 22.3%24.7% compared to fiscal 20162018 due to the Marcus Wehrenbergnewly acquired Movie Tavern theatres, that we acquired during the fourth quarter of fiscal 2016increased other revenues and new theatres we opened during fiscal 2016 and fiscal 2017, as well as an increaseincreases in our average ticket price and average concession revenues per person at our comparable theatres, resulting in increased box office receipts and concession revenues. Decreasedpartially offset by the impact of decreased attendance at comparable theatres due to a weaker film slate negatively impacted theatre division revenues and operating income during fiscal 2017 compared to fiscal 2016. Excluding the Marcus Wehrenberg theatres and three theatres that we opened during fiscal 2016 and fiscal 2017, comparable theatre division revenues decreased by 0.8% during fiscal 2017 compared to the prior year.

On December 16, 2016, we2019. The 22 acquired 14 owned and/or leased movie theatres in Missouri, Iowa, Illinois and Minnesota, along withRonnie’s Plaza, an 84,000 square foot retail center in St. Louis, Missouri, from Wehrenberg and its affiliated entities for a purchase price of approximately $65 million, plus normal closing adjustments and less a negative net working capital balance that we assumed in the transaction. We funded the transaction using available borrowings under our existing credit facility. In conjunction with this transaction, we acquired the underlying real estate for six of the theatre locations as well as the retail center. The remaining leased locations include several leases that have been classified as capital leases. Nine of the 14 acquired Wehrenberg theatres operate in the greater St. Louis area. The Marcus WehrenbergMovie Tavern theatres contributed approximately $5.1$125.8 million and $(450,000), respectively, to our theatre division revenues and operating income forduring the two47 weeks that we owned themthese theatres during fiscal 2016. The operating loss from the acquired theatres is due2019. We also opened a new eight-screen Movie Tavern by Marcus theatre in Brookfield, Wisconsin early in our fiscal 2019 fourth quarter that favorably impacted our admission revenues and concession revenues in fiscal 2019 compared to approximately $2.0 million in one-time acquisition-related expenses.fiscal 2018.

 

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Total theatre attendance increased 19.1%8.8% and total box office receiptsadmission revenues increased 21.6%15.3% during fiscal 20172019 compared to fiscal 2016.2018. Excluding Movie Tavern and the Marcus Wehrenberg theatres, three theatres that wenewly opened duringtheatre, fiscal 2016 and fiscal 2017, and two theatres that are no longer comparable to last year because their pricing policies were significantly changed as a result of new theatres we opened nearby, fiscal 20172019 attendance and box office receiptsadmission revenues at our comparable theatres decreased approximately 3.1%8.6% and 1.0%5.5%, respectively, compared to the prior year. The following table indicatessets forth our percentage change in comparable theatre attendance during each of the interim periods of fiscal 20172019 compared to the same periods during fiscal 2016.2018. In addition, the table compares the percentage change in our fiscal 2017 box office2019 comparable theatre admission revenues (compared to the prior year) to the corresponding percentage change in the United States box office receiptsrevenues (excluding new builds for the top ten10 theatre circuits) during the same periods (as compiled by us from data received from Rentrak,Comscore, a national box office reporting service for the theatre industry):

 

 Change F17 v. F16 
 1st Qtr. 2nd Qtr.  3rd Qtr.  4th Qtr. Total  Change F19 v. F18 
              1st Qtr.  2nd Qtr.  3rd Qtr.  4th Qtr.  Total 
Pct. change in Marcus theatre attendance +8.6% -3.6%  -17.4%  +0.8%  -3.1%  -16.6%  -7.2%  +0.2%  -9.9%  -8.6%
                                      
Pct. change in Marcus box office revenues +9.1% -4.1%  -15.6%  +6.9%  -1.0%
Pct. change in Marcus admission revenues  -17.8%  -3.7%  +6.3%  -5.1%  -5.5%
Pct. change in U.S. box office revenues +7.0% -4.8%  -13.4%  +1.7%  -2.6%  -16.5%  -4.5%  +3.0%  -5.5%  -6.0%
Marcus outperformance v. U.S. +2.1 pts +0.7 pts  -2.2 pts  +5.2 pts  +1.6 pts
Marcus performance vs. U.S.  -1.3pts  +0.8pts  +3.3pts  +0.4pts  +0.5pts

 

WeOur comparable theatres outperformed the industry during fiscal 20172019 by 1.60.5 percentage points, and we have outperformed the industry during 1419 of the last 1624 quarters. WeIn general, we believe our underperformance during the third quarter of fiscal 2017 was an anomaly, as evidenced by the fact that we outperformed the industry by over five percentage points during the fourth quarter of fiscal 2017. We believe our continued overall outperformance of the industry ishas been attributable to the investments we have made in new features and amenities in select theatres and our implementation of innovative operating and marketing strategies that have increased attendance, including our $5 Tuesday promotion and our customer loyalty program (all of which are described in the “Current Plans” section of this MD&A). Our goal is to continue our past pattern of outperforming the industry, but with the financial impact of the majority of our completed renovations for our legacy circuit now reflected in our current results, our ability to do so in any given quarter will likely be partially dependent upon film mix, weather, the competitive landscape in our markets and the impact of local sporting events.

We did not include the performance of our Movie Tavern theatres, which we acquired in February 2019, in the comparison to the industry because we did not own Movie Tavern during fiscal 2018. Based upon data available to us from the previous owner, however, we believe that our Movie Tavern theatres outperformed the industry by approximately seven percentage points during the 11 months that we owned them during fiscal 2019. We believe that this outperformance was once again attributable to investments we have made in new features and amenities in select theatres (all of which are described in the “Current Plans” section of this MD&A) and our implementation of innovative operating and marketing strategies that have increased attendance, including our $5 Tuesday promotion and our customer loyalty program.

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Theatre attendance and corresponding box office revenues vary significantly from quarter to quarter due to a variety of factors. As evidenced byThe third quarter of fiscal 2019 was a particularly good quarter for the change in United States box office revenues,industry and included strong performances from two of our top four films for fiscal 2017 first2019,The Lion King and fourthToy Story 4, as well as a strong horror film,It Chapter Two, which was released during the historically slower movie-going month of September. We believe that a favorable film mix during the third quarter box office revenues and attendance were impacted by a stronger slate of moviesfiscal 2019 compared to the same quarters during fiscal 2016. Conversely, our fiscal 2017 second and third quarter of fiscal 2018 may also have had a positive impact on our comparative performance versus the overall industry. We believe our theatres outperformed our normal share of the total box office revenues and attendance were impacted by a weaker slate of movies compared to the same quarters during fiscal 2016.

The third quarter was a very difficult period for the industry, with ten straight weeks of decreased attendance and box office receipts in July and August, before ending with three strong weeks in September. We also believe that the particular mix of films during July 2017 was not as favorable to our Midwestern circuit as compared toon the films released during July 2016. The top film during July 2016 wasThe Secret Life of Petsnoted above, as family-oriented films and this family-oriented filmhorror films represent genres that have historically performed particularlyvery well in our theatres compared to the rest of the nation, contributing to our comparative underperformance to the industry in July 2017 versus July 2016. legacy Midwestern markets.

Conversely, a stronger slate of movies during the first quarter of fiscal 2017, including2019 was a particularly weak quarter for the second best performing film ofindustry compared to the year,Beauty and the Beast, and during the fourthprior year. The first quarter of fiscal 2018 benefited from several strong 2017 including the top performing film of fiscal 2017,Star Wars: The Last Jedi, contributed to the improvement in attendance and box office performance during those periods compared to the same periods of the prior year.

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Revenues for the theatre business and the motion picture industry in general are heavily dependent on the general audience appeal of availableholdover films, together with studio marketing, advertising and support campaigns and the maintenance of a reasonably lengthy “window” between the date a film is released in theatres and the date a film is released to other channels, including video on-demand (VOD) and DVD. These are factors over which we have no control. The national DVD release window decreased during calendar 2017 to 104 days compared to the approximately 110-130 days that had been in place for the previous ten or more calendar years. Many current films are now released to ancillary markets within 75-90 days, and more than one studio has been discussing their interest in creating a new, shorter premium VOD window. We have expressed our concerns to the studios regarding the impact that a shortened DVD or VOD release window may have on future box office receipts. We have also indicated that we would seek adjustments in the current financial arrangements we have with film studios in the event that the film studios implement shorter release windows.

We believe that the most significant factor contributing to variations in theatre attendance during fiscal 2017,such as in other periods, was the quantity and quality of films released during the respective periods compared to the films released during the same periods of the prior year. Blockbusters (generally defined as films grossing more than $100 million nationally) accounted for a slightly decreased percentage of our total box office revenues during fiscal 2017, with our top 15 performing films accounting for 41% of our fiscal 2017 box office revenues compared to 43% during fiscal 2016. The following five top performing fiscal 2017 films accounted for nearly 20% of the total box office revenues for our circuit:Star Wars: The Last Jedi,Beauty andJumanji: Welcome to the Beast,Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2,ItJungle andWonder WomanThe Greatest Showman.

The quantity of wide-release films shown in our theatres and number of wide-release films provided by the seven major studios decreased during fiscal 2017 compared to fiscal 2016. A film is generally considered “wide release” if it is shown on over 600 screens nationally, and these films generally have the greatest impact on box office receipts. We played 124 wide-release films (including 34 digital 3D films) at our theatres during fiscal 2017 compared to 133 wide-release films (including 33 digital 3D films) during fiscal 2016. In total, we played 264 films and 170 alternate content attractions at our theatres during fiscal 2017 compared to 253 films and 144 alternate content attractions during fiscal 2016. Based upon projected film and alternate content availability, we currently estimate that we may show an increased number of films and alternate content events on our screens during fiscal 2018 compared to fiscal 2017. There are currently approximately 24 digital 3D films scheduled to be released by the film industry during our fiscal 2018, although we anticipate that additional 3D films may be announced at a later date.

Excluding the Marcus Wehrenberg theatres, our average ticket price increased 2.6% during fiscal 2017 compared to fiscal 2016. The increase in our average ticket price contributed approximately $3.9 million to our comparable theatres box office receipts during fiscal 2017 compared to fiscal 2016, partially offsetting the impact of reduced attendance at comparable theatres during fiscal 2017. The increase was partially attributable to modest price increases we implemented in November 2016 and October 2017. In addition, the fact that we have increased our number of premium large format (PLF) screens, with a corresponding price premium, also contributed to our increased average ticket price during fiscal 2017. We also believe that a change in film product mix had a favorable impact on our average ticket price during fiscal 2017, as two of our top three films during fiscal 2016 were animated family movies (resulting in a higher percentage of lower-priced children’s tickets sold, compared to more adult-oriented and R-rated films that typically result in a higher average ticket price), compared to no animated family films among the top five films during fiscal 2017 and a particularly strong performance ofStar Wars: The Last Jedi in our PLF auditoriums. Conversely, the percentage of our total box office receipts attributable to 3D presentations during fiscal 2017 decreased compared to the percentage of our total box office receipts attributable to 3D presentations during fiscal 2016, meaning that 3D films had an unfavorable impact on our change in average ticket price during fiscal 2017 (a lower percentage of 3D films may result in a lower average ticket price due to the premium price associated with 3D). We currently expect our average ticket price to increase during fiscal 2018, driven in part by our increased number of PLF screens that generate premium pricing, a modest price increase we introduced in October 2017 and the fact that we have been introducing modest increases in pricing to selected Marcus Wehrenberg theatres after we introduce our DreamLounger recliner seating to those theatres.

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Our average concession sales per person at comparable theatres (excluding the Marcus Wehrenberg theatres) increased 5.1% during fiscal 2017 compared to fiscal 2016. Pricing, concession/food and beverage product mix and film product mix are the three primary factors that impact our concession sales per person. A change in concession product mix, including increased sales of higher priced non-traditional food and beverage items from our increasing number ofTake Five Lounges,Zaffiro’s Express andReel Sizzle outlets, as well as modest selected price increases we introduced in November 2016 and October 2017, were the primary reasons for our increased average concession sales per person during fiscal 2017. We currently expect to report increases in our average concession sales per person during fiscal 2018 compared to fiscal 2017 due to our increased number of non-traditional food and beverage outlets and the modest price increases introduced in October 2017, although as noted above, several factors may impact our actual results in this key metric. Excluding the impact of the Wehrenberg theatres and new screens added during fiscal 2017, the increase in average concession sales per person contributed approximately $4.6 million to our comparable theatres concession revenues during fiscal 2017 compared to fiscal 2016, offsetting the impact of reduced attendance at comparable theatres during fiscal 2017.

Our theatre division operating income increased during fiscal 2017 compared to fiscal 2016 due primarily to operating income from the acquired Marcus Wehrenberg theatres. Decreased attendance at comparable theatres described above and preopening expenses of approximately $800,000 related to the opening of two new theatres negatively impacted our operating income during fiscal 2017. Our theatre division revenues and operating income during fiscal 2017 were also negatively impacted by the fact that we had anywhere from 14 to 40 screens out of service from March through mid-November during fiscal 2017 due to renovations underway at multiple theatres. In addition, comparisons to operating income during fiscal 2016 were negatively impacted by the fact that our fiscal 2016 operating results included a significant one-time incentive payment from our pre-show advertising provider. Conversely, fiscal 2016 operating income was negatively impacted by one-time transaction costs related to the Wehrenberg acquisition.

Operating margin for our theatre division decreased to 20.0% for fiscal 2017, compared to 21.9% for fiscal 2016. The aforementioned preopening expenses, in conjunction with the weaker film slate during fiscal 2017 and higher fixed costs, such as depreciation and amortization, rent and property taxes, due in part to the Wehrenberg acquisition, negatively impacted our theatre division operating margins during fiscal 2017 compared to fiscal 2016. Decreased attendance generally negatively impacts our operating margin, particularly because the decreased attendance has the effect of decreasing our high-margin concession revenues and because fixed expenses become a higher percentage of revenues. In addition, if a greater portion of our concession revenues is the result of the sale of non-traditional food and beverage items that typically have a higher product cost compared to traditional concession items, operating margins may be negatively impacted to a small extent. Excluding preopening expenses from the two new theatres added in fiscal 2017 and the one-time incentive payment and transaction costs in fiscal 2016, our theatre division operating margin during fiscal 2017 was 20.2% compared to 21.5% during fiscal 2016. Film costs did not materially impact our operating margin during fiscal 2017 as compared to fiscal 2016.

Other revenues, which include management fees, pre-show advertising income, family entertainment center revenues, surcharge revenues, rental income and gift card breakage income, may also impact operating margin. Other revenues increased by $4.8 million during fiscal 2017 compared to fiscal 2016. Excluding $5.2 million of other income related to the Marcus Wehrenberg theatres, including preshow advertising income, internet surcharge ticketing fees and rental income from the retail center described above, the remaining decrease in other revenues of approximately $400,000, or 2.0%, during fiscal 2017 was attributable to comparable theatres and was due entirely to the fact that during fiscal 2016, we received a significant one-time $3.3 million incentive payment from our current advertising provider, Screenvision. Despite that significant one-time benefit in fiscal 2016, our other income from comparable theatres nearly equaled last year’s total primarily due to an increase in preshow advertising income, internet surcharge ticketing fees and breakage on presold discounted tickets.

We did not add any new screenshave as many strong holdovers from 2018 to existing theatres during fiscal 2017. We opened two newUltraScreen DLX auditoriums at an existing theatre in Minnesota in February 2016 and two new screens at an existing theatre in Wisconsin in November 2016. As noted above, we also opened a new 16-screen theatre in Illinois in October 2016, a 10-screen theatre in Minnesota in April 2017 and an eight-screen theatre in Wisconsin in June 2017. We closed and sold one eight-screen budget-oriented theatre during the fiscal 2017 second quarter. On the first day of our fiscal 2017 third quarter, we converted an existing 12-screen first-run theatre to a budget-oriented theatre. We did not close any theatres during fiscal 2016.

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Box office revenues at comparable theatres duringbenefit the first quarter of fiscal 2018 through the date of this report have increased compared2019. The reductions in fiscal 2019 first quarter attendance and admission revenues were also due to the prior year comparable period due primarily to a stronger Februaryfact that our highest grossing film slate that included the blockbuster filmof fiscal 2018,Black Panther. In addition, strong performances from, was released during February 2018, and February 2019 film product could not match those results. We also believe that snowier and colder Midwestern weather and a less favorable film mix in the fiscal 2019 first quarter compared to last year may also have had a slight negative impact on our comparative performance versus the overall industry. We believe our Midwestern circuit outperformed our normal share of the total box office on all three of the above referenced 2017 holdover films such asStar Wars; The Last Jedi,Jumanji: Welcomelast year, negatively impacting our relative performance to the Jungle andThe Greatest Showman, as well as new films such asFifty Shades Freed,Peter Rabbit, andA Wrinkle in Time have contributed positively to our early fiscal 2018 results. Comparisons for the remainder of the quarter are expected to be difficult due to the strong performance ofBeauty and the Beastin mid-March last year. The expected film slate for the remainder of fiscal 2018 includes films from well-known series such asAvengers: Infinity War,Solo: A Star Wars Story,Deadpool 2,The Incredibles 2,Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom,Ant Man and the Wasp,Hotel Transylvania 3,Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again,Mission: Impossible – Fallout,Mulan,Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald,Aquaman andMary Poppins Returns. Generally, an increase in the quantity of films released, particularly from the seven major studios, increases the potential for more blockbusters in any given year, as does an increase in the quantity of films from established film series such as those listed above.

Fiscal 2016 versus Fiscal 2015C

Our theatre division fiscal 2016 revenues and operating income increased by 7.0% and 14.1%, respectively, compared to fiscal 2015C due primarily to an increase in total theatre attendance at comparable theatres, an increase in our average ticket price, our continued expansion of non-traditional food and beverage items in our theatres, and an increase in pre-show advertising income, partially offset by the fact that fiscal 2015C included an additional week of operations. The additional week of operations, which included the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day in 2014 (historically, one of the busiest weeks of the year), contributed approximately $10.7 million and $4.2 million, respectively, to our theatre division revenues and operating income during fiscal 2015C. Excluding the additional week from our fiscal 2015C results, we estimate that our fiscal 2016 theatre division revenues and operating income would have increased by 10.9% and 22.2%, respectively, compared to a comparable 52-week year (including the acquired Wehrenberg theatres). Excluding the acquired Wehrenberg theatres during fiscal 2016 and the additional week of operations during fiscal 2015C, fiscal 2016 theatre division revenues increased 9.1% and operating income increased 22.9% compared to the prior year comparable theatres during a comparable 52-week year.

On December 16, 2016, we acquired 14 owned and/or leased movie theatres in Missouri, Iowa, Illinois and Minnesota, along withRonnie’s Plaza, an 84,000 square foot retail center in St. Louis, Missouri, from Wehrenberg and its affiliated entities for a purchase price of approximately $65 million, plus normal closing adjustments and less a negative net working capital balance that we assumed in the transaction. We funded the transaction using available borrowings under our existing credit facility. In conjunction with this transaction, we acquired the underlying real estate for six of the theatre locations as well as the retail center. The remaining leased locations include several leases that have been classified as capital leases. Nine of the 14 acquired Wehrenberg theatres operate in the greater St. Louis area. The Wehrenberg theatres contributed approximately $5.1 million and $(450,000), respectively, to our theatre division revenues and operating income for the two weeks that we owned them during fiscal 2016. The operating loss from the acquired theatres is due to approximately $2.0 million in one-time acquisition related expenses.

Total theatre attendance increased 1.9% during fiscal 2016 compared to fiscal 2015C. Excluding the recently acquired Wehrenberg theatres during fiscal 2016 and the additional week of operations during fiscal 2015C, fiscal 2016 attendance at our comparable theatres increased approximately 4.3% compared to the prior year. The following table indicates our percentage change in comparable theatre attendance during each of the interim periods of fiscal 2016 compared to the same periods during fiscal 2015C. In addition, the table compares the percentage change in our fiscal 2016U.S. box office revenues (compared to the periods in fiscal 2015C that most closely align to this fiscal year on the calendar) to the corresponding percentage change in the United States box office receipts during the same periods (as compiled by us from data received from Rentrak, a national box office reporting service for the theatre industry). For attendance comparison purposes, percentage change data noted for the fourth quarter and total columns exclude the recently acquired Wehrenberg theatres during fiscal 2016 and the additional week of operations during fiscal 2015C. For comparisons to the national box office, we compared each quarter’s Marcus box office revenues (excluding the acquired theatres) to the weeks in fiscal 2015C that most closely align to this fiscal year on the calendar, including 13 weeks during the fourth quarter and 52 weeks for the total, in order to compare the same number of weeks:

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  Change F16 v. F15C 
  1st Qtr. 2nd Qtr.  3rd Qtr.  4th Qtr.  Total 
               
Pct. change in Marcus theatre attendance +2.3%  -6.9%  +14.7%   +1.0%   +4.3% 
                   
Pct. change in Marcus box office revenues +19.1%  -5.9%  +25.2%   +3.2%   +8.2% 
Pct. change in U.S. box office revenues +13.3%  -10.4%  +14.7%   -5.8%  +1.8% 
  Marcus outperformance v. U.S. +5.8 pts  +4.5 pts   +10.5 pts   +9.0 pts   +6.4 pts 

We outperformed the industry during fiscal 2016 by over six percentage points. We believe our continued outperformance of the industry is attributable to the investments we have made in new features and amenities in select theatres and our implementation of innovative operating and marketing strategies that have increased attendance, including our $5 Tuesday promotion and our customer loyalty program (all of which are described in the “Current Plans” section of this MD&A).

Theatre attendance and corresponding box office revenues vary significantly from quarter to quarter due to a variety of factors. As evidenced by the change in United States box office revenues, our fiscal 2016 first and third quarter box office revenues and attendance were impacted by a stronger slate of movies compared to the same quarters during fiscal 2015C. Conversely, our fiscal 2016 second and fourth quarter box office revenues and attendance were impacted by a weaker slate of movies compared to the same quarters during fiscal 2015C. Comparisons to the second quarter of fiscal 2015C were negatively impacted by the fact that Easter (a historically strong period for movies) was in March during fiscal 2016 and in April during fiscal 2015C. In addition, fiscal 2015C second quarter results were favorably impacted by one of the highest grossing domestic films of all time –Jurassic World. Comparisons to the fourth quarter of fiscal 2015C were negatively impacted by the fact that the prior year fourth quarter included the highest grossing domestic film of all time,Star Wars: The Force Awakens, although the strong performance ofRogue One: A Star Wars Story during the fourth quarter of fiscal 2016 lessened the impact of that difficult comparison.

Conversely, a stronger slate of movies during the first quarter of fiscal 2016, including2019.

Finally, while our fiscal 2019 second quarter and fourth quarter comparable theatre admission revenues decreased compared to the surprise hitprior year, we once again outperformed the industry during these periods. Favorable weather conditions and a film mix that included films such asDeadpoolAvengers: Endgame,Frozen 2 and the strong holdover fromStar Wars: The Force Awakens, and during the third quarterRise of fiscal 2016, including strong animated filmsFinding DorySkywalker andThe Secret Life of Pets, contributed to the significant improvement(film franchises which historically have performed very well in attendance and box office performance during those periods compared to the same periods of the prior year. We also believe a combination of several additional factorsour legacy Midwestern markets) likely contributed to our increasessecond and fourth quarter outperformance.

Revenues for the theatre business and the motion picture industry in attendancegeneral are heavily dependent on the general audience appeal of available films, together with studio marketing, advertising and support campaigns and the maintenance of a reasonably lengthy “window” between the date a film is released in theatres and the date a film is released to other channels, including video on-demand (VOD), streaming services and DVD. These are factors over which we have no control. Many current films are now released to ancillary markets within 75-90 days, and more than one studio has periodically discussed its interest in creating a new, shorter window. We have expressed our above-described industry outperformance. In additionconcerns to the $5 Tuesday promotionstudios regarding the impact that continued to perform better thana shortened release window may have on future box office receipts. We have also indicated that we would not play films that did not respect the prior year comparable period, our fiscal 2016 attendance was favorably impacted by increased attendance at our theatrescurrent theatrical exclusivity window and would seek adjustments in the current financial arrangements we have with film studios in the event that have added our spacious new DreamLounger recliner seating during the past two and one-half years. We also continue to recognize the benefits of our previously-described customer loyalty program.film studios implement shorter release windows.

 

We believe that the most significant factor contributing to variations in theatre attendance during fiscal 2016,2019, as in other periods, was the quantity and quality of films released during the respective periods compared to the films released during the same periods of the prior year. Blockbusters (generally defined as films grossing more than $100 million nationally) accounted for a slightly decreasedan increased percentage of our total box officeadmission revenues during fiscal 2016, with2019 compared to fiscal 2018 - our top 15 performing films accountingaccounted for 43%48% of our total admission revenues during fiscal 2016 box office revenues2019 compared to 44%42% during fiscal 2015C.2018. The following five top performing fiscal 20162019 films, all distributed by Disney, accounted for nearly 20%26% of the total box officeadmission revenues for our circuit:Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,Finding DoryAvengers: Endgame,The Secret Life of PetsLion King,DeadpoolFrozen 2,Toy Story 4andCaptain America: Civil WarMarvel. The top two films on this list,Rogue One: A Star Wars Story andFinding Dory, are currently the #7 and #8 highest grossing domestic films of all time. The fact that the top twofive performing films during fiscal 2015C,Star Wars: The Force Awakens andJurassic World, are currently the #1 and #4 highest grossing domestic films2018 accounted for approximately 23% of all time, is an indication that the overall film slate during fiscal 2016 was less dependent upon one or two films.our total admission revenues.

 

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The quantity of wide-release films shown in our theatres and number of wide-release films provided by the sevensix major studios increaseddecreased during fiscal 20162019 compared to fiscal 2015C.2018. A film is generally considered “wide release” if it is shown on over 600 screens nationally, and these films generally have the greatest impact on box office receipts. We played 133117 wide-release films (including 3329 digital 3D films) at our theatres during fiscal 20162019 compared to 113132 wide-release films (including 2624 digital 3D films) during fiscal 2015C.2018. In total, we played 253285 films and 144190 alternate content attractions at our theatres during fiscal 20162019 compared to 227344 films and 107216 alternate content attractions during the prior year comparable period.fiscal 2018. Based upon projected film and alternate content availability, we currently estimate that we may show an increased number of films and alternate content events on our screens during fiscal 2020 compared to fiscal 2019.

 

DuringOur average ticket price increased 8.0% during fiscal 2016,2019 compared to fiscal 2018, due in part to the addition of Movie Tavern theatres in certain markets where competitive pricing is slightly higher than in our legacy Midwestern markets. Excluding Movie Tavern theatres, our average ticket price at comparable theatres increased 3.9%3.4% during fiscal 2019 compared to fiscal 2015C. Excluding2018. At the impactbeginning of the Wehrenbergsecond quarter of fiscal 2019, we implemented selected ticket price increases at certain locations in order to reflect the competitive market in which those theatres operate. In addition, we enacted a modest price increase for our proprietary PLF screens and new screens added during fiscal 2016,converted our admission ticket pricing to a sales tax additive (or “tax-on-top”) model, consistent with the increase inmajority of our competitors. These modest ticket price increases likely had a favorable impact on our average ticket price contributed all ofduring fiscal 2019. The fact that our top performing films during the increasefiscal 2019 performed particularly well in our box office receipts for comparable theatres during fiscal 2016 compared to fiscal 2015C (including the additional week of operations during fiscal 2015C). The increase was partially attributable to modestPLF screens (with a corresponding price increases we implemented in Januarypremium), and November 2016. In addition, the fact that we have increased our number of premium large format (PLF)more PLF screens with a corresponding price premium,this year than we did the prior year, also contributed to our increased average ticket price during fiscal 2016.2019 compared to the prior year. Conversely, we believe that a change in film product mixstrong line-up of Disney family-oriented films released during fiscal 2019, such asDumbo,Aladdin,Toy Story 4,The Lion King andFrozen 2, likely had a negativean unfavorable impact on our average ticket price during fiscal 2016,2019, as two of our top three films during fiscal 2016 were animated family movies (resultingthat generally appeal to a younger audience result in a higher percentage of lower-priced children’s tickets sold, compared to more adult-oriented and R-rated films that typically resultsold. The increase in a higher average ticket price), compared to no animated family films among the top four films during fiscal 2015C. The percentage of our total box office receipts attributable to 3D presentations during fiscal 2016 was similar to the percentage of our total box office receipts attributable to 3D presentations during fiscal 2015C, meaning that we don’t believe that 3D films had an impact on our change in average ticket price contributed approximately $7.6 million to our comparable theatres admission revenues during fiscal 2016 (a higher percentage2019, partially offsetting the impact of 3D films can result in a higherreduced attendance on our overall decreased comparable theatre admission revenues during fiscal 2019 compared to fiscal 2018. We currently expect that our average ticket price duemay increase again at our comparable theatres during fiscal 2020, but film mix will likely once again impact our final result.

Total concession revenues increased 38.8% during fiscal 2019 compared to fiscal 2018. Excluding Movie Tavern theatres, concession revenues at our comparable theatres decreased approximately 2.4% compared to the premium price associated with 3D).

prior year. Our average concession sales per person increased 27.6% during fiscal 2019 compared to fiscal 2018. Our Movie Tavern theatres had a significant favorable impact on our overall average concession sales per person, as the average concession sales per person at these dine-in theatres are on average more than double the average concession sales per person we generally achieve at our average theatre without a dine-in option. Excluding Movie Tavern, our average concession revenues per person at comparable theatres (excluding the Wehrenberg theatres) increased 3.2%6.9% during fiscal 20162019 compared to fiscal 2015C.2018. The increase in our concession sales per person contributed approximately $10.6 million to our comparable theatres concession revenues during fiscal 2019, partially offsetting the impact of reduced attendance on our overall decreased comparable theatre concession revenues during fiscal 2019 compared to fiscal 2018. Pricing, concession/food and beverage product mix and film product mix are the three primary factors that impact our concession sales per person. A change in concession product mix, including increased sales of higher priced non-traditional food and beverage items from our increasing number ofTake Five Lounges,Zaffiro’s Express and,Reel Sizzle and in-theatre dining outlets, as well as modest selected price increases we introduced in November 2016, werewas the primary reasonsreason for our increased average concession sales per person during fiscal 2016.2019. Conversely, although animated family films generally have a favorable impact on traditional concession sales, as these types of films typically result in stronger traditional concession sales compared to more adult-oriented films, we believe that the above describedabove-described change in film product mix during fiscal 2016 slowed2019 may have slightly reduced the growth of our overall average concession sales per person, as family-oriented and animated and family-oriented films such as the Disney films identified above tend not to contribute to sales of non-traditional food and beverage items as much as adult-oriented films. Excluding the impact of the Wehrenberg theatres and new screens added during fiscal 2016, theWe currently expect to report an increase in our average concession sales per person contributed all of the increase inat our concession revenues for comparable theatres during fiscal 20162020 compared to fiscal 2015C (including the additional week of operations during fiscal 2015C).

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Operating margin for our theatre division increased to 21.9% for fiscal 2016, compared to 20.5% for fiscal 2015C. Excluding the additional week of operations, our fiscal 2015C theatre division operating margin was actually an even lower 19.8%. Our theatre division had an active cost savings initiative (CSI) in place that achieved cost savings in excess of $2 million during fiscal 2016, favorably impacting our fiscal 2016 operating margin. Increased attendance also generally favorably impacts our operating margin, particularly because the increased attendance has the effect of increasing our high-margin concession revenues and because fixed expenses become a lower percentage of revenues. The fact that the percentage of our box office revenues attributable2019 due to our highest grossing films did not change significantly during fiscal 2016 compared to fiscal 2015C contributed to relatively unchanged film costs during fiscal 2016. Higher grossing blockbuster films have historically had a higher film cost as a percentage of box office revenues than lower grossing films and, therefore, our operating margin often is negatively impacted when we have a greaterincreased number of higher grossing films. Conversely, if a greater portion of our concession revenues is the result of the sale of non-traditional food and beverage items that typically have a higher product cost compared to traditional concession items, operating marginsoutlets, although as noted above, several factors may be negatively impacted to a small extent. Any such impact during fiscal 2016 was offset by the impact of our higher attendance.actual results in this key metric.

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Other revenues, which include management fees, pre-show advertising income, family entertainment center revenues, surcharge revenues, rental income and gift card breakage income, may also impact operating margin. Duringincreased by $8.3 million during fiscal 2016, other revenues increased significantly2019 compared to fiscal 2015C2018. This increase was primarily due to an increase in internet surcharge ticketing fees and preshow advertising income from our new Movie Tavern locations. We currently expect other revenues (primarily as a result of increased advanced ticket sales) and increased pre-show advertising income. Our agreement with our current advertising provider, Screenvision, included a provision for a one-time incentive payment if a defined cumulative attendance milestone was reached within a defined time period. We reached this milestone during ourto continue to increase in fiscal 2016 fourth quarter. As a result, our operating results during the fourth quarter of fiscal 2016 were favorably impacted by a significant one-time $3.3 million payment.

We opened two newUltraScreen DLX auditoriums at an existing theatre in Minnesota in February 2016 and two new screens at an existing theatre in Wisconsin in November 2016. As noted above, we also opened a new 16-screen theatre in Illinois in October 2016. We did not close any theatres during fiscal 2016, but we did close two budget-oriented theatres with 13 screens during fiscal 2015C.

Transition Period versus Prior Year Comparable Period2020.

 

Our theatre division Transition Period revenues, operating income and operating margin decreased during fiscal 2019 compared to fiscal 2018 due primarily to reduced attendance and revenues at comparable theatres as described above. Due to the significant investments we have made in our theatres over the last five years, we have higher fixed costs, such as rent, depreciation and amortization, and higher labor expenses, attributable in part to our increased number of new food and beverage outlets in our theatres. As a result, it is more difficult to remove costs when attendance declines as it did in several quarters during fiscal 2019, and operating margins are more likely to decline when that happens. Conversely, during periods with a strong film slate, operating margins potentially increase, as that same “leverage” should benefit our theatre division. Our fiscal 2019 operating margin was also negatively impacted by higher film costs, expressed as a percentage of admission revenues, compared to the prior year comparable 30-week periodyear. Film cost percentage increased during fiscal 2019 primarily due primarily to an increase in totalthe increased percentage of our admission revenues that were derived from our top five blockbuster films during fiscal 2019 compared to fiscal 2018 (discussed above). Film costs, expressed as a percentage of admission revenues, are generally greater for the significant blockbuster films.

Due to the weaker 2019 film slate and anticipated ramp-up costs as we integrated the 22 acquired Movie Tavern theatres into our operating and marketing systems and programs, the Movie Tavern theatres, excluding acquisition and preopening expenses, did not have a significant impact on our theatre attendance at comparabledivision operating income during fiscal 2019. Our theatre division operating margin also declined during fiscal 2019 compared to fiscal 2018 due to the impact of the Movie Tavern theatres. Our Movie Tavern theatres an increase inhave a lower operating margin than our average ticket price, our continued expansionlegacy theatres because all 22 acquired theatres are leased rather than owned (rent expense is generally significantly higher than depreciation expense). In addition, the fact that a larger portion of non-traditionalMovie Tavern revenues are derived from the sale of in-theatre food and beverage also results in lower operating margins, as food and labor costs are generally higher for those items compared to traditional concession items. Our operating income and operating margin were also negatively impacted during fiscal 2019 by approximately $2.5 million of acquisition and preopening expenses related to the Movie Tavern acquisition and the opening of a newly built Movie Tavern theatre in Brookfield, Wisconsin. Our operating income and operating margin were negatively impacted during fiscal 2018 by approximately $1.7 million of acquisition and preopening expenses related to the Movie Tavern acquisition.

In addition to the screens added due to the Movie Tavern acquisition, we opened one newUltraScreen DLX at an existing Marcus Wehrenberg theatre during the first quarter of fiscal 2019. We also opened a new eight-screen Movie Tavern by Marcus theatre in Brookfield, Wisconsin early in our theatres,fiscal 2019 fourth quarter and the additional week of operations included in our Transition Period results comparedadded four new screens to the prior year comparable period. The additional week of operations, which included the week between Christmas and New Year’s Eve (historically, one of the busiest weeks of the year), contributed approximately $14.4 million and $5.7 million, respectively, to ouran existing Movie Tavern theatre division revenues and operating income during the Transition Period compared to the prior year comparable period.

Total theatre attendance at comparable theatres increased 18.2% during the Transition Period, including the additional week of operations, and 9.0%, excluding the additional week, compared to the prior year comparable period. The following table indicates our percentage change in comparable theatre attendance during each of the interim periods of the Transition Period compared to the same periods during the prior year. In addition, the table compares the percentage change in our Transition Period box office revenues (compared to the prior year comparable period) to the corresponding percentage change in the United States box office receipts during the same periods (as compiled by us from data received from Rentrak, a national box office reporting service for the theatre industry). For attendance comparison purposes, percentage change data noted for the last five weeks and total columns exclude the additional week of operations. For comparisons to the national box office, we added the 31st weekfirst quarter of fiscal 20152020. We did not add any new screens to our prior year comparable 30-week period box office revenues in order to compare the same number of weeks:

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Change TP v. PY
1st Qtr.2nd Qtr.5 WeeksTotal
Pct. change in Marcusexisting theatres or open any new theatres during fiscal 2018. We ceased managing one five-screen theatre attendance+12.8%-3.6%+31.3%+9.0%
Pct. change in Marcus box office revenues+16.6%-3.2%+37.9%+13.7%
Pct. change in U.S. box office revenues+10.1%-2.6%+34.5%+10.0%
  Marcus outperformance v. U.S.+6.5 pts-0.6 pts+3.4 pts+3.7 pts

We outperformed the industry during the Transition Period by nearly four percentage points. We believe our performance during the second quarter of the Transition Period was negatively impacted byfiscal 2018, and we lost one screen at a significant number of screens out of service for upgrades during the period. Despite the screens out of service, we would have outperformed the industryMarcus Wehrenberg theatre during the second quarter of fiscal 2018 in conjunction with a renovation that expanded the Transition Period if not for a difficult comparison for one particular week during the period. We believe that comparisons to that particular week in October were negatively impacted by the fact that there was not a Green Bay Packers game during that weekend in the prior year comparable period. In our largest revenue-generating state, Wisconsin, the timingsize of Packers football games can make a difference in weekly year-over-year comparisons. We believe this outperformance of others in the industry is attributable to the investments we have made in new features and amenities in select theatres and our implementation of innovative operating and marketing strategies that have increased attendance, including our $5 Tuesday promotion and our new customer loyalty program (all of which are described in the “Current Plans” section of this MD&A).two adjacent auditoriums.

 

Theatre attendance and corresponding box officeAdmission revenues vary significantly from quarter to quarter due to a variety of factors. As evidenced by the change in United States box office revenues, our Transition Period second quarter box office revenues and attendance were impacted by a weaker slate of movies compared to the prior yearat comparable period. We also believe a combination of several additional factors contributed to this decrease in attendance during the second quarter of the Transition Period. To position our theatre circuit to maximize the benefits of the release ofStar Wars: The Force Awakens in December 2015, we had an unprecedented number of screens out of service as we continued to make major upgrades to selected theatres. A total of 17 of our largest auditoriums were out of service for varying portions of the second quarter of the Transition Period as we increased the number ofUltraScreen DLX andSuperScreen DLX premium large format screens in our circuit. In addition, another 15 screens were out of service at selected theatres for varying portions of the second quarter of the Transition Period as we added our spacious DreamLounger electric all-recliner seating to additional theatres.

Conversely, a stronger slate of summer movies during the first quarter and the record performance ofStar Wars: The Force Awakens during the last five weeks of the Transition Period contributed to the significant improvement in attendance and box office performance during those periods compared to the same periods of the prior year. We also believe a combination of several additional factors contributed to this significant increase in attendance and our above-described industry outperformance. In addition to the $5 Tuesday promotion that continued to perform better than the prior year comparable period, our Transition Period attendance was favorably impacted by increased attendance at 14 theatres that have added our spacious new DreamLounger electric all-recliner seating during the past two and one-half years. We also believe that we were beginning to recognize the benefits of our previously-described customer loyalty program.

We believe that the most significant factor contributing to variations in theatre attendance during the Transition Period, as in other periods, was the quantity and quality of films released during the respective periods compared to the films released during the same periods of the prior year. Blockbusters accounted for an increased percentage of our total box office revenues during the Transition Period, with our top 15 performing films accounting for 58% of our Transition Period box office revenues compared to 50% during the comparable period of fiscal 2015. The following five top performing Transition Period films accounted for over 35%2020 through the date of the total box office revenues for our circuit:Star Wars: The Force Awakens,Jurassic World,Inside Out,Minions andThe Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2. The top two films on this list,Star Wars andJurassic World, are currently the #1 and #4 highest grossing domestic films of all time.

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The quantity of wide-release films shown in our theatres and number of wide-release films provided by the seven major studios did not change significantly during the Transition Period compared to the prior year comparable period. We played 70 wide-release films (including 17 digital 3D films) at our theatres during the Transition Period compared to 72 wide-release films (including 17 digital 3D films) during the prior year comparable period. In total, we played 145 films and 75 alternate content attractions at our theatres during the Transition Period compared to 143 films and 47 alternate content attractions during the prior year comparable period.

During the Transition Period, our average ticket price increased 3.5% compared to the prior year comparable period. The increase in average ticket price contributed approximately $2.9 million, or 27%, of the increase in our box office receipts during the Transition Period compared to the prior year comparable period, excluding the impact of the additional week of operations. The increase was partially attributable to modest price increases we implemented in mid-October 2014, particularly at our DreamLounger recliner seating locations. In addition, the fact that wereport have increased our number of premium large format (PLF) screens, with a corresponding price premium, also contributed to our increased average ticket price. The percentage of our total box office receipts attributable to 3D presentations also increased during the Transition Period compared to the prior year comparable period due primarily to a higher than average 3D performance from our top two films,Star Wars: The Force Awakensstrong week between December 27 andJurassic World, contributing to our higher average ticket price. The combination of the increase in our PLF screens New Year’s Day, and the impact of 3D pricing forStar Wars contributed to an increase in our average ticket price of 6.5% during the last five weeks of the Transition Period. Conversely, we believe that a change instronger January and February film product mix had a slight negative impact on our average ticket price during the Transition Period, as two of our top four films for the Transition Period were animated family movies (resulting in a higher percentage of lower-priced kids tickets sold, compared to more adult-oriented and R-rated films that typically result in a higher average ticket price).

Our average concession sales per person increased 10.7% during the Transition Periodslate compared to the prior year comparable period. Pricing, concession/foodyear. Snow and beverage product mix and film product mix areextreme cold in the three primary factors that impact our concession sales per person. Selected price increases introduced in mid-October 2014 and a change in concession product mix, including increased sales of higher priced non-traditional food and beverage items from our increasing number ofTake Five Lounges,Zaffiro’s Express andReel Sizzle outlets andBig Screen Bistros, were the primary reasons for our increased average concession sales per person during the Transition Period. In addition, the fact that two of our top four filmsMidwest during the first quarter of the Transition Period were animated family movies (fiscal 2019 likely also had a negative impact on admission revenues last year. In addition to December holdover films such asInside OutStar Wars: The Rise of Skywalker andMinionsJumanji: The Next Level), comparedfilms such as1917,Bad Boys For Life,DolittleandSonic the Hedgehog have contributed positively to a film slate duringour early fiscal 2020 results. Comparisons for the first quarterremainder of the comparable prior year period that was lacking inquarter may be negatively impacted by the strong family-oriented movies, also likely contributed to a larger (13.1%) increase in concession sales per person performance fromCaptain Marvelduring the first quarter of the Transition Period. These types of films typically result in stronger concession sales compared to more adult-oriented films. The increase in average concession sales per person contributed approximately $6.1 million, or approximately 56%, of the increase in our concession revenues for comparable theatres during the Transition Period compared to the prior year comparable period, excluding the impact of the additional week of operations.March 2019.

 

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Our theatre division’s operating margin increasedThe film slate for the remainder of fiscal 2020 is expected to 20.3%include a higher quantity of films and will likely be less dependent on major blockbusters. Whether a more diverse slate of films from multiple studios, without anAvengers orStar Wars movie, can match the box office performance of the Disney-centric franchise film line-up we experienced in fiscal 2019 is yet to be determined. Films that have potential to perform very well during the Transition Period, comparedremainder of fiscal 2020 includeOnward,A Quiet Place Part II,Mulan,Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway,No Time to 19.1%Die,Black Widow, Trolls: World Tour,Scoob!,The Spongebob Movie: Sponge On The Run,Fast & Furious 9, Wonder Woman 1984,Soul,Top Gun Maverick,In The Heights,Minions: The Rise Of Gru,Free Guy,Ghostbusters: Afterlife,Tenet,Jungle Cruise,Morbius, Bill & Ted Face The Music,The King’s Man,Venom 2,Death On The Nile,The Eternals,Raya and The Last Dragon,Godzilla vs. Kong,Dune,Coming To Americasequel,The Croods 2and West Side Story. Generally, an increase in the quantity of films released, particularly from the six major studios, increases the potential for more blockbusters in any given year. Our goal is to continue to outperform the prior year comparable period. Excludingindustry, but with the additional week of operations, our Transition Period theatre division operating margin actually decreased slightly to 18.7%. Increased attendance generally favorably impacts our operating margin, particularly because the increased attendance has the effect of increasing our high-margin concession revenues and because fixed expenses become a lower percentage of revenues. Conversely, the fact that a higher percentagemajority of our box office revenues were attributablerenovations now completed for our circuit, our ability to do so in any given quarter will likely be partially dependent upon film mix, weather, the competitive landscape in our highest grossing films contributed to higher film costs during the Transition Period, resulting in the decreased operating margin for the Transition Period after the additional week is excluded. Higher grossing blockbuster films historically have a higher film cost as a percentage of box office revenues than lower grossing filmsmarkets and therefore, our operating margin often is negatively impacted when we have a greater number of higher grossing films. In addition, if a greater portion of our concession revenues is the result of the sale of non-traditional food and beverage items that typically have a higher product cost compared to traditional concession items, operating margins may be negatively impacted to a small extent. Any such impact during the Transition Period was offset by the impact of our higher attendance. Other revenues, which include management fees, pre-show advertising income, family entertainment center revenues, surcharge revenues and gift card breakage income, also can impact operating margin. During the Transition Period, other revenues increased significantly compared to the prior year comparable period due to increased advertising income and significantly increased surcharge revenues (primarily as a result of advanced ticket sales forStar Wars: The Force Awakens).local sporting events.

 

As noted above, we openedfiscal 2020 will be a 53-week year, which began on December 27, 2019 and will end on December 31, 2020. We anticipate that our newestreported results for fiscal 2020 will benefit from the additional week of reported operations. In particular, the additional week of operations will most benefit our theatre division, as it includes the 12-screen Marcus Palace Cinema, on April 30, 2015. At the sametraditionally strong movie-going week between Christmas and New Year’s Day. The last time we closedhad an additional week of operations was during the Transition Period. Our additional 31st week of operations that year, which included a nearby 16-screennewStar Wars film, contributed approximately $14.4 million in additional revenues and $5.7 million in additional operating income to our final five-week period and Transition Period results for our theatre resultingdivision. Although there can be no assurance that we will realize similar benefits in a net decrease of four screens. The newfiscal 2020, it is important to note that our theatre is significantly outperforming the theatre it replaced, even with fewer screens, so weoperations in 2015 did not adjust any ofinclude our comparative numbers referenced earlier for the fact that we have fewer screens. We closed one six-screen budget-oriented theatre early in the second quarter of the Transition Period, and we closed one seven-screen budget-oriented theatre in early December 2015.

Fiscal 2015 versus Fiscal 2014two recent acquisitions.

 

Our theatre division fiscal 2015 revenues and operating income increased compared to the prior year due primarily to an increase in total theatre attendance at comparable theatres and our continued expansion of non-traditional food and beverage items in our theatres, partially offset by a decrease in our average ticket price. Despite the fact that our operating income and operating margin for fiscal 2015 were negatively impacted by $319,000 in impairment charges related to several closed theatres and approximately $950,000 of one-time preopening expenses related to the opening of new theatres and amenities, our fiscal 2015 revenues and operating income were records for this division. Our operating income and operating margin for fiscal 2014 were negatively impacted by approximately $475,000 of additional snow removal costs and $475,000 of additional heating costs, both as a result of unusually harsh winter weather that year.

Total theatre attendance increased 12.1% during fiscal 2015 compared to the prior year. The following table indicates our percentage change in comparable theatre attendance during each of the four quarters of fiscal 2015 compared to the same quarters during the prior year. In addition, the table compares the percentage change in our fiscal 2015 quarterly box office revenues (compared to the prior year) to the corresponding percentage change in the United States box office receipts during the same periods (as compiled by us from data received from Rentrak, a national box office reporting service for the theatre industry):

  Change F15 v. F14 
  1st Qtr.  2nd Qtr.  3rd Qtr.  4th Qtr.  Total 
                
Pct. change in Marcus theatre attendance  +9.9%  +25.6%  +7.5%  +9.8%  +12.1%
                     
Pct. change in Marcus box office revenues  -1.8%  +17.2%  +8.3%  +10.7%  +7.7%
Pct. change in U.S. box office revenues  -12.7%  +0.4%  +0.5%  +1.1%  -3.7%
  Marcus outperformance v. U.S.  +10.9 pts  +16.8 pts  +7.8 pts  +9.6 pts  +11.4 pts

We outperformed the industry during fiscal 2015 by more than 11 percentage points. Over three-fourths of our company-owned, first-run theatres outperformed the industry average during fiscal 2015. We believe this performance is attributable to the investments we have made in new features and amenities in select theatres and our implementation of innovative operating and marketing strategies that have increased attendance, including our $5 Tuesday promotion and our new customer loyalty program (all of which are described in the “Current Plans” section of this MD&A).

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Theatre attendance and corresponding box office revenues vary significantly from quarter to quarter due to a variety of factors. We rolled out our $5 Tuesday promotion to our entire circuit in mid-November 2013, so attendance comparisons to the prior year during our first and second quarters of fiscal 2015 significantly benefited from this program. Conversely, as evidenced by the change in United States box office revenues, our fiscal 2015 first quarter box office and attendance were impacted by a weaker slate of summer movies compared to the prior year. Moreover, with the United States box office declining 3.7% during our fiscal 2015, we believe we can conclude that the overall film slate during fiscal 2015 was weaker than fiscal 2014. The fact that we reported record revenues and operating income during fiscal 2015 in the face of this weaker film slate further accentuates the success of our previously described strategies.

We believe that the most significant factor contributing to variations in theatre attendance during fiscal 2015, as in other years, was the quantity and quality of films released during the respective quarters compared to the films released during the same quarters of the prior year. Blockbusters accounted for a slightly decreased percentage of our total box office revenues during fiscal 2015, with our top 15 performing films accounting for 38% of our fiscal 2015 box office revenues compared to 39% during fiscal 2014. We believe one of the reasons why blockbusters accounted for a slightly lower percentage of our total box office is because our $5 Tuesday program has increased movie-going frequency among our customers, which we believe benefited the next tier of films after the blockbusters. The following five top performing fiscal 2015 films accounted for over 18% of the total box office revenues for our circuit:American Sniper,Avengers: Age of Ultron,The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1,Furious 7 andGuardians of the Galaxy.

The quantity of wide-release films shown in our theatres and number of wide-release films provided by the seven major studios decreased during fiscal 2015. We played 113 wide-release films (including 25 digital 3D films) at our theatres during fiscal 2015 compared to 124 wide-release films (including 37 digital 3D films) during fiscal 2014. In total, we played 225 films and 80 alternate content attractions at our theatres during fiscal 2015 compared to 176 films and 51 alternate content attractions during fiscal 2014.

During fiscal 2015, our average ticket price decreased 3.9% compared to the prior year, attributable primarily to the introduction of our $5 Tuesday pricing promotion for all movies implemented during the second half of fiscal 2014. We do not believe that changes in film product mix had a significant impact on our average ticket price during fiscal 2014. In mid-October 2014, we introduced our first selected admission price increases to our theatres since April 2013, which favorably impacted our average ticket price during the third and fourth quarters of fiscal 2015. Our price increases were generally modest, as we continue to be sensitive to the favorable price-value proposition we have established, although we did increase some prices at our DreamLounger recliner seating locations by approximately $0.50-$0.75 per ticket during fiscal 2015. As a result, and after the $5 Tuesday promotion had been in place for a full year, our average ticket price increased 0.7% and 0.9% during the third and fourth quarters of fiscal 2015, respectively, compared to the third and fourth quarters of fiscal 2014. It should be noted that our Tuesday attendance continued to increase in our second year of the program, which likely has had the effect of reducing our average ticket price increases.

Our average concession sales per person increased 4.9% during fiscal 2015 compared to the prior year. Pricing, concession/food and beverage product mix and film product mix are the three primary factors that impact our concession sales per person. Selected price increases introduced in mid-October 2014 and a change in concession product mix, including increased sales of higher priced non-traditional food and beverage items from our increasing number ofTake Five Lounges,Zaffiro’s Express outlets andBig Screen Bistros, were the primary reasons for our increased average concession sales per person during fiscal 2015, partially offset by the impact of the $5 Tuesday free popcorn promotion described in the “Current Plans” section of this MD&A during the first two quarters of the year. After the $5 Tuesday promotion had been in place for a full year, our average concession sales per person increased 11.2% and 9.3% during the third and fourth quarters of fiscal 2015, respectively, compared to the third and fourth quarters of fiscal 2014. The fact that none of our top five films during fiscal 2015 were animated family movies, compared to three of our top five films during fiscal 2014 (Frozen,Despicable Me 2 andThe Lego® Movie), likely contributed to a smaller increase in concession sales per person during fiscal 2015, as these types of films typically result in stronger concession sales compared to more adult-oriented films. The increase in average concession sales per person contributed approximately $4.6 million, or approximately 31%, of the increase in our concession revenues for comparable theatres during fiscal 2015 compared to the prior year.

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Our theatre division’s operating margin increased to 19.9% during fiscal 2015, compared to 19.1% for fiscal 2014. Increased attendance generally favorably impacts our operating margin, particularly because the increased attendance has the effect of increasing our high-margin concession revenues and because fixed expenses become a lower percentage of revenues. Other revenues, which include management fees, pre-show advertising income, family entertainment center revenues and gift card breakage income, also can impact operating margin, although during fiscal 2015, other revenues were essentially even compared to the prior year. The fact that the percentage of our box office revenues attributable to our highest grossing films was relatively stable compared to the prior year meant that film costs during fiscal 2015 were also relatively stable as a percentage of box office revenues compared to the prior year, resulting in no impact on our fiscal 2015 margins compared to the prior year. Higher grossing blockbuster films historically have a higher film cost as a percentage of box office revenues than lower grossing films and, therefore, our operating margin often is negatively impacted when we have a greater number of higher grossing films. In addition, if a greater portion of our concession revenues is the result of the sale of non-traditional food and beverage items that typically have a higher product cost compared to traditional concession items, operating margins may be negatively impacted to a small extent. Any such impact during fiscal 2015 was offset by the impact of our higher attendance.

As noted above, we opened our newest theatre, the 12-screen Marcus Palace Cinema, on April 30, 2015. At the same time, we closed a nearby 16-screen theatre, resulting in a net decrease of four screens. The new theatre is significantly outperforming the theatre it replaced, even with less screens, so we did not adjust any of our comparative numbers referenced earlier for the fact that we have fewer screens.

Hotels and Resorts

 

The hotels and resorts division contributed: (i) 35.5%contributed 32.1% of our consolidated revenues and 13.7%11.6% of our consolidated operating income, excluding corporate items, during fiscal 2017,2019, compared to 39.6%36.8% and 16.9%12.3%, respectively, during fiscal 20162018 and 42.2%38.2% and 17.2%13.8%, respectively, during fiscal 2015C; (ii) 43.5% and 31.8%, respectively, during the Transition Period, compared to 48.1% and 34.7%, respectively, during the prior year comparable period; and (iii) 44.7% and 16.2%, respectively, during fiscal 2015, compared to 45.6% and 25.7%, respectively, during fiscal 2014.2017. As of December 28, 2017,26, 2019, the hotels and resorts division owned and operated three full-service hotels in downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin, a full-facilityfull-service destination resort in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin and full-service hotels in Madison, Wisconsin, Chicago, Illinois, Lincoln, Nebraska and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (we have a majority-ownership position in the Oklahoma City, Oklahoma hotel). In addition, the hotels and resorts division managed 1012 hotels, resorts and other properties for other owners. Included in the 1012 managed properties is one hotel owned by a joint venture in which we have a minority interest and two condominium hotels in which we own some or all of the public space. The following tables set forth revenues, operating income, operating margin and rooms data for the hotels and resorts division for fiscal 2017, fiscal 2016, the unaudited prior year comparable 53-week period ended December 31, 2015 (F2015C), the Transition Period (TP), the unaudited prior year comparable 30-week period ended December 25, 2014 (PY), and the prior twopast three fiscal years:

 

     Change F19 v. F18     Change F18 v. F17 
  F2019  F2018  Amt.  Pct.  F2017  Amt.  Pct. 
  (in millions, except percentages) 
Revenues $263.4  $259.9  $3.5   1.3% $249.6  $10.3   4.1%
Operating income $10.1  $12.5  $(2.4)  -19.5% $12.9  $(0.4)  -3.2%
Operating margin  3.8%  4.8%          5.2%        

Available rooms at period-end F2019  F2018  F2017 
Company-owned  2,627   2,629   2,629 
Management contracts with joint ventures  333   333   333 
Management contracts with condominium hotels  480   480   480 
Management contracts with other owners  1,945   1,833   1,399 
Total available rooms  5,385   5,275   4,841 

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     Change F17 v. F16     Change F16 v. F15C 
  F2017  F2016  Amt.  Pct.  F2015C  Amt.  Pct. 
  (in millions, except percentages) 
Revenues $220.9  $215.2  $5.7   2.6% $224.5  $(9.3)  -4.1%
Operating income $12.7  $14.6  $(1.9)  -12.7% $13.0  $1.6   12.0%
Operating margin  5.8%  6.8%          5.8%        

The following table provides a further breakdown of the components of revenues for the hotels and resorts division for the last three fiscal years:

 

     Change TP v. PY 
  TP  PY  Amt.  Pct. 
  (in millions, except percentages) 
Revenues $141.1  $135.0  $6.1   4.5%
Operating income $17.3  $14.7  $2.6   17.7%
Operating margin  12.3%  10.9%        

     Change F15 v. F14 
  F2015  F2014  Amt.  Pct. 
  (in millions, except percentages) 
Revenues $218.3  $204.1  $14.2   7.0%
Operating income $10.3  $16.1  $(5.8)  -35.8%
Operating margin  4.7%  7.9%        

Available rooms at period-end F2017  F2016  TP  F2015  F2014 
Company-owned  2,629   2,600   2,600   2,817   2,817 
Management contracts with joint ventures  333   611   683   683   611 
Management contracts with condominium hotels  480   480   480   480   480 
Management contracts with other owners  1,399   1,231   1,231   1,231   1,231 
Total available rooms  4,841   4,922   4,994   5,211   5,139 
     Change F19 v. F18     Change F18 v. F17 
  F2019  F2018  Amt.  Pct.  F2017  Amt.  Pct. 
  (in millions, except percentages) 
Room revenues $105.9  $108.8  $(2.9)  -2.7% $106.9  $1.9   1.8%
Food/beverage revenues  74.7   72.8   1.9   2.6%  70.6   2.2   3.0%
Other revenues  46.5   45.3   1.2   2.7%  43.4   1.9   4.6%
   227.1   226.9   0.2   0.1%  220.9   6.0   2.7%
Cost reimbursements  36.3   33.0   3.3   10.0%  28.7   4.3   15.0%
Total revenues $263.4  $259.9  $3.5   1.3% $249.6  $10.3   4.1%

 

Fiscal 20172019 versus Fiscal 20162018

 

Our hotels and resorts division revenues increased 2.6%1.3% during fiscal 20172019 compared to fiscal 20162018 due primarily to an increase in cost reimbursements, partially offset by the fact that the InterContinental Milwaukee was closed during the majority of the first six months of fiscal 2019 as it underwent a major renovation that converted this hotel into the Saint Kate. The newly renovated hotel reopened during the first week of June 2019 (although a portion of the rooms and food and beverage outlets did not fully open until later in the month). Excluding this hotel and cost reimbursements from managed properties, total revenues during fiscal 2019 increased by 2.6% compared to fiscal 2018, due primarily to increased room revenues and food and beverage revenues at our seven other owned hotels and resorts, as well as increased other revenues.

Room revenues decreased during fiscal 2019 compared to fiscal 2018 due entirely to the closing of the InterContinental Milwaukee and its reopening as the Saint Kate, partially offset by increased revenue per available room, or RevPAR, at our remaining seven company-owned hotels. Excluding the Saint Kate, room revenues during fiscal 2019 increased by 1.1% compared to fiscal 2018, despite the fact that our Hilton Madison hotel was undergoing a major renovation during the first half of fiscal 2019 that negatively impacted our overall room revenues. Food and beverage revenues increased during fiscal 2019 compared to fiscal 2018 despite having a closed hotel for most of the first half of fiscal 2019. Excluding the Saint Kate, food and beverage revenues during fiscal 2019 increased by 3.8% compared to fiscal 2018, due primarily to increased banquet and catering revenues, and despite the negative impact from our newSafeHouse restaurantHilton Madison hotel while it was under renovation. Other revenues increased during fiscal 2019 compared to fiscal 2018 due in part to increased management fees and bar in Chicago, Illinois that we opened on March 1, 2017, increased room revenues at the Grand Geneva Resort & Spa due to our addition of 29 new all-season villas in May 2017, increased room revenues at our other existing company-owned hotels, and increased other revenues from ourEscapeHouse Chicago and in-house web design and company-owned laundry businesses, partially offset by a small decrease in management fee revenues. Excluding theSafeHouse Chicago,EscapeHouse Chicago and management company revenues from both years, our comparable hotels and resorts revenuesfacility. Cost reimbursements also increased 1.6% during fiscal 20172019 compared to fiscal 2016.2018 due to an increase in the number of management contracts in this division.

 

Hotels and resorts division operating income and operating margin decreased by 12.7%19.5% and one1.0 percentage pointpoints (from 6.8%4.8% to 5.8%3.8%), respectively, during fiscal 20172019 compared to fiscal 20162018 due entirely to approximately $6.8 million of preopening expenses and initial startup operating losses related to the newSafeHouse Chicagoclosing and a reduction in profits from our management business (due in partconversion of the InterContinental Milwaukee into the Saint Kate. We also had approximately $1.1 million of additional depreciation and amortization attributable to a small one-time favorable adjustment during the prior year). Excluding these two items, operating income for our hotels and resorts divisionthis hotel during fiscal 2017 actually exceeded2019 due to the new investment made at this property. Our operating income during fiscal 20162018 was negatively impacted by preopening expenses of approximately $500,000 and accelerated depreciation expense of approximately $3.7 million also related to the Saint Kate conversion. Excluding this hotel from both years, our fiscal 2019 operating income would have improved by approximately $200,000,$1.2 million, or 1.7%7.6% ($17.4 million in fiscal 2019 compared to $16.2 million in fiscal 2018). Excluding these same items,Again excluding this hotel, our operating margin during both fiscal 2017 and fiscal 2016 was 5.3%. A small increase in revenue per available room for comparable hotels6.8% during fiscal 2017 contributed2019 compared to 6.5% during fiscal 2018. This same-hotel improvement can be attributed to increased revenues and a continued focus on cost controls and operating efficiency and was achieved despite the improvedfact that the renovation at the Hilton Madison hotel negatively impacted our operating results for comparable hotels.during fiscal 2019.

 

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Initial guest and community reaction to the new Saint Kate hotel has been very favorable. As an independent hotel, we expected that it would take a period of time for this hotel to ramp up, particularly with group business, and as a result our fiscal 2019 second half comparisons of Saint Kate to a stabilized branded hotel during the prior year were unfavorable. The Saint Kate is achieving a higher average daily room rate than the hotel it replaced and its food and beverage revenues are exceeding the previous hotel as well. We believe that over time, the new hotel will ultimately outperform the previous hotel.

 

The following table sets forth certain operating statistics, including our average occupancy percentage (number of occupied rooms as a percentage of available rooms), our average daily room rate or ADR,(“ADR”), and our total revenue per available room or RevPAR,(“RevPAR”), for company-owned properties:

 

       Change F17 v. F16        Change F19 v. F18 
Operating Statistics(1) F2017  F2016  Amt.  Pct.  F2019  F2018  Amt.  Pct. 
         
Occupancy percentage  74.4%  73.9%  0.5 pts  0.7%  73.6%  74.0%  -0.4pts  -0.5%
ADR $148.07  $147.67  $0.40   0.3% $154.42  $151.98  $2.44   1.6%
RevPAR $110.17  $109.16  $1.01   0.9% $113.65  $112.51  $1.14   1.0%

 

(1)These operating statistics represent averages of our comparable eightseven distinct company-owned hotels and resorts, branded and unbranded, in different geographic markets with a wide range of individual hotel performance. The statistics are not necessarily representative of any particular hotel or resort. The statistics exclude the former InterContinental Milwaukee hotel (now the Saint Kate), as this hotel was closed for the majority of the first half of fiscal 2019 and was not comparable to the prior year stabilized branded hotel during the second half of fiscal 2019.

 

RevPAR increased at fourfive of our eightseven comparable company-owned properties during fiscal 20172019 compared to fiscal 2016.2018. As noted above, our Hilton Madison hotel underwent a major renovation during the first half of fiscal 2019, negatively impacting our overall operating statistics. Excluding the Hilton Madison, our remaining six comparable company-owned hotels experienced a RevPAR increase of 2.4% during fiscal 2019 compared to fiscal 2018. According to data received from Smith Travel Research and compiled by us in order to analyze our fiscal 20172019 results, comparable “upper upscale” hotels throughout the United States experienced an increase in RevPAR of 0.6%1.0% during fiscal 2017.2019. Data received from Smith Travel Research for our various “competitive sets” – hotels identified in our specific markets that we deem to be competitors to our hotels – indicates that these hotels experienced a decreasean increase in RevPAR of 3.0%2.7% during fiscal 2017. We believe2019. As a result, excluding the Hilton Madison, our RevPAR increasesperformance during fiscal 20172019 exceeded the United States results by 0.3 percentage pointsnational averages and was in-line with our competitive set results by 3.9 percentage points partially due to our success replacing some of the decline in group business with an increase in non-group business. sets.

The following table sets forth the change in our average occupancy percentage, ADR and RevPAR for each quarterly period of fiscal 20172019 compared to fiscal 2016. For comparison purposes, all statistics exclude2018 (excluding the Hotel Phillips:InterContinental Milwaukee, which is now the Saint Kate):

 

 Change F17 v. F16 
 1st Qtr.  2nd Qtr.  3rd Qtr.  4th Qtr.  Change F19 v. F18 
          1st Qtr.  2nd Qtr.  3rd Qtr.  4th Qtr. 
Occupancy percentage  3.1 pts  -2.0 pts  -0.1 pts  0.9 pts  -1.3pts  0.4pts  -0.5pts  -0.3pts
ADR  -0.3%  1.1%  -0.4%  1.4%  0.1%  2.9%  1.2%  1.7%
RevPAR  4.4%  -1.5%  -0.4%  2.7%  -1.9%  3.4%  0.6%  1.3%

 

As indicated in the table above, our RevPAR performance was much stronger during the first and fourth quarters of fiscal 2017 comparedvaried from quarter to the second and third quarters of fiscal 2017,quarter, driven primarily by variations in group business during each quarter. If the Hilton Madison hotel is excluded from the first two quarters due to the renovation underway during those periods, our first quarter and second quarter RevPAR for our remaining six comparable company-owned hotels increased 2.6% and 5.4%, respectively during those periods compared to the prior year same periods. Our company-owned hotels, and in particular our largest hotels, derive a significant portion of their revenues from group business, and as a result, we are more susceptible to variations in RevPAR from quarter to quarter depending upon the strength of the group business market during that particular quarter. Group business also tends to have an impact on our food and beverage revenues as well, sincebecause groups are more likely to use our banquet and catering services during their stay. As indicated in the quarterly results above, reduced group business negatively impacted several of our hotels during the second and third quartersfirst quarter of fiscal 20172019 and increased group business favorably impacted several of our hotels during the firstsecond, third and fourth quarters of fiscal 20172019 compared to the same periods in fiscal 2016. A particular challenge2018. According to data received from Smith Travel Research and compiled by us in order to analyze our fiscal 2019 quarterly results, we outperformed our competitive sets during the second and fourth quarters of fiscal 2017 third quarter was a decrease in group sales productivity in which an unusually high number of groups contributed less actual rooms sold than were originally booked. We believe the reduced group occupancy2019 and underperformed our competitive sets during the secondfirst and third quarters of fiscal 2017 does not necessarily reflect a larger trend, but rather was related to difficult comparisons to the prior year during several months at those particular properties. We base that conclusion in part on the fact that, as of the date of this report, our group room revenue bookings for future periods in fiscal 2018 – something commonly referred to in the hotels and resorts industry as “group pace” – are ahead of our group room revenue bookings for future periods as of March 14, 2017. Banquet and catering revenue pace for fiscal 2018 is also currently ahead of where we were last year at this same time.2019.

 

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Our overall ADR increase incomparable hotel RevPAR growth of 1.0% during fiscal 20172019 compared to fiscal 2018 was partiallyentirely the result of an increase in our addition of 29 new all-season villas at the Grand Geneva Resort & Spa. These villas are generally higher-priced than other rooms at the Grand Geneva Resort & Spa. Conversely, due to the challengescomparable ADR. We experienced increases in group productivity during the fiscal 2017 third quarter, we elected to accept a lower ADR in some situations to obtain additional non-group business. In addition, during our fiscal 2017 first quarter, our focus was on increasing occupancy, often at the expense of ADR (it is generally more difficult to increase ADR during our slower winter season, as overall occupancy is at its lowest). As a result, only threeall four fiscal 2019 quarters and five of our eightseven comparable company-owned propertieshotels (including the Hilton Madison, but excluding the Saint Kate) reported increased ADR during fiscal 20172019 compared to fiscal 2016.

2018. Group business also has an impact on our ADR. Typically, when we have substantial blocks of rooms committed to group business, we are able to raise rates with non-group business. Our largest increase in ADR during fiscal 2019 – the second quarter – coincided with our largest increases in group business during the year. Conversely, leisure customers tend to be very loyal to online travel agencies, which is one of the reasons why we continue to experience some rate and margin pressure. While we have been selective in choosing the online portals to which we grant access to our inventory, such portals are part of the booking landscape today, and our goal is to use them in the most efficient way possible.

 

ManyNationally, the pace of RevPAR growth has been declining over the past several years and many published reports by those who closely follow the hotel industry suggest that the United States lodging industry will continue to achieve slow but steadyexperience very limited overall growth in RevPAR in calendar 2018. There also appears to be2020, with some recent improvement in sentiment regarding the possible positive impact that recent regulatory and tax reforms may have on our business customers, which may result in increased business travel in the future.markets possibly experiencing small declines. Whether the relatively positive trends in the lodging industry over the last several years will continue depends in large part on the economic environment, as hotel revenues have historically tracked very closely with traditional macroeconomic statistics such as the Gross Domestic Product.gross domestic product. We also continue to monitor hotel supply in our markets, as increased supply without a corresponding increase in demand may have a negative impact on our results.

 

We generally expect our favorablefuture revenue trends to continue in future periods and to track or exceed the overall industry trends, particularly in our respective markets. As noted above, weWe are encouraged by the fact that, our group booking pace as of the date of this report isAnnual Report on Form 10-K, our group room revenue bookings for future periods in fiscal 2020 – something commonly referred to in the hotels and resorts industry as “group pace” – are ahead of our group booking paceroom revenue bookings for future periods as of March 14, 2017. TheSafeHouse Chicago has now completed its firstthe same date last year. Banquet and catering revenue pace for fiscal 2020 is also currently ahead of where we were last year of operation and we expect to report continued improvement in that restaurant’s operating results during fiscal 2018. We also expect to see continued benefit in future periods from the new villas at the Grand Geneva Resort & Spa.this same time. Conversely, several of our markets, including Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Chicago, Illinois and Milwaukee, Wisconsin, have experienced an increase in room supply over the past several years that may be an impediment to any substantial increases in ADR in the near term. We believe that our hotels are less impacted by additional room supply than other hotelsMilwaukee will be hosting the Democratic National Convention in the markets insummer of 2020, which we compete, particularlybelieve will not only favorably impact fiscal 2020 results (group pace is up significantly for 2020), but has the potential to have a positive long-term impact on the overall market. We also expect our Milwaukee hotels to benefit in September 2020 from the Milwaukee market, duefact that a major golf tournament, The Ryder Cup, will be held one hour north of the city in large part to recent renovations that we have made to our hotels. The timing and possible disruption of business from our planned renovations at the InterContinental Milwaukee hotel and the Hilton Madison at Monona Terrace (asKohler, Wisconsin.

As discussed in the “Current Plans” section of this MD&A) may also&A, we currently anticipate beginning major renovations at The Pfister Hotel and Grand Geneva Resort & Spa late in fiscal 2020, with the majority of the work likely to be performed during fiscal 2021. We do not currently expect these renovations to have a slight negativeany significant impact on the results of those two hotelsfiscal 2020 operating results. We do expect favorable comparisons during fiscal 2018.

As2020 (compared to fiscal 2019 results) at the Hilton Madison, now that renovations are complete, and the Saint Kate, as it will be open all year and should experience operating improvements as market awareness of this new hotel continues to increase. Additionally, as noted above, fiscal 2020 will be a 53-week year. The last time we continue to increase our visibility as a national hotel management company, we believe that onehad an additional week of our major strengths is the established infrastructure we bring to hotel owners and developers. This includes our highly-regarded web development team that has produced nationally recognized websites, mobile apps and social media campaigns. Late in our fiscal 2016 first quarter, we established a new business unit named Graydient Creative that focuses on extending this experience to other companies in the hospitality, retail, theatre and entertainment industries and we expect to see continued growth in this business during fiscal 2018. In addition,operations was during our fiscal 2016 fourth quarter, we expanded the capacityTransition Period. Our additional 31st week of operations that year contributed approximately $3.0 million in additional revenues and $700,000 in additional operating income to our wholly-owned laundry facility, Wisconsin Hospitality Linen Service (WHLS), to increase our ability to provide laundry services to a growing number of hotelsfinal five-week period and other hospitality businesses seeking to out-source these services and we expect to continue to grow that business as well. We include the results of Graydient Creative and WHLS in our reportedTransition Period results for our hotels and resorts division. There can be no assurance that we will realize similar benefits in fiscal 2020.

 

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DuringOur hotels and resorts division operating results during fiscal 2017,2019 benefited from three management contracts added during fiscal 2018 – the Murieta Inn and Spa in Rancho Murieta, California (added January 2018), along with the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel El Paso Downtown (added April 2018) and Courtyard by Marriott El Paso Downtown/Convention Center(added August 2018), both in El Paso, Texas. In addition, on April 1, 2019, we ceasedassumed management of the Sheraton Madison HotelHyatt Regency Schaumburg hotel in Madison,Schaumburg, Illinois. Conversely, in May 2019, we ceased managing the Heidel House Resort & Spa in Green Lake, Wisconsin, and sold our 15% minority ownership interest inafter the owners of this resort decided to close this property for a gain of approximately $300,000.permanently. Early in our fiscal 2019 third quarter, the fourth quarterowners of fiscal 2017, we ceased management of The Westin® Atlanta Perimeter North in Atlanta, Georgia and sold our 11% minority interest in the property for a substantial gain of approximately $4.9 million. Conversely, during fiscal 2017, we began managing the new Omaha Marriott Downtown at The Capitol District hotel in Omaha, Nebraska and the Sheraton Chapel Hill Hotel in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. In January 2018, we assumedCarolina sold the hotel, and as a result our contract to manage this hotel was terminated. The loss of these management contracts has partially offset the benefits of the newly-opened Murieta Innnew management contracts described above. As of the date of this filing, our current portfolio of hotels and Spa in Rancho Murieta, California. As a result, absent significant additional additions or subtractions from ourresorts includes 20 owned and managed hotel portfolio (which we have none presently), we do not expect these changes to our outside management fees to have a significant impact on our fiscal 2018 financial results.properties across the country.

 

As discussed in the “Current Plans” section of this MD&A, we are considering a number of potential growth opportunities that may impact fiscal 20182020 operating results. IfIn addition, if we were to sell one or more hotels during fiscal 2018,2020, our fiscal 20182020 operating results could be significantly impacted. The extent of any such impact will likely depend upon the timing and nature of the growth opportunity (pure management contract, management contract with equity, joint venture investment, or other opportunity) or divestiture (management retained, equity interest retained, etc.).

 

In October 2017, Joe Khairallah submitted his resignationDuring our fiscal 2020 first quarter, Michael R. Evans joined us as division President and Chief Operating Officerthe new president of Marcus Hotels & Resorts. Mr. Evans is a proven lodging industry executive with more than 20 years of experience in the hospitality industry with companies such as Marriott International, Inc. and MGM Resorts International. We believe that Mr. Evan’s proven development, operating and leadership experience and strong roots in the hospitality industry make him extremely qualified to pursue global opportunities. We are grateful for his contributionsbuild on our hotels and resorts division’s long history of success. Prior to our company during the past four years.Mr. Evans joining us, Greg Marcus, our Presidentpresident and Chief Executive Officer, haschief executive officer, had assumed operational oversight of this division and served as we evaluateacting-president of our future leadership needs,hotels and resorts division during fiscal 2019, supported by a strong and experienced senior leadership team.

Fiscal 2016 versus Fiscal 2015C

Our hotels and resorts division revenues decreased 4.1% during fiscal 2016 compared to fiscal 2015C due to the negative impact on total revenues resulting from our sale of the Hotel Phillips in October 2015, the fact that fiscal 2015C included an additional week of operations and decreased food and beverage revenues at our remaining company-owned hotels, partially offset by increased room revenues at our remaining eight company-owned hotels. The additional week of operations contributed approximately $3.4 million to our hotels and resorts division revenues during fiscal 2015C. The fact that fiscal 2016 ended on December 29 and did not include New Year’s Eve, which is historically a strong holiday for many of our hotels, while fiscal 2015C included two New Year’s Eves in its 53-week year, contributed to the decline in food and beverage revenues during fiscal 2016. Conversely, our acquisition of theSafeHouse restaurant in June 2015 favorably impacted hotels and resorts division food and beverage revenues during fiscal 2016 as compared to fiscal 2015C. Excluding theSafeHouse from both years and the Hotel Phillips and additional week of operations from fiscal 2015C, our comparable hotels and resorts revenues increased 0.4% during fiscal 2016 compared to fiscal 2015C.

Hotels and resorts division operating income and operating margin increased by 12.0% and one percentage point (from 5.8% to 6.8%), respectively, during fiscal 2016 compared to fiscal 2015C due primarily to strong cost controls, increased revenue per available room for comparable hotels during fiscal 2016, the fact that fiscal 2015C included a $2.6 million impairment charge related to one specific hotel and from the fact that, during the majority of the first half of fiscal 2015C, our AC Hotel Chicago Downtown was undergoing a major renovation and was operating without a brand. Conversely, comparisons of fiscal 2016 operating income and operating margin from our hotels and resorts division to fiscal 2015C operating income and operating margin were unfavorably impacted by decreased food and beverage revenues at our remaining company-owned hotels, the fact that fiscal 2015C included an additional week of operations, and the negative impact on total operating income resulting from our sale of the Hotel Phillips in October 2015, along with subsequent legal expenses in fiscal 2016 related to a dispute with the city of Kansas City regarding our right to receive future tax incremental funding proceeds generated by that hotel. The additional week of operations contributed approximately $500,000 to our hotels and resorts division operating income during fiscal 2015C. Excluding theSafeHouse and Hotel Phillips from both years, as well as the additional week of operations and the aforementioned impairment charge from fiscal 2015C, our comparable hotels and resorts division operating income increased 7.1% during fiscal 2016 compared to fiscal 2015C. Excluding these same items, our operating margin during fiscal 2016 was 7.4% compared to an operating margin of 6.9% during fiscal 2015C. Our strong cost controls during fiscal 2016 are evidenced by the fact that approximately 131% of our revenue increase during fiscal 2016 compared to fiscal 2015C flowed through to our operating income during fiscal 2016 (after adjusting for the items noted above), compared to a 50% flow through that we typically target.

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The following table sets forth certain operating statistics, including our average occupancy percentage, our ADR, and our RevPAR, for company-owned properties:

  Change F16 v. F15C 
Operating Statistics(1) F2016  F2015C  Amt.  Pct. 
             
Occupancy percentage  73.9%  73.1%  0.8 pts  1.1%
ADR $147.67  $144.93  $2.74   1.9%
RevPAR $109.16  $105.93  $3.23   3.0%

(1)These operating statistics represent averages of our comparable eight distinct company-owned hotels and resorts, branded and unbranded, in different geographic markets with a wide range of individual hotel performance. The statistics are not necessarily representative of any particular hotel or resort.

RevPAR increased at seven of our eight comparable company-owned properties during fiscal 2016 compared to fiscal 2015C. According to data received from Smith Travel Research and compiled by us in order to analyze our fiscal 2016 results, comparable “upper upscale” hotels throughout the United States experienced an increase in RevPAR of 2.0% during fiscal 2016. Data received from Smith Travel Research for our various “competitive sets” – hotels identified in our specific markets that we deem to be competitors to our hotels – indicates that these hotels experienced an increase in RevPAR of 1.5% during fiscal 2016. We believe our RevPAR increases during fiscal 2016 exceeded the United States results and competitive set results partially due to our continued emphasis on increasing our ADR, as described below, partially offset by room supply growth in certain of our markets and a difficult economic environment in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, as a result of reduced oil prices. The following table sets forth the change in our average occupancy percentage, ADR and RevPAR for each quarterly period of fiscal 2016 compared to fiscal 2015C. For comparison purposes, all statistics exclude the Hotel Phillips:

  Change F16 v. F15C 
  1st Qtr.  2nd Qtr.  3rd Qtr.  4th Qtr. 
             
Occupancy percentage  2.2 pts  1.8 pts  -   -1.1 pts
ADR  1.0%  4.4%  2.6%  -1.2%
RevPAR  4.4%  6.9%  2.7%  -2.6%

As indicated in the table above, our RevPAR performance was much stronger during the first half of fiscal 2016 compared to the second half of fiscal 2016, driven primarily by increased group and transient business during the first two quarters of the year. Unfortunately, reduced group business negatively impacted several of our hotels during the third and fourth quarters of fiscal 2016 and resulted in a corresponding reduction in food and beverage revenues during the second half of fiscal 2016 compared to the second half of fiscal 2015C. We believe the second half of fiscal 2016 may have been impacted by uncertainty regarding the presidential election and concerns about the economic environment. We also believe the reduced group occupancy during the second half of fiscal 2016 was related to difficult comparisons to the prior year during several months at those particular properties.

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Our overall ADR increase in fiscal 2016 was the direct result of a strategy at several hotels to emphasize rate, occasionally at the expense of occupancy. The additional group business at several of our hotels during the first half of fiscal 2016 allowed us to increase rates for the remaining available rooms and reduce the number of rooms occupied at discounted rates. As a result, six of our eight comparable company-owned properties reported increased ADR during fiscal 2016 compared to fiscal 2015C. Our overall ADR increases during fiscal 2016 were impacted, however, by reduced group business during the third and fourth quarters of fiscal 2016 compared to the third and fourth quarters of fiscal 2015C, resulting in only four of our eight company-owned properties reporting increased ADR during the second half of fiscal 2016, as we increased the number of rooms occupied at discounted rates during that period.

We completed a renovation of The Skirvin Hilton hotel in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, which included all of the guest rooms and key public spaces, during the third quarter of fiscal 2016. Operating results at this hotel were negatively impacted by the disruption during the renovation. The AC Hotel Chicago Downtown completed its second year of operation and achieved increased operating performance during fiscal 2016 compared to fiscal 2015C.

As we continue to increase our visibility as a national hotel management company, we believe that one of our major strengths is the established infrastructure we bring to hotel owners and developers. This includes our highly-awarded web development team that has produced nationally recognized websites, mobile apps and social media campaigns. Late in our fiscal 2016 first quarter, we established a new business unit named Graydient Creative that focuses on extending this experience to other companies in the hospitality, retail, theatre and entertainment industries. In addition, during our fiscal 2016 fourth quarter, we expanded the capacity of our wholly-owned laundry facility, Wisconsin Hospitality Linen Service (WHLS), to increase our ability to provide laundry services to a growing number of hotels and other hospitality businesses seeking to out-source these services. We include the results of Graydient Creative and WHLS in our reported results for our hotels and resorts division.

In June 2015, we purchased theSafeHouse in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, adding another restaurant to our portfolio. The addition of this spy-themed Milwaukee restaurant to our operating results contributed to our increased food and beverage revenues during fiscal 2016 compared to fiscal 2015C, partially offset by the fact that the restaurant was closed for a portion of the fiscal 2016 first quarter for a renovation. During the fourth quarter of fiscal 2016, we began construction on a newSafeHouse location in Chicago, Illinois and opened theEscapeHouse Chicago, a complimentary business capitalizing on the popularity of team escape games.

During fiscal 2016, we ceased management of The Hotel Zamora and Castile Restaurant in St. Pete Beach, Florida and sold all but 0.49% of our 10% minority ownership interest in the property. We have agreed to sell the remaining interest during the next several years. These events did not significantly impact our financial results during fiscal 2016.

Transition Period versus Prior Year Comparable Period

Our hotels and resorts division revenues, operating income and operating margin increased during the Transition Period compared to the prior year comparable 30-week period due primarily to an increase in food and beverage revenues, an increase in our average daily rate, strong cost controls and the additional week of operations included in our Transition Period results compared to the prior year comparable period. The additional week of operations contributed approximately $3.0 million and $700,000, respectively, to our hotels and resorts division revenues and operating income during the Transition Period compared to the prior year comparable period. Conversely, hotels and resorts division revenues and operating income during the Transition Period were negatively impacted by the sale of the Hotel Phillips in October 2015.

The following table sets forth certain operating statistics, including our average occupancy percentage, our ADR, and our RevPAR, for company-owned properties. For comparison purposes, all statistics for the Transition Period exclude the additional week of operations:

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        Change TP v. PY 
Operating Statistics(1) TP  PY  Amt.  Pct. 
             
Occupancy percentage  77.3%  78.2%  -0.9 pts  -1.2%
ADR $153.54  $150.00  $3.54   2.4%
RevPAR $118.70  $117.35  $1.35   1.2%

(1)These operating statistics represent averages of our comparable eight distinct company-owned hotels and resorts, branded and unbranded, in different geographic markets with a wide range of individual hotel performance. The statistics are not necessarily representative of any particular hotel or resort.

RevPAR increased at six of our eight comparable company-owned properties during the Transition Period compared to the prior year comparable period. According to data received from Smith Travel Research and compiled by us in order to analyze our Transition Period results, comparable “upper upscale” hotels throughout the United States experienced an increase in RevPAR of 3.6% during the Transition Period. Data received from Smith Travel Research for our various “competitive sets” – hotels identified in our specific markets that we deem to be competitors to our hotels – indicates that these hotels experienced an increase in RevPAR of 3.1% during the Transition Period. We believe our RevPAR increases during the Transition Period do not match the United States results and competitive set results because of room supply growth in certain of our markets, the fact that our properties are predominately in Midwestern markets that have not experienced the greater ADR increases prevalent in larger cities in other areas of the country, and particularly difficult comparisons during the first quarter of our Transition Period. The following table sets forth the change in our average occupancy percentage, ADR and RevPAR for each interim period of the Transition Period. For comparison purposes, all statistics exclude the Hotel Phillips and the additional week of operations:

  Change TP v. PY 
  1st Qtr.  2nd Qtr.  5 Weeks 
          
Occupancy percentage  -3.3 pts  -0.8 pts  0.9 pts
ADR  2.9%  3.4%  0.7%
RevPAR  -1.0%  2.4%  2.4%

We believe our RevPAR increase during the Transition Period compared to the prior year comparable period was negatively impacted by reduced occupancy from our group business customer segment in the first quarter of the Transition Period. We believe the reduced group occupancy, primarily at two of our more group-oriented hotels, was related to difficult comparisons to the prior year during the months of June and July at those particular properties. We base that conclusion on the fact that our overall business improved significantly later in the summer and into the remaining months of the Transition Period.

An increase in our ADR offset our occupancy percentage declines during the Transition Period compared to the comparable prior year period. We believe one of the best ways to increase our operating margins is to increase our ADR, and we continued to actively pursue that strategy during the Transition Period, even at the expense of reduced occupancy percentages in some cases. Our rebranded AC Hotel Chicago Downtown is an example of this strategy, as we continued to see significant increases in ADR at that property during the Transition Period. In addition, during the Transition Period, we made a decision at our largest revenue property, the Grand Geneva Resort & Spa, to focus on growing total hotel revenues through bookings that generate a higher ancillary spend, meaning that we sacrificed some room revenue dollars to achieve higher total spend throughout the resort. This particular strategy contributed to our increase in food and beverage revenues during the Transition Period compared to the prior year comparable period. Five of our eight comparable company-owned and operated hotels reported increased ADR during the Transition Period compared to the prior year comparable period.

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The lodging industry continued to generally perform at a steady pace during the Transition Period. With the exception of group business during the first two months of the Transition Period described above, all major segments of our customer base – leisure travel, non-group business travel and group – remained relatively strong. As noted previously, leisure customers tend to be very loyal to online travel agencies, which is one of the reasons why we continued to experience some rate pressure.

During the first quarter of the Transition Period, we purchased theSafeHouse in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, adding another restaurant to our portfolio. The addition of this spy-themed Milwaukee restaurant to our operating results contributed to our increased food and beverage revenues during the Transition Period.

Fiscal 2015 versus Fiscal 2014

Our hotels and resorts division revenues increased during fiscal 2015 compared to the prior year due primarily to higher occupancy rates at our comparable hotels and an increase in food and beverage revenues during fiscal 2015 compared to the prior year. Conversely, hotels and resorts division operating income during fiscal 2015 was negatively impacted by increased depreciation and a $2.6 million impairment charge related to one specific hotel. In addition, the removal of our former Four Points by Sheraton brand at our downtown Chicago hotel and commencement of a major renovation to convert this hotel into one of the first AC Hotels by Marriott in the United States resulted in disruption in room reservations and rooms out of service during the last three quarters of fiscal 2015, contributing to our overall reduced operating income during fiscal 2015.

The following table sets forth certain operating statistics, including our average occupancy percentage, our ADR, and our RevPAR, for company-owned properties:

        Change F15 v. F14 
Operating Statistics(1) F2015  F2014  Amt.  Pct. 
             
Occupancy percentage  74.8%  72.1%  2.7 pts  3.7%
ADR $140.47  $139.72  $0.75   0.5%
RevPAR $105.10  $100.81  $4.29   4.3%

(1)These operating statistics represent averages of our comparable nine distinct company-owned hotels and resorts, branded and unbranded, in different geographic markets with a wide range of individual hotel performance. The statistics are not necessarily representative of any particular hotel or resort.

RevPAR increased at seven of our nine comparable company-owned properties during fiscal 2015 compared to the prior year. Excluding our Chicago hotel, which experienced significant disruption during its major renovation, RevPAR increased 5.9% during fiscal 2015 compared to the prior year. According to data received from Smith Travel Research and compiled by us in order to analyze our fiscal year results, comparable “upper upscale” hotels throughout the United States experienced an increase in RevPAR of 6.9% during our fiscal 2015. We believe our RevPAR increases during fiscal 2015 do not match the United States results because our properties are predominately in Midwestern markets that have not experienced the higher ADR increases more prevalent in larger cities in other areas of the country, such as New York and San Francisco. In fact, data received from Smith Travel Research for our various “competitive sets” – hotels identified in our specific markets that we deem to be competitors to our hotels – indicates that these hotels experienced an increase in RevPAR of 5.3% during our fiscal 2015. Based upon that data, and excluding our Chicago hotel, our hotels collectively outperformed their respective markets during fiscal 2015. Room demand continued to be strong overall, but inconsistent demand from the group business segment and the onset of construction at our Chicago hotel during the second quarter of fiscal 2015 contributed to variations in our results by quarter, as evidenced by the table below:

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  Change F15 v. F14 
  1st Qtr.  2nd Qtr.  3rd Qtr.  4th Qtr. 
             
Occupancy percentage  3.7 pts  3.6 pts  1.4 pts  1.9 pts
ADR  1.9%  -0.5%  -0.6%  1.8%
RevPAR  6.5%  4.3%  1.8%  3.3%

The lodging industry continued to recover at a steady pace during our fiscal 2015. Our overall occupancy rates again showed improvement during fiscal 2015 compared to the prior year and, in fact, continued to be at record levels for this division, significantly higher than they were prior to the recession-driven downturn in the hotel industry. However, one of the biggest challenges facing our hotels and resorts division, and the industry as a whole, has been the overall decline in ADR compared to pre-recession levels, particularly in our geographic markets. Our ADR during fiscal 2015 was still approximately 2.4% below pre-recession fiscal 2008 levels. We believe our ADR decreases during the second and third quarters of fiscal 2015 and relatively small overall increase in ADR during fiscal 2015 resulted from several factors, including the removal of our brand at our Chicago hotel for the last two quarters of the year, a conscious decision to spur demand at several of our winter-weather affected properties by lowering ADR during our third quarter, and the impact of increased supply in our Milwaukee, Wisconsin and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma markets.

Leisure travel remained strong during fiscal 2015, although leisure customers tend to be very loyal to online travel agencies, which is one of the reasons why we continued to experience rate pressure. Non-group business travel was also strong during fiscal 2015. Group business continued to be the customer segment experiencing the slowest recovery during fiscal 2015. However, strong group business during the first quarter of fiscal 2015 contributed to our 8%-9% increases in ADR at selected hotels compared to the prior-year first quarter.

The above-described change in our RevPAR mix had the effect of limiting our ability to rapidly increase our operating margins during the ongoing United States economic recovery. Operating costs traditionally increase as occupancy increases, which usually negatively impacts our operating margins until we begin to also achieve significant improvements in our ADR.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

 

Liquidity

 

Our theatre and hotels and resorts divisions each generate significant and relatively consistent daily amounts of cash, subject to seasonality described above, because each segment’s revenue is derived predominantly from consumer cash purchases. We believe that these relatively consistent and predictable cash sources, as well as the availability of $91$139 million of unused credit lines at the end of fiscal 2017,2019, are adequate to support the ongoing operational liquidity needs of our businesses during fiscal 2018.2020.

 

On June 16, 2016,January 9, 2020, we enteredreplaced our then existing $225 million credit agreement by entering into a new five-year $225 million credit agreement among us and several banks, including JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as Administrative Agent, and U.S. Bank National Association, as Syndication Agent (the “Credit Agreement”)., and we intend to use borrowings under the Credit Agreement for general corporate purposes. The Credit Agreement provides for a revolving credit facility that matures on June 16, 2021January 9, 2025 with an initial maximum aggregate amount of availability of $225 million. Availability under the revolving credit facility is reduced by outstanding commercial paper borrowings (none as of December 28, 2017) and outstanding letters of credit ($3.7 million as of December 28, 2017). We may request to increase the aggregate amount of availability under the Credit Agreement by an aggregate amount of up to $125 million by increasing the revolving credit facility and/or term loan commitments under the Credit Agreement, including by the addition ofadding one or more tranches of term loans, by an aggregate amount of up to $75 million, subject to certain conditions, which include, among other things, the absence of any default or event of default or material adverse effect under the Credit Agreement.

 

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Under the Credit Agreement, we have agreed to pay a facility fee, payable quarterly, equal to 0.15%0.125% to 0.25%0.250% of the total commitment, depending on our consolidated debt to total capitalization ratio, as defined in the Credit Agreement. BorrowingsCertain borrowings, such as ABR borrowings, under the revolving credit facility bear interest, payable no less frequently than quarterly, at a rate equal to (a) LIBOR plus a specified margin between 0.85% and 1.375% (based on our consolidated debt to total capitalization ratio) or (b) anthe alternate base rate, (which is the greatest of (i) the Administrative Agent’s prime rate, (ii) the federal funds rate plus 0.50% or (iii) the sum of 1% plus one-month LIBOR) plus a margin (based upon our consolidated debt to capitalization ratio) specifiedas defined in the Credit Agreement, plus the applicable rate, as defined in the Credit Agreement. Other borrowings, such as Eurodollar borrowings, under the revolving credit facility bear interest at a rate equal to the adjusted LIBO rate for the interest period, as defined in the Credit Agreement, plus the applicable rate.

 

The Credit Agreement contains various restrictions and covenants applicable to The Marcus Corporation and certain of our subsidiaries. Among other requirements, the Credit Agreement limits the amount of priority debt, (asas defined in the Credit Agreement)Agreement, held by our restricted subsidiaries to no more than 20% of our consolidated total capitalization, (asas defined in the Credit Agreement),Agreement, limits our permissible consolidated debt to total capitalization ratio to a maximum of 0.55 to 1.0 and requires us to maintain a minimum fixed charge coverage ratio (consolidated adjusted cash flow to consolidated interest and rental expense) of 3.0 to 1.0, as defined in the Credit Agreement.

 

As of December 28, 2017, we were in compliance with the financial covenants set forth in the Credit Agreement. As of December 28, 2017, our consolidated debt to total capitalization ratio was 0.41 and our fixed charge coverage ratio was 5.9. We expect to be able to meet the financial covenants contained in the Credit Agreement during the remainder of fiscal 2018.

On December 21, 2016, we entered into a Note Purchase Agreement (the “Note Purchase Agreement”) with the several purchasers party to the Note Purchase Agreement, pursuant to which we issued and sold $50 million in aggregate principal amount of our 4.32% Senior Notes due February 22, 2027 (the “Notes”) in a private placement exempt from the registration requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. The sale and purchase of the Notes occurred on February 22, 2017. We used the net proceeds of the sale of the Notes to repay outstanding indebtedness and for general corporate purposes.

Interest on the Notes is payable semi-annually in arrears on the twenty-second day of February and August in each year and at maturity, commencing on August 22, 2017. The entire outstanding principal balance of the Notes will be due and payable on February 22, 2027.

The Note Purchase Agreement contains various restrictions and covenants applicable to The Marcus Corporation and certain of our subsidiaries. Among other requirements, the Note Purchase Agreement limits the amount of priority debt (as defined in the Note Purchase Agreement) for which we or our restricted subsidiaries are obligated to 20% of consolidated total capitalization (as defined in the Note Purchase Agreement), limits consolidated debt (as defined in the Note Purchase Agreement) to 65% of consolidated total capitalization (as defined in the Note Purchase Agreement) and requires us to maintain a minimum ratio of consolidated operating cash flow (as defined in the Note Purchase Agreement) to fixed charges (as defined in the Note Purchase Agreement) for each period of four consecutive fiscal quarters (determined as of the last day of each fiscal quarter) of 2.50 to 1.00.

As of December 28, 2017, the ratio of: (a) consolidated debt (as defined in the Note Purchase Agreement) to consolidated total capitalization (as defined in the Note Purchase Agreement) was 0.41; and (b) consolidated operating cash flow (as defined in the Note Purchase Agreement) to fixed charges (as defined in the Note Purchase Agreement) was 6.0. We expect to be able to meet the financial covenants contained in the Note Purchase Agreement during fiscal 2018.

The majority of our other long-term debt consists of senior notes and mortgages with annual maturities of $12.0$9.9 million and $10.0$11.0 million in fiscal 20182020 and 2019,2021, respectively. A $24.2 million mortgage due in 2017 was replaced with a new $15.0 million mortgage

The Credit Agreement and borrowings under our revolving credit facility in January 2017. A $16.1 million mortgage due in 2017 was extended in December 2017. Thethe senior notes impose various financial covenants applicable to The Marcus Corporation and certain of our subsidiaries. As of December 28, 2017,the date of this filing, we wereare in compliance with all of the financial covenants imposed by the Credit Agreement and the senior notes, and we expect to be able to meet thesuch financial covenants imposed byduring the senior notes duringremainder of fiscal 2018.2020.

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Financial Condition

Fiscal 20172019 versus Fiscal 20162018

 

Net cash provided by operating activities totaled $109.0$141.5 million during fiscal 20172019 compared to $82.7$137.4 million during fiscal 2016,2018, an increase of $26.3$4.1 million, or 31.9%3.0%. The increase in net cash provided by operating activities was due primarily to increased net earnings and depreciation and amortization and deferred income taxes and the favorable timing in the payment of accounts payable taxes other than income and other accrued liabilities,in fiscal 2019, partially offset by a reduction in deferred taxes,reduced net earnings and the unfavorable timing in the collection of accounts and notes receivable and in the payment of income taxes and accrued compensation.in fiscal 2019.

 

Net cash used in investing activities during fiscal 20172019 totaled $100.2$93.9 million compared to $128.6$59.3 million during fiscal 2016, a decrease2018, an increase of $28.4$34.6 million, or 22.0%58.5%. The decreaseincrease in net cash used in investing activities was primarily the result of the purchase of$30.1 million cash consideration in the Wehrenberg theatres during fiscal 2016, partially offset by increasedMovie Tavern acquisition and an increase in capital expenditures. We did not incur any acquisition-related capital expenditures during fiscal 2017 compared to fiscal 2016. Increased proceeds from the disposals of property, equipment and other assets and the sale of interests in joint ventures during fiscal 2017 were offset by a significantly smaller decrease in restricted cash during fiscal 2017 compared to fiscal 2016. When we sold the Hotel Phillips in October 2015, the majority of the cash proceeds were held by an intermediary in conjunction with an anticipated Internal Revenue Code §1031 like-kind exchange, where we planned to subsequently purchase other real estate to defer the related tax gain on the sale of the hotel. During fiscal 2016, we successfully reinvested the proceeds in additional real estate within the prescribed time period, and we received the cash held by the intermediary, which resulted in a significant reduction of restricted cash. Proceeds from disposals of property, equipment and other assets of $4.5 million and sale of interests in joint ventures of $6.7 million during fiscal 2017 included proceeds from the sale of two hotel joint ventures, two former theatres, two parcels of excess land at theatre locations and our interest in Movietickets.com. We also sold a partial interest in a joint venture during fiscal 2016 (the Hotel Zamora, St. Pete Beach, Florida), which reduced our net cash used in investing activities during fiscal 2016.2018.

 

Total cash capital expenditures (including normal continuing capital maintenance and renovation projects) totaled $114.8$64.1 million during fiscal 20172019 compared to $83.6$58.7 million during fiscal 2016,2018, an increase of $31.2$5.4 million, or 37.3%9.2%. We incurred capital expenditures of $23.8approximately $3.3 million and $27.9 million,$600,000, respectively, during fiscal 20172019 and fiscal 20162018 related to real estate purchases and development costs of threeone new theatres, one of which opened during the fourth quarter of fiscal 2016 and two of whichtheatre that opened during fiscal 2017.2019. We did not incur any capital expenditures related to developing new hotels during either period. We incurred approximately $93.7$31.5 million and $68.8$43.6 million, respectively, of capital expenditures during fiscal 20172019 and fiscal 20162018 in our theatre division, including the aforementioned costs associated with constructing a new theatres,theatre, as well as costs associated with the addition of DreamLounger recliner seating, ourTake Five Lounge, andZaffiro’s Express andReel Sizzle food and beverage concepts, andUltraScreen DLX andSuperScreen DLX premium large format screens at selected theatres, each as described in the “Current Plans” section of this MD&A. We also incurred capital expenditures in our hotels and resorts division during fiscal 2019 of approximately $31.8 million, consisting primarily of costs associated with the conversion of the InterContinental Milwaukee into the Saint Kate and renovation of the Hilton Madison Monona Terrace, as well as normal maintenance capital projects at our other properties. We incurred approximately $20.6$14.9 million of capital expenditures in our hotels and resorts division during fiscal 2017, including costs associated with the development of our newSafeHouse Chicago location, our development of new villas at the Grand Geneva Resort & Spa described above and various maintenance capital projects at our owned hotels and resorts. During fiscal 2016, we incurred approximately $14.7 million of capital expenditures in our hotels and resorts division,2018, including costs associated with the renovation of The Skirvinthe Hilton Madison andSafeHouse the conversion of the InterContinental Milwaukee expansion of WHLS and development of our newSafeHouse Chicago,into the Saint Kate, as well as other maintenance capital projects at our company-owned hotels and resorts. As described above, we incurred acquisition-related capital expenditures in our theatre division of $63.8 million during fiscal 2016 (purchase price of $65.0 million, net of a negative working capital balance that we assumed in the transaction). We did not incur any acquisition-related capital expenditures in our theatre division during fiscal 2017. Our current estimated fiscal 20182020 cash capital expenditures, which we anticipate may be in the $65-$8085 million range, are described in greater detail in the “Current Plans” section of this MD&A.

 

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Net cash provided byused in financing activities during fiscal 20172019 totaled $4.2$43.8 million compared to $42.5$76.9 million during fiscal 2016.2018. The decrease in net cash provided byused in financing activities related primarilyof $33.1 million, or 43.0%, was due to a decreasesmaller reduction in our net borrowings on our credit facilitylong term debt during fiscal 20172019 compared to fiscal 2016, partially offset by a net increase in our long-term debt during fiscal 2017 compared to a net decrease in long-term debt during fiscal 2016.

We received proceeds from2018, which primarily was the issuance of long-term debt totaling $65.0 million during fiscal 2017, including the proceeds from our issuanceresult of the Notes. In addition, we repaid a mortgage note that matured in January 2017 with a balanceuse of $24.2 million as of December 29, 2016 during fiscal 2017 and replaced it with borrowings under our revolving credit facility andcash for the issuance of a $15.0 million mortgage note bearing interest at LIBOR plus 2.75%, requiring monthly principal and interest payments and maturing in fiscal 2020. We made principal payments on long-term debt totaling $36.3 million during fiscal 2017 (including the mortgage note repaymentMovie Tavern acquisition described above) compared to payments of $52.3 million during fiscal 2016. Fiscal 2016 repayments included our repayment of a $37.2 million term loan from our prior credit agreement.above.

 

We used excess cash during fiscal 20172019 and fiscal 20162018 to reduce our borrowings under our revolving credit facility. As short-term borrowings became due, we replaced them as necessary with new short-term borrowings. In conjunction with the execution of our Credit Agreement in June 2016, we also paid all outstanding borrowings under our prior revolving credit facility and replaced them with borrowings under our new revolving credit facility. We also used borrowings under our revolving credit facility to fund the Wehrenberg acquisition during fiscal 2016 prior to the issuance of the senior notes described above during fiscal 2017. As a result, we added $322.0$335.0 million of new short-term borrowings and we made $332.0$333.0 million of repayments on short-term borrowings during fiscal 20172019 (net decreaseincrease in borrowings on our credit facility of $10.0$2.0 million) compared to $346.2$203.0 million of new short-term borrowings and $236.2$254.0 million of repayments on short-term borrowings made during fiscal 20162018 (net increasedecrease in net borrowings on our credit facility of $110.0$51.0 million), accounting for the decrease in net cash provided byused in financing activities during fiscal 2017.2019.

We did not issue any new long-term debt during fiscal 2019 or fiscal 2018. Principal payments on long-term debt were $24.6 million during fiscal 2019 and included the repayment of a $14.6 million mortgage note on a hotel, compared to payments of $12.2 million during fiscal 2018.

 

Our debt-to-capitalization ratio (excluding our capitalfinance lease obligations) was 0.400.26 at December 28, 201726, 2019 compared to 0.420.33 at December 29, 2016.27, 2018. Based upon our current expectations for our fiscal 20182020 capital expenditures and barring any currently unidentified acquisitions, we anticipate that our total long-term debt and debt-to-capitalization ratio will remain at the end of our current relatively low levels during fiscal 2018 may decrease slightly from that as of December 28, 2017.2020. Our actual total long-term debt and debt-to-capitalization ratio at the end of fiscal 20182020 are dependent upon, among other things, our actual operating results, capital expenditures, potential acquisitions, asset sales proceeds and potential equity transactions during the year.

 

We repurchased approximately 29,00030,000 shares of our common stock for approximately $850,000$1.1 million and 83,000 shares of our common stock for approximately $2.9 million, respectively, during fiscal 2019 and fiscal 2018 in conjunction with the exercise of stock options during fiscal 2017. We repurchased approximately 334,000 shares of our common stock for approximately $6.4 million in conjunction with the exercise of stock options and the purchase of shares in the open market during fiscal 2016.options. As of December 28, 2017,26, 2019, approximately 2.92.8 million shares of our common stock remained available for repurchase under prior Board of Directors repurchase authorizations. Under these authorizations, we may repurchase shares of our common stock from time to time in the open market, pursuant to privately-negotiated transactions or otherwise, depending upon a number of factors, including prevailing market conditions.

 

In conjunction with the Movie Tavern acquisition, we issued 2,450,000 shares of our common stock to the seller during the first quarter of fiscal 2019 (157,056 of which have been placed in escrow to secure certain post-closing indemnification obligations of the seller under the asset purchase agreement). This non-cash transaction reduced treasury stock and increased capital in excess of par by the value of the shares at closing of approximately $109.2 million.

We paid regular quarterly dividends totaling $13.5$19.3 million and $12.0$16.4 million, respectively, during fiscal 20172019 and fiscal 2016.2018. The increase in dividend payments was the result of an increased number of outstanding shares and a 6.7% increase in our regular quarterly dividend payment rate initiated in March 2019. During the first quarter of fiscal 2017, we increased our regular quarterly common stock cash dividend by 11.1% to $0.125 per common share. During the first quarter of fiscal 2018,2020, we increased our regular quarterly common stock cash dividend by an additional 20.0%6.3% to $0.15$0.17 per common share. During fiscal 2017 and fiscal 2016, we made distributions to noncontrolling interests of $20,000 and $448,000, respectively.

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Fiscal 2016 versus Fiscal 2015C

Net cash provided by operating activities totaled $82.7 million during fiscal 2016 compared to $89.5 million during fiscal 2015C, a decrease of $6.8 million, or 7.6%. The decrease in net cash provided by operating activities was due primarily to unfavorable timing of the payment of income taxes, taxes other than income taxes and other accrued liabilities and collection of other current assets, partially offset by increased net earnings and the favorable timing of the collection of accounts and notes receivable and payment of accrued compensation.

Net cash used in investing activities during fiscal 2016 totaled $128.6 million compared to $79.8 million during fiscal 2015C, an increase of $48.8 million, or 61.0%. The increase in net cash used in investing activities was primarily the result of the purchase of Wehrenberg during fiscal 2016. Reduced proceeds from the disposals of property, equipment and other assets during fiscal 2016 were offset by a decrease in restricted cash during fiscal 2016 compared to fiscal 2015C. When we sold the Hotel Phillips in October 2015, the majority of the cash proceeds were held by an intermediary in conjunction with an anticipated Internal Revenue Code §1031 like-kind exchange, where we planned to subsequently purchase other real estate to defer the related tax gain on the sale of the hotel. During fiscal 2016, we successfully reinvested the proceeds in additional real estate within the prescribed time period, and we received the cash held by the intermediary, which resulted in a reduction of restricted cash. We also sold a partial interest in a joint venture during fiscal 2016 (the Hotel Zamora, St. Pete Beach, Florida), reducing our net cash used in investing activities during fiscal 2016.

Total cash capital expenditures (including normal continuing capital maintenance and renovation projects) totaled $83.6 million during fiscal 2016 compared to $84.6 million during fiscal 2015C, a decrease of $1.0 million, or 1.1%. We incurred capital expenditures of $27.9 million during fiscal 2016 related to real estate purchases and development costs of three new theatres, one of which opened during the fourth quarter of fiscal 2016 and two of which are currently under construction. Approximately $14.6 million of our capital expenditures during fiscal 2015C were related to the development of a new theatre that opened in May 2015. We did not incur any capital expenditures related to developing new hotels during either period. We incurred approximately $68.8 million and $57.3 million, respectively, of capital expenditures during fiscal 2016 and fiscal 2015C in our theatre division, including the aforementioned costs associated with constructing new theatres, as well as costs associated with the addition of DreamLounger recliner seating, ourTake Five Lounge,Zaffiro’s Express,Reel Sizzle andBig Screen Bistro food and beverage concepts, andUltraScreen DLX andSuperScreen DLX premium large format screens at selected theatres, each as described in the “Current Plans” section of this MD&A. We incurred approximately $14.7 million of capital expenditures in our hotels and resorts division during fiscal 2016, including costs associated with the renovation of The Skirvin Hilton andSafeHouse Milwaukee, expansion of WHLS and development of our newSafeHouse Chicago, as well as other maintenance capital projects at our company-owned hotels and resorts. During fiscal 2015C, we incurred approximately $26.9 million of capital expenditures in our hotels and resorts division, including costs associated with the completion of the conversion of our Chicago hotel into an AC Hotel by Marriott, the commencement of our renovation of The Skirvin Hilton, and our acquisition of theSafeHouse Milwaukee, as well as other maintenance capital projects at our company-owned hotels and resorts. As described above, we incurred acquisition-related capital expenditures in our theatre division of $63.8 million during fiscal 2016 (purchase price of $65.0 million, net of a negative working capital balance that we assumed in the transaction). We did not incur any acquisition-related capital expenditures in our theatre division during fiscal 2015C.

Net cash provided by financing activities during fiscal 2016 totaled $42.5 million compared to net cash used in financing activities of $21.6 million during fiscal 2015C. The increase in net cash provided by financing activities related primarily to an increase in our net borrowings on our credit facility during fiscal 2016 compared to fiscal 2015C, partially offset by an increase in principal payments on long-term debt, share repurchases and dividends paid during fiscal 2016 compared to fiscal 2015C.

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We used excess cash during fiscal 2016 and fiscal 2015C to reduce our borrowings under our revolving credit facility. As short-term borrowings became due, we replaced them as necessary with new short-term borrowings. In conjunction with the execution of our new Credit Agreement in June 2016, we also paid all outstanding borrowings under our old revolving credit facility and replaced them with borrowings under our new revolving credit facility. We also used borrowings under our revolving credit facility to fund the Wehrenberg acquisition. As a result, we added $346.2 million of new short-term borrowings and we made $236.2 million of repayments on short-term borrowings during fiscal 2016 (net increase in borrowings on our credit facility of $110.0 million) compared to $198.0 million of new short-term borrowings and $202.0 million of repayments on short-term borrowings made during fiscal 2015C (net decrease in net borrowings on our credit facility of $4.0 million), accounting for the majority of the increase in net cash provided by financing activities during fiscal 2016. We made $52.3 million of principal payments on long-term debt during fiscal 2016, including our repayment of a $37.2 million term loan from our prior credit agreement, compared to principal payments of $8.1 million during fiscal 2015C.

Our debt-to-capitalization ratio (excluding our capital lease obligations) was 0.42 at December 29, 2016 compared to 0.38 at the end of fiscal 2015C.

We repurchased approximately 334,000 shares of our common stock for approximately $6.4 million in conjunction with the exercise of stock options and the purchase of shares in the open market during fiscal 2016. We repurchased approximately 55,000 shares of our common stock for approximately $1.1 million in conjunction with the exercise of stock options during fiscal 2015C.

We paid regular quarterly dividends totaling $12.0 million and $11.0 million, respectively, during fiscal 2016 and fiscal 2015C. During the first quarter of fiscal 2016, we increased our regular quarterly common stock cash dividend by 7.1% to $0.1125 per common share. During fiscal 2016 and fiscal 2015C, we made distributions to noncontrolling interests of $448,000 and $505,000, respectively.

Transition Period versus Prior Year Comparable Period

Net cash provided by operating activities totaled $66.8 million during the Transition Period compared to $55.0 million during the prior year comparable 30-week period, an increase of $11.8 million, or 21.4%. The increase in net cash provided by operating activities was due primarily to increased net earnings, increased depreciation and amortization, and the favorable timing of the collection of accounts and notes receivable and payment of income taxes and other accrued liabilities, partially offset by a decrease in deferred income taxes and deferred compensation and other, and the unfavorable timing of the payment of accounts payable and accrued compensation.

Net cash used in investing activities during the Transition Period totaled $40.8 million compared to $36.0 million during the prior year comparable period, an increase of $4.8 million, or 13.6%. The increase in net cash used in investing activities was primarily the result of an increase in capital expenditures, partially offset by an increase in proceeds from disposals of property, equipment and other assets, net of proceeds held by an intermediary during the Transition Period. Proceeds from the disposal of property, equipment and other assets of $14.0 million during the Transition Period related primarily to the sale of the Hotel Phillips and a former theatre location. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the Hotel Phillips were held by an intermediary in conjunction with an expected Internal Revenue Code §1031 tax-deferred like-kind exchange transaction during fiscal 2016. We also purchased an interest in a joint venture during the Transition Period (the Omaha Marriott Downtown at The Capitol District hotel, Omaha, Nebraska) and during the prior year comparable period (the Hotel Zamora, St. Pete Beach, Florida) that contributed to our net cash used in investing activities during both periods.

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Total cash capital expenditures (including normal continuing capital maintenance and renovation projects) totaled $44.5 million during the Transition Period compared to $33.9 million during the prior year comparable period, an increase of $10.6 million, or 31.3%. We incurred capital expenditures of $3.2 million and $4.1 million, respectively, related to the development of a new theatre during the Transition Period and prior year comparable period. We did not incur any capital expenditures related to developing new hotels during either period. We incurred approximately $28.0 million and $21.0 million, respectively, of capital expenditures during the Transition Period and prior year comparable period in our theatre division, including the aforementioned costs associated with constructing a new theatre in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, as well as costs associated with the addition of DreamLounger recliner seating, ourTake Five Lounge,Zaffiro’s Express andBig Screen Bistro food and beverage concepts, andUltraScreen DLX,SuperScreen DLX andUltraScreen premium large format screens at selected theatres, each as described in the “Current Plans” section of this MD&A. We incurred approximately $13.4 million of capital expenditures in our hotels and resorts division during the Transition Period, including costs associated with the completion of the conversion of our Chicago hotel into an AC Hotel by Marriott and our acquisition of theSafeHouse, as well as other maintenance capital projects at our company-owned hotels and resorts. During the prior year comparable period, we incurred approximately $11.8 million of capital expenditures in our hotels and resorts division, including costs associated with the completion of the fiscal 2014 renovation of the tower guest rooms of The Pfister Hotel in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, completion of the renovation of The Lincoln Marriott Cornhusker Hotel in Lincoln, Nebraska, and the commencement of the conversion of our Chicago hotel into an AC Hotel by Marriott, as well as other maintenance capital projects at our company-owned hotels and resorts. We did not incur any acquisition-related capital expenditures in our theatre division during the Transition Period or the prior year comparable period.

Net cash used in financing activities during the Transition Period totaled $26.0 million compared to $7.1 million during the prior year comparable period, an increase of $18.9 million. The increase in net cash used in financing activities related primarily to a decrease in our net borrowings on our credit facility during the Transition Period compared to the prior year comparable period and a slight increase in dividends paid.

We used excess cash during the Transition Period and prior year comparable period to reduce our borrowings under our revolving credit facility. As short-term borrowings became due, we replaced them as necessary with new short-term borrowings. As a result, we added $108.5 million of new short-term borrowings and we made $126.5 million of repayments on short-term borrowings during the Transition Period (net decrease in borrowings on our credit facility of $18.0 million) compared to $80.0 million of new short-term borrowings and $80.0 million of repayments on short-term borrowings made during the prior year comparable period (no change in net borrowings on our credit facility), accounting for the majority of the increase in net cash used in financing activities during the Transition Period. Principal payments on long-term debt were $3.3 million during the Transition Period compared to payments of $2.4 million during the prior year comparable period.

Our debt-to-capitalization ratio (excluding our capital lease obligation related to digital cinema projection systems) was 0.38 at December 31, 2015 compared to 0.42 at the end of fiscal 2015.

We repurchased approximately 3,700 and 3,000 shares of our common stock in conjunction with the exercise of stock options during the Transition Period and prior year comparable period, respectively.

We paid regular quarterly dividends totaling $5.6 million and $5.1 million, respectively, during the Transition Period and prior year comparable period. We increased our regular quarterly common stock cash dividend by 10.5% during the fourth quarter of fiscal 2015 to $0.105 per common share. During the Transition Period and prior year comparable period, we made distributions to noncontrolling interests of $505,000 and $959,000, respectively.

Fiscal 2015 versus Fiscal 2014

Net cash provided by operating activities totaled $80.5 million during fiscal 2015 compared to $66.4 million during fiscal 2014, an increase of $14.1 million, or 21.1%. The increase in net cash provided by operating activities was due primarily to increased net earnings, increased depreciation and amortization, deferred income taxes and deferred compensation and other, and the favorable timing of the payment of accounts payable and income taxes, partially offset by unfavorable timing of the payment of other accrued liabilities and the collection of accounts and notes receivable.

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Net cash used in investing activities during fiscal 2015 totaled $78.2 million compared to $57.7 million during fiscal 2014, an increase of $20.5 million, or 35.5%. The increase in net cash used in investing activities was primarily the result of an increase in capital expenditures, partially offset by a decrease in proceeds from disposals of property, equipment and other assets and a decrease in other assets. We also purchased an interest in a joint venture (the Hotel Zamora) during fiscal 2015 that contributed to our increased net cash used in investing activities during fiscal 2015. Proceeds from the disposal of property, equipment and other assets of $1.9 million during fiscal 2014 related primarily to the sale of two theatre outlots and the sale of our interest in a hotel joint venture.

Total cash capital expenditures (including normal continuing capital maintenance and renovation projects) totaled $75.0 million during fiscal 2015 compared to $56.7 million during fiscal 2014, an increase of $18.3 million, or 32.3%. We incurred capital expenditures of $15.5 million and $3.2 million, respectively, related to the development of a new theatre during fiscal 2015 and fiscal 2014. We did not incur any capital expenditures related to developing new hotels during fiscal 2015 or fiscal 2014. We incurred approximately $49.8 million and $38.0 million, respectively, of capital expenditures during fiscal 2015 and fiscal 2014 in our theatre division, including the aforementioned costs associated with constructing a new theatre in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, as well as costs associated with the addition of DreamLounger recliner seating, ourTake Five Lounge,Zaffiro’s Express andBig Screen Bistro food and beverage concepts, andUltraScreen DLX,SuperScreen DLX andUltraScreen premium large format screens at selected theatres, each as described in the “Current Plans” section of this MD&A. We incurred approximately $23.6 million of capital expenditures in our hotels and resorts division during fiscal 2015, including costs related to the conversion of our Chicago hotel into an AC Hotel by Marriott and costs related to completing renovations at The Pfister Hotel and The Lincoln Marriott Cornhusker Hotel. During fiscal 2014, we incurred approximately $18.5 million of capital expenditures in our hotels and resorts division, including costs associated with renovations at The Lincoln Marriott Cornhusker Hotel and The Pfister Hotel, as well as other maintenance capital projects at our company-owned hotels and resorts. We did not incur any acquisition-related capital expenditures in our theatre division or hotels and resorts division during fiscal 2015 or fiscal 2014.

Net cash used in financing activities in fiscal 2015 totaled $2.3 million compared to $12.1 million during fiscal 2014, a decrease of $9.8 million, or 80.7%. The decrease in net cash used in financing activities related to an increase in our net debt proceeds during fiscal 2015 compared to the prior year, a decrease in share repurchases and a decrease in distributions to noncontrolling interests, partially offset by a decrease in the exercise of stock options and an increase in dividends paid.

We used excess cash during fiscal 2015 and fiscal 2014 to reduce our borrowings under our revolving credit agreement. As short-term borrowings became due, we replaced them as necessary with new short-term borrowings. We used the proceeds of our issuance and sale of senior notes during fiscal 2014 to pay off borrowings under our revolving credit agreement. In addition, we paid off an existing mortgage on our Chicago hotel at the end of fiscal 2014 with borrowings under our credit agreement. As a result, we added $162.5 million of new short-term borrowings and we made $148.5 million of repayments on short-term borrowings during fiscal 2015 (a net increase in borrowings on our credit facility of $14.0 million) compared to $92.5 million of new short-term borrowings and $115.5 million of repayments on short-term borrowings during fiscal 2014 (a net decrease in borrowings on our credit facility of $23.0 million). We had no proceeds from the issuance of long-term debt in fiscal 2015 compared to proceeds of $52.7 million during fiscal 2014, including the sale and issuance of senior notes. Principal payments on long-term debt, which included the payment of current maturities of senior notes and mortgages, were $7.2 million during fiscal 2015 compared to $31.9 million during fiscal 2014. We also incurred $316,000 in debt issuance costs during fiscal 2014.

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Our debt-to-capitalization ratio (excluding our capital lease obligation related to digital cinema projection systems) was 0.42 at May 28, 2015, the same as the prior fiscal year-end.

During fiscal 2015, we repurchased 55,000 shares of our common stock for approximately $1.1 million in conjunction with the exercise of stock options. During fiscal 2014, we repurchased 314,000 shares of our common stock for approximately $4.2 million in conjunction with the exercise of stock options and the purchase of shares in the open market. We reduced the numbers of shares repurchased during fiscal 2015 due to increases in the price of our common stock.

We paid regular quarterly dividends totaling $10.4 million and $9.2 million, respectively, during fiscal 2015 and fiscal 2014. We increased our regular quarterly common stock cash dividend by 10.5% during the fourth quarter of fiscal 2015 to $0.105 per common share. During fiscal 2015 and fiscal 2014, we made distributions to noncontrolling interests of $959,000 and $2.1 million, respectively.

 

Contractual Obligations, Commercial Commitments and Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

 

The following schedule details our contractual obligations at December 28, 201726, 2019 (in thousands):

 

    Payments Due by Period     Payments Due by Period 
 Total  Less Than
1 Year
  1-3 Years  4-5 Years  After
5 Years
  Total Less Than
1 Year
 1-3 Years 4-5 Years After
5 Years
 
Long-term debt $301,829  $12,016  $34,384  $151,977  $103,452  $216,342  $9,910  $21,976  $22,185  $162,271 
Interest on fixed-rate long term debt(1)  43,548   6,739   11,647   9,819   15,343   34,775   7,357   11,854   8,165   7,399 
Pension obligations  37,639   1,347   2,933   2,973   30,386   43,824   1,400   3,247   3,323   35,854 
Operating lease obligations  121,080   11,426   20,015   17,798   71,841   339,814   24,369   52,043   49,342   214,060 
Capital lease obligations  34,657   3,127   6,155   5,500   19,875   29,345   3,606   5,947   5,699   14,093 
Construction commitments  2,505   2,505   -   -   -   2,243   2,243   -   -   - 
Total contractual obligations $541,258  $37,160  $75,134  $188,067  $240,897  $666,343  $48,885  $95,067  $88,714  $433,677 

 

(1)Interest on variable-rate debt obligations is excluded due to significant variations that may occur in each year related to the amount of variable-rate debt and the accompanying interest rate.

 

As of December 28, 2017, we had an additional capital lease obligation of $9.6 million related to digital cinema equipment. The maximum amount we could be required to pay under this obligation is approximately $6.2 million per year until the obligation is fully satisfied. We believe the possibility of making any payments on this obligation is remote. Additional detail describing this obligation is included in Note 6 to our consolidated financial statements.

Additional detail describing our long-term debt is included in Note 67 to our consolidated financial statements.

 

As of December 28, 2017,26, 2019, we had no additional material purchase obligations other than those created in the ordinary course of business related to property and equipment, which generally have terms of less than 90 days. We had long-term obligations related to our employee benefit plans, which are discussed in detail in Note 810 to our consolidated financial statements. We have not included uncertain tax obligations in the table of contractual obligations set forth above due to uncertainty as to the timing of any potential payments.

 

As of December 28, 2017,26, 2019, we had approximately three yearseleven months remaining on our office lease, which reflected the amendment and extension of the term of the lease that we entered into on June 1, 2012.lease.

 

As of December 28, 2017,26, 2019, we had no debt or lease guarantee obligations.

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Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk

 

We are exposed to market risk related to changes in interest rates, and we manage our exposure to this market risk by monitoring available financing alternatives.

 

Variable interest rate debt outstanding as of December 28, 2017 was $144.926, 2019 totaled $81.0 million, carried an average interest rate of 2.8%2.7% and represented 47.9%37.4% of our total debt portfolio. After adjusting for an outstanding swap agreementagreements described below, variable interest rate debt outstanding as of December 28, 2017 was $119.926, 2019 totaled $31.0 million, carried an average interest rate of 2.9%2.7% and represented 39.6%14.3% of our total debt portfolio. Our earnings are affected by changes in short-term interest rates as a result of our borrowings under our revolving credit facility. Based upon the interest rates in effect on our variable rate debt outstanding as of December 28, 2017,26, 2019, a 100 basis point increase in market interest rates would increase our annual interest expense by $1.4 million.approximately $310,000, taking our outstanding swap agreements into consideration.

 

Fixed interest rate debt totaled $157.6$135.7 million as of December 28, 2017,26, 2019, carried an average interest rate of 4.6%4.4% and represented 52.1%62.6% of our total debt portfolio. After adjusting for an outstanding swap agreementagreements described below, fixed interest rate debt totaled $182.6$185.7 million as of December 28, 2017,26, 2019, carried an average interest rate of 4.3%4.2% and represented 60.4%85.7% of our total debt portfolio. Fixed interest rate debt included the following: senior notes bearing interest semiannually at fixed rates ranging from 4.02% to 6.55%, maturing in fiscal 20182020 through 2027; and fixed rate mortgages and other debt instruments bearing interest from 3.00% to 5.75%, maturing in fiscal 2025 and 2042. The fair value of our fixed interest rate debt is subject to interest rate risk. Generally, the fair market value of our fixed interest rate debt will increase as interest rates fall and decrease as interest rates rise. As of December 28, 2017,26, 2019, the fair value of our $129.1$109.0 million of senior notes was approximately $125.2$111.0 million. Based upon the respective rate and prepayment provisions of our remaining fixed interest rate mortgage and unsecured term note at December 28, 2017,26, 2019, the carrying amounts of such debt approximated fair value as of such date.

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The variable interest rate debt and fixed interest rate debt outstanding as of December 28, 201726, 2019 matures as follows (in thousands):

 

 F2018  F2019  F2020  F2021  F2022  Thereafter  Total  F2020 F2021 F2022 F2023 F2024 Thereafter Total 
Variable interest rate $164  $174  $14,521  $130,000  $-  $-  $144,859  $-  $-  $-  $-  $-  $81,000  $81,000 
Fixed interest rate  11,996   9,922   9,965   11,015   11,065   103,615   157,578   9,965   11,015   11,065   11,118   11,171   81,330   135,664 
Debt issuance costs  (144)  (141)  (57)  (52)  (51)  (163)  (608)  (55)  (52)  (52)  (52)  (52)  (59)  (322)
Total debt $12,016  $9,955  $24,429  $140,963  $11,014  $103,452  $301,829  $9,910  $10,963  $11,013  $11,066  $11,119  $162,271  $216,342 

 

We periodically enter into interest rate swap agreements to manage our exposure to interest rate changes. These swaps involve the exchange of fixed and variable interest rate payments. Payments or receipts on the agreements are recorded as adjustments to interest expense. We had one outstanding interest rate swap agreement at December 28, 2017 covering $25.0 million expiringthat expired on January 22, 2018. Under this swap agreement, we paypaid a defined fixed rate while receiving a defined variable rate based on LIBOR, effectively converting $25.0 million of our borrowing under our Credit Agreementprior credit agreement to a fixed rate. The swap agreement did not materially impact our fiscal 2017 earnings and we do not expect it to have any material impact on our2018 or fiscal 20182017 earnings.

 

Subsequent to December 28, 2017,On March 1, 2018, we entered into two interest rate swap agreements covering $50.0 million of floating rate debt which will require us to pay interest at a defined fixed rate while receiving interest at a defined variable rate of one-month LIBOR. The first swap has a notional amount of $25.0 million, expires on March 1, 2021 and has a fixed rate of 2.559%. The second swap has a notional amount of $25.0 million, expires on March 1, 2023 and has a fixed rate of 2.687%. We anticipate that theThe interest ratesrate swaps will beare considered effective for accounting purposes and will qualify as cash flow hedges. WeThese swap agreements did not materially impact our fiscal 2019 earnings and we do not expect the interest rate swaps to have a material effect on earnings within the next 12 months.

materially impact our fiscal 2020 earnings.

 

Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

 

This MD&A is based upon our consolidated financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (GAAP).States. The preparation of our financial statements requires us to make estimates and judgments that affect our reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses, and related disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities.

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On an on-going basis, we evaluate our estimates associated with critical accounting policies. We base our estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions that we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Actual results may differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions.

 

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We believe the following critical accounting policies affect the most significant judgments and estimates used in the preparation of our consolidated financial statements.

 

·iWe review long-lived assets, including fixedproperty and equipment and operating lease right-of-use assets, goodwill and investments in joint ventures, for impairment at least annually, or whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of any such asset may not be recoverable. In assessingSuch review is primarily done at the individual theatre or hotel property level, which represents the lowest level for which identifiable cash flows are largely independent of the cash flows of other asset groups. We use judgment to determine whether indicators of impairment exist. The determination of the occurrence of a triggering event is based upon our knowledge of the theatre and hospitality industries, historical experience such as recent operating results, location of the property, market conditions, recent events or transactions, and property-specific information available at the time of the assessment. When a triggering event occurs, judgment is also required in determining the assumptions and estimates to use within the recoverability analysis and when calculating the fair value of the asset if it is determined that the long-lived asset is not recoverable. In performing these assets,analyses, we must make assumptions regarding the estimated future cash flows and other factors that a market participant would make to determine the fair value of the respective assets. The estimate of cash flows is based upon, among other things, certain assumptions about expected future operating performance and anticipated sales prices. Our estimates of undiscounted cash flows are sensitive to assumed revenue growth rates and may differ from actual cash flows due to factors such as economic conditions, changes to our business model or changes in our operating performance and anticipated sales prices. For long-lived assets other than goodwill, if the sum of the undiscounted estimated cash flows (excluding interest) is less than the current carrying value, we then prepare a fair value analysis of the asset. If the carrying value of the asset exceeds the fair value of the asset, we recognize an impairment loss, measured as the amount by which the carrying value exceeds the fair value of the asset. During fiscal 2015,2019, we recorded a before-tax impairment charge of $2.9$1.9 million related to a hotel and several formerspecific theatre locations. This samelocation. We did not record any impairment charge also impactedlosses during fiscal 2015C results.2018 or fiscal 2017.

 

i·Periodically, we make acquisitions that may have a material impact on our consolidated financial position. Assets acquired and liabilities assumed in acquisitions are recorded at fair value as of the acquisition date. We use judgment to allocate the purchase price of the businesses acquired to the identifiable tangible and intangible assets acquired and liabilities assumed. In some cases, we may use an independent valuation firm to assist with our valuation, and our assumptions and estimates are based upon comparable market data and information obtained from our management and the management of the acquired businesses using acceptable valuation techniques. Generally, tangible assets acquired include property and equipment, finance lease right-of-use assets and operating lease right-of-use assets. Intangible assets acquired may include tradename intangibles, non-compete agreements or goodwill in a business combination. While we use our best estimates and assumptions to accurately value assets acquired and liabilities assumed at the acquisition date, our estimates are inherently uncertain and subject to refinement. As a result, during the measurement period, which may be up to one year following the acquisition date, we record adjustments to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed with the corresponding offset to goodwill. During fiscal 2019, we acquired the assets of Movie Tavern for a total purchase price of approximately $139.3 million.

iGoodwill is tested for impairment at a reporting unit level, determined to be at an operating segment level. When reviewing goodwill for impairment, we consider the amount of excess fair value over the carrying value of the reporting unit, the period of time since the last quantitative test, and other factors to determine whether or not to first perform a qualitative test. When performing a qualitative test, we assess numerous factors to determine whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of our reporting unit is less than its carrying value. Examples of qualitative factors that we assess include our share price, our financial performance, market and competitive factors in our industry, and other events specific to the reporting unit. If we conclude that it is more likely than not that the fair value of our reporting unit is less than its carrying value, we perform a two-step quantitative test by comparing the carrying value of the reporting unit to the estimated fair value. Primarily all of our goodwill relates to our theatre segment. The fair value of our theatre reporting unit exceeded our carrying value for fiscal 2017,2019, fiscal 2016, the Transition Period2018 and fiscal 20152017 by a substantial amount.

 

·iDepreciation expense is based on the estimated useful life of our assets. The life of the assets is based on a number of assumptions, including cost and timing of capital expenditures to maintain and refurbish the asset, as well as specific market and economic conditions. While management believes its estimates are reasonable, a change in the estimated lives could affect depreciation expense and net incomeearnings or the gain or loss on the sale of any of the assets. During fiscal 2018, we changed the estimated lives of certain assets at our InterContinental Milwaukee due to our decision to convert this hotel into a new, art-themed hotel, the Saint Kate. As a result, we reported additional depreciation of approximately $3.7 million during fiscal 2018.

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Accounting Changes

 

In May 2014,January 2017, the Financial Accounting StandardsStandard Board (FASB) issued Accounting StandardsStandard Update (ASU) No. 2014-09,Revenue from Contracts with Customers, a comprehensive new revenue recognition model that requires a company to recognize revenue to depict the transfer of goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the company expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. In August 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-14,Revenue from Contracts with Customers: Deferral of Effective Date, to defer the effective date of the new revenue recognition standard by one year. The new standard is effective for us in fiscal 2018. The guidance may be adopted using either a full retrospective or modified retrospective approach. We have selected the modified retrospective method for adoption of ASU No. 2014-09 and its related ASU amendments. Under this method, we will recognize the cumulative effect of the changes in retained earnings at the date of adoption, but will not restate prior periods.

We have performed a review of the requirements of ASU 2014-09 and its related ASUs. In preparation for adoption of the new standard, we have reviewed our key revenue streams and related customer contracts and have applied the five-step model of the standard to these revenue streams and compared the results to our current accounting practices. We believe that the adoption of the new standard will primarily impact our accounting for our loyalty programs and ticketing surcharge revenue. While we do not believe the adoption of ASU 2014-09 will have a material impact on our results of operations or cash flows, we do expect the new guidance to impact our classification of revenue and related expenses. We currently expect the following impacts:

·In accordance with the new guidance, the portion of Theatre admission revenues, Theatre concession revenues and Food and beverage revenues attributable to loyalty points earned by customers will be deferred as a reduction of these revenues until reward redemption. Through December 28, 2017, we recorded the estimated incremental cost of redeeming loyalty points at the time they were earned in Advertising and marketing expense. We believe adoption of the standard will result in an immaterial reduction of Theatre admission revenues and a corresponding immaterial increase in Theatre concession revenues with an offsetting increase in other long-term liabilities based upon historical customer reward redemption patterns.

·We currently record internet ticket fee revenues net of third-party commission or service fees. In accordance with ASU 2014-09, we believe that we are the principal (as opposed to agent) in the arrangement with third-party internet ticketing companies in regards to sale of internet tickets to customers, and therefore, expect to recognize ticket fee revenue based on a gross transaction price. This change will have the effect of increasing other revenues and other operating expense but will have no impact on net earnings or cash flows from operations.

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We expect to record a one-time cumulative effect reduction to retained earnings of approximately $3,500,000 during the first quarter of fiscal 2018 related to the adoption of ASU 2014-09.

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02,Leases (Topic 842), intended to improve financial reporting related to leasing transactions. ASU No. 2016-02 requires a lessee to recognize on the balance sheet assets and liabilities for rights and obligations created by leased assets with lease terms of more than 12 months. The new guidance will also require disclosures to help investors and other financial statement users better understand the amount, timing and uncertainty of cash flows arising from the leases. These disclosures include qualitative and quantitative requirements, providing additional information about the amounts recorded in the financial statements. The new standard is effective for us in fiscal 2019 and early application is permitted. We are evaluating the effect that the guidance will have on our consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.

In August 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-15,Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230) - Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments, which addresses eight specific cash flow issues with the objective of reducing the existing diversity in practice. The new standard is effective for us beginning in fiscal 2018. The standard must be applied using a retrospective transition method for each period presented. We do not believe the new standard will have a material effect on our consolidated financial statements or related disclosures.

In November 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-18,Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230)- Restricted Cash. ASU No. 2016-18 requires that a statement of cash flows explain the change during the period in the total of cash, cash equivalents, and amounts generally described as restricted cash or restricted cash equivalents. As such, restricted cash and restricted cash equivalents should be included with cash and cash equivalents when reconciling the beginning of period and ending of period total amount shown on the statement of cash flows. The new standard is effective for us in fiscal 2018 and must be applied on a retrospective basis. We reported a $967,000 and $12,553,000 investing cash inflow related to a change in restricted cash for the periods ended December 28, 2017 and December 29, 2016, respectively. Subsequent to the adoption of ASU No. 2016-18, the change in restricted cash would be excluded from the change in cash flows from investing activities and included in the change in total cash, restricted cash and cash equivalents as reported in the statement of cash flows.

In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-01,Business Combinations (Topic 805) – Clarifying the Definition of a Business, which clarifies the definition of a business with the objective of adding guidance and providing a more robust framework to assist reporting organizations with evaluating whether transactions should be accounted for as acquisitions (or disposals) of assets or businesses. The new standard is effective for us in fiscal 2018 and must be applied prospectively. We will evaluate the effect the new standard will have on our consolidated financial statements prospectively as transactions occur.

In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-04,Intangibles - Goodwill and Other (Topic 350) - Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment, which eliminates Step 2 of the goodwill impairment test that had required a hypothetical purchase price allocation. Rather, entities should apply the same impairment assessment to all reporting units and recognize an impairment loss for the amount by which a reporting unit’s carrying amount exceeds its fair value, without exceeding the total amount of goodwill allocated to that reporting unit. Entities will continue to have the option to perform a qualitative assessment for a reporting unit to determine if the quantitative impairment test is necessary. ASU No. 2017-04 is effective for us in fiscal 2020 and must be applied prospectively. We do not believe the new standard will have a material effect on our consolidated financial statements.

 

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In February 2017,August 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-05,2018-14,Other Income – GainsCompensation—Retirement Benefits—Defined Benefit Plans—General, designed to add, remove and Losses from the Derecognition of Nonfinancial Assets (Subtopic 610-20: Clarifying the Scope of Asset Derecognition Guidanceclarify disclosure requirements related to defined benefit pension and Accounting for Partial Sales of Nonfinancial Assets).other postretirement plans. ASU No. 2017-05 clarifies the scope and accounting of a financial asset that meets the definition of an “in-substance nonfinancial asset” and defines the term “in-substance nonfinancial asset.” It also covers the transfer of nonfinancial assets to another entity in exchange for a non-controlling ownership interest in that entity. The new guidance is effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017. We do not believe that the adoption of the new standard will have a material effect on our consolidated financial statements.

In March 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-07,Compensation – Retirement Benefits (Topic 715): Improving the Presentation of Net Periodic Pension Cost and Net Periodic Benefit Cost. The ASU requires the service cost component of net periodic benefit cost to be presented in the same income statement line item as other employee compensation costs arising from services rendered during the period. Other components of the net periodic benefit cost are to be presented separately, in an appropriately titled line item outside of any subtotal of operating income or disclosed in the footnotes. The standard also limits the amount eligible for capitalization to the service cost component. The standard2018-14 is effective for us in fiscal 2018. We recorded expenses of $1,712,000 and $1,519,000 in operating income for the periods ended December 28, 2017 and December 29, 2016, respectively, that will be excluded from operating income upon the adoption of ASU No. 2017-07.

In May 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-09,Compensation - Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Scope of Modification Accounting, to provide clarity and reduce both the diversity in practice and cost and complexity when applying the guidance in Topic 718,Compensation - Stock Compensation. The amendments in this update provide guidance about which changes to the terms or conditions of a share-based payment award require an entity to apply modification accounting. ASU No. 2017-09 is effective for us in fiscal 2018 and must be applied prospectively to an award modified on or after the adoption date. We do not believe the new standard will have a material effect on our consolidated financial statements.

In August 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-12,Targeted Improvements to Accounting for Hedging Activities, which amends the hedge accounting recognition and presentation requirements in Accounting Standards Codification 815,Derivatives and Hedging (Topic 815). ASU No. 2017-12 is designed to improve the transparency and understandability of information about an entity’s risk management activities and to reduce the complexity of and simplifying the application of hedge accounting. ASU No 2017-12 is effective for us in fiscal 20192020 and early adoptionapplication is permitted. We do not believe the new standard will have a material effect on our consolidated financial statements.

statement disclosures.

 

75In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-13,Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820): Disclosure Framework – Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Fair Value Measurement. The purpose of ASU No. 2018-13 is to improve the disclosures related to fair value measurements in the financial statements. The improvements include the removal, modification and addition of certain disclosure requirements primarily related to Level 3 fair value measurements. ASU No. 2018-13 is effective for us in fiscal 2020. The amendments in ASU No. 2018-13 should be applied prospectively. We do not expect ASU No. 2018-13 to have a significant impact on our consolidated financial statements.

 

In December 2019, the FASB issued ASU No. 2019-12,Income Taxes (Topic 740): Simplifying the Accounting for Income Taxes. The amendments in ASU No. 2019-12 are designed to simplify the accounting for income taxes by removing certain exceptions to the general principles in Topic 740. The amendments also improve consistent application of and simplify generally accepted accounting principles for other areas of Topic 740 by clarifying and amending existing guidance. ASU No. 2019-12 is effective for us in fiscal 2021 and early application is permitted. We are currently evaluating the effect the new standard will have on our consolidated financial statements.

On December 28, 2018, we adopted ASU No. 2016-02,Leases (Topic 842), which is intended to improve financial reporting related to leasing transactions. ASC 842 requires a lessee to recognize on the balance sheet assets and liabilities for rights and obligations created by leased assets with lease terms of more than 12 months. The new guidance also requires disclosures to help investors and other financial statement users better understand the amount, timing and uncertainty of cash flows arising from the leases. See Note 8 for further discussion.

 

Item 7A.7A.Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk.

 

The information required by this item is set forth in “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations – Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk” above.

 

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Item 8.Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.

 

MANAGEMENT’S REPORT ON INTERNAL CONTROL OVER FINANCIAL REPORTING

 

Our management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting, as such term is defined in Rule 13a-15(f) of the Exchange Act. Under the supervision and with the participation of our management, including our principal executive officer and principal financial officer, we conducted an evaluation of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting based on the framework inInternal Control – Integrated Framework (2013)issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission. Based on our evaluation under the framework inInternal Control – Integrated Framework (2013), our management concluded that our internal control over financial reporting was effective as of December 28, 2017.26, 2019. The Company’s auditors, Deloitte & Touche LLP, have issued an attestation report on our internal control over financial reporting. That attestation report is set forth in this Item 8.

 

Gregory S. Marcus
President and Chief Executive Officer
Douglas A. Neis
Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer

 

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REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

 

To the shareholders and the Board of Directors of The Marcus Corporation

 

Opinion on the Financial Statements

 

We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of The Marcus Corporation and subsidiaries (the "Company") as of December 28, 201726, 2019 and December 29, 201627, 2018, and the related consolidated statements of earnings, comprehensive income, shareholders' equity, and cash flows, for each of the twothree years in the period ended December 28, 2017, the 31 week period ended December 31, 2015 and for the year ended May 28, 2015,26, 2019, and the related notes (collectively referred to as the “financial statements”"financial statements"). In our opinion, the financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of December 28, 201726, 2019 and December 29, 2016,27, 2018, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the twothree years in the period ended December 28, 2017, the 31 week period ended December 31, 2015 and for the year ended May 28, 2015,26, 2019, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

 

We have also audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB), the Company's internal control over financial reporting as of December 28, 2017,26, 2019, based on the criteria established inInternal Control — Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission and our report dated March 13, 2018,February 24, 2020, expressed an unqualified opinion on the Company's internal control over financial reporting.

Change in Accounting Principle

As discussed in Note 8 to the financial statements, the Company changed its method of accounting for leases in the year ended December 26, 2019 due to the adoption of Accounting Standards Update No. 2016-02,Leases (Topic 842), using the modified retrospective method. 

 

Basis for Opinion

 

These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company's management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company's financial statements based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

 

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

 

Critical Audit Matters

The critical audit matters communicated below are matters arising from the current-period audit of the financial statements that were communicated or required to be communicated to the audit committee and that (1) relate to accounts or disclosures that are material to the financial statements and (2) involved our especially challenging, subjective, or complex judgments. The communication of critical audit matters does not alter in any way our opinion on the financial statements, taken as a whole, and we are not, by communicating the critical audit matters below, providing separate opinions on the critical audit matters or on the accounts or disclosures to which they relate.

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Movie Tavern Acquisition – Valuation of Assets Acquired – Refer to Note 1 and Note 4 to the financial statements

Critical Audit Matter Description

On February 1, 2019, the Company completed the acquisition of 22 dine-in Movie Tavern branded movie theatres (“Movie Tavern”). The purchase price for the Movie Tavern acquisition consisted of $30 million in cash and 2,450,000 shares of the Company’s Common Stock, for an aggregate purchase price of approximately $139 million. The Company accounted for the acquisition under the acquisition method of accounting for business combinations in which the assets acquired and liabilities assumed are recorded at fair value. The assets acquired and liabilities assumed primarily consisted of approximately $95 million of property and equipment, $161 million of operating lease right-of-use assets, $32 million of goodwill, $10 million of a trade name intangible asset, and operating lease obligations of $160 million.

In determining the fair value of the assets acquired and liabilities assumed, management used judgment and estimation to determine certain key valuation and business assumptions, specifically when determining the estimated replacement cost used in valuing the property and equipment acquired, when determining the rent expense-to-revenue ratio and operating cash flow margin assumptions used in valuing the favorable and unfavorable lease amounts acquired, and when selecting the royalty rate assumption used in valuing the trade name intangible asset acquired.

We identified the valuation of the assets acquired as a critical audit matter as auditing the estimated replacement cost used in valuing the property and equipment, the rent expense-to-revenue and operating cash flow margin assumptions used in valuing the favorable and unfavorable lease amounts, and the royalty rate assumption used in valuing the trade name intangible asset involved especially subjective judgment and an increased extent of effort, including the need to involve our fair value specialists.

How the Critical Audit Matter Was Addressed in the Audit

Our audit procedures related to the valuation of the property and equipment, favorable and unfavorable lease amounts, and the trade name intangible asset included the following, among others:

·We tested the effectiveness of internal controls over the fair value determinations, including the controls related to the review of the replacement cost estimates used in valuing the property and equipment, the rent expense-to-revenue and operating cash flow margin assumptions used in valuing the favorable and unfavorable lease amounts, and the royalty rate assumption used in valuing the trade name intangible asset.

·We read the purchase agreement and evaluated whether information in the purchase price allocation, including the identification of assets acquired and liabilities assumed, was consistent with the terms and conditions in the purchase agreement.

·With the assistance of our fair value specialists, we evaluated the reasonableness of (1) the Company’s valuation methodologies, (2) the estimated replacement costs used in valuing the property and equipment, (3) the rent-to-revenue and operating cash flow margin assumptions used in valuing the favorable and unfavorable lease amounts, and (4) the royalty rate assumption used in valuing the trade name, including testing the source information underlying the determination of these estimates and assumptions, testing the mathematical accuracy of the calculations, and developing a range of independent estimates and assumptions and comparing those to the estimates and assumptions used in management’s determination of fair values.

Long-Lived Assets – Assessment of Impairment Indicators – Refer to Note 1 and Note 3 to the financial statements

Critical Audit Matter Description

As of December 26, 2019, the Company had a significant amount of long-lived assets, including $923 million of net property and equipment, with the majority of this balance consisting of land, buildings and improvements at hotel and theatre properties, and $244 million of operating lease right-of-use assets, primarily related to hotel and theatre properties. The Company assesses long-lived assets for impairment at the individual hotel or theatre properties at least annually, or whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate the carrying amount of any such asset may not be recoverable.

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In assessing long-lived assets at hotel and theatre properties for indicators of potential impairment, Company management considered quantitative and qualitative factors, including evaluating the historical actual operating performance of the properties and assessing the potential impact of recent events and transactions impacting the properties. Company management evaluated these factors to determine whether any events or changes in circumstances indicated that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. Evaluating whether any of these quantitative and qualitative factors represented an indicator of potential impairment required significant judgment by management.

We identified the assessment of impairment indicators for long-lived assets as a critical audit matter because of the subjectivity used by management when determining whether events or changes in circumstances have occurred indicating that the carrying amounts of long-lived assets may not be recoverable. This required a high degree of auditor judgment when performing audit procedures to evaluate whether management appropriately identified impairment indicators, specifically in the evaluation of the appropriateness and completeness of the quantitative and qualitative factors used in management’s assessment of impairment indicators.

How the Critical Audit Matter Was Addressed in the Audit

Our audit procedures related to management’s assessment of impairment indicators for long-lived assets included the following, among others:

·We tested the effectiveness of internal controls over management’s assessment of impairment indicators for long-lived assets.

·We evaluated management’s assessment of long-lived asset impairment indicators by performing procedures to test the completeness and accuracy of the assessment, including:

(1)We tested the accuracy of historical actual operating results used in management’s assessment for each hotel and theatre property.

(2)We developed an independent estimate of the expected future recovery period for each hotel and theatre property by dividing the net book value of the long-lived assets by the annual operating cash flows of the property for the most recent period. We assessed whether the estimated future recovery period exceeded a reasonable remaining economic life for that applicable type of property.

(3)We held discussions with management and read internal communications to management and the Board of Directors to consider consistency with information included in the assessment and to identify any recent events or transactions that may have a potential impact on the assessment of impairment indicators for the long-lived assets.

(4)We considered whether quantitative and qualitative information in the assessment was consistent with information included in Company press releases, analyst and industry reports relevant to the Company, and evidence obtained in other areas of the audit.

/s/ Deloitte & Touche LLP

 

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

March 13, 2018February 24, 2020

 

We have served as the Company's auditor since 2008.

 

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53

 

 

REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

 

To the shareholders and the Board of Directors of The Marcus Corporation

 

Opinion on Internal Control over Financial Reporting

 

We have audited the internal control over financial reporting of The Marcus Corporation and subsidiaries (the "Company"“Company”) as of December 28, 2017,26, 2019, based on criteria established inInternal Control — Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). In our opinion, the Company maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 28, 2017,26, 2019, based on the criteria established inInternal Control — Integrated Framework (2013) issued by COSO.

 

We have also audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB), the consolidated financial statements as of and for the year ended December 28, 201726, 2019, of the Company and our report dated March 13, 2018,February 24, 2020, expressed an unqualified opinion on those financial statements.statements and included an explanatory paragraph regarding the Company’s adoption of a new accounting standard.

 

Basis for Opinion

 

The Company'sCompany’s management is responsible for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, included in the accompanying Management’sManagement's Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s internal control over financial reporting based on our audit. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

 

We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects. Our audit included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk, and performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.

 

Definition and Limitations of Internal Control over Financial Reporting

 

A company’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. A company’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (1) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (2) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the company; and (3) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.

 

Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.

 

/s/ Deloitte & Touche LLP

 

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

March 13, 2018February 24, 2020

 

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THE MARCUS CORPORATION

 

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(in thousands, except share and per share data)

  December 28, 2017  December 29, 2016 
Assets        
Current assets:        
Cash and cash equivalents(Note 1) $16,248  $3,239 
Restricted cash(Note 1)  4,499   5,466 
Accounts and notes receivable, net of reserves(Note 5)  27,230   14,761 
Refundable income taxes  15,335   1,672 
Other current assets(Note 1)  13,409   11,005 
Total current assets  76,721   36,143 
         
Property and equipment,net(Note 5)  860,064   789,198 
         
Other assets:        
Investments in joint ventures(Note 11)  4,239   6,096 
Goodwill(Note 1)  43,492   43,735 
Other(Note 5)  33,281   36,094 
Total other assets  81,012   85,925 
Total assets $1,017,797  $911,266 
         
Liabilities and shareholders’ equity        
Current liabilities:        
Accounts payable $51,541  $31,206 
Taxes other than income taxes  19,638   17,261 
Accrued compensation  15,627   17,007 
Other accrued liabilities (Note 1)  53,291   46,561 
Current portion of capital lease obligations (Note 6)  7,570   6,598 
Current maturities of long-term debt (Note 6)  12,016   12,040 
Total current liabilities  159,683   130,673 
         
CAPITAL LEASE OBLIGATIONS(Note 6)  28,282   26,106 
         
Long-term debt(Note 6)  289,813   271,343 
         
Deferred income taxes(Note 9)  38,233   46,433 
         
Deferred compensation and other(Note 8)  56,662   45,064 
         
commitments AND license rights(Note 10)        
         
equity(Note 7):        
Shareholders’ equity attributable to The Marcus Corporation
Preferred Stock, $1 par; authorized 1,000,000 shares; none issued
      
Common Stock:        
Common Stock, $1 par; authorized 50,000,000 shares; issued 22,655,517 shares at December 28, 2017 and 22,489,976 shares at December 29, 2016  22,656   22,490 
Class B Common Stock, $1 par; authorized 33,000,000 shares; issued and outstanding 8,533,996 at December 28, 2017 and 8,699,540 shares at December 29, 2016  8,534   8,700 
Capital in excess of par  61,452   58,584 
Retained earnings  403,206   351,220 
Accumulated other comprehensive loss  (7,425)  (5,066)
   488,423   435,928 
Less cost of Common Stock in treasury (3,335,745 shares at December 28, 2017, and 3,517,951 shares at December 29, 2016)  (43,399)  (45,816)
Total shareholders’ equity attributable to The Marcus Corporation  445,024   390,112 
Noncontrolling interests  100   1,535 
Total equity  445,124   391,647 
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity $1,017,797  $911,266 

  December 26, 2019  December 27, 2018 
Assets        
Current assets:        
Cash and cash equivalents(Note 1) $20,862  $17,114 
Restricted cash(Note 1)  4,756   4,813 
Accounts receivable, net of reserves(Note 6)  29,465   25,684 
Refundable income taxes  5,916   5,983 
Other current assets(Note 1)  18,265   15,355 
Total current assets  79,264   68,949 
         
Property and equipment,NET(Note 6)  923,254   840,043 
         
OPERATING LEASE RIGHT-OF-USE ASSETS(Note 8)  243,855    
         
Other assets:        
Investments in joint ventures(Note 13)  3,595   4,069 
Goodwill(Note 1)  75,282   43,170 
Other(Note 6)  33,936   33,100 
Total other assets  112,813   80,339 
Total assets $1,359,186  $989,331 
         
Liabilities and shareholders’ equity        
Current liabilities:        
Accounts payable $49,370  $37,452 
Taxes other than income taxes  20,613   18,743 
Accrued compensation  18,055   17,547 
Other accrued liabilities (Note 1)  61,134   59,645 
Current portion of finance lease obligations (Note 8)  2,571   5,912 
Current portion of operating lease obligations (Note 8)  13,335    
Current maturities of long-term debt (Note 7)  9,910   9,957 
Total current liabilities  174,988   149,256 
         
Finance LEASE OBLIGATIONS(Note 8)  20,802   22,208 
         
operating lease obligations(Note 8)  232,111    
         
Long-term debt(Note 7)  206,432   228,863 
         
Deferred income taxes(Note 11)  48,262   41,977 
         
Deferred compensation and other(Note 10)  55,133   56,908 
         
commitments AND license rights(Note 12)        
         
equity(Note 9):        
Shareholders’ equity attributable to The Marcus Corporation        
  Preferred Stock, $1 par; authorized 1,000,000 shares; none issued      
  Common Stock:        
Common Stock, $1 par; authorized 50,000,000 shares; issued 23,253,744 at December 26, 2019 and 22,843,096 shares at December 27, 2018  23,254   22,843 
Class B Common Stock, $1 par; authorized 33,000,000 shares; issued and outstanding 7,935,769 at December 26, 2019 and 8,346,417 at December 27, 2018  7,936   8,347 
  Capital in excess of par  145,549   63,830 
  Retained earnings  461,884   439,178 
  Accumulated other comprehensive loss  (12,648)  (6,758)
   625,975   527,440 
 Less cost of Common Stock in treasury (242,853 shares at December 26, 2019 and 2,839,079 shares at December 27, 2018)  (4,540)  (37,431)
Total shareholders’ equity attributable to The Marcus Corporation  621,435   490,009 
   Noncontrolling interests  23   110 
Total equity  621,458   490,119 
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity $1,359,186  $989,331 

 

See accompanying notes.

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THE MARCUS CORPORATION

The Marcus Corporation

 

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OFConsolidated Statements of EARNINGS

(in thousands, except per share data)

 Year Ended  31 Weeks
Ended
  Year Ended  Year Ended 
 December 28, December 29, December 31, May 28,  December 26, December 27, December 28, 
 2017  2016  2015  2015  2019  2018  2017 
Revenues:                            
Theatre admissions $227,091  $186,768  $104,606  $157,254  $284,141  $246,385  $227,091 
Rooms  106,876   105,167   70,093   109,660   105,857   108,786   106,876 
Theatre concessions  148,989   120,975   69,206   98,746   231,237   166,564   148,989 
Food and beverage  70,627   67,551   44,590   67,174   74,665  ��72,771   70,627 
Other revenues  69,131   63,403   35,772   55,233   87,805   78,329   69,131 
  783,705   672,835   622,714 
Cost reimbursements  37,158   34,285   30,838 
Total revenues  622,714   543,864   324,267   488,067   820,863   707,120   653,552 
                            
Costs and expenses:                            
Theatre operations  197,270   160,729   91,747   134,946   267,741   217,851   197,270 
Rooms  40,286   40,213   24,933   42,579   40,381   41,181   40,286 
Theatre concessions  43,634   32,407   19,958   27,032   85,289   47,522   43,634 
Food and beverage  59,375   55,526   34,656   55,215   60,812   58,662   59,375 
Advertising and marketing  23,960   21,582   14,842   25,265   24,583   23,775   23,960 
Administrative  68,666   63,620   36,392   53,247   73,522   72,116   66,954 
Depreciation and amortization  51,719   41,832   23,815   38,361   72,277   61,342   51,719 
Rent(Note 10)  11,869   8,384   5,040   8,591 
Rent(Note 8)  26,099   11,267   11,869 
Property taxes  18,815   16,257   8,630   15,001   21,871   19,396   18,815 
Other operating expenses  31,525   33,360   19,582   34,268   41,065   36,534   31,525 
Impairment charge(Note 2)           2,919 
Impairment charge(Note 3)  1,874       
Reimbursed costs  37,158   34,285   30,838 
Total costs and expenses  547,119   473,910   279,595   437,424   752,672   623,931   576,245 
                            
OPERATING INCOME  75,595   69,954   44,672   50,643   68,191   83,189   77,307 
                            
OTHER INCOME (EXPENSE):                            
Investment income  588   298   15   252   1,379   208   588 
Interest expense  (12,100)  (9,176)  (5,933)  (9,926)  (11,791)  (13,079)  (12,100)
Other expense  (1,921)  (1,985)  (1,712)
Gain (loss) on disposition of property, equipment and other assets  3,981   (844)  (490)  (1,463)  (1,149)  (1,342)  3,981 
Equity earnings (losses) from unconsolidated joint ventures, net(Note 11)  46   301   (36)  (186)
Equity earnings (losses) from unconsolidated joint ventures, net(Note 13)  (274)  (399)  46 
  (7,485)  (9,421)  (6,444)  (11,323)  (13,756)  (16,597)  (9,197)
Earnings before income taxes  68,110   60,533   38,228   39,320   54,435   66,592   68,110 
Income taxes(Note 9)  3,625   22,994   14,785   15,678 
Income taxes(Note 11)  12,320   13,127   3,625 
NET EARNINGS  64,485   37,539   23,443   23,642   42,115   53,465   64,485 
NET LOSS ATTRIBUTABLE TO NONCONTROLLING INTERESTS  (511)  (363)  (122)  (353)
NET EARNINGS (LOSS) ATTRIBUTABLE TO NONCONTROLLING INTERESTS  98   74   (511)
NET EARNINGS ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE MARCUS CORPORATION $64,996  $37,902  $23,565  $23,995  $42,017  $53,391  $64,996 
                            
net earnings per share – BASIC:                            
Common Stock $2.42  $1.41  $0.88  $0.90  $1.44  $1.96  $2.42 
Class B Common Stock  2.17   1.28   0.80   0.82   1.25   1.75   2.17 
                            
net earnings per share – DILUTED:                            
Common Stock $2.29  $1.36  $0.84  $0.87  $1.35  $1.86  $2.29 
Class B Common Stock  2.13   1.27   0.79   0.81   1.24   1.72   2.13 

See accompanying notes.

 

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THE MARCUS CORPORATIONThe Marcus Corporation

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OFConsolidated Statements of COMPREHENSIVE INCOME

(in thousands)

  Year Ended  31 Weeks Ended  Year Ended 
  December 28,  December 29,  December 31,  May 28, 
  2017  2016  2015  2015 
             
NET EARNINGS $64,485  $37,539  $23,443  $23,642 
                 
OTHER COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS):                
                 
Change in unrealized gain on available for sale investments, net of tax effect (benefit) of $(9), $9, $0 and $0, respectively  (14)  14       
                 
Pension loss arising during period, net of tax benefit of $1,685, $40, $42 and $570, respectively  (2,559)  (42)  (62)  (902)
                 
Amortization of the net actuarial loss and prior service credit related to the pension, net of tax effect of $142, $55, $84 and $127, respectively  214   58   127   199 
                 
Pension curtailment gain, net of tax effect of $0, $127, $0 and $0     134       
                 
Fair market value adjustment of interest rate swap, net of tax benefit of $0, $95, $25 and $110, respectively(Note 6)     (143)  (39)  (169)
                 
Reclassification adjustment on interest rate swap included in interest expense, net of tax effect of $0, $25, $43 and $77, respectively(Note 6)     38   65   118 
                 
Reclassification adjustment related to interest rate swap de-designation, net of tax effect of $0, $63, $0 and $0     96       
                 
Other comprehensive income (loss)  (2,359)  155   91   (754)
COMPREHENSIVE INCOME  62,126   37,694   23,534   22,888 
                 
COMPREHENSIVE LOSS ATTRIBUTABLE TO NONCONTROLLING INTERESTS  (511)  (363)  (122)  (353)
                 
COMPREHENSIVE INCOME ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE MARCUS CORPORATION $62,637  $38,057  $23,656  $23,241 

  

 Year Ended

 
  December 26,  December 27,  December 28, 
  2019  2018  2017 
NET EARNINGS $42,115  $53,465  $64,485 
OTHER COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS):            
Change in unrealized gain on available for sale investments, net of tax benefit of $0, $0 and $9, respectively        (14)
Pension gain (loss) arising during period, net of tax effect (benefit) of $(1,833), $708 and $(1,685), respectively  (5,484)  1,925   (2,559)
Amortization of the net actuarial loss and prior service credit related to the pension, net of tax effect of $109, $167 and $142, respectively  327   454   214 
Fair market value adjustment of interest rate swap, net of tax benefit of $300, $115 and $0, respectively(Note 7)  (853)  (313)   
Reclassification adjustment on interest rate swap included in interest expense, net of tax effect of $44, $59 and $0, respectively(Note 7)  120   164    
Other comprehensive income (loss)  (5,890)  2,230   (2,359)
COMPREHENSIVE INCOME  36,225   55,695   62,126 
COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS) ATTRIBUTABLE TO NONCONTROLLING INTERESTS  98   74   (511)
COMPREHENSIVE INCOME ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE MARCUS CORPORATION $36,127  $55,621  $62,637 

 

See accompanying notes.

 

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THE MARCUS CORPORATION

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY

(in thousands, except per share data) 

 

  Common
Stock
  Class B
Common
Stock
  Capital
in Excess
of Par
  

Retained
Earnings

  Accumulated
Other
Comprehensive
Income (Loss)
  Treasury
Stock
  Shareholders’
Equity
Attributable
to The
Marcus
Corporation
  Non-
controlling
Interests
  Total
Equity
 
BALANCES AT MAY 29, 2014 $22,458  $8,732  $53,844  $294,334  $(4,558) $(48,599) $326,211  $3,768  $329,979 
Cash dividends:                                    
$.35 per share Class B Common Stock           (3,092)        (3,092)     (3,092)
$.39 per share Common Stock           (7,298)        (7,298)     (7,298)
Exercise of stock options        (66)        3,030   2,964      2,964 
Purchase of treasury stock                 (1,092)  (1,092)     (1,092)
Savings and profit-sharing contribution        320         568   888      888 
Reissuance of treasury stock        91         227   318      318 
Issuance of non-vested stock        (289)        289          
Share-based compensation        1,499            1,499      1,499 
Other        140            140      140 
Conversions of Class B Common Stock  21   (21)                     
Distributions to noncontrolling interest                       (959)  (959)
Comprehensive income (loss)           23,995   (754)     23,241   (353)  22,888 
BALANCES AT MAY 28, 2015  22,479   8,711   55,539   307,939   (5,312)  (45,577)  343,779   2,456   346,235 
Cash dividends:                                    
$.19 per share Class B Common Stock           (1,663)        (1,663)     (1,663)
$.21 per share Common Stock           (3,969)        (3,969)     (3,969)
Exercise of stock options        (2)        862   860      860 
Purchase of treasury stock                 (75)  (75)     (75)
Reissuance of treasury stock        99         152   251      251 
Issuance of non-vested stock        (192)        192          
Share-based compensation        975            975      975 
Other        55   (517)        (462)  517   55 
Distributions to noncontrolling interest                       (505)  (505)
Comprehensive income (loss)           23,565   91      23,656   (122)  23,534 
BALANCES AT DECEMBER 31, 2015  22,479   8,711   56,474   325,355   (5,221)  (44,446)  363,352   2,346   365,698 
Cash dividends:                                    
$.41 per share Class B Common Stock           (3,560)        (3,560)     (3,560)
$.45 per share Common Stock           (8,477)        (8,477)     (8,477)
Exercise of stock options        116         3,870   3,986      3,986 
Purchase of treasury stock                 (6,389)  (6,389)     (6,389)
Savings and profit-sharing contribution        304         601   905      905 
Reissuance of treasury stock        120         180   300      300 
Issuance of non-vested stock        (368)        368          
Share-based compensation        1,899            1,899      1,899 
Other        39            39      39 
Conversions of Class B Common Stock  11   (11)                     
Distributions to noncontrolling interest                       (448)  (448)
Comprehensive income (loss)           37,902   155      38,057   (363)  37,694 
BALANCES AT DECEMBER 29, 2016  22,490   8,700   58,584   351,220   (5,066)  (45,816)  390,112   1,535   391,647 
Cash dividends:                                    
$.45 per share Class B Common Stock           (3,929)        (3,929)     (3,929)
$.50 per share Common Stock           (9,575)        (9,575)     (9,575)
Exercise of stock options        105         2,166   2,271      2,271 
Purchase of treasury stock                 (850)  (850)     (850)
Savings and profit-sharing contribution        600         424   1,024      1,024 
Reissuance of treasury stock        253         176   429      429 
Issuance of non-vested stock        (501)        501          
Share-based compensation        2,411            2,411      2,411 
Purchase of noncontrolling interest           494         494   (904)  (410)
Conversions of Class B Common Stock  166   (166)                     
Distributions to noncontrolling interest                       (20)  (20)
Comprehensive income (loss)           64,996   (2,359)     62,637   (511)  62,126 
BALANCES AT DECEMBER 28, 2017 $22,656  $8,534  $61,452  $403,206  $(7,425) $(43,399) $445,024  $100  $445,124 

  Common
Stock
  Class B
Common
Stock
  

Capital
in Excess

of Par

  

Retained

Earnings

  Accumulated
Other
Comprehensive
Income (Loss)
  Treasury
Stock
  Shareholders’
Equity
Attributable
to The
Marcus
Corporation
  Non-
controlling
Interests
  Total
Equity
 
BALANCES AT DECEMBER 29, 2016 $22,490  $8,700  $58,584  $351,220  $(5,066) $(45,816) $390,112  $1,535  $391,647 
Cash dividends:                                    
$.45 per share Class B Common Stock           (3,929)        (3,929)     (3,929)
$.50 per share Common Stock           (9,575)        (9,575)     (9,575)
Exercise of stock options        105         2,166   2,271      2,271 
Purchase of treasury stock                 (850)  (850)     (850)
Savings and profit-sharing contribution        600         424   1,024      1,024 
Reissuance of treasury stock        253         176   429      429 
Issuance of non-vested stock        (501)        501          
Share-based compensation        2,411            2,411      2,411 
Purchase of noncontrolling interest           494         494   (904)  (410)
Conversions of Class B Common Stock  166   (166)                     
Distributions to noncontrolling interest                       (20)  (20)
Comprehensive income (loss)           64,996   (2,359)     62,637   (511)  62,126 
BALANCES AT DECEMBER 28, 2017  22,656   8,534   61,452   403,206   (7,425)  (43,399)  445,024   100   445,124 
Amount reclassified to retained earnings on December 29, 2017 in connection with the adoption of ASU No. 2016-01  -   -   -   (11)  11   -   -   -   - 
Amount reclassified to retained earnings on December 29, 2017 in connection with the adoption of ASU No. 2018-02  -   -   -   1,574   (1,574)  -   -   -   - 
Amount reclassified to retained earnings on December 29, 2017 in connection with the adoption of ASU No. 2014-09  -   -   -   (2,568)  -   -   (2,568)  -   (2,568)
BALANCES AT DECEMBER 29, 2017  22,656   8,534   61,452   402,201   (8,988)  (43,399)  442,456   100   442,556 
Cash dividends:                                    
$.55 per share Class B Common Stock  -   -   -   (4,603)  -   -   (4,603)  -   (4,603)
$.60 per share Common Stock  -   -   -   (11,811)  -   -   (11,811)  -   (11,811)
Exercise of stock options  -   -   (736)  -   -   7,784   7,048   -   7,048 
Purchase of treasury stock  -   -   -   -   -   (2,898)  (2,898)  -   (2,898)
Savings and profit-sharing contribution  -   -   651   -   -   479   1,130   -   1,130 
Reissuance of treasury stock  -   -   231   -   -   144   375   -   375 
Issuance of non-vested stock  -   -   (459)  -   -   459   -   -   - 
Share-based compensation  -   -   2,691   -   -   -   2,691   -   2,691 
Conversions of Class B Common Stock  187   (187)  -   -   -   -   -   -   - 
Distributions to noncontrolling interest  -   -   -   -   -   -   -   (64)  (64)
Comprehensive income  -   -   -   53,391   2,230   -   55,621   74   55,695 
BALANCES AT DECEMBER 27, 2018  22,843   8,347   63,830   439,178   (6,758)  (37,431)  490,009   110   490,119 
Cash dividends:                                    
$.58 per share Class B Common Stock  -   -   -   (4,648)  -   -   (4,648)  -   (4,648)
$.64 per share Common Stock  -   -   -   (14,663)  -   -   (14,663)  -   (14,663)
Exercise of stock options  -   -   (205)  -   -   1,725   1,520   -   1,520 
Purchase of treasury stock  -   -   -   -   -   (1,119)  (1,119)  -   (1,119)
Savings and profit-sharing contribution  -   -   810   -   -   371   1,181   -   1,181 
Reissuance of treasury stock  -   -   267   -   -   150   417   -   417 
Issuance of non-vested stock  -   -   (527)  -   -   527   -   -   - 
Share-based compensation  -   -   3,523   -   -   -   3,523   -   3,523 
Reissuance of treasury stock - acquisition  -   -   77,960   -   -   31,237   109,197   -   109,197 
Other  -   -   (109)  -   -   -   (109)  -   (109)
Conversions of Class B Common Stock  411   (411)  -   -   -   -   -   -   - 
Distributions to noncontrolling interest  -   -   -   -   -   -   -   (185)  (185)
Comprehensive income (loss)  -   -   -   42,017   (5,890)  -   36,127   98   36,225 
BALANCES AT DECEMBER 26, 2019 $23,254  $7,936  $145,549  $461,884  $(12,648) $(4,540) $621,435  $23  $621,458 

 

See accompanying notes.

 

82

58

 

 

THE MARCUS CORPORATION

The Marcus Corporation

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows

(in thousands)

  

 Year Ended  31 Weeks Ended  Year Ended  Year Ended 
 December 28, December 29, December 31, May 28,  December 26, December 27, December 28, 
 2017  2016  2015  2015  2019  2018  2017 
Operating activities                            
Net earnings $64,485  $37,539  $23,443  $23,642  $42,115  $53,465  $64,485 
Adjustments to reconcile net earnings to net cash provided by operating activities:                            
Losses (earnings) on investments in joint ventures  (46)  (301)  36   186   274   399   (46)
Distributions from joint ventures  377   560   152   166   200   65   377 
Loss (gain) on disposition of property, equipment and other assets  (3,981)  844   490   1,463   1,149   1,342   (3,981)
Impairment charge           2,919 
Impairment change  1,874       
Amortization of favorable lease right  334   334   194   334      334   334 
Depreciation and amortization  51,719   41,832   23,815   38,361   72,277   61,342   51,719 
Amortization of debt issuance costs  308   303   258   449   285   287   308 
Share-based compensation  2,411   1,899   975   1,499   3,523   2,691   2,411 
Deferred income taxes  (6,438)  3,022   (1,079)  5,614   9,111   3,247   (6,438)
Deferred compensation and other  911   577   1,564   3,531   1,011   3,339   911 
Contribution of the Company’s stock to savings and profit-sharing plan  1,024   905      888   1,181   1,130   1,024 
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:                            
Accounts and notes receivable  (8,852)  (1,486)  2,967   (5,627)
Other current assets  (2,268)  (2,465)  (388)  (845)
Accounts receivable  (3,781)  1,546   (8,852)
Other assets  1,102   (1,946)  (2,268)
Operating leases  (3,355)      
Accounts payable  15,015   (1,978)  (665)  2,355   9,733   (4,232)  15,015 
Income taxes  (13,663)  (5,124)  7,567   (925)  67   10,297   (13,663)
Taxes other than income taxes  2,377   (373)  2,550   766   1,664   (895)  2,377 
Accrued compensation  (1,380)  4,738   (3,085)  2,440   508   1,920   (1,380)
Other accrued liabilities  6,703   1,829   8,016   3,236   2,541   3,058   6,703 
Total adjustments  44,551   45,116   43,367   56,810   99,364   83,924   44,551 
Net cash provided by operating activities  109,036   82,655   66,810   80,452   141,479   137,389   109,036 
                            
Investing activities                            
Capital expenditures  (114,804)  (83,606)  (44,452)  (74,988)  (64,086)  (58,660)  (114,804)
Purchase of theatres, net of cash acquired and working capital assumed     (63,766)        (30,081)      
Proceeds from disposals of property, equipment and other assets  4,524   1,560   13,977   226   22   116   4,524 
Decrease (increase) in restricted cash  967   12,553   (9,259)  (728)
Decrease (increase) in other assets  911   3,572   495   (786)
Other investing activities  199  (429)  911 
Capital contribution in joint venture  (111)        (399)     (294)  (111)
Purchase of interest in joint venture        (1,600)  (1,500)
Contribution received from local government  1,545                  1,545 
Proceeds from sale of interests in joint ventures  6,729   1,100               6,729 
Net cash used in investing activities  (100,239)  (128,587)  (40,839)  (78,175)  (93,946)  (59,267)  (101,206)
                            
Financing activities                            
Debt transactions:                            
Proceeds from borrowings on revolving credit facility  322,000   346,188   108,500   162,500   335,000   203,000   322,000 
Repayment of borrowings on revolving credit facility  (332,000)  (236,188)  (126,500)  (148,500)  (333,000)  (254,000)  (332,000)
Proceeds from issuance of long-term debt  65,000                  65,000 
Principal payments on long-term debt  (36,300)  (52,335)  (3,339)  (7,176)  (24,620)  (12,153)  (36,300)
Principal payments on capital lease obligations  (1,986)         
Principal payments on finance lease obligations  (2,544)  (1,836)  (1,986)
Debt issuance costs  (418)  (578)              (418)
Equity transactions:                            
Treasury stock transactions, except for stock options  (421)  (6,089)  594   (773)  (702)  (2,523)  (421)
Exercise of stock options  2,271   3,986   860   2,964   1,520   7,048   2,271 
Dividends paid  (13,504)  (12,037)  (5,632)  (10,390)  (19,311)  (16,414)  (13,504)
Distributions to noncontrolling interest  (20)  (448)  (505)  (959)  (185)  (64)  (20)
Purchase of noncontrolling interest  (410)                 (410)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities  4,212   42,499   (26,022)  (2,334)  (43,842)  (76,942)  4,212 
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents  13,009   (3,433)  (51)  (57)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year  3,239   6,672   6,723   6,780 
Cash and cash equivalents at end of year $16,248  $3,239  $6,672  $6,723 
Net increase in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash  3,691  1,180   12,042 
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at beginning of year  21,927   20,747   8,705 
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at end of year $25,618  $21,927  $20,747 
                            
Supplemental Information:                            
Change in accounts payable for additions to property and equipment $5,320  $3,417  $(7,370) $3,467  $2,185  $(9,857) $5,320 
Capital leases acquired  6,173   17,511       
Capital lease extensions  3,675          
Non-cash contribution in joint venture  -      400    

 

See accompanying notes.

83

59

 

THE MARCUS CORPORATION

 

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS 

The Marcus Corporation

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

1. Description of Business and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

 

Description of Business - The Marcus Corporation and its subsidiaries (the “Company”) operate principally in two business segments:

 

Theatres: Operates multiscreen motion picture theatres in Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas and Ohio,Virginia, a family entertainment center in Wisconsin and a retail center in Missouri.

 

Hotels and Resorts: Owns and operates full service hotels and resorts in Wisconsin, Illinois, Oklahoma and Nebraska and manages full service hotels, resorts and other properties in Wisconsin, Illinois, Minnesota, Texas, Nevada, California and North Carolina.Nebraska.

 

Principles of Consolidation - The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of The Marcus Corporation and all of its subsidiaries, including a 50% owned joint venture entity in which the Company has a controlling financial interest. The Company has ownership interests greater than 50% in one joint venture that is considered a Variable Interest Entity (VIE) that is also included in the accounts of the Company. The Company is the primary beneficiary of the VIE and the Company’s interest is considered a majority voting interest. The equity interest of outside owners in consolidated entities is recorded as noncontrolling interests in the consolidated balance sheets, and their share of earnings is recorded as net earnings (losses) attributable to noncontrolling interests in the consolidated statements of earnings in accordance with the partnership agreements. In fiscal 2017, the Company purchased the noncontrolling interest of a joint venture from its former partner.

 

Investments in affiliates which are 50% or less owned by the Company for which the Company exercises significant influence but does not have control are accounted for on the equity method. The Company has investments in affiliatesequity investments without readily determinable fair values, which are 50% or less owned byrepresents investments in entities where the Company which it does not exercise significanthave the ability to significantly influence or have a controlling financial interest that it accounts for using the cost methodoperations of accounting.the entities.

 

All intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.

 

Fiscal Years - In October 2015, the Company’s Board of Directors approved a change in the Company’s fiscal year-end from the last Thursday in May to the last Thursday in December. The Company reports on a 52/53-week year. In this Annual Report on Form 10-K, (1) references to fiscal 2017 refer to the 52-week year ended December 28, 2017, (2) references to fiscal 2016 refer to the 52-week year ended December 29, 2016, (3) references to the Transition Period refer to the 31 week transition period from May 29, 2015 to December 31, 2015, and (4) references to fiscal 2015 refer to the 52-week year ended May 28, 2015. Fiscal 2018 will be a 52-week year ending on December 27, 2018.

84

THE MARCUS CORPORATION

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS 

1. Description of Business and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (continued)

Use of Estimates - The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the financial statements and accompanying notes. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

 

60

The Marcus Corporation

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

1. Description of Business and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (continued)

Change in Accounting Policies – The Company adopted Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) Accounting Standards Update (ASU) No. 2016-02,Leases,(Topic 842), on the first day of fiscal 2019. These lease policy updates were applied prospectively in the Company’s financial statements from December 28, 2018 forward. Reported financial information for the historical comparable periods was not revised and continues to be reported under the accounting standards in effect during the historical periods. See Note 8 for further discussion.

The Company adopted ASU No. 2014-09,Revenue from Contracts with Customers, on the first day of fiscal 2018. These revenue recognition policy updates were applied prospectively in the Company’s financial statements from December 29, 2017 forward. Reported financial information for the historical comparable period was not revised and continues to be reported under the accounting standards in effect during the historical period. See Note 2 for further discussion.

Cash Equivalents - The Company considers all highly liquid investments with maturities of three months or less when purchased to be cash equivalents. Cash equivalents are carried at cost, which approximates fair value.

 

Restricted Cash - Restricted cash consists of bank accounts related to capital expenditure reserve funds, sinking funds, operating reserves and replacement reserves and may include amounts held by a qualified intermediary agent to be used for tax-deferred, like-kind exchange transactions. Restricted cash is not considered cash and cash equivalents for purposes of the statement of cash flows.

 

Fair Value Measurements - Certain financial assets and liabilities are recorded at fair value in the financial statements. Some are measured on a recurring basis while others are measured on a non-recurring basis. Financial assets and liabilities measured on a recurring basis are those that are adjusted to fair value each time a financial statement is prepared. Financial assets and liabilities measured on a non-recurring basis are those that are adjusted to fair value when a significant event occurs. A fair value measurement assumes that a transaction to sell an asset or transfer a liability occurs in the principal market for the asset or liability or, in the absence of a principal market, the most advantageous market for the asset or liability.

 

The Company’s assets and liabilities measured at fair value are classified in one of the following categories:

 

Level 1 - Assets or liabilities for which fair value is based on quoted prices in active markets for identical instruments as of the reporting date. At December 28, 201726, 2019 and December 29, 2016,27, 2018, respectively, the Company’s $70,000$5,825,000 and $93,000$5,302,000 of available for saledebt and equity securities were valued using Level 1 pricing inputs and were included in other long-term assets. At December 28, 2017 and December 29, 2016, respectively, the Company’s $3,983,000 and $1,927,000 ofclassified as trading securities were valued using Level 1 pricing inputs and were included in other current assets.

 

Level 2 - Assets or liabilities for which fair value is based on valuation models for which pricing inputs were either directly or indirectly observable as of the reporting date. At December 28, 201726, 2019 and December 29, 2016,27, 2018, respectively, the $13,000$1,194,000 and $6,000 asset$205,000 liability related to the Company’s interest rate hedge contract wascontracts were valued using Level 2 pricing inputs.

 

Level 3 - Assets or liabilities for which fair value is based on valuation models with significant unobservable pricing inputs and which result in the use of management estimates. At December 28, 201726, 2019 and December 29, 2016,27, 2018, none of the Company’s recorded assets or liabilities that are measured on a recurring basis at fair market value were valued using Level 3 pricing inputs, other than thoseinputs. Assets and liabilities that are measured on a non-recurring basis are discussed in Note 3.3 and Note 4.

61

The Marcus Corporation

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

1. Description of Business and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (continued)

 

The carrying value of the Company’s financial instruments (including cash and cash equivalents, restricted cash, accounts receivable notes receivable and accounts payable) approximates fair value. The fair value of the Company’s $129,143,000$109,000,000 of senior notes, valued using Level 2 pricing inputs, is approximately $125,188,000$110,985,000 at December 28, 2017,26, 2019, determined based upon discounted cash flows using current market interest rates for financial instruments with a similar average remaining life. The carrying amounts of the Company’s remaining long-term debt approximate their fair values, determined using current rates for similar instruments, or Level 2 pricing inputs.

 

85

THE MARCUS CORPORATION

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS 

1. Description of Business and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (continued)

Accounts and Notes Receivable -The Company evaluates the collectibility of its accounts and notes receivable based on a number of factors. For larger accounts, an allowance for doubtful accounts is recorded based on the applicable parties’ ability and likelihood to pay based on management’s review of the facts. For all other accounts, the Company recognizes an allowance based on length of time the receivable is past due based on historical experience and industry practice.practice.

 

Inventory - Inventories, consisting of food and beverage and concession items, are stated at the lower of cost or market. Cost has been determined using the first-in, first-out method. Inventories of $4,062,000$5,673,000 and $4,437,000$4,138,000 as of December 28, 201726, 2019 and December 29, 2016,27, 2018, respectively, were included in other current assets.

 

Property and Equipment - The Company statesrecords property and equipment at cost. Major renewals and improvements are capitalized, while maintenance and repairs that do not improve or extend the lives of the respective assets are expensed currently. Included in property and equipment are assets related to capitalfinance leases. These assets are depreciated over the shorter of the estimated useful lives or related lease terms.

 

Depreciation and amortization of property and equipment are provided using the straight-line method over the shorter of the following estimated useful lives or any related lease terms:

 

 Years
Land improvements10 - 20
Buildings and improvements12 - 39
Leasehold improvements3 - 40
Furniture, fixtures and equipment3 - 20
Finance lease right-of-use assets4 - 15

 

Depreciation expense totaled $51,542,000, $42,085,000, $23,893,000$72,244,000, $61,470,000 and $38,368,000$51,542,000 for fiscal 2017,2019, fiscal 2016, the Transition Period2018 and fiscal 2015,2017, respectively.

 

Long-Lived Assets - The Company periodically considers whether indicators of impairment of long-lived assets held for use are present. This includes quantitative and qualitative factors, including evaluating the historical actual operating performance of the long-lived assets and assessing the potential impact of recent events and transactions impacting the long-lived assets. If such indicators are present, the Company determines if the long-lived assets are recoverable by assessing whether the sum of the estimated undiscounted future cash flows attributable to such assets is less than their carrying amounts. TheIf the long-lived assets are not recoverable, the Company recognizes any impairment losses based on the excess of the carrying amount of the assets over their fair value. For the purpose of determining fair value, defined as the amount at which an asset or group of assets could be bought or sold in a current transaction between willing parties, the Company utilizes currently available market valuations of similar assets in its respective industries, often expressed as a given multiple of operating cash flow. The Company evaluated the ongoing value of its property and equipment during fiscal 2019, fiscal 2018 and other long-livedfiscal 2017 and the value of its operating lease right-of-use assets during fiscal 2017, fiscal 2016, the Transition Period and fiscal 20152019 and determined that there was no impact on the Company’s results of operations, other than the impairment chargescharge discussed in Note 2.3.

 

86

62

 

THE MARCUS CORPORATION

 

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS 

The Marcus Corporation

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

1. Description of Business and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (continued)

 

Acquisition - The Company recognizes identifiable assets acquired, liabilities assumed and noncontrolling interests assumed in an acquisition at their fair values at the acquisition date based upon all information available to it, including third-party appraisals. Acquisition-related costs, such as the due diligence and legal fees, are expensed as incurred. The excess of the acquisition cost over the fair value of the identifiable net assets is reported as goodwill.

 

Goodwill - The Company reviews goodwill for impairment annually or more frequently if certain indicators arise. The Company performs its annual impairment test on the last day of its fiscal year. Consistent with the fiscal year change, the annual impairment testing has been changed to the last day of its new fiscal year-end. The Company believes performing the test at the end of the fiscal year is preferable as the test is predicated on qualitative factors which are developed and finalized near fiscal year-end. Goodwill is tested for impairment at a reporting unit level, determined to be at an operating segment level. When reviewing goodwill for impairment, the Company considers the amount of excess fair value over the carrying value of the reporting unit, the period of time since its last quantitative test, and other factors to determine whether or not to first perform a qualitative test. When performing a qualitative test, the Company assesses numerous factors to determine whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of its reporting unit is less than its carrying value. Examples of qualitative factors that the Company assesses include its share price, its financial performance, market and competitive factors in its industry, and other events specific to the reporting unit. If the Company concludes that it is more likely than not that the fair value of its reporting unit is less than its carrying value, the Company performs a two-step quantitative impairment test by comparing the carrying value of the reporting unit to the estimated fair value. No impairment was identified as of December 28, 201726, 2019 or December 29, 2016.27, 2018. The Company has never recorded a goodwill impairment loss.

 

A summary of the Company’s goodwill activity is as follows:

 

 December 28,
2017
  December 29,
2016
  December 31,
2015
  May 28,
2015
  December 26,
2019
  December 27,
2018
  December 28,
2017
 
 (in thousands)  (in thousands) 
Balance at beginning of period $43,735  $44,220  $43,720  $43,858  $43,170  $43,492  $43,735 
Acquisition        581      32,205       
Sale  (105)                 (105)
Other     (347)      
Deferred tax adjustment  (138)  (138)  (81)  (138)  (93)  (322)  (138)
Balance at end of period $43,492  $43,735  $44,220  $43,720  $75,282  $43,170  $43,492 

 

Trade Name Intangible Asset – The Company acquired a trade name in conjunction with the Movie Tavern acquisition (see Note 4) that was determined to have an indefinite life. The Company will review its trade name intangible asset for impairment at least annually or whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate the carrying value may not be fully recoverable. The Company will perform its annual impairment test on the last day of its fiscal year. Under ASC Topic 350, the Company can elect to perform a qualitative or quantitative impairment assessment for its trade name intangible asset. The Company will first assess the qualitative factors to determine whether the existence of events and circumstances indicate that is it more likely than not that the fair value of the indefinite-lived asset is less than its carrying amount as a basis for determining whether it is necessary to perform the quantitative impairment test. No impairment was identified as of December 26, 2019.

Capitalization of Interest - The Company capitalizes interest during construction periods by adding such interest to the cost of constructed assets. Interest of approximately $400,000, $277,000, $32,000$53,000, $65,000 and $194,000$400,000 was capitalized in fiscal 2017,2019, fiscal 2016, the Transition Period2018 and fiscal 2015,2017, respectively.

 

Debt Issuance Costs -The Company records debt issuance costs on long-term debt as a direct deduction from the related debt liability. Debt issuance costs related to the Company’s revolving credit facility are included in other long-term assets. Debt issuance costs are deferred and amortized over the term of the related debt agreements. Amortization of debt issuance costs totaled $308,000, $303,000, $258,000$285,000, $287,000 and $449,000$308,000 for fiscal 2017,2019, fiscal 2016, the Transition Period2018 and fiscal 2015,2017, respectively, and were included in interest expense on the consolidated statements of earnings.

 

Leases – The Company adopted ASU No. 2016-02,Leases, on the first day of fiscal 2019. See Note 8 for further discussion.

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THE MARCUS CORPORATION

The Marcus Corporation

 

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

1. Description of Business and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (continued)

 

Investments - Trading – The Company has investments in debt and equity securities. These securities are stated at fair value based on listed market prices, where available, with the change in fair value recorded as investment income or loss. Available for sale securities are stated at fair value, with unrealized gains and losses reported as a componentloss within the consolidated statements of shareholders’ equity.earnings. The cost of securities sold is based upon the specific identification method. Realized gains and losses and declines in value judged to be other-than-temporary are included in investment income.

Revenue Recognition - The Company evaluates securitiesadopted ASU No. 2014-09,Revenue from Contracts with Customers, on the first day of fiscal 2018. See Note 2 for other-than-temporary impairment on a periodic basis and principally considers the type of security, the severity of the decline in fair value, and the duration of the decline in fair value in determining whether a security’s decline in fair value is other-than-temporary. The Company had no investment losses from available for sale securities during fiscal 2017, fiscal 2016, the Transition Period or fiscal 2015.further discussion.

 

Revenue Recognition - The Company recognizes revenue from its rooms as earned on the close of business each day. Revenues from theatre admissions, concessions and food and beverage sales are recognized at the time of sale. Revenues from advanced ticket and gift card sales are recorded as deferred revenue and are recognized when tickets or gift cards are redeemed. The Company had deferred revenue of $32,711,000 and $28,485,000, which is included in other accrued liabilities, as of December 28, 2017 and December 29, 2016, respectively. Gift card breakage income is recognized based upon historical redemption patterns and represents the balance of gift cards for which the Company believes the likelihood of redemption by the customer is remote. Gift card breakage income is recorded in other revenues in the consolidated statements of earnings.

Other revenues include management fees for theatres and hotels under management agreements. The management fees are recognized as earned based on the terms of the agreements and include both base fees and incentive fees. Revenues do not include sales tax as the Company considers itself a pass-through conduit for collecting and remitting sales tax.

Advertising and Marketing Costs - The Company expenses all advertising and marketing costs as incurred.

 

InsuranceInsurance Reserves - The Company uses a combination of insurance and self insurance mechanisms, including participation in captive insurance entities, to provide for the potential liabilities for certain risks, including workers’ compensation, healthcare benefits, general liability, property insurance, director and officers’ liability insurance, cyber liability, employment practices liability and business interruption. Liabilities associated with the risks that are retained by the company are not discounted and are estimated, in part, by considering historical claims experience, demographic factors and severity factors.

 

88

The Marcus Corporation

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

1. Description of Business and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (continued)

Income Taxes -The Company recognizes deferred tax assets and liabilities based on the differences between the financial statement carrying amounts and the tax basis of assets and liabilities. Deferred tax assets represent items to be used as a tax deduction or credit in the future tax returns for which the Company has already properly recorded the tax benefit in the income statement. The Company regularly assesses the probability that the deferred tax asset balance will be recovered against future taxable income, taking into account such factors as earnings history, carryback and carryforward periods, and tax strategies. When the indications are that recovery is not probable, a valuation allowance is established against the deferred tax asset, increasing income tax expense in the year that conclusion is made.

 

The Company assesses income tax positions and records tax benefits for all years subject to examination based upon management'smanagement’s evaluation of the facts, circumstances and information available at the reporting dates. For those tax positions where it is more-likely-than-not that a tax benefit will be sustained, the Company records the largest amount of tax benefit with a greater than 50% likelihood of being realized upon ultimate settlement with a taxing authority that has full knowledge of all relevant information. For those income tax positions where it is not more-likely-than-not that a tax benefit will be sustained, no tax benefit is recognized in the financial statements. See Note 911 - Income Taxes.

 

Earnings Per Share- Net earnings per share (EPS) of Common Stock and Class B Common Stock is computed using the two class method. Basic net earnings per share is computed by dividing net earnings by the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding. Diluted net earnings per share is computed by dividing net earnings by the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding, adjusted for the effect of dilutive stock options using the treasury method. Convertible Class B Common Stock is reflected on an if-converted basis. The computation of the diluted net earnings per share of Common Stock assumes the conversion of Class B Common Stock, while the diluted net earnings per share of Class B Common Stock does not assume the conversion of those shares.

64

The Marcus Corporation

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

1. Description of Business and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (continued)

 

Holders of Common Stock are entitled to cash dividends per share equal to 110% of all dividends declared and paid on each share of the Class B Common Stock. As such, the undistributed earnings for each year are allocated based on the proportionate share of entitled cash dividends. The computation of diluted net earnings per share of Common Stock assumes the conversion of Class B Common Stock and, as such, the undistributed earnings are equal to net earnings for that computation.

 

89

The Marcus Corporation

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

1. Description of Business and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (continued)

The following table illustrates the computation of Common Stock and Class B Common Stock basic and diluted net earnings per share and provides a reconciliation of the number of weighted-average basic and diluted shares outstanding:

 

 Year Ended  31 Weeks
Ended
  Year Ended 
 December 28,
2017
  December 29,
2016
  December 31,
2015
  May 28,
2015
  Year Ended 
          

December 26,
2019

  

December 27,
2018

  December 28,
2017
 
 (in thousands, except per share data)  (in thousands, except per share data) 
Numerator:                            
Net earnings attributable to The Marcus Corporation $64,996  $37,902  $23,565  $23,995  $42,017  $53,391  $64,996 
                            
Denominator:                            
Denominator for basic EPS  27,789   27,551   27,609   27,421   30,656   28,105   27,789 
Effect of dilutive employee stock options  614   406   308   266   496   608   614 
Denominator for diluted EPS  28,403   27,957   27,917   27,687   31,152   28,713   28,403 
                            
Net earnings per share – Basic:                            
Common Stock $2.42  $1.41  $0.88  $0.90  $1.44  $1.96  $2.42 
Class B Common Stock $2.17  $1.28  $0.80  $0.82  $1.25  $1.75  $2.17 
Net earnings per share- Diluted:                            
Common Stock $2.29  $1.36  $0.84  $0.87  $1.35  $1.86  $2.29 
Class B Common Stock $2.13  $1.27  $0.79  $0.81  $1.24  $1.72  $2.13 

 

Options to purchase 250,000324,000 shares, 14,000 shares, 456,00016,000 shares and 434,000250,000 shares of common stock at prices ranging from $38.51 to $41.90, $38.51 to $41.35 and $31.20 to $31.55 $23.37 to $31.55, $19.74 to $23.37 and $18.34 to $23.37 per share were outstanding at December 26, 2019, December 27, 2018 and December 28, 2017, December 29, 2016, December 31, 2015 and May 28, 2015, respectively, but were not included in the computation of diluted EPS because the options’ exercise price was greater than the average market price of the common shares, and therefore, the effect would be antidilutive.

 

90

The Marcus Corporation

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

1. Description of Business and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (continued)

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss – Accumulated other comprehensive loss presented in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets consists of the following, all presented net of tax:

 

 December 28, 2017  December 29, 2016  December 26, 2019  December 27, 2018 
 (in thousands)  (in thousands) 
Unrealized gain (loss) on available for sale investments $(11) $3 
Unrecognized loss on interest rate swap agreements $(882)  (149)
Net unrecognized actuarial loss for pension obligation  (7,414)  (5,069)  (11,766)  (6,609)
 $(7,425) $(5,066) $(12,648) $(6,758)

 

Concentration of Risk -As of December 28, 2017, 7% of the Company’s employees were covered by a collective bargaining agreement, of which 1% are covered by an agreement that will expire in one year. As of December 29, 2016, 7% of the Company’s employees were covered by a collective bargaining agreement, of which 2% were covered by an agreement that expired within in one year.

New Accounting Pronouncements - In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU) No. 2014-09,Revenue from Contracts with Customers, a comprehensive new revenue recognition model that requires a company to recognize revenue to depict the transfer of goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the company expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. In August 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-14,Revenue from Contracts with Customers: Deferral of Effective Date, to defer the effective date of the new revenue recognition standard by one year. The new standard is effective for the Company in fiscal 2018. The guidance may be adopted using either a full retrospective or modified retrospective approach. The Company has selected the modified retrospective method for adoption of ASU No. 2014-09 and its related ASU amendments. Under this method, the Company will recognize the cumulative effect of the changes in retained earnings at the date of adoption, but will not restate prior periods.

The Company has performed a review of the requirements of ASU 2014-09 and its related ASUs. In preparation for adoption of the new standard, the Company has reviewed its key revenue streams and related customer contracts and has applied the five-step model of the standard to these revenue streams and compared the results to its current accounting practices. The Company believes that the adoption of the new standard will primarily impact its accounting for its loyalty programs and internet ticket fee revenue. While the Company does not believe the adoption of ASU 2014-09 will have a material impact to its results of operations or cash flows, the Company does expect the new guidance to impact the classification of revenue and related expenses for certain items. We currently expect the following impacts:

·65In accordance with the new guidance, the portion of Theatre admission revenues, Theatre concession revenues and Food and beverage revenues attributable to loyalty points earned by customers will be deferred as a reduction of these revenues until reward redemption. Through December 28, 2017, the Company recorded the estimated incremental cost of redeeming loyalty points at the time they were earned in Advertising and marketing expense. The Company believes adoption of the standard will result in an immaterial reduction of Theatre admission revenues and a corresponding immaterial increase in Theatre concession revenues with an offsetting increase in other long-term liabilities based upon historical customer reward redemption patterns.

·The Company currently records internet ticket fee revenues net of third-party commission or service fees. In accordance with ASU 2014-09, the Company believes that it is the principal (as opposed to agent) in the arrangement with third-party internet ticketing companies in regards to sale of internet tickets to customers, and therefore, expects to recognize ticket fee revenue based on a gross transaction price. This change will have the effect of increasing other revenues and other operating expense but will have no impact on net earnings or cash flows from operations.

91

 

 

The Marcus Corporation

 

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

 

1. Description of Business and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (continued)

 

The Company expects to recordConcentration of Risk - As of December 26, 2019, 6% of the Company’s employees were covered by a one-time cumulative effect reduction to retained earningscollective bargaining agreement, of approximately $3,500,000 duringwhich 15% were covered by an agreement that will expire within one year. As of December 27, 2018, 7% of the first quarterCompany’s employees were covered by a collective bargaining agreement, of fiscal 2018 related to the adoption of ASU 2014-09.which 96% were covered by an agreement that will expire within one year.

 

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02,Leases (Topic 842), intended to improve financial reporting related to leasing transactions. ASU No. 2016-02 requires a lessee to recognize on the balance sheet assets and liabilities for rights and obligations created by leased assets with lease terms of more than 12 months. The new guidance will also require disclosures to help investors and other financial statement users better understand the amount, timing and uncertainty of cash flows arising from the leases. These disclosures include qualitative and quantitative requirements, providing additional information about the amounts recorded in the financial statements. The new standard is effective for the Company in fiscal 2019 and early application is permitted. The Company is evaluating the effect that the guidance will have on its consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.

In August 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-15,Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230) - Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments, which addresses eight specific cash flow issues with the objective of reducing the existing diversity in practice. The new standard is effective for the Company beginning in fiscal 2018. The standard must be applied using a retrospective transition method for each period presented. The Company does not believe the new standard will have a material effect on its consolidated financial statements or related disclosures.

In November 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-18,Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230)- Restricted Cash. ASU No. 2016-18 requires that a statement of cash flows explain the change during the period in the total of cash, cash equivalents, and amounts generally described as restricted cash or restricted cash equivalents. As such, restricted cash and restricted cash equivalents should be included with cash and cash equivalents when reconciling the beginning of period and ending of period total amount shown on the statement of cash flows. The new standard is effective for the Company in fiscal 2018 and must be applied on a retrospective basis. The Company reported a $967,000 and $12,553,000 investing cash inflow related to a change in restricted cash for the periods ended December 28, 2017 and December 29, 2016, respectively. Subsequent to the adoption of ASU No. 2016-18, the change in restricted cash would be excluded from the change in cash flows from investing activities and included in the change in total cash, restricted cash and cash equivalents as reported in the statement of cash flows.

New Accounting PronouncementsIn January 2017, the FASBFinancial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued ASU No. 2017-01,Business Combinations (Topic 805) – Clarifying the Definition of a Business, which clarifies the definition of a business with the objective of adding guidance and providing a more robust framework to assist reporting organizations with evaluating whether transactions should be accounted for as acquisitions (or disposals) of assets or businesses. The new standard is effective for the Company in fiscal 2018 and must be applied prospectively. The Company will evaluate the effect the new standard will have on its consolidated financial statements prospectively as transactions occur.

In January 2017, the FASB issued ASUAccounting Standards Update (ASU) No. 2017-04,Intangibles - Goodwill and Other (Topic 350) - Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment, which eliminates Step 2 of the goodwill impairment test that had required a hypothetical purchase price allocation. Rather, entities should apply the same impairment assessment to all reporting units and recognize an impairment loss for the amount by which a reporting unit’s carrying amount exceeds its fair value, without exceeding the total amount of goodwill allocated to that reporting unit. Entities will continue to have the option to perform a qualitative assessment for a reporting unit to determine if the quantitative impairment test is necessary. ASU No. 2017-04 is effective for the Company in fiscal 2020 and must be applied prospectively. The Company does not believe the new standard will have a material effect on its consolidated financial statements.

 

In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-14,Compensation—Retirement Benefits—Defined Benefit Plans—General, designed to add, remove and clarify disclosure requirements related to defined benefit pension and other postretirement plans. ASU No. 2018-14 is effective for the Company in fiscal 2020 and early application is permitted. The Company does not believe the new standard will have a material effect on its consolidated financial statement disclosures.

In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-13,Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820): Disclosure Framework – Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Fair Value Measurement. The purpose of ASU No. 2018-13 is to improve the disclosures related to fair value measurements in the financial statements. The improvements include the removal, modification and addition of certain disclosure requirements primarily related to Level 3 fair value measurements. ASU No. 2018-13 is effective for the Company in fiscal 2020. The amendments in ASU No. 2018-13 should be applied prospectively. The Company does not expect ASU No. 2018-13 to have a significant impact on its consolidated financial statements.

In December 2019, the FASB issued ASU No. 2019-12,Income Taxes (Topic 740): Simplifying the Accounting for Income Taxes. The amendments in ASU No. 2019-12 are designed to simplify the accounting for income taxes by removing certain exceptions to the general principles in Topic 740. The amendments also improve consistent application of and simplify generally accepted accounting principles for other areas of Topic 740 by clarifying and amending existing guidance. ASU No. 2019-12 is effective for the Company in fiscal 2021 and early application is permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the effect the new standard will have on its consolidated financial statements.

On December 28, 2018, the Company adopted ASU No. 2016-02,Leases (Topic 842), which is intended to improve financial reporting related to leasing transactions. ASC 842 requires a lessee to recognize on the balance sheet assets and liabilities for rights and obligations created by leased assets with lease terms of more than 12 months. The new guidance also requires disclosures to help investors and other financial statement users better understand the amount, timing and uncertainty of cash flows arising from the leases. See Note 8 for further discussion.

66

92

The Marcus Corporation

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

2. Revenue Recognition

Revenue Recognition Policy

Revenue from contracts with customers is recognized when, or as, the Company satisfies its performance of obligations by transferring the promised services to the customer. A service is transferred to a customer when, or as, the customer obtains control of that service. A performance obligation may be satisfied over time or at a point in time. Revenue from a performance obligation satisfied over time is recognized by measuring the Company’s progress in satisfying the performance obligation in a manner that depicts the transfer of the services to the customer. Revenue from a performance obligation satisfied at a point in time is recognized at the point in time that the Company determines the customer obtains control over the promised service. The amount of revenue recognized reflects the consideration entitled to in exchange for those services.

Thedisaggregation of revenues by business segment for fiscal 2019 and fiscal 2018 is as follows (in thousands):

  Fiscal 2019 
  Reportable Segment 
  Theatres  

Hotels/
Resorts

  Corporate  Total 
Theatre admissions $284,141  $  $  $284,141 
Rooms     105,857      105,857 
Theatre concessions  231,237         231,237 
Food and beverage     74,665      74,665 
Other revenues(1)  40,825   46,547   433   87,805 
Cost reimbursements  877   36,281      37,158 
Total revenues $557,080  $263,350  $433  $820,863 

  Fiscal 2018 
  Reportable Segment 
  Theatres  Hotels/
Resorts
  Corporate  Total 
Theatre admissions $246,385  $  $  $246,385 
Rooms     108,786      108,786 
Theatre concessions  166,564         166,564 
Food and beverage     72,771      72,771 
Other revenues(1)  32,563   45,342   424   78,329 
Cost reimbursements  1,292   32,993      34,285 
Total revenues $446,804  $259,892  $424  $707,120 
(1)Included in other revenues is an immaterial amount related to rental income that is not considered contract revenue from contracts with customers under ASC No. 2014-09.

The Company recognizes revenue from its rooms as earned on the close of business each day. Revenue from theatre admissions, theatre concessions and food and beverage sales are recognized at the time of sale.

Revenues from advanced ticket and gift card sales are recorded as deferred revenue and are recognized when tickets or gift cards are redeemed. Gift card breakage income is recognized based upon historical redemption patterns and represents the balance of gift cards for which the Company believes the likelihood of redemption by the customer is remote. Gift card breakage income is recorded in other revenues in the consolidated statements of earnings. The adoption of ASU No. 2014-09 did not have an effect on how revenue is recognized for these arrangements.

67

The Marcus Corporation

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

2. Revenue Recognition (continued)

Other revenues include management fees for theatres and hotels under management agreements. The management fees are recognized as earned based on the terms of the agreements. The management fees include variable consideration that is recognized based on the Company’s right to invoice as the amount invoiced corresponds directly to the value transferred to the customer. Other revenues also include family entertainment center revenues and revenues from Hotels/Resorts outlets such as spa, ski, golf and parking, each of which are recognized at the time of sale. In addition, other revenues include pre-show advertising income in the Company’s theatres. Pre-show advertising revenue includes variable consideration, primarily based on attendance levels, that is allocated to distinct time periods that make up the overall performance obligation. The adoption of ASU No. 2014-09 did not have an effect on how revenue is recognized for these arrangements.

Cost reimbursements primarily consist of payroll and related expenses at managed properties where the Company is the employer and may include certain operational and administrative costs as provided for in the Company’s contracts with owners. These costs are reimbursed back to the Company. As these costs have no added markup, the revenue and related expense have no impact on operating income or net earnings. The adoption of ASU No. 2014-09 did not have an effect on how revenue is recognized for these arrangements.

The timing of the Company’s revenue recognition may differ from the timing of payment by customers. However, the Company typically receives payment within a very short period of time of when the revenue is recognized. The Company records a receivable when revenue is recognized prior to payment and it has an unconditional right to payment. Alternatively, when payment precedes the provision for the related services, deferred revenue is recorded until the performance obligation is satisfied.

Revenues do not include sales tax as the Company considers itself a pass-through conduit for collecting and remitting sales tax.

The Company had deferred revenue from contracts with customers of $43,200,000, $37,048,000 and $36,007,000 as of December 26, 2019, December 27, 2018 and December 28, 2017, respectively, which includes the one-time cumulative effect adjustment to the balance sheet on the first day of fiscal 2018. The Company had no contract assets as of December 26, 2019 and December 27, 2018. During fiscal 2019, the Company recognized revenue of $22,266,000 that was included in deferred revenues as of December 27, 2018. During fiscal 2018, the Company recognized revenue of $24,840,000 that was included in deferred revenues as of December 29, 2017. The majority of the Company’s deferred revenue relates to non-redeemed gift cards, advanced ticket sales and the Company’s loyalty program.

As of December 26, 2019, the amount of transaction price allocated to the remaining performance obligations under the Company’s advanced ticket sales was $5,117,000 and is reflected in the Company’s consolidated balance sheet as part of deferred revenues, which is included in other accrued liabilities. The Company recognizes revenue as the tickets are redeemed, which is expected to occur within the next two years.

As of December 26, 2019, the amount of transaction price allocated to the remaining performance obligations related to the amount of Hotels and Resorts non-redeemed gift cards was $2,929,000 and is reflected in the Company’s consolidated balance sheet as part of deferred revenues, which is included in other accrued liabilities. The Company recognizes revenue as the gift cards are redeemed, which is expected to occur within the next two years.

The majority of the Company’s revenue is recognized in less than one year from the original contract.

68

 

 

The Marcus Corporation

 

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

 

1. Description of Business and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies2. Revenue Recognition (continued)

 

In February 2017, the FASB issuedAdoption of ASU No. 2017-05,Other Income – Gains and Losses from the Derecognition of Nonfinancial Assets (Subtopic 610-20: Clarifying the Scope of Asset Derecognition Guidance and Accounting for Partial Sales of Nonfinancial Assets). ASU No. 2017-05 clarifies the scope and accounting of a financial asset that meets the definition of an “in-substance nonfinancial asset” and defines the term “in-substance nonfinancial asset.” It also covers the transfer of nonfinancial assets to another entity in exchange for a non-controlling ownership interest in that entity. The new guidance is effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017. The Company does not believe that the adoption of the new standard will have a material effect on its consolidated financial statements.2014-09

 

In March 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-07,Compensation – Retirement Benefits (Topic 715): Improving the Presentation of Net Periodic Pension Cost and Net Periodic Benefit Cost. The ASU requires the service cost component of net periodic benefit costDue to be presented in the same income statement line item as other employee compensation costs arising from services rendered during the period. Other components of the net periodic benefit cost are to be presented separately, in an appropriately titled line item outside of any subtotal of operating income or disclosed in the footnotes. The standard also limits the amount eligible for capitalization to the service cost component. The standard is effective for the Company in fiscal 2018. The Company recorded expenses of $1,712,000 and $1,519,000 in operating income for the periods ended December 28, 2017 and December 29, 2016, respectively, that will be excluded from operating income upon the adoption of ASU No. 2017-07.2014-09, on the first day of fiscal 2018, the Company recorded a one-time cumulative effect adjustment to the balance sheet as follows:

  Balance at December 28,
2017
  Cumulative
Adjustment
  Balance at December 29,
2017
 
  (in thousands) 
Refundable income taxes $15,335  $945  $16,280 
Other accrued liabilities  53,291   3,296   56,587 
Deferred compensation and other  56,662   217   56,879 
Retained earnings  403,206   (2,568)  400,638 

The one-time cumulative effect adjustment to the balance sheet is due to a change in accounting for the Company’s loyalty programs. The Company offers a customer loyalty program to its theatre customers called Magical Movie Rewards. The program allows members to earn points for each dollar spent and access special offers available only to members. Therewards are redeemable at any Marcus Theatre box office, concession stand or food and beverage venue. The Company also offers a customer loyalty program to its Hotels and Resorts customers which allows members to earn points for each dollar spent in its restaurants. The rewards are redeemable at any of the Company’s hotel outlets including spas, restaurants, and golf. Under ASU No. 2014-09, the portion of Theatre admission revenues, Theatre concession revenues and Food and beverage revenues attributable to loyalty points earned by customers are deferred as a reduction of these revenues until related reward redemption. Through December 28, 2017, the Company recorded the estimated incremental cost of redeeming loyalty points at the time they were earned in Advertising and marketing expense. The change had the effect of an immaterial reduction of theatre admission revenues and a corresponding immaterial increase in theatre concession revenues with an offsetting increase in other long-term liabilities based upon historical customer reward redemption patterns.

 

In Mayaccordance with ASU No. 2014-09, the Company has concluded that it is the principal (as opposed to agent) in the arrangement with third-party internet ticketing companies in regards to sale of internet tickets to customers, and therefore, recognizes ticket fee revenue based on a gross transaction price. As such, internet ticket fee revenue is deferred and recognized when the related film exhibition takes place on a gross transaction price basis. Through December 28, 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-09,Compensation - Stock Compensation (Topic 718): ScopeCompany recorded internet ticket fee revenues net of Modification Accounting, to provide claritythird-party commission or service fees. The change had the effect of increasing other revenues and reduce both the diversity in practice and cost and complexity when applying the guidance in Topic 718,Compensation - Stock Compensation. The amendments in this update provide guidance about which changes to the termsother operating expense but had no impact on net earnings or conditions of a share-based payment award require an entity to apply modification accounting. ASU No. 2017-09 is effective for the Company in fiscal 2018 and must be applied prospectively to an award modified on or after the adoption date. The Company does not believe the new standard will have a material effect on its consolidated financial statements.cash flows from operations.

69

 

In August 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-12,Targeted Improvements

The Marcus Corporation

Notes to Accounting for Hedging Activities, which amends the hedge accounting recognition and presentation requirements in Accounting Standards Codification 815,Derivatives and Hedging (Topic 815). ASU No. 2017-12 is designed to improve the transparency and understandability of information about an entity’s risk management activities and to reduce the complexity of and simplifying the application of hedge accounting. ASU No 2017-12 is effective for the Company in fiscal 2019 and early adoption is permitted. The company does not believe the new standard will have a material effect on its consolidated financial statements.Consolidated Financial Statements

 

2. Revenue Recognition (continued)

The adoption of ASU No. 2014-09 had the following effect on our fiscal 2018 consolidated statement of earnings (in thousands):

  As Reported  ASU No. 2014-09
Impact
  Adjusted(1) 
Revenues:            
Theatre admissions $246,385  $(1,805) $248,190 
Theatre concessions  166,564   2,526   164,038 
Food and beverage  72,771   19   72,752 
Other revenues  78,329   4,997   73,332 
Total revenues  707,120   5,737   701,383 
             
Costs and expenses:            
Theatre operations  217,851   669   217,182 
Theatre concessions  47,522   634   46,888 
Advertising and marketing  23,775   (1,076)  24,851 
Other operating expenses  36,534   4,878   31,656 
Total costs and expenses  623,931   5,105   618,826 
             
Operating income  83,189   632   82,557 
Income taxes  13,127   125   13,002 
Net earnings attributable to The Marcus Corporation  53,391   507   52,884 

(1)The amounts reflect each affected financial statement line item as they would have been reported under US GAAP prior to the adoption of ASU No. 2014-09.

The adoption of ASU No. 2014-09 had the following effect on our consolidated balance sheet as of December 27, 2018 (in thousands):

  As Reported  ASU No. 2014-09 Impact  Adjusted(1) 
Refundable income taxes $5,983  $820  $5,163 
Total current assets  68,949   820   68,129 
Total assets  989,331   820   988,511 
Other accrued liabilities  59,645   2,782   56,863 
Total current liabilities  149,256   2,782   146,474 
Deferred compensation and other  56,908   99   56,809 
Retained Earnings  439,178   (2,061)  441,239 
Shareholders’ equity attributable to The Marcus Corporation  490,009   (2,061)  492,070 
Total equity  490,119   (2,061)  492,180 
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity  989,331   820   988,511 

(1)The amounts reflect each affected financial statement line item as they would have been reported under US GAAP prior to the adoption of ASU No. 2014-09.

70

The Marcus Corporation

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

2. Revenue Recognition (continued)

As part of the Company’s adoption of ASU No. 2014-09, the Company elected to use the following practical expedients: (i) not to adjust the promised amount of consideration for the effects of a significant financing component when the Company expects, at contract inception, that the period between the Company’s transfer of a promised product or service to a customer and when the customer pays for that product or service will be one year or less; (ii) not to assess whether promised goods or services are performance obligations if they are immaterial in the context of the contract with the customer; (iii) to expense costs as incurred for costs to obtain contracts when the amortization period would have been one year or less, which mainly includes internal sales and development compensation; (iv) not to disclose remaining performance obligations when the remaining performance obligations have original expected durations of one year or less; and (v) not to disclose remaining performance obligations when variable consideration is allocated entirely to a wholly unsatisfied promise to transfer a service that forms a single performance obligation (which exists in the Company’s management fee contracts and its pre-show advertising contracts).

3. Impairment Charge

 

In fiscal 2015,2019, the Company determined that indicators of impairment were evident at a specific hoteltheatre location and that the sum of the estimated undiscounted future cash flows attributable to this asset was less than its carrying amount. As such, the Company evaluated the ongoing value of this asset and determined that the fair value, measured using Level 3 pricing inputs (estimated cash flows including estimated salesales proceeds), was less than its carrying value and recorded a $2,600,000 impairment loss. The Company also determined during fiscal 2015 that indicators of impairment were evident at four theatre locations that are closed or expected to close in the future. The Company determined that the fair value of these assets, measured using Level 3 pricing inputs (estimated sales proceeds based on comparable sales), was less than their carrying values and recorded a $319,000 pre-tax$1,874,000 impairment loss. The fair value of the impaired assetsasset was $7,737,000$808,000 as of May 28, 2015.

93

The Marcus CorporationDecember 26, 2019.

 

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

3.4. Acquisition

 

On December 16, 2016,February 1, 2019, the Company acquired 14 owned and/or leased movie22 dine-in theatres along withRonnie’s Plaza, an 84,000 square foot retail center 208 screens located in St. Louis, Missouri,nine Southern and Eastern states from WehrenbergVSS-Southern Theatres (“Wehrenberg”)LLC (Movie Tavern) for a total cash purchase price of $65,000,000, plus normal closing$139,310,000, consisting of $30,000,000 in cash, subject to certain adjustments, and less2,450,000 shares of the company’s Common Stock with a negative net working capital balance that was assumed invalue of $109,197,000, based on the transaction.Company’s closing share price as of January 31, 2019. The acquisition was treated as a purchase in accordance with ASC No. 805,Business Combinations, which requires allocation of the purchase price to the estimated fair values of assets and liabilities acquired in the transaction. The Company obtained assistance from a third party valuation specialist in order to assist in the determination of fair value. The Company provided assumptions to the third party valuation firm based on information available to it at the acquisition date, including both quantitative and qualitative information about the specified assets or liabilities. The Company primarily utilized the third party to accumulate comparative data from multiple sources and assemble a report that summarized the information obtained. The Company then used the information to determine fair value. The third party valuation firm was supervised by Company personnel who are knowledgeable about valuations and fair values. The Company finalized the fair values for both tangible and intangible assets and the liabilities during the fourth quarter of fiscal 2017.2019. The following is a summary of the allocation of the purchase price:

  December 29, 2016  Changes  December 28, 2017 
Other current assets $1,408 $-  $1,408 
Property and equipment(1)  80,205   11,433   91,638 
Other (long-term assets)(2)  2,468   (946)  1,522 
Accounts payable  (1,031)  -   (1,031)
Taxes other than income taxes  (331)  -   (331)
Other accrued liabilities  (1,442)  245   (1,197)
Capital lease obligations  (17,511)  (7,003)  (24,514)
Deferred income taxes  -   71   71 
Deferred compensation and other(3)  -   (3,800)  (3,800)
Total $63,766  $-  $63,776 

(1)Amounts recorded for property and equipment include land, building, leasehold improvements and equipment, including capital lease assets

(2)Amounts recorded for intangible assets include the value of in-place leases and favorable lease rights related toRonnie’s Plaza

(3)Amounts recorded in deferred compensation and other include unfavorable lease obligations

The fair value measurement of tangible and intangible assets and liabilities were based on significant inputs not observable in the market and thus represent Level 3 measurements within the fair value measurement hierarchy. Level 3 fair market values were determined using a variety of information, including estimated future cash flows and market comparables.price (in thousands):

 

The acquired theatres contributed approximately $5,111,000 and $(450,000) to revenue and operating income, respectively, in fiscal 2016, including the impact of acquisition costs. Acquisition costs related to professional fees incurred as a result of the Wehrenberg acquisition during fiscal 2016 were approximately $2,037,000 and were included in administrative expenses in the consolidated statement of earnings.

Assuming the Wehrenberg acquisition occurred at the beginning of fiscal 2016, unaudited pro forma revenues for the Company during fiscal 2016 would have been $607,934,000. The Wehrenberg theatres would not have had a material impact on the Company’s fiscal 2016 net earnings.

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Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

 

4. Asset SalesAcquisition (continued)

Other current assets $4,855 
Property and equipment(1)  95,021 
Operating lease right-of-use assets  160,567 
Deferred tax asset  753 
Other (long-term assets)(2)  9,710 
Goodwill(3)  32,205 
Taxes other than income taxes  (206)
Other accrued liabilities  (3,322)
Operating lease obligations  (160,273)
Total $139,310 

(1)Amounts recorded for property and equipment include land, building, leasehold improvements and equipment.

(2)Amounts recorded primarily relate to a trade name intangible asset of $9,500,000 which the Company has determined to have an indefinite life.

(3)Amounts recorded for goodwill are expected to be deductible for tax purposes.

The purchase price paid by the Company in the acquisition resulted in recognition of goodwill because it exceeded the estimated fair value of the assets acquired and liabilities assumed. The Company paid a price in excess of estimated fair value of the assets acquired and liabilities assumed because the acquisition of Movie Tavern created an opportunity for the Company to expand into new growth markets and leverage its proven success in the theatre industry. The Company also expects to realize synergy and cost savings related to the acquisition because of purchasing and procurement economies of scale.

 

On October 16, 2015,

The above fair values of assets acquired and liabilities assumed were determined using the income and cost approaches. In many cases, the determination of the fair values required estimates about discount rates, future estimated revenues and cash flows, and other assumptions that are judgmental. The fair value measurements were primarily based on significant inputs that are not observable in the market and thus represent Level 3 measurements within the fair value measurement hierarchy.

A summary of the significant valuation techniques and inputs used is as follows:

Property and equipment - When estimating the fair value of property and equipment, the cost approach, which estimates value by determining the current cost of replacing an asset with another of equivalent economic utility, was used. The cost to replace a given asset reflects the estimated reproduction or replacement cost for the property, less an allowance for loss in value due to depreciation and less any economic obsolescence adjustments.

Operating lease right-of-use assets and lease liabilities – When estimating the fair value of these lease-related balances, the Company soldfirst determined such balances under the Hotel Phillipsrequirement of ASC 842 (see Note 8 for further detail on accounting for leases). The operating lease right-of-use assets were then assessed for favorable and unfavorable lease terms, which were determined by comparing the rent expense-to-revenue ratio and operating cash flow margin of each lease to market comparable data. To the extent it was determined that such lease was at favorable or unfavorable terms, the adjustment to record the operating lease right-of-use assets to fair market value was determined through a total purchase pricediscounted cash flow model and the significant assumptions include a 14% discount rate.

Trade name intangible asset – When estimating the fair value of approximately $13,500,000. Net proceeds tothe trade name intangible asset, the Company used an income approach, specifically the relief from royalty method. The significant assumptions used include the sale wereestimated annual revenue, the royalty rate (1%), and a discount rate (17%).

The acquired theatres contributed approximately $13,100,000,$125,839,000 to revenue in fiscal 2019. Excluding the impact of acquisition costs, the acquired theatres did not have a material impact on the Company’s fiscal 2019 net of transaction costs. The assets sold consisted primarily of land, building, equipment and other assets. Pursuant to the sale agreement, the Company also retained its rights to receive payments under a tax incremental financing (TIF) arrangement with the city of Kansas City, Missouri, which is recordedearnings. Acquisition costs incurred as a receivable at its estimated net realizable value on the consolidated balance sheet. The result of the transaction was a loss on saleMovie Tavern acquisition were approximately $1,283,000 and $1,507,000 during fiscal 2019 and fiscal 2018, respectively, and were expensed as incurred and included in administrative expense in the consolidated statements of approximately $70,000. Hotel Phillipsearnings.

Assuming the Movie Tavern acquisition occurred at the beginning of fiscal 2018, unaudited pro forma revenues for the Transition Period andCompany during fiscal 20152018 were $3,925,000 and $9,736,000, respectively. Hotel Phillips operating income$845,662,000. The Movie Tavern theatres would not have had a material impact on the Company’s fiscal 2018 net earnings. Unaudited pro forma revenues for the Transition Period andCompany during fiscal 2015 was $291,000 and $739,000, respectively.2019 would have been $832,349,000. The additional five weeks of Movie Tavern theatres operations would not have had a material impact on the Company’s fiscal 2019 net earnings.

5. Asset Sale

 

On October 20, 2017, the Company sold its 11% minority interest in The Westin®Westin® Atlanta Perimeter North in Atlanta, Georgia, and recorded a gain of $4,875,000 during the fiscal 2017 fourth quarter, which is included in Gain (loss) on disposition of property, equipment and other assets in the consolidated statement of earnings.

 

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Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

6. Additional Balance Sheet Information

 

  December 28, 2017  December 29, 2016 
  (in thousands) 
Trade receivables, net of allowances of $161 and $204, respectively $11,247  $6,349 
Other receivables  15,983   8,412 
  $27,230  $14,761 

The composition of accounts receivable is as follows:

  December 26, 2019  December 27, 2018 
  (in thousands) 
Trade receivables, net of allowances of $762 and $361, respectively $9,327  $8,538 
Other receivables  20,138   17,146 
  $29,465  $25,684 

 

The composition of property and equipment, which is stated at cost, is as follows:

 

 December 28, 2017  December 29, 2016  December 26, 2019  December 27, 2018 
 (in thousands)  (in thousands) 
Land and improvements $146,887  $134,306  $152,434  $150,122 
Buildings and improvements  759,166   699,828   761,511   745,886 
Leasehold improvements  93,451   80,522   164,083   98,885 
Furniture, fixtures and equipment  351,879   312,334   377,404   314,875 
Finance lease right-of-use assets  74,357   72,631 
Construction in progress  5,269   19,698   4,043   12,513 
  1,356,652   1,246,688   1,533,832   1,394,912 
Less accumulated depreciation and amortization  496,588   457,490   610,578   554,869 
 $860,064  $789,198  $923,254  $840,043 

 

The composition of other assets is as follows:

 

 December 28, 2017  December 29, 2016  December 26, 2019  December 27, 2018 
 (in thousands)  (in thousands) 
Split dollar life insurance policies $11,411  $11,411 
Intangible assets  10,057   890 
Favorable lease right $9,152  $9,486      8,818 
Intangible assets  1,040   2,468 
Split dollar life insurance policies  10,771   10,131 
Other assets  12,318   14,009   12,468   11,981 
 $33,281  $36,094  $33,936  $33,100 

 

TheIncluded in intangible assets as of December 26, 2019 is a trade name valued at $9,500,000 that has an indefinite life.

As of December 28, 2018, in conjunction with the adoption of Topic 842, the Company’s $13,353,000 favorable lease right is being amortized overincluded in Operating lease right-of-use assets in the expected term of the underlying lease of 40 years and is expected to result in amortization of $334,000 in each of the five succeeding fiscal years. Accumulated amortization of this favorable lease right was $4,201,000 and $3,867,000 as of December 28, 2017 and December 29, 2016, respectively.consolidated balance sheet. (See Note 8 for further detail.)

 

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Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

 

5. Additional Balance Sheet Information (continued)

The intangible assets include the value of in-place leases and favorable lease rights related toRonnie’s Plaza, which are being amortized over the terms of the leases ranging from one to 15 years as of December 28, 2017.

6.7. Long-Term Debt and Capital Lease Obligations

 

Long-term debt is summarized as follows:

 

 December 28, 2017  December 29, 2016  December 26, 2019  December 27, 2018 
 (in thousands, except payment data)  (in thousands, except payment data) 
Mortgage notes $40,543  $50,399  $24,571  $39,852 
Senior notes  129,143   90,286   109,000   118,000 
Unsecured term note due February 2025, with monthly principal
and interest payments of $39,110, bearing interest at 5.75%
  2,751   3,053   2,093   2,432 
Revolving credit agreement  130,000   140,000   81,000   79,000 
Debt issuance costs  (608)  (355)  (322)  (464)
  301,829   283,383   216,342   238,820 
Less current maturities, net of issuance costs  12,016   12,040   9,910   9,957 
 $289,813  $271,343  $206,432  $228,863 

 

The mortgage notes, both fixed rate and adjustable, bear interest from 3.00% to 5.03%, have a weighted-average rateof 4.22%4.27% at December 28, 201726, 2019 and 4.70%4.66% at December 29, 2016,27, 2018, and mature in fiscal years 20202025 through 2043. The mortgage notes are secured by the related land, buildings and equipment.

 

The $129,143,000$109,000,000 of senior notes maturing in 20182020 through 2027 require annual principal payments in varying installments and bear interest payable semi-annually at fixed rates ranging from 4.02% to 6.55%, with a weighted-average fixed rate of 4.70%4.37% at December 28, 201726, 2019 and 5.10%4.53% at December 29, 2016.

The Company has the ability to issue commercial paper through an agreement with a bank, up to a maximum of $35,000,000. The agreement requires the Company to maintain unused bank lines of credit at least equal to the principal amount of outstanding commercial paper. There were no borrowings on commercial paper as of December 28, 2017 or December 29, 2016.27, 2018.

 

At December 28, 2017,26, 2019, the Company had a revolving credit facility totaling $225,000,000 in place under an existing credit agreement that matures in June 2021. There were borrowings of $130,000,000$81,000,000 outstanding on the revolving credit facility at December 28, 2017,26, 2019, bearing interest at LIBOR plus a margin which adjusts based on the Company’s borrowing levels, effectively 2.67%2.70% at December 28, 201726, 2019 and 1.83%3.46% at December 29, 2016.27, 2018. The revolving credit facility requires an annual facility fee of 0.20%0.15% to 0.25% on the total commitment.commitment, based on the Company’s borrowing levels. Availability under the line at December 28, 201726, 2019 totaled $91,000,000.

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The Marcus Corporation$139,000,000.

 

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

6. Long-Term Debt and Capital Lease Obligations (continued)On January 9, 2020, the Company replaced its then-existing credit agreement with a new five-year $225,000,000 credit facility that expires in January 2025. The terms of the new credit agreement did not change materially.

 

The Company’s loan agreements include, among other covenants, maintenance of certain financial ratios, including a debt-to-capitalization ratio and a fixed charge coverage ratio. The Company is in compliance with all financial debt covenants at December 28, 2017.26, 2019.

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The Marcus Corporation

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

7. Long-Term Debt (continued)

 

Scheduled annual principal payments on long-term debt, net of amortization of debt issuance costs, for the years subsequent to December 28, 2017,26, 2019, are:

 

Fiscal Year (in thousands)   (in thousands) 
2018 $12,016 
2019  9,955 
2020  24,429   $9,910 
2021  140,963    10,963 
2022  11,014    11,013 
2023   11,066 
2024   11,119 
Thereafter  103,452    162,271 
 $301,829   $216,342 

 

Interest paid on long-term debt, net of amounts capitalized, for fiscal 2017,2019, fiscal 2016, the Transition Period2018 and fiscal 20152017 totaled $11,453,000, $9,105,000, $5,220,000$10,281,000, $11,434,000 and $9,353,000,$10,338,000, respectively.

 

The Company utilizes derivatives principally to manage market risks and reduce its exposure resulting from fluctuations in interest rates. The Company formally documents all relationships between hedging instruments and hedged items, as well as its risk-management objectives and strategies for undertaking various hedge transactions.

 

The Company entered into antwo interest rate swap agreementagreements on February 28, 2013March 1, 2018 covering $25,000,000$50,000,000 of floating rate debt, whichdebt. The first agreement has a notional amount of $25,000,000, expires January 22, 2018,March 1, 2021, and requires the Company to pay interest at a defined rate of 0.96%2.559% while receiving interest at a defined variable rate of one-month LIBOR (1.56%(1.750% at December 28, 2017)26, 2019). The second agreement has a notional amount of $25,000,000, expires March 1, 2023, and requires the swap is $25,000,000.Company to pay interest at a defined rate of 2.687% while receiving interest at a defined variable rate of one-month LIBOR (1.750% at December 26, 2019). The Company recognizes derivatives as either assets or liabilities on the consolidated balance sheets at fair value. The accounting for changes in the fair value (i.e., gains or losses) of a derivative instrument depends on whether it has been designated and qualifies as part of a hedging relationship and on the type of hedging relationship. Derivatives that do not qualify for hedge accounting must be adjusted to fair value through earnings. For derivatives that are designated and qualify as a cash flow hedge, the effective portion of the gain or loss on the derivative is reported as a component of accumulated other comprehensive lossincome (loss) and reclassified into earnings in the same period or periods during which the hedged transaction affects earnings. The Company’s interest rate swap agreements are considered effective and qualify as cash flow hedges. The Company assesses, both at the inception of each hedge and on an on-going basis, whether the derivatives that are used in its hedging transactions are highly effective in offsetting changes in cash flows of the hedged items. As of December 26, 2019, the interest rate swaps were considered highly effective. The fair value of the interest rate swaps on December 26, 2019 and December 27, 2018, respectively, was a liability of $1,194,000 and $205,000 and was included in deferred compensation and other in the consolidated balance sheets. The Company does not expect the interest rate swaps to have a material effect on earnings within the next 12 months.

The Company had an interest rate swap that expired in January 2018. The swap agreement covered $25,000,000 of floating rate debt that required the Company to pay interest at a defined fixed rate of 0.96% while receiving interest at a defined variable rate of one-month LIBOR. The Company’s interest rate swap agreement was considered effective and qualified as a cash flow hedge from inception through June 16, 2016, at which time the derivative was undesignated and the balance in accumulated other comprehensive loss of $159,000 ($96,000 net of tax) was reclassified into interest expense. As of June 16, 2016, the swap was considered ineffective for accounting purposes.purposes and the change in fair value was recorded as an increase or decrease in interest expense. As such, the $7,000 increase$13,000 decrease in the fair value of the swap during fiscal 20172018 was recorded as a reduction to interest expense. The Company does not expect the interest rate swap to have a material effect on earnings within the next fiscal year as the agreement expires January 2018.

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SubsequentThe Marcus Corporation

Notes to December 28, 2017, theConsolidated Financial Statements

8. Leases

The Company entered into two interest rate swap agreements covering $50,000,000 of floating rate debt which will require the companydetermines if an arrangement is a lease at inception. The Company evaluates each lease for classification as either a finance lease or an operating lease according to pay interest at a defined fixed rate while receiving interest at a defined variable rate of one-month LIBOR. The first swap has a notional amount of $25,000,000, expires on March 1, 2021 and has a fixed rate of 2.559%. The second swap has a notional amount of $25,000,000, expires on March 1, 2023 and has a fixed rate of 2.687%accounting guidance ASU No. 2016-02,Leases (Topic 842). The Company anticipates thatperforms this evaluation at the interest rates swaps will be considered effective for accounting purposesinception of the lease and will qualify as cash flow hedges.when a modification is made to a lease. The Company leases real estate and equipment with lease terms of one year to 45 years, some of which include options to extend and/or terminate the lease. The exercise of lease renewal options is done at the Company’s sole discretion. When deemed reasonably certain of exercise, the renewal options are included in the determination of the lease term and related right-of-use asset and lease liability. The depreciable life of the asset is limited to the expected term. The Company’s lease agreements do not contain any residual value guarantees or any restrictions or covenants.

Right-of-use assets represent the Company’s right to use an underlying asset for the lease term and lease liabilities represent the obligation to make lease payments arising from the lease. Operating lease right-of-use assets and labilities are recognized at commencement date of the lease based on the present value of lease payments over the lease term. When readily determinable, the Company uses the implicit rate in the lease in determining the present value of lease payments. When the lease does not expectprovide an implicit rate, the interestCompany uses its incremental borrowing rate swapsbased on the information available at the lease commencement date, including the fixed rate the Company could borrow for a similar amount, over a similar lease term with similar collateral. The Company recognizes right-of-use assets for all assets subject to haveoperating leases in an amount equal to the operating lease liabilities, adjusted for the balances of long-term prepaid rent, favorable lease intangible assets, deferred lease expense, unfavorable lease liabilities and deferred lease incentive liabilities. Lease expense for operating lease payments is recognized on a materialstraight-line basis over the lease term.

The majority of the Company’s lease agreements include fixed rental payments. Variable lease payments that do not depend on an index or rate, including those that depend on the Company’s performance or use of the underlying asset, are expensed as incurred.

The Company adopted ASC 842 on the first day of fiscal 2019 using the modified retrospective approach. Under this method, the Company was allowed to initially apply the new lease standard at the adoption date and recognize the assets and liabilities in the period of adoption. As such, upon adoption, no adjustments were made to prior period financial information or disclosures and the new lease standard did not result in a cumulative effect adjustment to retained earnings. Finance lease accounting remained substantially unchanged. The adoption of ASC 842 had the following effect on earnings within the next 12 months.

Company’s financial statements (all relating to operating lease right-of-use assets and obligations):

 

  Balance at
December 27,
2018
  ASC 842
Adjustments
  Balance at
December 28,
2018
 
  (in thousands) 
Assets         
Other current assets $15,355  $(690) $14,665 
Operating lease right-of-use assets  -   76,178   76,178 
Other assets (long term)  33,100   (8,868)  24,232 
             
Liabilities            
Other accrued liabilities  59,645   (4,396)  55,249 
Current portion of operating lease obligations  -   5,909   5,909 
Operating lease obligations  -   75,608   75,608 
Deferred compensation and other  56,908   (10,501)  46,407 

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Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

 

6. Long-Term Debt and Capital Lease Obligations8. Leases (continued)

 

Capital Lease Obligations - During fiscal 2012, the Company entered into a master licensing agreement with CDF2 Holdings, LLC, a subsidiary of Cinedigm Digital Cinema Corp. (CDF2), whereby CDF2 purchased on the Company’s behalf, and then deployed and licensed back to the Company, digital cinema projection systems (the “systems”) for use by the Company in its theatres. As of December 28, 2017, 642part of the Company’s screens were utilizingadoption of ASC 842, the systems under a 10-year master licensing agreement with CDF2. Included in furniture, fixtures and equipment is $45,510,000Company elected the following practical expedients: i) to forego reassessment of its prior conclusion related to the digital systems as of December 28, 2017lease identification, lease classification and December 29, 2016, which is being amortized over the remaining estimated useful life of the assets. Accumulated amortization of the digital systems was $34,471,000initial direct costs, ii) to not separate lease and $28,294,000 as of December 28, 2017non-lease components for all its leases, and December 29, 2016, respectively.

Under the terms of the master licensing agreement, the Company made an initial one-time payment to CDF2. The Company expects that the balance of CDF2’s costs to deploy the systems will be covered primarily through the payment of virtual print fees (VPFs) from film distributors to CDF2 each time a digital movie is booked on one of the systems deployed on a Company screen. The Company agreediii) to make an average number of bookings of eligible digital movies on each screen on which a licensed system has been deployedpolicy election not to provideapply the lease recognition requirements for short-term leases. As a minimum level of VPFs paid by distributors (standard booking commitment) to CDF2. To the extent the VPFs paid by distributors are less than the standard booking commitment, the Company must make a shortfall payment to CDF2. Based upon the Company’s historical booking patterns,result, the Company does not expectrecognize right-of use assets or lease liabilities for short-term leases that qualify for the policy election (those with an initial term of 12 months or less which do not include a purchase or renewal option which is reasonably certain to make any shortfallbe exercised), but will recognize these lease payments duringas lease costs on a straight-line basis over the lifelease term.

Total lease cost consists of the agreement. Accounting Standards Codification No. 840,Leases, requires that the Company consider the entire amount of the standard booking commitment minimum lease payments for purposes of determining the capital lease obligation. The maximum amount per year that the Company could be required to pay is approximately $6,163,000 until the obligation is fully satisfied.following:

 

The Company’s capital lease obligation is being reduced as VPFs are paid by the film distributors to CDF2. The Company has recorded the reduction of the obligation associated with the payment of VPFs as a reduction of the interest

Lease Cost Classification Fiscal 2019 
     (in thousands) 
Finance lease costs:      
Amortization of finance lease assets Depreciation and amortization $3,507 
Interest on lease liabilities Interest expense  1,247 
    $4,754 
       
Operating lease costs:      
Operating lease costs Rent expense $24,302 
Variable lease cost Rent expense  1,560 
Short-term lease cost Rent expense  237 
    $26,099 

Additional information related to the obligation and the amortization incurred related to the systems,leases is as the payments represent a specific reimbursement of the cost of the systems by the studios. Based on the Company's expected minimum number of eligible movies to be booked, the Company expects the obligation to be reduced by at least $5,657,000 within the next 12 months. This reduction will be recognized as an offset to amortization and is expected to offset the majority of the amortization of the systems.follows:

Other Information Fiscal 2019 
  (in thousands) 
Cash paid for amounts included in the measurement of lease liabilities:     
Financing cash flows from finance leases $2,544  
Operating cash flows from finance leases  1,247  
Operating cash flows from operating leases  25,226  
Right of use assets obtained in exchange for new lease obligations:     
Finance lease liabilities  1,726  
Operating lease liabilities, including from acquisitions  180,103  
      
   December 26, 2019  
   (in thousands)  
Finance leases:     
Property and equipment – gross $74,357  
Accumulated depreciation and amortization  (52,869) 
Property and equipment - net $21,488  

 

In conjunction with the Wehrenberg theatre acquisition (see Note 3),fiscal 2017, the Company becamehad the obligorfollowing non-cash transactions related to leases: 1) obtained $6,173,000 of several movie theatrenew capital leases, and equipment leases with unaffiliated third parties that qualify for2) exercised $3,675,000 in capital lease accounting. Included in buildings and improvements is $25,648,000 and $15,799,000 as of December 28, 2017 and December 29, 2016, respectively, related to these leases with accumulated amortization of $2,300,000 as of December 28, 2017. Included in furniture, fixtures and equipment is $1,712,000 as of December 28, 2017 and December 29, 2016 related to these leases with accumulated amortization of $255,000 as of December 28, 2017. The assets are being amortized over the shorter of the estimated useful lives or the remaining lease terms.extensions.

 

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Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

 

6. Long-Term Debt8. Leases (continued)

Remaining lease terms and Capital Lease Obligations (continued)discount rates are as follows:

Lease Term and Discount RateDecember 26, 2019
Weighted-average remaining lease terms:
Finance leases10 years
Operating leases15 years
Weighted-average discount rates:
Finance leases4.67%
Operating leases4.56%

Maturities of lease liabilities as of December 26, 2019 are as follows (in thousands):

Fiscal Year Operating
Leases
  Finance
Leases
 
2020 $24,369  $3,606 
2021  25,730   2,997 
2022  26,313   2,950 
2023  24,808   2,840 
2024  24,534   2,859 
Thereafter  214,060   14,093 
Total lease payments  339,814   29,345 
Less: amount representing interest  (94,368)  (5,972)
Total lease liabilities $245,446  $23,373 

 

Aggregate minimum future lease paymentscommitments as of December 27, 2018 under these capital leases, assuming the exercise of certain lease options,Accounting Standard Codification Topic 840 are as follows as(in thousands):

Fiscal Year Operating
Leases
  Capital
Leases
 
2019 $11,317  $3,073 
2020  10,169   2,978 
2021  9,670   2,679 
2022  9,910   2,718 
2023  9,038   2,718 
2024 and thereafter  80,523   16,940 
Total minimum lease payments $130,627   31,106 
Less: amount representing interest      (6,978)
Total present value of minimum capital lease payments     $24,128 

As of December 28, 2017:26, 2019, the Company had a build-to-suit lease arrangement in which the Company is responsible for the construction of a new leased theatre and for paying construction costs during development. Construction costs will be reimbursed by the landlord up to an agreed upon amount. During construction, the Company is deemed to not have control of the assets or the leased premises and will record the development expenditures in other assets on the consolidated balance sheet. The lease commences when the Company has access to the right-of-use asset, which is expected to be upon project completion during fiscal 2020.

 

Fiscal Year Future
Minimum Lease
Payments
  Less Interest  Principal 
  (in thousands) 
2018 $3,127  $1,214  $1,913 
2019  3,125   1,118   2,007 
2020  3,030   1,019   2,011 
2021  2,731   930   1,801 
2022  2,769   842   1,927 
Thereafter  19,875   3,331   16,544 
  $34,657  $8,454  $26,203 
78

 

7.

The Marcus Corporation

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

9. Shareholders’ Equity and Stock-Based Compensation

 

Shareholders may convert their shares of Class B Common Stock into shares of Common Stock at any time. Class B Common Stock shareholders are substantially restricted in their ability to transfer their Class B Common Stock. Holders of Common Stock are entitled to cash dividends per share equal to 110% of all dividends declared and paid on each share of the Class B Common Stock. Holders of Class B Common Stock are entitled to ten votes per share while holders of Common Stock are entitled to one vote per share on any matters brought before the shareholders of the Company. Liquidation rights are the same for both classes of stock.

 

Through December 28, 2017,26, 2019, the Company’s Board of Directors has approved the repurchase of up to 11,687,500 shares of Common Stock to be held in treasury. The Company intends to reissue these shares upon the exercise of stock options and for savings and profit-sharing plan contributions. The Company purchased 28,898, 333,827, 3,66930,139, 82,722 and 54,74228,898 shares pursuant to these authorizations during fiscal 2017,2019, fiscal 2016, the Transition Period2018 and fiscal 2015,2017, respectively. At December 28, 2017,26, 2019, there were 2,869,4222,756,561 shares available for repurchase under these authorizations.

 

The Company’s Board of Directors has authorized the issuance of up to 750,000 shares of Common Stock for The Marcus Corporation Dividend Reinvestment and Associate Stock Purchase Plan. At December 28, 2017,26, 2019, there were 440,967430,582 shares available under this authorization.

 

Shareholders have approved the issuance of up to 4,937,500 shares of Common Stock under various equity incentive plans. OptionsStock options granted under the plans to employees generally become exercisable either 40% after two years, 60% after three years, 80% after four years and 100% after five years of the date of grant, or 50% after two years, 75% after three years and 100% after four years of the date of grant, depending on the date of grant. The options generally expire ten years from the date of grant as long as the optionee is still employed with the Company.

99

The Marcus Corporation

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

7. Shareholders’ Equity and Stock-Based Compensation (continued)

 

Awarded shares of non-vested stock cumulatively vest either 25% after three years of the grant date, 50% after five years of the grant date, 75% after ten years of the grant date and 100% upon retirement, or 50% after three years of the grant date and 100% after five years of the grant date, or 50% after two years of the grant date and 100% after four years of the grant date, depending on the date of grant. The non-vested stock may not be sold, transferred, pledged or assigned, except as provided by the vesting schedule included in the Company’s equity incentive plan. During the period of restriction, the holder of the non-vested stock has voting rights and is entitled to receive all dividends and other distributions paid with respect to the stock. Non-vested stock awards and shares issued upon option exercises are issued from previously acquired treasury shares. At December 28, 2017,26, 2019, there were 1,151,589588,834 shares available for grants of additional stock options, non-vested stock and other types of equity awards under the current plan.

 

Stock-based compensation, including stock options and non-vested stock awards, is expensed over the vesting period of the awards based on the grant date fair value.

 

The Company estimated the fair value of stock options using the Black-Scholes option pricing model with the following assumptions used for awards granted during fiscal 2017,2019, fiscal 2016, the Transition Period2018 and fiscal 2015:2017:

 

 Year Ended
December 28, 2017
  Year Ended
December 29, 2016
  31 Weeks Ended
December 31, 2015
  Year Ended
May 28, 2015
 
          

Year Ended

December 26, 2019

  

Year Ended

December 27, 2018

  

Year Ended

December 28, 2017

 
Risk-free interest rate  2.08 – 2.20%   1.07 – 1.64%   1.30 – 2.13%   1.31 – 2.32%   2.50 – 2.60%   2.70 – 2.80%   2.08 – 2.20% 
Dividend yield  2.10%  2.29% 2.26%  2.5%  1.70%   2.10%   2.10% 
Volatility  34 – 43%   29 – 48%   36 – 48%   37 – 49%   27 – 32%   28 – 33%   34 – 43% 
Expected life  7 – 8 years   4 – 9 years   4 – 9 years   4 – 9 years   6 – 8 years   6 – 8 years   7 – 8 years 

79

The Marcus Corporation

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

9. Shareholders’ Equity and Stock-Based Compensation (continued)

 

Total pre-tax stock-based compensation expense was $2,411,000, $1,899,000, $975,000$3,523,000, $2,691,000 and $1,499,000$2,411,000 in fiscal 2017,2019, fiscal 2016, the Transition Period2018 and fiscal 2015,2017, respectively. The recognized tax benefit on stock-based compensation was $1,227,000, $840,000, $418,000$1,127,000, $2,617,000 and $689,000$1,227,000 in fiscal 2017,2019, fiscal 2016, the Transition Period2018 and fiscal 2015,2017, respectively. The increase in the recognized tax benefit during fiscal 2018 was primarily due to an increase in stock options exercised where the market price was significantly greater than the grant date fair value of the stock options.

 

A summary of the Company’s stock option activity and related information follows:

  December 26, 2019  December 27, 2018  December 28, 2017 
     Weighted-     Weighted-     Weighted- 
     Average     Average     Average 
     Exercise     Exercise     Exercise 
  Options  Price  Options  Price  Options  Price 
  (options in thousands) 
Outstanding at beginning of period  1,450  $21.25   1,629  $18.08   1,563  $15.94 
Granted  329   41.67   336   27.59   273   31.08 
Exercised  (97)  15.60   (478)  14.74   (133)  17.04 
Forfeited  (41)  30.58   (37)  23.35   (74)  22.37 
Outstanding at end of period  1,641   25.46   1,450   21.25   1,629   18.08 
Exercisable at end of period  802  $18.22   699  $15.87   988  $14.69 
Weighted-average fair value of options granted during the period     $11.79      $7.87      $10.54 

Exercise prices for options outstanding as of December 26, 2019 ranged from $10.00 to $41.90. The weighted-average remaining contractual life of those options is 6.4 years. The weighted-average remaining contractual life of options currently exercisable is 4.5 years. There were 1,587,000 options outstanding, vested and expected to vest as of December 26, 2019, with a weighted-average exercise price of $25.13 and an intrinsic value of $14,567,000. Additional information related to these options segregated by exercise price range is as follows:

  Exercise Price Range 
  

$10.00 to

$18.34

  

$18.35 to

$27.00

  

$27.01 to

$41.90

 
  (options in thousands) 
Options outstanding  464   610   567 
Weighted-average exercise price of options outstanding $14.03  $23.22  $37.22 
Weighted-average remaining contractual life of options outstanding  3.1   7.0   8.4 
Options exercisable  464   218   120 
Weighted-average exercise price of options exercisable $14.03  $19.80  $31.54 

The intrinsic value of options outstanding at December 26, 2019 was $14,693,000 and the intrinsic value of options exercisable at December 26, 2019 was $11,579,000. The intrinsic value of options exercised was $2,135,000, $10,373,000 and $1,770,000 during fiscal 2019, fiscal 2018 and fiscal 2017, respectively. As of December 26, 2019, total remaining unearned compensation cost related to stock options was $5,314,000, which will be amortized to expense over the remaining weighted-average life of 2.7 years.

100

80

 

 

The Marcus Corporation

 

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

 

7. Shareholders’ Equity and Stock-Based Compensation (continued)

A summary of the Company’s stock option activity and related information follows:

  December 28, 2017  December 29, 2016  December 31, 2015  May 28, 2015 
     Weighted-     Weighted-     Weighted-     Weighted 
     Average     Average     Average     Average 
     Exercise     Exercise     Exercise     Exercise 
  Options  Price  Options  Price  Options  Price  Options  Price 
  (options in thousands) 
Outstanding at beginning of period  1,563  $15.94   1,707  $15.71   1,526  $14.75   1,566  $14.06 
Granted  273   31.08   185   19.45   284   20.22   276   18.35 
Exercised  (133)  17.04   (245)  16.23   (68)  12.69   (215)  13.81 
Forfeited  (74)  22.37   (84)  18.21   (35)  16.25   (101)  15.87 
Outstanding at end of period  1,629   18.08   1,563   15.94   1,707   15.71   1,526   14.75 
Exercisable at end of period  988  $14.69   904  $14.28   961  $14.57   840  $14.90 
Weighted-average fair value of
options granted during the period
  $10.54   $5.94   $6.57   $5.98 

Exercise prices for options outstanding as of December 28, 2017, ranged from $10.00 to $31.55. The weighted-average remaining contractual life of those options is 5.6 years. The weighted-average remaining contractual life of options currently exercisable is 4.0 years. There were 1,577,000 options outstanding, vested and expected to vest as of December 28, 2017 with a weighted-average exercise price of $17.84 and an intrinsic value of $15,656,000. Additional information related to these options segregated by exercise price range is as follows:

  Exercise Price Range 
  $10.00 to
$13.12
  $13.13 to
$18.34
  $18.35 to
$31.55
 
  (options in thousands) 
          
Options outstanding  526   454   649 
Weighted-average exercise price of options outstanding $12.13  $16.24  $24.19 
Weighted-average remaining contractual life of options outstanding  4.2   3.5   8.3 
Options exercisable  489   371   128 
Weighted-average exercise price of options exercisable $12.06  $15.79  $21.49 

The intrinsic value of options outstanding at December 28, 2017 was $15,854,000 and the intrinsic value of options exercisable at December 28, 2017 was $12,410,000. The intrinsic value of options exercised was $1,770,000, $1,676,000, $485,000 and $1,181,000 during fiscal 2017, fiscal 2016, the Transition Period and fiscal 2015, respectively. As of December 28, 2017, total remaining unearned compensation cost related to stock options was $3,861,000, which will be amortized to expense over the remaining weighted-average life of 3.4 years.

101

The Marcus Corporation

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

7.9. Shareholders’ Equity and Stock-Based Compensation (continued)

 

A summary of the Company’s non-vested stock activity and related information follows:

 

 December 28, 2017  December 29, 2016  December 31, 2015  May 28, 2015  December 26, 2019  December 27, 2018  December 28, 2017 
    Weighted-     Weighted-     Weighted-     Weighted     Weighted-     Weighted-     Weighted- 
    Average     Average     Average     Average     Average     Average     Average 
    Fair     Fair     Fair     Fair     Fair     Fair     Fair 
 Shares  Value  Shares  Value  Shares  Value  Shares  Value  Shares  Value  Shares  Value  Shares  Value 
 (options in thousands)  (options in thousands) 
Outstanding at beginning of period  143  $19.30   134  $16.54   114  $15.39   98  $13.61   158  $18.98   137  $21.94   143  $19.30 
Granted  37   29.12   36   24.54   34   19.24   30   19.38   39   38.24   52   29.02   37   29.12 
Vested  (36)  18.78   (25)  12.13   (14)  12.55   (14)  11.72   (23)  18.60   (31)  16.41   (36)  18.78 
Forfeited  (7)  22.86   (2)  18.72                           (7)  22.86 
Outstanding at end of period  137   21.94   143   19.30   134   16.54   114   15.39   174  $29.16   158  $18.98   137  $21.94 

 

The Company expenses awards of non-vested stock based on the fair value of the Company’s common stock at the date of grant. As of December 28, 2017,26, 2019, total remaining unearned compensation related to non-vested stock was $2,004,000,$3,015,000, which will be amortized over the weighted-average remaining service period of 3.72.8 years. 

 

8.10. Employee Benefit Plans

 

The Company has a qualified profit-sharing savings plan (401(k) plan) covering eligible employees. The 401(k) plan provides a matching contribution equal to 100% of the first 3% of compensation and 50% of the next 2% of compensation deposited by an employee into the 401(k) plan. Prior to fiscal 2017, the plan provided for a contribution of a minimum of 1% of defined compensation for all plan participants and matching of 25% of employee contributions up to 6% of defined compensation. In addition, the Company made additional discretionary contributions. During fiscal 2017, fiscal 2016, the Transition Period2019 and fiscal 2015,2018, the first 2% of the matching contribution was made with the Company’s common stock. During fiscal 2017, the 1% and the discretionary contributions were made with the Company’s common stock.

 

The Company also sponsors unfunded, nonqualified, defined-benefit and deferred compensation plans. The Company’s unfunded, nonqualified retirement plan includes two components. The first component is a defined-benefit plan that applies to certain participants. The second component applies to all other participants and provides an account-based supplemental retirement benefit. During fiscal 2016, the plan was amended with an effective date of January 1, 2017, which curtailed benefits to certain participants included in the account-based supplemental plan. The curtailment resulted in a pre-tax gain of $251,000 during fiscal 2016. Pension and profit-sharing expense for all plans was $4,415,000, $3,960,000, $2,362,000$5,065,000, $5,117,000 and $3,581,000$4,415,000 for fiscal 2017,2019, fiscal 2016, the Transition Period2018 and fiscal 2015,2017, respectively.

 

The Company recognizes actuarial losses and prior service costs related to its defined benefit plan in the consolidated balance sheets and recognizes changes in these amounts in the year in which changes occur through comprehensive income.

 

102

81

 

 

The Marcus Corporation

 

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

 

8.10. Employee Benefit Plans (continued)

 

The status of the Company’s unfunded nonqualified, defined-benefit and account-based retirement plan based on the respective December 28, 201726, 2019 and December 29, 201627, 2018 measurement dates is as follows:

 

  December 28,
2017
  December 29,
2016
 
  (in thousands) 
Change in benefit obligation:        
Benefit obligation at beginning of period $32,523  $31,671 
Service cost  765   865 
Interest cost  1,356   1,406 
Actuarial loss  4,244   82 
Curtailment  -   (261)
Benefits paid  (1,249)  (1,240)
Benefit obligation at end of year $37,639  $32,523 
         
Amounts recognized in the statement of financial position consist of:        
Current accrued benefit liability (included in Other accrued liabilities) $(1,347) $(1,252)
Noncurrent accrued benefit liability (included in Deferred compensation and other)  (36,292)  (31,271)
Total $(37,639) $(32,523)
         
Amounts recognized in accumulated other comprehensive loss consist of:        
Net actuarial loss $12,874  $9,049 
Prior service credit  (579)  (642)
Total $12,295  $8,407 

  Year Ended  31 Weeks
Ended
  Year Ended 
  

December 28,

2017

  December 29,
2016
  December 31,
2015
  May 28,
2015
 
  (in thousands) 
Net periodic pension cost:                
Service cost $765  $865  $459  $697 
Interest cost  1,356   1,406   765   1,243 
Net amortization of prior service cost and actuarial loss  356   364   211   326 
Curtailment gain  -   (251)      
  $2,477  $2,384  $1,435  $2,266 
  December 26,  December 27, 
  2019  2018 
  (in thousands) 
Change in benefit obligation:      
Benefit obligation at beginning of period $ 35,640  $37,639 
Service cost   833   926 
Interest cost  1,485   1,364 
Actuarial (gain) loss  7,317  (2,633)
Benefits paid  (1,451)  (1,656)
Benefit obligation at end of year $43,824  $35,640 
         
Amounts recognized in the statement of financial position consist of:        
Current accrued benefit liability (included in Other accrued liabilities) $(1,400) $(1,378)
Noncurrent accrued benefit liability (included in Deferred compensation and other)  (42,424)  (34,262)
Total $(43,824) $(35,640)
         
Amounts recognized in accumulated other comprehensive loss consist of:        
Net actuarial loss $16,373  $9,556 
Prior service credit  (451)  (515)
Total $15,922  $9,041 

103

The Marcus Corporation

 

  Year Ended 
  December 26,  December 27,  December 28, 
  2019  2018  2017 
  (in thousands) 
Net periodic pension cost:            
Service cost $833  $926  $765 
Interest cost  1,485   1,364   1,356 
Net amortization of prior service cost and actuarial loss  436   621   356 
  $2,754  $2,911  $2,477 

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

8. Employee Benefit Plans (continued)

 

The $7,414,000$11,766,000 loss, net of tax, included in accumulated other comprehensive loss at December 28, 2017,26, 2019, consists of the $7,763,000$12,100,000 net actuarial loss, net of tax, and the $349,000$334,000 unrecognized prior service credit, net of tax, which have not yet been recognized in the net periodic benefit cost. The $5,069,000$6,609,000 loss, net of tax, included in accumulated other comprehensive loss at December 29, 2016,27, 2018, consists of the $5,457,000$6,985,000 net actuarial loss, net of tax, and the $388,000$376,000 unrecognized prior service credit, net of tax, which have not yet been recognized in the net periodic benefit cost.

 

The accumulated benefit obligation was $31,769,000$37,474,000 and $28,151,000$30,576,000 as of December 28, 201726, 2019 and December 29, 2016,27, 2018, respectively.

82

The Marcus Corporation

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

10. Employee Benefit Plans (continued)

 

The pre-tax change in the benefit obligation recognized in other comprehensive loss during fiscal 2017 consisted of the current year net actuarial loss of $4,244,000, the amortization of the net actuarial loss of $420,000, and the amortization of the prior service credit of $64,000. The pre-tax change in the benefit obligation recognized in other comprehensive loss during fiscal 2016 consisted of the net actuarial loss of $82,000, the amortization of the net actuarial loss of $442,000, the amortization of the prior service credit of $329,000 and the recognition of the plan change credit of $261,000. was as follows:

  Year Ended 
  December 26, 2019  December 27, 2018 
  (in thousands) 
Net actuarial loss (gain) $7,317   (2,633)
Amortization of the net actuarial loss  (499)  (685)
Amortization of the prior year service credit  63   64 
Total $6,881   (3,254)

The estimated amount that will be amortized from accumulated other comprehensive loss into net periodic benefit cost in fiscal 20182020 is $620,000,$990,000, of which $684,000$1,054,000 relates to the actuarial loss and $64,000 relates to the prior service credit.

 

The weighted-average assumptions used to determine the benefit obligations as of the measurement dates were as follows:

 

 December 28, 2017  December 29, 2016  December 26, 2019  December 27, 2018 
Discount rate  3.60%  4.15%  3.10%  4.15%
Rate of compensation increase  4.00%  4.00%  4.00%  4.00%

 

The weighted-average assumptions used to determine net periodic benefit cost were as follows:

 

 Year Ended  31 Weeks
Ended
     Year Ended 
 December 28,
2017
  December 29,
2016
  December 31,
2015
  Year Ended
May 28, 2015
  December 26, 2019  December 27, 2018  December 28, 2017 
Discount rate  4.15%  4.40%  4.20%  4.30%  4.15%  3.60%  4.15%
Rate of compensation increase  4.00%  4.00%  4.00%  4.00%  4.00%  4.00%  4.00%

 

Benefit payments expected to be paid subsequent to December 28, 2017,26, 2019, are:

 

Fiscal Year (in thousands)   (in thousands) 
2018 $1,347 
2019  1,480 
2020  1,453   $1,400 
2021  1,476    1,709 
2022  1,497    1,538 
Years 2023 – 2027  11,045 
2023   1,532 
2024   1,791 
Years 2025 – 2029   12,402 

 

104

83

 

The Marcus Corporation

 

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

 

9.11. Income Taxes

 

The components of the net deferred tax liability are as follows:

 

  December 28, 2017  December 29, 2016 
  (in thousands) 
Accrued employee benefits $13,736  $17,682 
Depreciation and amortization  (55,466)  (67,897)
Other  3,497   3,782 
Net deferred tax liability $(38,233) $(46,433)

The decrease in the Company’s net deferred tax liability is due to a $21,240,000 reduction in its net deferred tax liability resulting from the reduction in the corporate tax rate enacted in December 2017 under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. Excluding this favorable impact, the Company’s net deferred tax liability would have increased by $13,040,000.

  December 26, 2019  December 27, 2018 
  (in thousands) 
Accrued employee benefits $15,145  $13,381 
Depreciation and amortization  (69,100)  (59,296)
Operating lease assets  (62,339)  - 
Operating lease liabilities  62,750   - 
Other  5,282   3,938 
Net deferred tax liability $(48,262) $(41,977)

 

Income tax expense consists of the following:

 

 Year Ended  31 Weeks Ended  Year Ended   Year Ended 
 December 28,
2017
  December 29,
2016
  December 31,
2015
  May 28,
2015
   December 26,
2019
  December 27,
2018
  December 28,
2017
 
 (in thousands)   (in thousands) 
Current:                        
Federal $8,707  $15,434  $12,688  $8,065   $1,187  $7,022  $8,707 
State  1,558   4,667   3,240   2,120    2,041   3,181   1,558 
Deferred:                             
Federal  (7,155)  3,402   (829)  4,328    9,228   2,815   (7,155)
State  515  (509)  (314)  1,165    (136)  109   515 
 $3,625  $22,994  $14,785  $15,678   $12,320  $13,127  $3,625 

 

IncludedA tax benefit of $1,947,000 is included in the fiscal 2018 current federal income tax amount and a tax benefit of $21,240,000 is included in the fiscal 2017 deferred federal income tax amount, is a $21,240,000 tax benefit relatedboth of which relate to the Tax CutCuts and Jobs Act of 2017.

 

The Company’s effective income tax rate, adjusted for earnings from noncontrolling interests, was 22.7%, 19.7% and 5.3% for fiscal 2017,2019, fiscal 2016, the Transition Period2018 and fiscal 2015 was 5.3%, 37.8%, 38.6%2017, respectively. During fiscal 2018, the Company recorded current tax benefits of $1,947,000 related to reductions in deferred tax liabilities related to tax accounting method changes that the Company made subsequent to the Tax Cuts and 39.5%, respectively. TheJobs Act of 2017. During fiscal 2017, the Company recorded a $21,240,000deferred tax benefit of $21,240,000 related to the reduction of its net deferred tax liability resulting from the reduction in the corporate tax rate enacted in December 2017 under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. Excluding thisthese favorable impact,impacts, the Company'sCompany’s effective income tax raterates for fiscal 2018 and fiscal 2017 waswere 22.7% and 36.2%., respectively. The Company also recorded significant current tax benefits in fiscal 2018 related to excess tax benefits on share-based compensation. The Company has not included the income tax expense or benefit related to the net earnings or loss attributable to noncontrolling interestinterests in its income tax expense as the entities are considered pass-through entities and, as such, the income tax expense or benefit is attributable to its owners.

 

84

The Marcus Corporation

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

11. Income Taxes (continued)

A reconciliation of the statutory federal tax rate to the effective tax rate on earnings attributable to The Marcus Corporation follows:

 

105

The Marcus Corporation

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

9. Income Taxes (continued)

 Year Ended  31 Weeks
Ended
  Year Ended  Year Ended 
 December 28,
2017
  December 29,
2016
  December 31,
2015
  May 28,
2015
  December 26,2019  December 27,2018  December 28,2017 
Statutory federal tax rate  35.0%  35.0%  35.0%  35.0%  21.0%  21.0%  35.0%
Tax benefit from Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017  (30.9%)              (2.9)  (30.9)
State income taxes, net of federal income tax benefit  4.8   4.8   5.1   5.3   5.5   6.1   4.8 
Tax credits, net of federal income tax benefit  (0.8)  (0.9)  (1.0)  (1.1)  (2.7)  (1.1)  (0.8)
Other  (2.8)  (1.1)  (0.5)  0.3   (1.1)  (3.4)  (2.8)
  5.3%  37.8%  38.6%  39.5%  22.7%  19.7%  5.3%

 

Net income taxes paid (refunded) in fiscal 2017,2019, fiscal 2016, the Transition Period2018 and fiscal 2015 totaled2017 were $3,062,000, $(218,000) and $23,691,000, $25,017,000, $8,270,000 and $10,918,000, respectively.

 

TheDuring fiscal 2017, the Company was able to make a reasonable estimate of the impact of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, including the reduction in the corporate tax rate and the provisions related to executive compensation and 100% bonus depreciation on qualifying property. However, given the Act's broad and complex changes, further clarification, interpretation and regulatory guidance could affect the assumptions the Company used in making its reasonable estimate. Following the guidance of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission'sCommission’s Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 118, any adjustments to the Company’s estimate will beestimates within a one-year measurement period were reported as a component of income tax expense in 2018 and disclosedfiscal 2018. The Company did not make any adjustments to the estimates recorded in the period when any such adjustments have been determined within the one-year measurement period.

fiscal 2017.

 

A reconciliation of the beginning and ending gross amounts of unrecognized tax benefit are as follows:

 

 Year Ended  31 Weeks
Ended
  Year Ended  Year Ended 
 December 28,
2017
  December 29,
2016
  December 31,
2015
  May 28,
2015
  

December 26,

2019

  

December 27,

2018

  

December 28,

2017

 
 (in thousands)  (in thousands) 
Balance at beginning of year $414  $414  $431  $102  $  $102  $414 
Increases due to:                            
Tax positions taken in prior years  -   -   -   543          
Tax positions taken in current year  -   -   -   -          
Decreases due to:                            
Tax positions taken in prior years  -   -   -   -          
Settlements with taxing authorities  -   -   (17)  (214)     (102)   
Lapse of applicable statute of limitations  (312)  -   -   -         (312)
Balance at end of year $102  $414  $414  $431  $  $  $102 

 

85

The Marcus Corporation

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

11. Income Taxes (continued)

During fiscal 2018, the Company settled a dispute with a state taxing authority and no longer carries an unrecognized tax benefit as of December 27, 2018. The Company’s total unrecognized tax benefitsbenefit that, if recognized, would affect the Company’s effective tax rate werewas $67,000 as of December 28, 2017, December 29, 2016, December 31, 2015 and May 28, 2015. At December 28, 2017, the2017. The Company had no accrued interest of $54,000 and no accrued penalties, compared to accrued interest of $130,000 and no accruedor penalties at December 29, 2016.26, 2019 or December 27, 2018. The Company classifies interest and penalties relating to income taxes as income tax expense. For the year ended December 28, 2017, $50,00026, 2019, $1,000 of interest and no accrued penalties wereincome was recognized in the statement of earnings, compared to $153,000$68,000 of interest and no accrued penaltiesincome for the year ended December 29, 2016, $108,00027, 2018, and $50,000 of interest and no accrued penalties for the Transition Period and $89,000 of interest and no accrued penaltiesexpense for the year ended MayDecember 28, 2015.

106

The Marcus Corporation2017.

 

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

9. Income Taxes (continued)

The Company’s income tax return for the Transition Period is currently under examination by the Internal Revenue Service. During fiscal 2015,2018, the Company settled, with no change, an examination by the Internal Revenue Service of its income tax return for fiscal 2012.the 31 weeks ended December 31, 2015. The Company'sCompany’s federal income tax returns are no longer subject to examination prior to fiscal 2015.2016. With certain exceptions, the Company'sCompany’s state income tax returns are no longer subject to examination prior to fiscal 2014.2016. At this time, the Company does not expect the results from any income tax audit or appeal to have a significant impact on the Company'sCompany’s financial statements.

 

The Company does not expect its unrecognized tax benefits to change significantly over the next 12 months.

 

10.12. Commitments and License Rights

 

Lease Commitments- The Company leases real estate under various noncancellable operating leases with an initial term greater than one year that contain multiple renewal options, exercisable at the Company’s option. The Company recognizes rent expense on a straight-line basis over the expected lease term, including cancelable option periods where failure to exercise such options would result in an economic penalty. Percentage rentals are based on the revenues at the specific rented property. Rental payments on capital leases are not recorded in rent expense but are recorded as a reduction of the capital lease obligation and interest expense (see Note 6). Rent expense charged to operations under operating leases was as follows:

  Year Ended  

31 Weeks

Ended

  Year Ended 
  

December 28,

2017

  

December 29,

2016

  December 31,
2015
  May 28,
2015
 
  (in thousands) 
Fixed minimum rentals $12,027  $7,707  $4,693  $8,064 
Amortization of favorable lease right  334   334   194   334 
Percentage rentals  708   343   153   193 
Amortization of unfavorable leases  (1,200)         
   11,869  $8,384  $5,040  $8,591 

Aggregate minimum rental commitments under long-term operating leases, assuming the exercise of certain lease options, are as follows at December 28, 2017:

Fiscal Year (in thousands) 
2018 $11,426 
2019  10,659 
2020  9,356 
2021  8,782 
2022  9,016 
Thereafter  71,841 
  $121,080 

Commitments - The Company has commitments for the completion of construction at various properties totaling approximately $2,505,000$2,243,000 at December 28, 2017.26, 2019.

 

License Rights - The– As of December 26, 2019, the Company hashad license rights to operate three hotels using the Hilton trademark, one hotel using the InterContinental trademark and two hotels using the Marriott trademark. Under the terms of the licenses, the Company is obligated to pay fees based on defined gross sales.

 

107

The Marcus Corporation

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

11.13. Joint Venture Transactions

 

At December 28, 201726, 2019 and December 29, 2016,27, 2018, the Company held investments with aggregate carrying values of $4,239,000$3,593,000 and $6,096,000,$4,069,000, respectively, in several joint ventures, one of which is accounted for under the equity method, and two of which are accounted for under the cost method.investments in equity investments without readily determinable fair values.

 

12.

86

The Marcus Corporation

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

14. Business Segment Information

 

The Company evaluates performance and allocates resources based on the operating income (loss) of each segment. The accounting policies of the reportable segments are the same as those described in the summary of significant accounting policies.

 

Following is a summary of business segment information for fiscal 2017,2019, fiscal 2016, the Transition Period2018 and fiscal 2015:2017:

 

 Theatres  Hotels/
Resorts
  Corporate
Items
  Total  

 

Theatres

  

Hotels/

Resorts

  

Corporate

Items

  

 

Total

 
 (in thousands) 
Fiscal 2019                
Revenues $557,080  $263,350  $433  $820,863 
Operating income (loss)  76,903   10,050   (18,762)  68,191 
Depreciation and amortization  51,202   20,430   645   72,277 
Assets  953,299   337,206   68,681   1,359,186 
Capital expenditures and acquisitions  61,604   31,783   780   94,167 
                
Fiscal 2018                
Revenues $446,804  $259,892  $424  $707,120 
Operating income (loss)  88,790   12,480   (18,081)  83,189 
Depreciation and amortization  38,760   22,229   353   61,342 
Assets  624,512   306,162   58,657   989,331 
Capital expenditures and acquisitions  43,568   14,931   161   58,660 
 (in thousands)                 
Fiscal 2017                                
Revenues $401,291  $220,866  $557  $622,714  $403,431  $249,564  $557  $653,552 
Operating income (loss)  80,319   12,748   (17,472)  75,595   80,447   12,895   (16,035)  77,307 
Depreciation and amortization  33,448   17,912   359   51,719   33,448   17,912   359   51,719 
Assets  637,723   313,942   66,132   1,017,797   637,723   313,942   66,132   1,017,797 
Capital expenditures and acquisitions  93,676   20,604   524   114,804   93,676   20,604   524   114,804 
                
Fiscal 2016                
Revenues $328,165  $215,171  $528  $543,864 
Operating income (loss)  71,754   14,604   (16,404)  69,954 
Depreciation and amortization  24,570   16,895   367   41,832 
Assets  561,755   311,738   37,773   911,266 
Capital expenditures and acquisitions  132,509   14,650   213   147,372 
                
31 Weeks Ended December 31, 2015                
Revenues $182,845  $141,088  $334  $324,267 
Operating income (loss)  37,162   17,331   (9,821)  44,672 
Depreciation and amortization  13,215   10,387   213   23,815 
Assets  435,862   328,455   40,384   804,701 
Capital expenditures and acquisitions  27,984   16,428   40   44,452 
                
Fiscal 2015                
Revenues $269,155  $218,332  $580  $488,067 
Operating income (loss)  53,467   10,331   (13,155)  50,643 
Depreciation and amortization  20,141   17,930   290   38,361 
Assets  424,740   334,211   46,521   805,472 
Capital expenditures and acquisitions  49,789   23,610   1,589   74,988 
                

 

Corporate items include amounts not allocable to the business segments. Corporate revenues consist principally of rent and the corporate operating loss includes general corporate expenses. Corporate information technology costs and accounting shared services costs are allocated to the business segments based upon several factors, including actual usage and segment revenues. Corporate assets primarily include cash and cash equivalents, furniture, fixtures and equipment, investments notes receivable and land held for development.

 

108

87

 

 

The Marcus Corporation

 

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

 

13.15. Unaudited Quarterly Financial Information(in thousands, except per share data)

  13 Weeks Ended 
Fiscal 2017 March 30,
2017
  June 29,
2017
  September 28,
2017
  December 28,
 2017(1)
 
Revenues $157,954  $152,775  $153,818  $158,167 
Operating income  18,025   18,741   21,435   17,394 
Net earnings attributable to The Marcus Corporation  9,453   10,124   10,978   34,441 
Net earnings per common share – diluted $0.33  $0.36  $0.39  $1.21 

  13 Weeks Ended 
Fiscal 2016 March 31,
2016
  June 30,
2016
  September 29,
2016
  December 29,
2016
 
Revenues $125,444  $134,978  $144,695  $138,747 
Operating income  11,346   18,261   24,683   15,664 
Net earnings attributable to The Marcus Corporation  5,452   9,336   14,372   8,742 
Net earnings per common share – diluted $0.20  $0.34  $0.51  $0.31 

  13 Weeks Ended  5 Weeks Ended 
31 Weeks Ended
December 31, 2015
 August 27,
2015
  November 26,
2015
  December 31,
2015
 
Revenues $149,190  $115,676  $59,401 
Operating income  25,966   10,664   8,042 
Net earnings attributable to The Marcus Corporation  14,651   4,945   3,969 
Net earnings per common share – diluted $0.53  $0.18  $0.14 

(1)The Company recorded a one-time income tax adjustment of $21,240 during the fourth quarter of fiscal 2017 related to the future lower federal tax rate resulting from the December 2017 signing of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017.

109

The Marcus Corporation

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

14. Unaudited Transition Period Comparative Balances(in thousands, except per share data)

 

In October 2015, the Company’s Board of Directors approved a change in the Company’s fiscal year-end from the last Thursday in May to the last Thursday in December. The Company reports on a 52/53 week year. The required 31-week transition period of May 29, 2015 to December 31, 2015 is included in these financial statements. In order to provide comparative results for the year ended December 29, 2016, the unaudited consolidated statement of earnings for the 53-week year ended December 31, 2015 is presented below. In order to provide comparative results for the 31-week transition period ended December 31, 2015, the unaudited consolidated statement of earnings for the 30-week period of May 30, 2014 to December 25, 2014 is also presented.

  13 Weeks Ended 
Fiscal 2019 March 28,
2019
  

June 27,

2019

  September 26,
2019
  December 26,
2019
 
Revenues $170,039  $232,500  $211,462  $206,862 
Operating income  4,950   27,475   22,387   13,379 
Net earnings attributable to The Marcus Corporation  1,860   18,066   14,289   7,802 
Net earnings per common share – diluted $0.06  $0.58  $0.46  $0.25 

 

  (unaudited)
53 Weeks Ended
  (unaudited)
30 Weeks Ended
 
  December 31,  December 25, 
  2015  2014 
Revenues:        
Theatre admissions $176,251  $85,608 
Rooms  109,857   69,897 
Theatre concessions  115,081   52,872 
Food and beverage  71,028   41,456 
Other revenues  59,477   30,807 
Total revenues  531,694   280,640 
         
Costs and expenses:        
Theatre operations  153,612   73,081 
Rooms  42,408   25,104 
Theatre concessions  32,279   14,711 
Food and beverage  57,769   32,425 
Advertising and marketing  23,929   16,178 
Administrative  60,610   29,029 
Depreciation and amortization  40,032   22,145 
Rent  8,622   5,009 
Property taxes  14,876   8,756 
Other operating expenses  33,615   19,911 
Impairment charge  2,919   - 
Total costs and expenses  470,671   246,349 
OPERATING INCOME  61,023   34,291 
OTHER INCOME (EXPENSE):        
Investment income  209   58 
Interest expense  (10,035)  (5,824)
Loss on disposition of property, equipment and other assets  (1,233)  (719)
Equity losses from unconsolidated joint ventures, net  (160)  (63)
   (11,219)  (6,548)
Earnings before income taxes  49,804   27,743 
INCOME TAXES  19,415   11,043 
NET EARNINGS  30,389   16,700 
NET LOSS ATTRIBUTABLE TO NONCONTROLLING INTERESTS  (393)  (82)
NET EARNINGS ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE MARCUS CORPORATION $30,782  $16,782 
net earnings per share - BASIC:        
Common Stock $1.15  $0.63 
Class B Common Stock  1.04   0.57 
net earnings per share - DILUTED:        
Common Stock $1.10  $0.61 
Class B Common Stock  1.03   0.57 
  13 Weeks Ended
Fiscal 2018  March 29,
2018
   

June 28,

2018

   September 27,
2018
   December 27,
2018
 
Revenues $168,191  $193,298  $170,599  $175,032 
Operating income  17,016   29,107   22,413   14,653 
Net earnings attributable to The Marcus Corporation  9,821   18,619   16,231   8,720 
Net earnings per common share – diluted $0.35  $0.65  $0.56  $0.30 

 

110

88

 

 

Item 9.Changes in and Disagreements With Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure.

 

None.

 

Item 9A.Controls and Procedures.

 

(a)Evaluation of disclosure controls and procedures.

(a)       Evaluation of disclosure controls and procedures.

 

Based on their evaluations, as of the end of the period covered by this Annual Report on Form 10-K, our principal executive officer and principal financial officer have concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”)) are effective to ensure that information required to be disclosed by us in reports that we file or furnish under the Exchange Act is accumulated and communicated to our management and recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in Securities and Exchange Commission rules and forms.

 

(b)Management’s report on internal control over financial reporting.

(b)       Management’s report on internal control over financial reporting.

 

The report of management required under this Item 9A is contained in the section titled “Item 8 – Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” under the heading “Management’s Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting.”

 

(c)Attestation Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm.

(c)       Attestation Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm.

 

The attestation report required under this Item 9A is contained in the section titled “Item 8 – Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” under the heading “Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm on Internal Control over Financial Reporting.”

 

(d)Changes in internal control over financial reporting.

(d)       Changes in internal control over financial reporting.

 

There were no changes in our internal control over financial reporting identified in connection with the evaluation required by Rule 13a-15(b) of the Exchange Act during the fourth quarter of our fiscal 20172019 that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

 

PART III

 

Item 10.Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance.

 

The information required by Item 10 is incorporated herein by reference to the relevant information set forth under the captions “Election of Directors,” “Board of Directors and Corporate Governance” and “Section“Delinquent Section 16(a) Beneficial Ownership Reporting Compliance”Reports” in the definitive Proxy Statement for our 20182020 Annual Meeting of Shareholders scheduled to be held on May 8, 20186, 2020 (our “Proxy Statement”). Information regarding our executive officers may be found in Part I of this Form 10-K under the caption “Executive Officers of the Company.” Except as otherwise specifically incorporated by reference, our Proxy Statement is not deemed to be filed as part of this Form 10-K.

 

Item 11.Executive Compensation.

 

The information required by Item 11 is incorporated herein by reference to the relevant information set forth under the caption “Compensation Discussion and Analysis” in our Proxy Statement.

 

111

89

 

 

Item 12.Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Shareholder Matters.

 

The following table lists certain information about our two stock option plans,our 1995 Equity Incentive Plan and our 2004 Equity and Incentive Awards Plan, all of which were approved by our shareholders. We do not have any equity-based compensation plans that have not been approved by our shareholders.

 

Number of securities to be
issued upon the exercise
of outstanding options,
warrants and rights
 Weighted-average
exercise price of
outstanding options,
warrants and rights
 Number of securities remaining available
for future issuance under current equity
compensation plan (excluding
securities reflected in the first column)

1,629,000

$18.08 

1,152,000

Number of securities to be
issued upon the exercise
of outstanding options,
warrants and rights
  Weighted-average
exercise price of
outstanding options,
warrants and rights
  Number of securities remaining available
for future issuance under current equity
compensation plan (excluding
securities reflected in the first column)
 
 1,641,000   $25.46   589,000 

 

The other information required by Item 12 is incorporated herein by reference to the relevant information set forth under the caption “Stock Ownership of Management and Others” in our Proxy Statement.

 

Item 13.Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence.

 

The information required by Item 13, to the extent applicable, is incorporated herein by reference to the relevant information set forth under the caption “Policies and Procedures Governing Related Person Transactions” in our Proxy Statement.

 

Item 14.Principal Accounting Fees and Services.

 

The information required by Item 14 is incorporated by reference herein to the relevant information set forth under the caption “Other Matters” in our Proxy Statement.

 

PART IV

 

Item 15.Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules.

 

(a)(1)Financial Statements.

(a)(1) Financial Statements.

 

The information required by this item is set forth in “Item 8 – Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” above.

 

(a)(2)Financial Statement Schedules.

(a)(2) Financial Statement Schedules.

 

All schedules are omitted because they are inapplicable, not required under the instructions or the financial information is included in the consolidated financial statements or notes thereto.

 

(a)(3)Exhibits.

(a)(3) Exhibits.

 

The exhibits filed herewith or incorporated by reference herein are set forth on the attached Exhibit Index. Exhibits to this Form 10-K will be furnished to shareholders upon advance payment of a fee of $0.25 per page, plus mailing expenses. Requests for copies should be addressed to Thomas F. Kissinger, Senior Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary, The Marcus Corporation, 100 East Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 1900, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202-4125.

112

90

 

 

EXHIBIT INDEX

 

i
3.12.1Asset Purchase Agreement, dated as of November 1, 2018, by and among MMT Texnv, LLC, MMT Lapagava, LLC, The Marcus Corporation, Movie Tavern, Inc., Movie Tavern Theaters, LLC, TGS Beverage Company, LLC, and VSS-Southern Theatres LLC. [Schedules and exhibits have been omitted and The Marcus Corporation agrees to furnish supplementally to the Securities and Exchange Commission a Copy of any omitted schedules and exhibits upon request.] [Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 2.1 to our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended September 27, 2018].
3.1Restated Articles of Incorporation.  [Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.2 to our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended November 13, 1997.]
  
3.2By-Laws of The Marcus Corporation, as amended. [Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.2 to our Current Report on Form 8-K dated October 13, 2015.]
  
4.1The Marcus Corporation Note Purchase Agreement dated April 17, 2008.  [Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to our Current Report on Form 8-K dated April 17, 2008.]
  
4.2Credit Agreement, dated June 16, 2016,January 9, 2020, by and among The Marcus Corporation and the several banks party thereto, including JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as Administrative Agent, and U.S. Bank National Association, as Syndication Agent.  [Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to our QuarterlyCurrent Report on Form 10-Q8-K dated AugustJanuary 9, 2016.2020.]
  
4.3The Marcus Corporation Note Purchase Agreement, dated June 27, 2013.  [Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to our Current Report on Form 8-K dated June 27, 2013.]
  
4.4The Marcus Corporation Note Purchase Agreement, dated December 21, 2016.  [Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to our Current Report on Form 8-K dated February 22, 2017.]
  
 Other than as set forth in Exhibits 4.1, 4.2, 4.3 and 4.4, we have numerous instruments which define the rights of holders of long-term debt.  These instruments, primarily promissory notes, have arisen from the purchase of operating properties in the ordinary course of business.  These instruments are not being filed with this Annual Report on Form 10-K in reliance upon Item 601(b)(4)(iii) of Regulation S-K.  Copies of these instruments will be furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission upon request.
  
4.5Description of the Registrant’s Securities.
 
10.1*The Marcus Corporation Non-Employee Director Compensation Plan. [Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 28, 2017.]
  
10.2*The Marcus Corporation Variable Incentive Plan, as amended.  [Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to our Current Report on Form 8-K dated July 7, 2009.]
  
10.3*The Marcus Corporation Deferred Compensation Plan.  [Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.8 to our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended May 25, 2006.]
  

10.4*The Marcus Corporation Retirement Income and Supplemental Retirement Plan, as amended and restated.  [Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended August 29, 2013.]

 91 

10.5Administrative Services Agreement between Marcus Investments, LLC and The Marcus Corporation, as amended. [Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.1 to our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended May 31, 2007.]
  
10.6*The Marcus Corporation 1995 Equity Incentive Plan, as amended and restated.  [Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.3 to our Current Report on Form 8-K dated October 4, 2006.]
  
10.7*Form of The Marcus Corporation 1995 Equity Incentive Plan Restricted Stock Agreement.  [Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.6 to our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended May 26, 2005.]

113

10.8*The Marcus Corporation 2004 Equity and Incentive Awards Plan.  [Incorporated by reference to Attachment A to the Company’s definitive proxy statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Schedule 14A on September 2, 2011.]
  
10.9*Form of The Marcus Corporation 2004 Equity and Incentive Awards Plan Restricted Stock Agreement.  [Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to our Current Report on Form 8-K dated August 15, 2006.]
  
10.10*Form of Cover Letter to The Marcus Corporation 2004 Equity and Incentive Awards Plan Restricted Stock Agreement.  [Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to our Current Report on Form 8-K dated August 15, 2006.]
  
10.11*Form of The Marcus Corporation 2004 Equity and Incentive Awards Plan Stock Option Award (Employees).  [Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to our Current Report on Form 8-K dated July 8, 2008.]
  
10.12*Form of The Marcus Corporation 2004 Equity and Incentive Awards Plan Stock Option Award (Non-Employee Directors).  [Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.3 to our Current Report on Form 8-K dated July 8, 2008.]
  
10.13*Form of The Marcus Corporation 2004 Equity and Incentive Awards Plan Stock Option Award Agreement for awards granted after October 11, 2011 (Employees). [Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.2 to our Registration Statement on Form S-8 dated October 28, 2011.]
  
10.14*Form of The Marcus Corporation 2004 Equity and Incentive Awards Plan Restricted Stock Agreement for awards granted after October 11, 2011 (Employees).  [Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.15 to our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended May 31, 2012.]
  
10.15*Form of Cover Letter to The Marcus Corporation 2004 Equity and Incentive Awards Plan Restricted Stock Agreement for awards granted after October 11, 2011 (Employees).  [Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.16 to our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended May 31, 2012.]
  
10.16*Form of The Marcus Corporation 2004 Equity and Incentive Awards Plan Stock Option Award Agreement for awards granted after January 8, 2013 (Employees).  [Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10 to our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended November 28, 2013.]
  
10.17*Form of The Marcus Corporation 2004 Equity and Incentive Awards Plan Stock Option Award for awards granted after October 11, 2011 (Non-Employee Directors).  [Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended February 23, 2012.]

 92 

10.18*Form of The Marcus Corporation 2004 Equity and Incentive Awards Plan Restricted Stock Agreement for awards granted after October 11, 2011 (Non-Employee Directors).  [Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended February 23, 2012.]
  
10.19*The Marcus Corporation Long-Term Incentive Plan Terms.  [Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.10 to our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended May 28, 2009.]
  
10.20*Form of The Marcus Corporation 2004 Equity and Incentive Awards Plan Restricted Stock Agreement (Non-Employee Directors) for awards granted after February 22, 2018. [Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.20 to our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 28, 2017.]

114

10.21*Form of The Marcus Corporation 2004 Equity and Incentive Awards Plan Restricted Stock Agreement for awards granted after February 22, 2018 (Employees).  [Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.21 to our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 28, 2017.]
 
10.22*Form of The Marcus Corporation 2004 Equity and Incentive Awards Plan Restricted Stock Agreement for awards granted after August 1, 2018 (Employees).  [Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 28, 2018.]
10.23Shareholders’ Agreement dated as of February 1, 2019, by and between The Marcus Corporation and Southern Margin Loan SPV LLC.  [Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to our Registration Statement on Form S-3ASR filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 1, 2019.]
10.24Underwriting Agreement, dated as of February 4, 2019, by and among The Marcus Corporation, Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, as the Underwriter and Southern Margin Loan SPV LLC, as the Selling Shareholder. [Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 1.1 to our Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 6, 2019.]
  
14.1The Marcus Corporation Code Of Conduct, as amended February 3, 2016.  [Incorporated[Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 14.1 to our Current Report on Form 8-K dated February 3, 2016.]
  
21Our subsidiaries as of December 28, 2017.26, 2019.
  
23Consent of Deloitte & Touche LLP.
  
31.1Certification of Chief Executive Officer Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
  
31.2Certification of Chief Financial Officer Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
  
32Written Statement of Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. §1350.
  
99Proxy Statement for the 20182020 Annual Meeting of Shareholders.  (The Proxy Statement for the 20182020 Annual Meeting of Shareholders will be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission under Regulation 14A within 120 days after the end of our fiscal year.)

 93 
101The following materials from The Marcus Corporation’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 28, 2017 are filed herewith, formatted in XBRL (Extensible Business Reporting Language): (i) the Consolidated Balance Sheets, (ii) the Consolidated Statements of Earnings, (iii) the Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income, (iv) the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows, and (v) Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

 

 

 

*This exhibit is a management contract or compensatory plan, contract or arrangement in which a director or named executive officer of the Company participated.

 

Item 16.Form 10-K Summary.

None.

115

94

 

SIGNATURES

 

Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

 

THE MARCUS CORPORATION

 

Date: March 13, 2018February 24, 2020By:/s/ Gregory S. Marcus
  Gregory S. Marcus,
 President and Chief Executive Officer

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of us and in the capacities as of the date indicated above.

 

By:/s/ Gregory S. Marcus By:/s/ Diane Marcus Gershowitz
 Gregory S. Marcus, President and Chief Executive Officer (Principal Executive Officer) and Director  Diane Marcus Gershowitz, Director
Executive Officer (Principal Executive
Officer) and Director
     
By:/s/ Douglas A. Neis By:/s/ Timothy E. Hoeksema
 

Douglas A. Neis, Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer (Principal Financial Officer and Accounting

Officer)

  Timothy E. Hoeksema, Director
Officer and Treasurer (Principal
Financial Officer and Accounting
Officer)

By:/s/ Stephen H. Marcus By:/s/ Allan H. Selig
 Stephen H. Marcus, Chairman and Director  Allan H. Selig, Director
     
By:/s/ Philip L. Milstein By:/s/ Brian J. Stark
 Philip L. Milstein, Director  Brian J. Stark, Director
     
By:/s/ Bruce J. Olson By:/s/ David M. Baum
 Bruce J. Olson, Director  David M. Baum, Director
     
By:/s/ Katherine M. Gehl   
 Katherine M. Gehl, Director   

 

 S-1