GT
Good Times Restaurants Inc. (GTIM)·Q3 2025 Earnings Summary
Executive Summary
- Q3 FY2025 revenue declined 2.4% year over year to $37.0M, while diluted EPS rose to $0.14 from $0.12 as management controlled costs and reduced G&A; same-store sales were -1.4% at Bad Daddy’s and -9.0% at Good Times .
- Brand performance diverged: Bad Daddy’s restaurant-level operating profit margin improved slightly to 14.4%, while Good Times margins compressed to 11.2% on higher beef, eggs, and labor costs .
- Management hired a senior marketing leader and will launch the “Colorado Native Burgers” campaign, refresh digital assets, and selectively test pricing; they flagged record-high ground beef prices into Q4 and potential menu price increases to offset input inflation .
- No formal revenue/EPS guidance; management indicated full-year G&A should be 6–7% of revenues and expects share repurchases to be selective near term with potential acceleration into FY2026 depending on liquidity and macro backdrop .
What Went Well and What Went Wrong
What Went Well
- Bad Daddy’s cost discipline: food and beverage costs fell 60 bps YoY to 30.6%, supporting steady restaurant-level margin at 14.4% despite softer sales .
- Marketing and product initiatives: new “Colorado Native Burgers” campaign (outdoor, social, streaming video), refreshed web/mobile app, and operational changes (new burger builds, cook-to-order progress); Fried Ice Cream LTO at Good Times was “the most successful new product…in several years” by units sold .
- Reduced overhead: combined G&A expenses declined to $2.2M (5.9% of revenues), down 120 bps YoY, aiding profitability .
What Went Wrong
- Same-store sales pressure: Bad Daddy’s -1.4% and Good Times -9.0% YoY, reflecting value-oriented consumers and competitor discounting; Good Times margins compressed across the P&L .
- Commodity and labor inflation: record-high ground beef expected to persist; eggs eased but remain above prior year, while labor costs rose 150 bps YoY at Good Times due to wage inflation and deleveraging .
- Good Times profitability decline: restaurant-level operating profit fell to $1.2M and margin to 11.2% (down 530 bps YoY) due to elevated costs and lack of price increases .
Financial Results
Consolidated Results vs prior periods and YoY
Segment Revenue and Margins
KPIs and Operating Metrics
Guidance Changes
No formal revenue, EPS, margin, tax, or segment guidance ranges were provided .
Earnings Call Themes & Trends
Management Commentary
- “Results during our third fiscal quarter were a mixed bag…Same store sales at Bad Daddy’s…[and] at Good Times…declined sequentially compared to the second quarter…we’ve hired a new marketing leader…Jason Murphy…[to] lead all advertising…including web and mobile app” .
- “We increased pricing by approximately 1% in a subset of our [Good Times] stores on August 1…we believe that we have the ability to take price without significant traffic erosion…discounting has preserved sales, but at the expense of restaurant level margins” .
- “Both concepts are facing record high ground beef prices in the fourth fiscal quarter…we are considering incremental menu price to offset…input cost inflation” .
- “Food and beverage costs [Bad Daddy’s] were 30.6%…a decrease of 60 bps…primarily attributable to lower purchase prices…partially offset by increased ground beef costs” .
- “Good Times…labor cost increased to 34.2%, a 150 bps increase…due to higher average wage rates…and decreased productivity…restaurant-level operating profit decreased…to $1.2M…11.2% of sales” .
- “We expect to run between 6–7% general and administrative costs on a full year basis for fiscal 2025” .
- “We are being a little more reserved on…special project CapEx…priority first really is building up additional cash reserves…optional[ity] for debt pay down, additional share repurchase or…new store development…replace legacy POS [at Bad Daddy’s] during fiscal 2026” .
Q&A Highlights
- EBITDA cadence and CapEx: Management cautioned Q3 EBITDA (~$2.2M) is among the highest seasonal quarters; no forward EBITDA guidance; maintenance CapEx ~1% of sales; prioritizing cash accumulation with optionality for debt paydown, repurchases, and selective development .
- Investment CapEx & IRR: New unit hurdle rate around 20%+; special project CapEx (e.g., POS) is required and not IRR-driven; remodel CapEx has “strong ROI,” with signage replacement necessary .
- Good Times underperformance: Factors include competitor discounting, macro/geographic dynamics, and management’s focus on margins over deep discounting; plan to communicate brand value and increase advertising rather than heavy discounting .
- Share repurchases: Selective in near term; any acceleration likely in FY2026 subject to macro and internal forecasts .
- FY2026 projects: Finalize Good Times remodel/signage; replace Bad Daddy’s POS; pursue new unit opportunities if economics and real estate terms are favorable .
Estimates Context
- Wall Street consensus from S&P Global: Consensus EPS and revenue estimates for GTIM’s Q3 FY2025 were unavailable in S&P Global; only actuals are present. As a result, an estimates-based beat/miss analysis cannot be performed.*
- Reported actuals: Revenue $37.025M; diluted EPS $0.14 .*
*Values retrieved from S&P Global.
Key Takeaways for Investors
- Near-term margin resiliency at Bad Daddy’s despite soft traffic underscores strong cost controls; watch commodity and pricing actions for Q4 impact .
- Good Times remains the focal point for turnaround via marketing, menu engineering, and selective pricing; Fried Ice Cream LTO success and burger build improvements are encouraging, but labor/commodity inflation remain headwinds .
- No formal guidance; operational levers (pricing, advertising mix, POS modernization) and disciplined capital allocation (cash build, selective buybacks) define FY2025 posture .
- Beef inflation is the critical variable; management signaled potential price increases across both brands to protect unit economics—monitor traffic elasticity and competitor discounting intensity .
- Liquidity and optionality: $3.1M cash, $2.3M long-term debt at quarter end; management prioritizes cash accumulation, providing flexibility for FY2026 projects and capital returns .
- Narrative catalysts: “Colorado Native Burgers” brand campaign, digital/app refresh, and outdoor/social/streaming push could drive traffic normalization in Colorado and beyond; execution and ROI tracking are key .
- Medium-term thesis: Bad Daddy’s as margin anchor with product innovation and disciplined pricing; Good Times as turnaround candidate leveraging brand story and improved operations, contingent on inflation easing and effective marketing .