GT
Good Times Restaurants Inc. (GTIM)·Q1 2025 Earnings Summary
Executive Summary
- Q1 2025 delivered modest top-line growth and a return to profitability: Total revenues rose 9.6% to $36.333M, and diluted EPS was $0.02, versus a $0.05 loss in Q1 2024 . Same-store sales were +1.5% at Bad Daddy’s and flat at Good Times . Adjusted EBITDA was $1.209M .
- Mix shift to Smash Patty burgers aided Bad Daddy’s restaurant-level margins (12.6% vs. 10.7% LY), while Good Times margins compressed to 8.6% amid higher labor, occupancy, and commodity costs .
- Management flagged unusually severe January weather as a near-term headwind, with early Q2 same-store sales down ~5.5% at Bad Daddy’s and >7% at Good Times; trends improved post-storms, but visibility remains limited .
- Development plans were dialed back: a previously contemplated Bad Daddy’s site was dropped (Q4 commentary), and franchise acquisitions are largely complete; focus shifts to remodels, menu engineering, pricing discipline, and ongoing share repurchases .
What Went Well and What Went Wrong
What Went Well
- Smash Patty platform execution: “Classic Smash” and “Smokesmash” engineered to deliver value and better margins than BD’s American Cheeseburger, priced at $9.50 in Colorado and $1 less elsewhere; sequential improvement in food & beverage costs at Bad Daddy’s .
- Bad Daddy’s comps and margin uplift: Same-store sales +1.5% with restaurant-level operating profit at $3.278M (12.6% of sales), up from $2.571M (10.7%) LY, driven by labor productivity and menu engineering .
- Consolidated return to profitability: Net income attributable to common shareholders was $0.164M with diluted EPS of $0.02; Adjusted EBITDA improved to $1.209M from $0.510M in Q1 2024 .
What Went Wrong
- Good Times margin pressure: Restaurant-level operating profit fell to $0.852M (8.6%), down 490 bps YoY, driven by higher wage rates (labor 36.7%, +290 bps), occupancy (+70 bps), and food/packaging (+100 bps) .
- Weather-driven sales deleverage in early Q2: January storms caused widespread closures and reduced traffic; first four weeks same-store sales down ~5.5% at Bad Daddy’s and >7% at Good Times .
- Commodity inflation risks: Tightening beef supply (January wholesale boneless beef price increases) and avian flu-related egg price spikes expected to pressure costs through FY25 .
Financial Results
Consolidated Financials (Quarterly)
Consolidated YoY (Q1)
Segment Sales and Margins
KPIs
Liquidity Snapshot
Notes: Restaurant-level operating profit and Adjusted EBITDA are non-GAAP; definitions and reconciliations provided in company disclosures .
Guidance Changes
Earnings Call Themes & Trends
Management Commentary
- “The first quarter…was encouraging for Bad Daddy’s as we posted a 1.5% increase in same-store sales and better restaurant level margins… Classic Smash… engineered to meet the sweet spot of providing margin slightly better… priced at $9.50 in Colorado and $1 less everywhere else.” — Ryan Zink .
- “Our Good Times brand experienced ongoing challenges resulting from higher costs… and a continued intense discounting by our competition.” — Ryan Zink .
- “Same-store sales at Bad Daddy’s were down approximately 5.5% during the first 4 weeks of the second fiscal quarter and down more than 7% at Good Times… Trends have improved since then.” — Ryan Zink .
- “We expect to run approximately 7% general and administrative costs on a full year basis for fiscal 2025.” — Keri August .
- “We repurchased 59,125 shares during the quarter… Share repurchases will continue to be balanced with other capital needs.” — Keri August .
Q&A Highlights
- Capital allocation: Management continues to prioritize share repurchases at current prices while funding Good Times remodels; franchise acquisitions largely complete .
- Legal case: Appeals court remanded damages assessment to district court; briefing closed; timing uncertain, awaiting ruling .
- Seasonality and weather: January is typically weak; Q2 should improve outside Colorado; unpredictable snow risk persists through spring .
- Customer demographics: Good Times skews slightly male, ages 30–40; efforts to attract younger audiences via social/YouTube and remodels; Bad Daddy’s balanced 25–45 .
- Menu/pricing strategy: Good Times to rationalize menu, push higher-margin items; resisting deep discounting given lack of scale vs. major QSRs .
- Comp disclosure: Company chose not to pre-release comps this quarter; open to revisiting if industry practice shifts .
Estimates Context
- Wall Street consensus (S&P Global) for Q1 2025 revenue and EPS was unavailable at the time of analysis due to data access limits. As a result, we cannot quantify beats/misses versus consensus for this quarter. We attempted retrieval but encountered system limits.*
Key Takeaways for Investors
- Bad Daddy’s margin resiliency supported by Smash Patty menu engineering; watch for continued margin mix benefits even as beef inflation persists .
- Good Times margins compressed materially; the near-term focus is operational quality over speed, menu rationalization, and targeted value rather than deep discounting to protect economics .
- Severe January weather created transitory pressure on early Q2 comps; expect normalization but keep an eye on Colorado-driven variability and seasonal softness through February/March .
- Development pivot reduces near-term unit growth; capital redeployment toward remodels and share repurchases may support per-share value but limits top-line expansion catalysts .
- Cost inflation risk remains elevated (beef, eggs); management signaled further commodity pressure through FY25—pricing actions and mix will be key offset levers .
- Liquidity is adequate but modest (Q1 cash $3.023M; LT debt $2.6M); continued buybacks balanced with remodel capex (~1% of sales) warrant monitoring of cash generation and credit capacity .
- Near-term trading lens: absent consensus comp comparisons, narrative will trade on weather normalization, sustained Bad Daddy’s margin execution, and evidence of Good Times margin stabilization without resorting to unprofitable discounting .
*Estimates note: S&P Global consensus data was attempted but unavailable at time of analysis.