Papa John’s International, Inc. (NASDAQ: PZZA) today announced financial results for the first quarter ended March 28, 2021.

First quarter 2021 highlights compared to first quarter 2020

• Total revenues increased 24.9% to $511.7 million
• Comparable sales up 26.2% in North America and 23.2% Internationally driven by menu innovation, including the new Epic Stuffed Crust pizza in North America, and expanding customer base
• Earnings per diluted share rose to $0.82 from $0.15; Adjusted earnings per diluted share grew to $0.90 from $0.15
• Cash flow from operations of $63.2 million; free cash flow of $52.7 million
• 68 net unit openings in the first quarter driven by International growth; now in 50 countries and territories with first new units in Germany and Cambodia

“Papa John’s started 2021 strongly, delivering our sixth straight quarter of industry outperformance and fourth of double-digit global sales growth. In addition, our unit growth accelerated, and we achieved 600 basis points of operating margin expansion, growing adjusted earnings per share 500%,” said President & CEO Rob Lynch. “This momentum is a result of the hard work of our team members and the strength of our franchise system, who together have delivered sustainable business growth over the past seven quarters, reversing the prior six quarters of global restaurant sales declines.”

Mr. Lynch continued, “The strategy we put in place more than 18 months ago – focused on innovation, development, operational improvements, and building a culture that values diversity, inclusivity and winning – has provided the strong foundation that underscores Papa John’s industry outperformance and positive long-term outlook.”

Global Restaurant and Comparable Sales Information

Global restaurant and comparable sales information for the first quarter ended March 28, 2021, compared to the first quarter ended March 29, 2020 are as follows:

Financial Highlights

Revenues

Consolidated revenues of $511.7 million increased $101.9 million, or 24.9%, in the first quarter of 2021 compared to the first quarter of 2020 primarily as a result of strong comparable sales results for North America restaurants, which benefited from successful menu innovation, including the new Epic Stuffed Crust pizza, and expanding customer base, as reflected in higher company-owned restaurant revenues, franchise royalties and commissary sales. International revenues also increased primarily due to higher commissary revenues and higher royalties from strong comparable sales results of 23.2% for the quarter.

Operating Results

Consolidated operating income of $46.9 million for the first quarter of 2021 increased $31.4 million compared to the first quarter of 2020. The increase primarily reflects strong operating leverage and expense control on higher comparable sales both domestically and internationally. Additionally, temporary franchise support of $10.7 million ($5.7 million of royalty relief and $5.0 million of discretionary marketing fund investments) was provided in the first quarter of 2020. The franchise assistance program concluded in the third quarter of 2020.

Diluted earnings per share was $0.82 for the first quarter of 2021 representing an increase of $0.67 over the first quarter of 2020. Excluding Special items, diluted earnings per share was $0.90 representing an increase of $0.75 over the first quarter of 2020. Diluted earnings per share was reduced by approximately $0.10 per diluted share in the first quarter of 2021 ($0.11 impact when excluding Special items) due to income attributable to participating securities, including our Series B Convertible Preferred Stock (the “Series B Preferred Stock”), based on the allocation of undistributed earnings to participating securities in the quarter.

Free Cash Flow

The company’s free cash flow (a non-GAAP financial measure defined as net cash provided by operating activities, less purchases of property and equipment and dividends paid to preferred shareholders) for the first quarter of 2021 and 2020, respectively, were as follows (in thousands):

We view free cash flow as an important financial measure because it is one factor that management uses in determining the amount of cash available for discretionary investment. Free cash flow is not a term defined by GAAP, and as a result, our measure of free cash flow might not be comparable to similarly titled measures used by other companies. Free cash flow should not be construed as a substitute for or a better indicator of the company’s performance than the company’s GAAP measures.

See the Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations section of our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC for additional information concerning our operating results and cash flow for the three months ended March 28, 2021.

Cash Dividend

The company paid common and preferred stock dividends of $10.8 million in the first quarter of 2021. The company declared second quarter 2021 dividends of approximately $10.9 million on April 27, 2021, which will be paid to common shareholders on May 21, 2021. The second quarter preferred dividend will be paid on July 1, 2021. The declaration and payment of any future dividends on our common stock will be at the discretion of our Board of Directors, subject to the company’s financial results, cash requirements, and other factors deemed relevant by our Board of Directors. The holders of Series B Preferred Stock receive quarterly preferred dividends and common stock dividends on an as converted to common stock basis.

Global Restaurant Unit Data

As of March 28, 2021, there were 5,468 Papa John’s restaurants operating in 50 countries and territories, as follows:

Our development pipeline as of March 28, 2021 included approximately 1,650 restaurants (250 units in North America and 1,400 units internationally), the majority of which are scheduled to open over the next six years.

Conference Call

A conference call is scheduled for May 6, 2021 at 8:00 a.m. Eastern Time to review the company’s first quarter 2021 earnings results. The call can be accessed from the company’s web page at www.papajohns.com in a listen-only mode or dial 877-312-8816 (U.S. and Canada) or 253-237-1189 (International). The conference call will be available for replay, including by downloadable podcast, from the company’s web. The Conference ID is 2447789.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain matters discussed in this press release and other company communications that are not statements of historical fact constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Generally, the use of words such as “expect,” “intend,” “estimate,” “believe,” “anticipate,” “will,” “forecast,” “plan,” “project,” or similar words identify forward-looking statements that we intend to be included within the safe harbor protections provided by the federal securities laws. Such forward-looking statements include or may relate to projections or guidance concerning business performance, revenue, earnings, cash flow, earnings per share, share repurchases, the financial impact of the temporary business opportunities, disruptions and temporary changes in demand we are experiencing related to the current outbreak of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), commodity costs, currency fluctuations, profit margins, unit growth, unit level performance, capital expenditures, restaurant and franchise development, the duration of changes in consumer behavior caused by the pandemic, our plans to open a new office in Atlanta, the associated reorganization costs and the related organizational, employment and real estate changes that are expected, royalty relief, the effectiveness of our menu innovations and other business initiatives, marketing efforts, liquidity, compliance with debt covenants, strategic decisions and actions, dividends, effective tax rates, regulatory changes and impacts, adoption of new accounting standards, and other financial and operational measures. Such statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions, which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond our control.

Our forward-looking statements are based on our assumptions which are based on currently available information, including assumptions about our ability to manage difficulties and opportunities associated with or related to the COVID-19 pandemic, including risks related to: the impact of governmental restrictions on freedom of movement and business operations including quarantines, social distancing requirements and mandatory business closures; changes in consumer demand or behavior; impact of delayed new store openings, both domestically and internationally; the overall contraction in global economic activity, including increased unemployment; our ability to navigate changing governmental programs and regulations relating to the pandemic; the increased risk of phishing and other cyber-attacks; and our ability to successfully implement or fully realize the anticipated benefits of our corporate reorganization and new office in Atlanta, Georgia and corporate reorganization in the timeframes we desire or within the expected range of expenses, or at all. In addition, turnover in our support teams due to our relocations to Georgia could distract our employees, decrease employee morale, harm our reputation, and negatively impact the overall performance of our corporate support teams. Actual outcomes and results may differ materially from those matters expressed or implied in such forward-looking statements. These and other risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are involved in our forward-looking statements are discussed in detail in “Part I. Item 1A. – Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 27, 2020. We undertake no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of future events, new information or otherwise, except as required by law.

For more information about the company, please visit www.papajohns.com.

Supplemental Information and Financial Statements

Definition

Comparable sales: We believe North America, international and global restaurant and comparable sales growth information is useful in analyzing our results since our franchisees pay royalties and marketing fund contributions that are based on a percentage of franchise sales. Franchise sales also generate commissary revenue in the United States and in certain international markets. Franchise restaurant and comparable sales growth information is also useful for comparison to industry trends and evaluating the strength of our brand. Management believes the presentation of franchise restaurant sales growth, excluding the impact of foreign currency, provides investors with useful information regarding underlying sales trends and the impact of new unit growth without being impacted by swings in the external factor of foreign currency. Franchise restaurant sales are not included in the company’s revenues.

Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures

The table below reconciles our GAAP financial results to our adjusted financial results, which are non-GAAP measures. The non-GAAP adjusted results shown below and within this press release, which exclude the items in the table below (collectively defined as “Special items”), should not be construed as a substitute for or a better indicator of the company’s performance than the company’s GAAP results. Management believes presenting certain financial information excluding the Special items is important for purposes of comparison to current year results. In addition, management uses these metrics to evaluate the company’s underlying operating performance and to analyze trends.

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