UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
______________________

FORM 8-K
______________________

CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported) May 12, 2022
______________________

Fiesta Restaurant Group, Inc.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
______________________

Delaware	001-35373	90-0712224	
(State or other jurisdiction
of incorporation)	(Commission
File Number)	(I.R.S. Employer
Identification No.)	
		
14800 Landmark Boulevard, Suite 500		
Dallas	Texas	75254	
(Address of principal executive offices)	(Zip Code)	

Registrant's telephone number, including area code (972) 702-9300

N/A
(Former name or former address, if changed since last report.)
______________________
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Title of Each Class		Trading Symbol		Name of Each Exchange on Which Registered	
Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share		FRGI		NASDAQ Global Select Market	

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

☐ Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)
☐ Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)
☐ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))
☐ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13a-4(c))

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).

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. ☐

ITEM 2.02. RESULTS OF OPERATIONS AND FINANCIAL CONDITION.
On May 12, 2022, Fiesta Restaurant Group, Inc. issued a press release announcing financial results for its first fiscal quarter ended April 3, 2022. The entire text of the press release is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1 and is incorporated by reference herein.

ITEM 9.01. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND EXHIBITS.
(d) Exhibits
99.1    Fiesta Restaurant Group, Inc. Press Release, dated May 12, 2022
104    Cover Page Interactive Data File (formatted as Inline XBRL)

Signatures

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

FIESTA RESTAURANT GROUP, INC.

Date: May 12, 2022

By: /s/ Dirk Montgomery            
Name: Dirk Montgomery
Title: Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer

Exhibit 99.1

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Investor Relations Contact:
Raphael Gross
203-682-8253
investors@frgi.com

Fiesta Restaurant Group, Inc. Reports First Quarter 2022 Results
First Quarter 2022 Comparable Restaurant Sales Growth of 8.0% Compared to First Quarter 2021
DALLAS, Texas – (Business Wire) – May 12, 2022 - Fiesta Restaurant Group, Inc. ("Fiesta" or the "Company") (NASDAQ: FRGI), parent company of the Pollo Tropical® restaurant brand, today reported results for the 13-week first quarter, which ended on April 3, 2022, and provided a business update related to current operations.
Fiesta President and Chief Executive Officer Richard Stockinger said, "We continued to make good progress in our business in the first quarter with revenues continuing to show positive upward trends, and margins showing sequential improvement from the fourth quarter of 2021 to the first quarter of 2022, with the margin run rate late in the first quarter even higher and positively impacted by the planned price increase implemented in early March. Additionally, we made significant progress on the brand’s growth agenda which we shared previously and we anticipate continued progress throughout the balance of the year."
Stockinger added, "Strong revenue growth continued with first quarter 2022 comparable restaurant sales performance of 8.0% vs. the first quarter of 2021, and we have now generated comparable restaurant sales results at or above 2019 levels for three consecutive quarters(1), despite lost operating hours from staffing issues and remodeling disruptions in select units. We generated even stronger first quarter 2022 comparable restaurant sales of 11.1% vs. the first quarter of 2021 in markets where labor shortages have not negatively impacted operating hours(2). Encouragingly, our digital initiatives contributed to online channel first quarter 2022 comparable restaurant sales growth of 15.5% vs. the first quarter of 2021."
Stockinger continued, "First quarter 2022 Restaurant-level Adjusted EBITDA margins, a non-GAAP financial measure,(3) improved to 16.1% compared to 14.3% in the fourth quarter of 2021. Following the 5.0% pricing taken in early March, estimated Restaurant-level Adjusted EBITDA margins grew to above 17.0% on a run-rate basis(4). We continue to target Restaurant-level Adjusted EBITDA margin of 18.0% to 20.0% as our sales growth and labor optimization initiatives increasingly gain momentum."
Stockinger further commented, "When compared to the first quarter of 2021, our Restaurant-level Adjusted EBITDA margins declined during the first quarter of 2022 primarily due to total labor and food cost increases, which were only partially offset in the quarter given our pricing action to offset those costs in the last month of the quarter. First quarter 2022 net loss from continuing operations was $1.3 million compared to loss from continuing operations in the first quarter of 2021 of $0.7 million."
Stockinger continued, "Our singular focus on Pollo Tropical has enabled us to make significant progress on the brand’s growth initiatives during the first quarter. First, we made great strides on enhancing our digital platform. The rollout of the upgraded digital drive thru technology is underway with five to six additional units to be completed by the end of the second quarter. The pace of rollout of this additional feature will increase during the remainder of the year. As a result of improved staffing levels, we also re-opened curbside capability in all units and plan to add marketing support behind this effort going forward. Second, we continue to refine and implement our new, more efficient kitchen design in upcoming refreshes and remodels, which significantly reduces order cycle times and unlocks unmet drive thru demand in high volume units. Our first total retrofit is in the final stages of implementation, with additional retrofits planned for the balance of 2022. And third, we completed seven additional refreshes and remodels during the first quarter, making 15 in total since 2021. The sales lift(5) on the refreshed units completed to date was approximately +6.0% to +7.0% compared to pre-refresh sales trends, exceeding our initial expectations. As we realize the full impact of our growth initiatives, we expect them to contribute meaningfully to sales momentum."
Stockinger concluded, "Our team has proactively and successfully managed external labor supply and inflationary challenges. We are encouraged by our continued sales and margin momentum thus far in 2022, something we expect to see continue for the balance of the year - barring unforeseen changes in our operating environment. Significantly, we have also finalized plans to reduce G&A expenses and we expect to see this positively impact the second half of this year - aiming to achieve our targeted range of 8.5% to 9.0% of restaurant sales on a run rate basis. Finally, and most importantly, we will continue to drive growth through enhancements to our customer experience across all service channels - by continuing to implement further
1

enhancements to our digital platform, continuing to develop the capabilities of our field management teams, and continuing to refine our brand proposition and new unit design features through refreshed and remodeled restaurants."
_____________________________
(1)Comparable restaurant sales results are not adjusted for the impact of named storms.
(2)We consider the labor shortages to have negatively impacted operating hours in markets with staffing levels below 70% of optimal staffing levels.
(3)See non-GAAP discussion below.
(4)Restaurant-level Adjusted EBITDA run rate approximated based on the adjusted results of the remaining period of the quarter following the March price increase.
(5)Sales lift on refreshed units based on sales in the respective units in the 4-weeks immediately prior to the commencement of the project compared to the sales after reopening the unit for full operations.

2

First Quarter 2022 Financial Summary

•Total revenues from continuing operations increased 8.4% to $95.6 million in the first quarter of 2022 from $88.2 million in the first quarter of 2021;
•Comparable restaurant sales at Pollo Tropical increased 8.0% in the first quarter of 2022 compared to the first quarter of 2021;
•Net loss of $(1.4) million, or $(0.05) per diluted share, in the first quarter of 2022, compared to net loss of $(2.1) million, or $(0.08) per diluted share, in the first quarter of 2021;
•Net loss from continuing operations of $(1.3) million, or $(0.05) per diluted share, in the first quarter of 2022, compared to net loss from continuing operations of $(0.7) million, or $(0.03) per diluted share, in the first quarter of 2021;
•Adjusted net loss (a non-GAAP financial measure) of $(0.4) million, or $(0.02) per diluted share, in the first quarter of 2022, compared to adjusted net income of $1.4 million, or $0.05 per diluted share, in the first quarter of 2021 (see non-GAAP reconciliation table below);
•Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA (a non-GAAP financial measure) of $5.3 million in the first quarter of 2022 compared to $9.7 million in the first quarter of 2021 (see non-GAAP reconciliation table below); and
•Restaurant-level Adjusted EBITDA (a non-GAAP financial measure) of $15.3 million, or 16.1% of Pollo Tropical restaurant sales, in the first quarter of 2022 compared to $18.7 million, or 21.2% of Pollo Tropical restaurant sales, in the first quarter of 2021 (see non-GAAP reconciliation table below).

3

First Quarter 2022 Comparable Restaurant Sales

																		
	Fiscal
January	Fiscal
February	Fiscal
March	First
Quarter 2022	Fiscal April	
2022 vs. 2021	7.6%	8.8%	7.6%	8.0%	7.1%	

•First quarter 2022 comparable restaurant sales vs 2021 were negatively impacted by remodels and refreshes that temporarily closed dine-in and counter take-out operations. We estimate that these temporary dine-in closures negatively impacted comparable restaurant sales by approximately 40 basis points in the first quarter of 2022.
•First quarter 2022 comparable restaurant sales benefited from the timing of the Easter holiday. After adjusting for the impact of the holiday timing, first quarter 2022 comparable sales would have been approximately 30 basis points lower.

Cash and Liquidity
Excluding $3.6 million in restricted cash, our cash balance increased from $36.8 million at January 2, 2022 to $37.1 million at April 3, 2022. Capital expenditures in the first quarter of 2022 were $3.8 million.

First Quarter 2022 Pollo Tropical Results
Total Pollo Tropical restaurant sales increased 8.4% to $95.2 million in the first quarter of 2022 compared to $87.8 million in the first quarter of 2021 primarily due to a comparable restaurant sales increase of 8.0%. The increase in comparable restaurant sales resulted from a net impact of product/channel mix and pricing of 15.0% and a decrease in comparable restaurant transactions of 7.0%. The increase in product/channel mix and pricing was driven primarily by increases in dine-in, delivery and drive-thru average check, and menu price increases of 13.8%. Pollo Tropical dine-in and counter take-out comparable restaurant sales increased 23.1% from the first quarter of 2021 to the first quarter of 2022 due primarily to the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on dine-in traffic and closures of our dining rooms during a portion of the first quarter of 2021. Digital channel sales (delivery/online) growth continued to be strong in the first quarter of 2022, with 17.2% comparable restaurant sales growth vs. 2021. During the first quarter of 2022, Pollo Tropical experienced increased hourly staffing challenges due to workforce availability which we believe had a negative impact on sales throughout the quarter, driven in part by reduced operating hours. Comparable restaurant sales results were much stronger in markets that had adequate staffing – those markets realized improved first quarter 2022 comparable restaurant sales of approximately 11.1% vs. the first quarter of 2021.

		Comparable Restaurant Sales Mix by Channel - Pollo Tropical	
Channel		First Quarter 2022		% of Total		First Quarter
2021		% of Total	
($ in thousands)									
Counter(1)		$	28,079 			30 	%		$	22,808 			26 	%	
Drive-thru		51,573 			54 	%		52,273 			60 	%	
Delivery		10,434 			11 	%		8,857 			10 	%	
Online		3,381 			4 	%		2,927 			3 	%	
Catering		1,040 			1 	%		668 			1 	%	
Total		$	94,507 			100 	%		$	87,533 			100 	%	
	
(1) Counter sales include dine-in and counter take-out sales, which represented 49% of restaurant sales in 2019.	
Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA (a non-GAAP financial measure) decreased to $5.3 million in the first quarter of 2022 from $9.7 million in the first quarter of 2021. The decrease was primarily due to higher labor and commodity costs in 2022 and higher corporate general and administrative costs, including $1.3 million of non-recurring expenses, partially offset by the impact of higher restaurant sales as a result of the price increases implemented during 2021 and the first quarter of 2022. Higher labor costs were driven primarily by hourly wage rate increases, and additional overtime and training.
Pricing action has been taken to offset labor, food and operating cost increases. In order to maintain value perceptions with our customers, we implemented a phased approach to menu price increases and took lower pricing increases on items purchased by value-conscious customers including our "Pollo Time" promotional items. Recent price increases include a 5.2% price increase in mid-December 2021, and a 5.0% increase in March 2022. As a result of this phased approach to menu price increases,
4

margin improvement is trailing the impact of cost increases noted above, with improved margins expected in future quarters compared to the first quarter of 2022, barring unforeseen changes in our cost structure and operating environment.
Restaurant-level Adjusted EBITDA (a non-GAAP financial measure) as a percentage of restaurant sales decreased, with first quarter Restaurant-level Adjusted EBITDA as a percentage of restaurant sales of 16.1% in 2022 compared to 21.2% in 2021 (see non-GAAP reconciliation table below).
General and Administrative expenses were $12.3 million for the first quarter of 2022 and $10.7 million for the first quarter of 2021. The increase over 2021 was primarily driven by $1.3 million in non-recurring expenses for professional fees, digital platform costs and general and administrative efficiency initiative costs. The remainder of the increase was driven by medical insurance cost increases. We have finalized plans to reduce G&A expenses to a targeted range of 8.5% to 9.0% of current restaurant sales on a run rate basis during 2022, with expected implementation in the second half of the year.

Comparable Restaurant Average Weekly Sales - Pollo Tropical	
				
Period	January	February	March	
2022	$50,351	$53,057	$56,849	
2021	$46,788	$48,775	$52,827	

Refresh and Remodel Status and Results
We are taking a disciplined approach to testing upgraded/updated restaurant design elements and operating platform improvements as we refurbish existing units. We developed the new unit design and operational improvements based on consumer research and engineering studies from a leading restaurant engineering firm, and we surveyed customers at the first remodel on the design and received very positive customer feedback. We are targeting completion of 20 to 30 refresh/remodels in 2022. Seven remodel/refreshes were completed in the first quarter of 2022 and 15 in total have been completed since 2021,
We are implementing two levels of investment and scope:
1.Refreshes include updated exterior colors and attractive design elements and interior upgrades including more attractive and updated colors, new dining room furniture, bathrooms, limited patio upgrades and other customer facing upgrades. Targeted average investment for refreshes is expected to average approximately $275,000, and the majority of our refurbishments will be refreshes. Average investment per refresh completed to date has been below targeted levels.
2.Remodels include updated exterior colors and attractive design elements and interior upgrades including updated colors, more comprehensive interior updates including new dining room furniture, kitchen retrofits, more extensive consumer facing dining room updates, and more extensive patio upgrades. Targeted average investment for remodels is expected to average approximately $560,000, and the majority of remodels will be targeted at units with above average annual sales. Average investment per remodel to date is in line with the targeted investment level.
Returns on lower cost refreshes are generating an estimated 6.0% to 7.0% sales lift when comparing each refreshed unit sales trends after the refresh to the comparable market-level performance.
Restaurant Portfolio
As of April 3, 2022, there were 138 Company-owned Pollo Tropical restaurants, and 31 franchised Pollo Tropical restaurants in the U.S., the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Panama, Guyana, Ecuador and the Bahamas.
Investor Conference Call Today
We will host a conference call at 4:30 p.m. ET today. The conference call can be accessed live over the phone by dialing 412-317-5180. A replay will be available after the call until Thursday, May 19, 2022 and can be accessed by dialing 1-412-317-6671. The passcode is 10166190. The conference call will also be webcast live and archived on the corporate website at www.frgi.com, under the Investor Relations section. A replay of the webcast will be available through the corporate website shortly after the call has concluded.

5

About Fiesta Restaurant Group, Inc.
Fiesta Restaurant Group, Inc., owns, operates and franchises the Pollo Tropical® restaurant brand and prior to August 16, 2021, owned, operated, and franchised the Taco Cabana® restaurant brand. The brands specialize in the operation of fast casual/quick service restaurants that offer distinct and unique flavors with broad appeal at a compelling value. The brands feature fresh-made cooking, drive-thru service and catering. For more information about Fiesta Restaurant Group, Inc., visit the corporate website at www.frgi.com.

Forward Looking Statements
Certain statements contained in this news release and in our public disclosures, whether written, oral or otherwise made, relating to future events or future performance, including any discussion, express or implied regarding our anticipated growth, plans, objectives and the impact of our initiatives, including our efforts to reduce general and administrative expenses, our investments in strategic and sales building initiatives, including those relating to operations improvements, digital infrastructure supporting ordering and online sales, and drive thru improvements on future sales, margins, earnings and liquidity, contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These statements are often identified by the words "may," "might," "believes," "thinks," "anticipates," "plans," "positioned," "target," "continue," "expects," "look to," "intends" and other similar expressions, whether in the negative or the affirmative, that are not statements of historical fact. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve certain risks, uncertainties, and assumptions that are difficult to predict, and you should not place undue reliance on our forward-looking statements. Our actual results and timing of certain events could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of certain factors, including, but not limited to, those discussed from time to time in our reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our Annual Report on Form 10-K and our quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. All forward-looking statements and the internal projections and beliefs upon which we base our expectations included in this release are made only as of the date of this release and may change. While we may elect to update forward-looking statements at some point in the future, we expressly disclaim any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

6

FIESTA RESTAURANT GROUP, INC.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
THREE MONTHS ENDED APRIL 3, 2022 AND APRIL 4, 2021
(In thousands, except share and per share data)
(Unaudited)

	Three Months Ended (a)	
	April 3, 2022		April 4, 2021	
	
Revenues:				
   Restaurant sales	$	95,200 			$	87,840 		
   Franchise royalty revenues and fees	409 			375 		
      Total revenues	95,609 			88,215 		
Costs and expenses:				
   Cost of sales	30,747 			27,301 		
   Restaurant wages and related expenses (b)	23,574 			20,339 		
   Restaurant rent expense	6,027 			5,877 		
   Other restaurant operating expenses	16,650 			13,305 		
   Advertising expense	2,864 			2,375 		
   General and administrative expenses (b)(c)	12,342 			10,666 		
   Depreciation and amortization	5,114 			5,088 		
	
   Impairment and other lease charges (recoveries) (d)	(702)			(52)		
	
Closed restaurant rent, net of sublease income (e)	380 			750 		
   Other expense (income), net (f)	51 			123 		
      Total operating expenses	97,047 			85,772 		
Income (loss) from operations	(1,438)			2,443 		
   Interest expense	85 			61 		
	
Income (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes	(1,523)			2,382 		
   Provision for (benefit from) income taxes (g)	(222)			3,077 		
Loss from continuing operations	(1,301)			(695)		
Loss from discontinued operations, net of tax	(55)			(1,394)		
Net loss	(1,356)			(2,089)		
Earnings (loss) per common share:				
Continuing operations – basic	$	(0.05)			$	(0.03)		
Discontinued operations – basic	— 			(0.05)		
Basic	(0.05)			(0.08)		
				
Continuing operations – diluted	(0.05)			(0.03)		
Discontinued operations – diluted	— 			(0.05)		
Diluted	(0.05)			(0.08)		
Weighted average common shares outstanding:				
Basic	24,832,541 			25,324,213 		
Diluted	24,832,541 			25,324,213 		
(a)     The Company uses a 52- or 53-week fiscal year that ends on the Sunday closest to December 31. The three-month periods ended April 3, 2022 and April 4, 2021 each included 13 weeks.
(b)     Restaurant wages and related expenses include stock-based compensation of $7 and $16 for the three months ended April 3, 2022 and April 4, 2021, respectively. General and administrative expenses include stock-based compensation expense of $623 and $994 for the three months ended April 3, 2022 and April 4, 2021, respectively.
(c)     See notes (f), (g) and (h) to the reconciliation of net income (loss) to adjusted net income (loss) in the tables titled "Supplemental Non-GAAP Information."
(d)     See note (c) to the reconciliation of net income (loss) to adjusted net income (loss) in the tables titled "Supplemental Non-GAAP Information."
(e)     See note (d) to the reconciliation of net income (loss) to adjusted net income (loss) in the tables titled "Supplemental Non-GAAP Information."
(f)     See note (e) to the reconciliation of net income (loss) to adjusted net income (loss) in the tables titled "Supplemental Non-GAAP Information."
(g)     See notes (a) and (b) to the reconciliation of net income (loss) to adjusted net income (loss) in the tables titled "Supplemental Non-GAAP Information."
7

FIESTA RESTAURANT GROUP, INC.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(In thousands)
(Unaudited)

												
	April 3, 2022		January 2, 2022	
				
Assets				
   Cash	$	37,146 			$	36,797 		
	
   Other current assets	23,734 			22,245 		
   Property and equipment, net	89,534 			89,884 		
Operating lease right-of-use assets	149,047 			154,127 		
   Goodwill	56,307 			56,307 		

   Other assets	6,860 			7,753 		
      Total assets	$	362,628 			$	367,113 		
				
Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity				
Current portion of long-term debt	$	66 			$	63 		
	
   Other current liabilities	42,773 			40,479 		
   Long-term debt, net of current portion	418 			438 		
Operating lease liabilities	157,497 			163,270 		
Deferred tax liabilities	236 			229 		
	
   Other non-current liabilities	7,738 			7,763 		
      Total liabilities	208,728 			212,242 		
Stockholders' equity	153,900 			154,871 		
      Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	$	362,628 			$	367,113 		

8

FIESTA RESTAURANT GROUP, INC.
Supplemental Information
The following table sets forth certain unaudited supplemental financial and other data for the periods indicated
(In thousands, except percentages):

	(Unaudited)	
	Three Months Ended	
	April 3, 2022		April 4, 2021	
Revenues:				
   Pollo Tropical	$	95,609 			$	88,215 		

				
Change in comparable restaurant sales (a):				
   Pollo Tropical	8.0 	%		4.3 	%	

Average sales per Company-owned restaurant:				
   Pollo Tropical				
Comparable restaurants (b)	$	691 			$	642 		
Non-comparable restaurants (c)	581 			342 		
Total Company-owned (d)	690 			637 		

	

				
Income (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes	$	(1,523)			$	2,382 		

	
Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA	$	5,292 			$	9,678 		

				
Restaurant-level Adjusted EBITDA (e):	$	15,345 			$	18,659 		
	
(a)    Restaurants are included in comparable restaurant sales after they have been open for 18 months or longer. Restaurants are excluded from comparable restaurant sales for any fiscal month in which the restaurant was closed for more than five days. Comparable restaurant sales are compared to the same period in the prior year.
(b)     Comparable restaurants are restaurants that have been open for 18 months or longer. Average sales for comparable Company-owned restaurants are derived by dividing comparable restaurant sales for such period by the average number of comparable restaurants for such period.
(c)     Non-comparable restaurants are restaurants that have been open for less than 18 months, or that were temporarily closed during the period. Average sales for new Company-owned restaurants are derived by dividing new restaurant sales for such period by the average number of new restaurants for such period.
(d)     Average sales for total Company-owned restaurants are derived by dividing restaurant sales for such period by the average number of open restaurants for such period.
(e)    Restaurant-level Adjusted EBITDA is a non-GAAP financial measure. Please see the reconciliation from net income (loss) to Restaurant-level Adjusted EBITDA in the table titled "Supplemental Non-GAAP Information."
9

FIESTA RESTAURANT GROUP, INC.
Supplemental Information
The following table sets forth certain unaudited supplemental data for the periods indicated:

												
	Three Months Ended	
	April 3, 2022		April 4, 2021	
				
Company-owned restaurant openings:				
   Pollo Tropical	— 			— 		

				
Company-owned restaurant closings:				
   Pollo Tropical	— 			— 		

				
Number of Company-owned restaurants:				
   Pollo Tropical	138 			138 		
   Taco Cabana	— 			143 		
      Total Company-owned restaurants	138 			281 		
				
Number of franchised restaurants:				
    Pollo Tropical	31 			29 		
    Taco Cabana	— 			6 		
      Total franchised restaurants	31 			35 		
				
Total number of restaurants:				
   Pollo Tropical	169 			167 		
   Taco Cabana	— 			149 		
      Total restaurants	169 			316 		

10

FIESTA RESTAURANT GROUP, INC.
Supplemental Information
The following table sets forth certain unaudited supplemental financial and other data for the periods indicated
(In thousands, except percentages):
																		
	Three Months Ended	
	April 3, 2022		April 4, 2021	
		(a)			(a)	
   Restaurant sales	$	95,200 				$	87,840 			
   Cost of sales	30,747 		32.3 	%		27,301 		31.1 	%	
   Restaurant wages and related expenses	23,574 		24.8 	%		20,339 		23.2 	%	
   Restaurant rent expense	6,027 		6.3 	%		5,877 		6.7 	%	
   Other restaurant operating expenses	16,650 		17.5 	%		13,305 		15.1 	%	
   Advertising expense	2,864 		3.0 	%		2,375 		2.7 	%	
   Depreciation and amortization	5,114 		5.4 	%		5,088 		5.8 	%	
	
   Impairment and other lease charges (recoveries)	(702)		(0.7)	%		(52)		(0.1)	%	
	
Closed restaurant rent expense, net of sublease income	380 		0.4 	%		750 		0.9 	%	

	

	

	

	

	

	

	

	

	

	

	

	

	

	
(a)    Percent of restaurant sales.

11

FIESTA RESTAURANT GROUP, INC.
Supplemental Non-GAAP Information
The following table sets forth certain unaudited supplemental financial data for the periods indicated
(In thousands):

Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA and margin and Restaurant-level Adjusted EBITDA and margin are non-GAAP financial measures. Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA is defined as earnings (loss) before interest expense, income taxes, depreciation and amortization, impairment and other lease charges (recoveries), goodwill impairment, closed restaurant rent expense, net of sublease income, stock-based compensation expense, other expense (income), net, and certain significant items that are related to strategic changes and/or are not related to the ongoing operation of our restaurants as set forth in the reconciliation table below. Restaurant-level Adjusted EBITDA is defined as Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA excluding franchise royalty revenues and fees, pre-opening costs and general and administrative expenses (including corporate-level general and administrative expenses).

Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA is the primary measure of profit or loss used by our chief operating decision maker for purposes of assessing performance. In addition, management believes that Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA and Restaurant-level Adjusted EBITDA, when viewed with our results of operations calculated in accordance with GAAP and our reconciliation of net income (loss) to Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA and Restaurant-level Adjusted EBITDA (i) provide useful information about our operating performance and period-over-period changes, (ii) provide additional information that is useful for evaluating the operating performance of our business, and (iii) permit investors to gain an understanding of the factors and trends affecting our ongoing earnings, from which capital investments are made and debt is serviced. However, such measures are not measures of financial performance or liquidity under GAAP and, accordingly, should not be considered as alternatives to net income or cash flow from operating activities as indicators of operating performance or liquidity. Also, these measures may not be comparable to similarly titled captions of other companies.

12

															
		Three Months Ended	
		April 3, 2022		April 4, 2021	
					
Net loss		$	(1,356)			$	(2,089)		
Loss from discontinued operations, net of tax		55 			1,394 		
Provision for (benefit from) income taxes		(222)			3,077 		
Income (loss) from continuing operations before taxes		(1,523)			2,382 		
Add:					
Non-general and administrative adjustments:					
Depreciation and amortization		5,114 			5,088 		
Impairment and other lease charges (recoveries)		(702)			(52)		
	
Interest expense		85 			61 		
Closed restaurant rent expense, net of sublease income		380 			750 		
	
Other expense (income), net		51 			123 		
Stock-based compensation expense		7 			16 		
	
Total non-general and administrative adjustments		4,935 			5,986 		
General and administrative adjustments:					
Stock-based compensation expense		623 			994 		
Non-recurring professional fees		705 			— 		
G&A efficiency initiatives		261 			— 		

	
	
Digital costs		291 			316 		
Total general and administrative adjustments		1,880 			1,310 		
Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA		$	5,292 			$	9,678 		
	
Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA as a percentage of total revenues		5.5 	%		11.0 	%	
Restaurant-level adjustments:					
	
Add: Other general and administrative expense(a)		$	10,462 			$	9,356 		
Less: Franchise royalty revenue and fees		409 			375 		
Restaurant-level Adjusted EBITDA		$	15,345 			$	18,659 		
	
Restaurant-level Adjusted EBITDA as a percentage of restaurant sales		16.1 	%		21.2 	%	
(a)    Excludes general and administrative adjustments above.

13

FIESTA RESTAURANT GROUP, INC.
Supplemental Non-GAAP Information
The following table sets forth certain unaudited supplemental financial data for the periods indicated
(In thousands of dollars, except per share amounts):

Adjusted net income and related adjusted diluted earnings per share are non-GAAP financial measures. Adjusted net income is defined as net income (loss) before discontinued operations, impairment and other lease charges (recoveries), goodwill impairment, closed restaurant rent expense, net of sublease income, other expense (income), net, and other significant items that are related to strategic changes and/or are not related to the ongoing operation of our restaurants. Management believes that adjusted net income and related adjusted earnings per diluted share, when viewed with our results of operations calculated in accordance with GAAP (i) provide useful information about our operating performance and period-over-period growth, (ii) provide additional information that is useful for evaluating the operating performance of our business, and (iii) permit investors to gain an understanding of the factors and trends affecting our ongoing earnings, from which capital investments are made and debt is serviced. However, such measures are not measures of financial performance or liquidity under GAAP and, accordingly should not be considered as alternatives to net income or net income per share as indicators of operating performance or liquidity. Also, these measures may not be comparable to similarly titled captions of other companies.

14

																																																			
		(Unaudited)	
		Three Months Ended	
		April 3, 2022		April 4, 2021	
		Loss Before Income Taxes		Benefit From Income Taxes (a)		Net Loss		Diluted EPS		Income Before Income Taxes		Provision For Income Taxes (a)		Net Income (Loss)		Diluted EPS	
Reported - GAAP Net income (loss)						$	(1,356)			$	(0.05)							$	(2,089)			$	(0.08)		
Loss (income) from discontinued operations, net of tax						55 			— 							1,394 			0.05 		
Income (loss) from continuing operations		$	(1,523)			$	(222)			$	(1,301)			$	(0.05)			$	2,382 			$	3,077 			$	(695)			$	(0.03)		
Adjustments:																	
    Non-general and administrative expense adjustments:															
          Income tax due to tax law change (a)		— 			— 			— 			— 			— 			(563)			563 			0.02 		
          Deferred tax asset valuation allowance (b)		— 			(120)			120 			— 			— 			(631)			631 			0.02 		
          Impairment and other lease charges (recoveries) (c)		(702)			(175)			(527)			(0.02)			(52)			(13)			(39)			— 		
	
Closed restaurant rent expense, net of sublease income (d)		380 			95 			285 			0.01 			750 			187 			563 			0.02 		
          Other expense (income), net (e)		51 			13 			38 			— 			123 			31 			92 			0.01 		
	
               Total non-general and administrative expense		(271)			(187)			(84)			(0.01)			821 			(989)			1,810 			0.07 		
     General and administrative expense adjustments:																	
	
         Non-recurring professional fees (f)		705 			176 			529 			0.02 			— 			— 			— 			— 		
         G&A efficiency initiatives (g)		261 			65 			196 			0.01 			— 			— 			— 			— 		

	
	
         Digital costs (h)		291 			73 			218 			0.01 			316 			78 			238 			0.01 		
	
               Total general and administrative expense		1,257 			314 			943 			0.04 			316 			78 			238 			0.01 		
               Adjusted - Non-GAAP		$	(537)			$	(95)			$	(442)			$	(0.02)			$	3,519 			$	2,166 			$	1,353 			$	0.05 		

	

	

	

	

	

	

	

	

	

(a)    The provision for (benefit from) income taxes related to the adjustments was calculated using the Company's combined federal statutory and estimated state rate of 24.9% and 25.0% for the periods ending April 3, 2022 and April 4, 2021, respectively. In the three months ended April 4, 2021, we recorded an out-of-period adjustment totaling $1.5 million related to tax depreciation on certain assets placed into service several years prior to the formation of Fiesta in 2011, of which $0.6 million is attributable to a change in tax rates as a result of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017.
(b)    We recorded adjustments totaling $0.1 million for the three months ended April 3, 2022 to our valuation allowance against deferred income tax assets primarily related to changes in our deferred income tax assets and the expected timing of the reversal of these temporary differences. We recorded a $0.6 million increase to our valuation allowance for the three months ended April 4, 2021 related changes in our deferred income tax assets and the expected timing of the reversal of the temporary differences, which included a $0.9 million increase to our valuation allowance as a result of changes in our net deferred tax liabilities related to the out-of-period adjustment.
(c)     Impairment and other lease charges (recoveries) for the three months ended April 3, 2022 include gains from lease terminations of $(0.7) million. Impairment and other lease charges (recoveries) for the three months ended April 4, 2021 consist of impairment charges of $0.1 million, and other lease charges (gains) of $(0.2) million. The impairment charges for the three months ended April 4, 2021 primarily relate to equipment from previously impaired and closed restaurants. For the three months ended April 4, 2021, other lease charges (recoveries) relate to gains from lease terminations of $(0.2) million.
(d)     Closed restaurant rent expense, net of sublease income, for the three months ended April 3, 2022 primarily consists of closed restaurant lease costs of $2.2 million, partially offset by sublease income of $(1.8) million. Closed restaurant rent expense, net of sublease income, for the three months ended April 4, 2021 primarily consists of closed restaurant lease costs of $2.3 million, partially offset by sublease income of $(1.6) million.
(e)     Other expense (income), net, for the three months ended April 3, 2022 primarily consists of closed restaurant related costs. Other expense (income), net, for the three months ended April 4, 2021 primarily consists of costs for the removal, transfer, and storage of equipment from closed restaurants and other closed restaurant related costs.
(f)    Non-recurring professional fees consist of costs related to growth initiatives.
(g)    G&A efficiency initiatives consist of non-recurring retention bonus costs.
(h)    Digital costs for the three months ended April 3, 2022 and April 4, 2021, include costs related to enhancing the digital experience for our customers.

15