KRUS 10-Q Quarter ended Feb. 28, 2021

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, DC 20549

FORM 10-Q

(Mark One)

For the quarterly period ended February 28, 2021

OR

For the transition period from __________ to __________

Commission File Number: 001-39012

KURA SUSHI USA, INC.

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (657) 333-4100

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

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 such filing requirements for the past 90 days.   Yes ☒ No ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted 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 such files).   Yes ☒ No ☐

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

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 ☐ No ☒

As of April 7, 2021, the registrant had 7,417,556 shares of Class A common stock, $0.001 par value per share, outstanding and 1,000,050 shares of Class B common stock, $0.001 par value per share, outstanding.

Table of Contents

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PART I—FINANCIAL INFORMATION

Item 1. Financial Statements.

Kura Sushi USA, Inc.

Condensed Balance Sheets

(amounts in thousands, except par value)

(Unaudited)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed financial statements.

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Kura Sushi USA, Inc.

Condensed Statements of Operations

(amounts in thousands, except per share data)

(Unaudited)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed financial statements.

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Kura Sushi USA, Inc.

Condensed Statements of Stockholders’ Equity

(amounts in thousands)

(Unaudited)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed financial statements.

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Kura Sushi USA, Inc.

Condensed Statements of Cash Flows

(amounts in thousands)

(Unaudited)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed financial statements.

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Kura Sushi USA, Inc.

Notes to Condensed Financial Statements

(Unaudited)

Note 1. Organization and Basis of Presentation

Kura Sushi USA, Inc. is a technology-enabled Japanese restaurant concept that provides guests with a distinctive dining experience by serving authentic Japanese cuisine through an engaging revolving sushi service model, which the Company refers to as the “Kura Experience.” Kura Sushi encourages healthy lifestyles by serving freshly prepared Japanese cuisine using high-quality ingredients that are free from artificial seasonings, sweeteners, colorings, and preservatives. Kura Sushi aims to make quality Japanese cuisine accessible to its guests across the United States through affordable prices and an inviting atmosphere. “Kura Sushi USA,” “Kura Sushi,” “Kura,” and the “Company” refer to Kura Sushi USA, Inc. unless expressly indicated or the context otherwise requires.

Effects of COVID-19

In March 2020, the World Health Organization declared the novel strain of coronavirus COVID-19 a global pandemic. This contagious virus, which has continued to spread, has adversely affected workforces, customers, economies and financial markets globally. In response to this outbreak, many state and local authorities mandated the temporary closure of non-essential businesses and dine-in restaurant activity. COVID-19 and the government measures taken to control it have caused a significant disruption to the Company’s business operation. As of February 28, 2021, the Company had 28 of its 30 restaurants open in some capacity: indoor dining, outdoor dining or takeout only. In April 2021, the Company opened one new restaurant in Sherman Oaks, California. As of the filing date of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, the Company had all 31 restaurants operating at indoor capacities ranging from 25% to 100%, depending on local requirements.

In response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Company has prioritized taking steps to protect the health and safety of its employees and customers. The Company has maintained its cleaning and sanitizing protocols of its restaurants and has implemented additional training and operational manuals for its restaurant employees, as well as increased handwashing procedures. The Company also provides each restaurant employee with face masks and gloves, and requires each employee to pass a health screening process, which includes a temperature check, before the start of each shift.

The reduced capacities at open restaurants and the temporary closure of two restaurants during the quarter have caused a substantial decline in the Company’s sales in the most recently completed fiscal quarter and year-to-date period compared to the same quarter and year-to-date period last year. In response to the ongoing challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Company is focused on maximizing its in-restaurant dining capacity as permitted by the jurisdictions where it operates, emphasizing mobile ordering and takeout, continuing to provide a safe environment for its employees and customers, maintaining its operational efficiencies as much as possible and preserving its liquidity. In line with the Company’s long-term growth strategy, it expects to continue to open new restaurants at locations where it believes the restaurants have the potential to achieve profitability. The future sales levels of the Company’s restaurants and its ability to implement its growth strategy, however, remain highly uncertain, as the full impact and duration of the COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve as of the filing date of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q.

Recent Events Concerning the Company’s Financial Position

On April 10, 2020, the Company and Kura Sushi, Inc. (“Kura Japan”), the majority stockholder of the Company, entered into a Revolving Credit Agreement (the “Revolving Credit Agreement”) whereby Kura Japan agreed to make available to the Company loans on a revolving credit basis in the principal amount of up to $20 million as evidenced by that certain Promissory Note dated as of the same date with the Company as maker and made payable to Kura Japan (the “Revolving Credit Note”). On September 2, 2020, the Company and Kura Japan entered into a First Amendment to Revolving Credit Agreement (the “First Amendment”) to (i) increase the maximum credit amount under the credit line from $20 million to $35 million, (ii) extend the maturity date for each advance from 12 months to 60 months from the date of disbursement and (iii) extend the last day of the period of availability for the advances under the credit line from March 31, 2024 to April 10, 2025. On April 9, 2021, the Company and Kura Japan entered into a Second Amendment to Revolving Credit Agreement (the “Second Amendment”) to increase the maximum credit amount under the credit line from $35 million to $45 million. In connection with the First Amendment and Second Amendment, the Revolving Credit Note under the Revolving Credit Agreement was also amended by incorporating the same amendments as provided under the First Amendment and Second Amendment, as well as amendments to the interest rate. For additional information, s ee “Note 4. Related Party Transactions” and “Note 6. Debt.”

Under the provisions of the extension of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (the “CARES Act”) passed by the United States Congress and signed by the President, the Company is eligible for a refundable employee retention credit subject to certain criteria. The Company recognized a $2.6 million employee retention credit during the three months ended February 28, 2021, of which $2.2 million is included in labor and related costs and $0.4 million is included in general and administrative expenses in the statements of operations.

The Company has received rent concessions from its landlords for certain of its restaurants in the form of rent abatements and rent deferrals which were immaterial for the three and six months ended February 28, 2021.

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Due to the ongoing impact of COVID-19, the Company assessed its long-lived assets for potential impairment, which resulted in no impairment charges recorded as of February 28 , 202 1 .

Basis of Presentation

The accompanying unaudited condensed financial statements (the “Condensed Financial Statements”) have been prepared by the Company in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“GAAP”) and pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP have been condensed or omitted pursuant to the rules and regulations of the SEC. As such, these Condensed Financial Statements should be read in conjunction with the Company’s audited financial statements and accompanying notes included in its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2020.

The accounting policies followed by the Company are set forth in Part II, Item 8, Note 2, Basis of Presentation and Summary of Accounting Policies, of the Notes to Financial Statements included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10‑K for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2020. In the opinion of management, all adjustments necessary to fairly state the Condensed Financial Statements have been made. All such adjustments are of a normal, recurring nature. The results of operations for interim periods are not necessarily indicative of results to be expected for the year ending August 31, 2021 or for any other future annual or interim period.

Fiscal Year

The Company’s fiscal year begins on September 1 and ends on August 31 and references made to “fiscal year 2021,” “fiscal year 2020” and “fiscal year 2019” refer to the Company’s fiscal year ending August 31, 2021, and fiscal years ended August 31, 2020 and August 31, 2019, respectively.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting periods presented.

Significant items subject to such estimates include asset retirement obligations, stock-based compensation, the useful lives of assets, the assessment of the recoverability of long-lived assets, and income taxes. The Company evaluates its estimates and assumptions on an ongoing basis using historical experience and other factors, and adjusts those estimates and assumptions when facts and circumstances dictate. Actual results could differ materially from those estimates and assumptions.

Comprehensive Loss

Comprehensive loss is defined as the change in equity of a business enterprise during a period from transactions and other events and circumstances from non-owner sources. Comprehensive loss is the same as net loss for all periods presented. Therefore, a separate statement of comprehensive loss is not included in the accompanying financial statements.

Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements

In December 2019, the FASB issued ASU 2019-12, “Income Taxes (Topic 740): Simplifying the Accounting for Income Taxes,” which is intended to simplify various aspects related to accounting for income taxes. The pronouncement is effective for fiscal years, and for interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2020, with early adoption permitted. ASU 2019-12 is effective for the Company beginning in fiscal year 2022. The Company is currently in the process of evaluating the effects of this pronouncement on its financial statements.

Note 2. Balance Sheet Components

Accounts Receivable

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Prepaid Expenses and Other Current Assets

Property and Equipment - net

Depreciation and amortization expense for property and equipment was approximately $1.1 million and $0.7 million for the three months ended February 28, 2021 and February 29, 2020, respectively, and was approximately $2.1 million and $1.4 million for the six months ended February 28, 2021 and February 29, 2020, respectively.

Accrued Expenses and Other Current Liabilities

Note 3. Leases

At inception of a contract, the Company assesses whether the contract is a lease based on whether the contract conveys the right to control the use of an identified asset for a period of time in exchange for consideration. Lease classification, measurement, and recognition are determined at lease commencement, which is the date the underlying asset is available for use by the Company. The accounting classification of a lease is based on whether the arrangement is effectively a financed purchase of the underlying asset (finance lease) or not (operating lease). The Company has operating and finance leases for its corporate office, restaurant locations, office equipment, kitchen equipment and automobiles. The Company’s leases have remaining lease terms of less than 1 year to 20 years, some of which include options to extend the leases. For leases with renewal periods at the Company’s option, the Company determines the expected lease period based on whether the renewal of any options is reasonably assured at the inception of the lease.

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Operating leases are accounted for on the balance sheet with in the r ight-of- u se (“ROU”) assets and lease liabilities recognized in “Operating lease right-of-use assets , ” “Operating lease liabilities – current ” and “ O perating lease liabilities – non - current , ” respectively. Finance leases are accounted for on the balance sheet with in ROU assets and lease liabilities recognized in “ Property and equipment – net , ” “Finance lease – current ” and “ Finance lease – non - current , ” respectively.

Lease assets and liabilities are recognized at the lease commencement date. Lease liabilities are measured at the present value of the lease payments not yet paid. To determine the present value of lease payments not yet paid, the Company estimates incremental borrowing rates corresponding to the maturities of the leases based on prevailing financial market conditions, comparable company and credit analysis, and management judgment. ROU assets, for both operating and finance leases, are initially measured based on the lease liability, adjusted for initial direct costs, prepaid or deferred rent, and lease incentives. The operating lease ROU assets are subsequently measured at the carrying amount of the lease liability adjusted for initial direct costs, prepaid or accrued lease payments, and lease incentives. Depreciation of the finance lease ROU assets are subsequently calculated using the straight-line method over the shorter of the estimated useful lives or the expected lease terms and recorded in “Depreciation and amortization expense” on the statements of operations.

The Company recognizes expense for these leases on a straight-line basis over the lease term. In addition to the fixed minimum payments required under the lease arrangements, certain leases require variable lease payments, such as common area maintenance, insurance and real estate taxes, which are recognized when the associated activity occurs. Additionally, contingent rental payments based on sales thresholds for certain of the Company’s restaurants are accrued based on estimated sales.

Lease related costs recognized in the statements of operations for the three and six months ended February 28, 2021 and February 29, 2020 are as follows:

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Supplemental balance sheet information related to leases is as follows:

Operating Leases

Finance Lease Assets – net

Finance Leases Liabilities

Supplemental disclosures of cash flow information related to leases are as follows:

As of February 28, 2021, the Company had additional operating leases liabilities related to restaurants of which the Company has not yet taken possession of $16.6 million. These operating leases are expected to commence in fiscal years 2021 and 2022 with lease terms of 20 years. Subsequent to February 28, 2021, the Company has entered into an additional operating lease related to a restaurant of which the Company has not yet taken possession. The lease liabilities associated with the lease are $2.9 million. The operating lease is expected to commence in fiscal year 2021 with a lease term of 20 years.

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Maturities of lease liabilities were as follows as of February 28, 2021:

Note 4. Related Party Transactions

Kura Sushi, Inc. (“Kura Japan”) is the majority stockholder of the Company, and is incorporated and headquartered in Japan. In August 2019 the Company entered into a Shared Services Agreement with Kura Japan, pursuant to which Kura Japan provides the Company with certain strategic, operational and other support services, including assigning certain employees to work for the Company as expatriates to provide support to the Company’s operations, sending its employees to the Company on a short-term basis to provide support for the opening of new restaurants or renovation of existing restaurants, and providing the Company with certain supplies, parts and equipment for use in the Company’s restaurants. In addition, the Company has agreed to continue to provide Kura Japan with certain translational support services and market research analyses. In exchange for such services, supplies, parts and equipment, the parties pay fees to each other as set forth under the Shared Services Agreement. A right of setoff is not required, however, from time to time, either party net settles transactions as needed. Purchases of administrative supplies, expatriate salaries and travel and other administrative expenses from Kura Japan are included in general and administrative expenses in the accompanying statements of operations. Purchases of equipment from Kura Japan are included in property and equipment in the accompanying balance sheets.

In August 2019, the Company entered into an Amended and Restated Exclusive License Agreement (the “License Agreement”) with Kura Japan. Pursuant to the License Agreement, the Company pays Kura Japan a royalty fee of 0.5% of the Company’s net sales in exchange for an exclusive, royalty-bearing license for use of certain of Kura Japan’s intellectual property rights, including, but not limited to, Kura Japan’s trademarks “Kura Sushi” and “Kura Revolving Sushi Bar,” and patents for a food management system and the Mr. Fresh protective dome, among other intellectual property rights necessary to continue operation of the Company’s restaurants. Royalty payments to Kura Japan are included in other costs at the restaurant-level in the accompanying statements of operations.

On April 10, 2020, the Company and Kura Japan entered into a Revolving Credit Agreement, which was subsequently amended on September 2, 2020 and April 9, 2021, to provide the Company a credit line of $45 million. For additional information, see “Note 6. Debt.”

Balances with Kura Japan as of February 28, 2021 and August 31, 2020 are as follows:

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Reimbursements by the Company to Kura Japan for the three and six months ended February 28, 2021 and February 29, 2020 were as follows:

Reimbursements by Kura Japan to the Company were $20 thousand and $35 thousand for the three months ended February 28, 2021 and February 29, 2020, respectively, and were $25 thousand and $69 thousand for the six months ended February 28, 2021 and February 29, 2020, respectively. The reimbursements were for travel and audit expenses.

As of February 28, 2021, the Company had $0.5 million of restricted cash included in prepaid expenses and other current assets on the condensed balance sheet pledged as collateral for a standby letter of credit with Mizuho Bank, Ltd. related to one of the Company’s leased properties. Subsequent to February 28, 2021 and as of the filing date of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, Mizuho Bank, Ltd. entered into an agreement with Kura Japan, pursuant to which Kura Japan provided a guaranty on the standby letter of credit, which released the restricted cash.

Note 5. Stock-based Compensation

The following table summarizes the stock option activity under the Company’s 2018 Incentive Compensation Plan, as amended and restated (the “Stock Incentive Plan”) for the period from August 31, 2020 through February 28, 2021:

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The Company issued seven thousand restricted stock awards during the three and six months ended February 28, 2021 in addition to the option awards stated below, amounting to an expense of $28 thousand for the three and six months ended February 28, 2021. No restricted stock awards were issued during the three and six months ended February 29, 2020.

The total stock-based compensation expense recognized under the Stock Incentive Plan in the statements of operations is as follows:

Note 6. Debt

On April 10, 2020, the Company and Kura Japan entered into a Revolving Credit Agreement establishing a $20 million revolving credit line for the Company. On September 2, 2020, the Company and Kura Japan entered into a First Amendment to Revolving Credit Agreement (the “First Amendment”) to (i) increase the maximum credit amount under the credit line from $20 million to $35 million, (ii) extend the maturity date for each advance from 12 months to 60 months from the date of disbursement and (iii) extend the last day of the period of availability for the advances under the credit line from March 31, 2024 to April 10, 2025. On April 9, 2021, the Company and Kura Japan entered into a Second Amendment to Revolving Credit agreement (the “Second Amendment”) to increase the maximum credit amount under the credit line from $35 million to $45 million.

In connection with the First Amendment and Second Amendment, the Revolving Credit Note under the Revolving Credit Agreement was also amended by incorporating the same amendments as provided under the First Amendment and Second Amendment, and additionally, amending the interest rate for advances disbursed prior to April 10, 2021 to be fixed at 1.1% and the interest rate for advances disbursed on or after April 10, 2021 to be fixed at 130% of the Annual Compounding Long-Term Applicable Federal Rate (“AFR”) on the date such advance is made. The AFR as of February 28, 2021 was 1.9%. There are no financial covenants under the Revolving Credit Agreement with which the Company must comply.

As of February 28, 2021, the Company had borrowed $12.0 million under the Revolving Credit Agreement at a fixed interest rate of 1.1%. Interest expense for the three and six months ended February 28, 2021 was immaterial. Subsequent to February 28, 2021 and as of the filing date of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, the Company borrowed an additional $2.0 million and has $31.0 million of availability remaining under the Revolving Credit Agreement. For additional information, see “Note 4. Related Party Transactions.”

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Note 7. Loss Per Share

The net loss per share attributable to common stockholders is allocated based on the contractual participation rights of the Class A common stock and Class B common stock. As the liquidation and dividend rights for Class A and Class B common stock are identical, the net loss attributable to common stockholders is allocated on a proportionate basis.

The following table sets forth the computation of the Company’s basic and diluted net loss per share:

The Company computes basic loss per common share using net loss and the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period. Diluted loss per common share is computed using net loss and the weighted average number of common shares and potentially dilutive common shares outstanding during the period. Potentially dilutive common shares include dilutive outstanding employee stock options and restricted stock awards.

For the three months ended February 28, 2021 and February 29, 2020, there were 600 thousand and 241 thousand shares of common stock subject to outstanding employee stock options and restricted stock awards, respectively, that were excluded from the calculation of diluted loss per share because their inclusion would have been anti-dilutive. For the six months ended February 28, 2021 and February 29, 2020, there were approximately 600 thousand and 208 thousand shares of common stock subject to outstanding employee stock options and restricted stock awards, respectively, that were excluded from the calculation of diluted loss per share because their inclusion would have been anti-dilutive.

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Note 8 . Commitments and Contingencies

On May 31, 2019, a putative class action complaint was filed by a former employee, Brandy Gomes, in Los Angeles County Superior Court, alleging violations of California wage and hour laws. On July 9, 2020, plaintiff’s counsel filed a first amended class action complaint to add Jamar Spencer, another former employee, as a plaintiff to this action. In addition, the first amended class action complaint added new causes of action alleging violations of California wage and hour laws including a cause of action brought under the California Private Attorney General Act. On August 7, 2020, the Company filed its answer to the first amended complaint, generally denying the allegations in the complaint. The Company intends to defend itself vigorously in this matter. The Company is currently unable to estimate the range of possible losses associated with this proceeding.

The Company is involved from time to time in various legal proceedings that arise in the ordinary course of business, including but not limited to commercial disputes, environmental matters, employee related claims, intellectual property disputes and litigation in connection with transactions including acquisitions and divestitures. In the opinion of management, the Company does not believe that such litigation, claims, and administrative proceedings, including the putative class action matter referenced above, will have a material adverse effect on its business, financial position, results of operations or cash flows. However, a significant increase in the number of these claims or an increase in amounts owing under successful claims, including the putative class action referenced above, could materially and adversely affect its business, financial condition, results of operations or cash flows. The Company records a liability when a loss is considered probable, and the amount can be reasonably estimated.

Note 9. Income Taxes

The Company recorded income tax expense of $29 thousand and $30 thousand for the three months ended February 28, 2021 and February 29, 2020, respectively, and of $58 thousand and $26 thousand for the six months ended February 28, 2021 and February 29, 2020, respectively. The Company’s effective tax rates for the three and six months ended February 28, 2021 and February 29, 2020, substantially differed from the federal statutory tax rate of 21 percent primarily due to a valuation allowance for the Company’s deferred tax assets.

The Company continually monitors and performs an assessment of the realizability of its deferred tax assets, including an analysis of factors such as future taxable income, reversal of existing taxable temporary differences, and tax planning strategies. In assessing the need for a valuation allowance, the Company considered both positive and negative evidence related to the likelihood of realization of deferred tax assets using a “more likely than not” standard. In making such assessment, more weight was given to evidence that could be objectively verified, including recent cumulative losses. Based on the Company’s review of this evidence, management determined that a full valuation allowance against all of the Company’s net deferred tax assets at February 28, 2021 was appropriate.

On December 27, 2020, Congress passed, and the President signed into law, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (the “CAA”), which includes certain business tax provisions. The Company does not expect the CAA to have a material impact on the Company’s effective tax rate or income tax expense for the fiscal year ending August 31, 2021.

On March 11, 2021, Congress passed, and the President signed into law, the American Rescue Plan Act, 2021 (the “ARP”), which includes certain business tax provisions. The Company does not expect the ARP to have a material impact on the Company’s effective tax rate or income tax expense for the fiscal year ending August 31, 2021.

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Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.

You should read the following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations together with our unaudited financial statements and the related notes and with the audited financial statements and the related notes included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2020 (the “Annual Report”).

In addition to historical information, the following discussion and analysis contains forward-looking statements based on current expectations that involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions, such as our plans, objectives, expectations, and intentions set forth in the “Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” and “Risk Factors” sections of the Annual Report . You should review those sections in our Annual Report for a discussion of important factors, including the continuing development of our business and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results described in or implied by the forward-looking statements contained in the following discussion and analysis.

“Kura Sushi USA,” “Kura Sushi,” “Kura,” “we,” “us,” “our,” “our company” and the “Company” refer to Kura Sushi USA, Inc. unless expressly indicated or the context otherwise requires.

Overview

Kura Sushi USA, Inc. is a technology-enabled Japanese restaurant concept that provides guests with a distinctive dining experience by serving authentic Japanese cuisine through an engaging revolving sushi service model, which we refer to as the “Kura Experience.” We encourage healthy lifestyles by serving freshly prepared Japanese cuisine using high-quality ingredients that are free from artificial seasonings, sweeteners, colorings, and preservatives. We aim to make quality Japanese cuisine accessible to our guests across the United States through affordable prices and an inviting atmosphere.

Business Trends; Effects of COVID-19 on Our Business

In March 2020, the World Health Organization declared the novel strain of coronavirus COVID-19 a global pandemic. This contagious virus, which has continued to spread, has adversely affected workforces, customers, economies and financial markets globally. In response to this outbreak, many state and local authorities mandated the temporary closure of non-essential businesses and dine-in restaurant activity. COVID-19 and the government measures taken to control it have caused a significant disruption to our business operation. As of February 28, 2021, we had 28 of our 30 restaurants open in some capacity: indoor dining, outdoor dining or takeout only. In April 2021, we opened one new restaurant in Sherman Oaks, California. As of the filing date of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, we had all 31 restaurants operating at indoor capacities ranging from 25% to 100%, depending on local requirements.

In response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, we have prioritized taking steps to protect the health and safety of our employees and customers. We have maintained cleaning and sanitizing protocols of our restaurants and have implemented additional training and operational manuals for our restaurant employees, as well as increased handwashing procedures. We have also provided each restaurant employee with face masks and gloves, and require each employee to pass a health screening process, which includes a temperature check, before the start of each shift.

The reduced capacities at open restaurants and temporary closure of two restaurants during the quarter have caused a substantial decline in our sales in the most recently completed fiscal quarter and year-to-date period compared to the same quarter and year-to-date period last year. In response to the ongoing challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, we have focused on maximizing our in-restaurant dining capacity as permitted by the jurisdictions where we operate, emphasizing mobile ordering and takeout, continuing to provide a safe environment for our employees and customers, maintaining our operational efficiencies as much as possible and preserving our liquidity. In line with our long-term growth strategy, we expect to continue to open new restaurants at locations where we believe the restaurants have the potential to achieve profitability. The future sales levels of our restaurants and our ability to implement our growth strategy, however, remain highly uncertain, as the full impact and duration of the COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve as of the filing date of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q.

Recent Events Concerning Our Financial Position

On April 10, 2020, we and Kura Sushi, Inc. (“Kura Japan”), a majority stockholder, entered into a Revolving Credit Agreement (the “Revolving Credit Agreement”) whereby Kura Japan agreed to make available to the Company loans on a revolving credit basis in the principal amount of up to $20 million as evidenced by that certain Promissory Note dated as of the same date with us as maker and made payable to Kura Japan (the “Revolving Credit Note”). On September 2, 2020, we and Kura Japan entered into a First Amendment to Revolving Credit Agreement (the “First Amendment”) to (i) increase the maximum credit amount under the credit line from $20 million to $35 million, (ii) extend the maturity date for each advance from 12 months to 60 months from the date of disbursement and (iii) extend the last day of the period of availability for the advances under the credit line from March 31, 2024 to April 10, 2025. On April 9, 2021, we and Kura Japan entered into a Second Amendment to Revolving Credit Agreement (the “Second Amendment”) to increase the maximum credit amount under the credit line from $35 million to $45 million. In connection with the First Amendment and Second Amendment, the Revolving Credit Note under the Revolving Credit Agreement was also amended by incorporating the same amendments as provided under the First Amendment and Second Amendment, as well as amendments to the interest rate.

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As of February 28, 2021, we had borrowings of $12.0 million under the Revolving Credit Agreements. Subsequent to February 28, 2021 and as of the filing date of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, we borrowed an additional $ 2 .0 million under the Revolving Credit Agreement. See “Note 4. Related Party Transactions” and “Note 6. Debt” in the Notes to Condensed Financial Statements for further discussion.

Under the provisions of the extension of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (the “CARES Act”), we are eligible for a refundable employee retention credit subject to certain criteria. We recognized a $2.6 million employee retention credit during the three months ended February 28, 2021, of which $2.2 million is included in labor and related costs and $0.4 million is included in general and administrative expenses in the statements of operations. We expect to continue to recognize credits for as long as we remain eligible and as of the date of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, we continued to be eligible for such credits.

We have received rent concessions from our landlords for certain of our restaurants in the form of rent abatements and rent deferrals which were immaterial for the three and six months ended February 28, 2021.

Due to the impact of COVID-19, we assessed our long-lived assets for potential impairment, which resulted in no impairment charges recorded as of February 28, 2021.

Key Financial Definitions

Sales. Sales represent sales of food and beverages in restaurants. Restaurant sales in a given period are directly impacted by the number of restaurants we operate and comparable restaurant sales growth.

Food and beverage costs. Food and beverage costs are variable in nature, change with sales volume and are influenced by menu mix and subject to increases or decreases based on fluctuations in commodity costs. Other important factors causing fluctuations in food and beverage costs include seasonality and restaurant-level management of food waste. Food and beverage costs are a substantial expense and are expected to grow proportionally as our sales grows.

Labor and related expenses. Labor and related expenses include all restaurant-level management and hourly labor costs, including wages, employee benefits and payroll taxes. Labor and related expenses are expected to grow as our sales grows. Factors that influence fluctuations in our labor and related expenses include minimum wage and payroll tax legislation, the frequency and severity of workers’ compensation claims, healthcare costs and the performance of our restaurants.

Occupancy and related expenses. Occupancy and related expenses include rent for all restaurant locations and related taxes.

Depreciation and amortization expenses. Depreciation and amortization expenses are periodic non-cash charges that consist of depreciation and amortization of fixed assets, including equipment and capitalized leasehold improvements. Depreciation and amortization are determined using the straight-line method over the assets’ estimated useful lives, ranging from three to 20 years.

Other costs. Other costs include utilities, repairs and maintenance, credit card fees, royalty payments to Kura Japan, stock-based compensation expenses for restaurant-level employees and other restaurant-level expenses.

General and administrative expenses. General and administrative expenses include expenses associated with corporate and regional supervision functions that support the operations of existing restaurants and development of new restaurants, including compensation and benefits, travel expenses, stock-based compensation expenses for corporate-level employees, legal and professional fees, marketing costs, information systems, corporate office rent and other related corporate costs. General and administrative expenses are expected to grow as our unit base grows, including incremental legal, accounting, insurance and other expenses.

Interest expense. Interest expense includes cash and non-cash charges related to our line of credit and finance lease obligations.

Interest income. Interest income includes income earned on our investments.

Income tax expense (benefit). Provision for income taxes represents federal, state and local current and deferred income tax expense.

16

Results of Operations

The following tables present selected comparative results of operations for the three and six months ended February 28, 2021 and February 29, 2020. Our financial results for these periods are not necessarily indicative of the financial results that we will achieve in future periods. Certain totals for the table below may not sum to 100% due to rounding.