UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-K

(Mark One)

For the fiscal year ended: December 31, 2023

Commission file number: 333-233233

Securities registered under Section 12(b) of the Exchange Act

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (307) 274-3055 

Securities registered under Section 12(b) of the Exchange Act:

None 

Securities registered under Section 12(g) of the Exchange Act:

Common Stock, par value $0.002 per share

(Title of Class)

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. ☐ Yes   ☒ No

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act. ☐ Yes   ☒ No

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, a 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 17(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act. ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on an attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report. ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). ☐ Yes   ☒ No

If securities are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act, indicate by check mark whether the financial statements of the registrant included in the filing reflect the correction of an error to previously issued financial statements. ☐

Indicate by check mark whether any of those error corrections are restatements that required a recovery analysis of incentive-based compensation received by any of the registrant’s executive officers during the relevant recovery period pursuant to §240.10D-1(b). ☐                

 As of June 30, 2023, the last business day of the registrant’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter, the aggregate market value of voting and non-voting common equity held by non-affiliates of the registrant was $5,949,784.

At March 15, 2024, there were 6,246,118 shares of common stock outstanding.

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

None

TABLE OF CONTENTS

BASIS OF PRESENTATION

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This Annual Report contains “forward-looking statements” as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Any statements contained herein that are not statements of historical fact may be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements can be identified by words such as: “anticipate,” “intend,” “plan,” “goal,” “seek,” “believe,” “project,” “estimate,” “expect,” “strategy,” “future,” “likely,” “may,” “should,” “will” and similar references to future periods. Forward-looking statements may relate to, among other things: (i) our business objectives and strategic plans, including projected or anticipated growth, including in customer traffic and revenue, planned improvements in operational efficiencies, gross margins, and expense management and enhancements to our restaurant environments and customer engagement, including the anticipated impacts of innovations, improvements and enhanced marketing support for certain aspects of our business; (ii) the volatility of credit markets and the availability of capital and our ability to fund our acquisition strategy; (iii) anticipated capital investments including in our restaurant acquisition program and the anticipated related benefits; (iv) our expectations about pricing strategy and average check size; (v) our expectations of the competitiveness of the labor market and our ability to hire, train, and retain personnel; (vi) our expectations about restaurant operating costs, including commodity and food prices and labor and energy costs; (vii) anticipated legislation and other regulation of our business; (viii) our expectations about anticipated uses of, and risks associated with future cash flows, liquidity, future capital expenditures and other capital deployment opportunities, and taxes; (ix) our expectations regarding competition; and (x) our expectations regarding demand, consumer preferences, and consumer discretionary spending; (xi) anticipated impacts of a health emergency and any mitigation measures imposed by governments; (xiii) the seasonality of our business; (xiv) our expectations and other statements regarding interest rates, commodity prices and the other risks discussed under Risk Factors below.

Forward-looking statements are neither historical facts nor assurances of future performance. Instead, they are based only on our current beliefs, expectations, and assumptions regarding the future of our business, plans and strategies, projections, anticipated events and trends, the economy and other conditions. Because forward-looking statements relate to the future, they are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict, many of which are outside our control. Our actual results and financial condition may differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements. Therefore, you should not rely on any of these forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause our actual results and financial condition to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements include, among others, the following:

These risks and other factors are described elsewhere in this Annual Report, and in other filings, we make with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Due to the uncertain nature of these factors, management cannot assess the impact of each factor on the business or the extent to which any factor or combination of factors may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements.

Any forward-looking statement is only as of the date on which such statement is made, and we undertake no obligation to update any of these statements to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date of this Annual Report. New factors may emerge, and predicting all factors affecting our business and prospects is impossible.

PART I

Item 1. Business.

In this Annual Report, and unless otherwise indicated, the terms “BT Brands,” the “Company,” “we,” “us,” “our,” “our Company,” and “our business” refer to BT Brands, Inc. together with its consolidated subsidiaries.

The following discussion should be read in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements and related notes included elsewhere in this Annual Report. Due to rounding, figures in tables may not sum exactly.

Overview of Our Company

BT Brands owns and operates various restaurants in the eastern two-thirds of the United States. As of March 1, 2024, including our partially-owned Bagger Dave’s business, we operated seventeen restaurants comprising the following:

Our Dairy Queen store is operated under a franchise agreement with International Dairy Queen. We pay royalty and advertising payments to the franchisor as required by the franchise agreement. Effective October 17, 2023, we agreed with International Dairy Queen to sell the business, which has a current book value at December 31, 2023 of approximately $438,500, including remaining goodwill, to an approved buyer. Under the terms of the agreement with International Dairy Queen, we will continue to operate the location during the six-month period we plan to sell the business. However, we may retain ownership of the physical assets, including the land and building.

Our objective is to build value for our shareholders in the food service industry. Our principal strategy is acquiring multi-unit restaurant concepts and individual properties at attractive earnings multiples. In fiscal 2023, we continued to evaluate business opportunities, having deployed a portion of our November 2021 public offering in 2022, acquiring three operating restaurant properties. We operate the acquired businesses with a shared central management organization. Additional elements of our growth strategy encompass increasing sales and efforts to boost brand awareness.

Our Corporate History

The Company was incorporated in Delaware as Hartmax of NY, Inc. in January 2016. In 2020, we changed our corporate domicile from Delaware to Wyoming.

The Burger Time brand originated in August 1987 with the first restaurant in Fargo, North Dakota. Additional Burger Time restaurants opened in Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota in the following years.

On November 12, 2021, we completed an initial public offering of 2,400,000 units of our securities at a public offering price of $5.00 per unit, each unit comprising one share of common stock and one warrant to purchase one share of common stock at an initial exercise price of $5.50 per share (the “IPO”). The net proceeds from the IPO were approximately $10.7 million, excluding any proceeds from the exercise of warrants and after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and payment of estimated offering expenses of approximately $1.3 million.

Following our IPO, we have pursued the acquisition of restaurant properties in diverse locations across the United States. Our recent acquisitions have allowed us to diversify our operations into new restaurant segments and new geographic regions, reducing our dependency on the financial performance of our Burger Time restaurants.

Our Restaurants

Burger Time

Burger Time restaurants feature a variety of burgers and other quick-serve foods. Our juicy, flame-broiled burgers, called “Bigger Burgers,” are made with approximately 25% more meat and are larger in diameter than our competitors' typical quarter-pound burger offerings. Our burger patties are produced to our specifications by our supplier. We prepare each burger to a customer’s order and serve it hot and fresh. Other entrees include chicken sandwiches, pulled pork sandwiches, and chicken tenders. We offer an array of traditional and signature sides, many of which have evolved into regional favorites. We also offer other reasonably priced food and beverage items. From time to time, we offer specialty sandwiches and wraps at competitive prices. Our limited menu is designed to deliver quality across all products, combining a high taste profile and speedy delivery. Our Burger Time brand appeals to a broad spectrum of consumers. We cater to consumers who appreciate the size and variety of our burgers and the value of our Bigger Burger, combined with the speed and efficiency provided by our single and double drive-thru windows. Subject to seasonal and local conditions, our restaurants are generally open seven days a week from 10 a.m. until 9 or 10 p.m., depending on the time of year. We offer online ordering through our website with curbside delivery. Burger Time serves the drive-thru and take-out segment of the restaurant industry.

Our operating principles for Burger Time include: (i) offering a “Bigger Burger” to deliver our customers “more good food for your money”; (ii) offering a limited menu to permit attention to quality and speed of preparation; (iii) providing fast service by way of single and double drive-thru designs and a point-of-sale system that expedites the ordering and preparation process; and (iv) great tasting quality food made fresh to order at a fair price.

Our seven Burger Time restaurants are in Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota. We own the real estate on which our Burger Time restaurants are situated. In 2023, we leased the property for a Sioux Falls, South Dakota location, which we closed in February 2024.

Our Burger Time units are free-standing facilities with single or double “drive-thru” and walk-up service windows. The menu, store layout and equipment are designed to work together to offer exceptional food with fast service times. This integrated design allows for maximum food output with minimal labor.

Each restaurant typically employs eight to sixteen employees, including a manager and an assistant manager. Work shifts are staggered to ensure superior customer service during our busiest times. We focus on customer service and seek to staff our stores with friendly, customer-focused personnel. Our managers and assistant managers are full-time employees. We support our managers by offering competitive wages, including incentive bonuses for performance. Our experienced managers train new assistant managers in all facets of a restaurant’s operations. Our manager training stresses food quality, fast, friendly customer service, restaurant cleanliness, and proper management operations of a quick service restaurant. We also focus on food safety and sanitation, employment laws and regulations, and systems to control food and labor costs. All managers and assistant managers must obtain the required food safety (HACCP) certification applicable to their location.

Each restaurant has a point-of-sale system monitored by management. These systems allow managers to monitor sales, labor, customer counts and other pertinent information. The general manager of each restaurant reports directly to a Director of Operations, who in turn reports to our Chief Operating Officer, who oversees all aspects of restaurant operations, including restaurant facility management, new restaurant openings and the roll-out of key operational initiatives. Our restaurants are managed using weekly operating budgets, comparing their actual results to planned results.

We purchase most of our food, paper, packaging, and related supplies for our Burger Time restaurants from Sysco Corporation, the nation’s largest distributor of food products. Sysco distributes these supplies to our restaurants on a frequent and routine basis.

As of March 1, 2024, our Burger Time restaurants employed 86 individuals, including 24 full-time and 62 part-time employees. Our full-time employees are salaried managers and assistant managers; the remaining restaurant staff are hourly employees.

Dairy Queen Franchise

In October 2015, we acquired a 99% ownership interest in a Dairy Queen (“DQ”) franchise in Ham Lake, Minnesota. The franchise’s remaining 1% ownership interest is owned by the General Manager, with specific DQ qualifications and whose ownership is required under the operating agreement with the franchisor. We are party to a franchise agreement with DQ that, among other things, restricts our menu offerings to the established DQ menu and limits our flexibility. We are prohibited from selling non-DQ-approved items at this franchise location and may not market this restaurant as a part of Burger Time. Our Dairy Queen store is operated under a franchise agreement with International Dairy Queen (“IDQ”). We pay royalty and advertising payments to the franchisor as required by the franchise agreement. Effective October 17, 2023, we agreed with IDQ to sell and exit the business, which has a book value at December 31, 2023, of approximately $438,500. The agreement with IDQ requires a sale of the business to a buyer approved by the franchisor. As further agreed, we continue to operate the location while seeking a buyer for the business.

We currently have no plans to enter into additional franchise agreements. However, we will consider franchise opportunities should we become aware of an attractive opportunity.

Keegan’s Seafood Grille

On March 2, 2022, we acquired substantially all the assets of Keegan’s Seafood Grille, Inc. (“Keegan’s”), an operating restaurant located in Indian Rocks Beach, Florida, for $1,150,000. Keegan’s Seafood Grille has operated in the same location for over 35 years, serving the Clearwater, Florida market. We acquired the “Keegan’s Seafood Grille” tradename and website and plan to continue to operate as Keegan’s Seafood Grille.

Keegan’s is a family-friendly casual restaurant located directly across the street from the beach. The establishment’s award-winning dishes are made in-house using the freshest local ingredients. Keegan’s motto is “Eat Fresh and Eat Wild.” Keegan’s is known for daily fish specials, innovative seafood dishes, and excellent service. Keegan’s also offers a selection of beer and wine. The restaurant features indoor and outdoor dining options, is open daily for lunch and dinner, and offers take-out and curbside pickup options.

As of March 1, 2024, Keegan’s employed 36 persons, including 12 full-time and 24 part-time employees. Our employees include a full-time salaried manager and a salaried kitchen manager; the remaining restaurant staff are hourly employees.

Pie In The Sky Coffee and Bakery

On May 11, 2022, we acquired the assets of Pie In The Sky Coffee and Bakery (“PIE”), a coffee shop and bakery restaurant located near the Steamship Authority ferry terminal in Woods Hole, Massachusetts. We acquired the assets for an aggregate purchase price of $1,150,000. We acquired the “Pie In The Sky” tradename and the piecoffee.com web address as part of the purchase.

PIE has served the local community and ferry travelers to Martha’s Vineyard for nearly forty years. PIE serves a variety of breakfast and lunch sandwiches prepared on store-baked bread; pastries, soups and salads are all freshly made on-site. In addition, we offer patrons freshly roasted coffee beverages, smoothies, and brand merchandise. The store is open seven days a week, year-round, except Christmas.

As of March 1, 2024, PIE employed 34 persons, including eight full-time and 32 part-time employees. Our full-time employees include three full-time salaried managers and assistant managers and a varying number of staff, all of whom are hourly employees.

Village Bier Garten

On August 4, 2022, we acquired substantially all of the assets, including trade names and social media accounts of Von Stephan Village Bier Garten. We have rebranded the business as Village (“VBG”), a German-themed, family-friendly casual restaurant and bar concept in Cocoa, Florida. VBG features authentic German food and imported German beers combined with regular entertainment, creating an entertaining atmosphere and delivering a memorable guest experience. The restaurant offers indoor seating and access to an outdoor shared seating area where patrons eat and enjoy live entertainment most evenings.

As of March 1, 2024, VBG employed 29 persons, including seven full-time and 22 part-time employees. Our employees include two salaried managers, two hourly assistant managers, and hourly restaurant staff.

Bagger Dave’s Burger Tavern

In June 2022, we acquired common stock of Bagger Dave’s Burger Tavern, Inc. (“BDVB”), initially representing 41.2% ownership. In 2024, it was reduced to 39.6% as a result of a sale of newly issued shares by BDVB.  BDVB is a publicly traded company that owns and operates six Bagger Dave’s restaurants. Bagger Dave’s is a casual restaurant and bar concept providing an inviting, entertaining atmosphere specializing in burgers, tavern-style pizzas, hand-cut fries, local craft beers, milkshakes, salads, and other items. BDVB opened its first location in Berkley, Michigan, in January 2008 and currently operates four restaurants in Michigan, one in Ft. Wayne, Indiana, and one in Centerville, Ohio. BDVB has 152 employees, 22 salaried managers and 40 full-time and 130 part-time employees.

Marketing and Advertising

 Our marketing and advertising expenditures are principally allocated to social media, with limited advertisements in newspapers and radio. In addition, we have employed product discount coupons, live remote broadcasts, customer contests, and direct mailings. We also utilize marketing incentives from our suppliers whenever possible. Our Burger Time restaurants offer an online ordering capability and curbside delivery program through the BTND website, and we expect to implement online ordering at all of our businesses. We emphasize direct database marketing supplemented by social media tools to promote our brand and local stores. However, our marketing-related expenditures have historically comprised less than 1% of our net revenues. Generally, restaurant sales are derived from drive-by traffic and dedicated return visits from loyal customers. However, as we expand our restaurant base, our marketing and advertising expenditures may need to increase.

We expect to develop more sophisticated marketing programs, including an expanded social media presence, to build consumer brand awareness of our restaurants.

Growth Strategy

We are seeking to increase value for our shareholders in the food service industry. Our strategy is to acquire restaurant concepts and individual properties at attractive earnings multiples. Other key elements of our growth strategy encompass increasing same-store sales and introducing a campaign to boost brand awareness.

As we develop and extend our business into new food concepts and geographic areas, we expect to pursue strategies that will leverage our multiple brands, capacity, and reach, which may include:

As a public company, we may be presented with other opportunities, including, for example, a reverse merger candidate in the restaurant industry, whereby a significantly larger private restaurant chain avails itself of our public company status by merging with our business. We will evaluate these opportunities if and when they are presented.

Growth Through Acquisitions

We intend to continue to make acquisitions that provide an entrance into targeted restaurant segments and geographic areas. Restaurant businesses frequently become available for acquisition. We may purchase either individual restaurant properties or multi-unit businesses at prices expected to provide attractive returns on our investment. In addition, we may acquire operating assets where a franchise program is the focus of the acquired food service business. We intend to evaluate acquisition opportunities to ensure the accretive and efficient integration of additional restaurant concepts. Successful execution of our strategy will allow us to continue to diversify our operations both into other dining concepts and geographic locations.

In evaluating opportunities, we consider the following characteristics, among others, relevant to each opportunity:

We operate acquired businesses with a shared central management organization. Following acquisition, we may pursue a plan to expand the number of locations and increase comparable store sales and profits, as described below. By leveraging our management services platform, we expect to achieve post-acquisition cost benefits by reducing the acquired business's corporate overhead. If we acquire restaurant chains or individual units near each other, concentration could provide economic synergies with respect to management functions, marketing, advertising, supply chain assistance, staff training, and operational oversight.

Increase Sales

We intend to deploy a multi-faceted sales growth strategy to optimize restaurant performance. One of the metrics we use to measure an increase in sales is same-store sales growth, which reflects the change in year-over-year sales for the comparable store base.  We will apply techniques proven in the restaurant industry to increase same-store sales at all our restaurants. We also may develop new approaches that reflect our corporate character and restaurant composition. We expect to utilize customer feedback and analyze sales data to introduce, test, and hone existing and new menu items. In addition, we will investigate using public relations and experiential marketing to engage customers. Our strategies to increase same-store sales will evolve as we acquire new restaurant concepts in new markets.

Increase Brand Awareness

Increasing brand awareness is essential to the growth of our Company. We intend to develop and implement forward-looking branding strategies for our businesses. We will seek to leverage social media and employ targeted digital advertising to expand the reach of our brands and drive traffic to our stores. In addition, we intend to develop mobile applications that will allow consumers to find restaurants, order online and receive special offers. We expect our branding initiatives to evolve as we complete acquisitions.

Trademarks and Service Marks

We operate under several trade names and have acquired a variety of trade and service marks. We have registered “It’s Burger Time” with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Our trademarks and service marks, whether or not formally registered, are valuable to us and essential to our marketing efforts. We may develop additional marks in the future. Our policy is to pursue registration of our marks when appropriate and to oppose infringement vigorously.

Competition

We own restaurants in the industry's quick service, fast casual, and casual dining categories. The competitive environment in each category is intense in terms of price, service, location, and food quality. We face significant competition from a wide variety of restaurants on a national, regional, and local level. Dining choices continue to expand with the increasing popularity of food delivery services. The restaurant industry is affected by, among other things, changes in consumer tastes, dietary trends, local and national economic conditions, demographics, traffic patterns, consumer spending, population trends, and local traffic patterns. The restaurant industry has few barriers to entry, and new competitors may emerge at any time.

Seasonality

Seasonal factors and the timing of holidays cause our revenue to fluctuate from quarter to quarter. Our BTND revenue is typically lower in the first and fourth quarters because of winter weather. PIE is highly seasonal, with a significant portion of its business occurring during summer. Our Florida locations reach peak revenue during the winter travel season.

Regulation and Compliance

Our operations are subject to a wide range of federal, state, and local government regulations, including those relating to, among others, public health and safety, zoning and fire codes, labor, and franchising. Our failure to obtain or retain food or other licenses and registrations or exemptions would adversely affect the operations of our restaurants. We operate each restaurant with standards and procedures that comply with applicable laws, codes, and regulations. To date, we have not experienced and do not anticipate any problems in obtaining required licenses, permits, or approvals; however, any difficulties, delays, or failures in obtaining such licenses, permits, registrations, exemptions, or permissions in the future could delay or prevent the opening of a location and adversely impact the viability of a restaurant.

The development and construction of any new restaurants will be subject to compliance with applicable zoning, land use, and environmental regulations. Federal and state environmental regulations have not had a material effect on operations, but more stringent and varied requirements of local government bodies concerning zoning, land use, and environmental factors could delay construction and increase development costs for new restaurants.

We are also subject to the Fair Labor Standards Act, the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, and various federal and state laws governing such matters as minimum wages, overtime, unemployment tax rates, workers’ compensation rates, citizenship requirements, and other working conditions. Most of our hourly staff, except for BDVB’s Michigan tip-compensated employees, are paid above the applicable federal or state minimum wage. Accordingly, increases in the minimum wage likely will not have a significant impact on labor costs. We also may be subject to various laws and regulations related to any future franchise operations. We are also subject to the Americans with Disabilities Act, which prohibits discrimination based on disability in public accommodations and employment.

States, counties, and cities have enacted menu labeling laws requiring restaurant operators to disclose certain nutritional information to consumers or have enacted legislation restricting the use of certain ingredients in restaurants. Many of these requirements are inconsistent or interpreted differently from one area to another. These requirements may be different or inconsistent with requirements that we are subject to under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 (“ACA”), as amended, which establishes federal requirements applicable to chain restaurants with 20 or more locations to post nutritional information on their menus. In addition, the ACA mandates that restaurant businesses with more than 50 full-time employees offer health benefits to full-time employees and their dependents or face possible penalties. The ACA imposes significant reporting requirements on restaurant businesses, including certifying whether they offer minimum essential coverage to full-time employees. The failure to comply with ACA is significant, and new regulations, increasing coverage requirements and costs could have a material adverse effect on our business.

We are not engaged in the business as a “franchisor.” We operate a Dairy Queen unit as a “franchisee” of Dairy Queen. Franchise operations are governed by state laws that regulate the offer and sale of franchises and the franchisor-franchisee relationship. Such laws generally require registration of the franchise offering with state authorities and regulate the franchise relationship by, for example, requiring the franchisor to deal with its franchisees in good faith, prohibiting interference with the right of free association among franchisees, limiting the imposition of standards of performance on a franchisee and regulating discrimination against franchisees in charges, royalties or fees. In addition, such laws may restrict a franchisor in the termination of a franchise agreement by, for example, requiring “good cause” to exist as a basis for the termination, advance notice to the franchisee of the termination, an opportunity to cure a default and a repurchase of inventory or other compensation.

Environmental Matters

We are subject to extensive federal, state, and local laws and regulations relating to environmental protection, including regulating discharges into the air and water, storing and disposing of waste, and cleaning contaminated soil and groundwater. Under various federal, state, and local laws, an owner or operator of real estate may be liable for the costs of removal or remediation of hazardous or toxic substances on, in, or emanating from such property. Such liability may be imposed without regard to whether the owner or operator knew of or was responsible for the presence of such hazardous or toxic substances. We have not conducted a comprehensive environmental review of our properties or operations. As a result, no assurance can be given that we have identified potential environmental liabilities at our properties or that such liabilities will not adversely affect our financial condition.

Employees

As of March 1, 2024, our corporate office had three employees. In addition, each of our restaurants has a General Manager, an assistant manager or supervisor, and a varying number of restaurant staff, all hourly employees. Including wholly owned subsidiaries of the Company, as of March 1, 2024, we had approximately 188 employees, including 54 full-time and 134 part-time employees. None of our employees are unionized or covered by collective bargaining agreements, and we consider our current employee relations to be good.

Marketable Securities

From time to time, we purchase publicly traded marketable securities. Historically, these securities comprised investments in exchange-listed common stocks with published prices per share readily available. 

Investments

Our investments include our net investment of $729,325 in Bagger Dave’s as determined under the “Equity Method” of accounting. Our $304,000 total investment in Next Gen Ice, Inc. (“NGI”) includes equity in the form of 179,000 common shares received in 2020 as consideration for extending the maturity of a note receivable repaid in August 2020. Under terms of the Note modification, we obtained 179,000 shares of common stock in NGI from the founders of NGI. We also received warrants expiring March 31, 2029, to purchase 358,000 shares of common stock for $1.00 per share. We attributed $75,000  to the value of the equity received. This amount was reflected as interest income in 2020. The 2020 fair value continues to be reflected as the value of this investment. On February 12, 2022, we invested $229,000 in 138,788 shares of NGI Series A1 8% Cumulative Convertible Preferred Stock, convertible share for share into NGI common shares. This investment is reflected at the cost of $229,000. The preferred investment included a five-year warrant to purchase 34,697 shares at $1.65 per share. Our CEO, Gary Copperud, is Chairman of the board of directors of NGI. Our Chief Operating Officer, Kenneth Brimmer, is also a member of the board of directors of NGI and serves as its Chief Financial Officer. The investment in NGI does not have a readily determinable market value, and it is carried at the historic cost determined by BT Brands which the Company believes is reasonable relative to recent sales of stock by NGI.

Item 1A. Risk Factors.

Risks Related to a Health Emergency

Future health emergencies may adversely impact our business.

The recent pandemic and government responses significantly impacted the economy. Although our business did not experience significant adverse effects from the initial spread of COVID, its variants or another virus could negatively affect our business. Possible outcomes include declines in customer traffic at our restaurants, our inability to staff our restaurants fully and, in more severe cases, may cause a temporary closure, our inability to obtain supplies, and increased commodity costs, possibly for prolonged periods of time. Most of our restaurants remained operational during the height of the COVID-19 epidemic.

The extent to which health emergencies may impact our business, markets, supply chain, customers and workforce will depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted, including new information that may emerge concerning the severity of a health emergency and the actions to contain it or to otherwise limit its impact, a rapidly spreading virus could contribute to the perceived health risk and may affect our business.

If any or all of the foregoing events were to occur, our business, liquidity, financial condition, and results of operations could be materially adversely impacted.

Risks Related to Our Growth Strategy 

Acquiring or opening new restaurants is subject to risks and challenges.

We will face challenges as we acquire or open new restaurants; many of these challenges pose risks that are beyond our control, including, but not limited to, our ability to acquire locations at a favorable cost, the expense and other factors involved in remodeling or updating locations, hiring managerial personnel and our lack of familiarity with local regulations. Any one of these challenges, as well as others we may have yet to identify, could result in significant unanticipated costs being incurred by us. If we cannot open new restaurants, or if restaurant openings are significantly delayed or costlier than we anticipate, our revenue growth and earnings could be adversely impacted, and our business negatively affected.

As discussed throughout this Annual Report, difficulties of integration include coordinating and consolidating geographically separated systems and facilities, integrating the management and personnel of the acquired brands, maintaining employee morale and retaining key employees, implementing our management information systems and financial accounting and reporting systems, establishing and maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting, and implementing operational procedures and disciplines to control costs and increase profitability. In addition, we must have the liquidity to nurture our acquisitions financially. Given the numerous factors involved, we may not be able to identify and secure attractive restaurant acquisitions successfully, and following an acquisition, we may not be able to successfully operate the acquired business, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

If we acquire additional restaurant businesses, the integration and operation of acquisitions may place significant demands on our management, adversely affecting our ability to manage our existing restaurants. In addition, we may be required to obtain additional financing to fund future acquisitions, and there can be no assurance that we can acquire additional financing on acceptable terms or at all. There are numerous factors involved in identifying, evaluating, and securing restaurant acquisition, including:

Acquisition of existing restaurants is risky and could negatively impact our financial results.

We expect to continue expanding our business by acquiring existing restaurant businesses. Any such business may be in geographic regions in which we have not operated and may offer food concepts significantly different from our existing business. Our strategy to pursue expansion through the acquisition of existing restaurant businesses is subject to risks and uncertainties, including all the risks of our current operations as outlined in this Annual Report and other factors, including:

These factors, among the many other risks and uncertainties typically associated with acquisitions of existing businesses, could negatively impact our Company, which would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

Acquisitions may have unanticipated consequences that could harm our business and our financial condition.

Any acquisition that we pursue, whether completed or not, involves risks, including:

Future acquisitions may be through a cash purchase transaction, the issuance of our equity securities, or a combination of both, which could result in potentially dilutive issuances of our equity securities. Alternatively, we may incur debt and assume contingent liabilities, which could harm our business and financial condition.

Failure to manage new restaurants properly could negatively impact our operations and deplete our capital resources.

Though we expect to retain key personnel of any existing restaurant group to assist with managing the restaurants, we may not be able to retain such personnel for any meaningful period. Moreover, even if we retain management from the acquired business, our executive officers may not manage the new restaurants profitably for numerous reasons, including our inability to predict the consumer preferences and trends that drive the success of these types of restaurants. Any failure to effectively manage the restaurants comprising an acquired restaurant group could, among other negative effects, adversely impact our operations and deplete our capital resources, affecting our financial condition and the market price for our common stock. 

Our growth strategy requires substantial additional capital to execute, which may not be available.

Our growth depends principally on acquiring new restaurants and operating those restaurants on a profitable basis. The cost of acquiring a business will be based on several factors, including the number of restaurants comprising the group and their profitability, and we may not have the resources to fund desirable acquisitions. If we require additional capital to continue our growth plans, we may seek to raise capital through equity or debt financing. If we raise additional funds through issuances of equity or convertible debt securities, our existing stockholders could suffer significant dilution, and any new equity securities we issue could have rights, preferences, and privileges superior to those of holders of our common stock. Any future debt financing secured by us could involve restrictive covenants relating to our capital-raising activities and other financial and operational matters, making it more difficult for us to obtain additional capital and pursue business opportunities, including making further attractive acquisitions or opening new restaurants. Moreover, if we issue debt securities, the debt holders would have rights senior to common stockholders to make claims on our assets. In addition, we might not be able to obtain additional financing on terms favorable to us, if at all. If we cannot obtain adequate financing on satisfactory terms, our ability to support our business growth and respond to business challenges could be significantly limited.

Rising interest rates could negatively impact our performance and acquisition plans.

Rising interest rates could significantly increase our borrowing costs or make it difficult or impossible for us to obtain financing in the future. An increased cost of borrowing would make it more expensive for us to borrow funds to acquire new businesses and negatively impact our results of operations. If we cannot obtain financing in the future, our growth could be affected.

Our growth strategy may divert management’s attention from operating our existing restaurants.

As we execute our growth strategy, management will be focused on the numerous complex and time-consuming activities required to acquire or open new restaurants and to integrate and operate an existing restaurant group. These activities may divert management’s attention from our existing restaurants, and our existing restaurants may suffer. The time management allocated to implementing our growth strategies may interfere with its ability to manage our existing restaurants, which could negatively impact our revenues at existing restaurants and harm our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

We may enter into additional long-term, non-cancelable leases.

In connection with the restaurants we acquired over the last two years, we have entered into long-term, non-cancelable leases for the space in which such restaurants operate. Further, future acquisitions may be subject to long-term, non-cancelable leases. Under non-cancelable leases, we may be required to pay all or a portion of the real estate taxes, insurance, common area maintenance charges and other operating costs associated with the property. In addition, non-cancelable leases may provide for contingent rental payments based on sales thresholds. If acquired restaurants are subject to long-term non-cancelable leases or we enter into such leases when we acquire a restaurant and such restaurants are not profitable, and we decide to close one or more of them, we may nonetheless be committed to perform our obligations under the applicable leases including, among other things, paying the base rent and other expenses that we agreed to pay for the balance of the lease term. In addition, as leases for our restaurants expire, we may need to negotiate renewals, which could cause us to pay increased occupancy costs or close restaurants in desirable locations. These payments and costs, as well as the failure to negotiate new leases for restaurants, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

Difficulties managing our growth could adversely affect operations.

If we experience rapid and substantial growth, it will strain our administrative infrastructure and our managerial and financial resources. To manage the significant growth of our operations, we will be required to:

We may not be able to install adequate management information and control systems efficiently and timely. Our current or planned personnel, systems, procedures, and controls may need to be revised to support our future operations. Our business could be seriously harmed if we cannot manage growth effectively.

Risks Related to the Nature of Our Business and Operating in the Restaurant Industry

Our inability to compete effectively may affect sales and restaurant-level profit margins, adversely affecting our results of operations.

The restaurant industry is intensely competitive, with many well-established companies competing directly and indirectly with us. We compete with national, regional, locally owned, quick-service, casual, and full-service restaurants. Many of our competitors have significantly greater financial, marketing, personnel, and other resources than we do. Many of our competitors are well-established in markets where we have existing restaurants or may acquire new ones. In addition, many of our competitors have greater name recognition nationally. Failure to successfully compete with the restaurants in our markets could result in declining customer traffic and may prevent us from increasing or sustaining our revenues and profitability. Success in the restaurant industry is based on various factors, including changes in consumer tastes, nutritional and dietary trends, consumer spending, traffic patterns, and the type, number, and location of competing restaurants often affect the restaurant. Our competitors may react more efficiently and effectively to those conditions. Further, we face growing competition from the supermarket industry, with improvements in meal preparation and delivery alternatives. Additionally, there is increased competition from limited-service and fast-casual restaurants that are aggressively pursuing delivery and “to-go” programs. Meal kit delivery companies and other eat-at-home options also compete with traditional restaurants. In addition, our competitors in the past have offered and promoted price discounts on specific menu offerings, and they may continue to do so in the future. If we cannot continue to compete effectively, our traffic, sales and restaurant-level profit margins could decline, and our business, financial condition and results of operations would be adversely affected.

Our inability to raise menu prices could result in a decline in profitability.

We seek to increase menu prices to help offset costs, including the increased cost for commodities, minimum wages, employee benefits, insurance arrangements, construction, utilities, and other essential operating costs resulting from general inflation. If consumers do not accept our selection and amount of menu price increases and reduce guest traffic or are insufficient to counter increased costs, our financial results could be negatively affected.

Our Dairy Queen franchise business must comply with the Dairy Queen franchise agreement.

We own a Dairy Queen (“DQ”) franchise in Ham Lake, Minnesota. We are contractually bound to abide by the franchise agreement with DQ, including certain financial obligations, monthly royalty payments, and marketing fees comprising a significant percentage of our DQ gross sales. Failure to abide by the terms of the franchise agreement or take actions prohibited by the franchise agreement could result in the franchisor terminating the franchise agreement. If this franchise were terminated, our operating results could be adversely affected.

Public attitudes regarding diet and health could result in new regulations influencing consumers.

Changes in attitudes regarding diet and health or new information regarding the adverse health effects of consuming certain foods could result in changes in government regulation and shifts in consumer eating habits that may impact our business, financial condition, or results of operations. These changes have resulted in and may continue to result in, laws and regulations requiring us to disclose the nutritional content of our food offerings.

We may be unable to effectively respond to changes in consumer health perceptions, successfully implement the nutrient content disclosure requirements, and adapt our menu offerings to eating habits. The imposition of menu labeling laws and an inability to keep up with consumer eating habits could materially affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, and position within the restaurant industry.

Unfavorable publicity could reduce sales at our restaurants.

We may face negative publicity, including comments on social media, relating to aspects of our business, including, among others, food quality, public health concerns, restaurant facilities, customer complaints or litigation alleging illness or injury, health inspection scores, the integrity of our suppliers’ food processing and other policies, practices and procedures, employee relationships or other matters at one or more of our restaurants. Negative publicity generated against our restaurants may adversely affect us, regardless of whether the allegations are valid or if we are held responsible. In addition, the negative impact of adverse publicity relating to one restaurant may extend beyond the restaurant involved to affect our other restaurants. A similar risk exists concerning food service businesses that are unrelated to us if customers mistakenly associate such businesses with our operations. Employee claims against us based on, among other things, wage and hour violations, discrimination, harassment, or wrongful termination may also create not only legal and financial liability but negative publicity that could adversely affect us and divert our financial and management resources that would otherwise be exerted in favor of our operations. These risks are amplified because of the prevalence of social media. Adverse social media comments and negative publicity could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

Food safety concerns could harm our business by reducing demand and increasing costs.

The occurrence or reports of food-borne illnesses and food safety issues have occurred in the food industry in the past and could occur in the future. Any report or publicity linking us to food-borne illness or other food safety issues, including food tampering or contamination, could adversely affect our brand, reputation, revenues, and profits. In addition, food-borne illness, food tampering, or food contamination at our competitors' restaurants could result in negative publicity about the food service industry and adversely impact our sales.

Furthermore, our reliance on external food suppliers and distributors increases the risk that factors outside our control could cause food-borne illness incidents and that multiple locations would be affected rather than a single restaurant. We cannot ensure that all food items are properly maintained during transport throughout the supply chain and that our employees will identify all products that may be spoiled or contaminated.  Food-borne illnesses could result in temporary restaurant closings. Furthermore, any instances of food contamination, whether or not at our restaurants, could subject our suppliers or us to a food advisory, recall or withdrawal under the Food Safety Modernization Act. 

Risks Related to Inflation, Labor and Supply Chain

Increased commodity, energy and other costs could decrease our restaurant-level profit margins.

Our profitability depends in part on our ability to anticipate and react to changes in the price and availability of food commodities, including, among other things, beef, poultry, grains, dairy and produce. Prices may be affected due to market changes, increased competition, public health issues, inflation, shortages, or interruptions in supply due to weather, disease or other conditions beyond our control, or other reasons. Other events could increase commodity prices or cause shortages that could affect the cost and quality of the items we buy or require us to raise prices or limit our menu options. These events and other general economic and demographic conditions could impact our pricing and negatively affect our sales and restaurant-level profit margins. We do not enter into forward pricing arrangements with our suppliers, making us more susceptible to changes in commodity prices.

Our profitability is also adversely affected by increases in the price of utilities, such as natural gas, whether due to inflation, shortages, interruptions in supply, or otherwise. Our profitability is also affected by insurance, labor, marketing, taxes, and real estate costs, which could increase due to inflation, changes in laws, competition, or other events beyond our control. Our ability to respond and react to such increases and other more general economic and demographic conditions will depend on various factors, including the responses of our competitors and customers. Competition and other factors may constrain our ability to respond to increasing costs by raising menu prices. All these things may be difficult to predict and beyond our control. In this manner, increased costs could adversely affect our performance.

Shortages or interruptions in the supply or delivery of fresh food products could adversely affect our operating results.

We depend on frequent deliveries of fresh food products that meet our specifications. Shortages or interruptions in the supply of fresh food products caused by problems in production or distribution, inclement weather, unanticipated demand, or other conditions could adversely affect the availability, quality, and cost of ingredients, adversely affecting our operating results.

We rely on certain suppliers and distributors for all our supplies.

In fiscal 2023, we purchased approximately 60% of our food, paper, packaging and related supplies from Sysco Corporation, the nation’s largest distributor of food products. In addition, we purchase our beverages, other than coffee, tea, or milk, from PepsiCo and its affiliated bottlers for Burger Time. These entities are also responsible for delivering these products to us. Our reliance on these vendors exclusively to provide us with our entire inventory at reasonable prices presents certain risks. We do not control the businesses of our vendors, and our efforts to specify and monitor the standards under which they perform may not be successful. If our current vendors are unable to support our expansion into new markets, or if we are unable to find vendors to meet our supply specifications or service needs as we expand, we could likewise encounter supply shortages and incur higher costs to secure adequate supplies, which would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

We rely on the services of our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer to operate our business.

We rely on Gary Copperud, our Chief Executive Officer, and Kenneth Brimmer, our Chief Operating Officer, to make all key decisions relating to our operations and finances. The unexpected loss of Messrs. Copperud or Brimmer's services would adversely affect our business and plans for future growth. Further, neither of these individuals devotes full-time efforts to the Company, as further described under the heading “Management.”

The inability to attract, train and retain personnel could adversely impact our business and financial results.

Our success depends on our ability to attract, motivate, and retain qualified managers and the services of skilled personnel. Qualified individuals may be in short supply in some communities. Competition for qualified staff and improvement in regional or national economic conditions could increase the difficulty of attracting and retaining skilled individuals, resulting in higher costs. Our inability to attract and retain staff could adversely affect our business, including restaurant operating hours. We believe managers are the critical component of our business. We devote resources to recruiting and training our restaurant managers and staff. We attempt to reduce employee turnover in our restaurants. Employee turnover may hurt our operating results by increasing training costs and making it more difficult to deliver outstanding customer service, adversely affecting our financial results. Challenges in retaining or recruiting qualified employees and increased costs associated with those activities could adversely affect our business and the results of operations.

Unionization activities or labor disputes could disrupt our operations and affect our profitability.

Although none of our employees are currently covered under collective bargaining agreements, our employees may elect to be represented by labor unions in the future. If a substantial number of our employees were to become unionized and collective bargaining agreement terms were significantly different from our current compensation arrangements, it could adversely affect our business, financial condition, or results of operations. In addition, a labor dispute involving some or all of our employees may harm our reputation, disrupt our operations, and reduce our revenues. The resolution of disputes may increase our costs.

Also, as an employer, we may be subject to employment-related claims, such as individual or class actions or government enforcement actions relating to alleged employment discrimination, employee classification and related withholding, wage-hour, labor standards or healthcare and benefits issues. Such actions, if brought against us and successful in whole or in part, may affect our ability to compete or could adversely affect our business, financial condition, or results of operations.

Risks Related to Information Technology Systems, Cybersecurity and Data Privacy

System failures or network security breaches could interrupt our operations and adversely affect our business.

We rely on our computer systems and network infrastructure across our operations, including point-of-sale processing at our restaurants. Our operations are supported and administered by third-party vendors’ ability to protect our computer equipment and systems against damage from physical theft, fire, power loss, telecommunications failure, or other catastrophic events, as well as from internal and external security breaches, viruses, and other disruptive problems. Damage or failure of third-party provider computer systems or network infrastructure that causes an interruption in our operations could have a material adverse effect on our business and subject us to litigation or actions by regulatory authorities. In addition, an increasing number of transactions are processed through our mobile application. Disruptions, failures, or other performance issues with technology systems could impair the benefits such systems provide to our business and negatively impact our relationship with our customers.

Security breaches of customer information due to cyber-attacks may adversely affect our business.

Any intentional cyber-attack or unintentional event that results in unauthorized access to systems to disrupt operations, corrupt data or steal or expose confidential information or intellectual property that compromises the information of our customers or employees could result in negative publicity, damage to our reputation, a loss of customers, disruption of our business and legal liabilities. As our reliance on technology has grown, the scope and severity of risks posed to our systems from cyber threats have increased. The techniques and sophistication used to conduct cyber-attacks and breaches of information technology systems, as well as the sources and targets of these attacks, change frequently and are only recognized once attacks are launched or have been in place for some time. We continuously monitor our information technology networks and infrastructure to prevent, detect, address, and mitigate the risk of unauthorized access, misuse, malware, and other events that could have a security impact; however, there can be no assurance that these or any measures will be effective.

Additionally, the majority of our sales are by credit or debit cards, which are processed by third-party organizations completely independent of us. In terms of credit and debit card processing, we do not retain any customer information. Other restaurants and retailers have experienced security breaches in which their customers' credit and debit card information has been compromised. In the event of a data breach, we may become subject to lawsuits or other proceedings for purportedly fraudulent transactions arising from the actual or alleged theft of confidential or personal information and credit or debit card information. Any security breach or other material interruption in the information technology systems we rely on, particularly those required for point-of-sale payment processing in our stores, such as cybersecurity attacks, may adversely affect our business, operating results and financial condition.

Failure to effectively manage social media could adversely impact our business.

In recent years, there has been a marked increase in the use of social media platforms, including blogs, chat platforms, social media websites, and other forms of Internet-based communications, which allow individuals access to a broad audience of consumers and other interested persons. The rising popularity of social media and other consumer-oriented technologies has increased the speed and accessibility of information dissemination. Many social media platforms immediately publish the content their subscribers and participants post, often without filters or checks on the accuracy of the content posted. Information posted on such platforms at any time may be adverse to our interests or inaccurate. The dissemination of information via social media could harm our business, reputation, financial condition, and results of operations, regardless of the information’s accuracy. The damage may be immediate without us having an opportunity for redress or correction.

In addition, we may use social media to communicate with our customers and the general public. Failure by us to use social media effectively or appropriately, particularly as compared to our brands’ respective competitors, could lead to a decline in brand value, customer visits and revenue. Other risks associated with the use of social media include improper disclosure of proprietary information, negative comments about our brands, exposure of personally identifiable information, fraud, hoaxes, or malicious dissemination of false information. The inappropriate use of social media by our customers or employees could increase our costs, lead to litigation, or result in negative publicity that could damage our reputation and adversely affect our business.

Legal and Regulatory Risks

The display of nutritional information could affect consumer preferences and negatively impact the results of our operations.

Government regulation and changes in consumer eating habits resulting from shifting attitudes regarding diet and health or the latest information regarding changes in the health effects of consuming our menu offerings may impact our business. In general, because of our size, we have been exempted from regulations related to the disclosure of nutritional information. However, as we grow our business, it is highly likely that parts of our business will be required to comply with state and local regulations relating to the disclosure of ingredients and nutritional information. We expect the trend toward enacting laws and regulations affecting disclosure of our menu offerings' ingredients and nutritional content will continue.

We cannot guarantee our ability to effectively respond to changes in consumer health perceptions, successfully implement the nutrient content disclosure requirements, or adapt our menu offerings. The imposition of menu-labeling laws could adversely affect our results of operations and financial position and the restaurant industry in general.

New information or attitudes regarding diet and health could result in changes in regulations and consumer eating habits that could adversely affect our revenues.

Regulations and consumer eating habits may change because of new information or attitudes regarding diet and health. These changes may include regulations that impact our restaurant menu items' ingredients and nutritional content. For example, many states, counties, and cities are enacting menu-labeling laws requiring multi-unit restaurant operators to make certain nutritional information available to guests or restrict the sale of certain ingredients in restaurants. The success of our restaurant operations is dependent, in part, upon our ability to respond effectively to changes in consumer health and disclosure regulations and to adapt our menu offerings to trends in eating habits. If consumer health regulations or consumer eating habits change significantly, we may be required to modify or delete certain menu items. To the extent we cannot respond with appropriate changes to our menu offerings, it could materially affect customer demand and adversely impact our revenues.

We are subject to many federal, state, and local laws; compliance is costly and complex.

The restaurant industry is subject to extensive federal, state, and local laws and regulations, including those relating to the preparation and sale of food, licensing and regulation by state and local authorities relating to health, sanitation, safety, and fire standards. Our relationships with employees (including the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, and applicable requirements concerning the minimum wage, overtime, family leave, working conditions, safety standards, immigration status, unemployment tax rates, workers’ compensation rates and state and local payroll taxes) and federal and state laws which prohibit discrimination. Our ability to respond to labor cost increases by raising menu prices will depend on the responses of our competitors and customers. Higher wage costs, benefit standards, and compliance costs could also affect our distributors and suppliers, resulting in higher costs.

We are subject to the ADA, which, among other things, requires our restaurants to meet federally mandated requirements for disabled people. The ADA prohibits discrimination in employment and public accommodations based on disability. Under the ADA, we could be required to expend funds to modify our restaurants to provide service to or make reasonable accommodations for the employment of disabled persons. In addition, our employment practices are subject to the requirements of the Immigration and Naturalization Service relating to citizenship and residency. Government regulations could also affect and change the items we procure for resale.

The impact of current laws and regulations, the effect of future changes in laws or regulations that impose additional requirements and the consequences of litigation relating to current or future laws and regulations, or our inability to respond effectively to significant regulatory or public policy issues, could increase our compliance and other costs of doing business and, therefore, hurt our results of operations. Failure to comply with the laws and regulatory requirements of federal, state, and local authorities could result in, among other things, revocation of required licenses, administrative enforcement actions, fines, and civil and criminal liability. In addition, certain laws, including the ADA, could require us to expend significant funds.

Failure to comply with food control regulations could result in losing our food service licenses, harming our business.

Under various federal, state, and local government regulations, restaurants are required to obtain and maintain licenses, permits and approvals to operate their businesses. Such regulations are subject to change from time to time. We must keep these licenses, permits, and approvals for our operation. Typically, licenses must be renewed annually and may be revoked, suspended, or denied renewal for cause at any time if governmental authorities determine that our conduct violates applicable regulations. Difficulties or failure to maintain or obtain the required licenses and approvals could adversely affect our existing restaurants and delay or result in our decision to cancel the opening of new restaurants, adversely affecting our business.

 Restaurant companies have been the target of lawsuits and other proceedings alleging violations of employment laws.

Our business is subject to the risk of litigation by employees, consumers, suppliers, stockholders or others through private actions, class actions, administrative proceedings, regulatory actions, or other litigation. The outcome of litigation, particularly class action and regulatory actions, is difficult to assess or quantify. In recent years, restaurant companies have been subject to lawsuits, including class action lawsuits, alleging violations of federal and state laws regarding workplace and employment matters, discrimination, and similar matters.

A customer may file complaints or lawsuits against us alleging that we are responsible for some illness or injury they suffered at or after a visit to one of our restaurants, including actions seeking damages resulting from food-borne illness or accidents in our restaurants. We are also subject to various other claims from third parties arising in the ordinary course of our business, including contract claims. The restaurant industry has also been subject to a growing number of claims that the menus and actions of restaurant chains have led to the obesity of specific customers. The Company may also be subject to lawsuits from our employees, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, or others alleging violations of federal and state laws regarding workplace and employment matters, discrimination, and similar matters.

Regardless of whether any claims against us are valid or whether we are liable, claims may be expensive to defend and may divert time and money away from our operations. In addition, they may generate adverse publicity, which could reduce customer traffic and sales. Although we maintain what we believe to be adequate levels of insurance, insurance may not be available at all or in sufficient amounts to cover any liabilities with respect to these or other matters. A judgment or other liability in excess of our insurance coverage for any claims or any adverse publicity resulting from claims could adversely affect our business.

We may not be able to adequately protect our intellectual property, which could harm the value of our brands.

Our ability to successfully implement our business plan depends on our ability to build brand recognition using our existing trademarks, service marks, and other proprietary intellectual property, as well as intellectual property that we may develop in the future. We have registered or applied to register a number of our trademarks. We cannot assure you that our trademark applications will be approved. Third parties may also oppose our trademark applications or otherwise challenge our use of the trademarks. In the event that our trademarks are successfully challenged, we could be forced to rebrand our goods and services, which could result in a loss of brand recognition and could require us to devote resources to advertising and marketing. If our efforts to register, maintain and protect our intellectual property are inadequate, or if any third party misappropriates, dilutes, or infringes on our intellectual property, the value of our brands may be harmed, which could have an material adverse effect on our business and might prevent our brands from achieving or maintaining market acceptance. We may also face the risk of claims that we have infringed third parties’ property rights. If third parties claim that we infringe upon their intellectual property rights, our operating profits could be adversely affected. Any claims of intellectual property infringement, even those without merit, could be expensive and time-consuming to defend, require us to rebrand our services, if feasible, divert management’s attention and resources or require us to enter into royalty or license agreement to obtain the right to use a third party’s intellectual property.

General Risk Factors

Economic conditions in the United States could materially affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

The restaurant industry depends on consumer discretionary spending. During periods of economic downturn, continuing disruptions in the overall economy, including the impacts of high unemployment and financial market volatility and unpredictability, may cause a related reduction in consumer confidence, which could negatively affect customer traffic and sales throughout our industry. These factors, as well as national, regional and local regulatory and economic conditions, gasoline prices, and disposable consumer income, affect discretionary consumer spending. If economic conditions worsen and our customers choose to dine out less frequently or reduce the amount they spend on meals while dining out, customer traffic could be adversely impacted. If adverse economic conditions persist for a period of time or become pervasive, consumer changes to their discretionary spending behavior, including the frequency with which they dine out, could be more permanent. They will likely be affected by many national and international factors beyond our control. If sales decrease, our profitability could decline as we spread fixed costs across a lower level of sales. Prolonged negative trends in restaurant sales could cause us to, among other things, reduce the number and frequency of new restaurant openings, close restaurants, delay remodeling of our existing restaurants, or take asset impairment charges.

We are susceptible to regional economic developments.

Our financial performance depends on restaurants in Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Michigan, and Florida, comprising all but one of our restaurants as of December 31, 2023. As a result, adverse economic conditions in any of these areas could have a material adverse effect on our overall results of operations. In addition, given our geographic concentrations, negative publicity regarding any of our restaurants in these areas could adversely affect our business, as could other regional occurrences such as local strikes, terrorist attacks, increases in energy prices, or natural or other disasters.

Damage to our reputation could negatively impact our business, financial condition, and the results of operations.

We have built our reputation on the high quality of our food, service, and staff, and we must protect and grow the value of our brands to continue to succeed. Any incident that erodes consumer affinity for our brands could significantly reduce their value and damage our business. For example, one brand’s value could suffer, and our business could be adversely affected if customers perceive a reduction in the quality of our food, service or staff, or an adverse change in our culture or ambiance, or otherwise believe we have failed to deliver a consistently positive experience.

We may be adversely affected by news reports or other negative publicity (regardless of their accuracy) regarding food quality issues, public health concerns, illness, safety, injury or government or industry findings concerning our restaurants, restaurants operated by other food service providers, or others across the food industry supply chain. The risks associated with such negative publicity may materially harm our operations and damage our brand.

Our marketing programs may not be successful.

We intend to continue to invest in marketing efforts that will attract and retain customers. These initiatives may not be successful, resulting in expenses incurred without the benefit of higher revenues. Additionally, if these initiatives are not successful, we may engage in additional promotional activities to attract and retain customers, including buy-one-get-one offers and other offers for free or discounted food, and any such additional promotional activities could adversely impact our operations results.

We plan to continue emphasizing mobile and other digital ordering, delivery, and pick-up orders. These efforts may fail or may result in unexpected operational challenges that adversely impact our costs. We may also introduce new menu items that may not achieve the expected sales levels. Additionally, some of our competitors have greater financial resources, which enable them to spend significantly more on marketing and advertising than we can. Should our competitors increase spending on marketing and advertising, or should our advertising and promotions be less effective than our competitors, there could be a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition.

Our business is subject to seasonal fluctuations due to weather and other factors.

Historically, customer spending patterns for our midwestern restaurants are lowest in the first and fourth quarters of the year due to holidays, consumer habits and adverse weather. Likewise, our restaurants in Florida may experience declines in customer spending during the summer, when Florida has fewer tourists. Our restaurant in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, experiences reduced customer traffic outside the summer months. Therefore, our quarterly results will continue to be affected by seasonality. Because of these and other factors, our financial results for any quarter may not be indicative of the results that may be achieved for a full fiscal year.

If we cannot offset rising labor costs with price increases, our financial performance could be adversely affected.

Increases in hourly labor costs and minimum tip credit wages, extensions of personal and other leave policies, other governmental regulations affecting labor costs and a diminishing pool of potential staff members when the unemployment rate falls and legal immigration is restricted, especially in certain localities, could increase our labor costs and make it more difficult to fully staff our restaurants, any of which could materially adversely affect our financial performance. The federal government may significantly increase the federal minimum wage and tip credit wage (or eliminate the tip credit wage) and require substantially more mandated benefits than is currently required under federal law. In addition to increasing the overall wages paid to our minimum wage and tip credit wage earners, these increases could create pressure to increase salaries and other benefits paid to other staff members who, in recognition of their tenure, performance, job responsibilities and other similar considerations, historically received a rate of pay exceeding the applicable minimum wage or minimum tip credit wage. Because we employ a large workforce, any wage increase or expansion of benefits could significantly impact our labor costs and negatively affect our operations results. Our vendors, contractors and business partners are similarly impacted by wage and benefit cost inflation. Many have increased prices for goods and services to offset their increasing labor costs.

Failure of our internal control over financial reporting could adversely affect our business and financial results.

Our management is responsible for establishing and maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting. Internal control over financial reporting is a process that provides reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting for external purposes in accordance with GAAP. Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting is not intended to provide absolute assurance that we will prevent or detect a misstatement of our financial statements or fraud. Any failure to maintain an effective system of internal control over financial reporting could limit our ability to report our financial results accurately and in a timely manner or to detect and prevent fraud. The identification of a material weakness could indicate a lack of controls adequate to generate accurate financial statements that, in turn, could cause a loss of investor confidence and a decline in the market price of our common stock. We cannot assure you that we will be able to remediate any material weaknesses that may be identified in future periods in a timely manner or maintain all of the controls necessary for continued compliance. Likewise, we cannot assure you that we will be able to retain sufficiently skilled finance and accounting personnel, especially in light of the increased demand for such personnel among publicly traded companies.

Risks Related to Ownership of Our Common Stock

Our business could be negatively affected by the actions of activist stockholders.

The Company may be subject to proposals by stockholders urging us to take certain corporate action. If activist stockholder activities ensue, our business could be adversely impacted because:

Any litigation could result in substantial costs and divert management’s attention and resources, potentially harming our business.

You may be unable to resell your shares at or above the price you paid.

Volatility in the market price of our common stock may prevent you from being able to sell your shares at or above the price you paid for your shares. The stock market, in general, has been highly volatile, which may be especially true for our common stock, given our growth strategy and stage of development. As a result, the market price of our common stock is likely to be similarly volatile. You may experience a decrease, which could be substantial, in the value of your stock, including decreases unrelated to our operating performance or prospects and could lose part or all of your investment. The price of our common stock could be subject to wide fluctuations in response to several factors, including those described elsewhere in this Annual Report and others, such as:

Our articles of incorporation, bylaws and Wyoming law may discourage a change of control of our company and depress the price of our stock.

Our articles of incorporation and by-laws include certain provisions that could have the effect of discouraging, delaying, or preventing a change of control of our company or changes in our management, including, among other things:

We have no plans to pay cash dividends on our common stock.

We likely will retain future earnings, if any, for future operations, expansion, and debt repayment, and we have no plans to pay any cash dividends in the foreseeable future. Any decision to declare and pay dividends in the future will be made at the discretion of our board of directors and will depend on, among other things, our results of operations, financial condition, cash requirements, contractual restrictions, and other factors that our board of directors may deem relevant. In addition, our ability to pay dividends may be limited by covenants of any existing and future outstanding indebtedness our subsidiaries or we incur, including our credit facility. As a result, you may not receive any return on an investment in our common stock for a price greater than that you paid.

Raising additional equity capital may be more difficult while the warrants are outstanding.

While the warrants issued in our IPO are outstanding, the holders of such warrants will be able to profit from a rise in the market price of our common stock. However, we may find it more difficult to raise additional equity capital. At the same time, the warrants are outstanding, and we may not have the capital to fund our expansion and growth plans or for other corporate purposes.

Our board of directors is authorized to issue preferred stock without obtaining stockholder approval.

Our articles of incorporation authorize the issuance of up to 2,000,000 shares of preferred stock with designations, rights and preferences that may be determined from time to time by the board of directors. Our board of directors is empowered, without stockholder approval, to create and issue a series of preferred stock with dividend, liquidation, conversion, voting, or other rights that could adversely affect the voting power or other rights of the holders of the common stock. In the event of issuance, the preferred stock could be utilized, under certain circumstances, as a method of discouraging, delaying or preventing a change in control. Although we have no present intention to issue any shares of preferred stock, there can be no assurance that we will not do so in the future.

These provisions might discourage, delay, or prevent a change in control of our company or a change in our management. These provisions could adversely affect the voting power of holders of common stock and limit the price that investors might be willing to pay in the future for shares of our common stock.

Claims for indemnification by our directors and officers may reduce our available funds to satisfy successful third-party claims.

Our articles of incorporation and bylaws provide that the Company will indemnify our directors and officers, in each case, to the fullest extent permitted by Wyoming law.

In addition, as permitted by the Wyoming Business Corporation Act, our bylaws and the indemnification agreements that we have entered into with our directors and officers provide that: 

Reduced disclosure requirements applicable to emerging growths may make our common stock less attractive to investors.

We are an “emerging growth company,” as defined in the JOBS Act. We may take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that apply to other public companies, including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements, and exemptions from the requirements of holding a nonbinding advisory vote on executive compensation and stockholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved. We cannot predict if investors will find our common stock less attractive because we may rely on these exemptions. If some investors find our common stock less attractive, there may be a less active trading market for our common stock, and our stock price may be more volatile.

We have elected to use the extended transition period provided in Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act for complying with new or revised accounting standards that have different effective dates for public and private companies until the earlier of the date that we (i) are no longer an emerging growth company or (ii) affirmatively and irrevocably opt out of the extended transition period provided in Section 7(a)(2)(B).

We could remain an “emerging growth company” for up to five years from the last day of our fiscal year in which the first sale of our common equity securities occurred pursuant to an effective registration statement under the Securities Act or until the earliest of (i) the last day of the first fiscal year in which our annual gross revenues exceed $1 billion, (ii) the date that we become a “large accelerated filer” as defined in Rule 12b-2 under the Exchange Act, which would occur if the market value of our common stock that is held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of the last business day of our most recently completed second fiscal quarter, and (iii) the date on which we have issued more than $1 billion in non-convertible debt during the preceding three-year period.

Notwithstanding the above, we are also a “smaller reporting company.” Specifically, similar to “emerging growth companies,” “smaller reporting companies” are able to provide simplified executive compensation disclosures in their filings are exempt from the provisions of Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act requiring that independent registered public accounting firms provide an attestation report on the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting; and have certain other decreased disclosure obligations in their SEC filings. Decreased disclosures in our SEC filings due to our status as an “emerging growth company” or “smaller reporting company” may make it harder for investors to analyze our results of operations and financial prospects.

We cannot predict if investors will find our common stock less attractive because we may rely on these exemptions. If investors find our common stock less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading market for our common stock and our stock price may be more volatile.

Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments.

None.

Item 1C. Cybersecurity

We maintain a proactive cybersecurity program that is aligned with our business and is dedicated to managing information technologies (“IT”) risks to our Company. We have established policies, standards, processes, and practices for assessing, identifying and managing material risks from cybersecurity threats. These measures are integrated into our overall risk management program and governance structure, demonstrating our commitment to cybersecurity in a manner consistent with our business activities.

We employ an array of controls, technologies, and other processes designed to identify, protect against, detect, respond to, and mitigate cybersecurity risks. These measures are in alignment with the frameworks established by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Our IT activities are primarily outsourced for monitoring and maintenance to third parties and are subject to independent controls over IT. These controls include but are not limited to, internal reporting, monitoring and detection tools, threat intelligence, and general and role-based training. We consistently evaluate and enhance the effectiveness of our cybersecurity program, ensuring continuous evolution and improvement.

Overseeing the assessment and management of our exposure to various risks, including cybersecurity, is a key oversight responsibility for the Board of Directors. These risks are identified, measured, monitored, and managed across key risk categories, which include the consideration of cybersecurity risks. Our chief financial officer (CFO) facilitates the Company’s oversight, which includes an assessment of our risk environment at least once per year. The review incorporates risk assessment and evaluation. The Audit Committee assists the Board with its oversight of cybersecurity risk. Our CFO reviews the oversight program with the Audit Committee, including reviewing existing risks and significant emerging risks across the Company’s key risk categories. In reviewing specific threats and risks with the Board, senior management may incorporate reports from consultants and other third-party advisors.

To date, we have not experienced a cybersecurity threat or incident; therefore, there has been no cybersecurity impact on our results of operations or financial condition. However, unauthorized access to our information and systems and other disruptions to our business operations could occur in the future.

Item 2. Properties.

Corporate Offices

Our principal offices are in leased office space in West Fargo, North Dakota, pursuant to a 12-month rental agreement at $550 per month and additional space is leased in Minnetonka, Minnesota rented on a month-to-month basis for $1,300 per month.

 Burger Time Properties

The table below provides basic information about each of our Burger Time restaurants. 

We lease our executive offices, consisting of approximately 1,000 square feet, located at 405 West Main Street, West Fargo, North Dakota, under a one-year rental agreement at the cost of $550 per month. In addition, effective January 2, 2022, we agreed to reimburse Brimmer Company, LLC, an affiliate of the Company, for the monthly rent of $1,250 on 1100 square feet in Minnetonka, Minnesota, at 10501 Wayzata Blvd Ave S, Suite 102 where administrative activities are performed. Our office space is adequate for its intended purposes and our near-term expansion plans.

On June 28, 2021, we refinanced our BTND mortgage debt, bearing interest at 4.75%. As of December 31, 2023, we had $2,489,299 in contractual obligations relating principally to amounts due under mortgages on the real property on which our Burger Time restaurants are situated. Our monthly required payment is approximately $22,213.

Keegan’s Restaurant

Concurrent with our acquisition of Keegan’s assets in March 2022, we entered into a 132-month triple-net lease for the property occupied by Keegan’s with an unrelated landlord. The terms of the lease provide for an initial rent of $5,000 per month, increasing annually at the greater of 3% or the increase in the Consumer Price Index over that period. The location comprises approximately 2,900 square feet of dining, kitchen, and storage space and includes typical features for a full-service restaurant.

Pie In The Sky Restaurant

Concurrent with our purchase of PIE assets in May 2022, we entered into a five-year triple-net lease for the property occupied by PIE with the seller of the assets that provides us with three five-year extensions at our option. The lease terms provide for an initial rent of $10,000 per month, increasing annually to approximately $11,000 per month during the first five-year term. The location comprises approximately 3,500 square feet of dining, kitchen, and storage space on two levels, with a production kitchen and storage and office space on the lower level; there is also approximately 1,500 square feet of outdoor dining, which is serviced by an outdoor service bar. The landlord granted us a right of first refusal to purchase the property on terms it receives from a third party during the entire term and any lease extension.

Village Bier Garten Restaurant

Concurrent with our acquisition of the Village Bier Garten assets, we entered a five-year lease with the seller for approximately 3,000 square feet of restaurant space and access to an additional 3,000 square feet of shared entertainment and seating area, including all features typical for a full-service restaurant. The terms of the triple-net 60-month lease provide for an initial rent of $8,200 per month with an annual escalation of 3%. The lease includes three five-year renewal option periods.

Item 3. Legal Proceedings.

We are not presently a party to any material litigation, nor, to the knowledge of management, is any litigation threatened against us that may materially affect us.

Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures.

Not applicable.

PART II

Item 5. Market for Registrant’s Common Equity Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities.

Market Information

Our common stock began trading on the Nasdaq under the symbol “BTBD” on November 12, 2021, and our warrants issued as part of the units we sold in the IPO commenced trading on the Nasdaq under the symbol “BTBDW” on November 12, 2021.

Stockholders

As of March 1, 2024, approximately 38 stockholders of record had 6,246,118 shares of common stock issued and outstanding; one record holder had 4,041,957 common shares and warrants issued and outstanding. A substantial number of beneficial owners of our common stock and listed warrants hold their shares in street names.

Dividends

We have never declared or paid cash dividends on our capital stock. We do not anticipate paying cash dividends on our common stock in the foreseeable future. We intend to retain all available funds and any future earnings to support our operations and finance the growth and development of our business. Any future determination related to our dividend policy will be made at the discretion of our board of directors and will depend upon, among other factors, our results of operations, financial condition, capital requirements, contractual restrictions, business prospects, the requirements of current or then-existing debt instruments and other factors our board of directors may deem relevant.

Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities

We did not sell any equity securities during the year that ended December 31, 2023.

Securities Authorized for Issuance under Equity Compensation Plans

In October 2019, our board of directors and stockholders adopted the 2019 Incentive Stock Plan (the “Plan”). At the Annual Stockholders Meeting held in December 2022, the stockholders authorized the increase of shares available for grant under the Plan from 250,000 shares to 1,000,000 shares. The plan is a comprehensive incentive compensation plan under which we can grant equity-based and other incentive awards to officers, employees, directors, consultants, and advisers to BT Brands and its subsidiaries. The plan aims to help attract, motivate, and retain qualified personnel and enhance stockholder value. Awards that lapse or are forfeited become available again for grant.

As of December 31, 2023, the Company has granted outstanding options to purchase 319,250 shares, including 194,250 common stock purchase options to employees, 110,000 to consultants, and 15,000 to non-employee directors. Non-employee director options were immediately vested, and grants to employees were subject to a four-year vesting requirement, with 20% vested upon grand and additional 20% vested annually in each of the succeeding four vesting each year. Included in the 110,000 options issued to consultants are warrants to purchase 100,000 shares. These warrants vest monthly over 60 months.

Effective February 27, 2023, our board of directors approved a total grant of 250,000 shares of its common stock to two officers (the “Grant Shares”). The Grant Shares vest if our common stock trades for $8.50 per share for 20 consecutive trading days. This requirement triggers the Company’s right to redeem the common stock warrant issued in our November 2021 IPO.

Purchases of Equity Securities by the Issuer and Affiliated Purchasers.

As disclosed in the table below, the Company purchased less than 150,000 shares of our common stock in a single open market purchase during the year ended December 31, 2023. 

(1) Calculated inclusive of commissions.

Report of Offering of Securities and Use of Proceeds Therefrom.

On November 12, 2021, we completed our IPO of 2,400,000 units with a public offering price of $5.00 per unit, each containing one share of common stock and one warrant to purchase one share of Common Stock at an exercise price of $5.50 per share under our Registration Statement on Form S-1 (as amended) (File No. 333-250957). Maxim Group LLC and Joseph Gunnar & Co., LLC served as the representatives of several underwriters in the underwritten public offering. The net proceeds from the offering were approximately $10.68 million after deducting underwriting discounts, commissions, and offering expenses.

There has been no material change in the planned use of proceeds from our IPO as described in our final prospectus, dated November 16, 2021, filed with the SEC on November 16, 2021, pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act.

No payments were made by us to directors, officers or persons owning ten percent or more of our common stock or to their associates or our affiliates other than payments in the ordinary course of business to officers for salaries. Including our three restaurant business acquisitions and our purchase of Bagger Dave’s shares for $1,260,000, we have invested the net proceeds in money market funds and equity securities, including the purchase of 1,098,690 shares of Noble Roman’s Inc. for an aggregate cost of $355,606 on December 31, 2023. Noble Roman’s, Inc., is a public company based in Indianapolis, Indiana, operating pizza-focused food services, including nine full-service locations. In 2023, we engaged in an unsuccessful proxy solicitation to elect a representative to the Noble Roman’s Board of Directors.

Item 6. Reserved

Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.

The following discussion of our financial condition and results of operation should be read in conjunction with the financial statements and related notes that appear elsewhere in this Annual Report. This discussion contains forward-looking statements and information relating to our business that reflect our current views and assumptions with respect to future events and are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause our or our industry’s actual results, levels of activity, performance, or achievements to be materially different from any future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements.

Fiscal Year

Our fiscal year is 52/53 weeks long, ending on the Sunday closest to December 31. The 52-week budgetary 2023 ended on December 31, 2023, and the 52-week fiscal 2022 ended on January 1, 2023.

Introduction

As of December 31, 2023, including our partially owned Bagger Dave’s business, we owned and operated seventeen restaurants comprising the following:

 Burger Time opened its first restaurant in Fargo, North Dakota, in 1987. Burger Time restaurants feature a traditional grilled hamburger and other affordable foods such as chicken sandwiches, pulled pork sandwiches, sides, and soft drinks. Burger Time’s operating principles include (i) offering bigger burgers and more value for the money; (ii) offering a limited menu to permit attention to quality and speed of preparation; (iii) providing fast service by way of single and double drive-thru designs and a point-of-sale system that expedites the ordering and preparation process, and (iv) great tasting and quality food made fresh to order at a fair price. Our primary strategy is to serve the drive-thru and take-out segment of the quick-service restaurant industry.

The average customer transaction at our Burger Time restaurants increased by approximately 30% in fiscal 2023 compared to 2022 and currently is about $16.90. This recent increase is principally because of the menu price increases implemented in 2021 and 2022. A 2022 price increase of approximately 10% on our popular “Deal of the Day” significantly increased our check average. We implemented an additional menu price increase in September 2022 and regularly monitor market prices to remain competitive. Many factors influence our sales trends. Our business environment is challenging as competition is intense.

We operate through a central management organization that provides continuity across our restaurant base by utilizing the efficiencies of a central management team.

Recent Events

Our 2022 acquisitions have allowed us to diversify our operations into new restaurant segments and new geographic regions, reducing our dependency on the financial performance of our Burger Time restaurants. During the 2022 fiscal year, we acquired three operating restaurants and own a 39.6% interest in BDVB, an operator of six casual restaurants. We expect to consider and evaluate additional acquisition opportunities in the future.

Keegan’s Seafood Grille, acquired in March 2022, has served customers in the Indian Rocks Beach and Clearwater, Florida markets for over 35 years. Keegan’s is primarily a dine-in restaurant offering a variety of traditional fresh seafood items for lunch and dinner and a selection of beer and wine.

In May 2022, we acquired the assets and business operations of the iconic Pie In The Sky Coffee Restaurant and Bakery. PIE is adjacent to the ferry terminal in Woods Hole, Massachusetts. PIE has operated in the same location for over thirty years, offering a range of breakfast and lunch options, freshly roasted coffee, and branded merchandise serving locals and tourists.

In August 2022, we purchased the assets of Van Stephan Village Bier Garten, a full-service bar and restaurant in Cocoa, Florida. We have rebranded the restaurant Village Bier Garten. The restaurant features a German-themed menu; specialty imported European beers and regular entertainment.

In June 2022, we acquired common stock representing initially 41.2%, now 39.6% ownership of publicly held Dave’s Burger Tavern, Inc., the owner and operator of six Bagger Dave’s restaurants, a casual restaurant and bar concept. Bagger Dave’s provides an inviting, entertaining atmosphere specializing in burgers, hand-cut fries, craft beer, milkshakes, salads, pizza, and other items. Bagger Dave’s opened its first restaurant in Berkley, Michigan, in January 2008 and operates four restaurants in Michigan, one restaurant in Ft. Wayne, Indiana, and one location in Centerville, Ohio.

Material Trends and Uncertainties

Industry trends have a direct impact on our business. Current trends include difficulties attracting food service workers and rapid inflation in the cost of input items. Recent trends also include the rapidly changing area of technology and food delivery. The major companies in the restaurant industry have rapidly adopted and developed smartphone and mobile delivery applications, have aggressively expanded drive-through operations, and developed loyalty programs and database marketing supported by a robust technology platform. We expect these trends to continue as restaurants aggressively compete for customers. Competitors will continue to discount prices through aggressive promotions.

Food costs have increased over the last two years, and we expect to see continued inflationary pressure during 2024. Beef and egg costs continued to increase in 2023 and we expect cost to continue to be volatile in 2024. Given the competitive nature of the restaurant industry, it may be challenging to raise menu prices to fully cover cost increases. Future margin improvements may be difficult to achieve. Margin improvement will be achieved through operational enhancements, equipment advances, and increased volumes offsetting food cost increases.

Labor is a critical factor in operating our stores. Securing staff to run our locations has been more challenging in most areas where we operate our restaurants. The current labor market has resulted in higher wages as the competition for employees intensifies, not only in the restaurant industry but in practically all retail and service industries. We must develop and retain quality employees.

Although moderating since March 2020, representing a return to normalcy, COVID-19 and its variants adversely affected workforces, customers, economies, and financial markets globally, disrupting the US economy’s normal flow. Our stores, with some exceptions, generally remained open for drive-through business through the peak of the pandemic. However, many businesses have experienced a disruption of operations. More recently, food service businesses, including ours, have faced challenges in hiring workers. Labor shortages have resulted in some store curtailment of operating hours, and these closures may become more acute as market participants compete to attract employees.

We cannot determine the future effects of any public health matters on our operations and financial results. We have and could continue to experience the impact of recent events, including but not limited to commodity inflation, disruption in our supply chain, and labor availability challenges at certain shops. We have increased and plan to continue raising prices to offset additional costs due to a higher inflationary economic environment in the U.S. These price increases may not be sufficient to mitigate higher costs, and further increases may negatively impact consumer behavior. 

Result of operations for the 52 weeks ending December 31, 2023, compared to the 52 weeks ending January 1, 2023.

The following table sets forth, for the years indicated, our Consolidated Statements of Operations expressed as a percentage of total revenues. The percentages below may not reconcile because of rounding.

Net Revenues:

Net sales for 2023 increased $1,475,484, or 11.7%, to $14,076,653 from $12,601,169 in 2022. The sales increase resulted from a full year of revenue from the 2022 restaurant acquisitions. Restaurants acquired in 2022 contributed approximately $7.2 million in sales in 2023 and $5.6 million in 2022. The BTND business experienced a sales increase of $157,000. Same-store sales at BTND for stores open at year-end increased by approximately 2.2%.

For BTND locations open at year-end, 2023 restaurant sales ranged from a low of $472,000 to a high of $1,208,000. The average sales for each Burger Time unit open at year-end were approximately $821,600 in 2023, an increase of approximately 6.1% from $809,000 in 2022.

Restaurant Operating Costs:

In 2023, restaurant operating costs (which refer to all the costs associated with operating our restaurants but do not include general and administrative expenses and depreciation and amortization) increased to 93.9% of restaurant sales from 86.5% in 2022. This increase was due primarily to continued price inflation on input costs, including food and labor, and the matters discussed in the “Cost of Sales,” “Labor Costs,” and “Occupancy and Other Operating Cost” sections below.

The impact of cost increases and the addition of three non-BTND restaurants during the year may be detailed as follows:

Costs of Sales - food and paper:

Cost of sales - food and paper - for 2023 increased to 39.4% of restaurant sales from 38.5% of restaurant sales in 2022. The increase results from the inclusion of a full year of VBG and Keegan’s results, which operate at a lower gross profit. The increase also reflects the net result of price increases during the year offset by a moderating inflationary cost environment where we saw a slight rise in beef,  paper and lower flour, bacon and egg costs. Because of its coffee-focused menu, PIE has significantly lower food and paper costs than BTND and Keegan’s.

Labor Costs:

In 2023, labor and benefits costs increased to 38.8% of restaurant sales from 32.7% 2022. The increase results from higher wages for hourly employees and managers in all of our markets, and an unfavorable utilization of the fixed portion of labor costs. Also, PIE and Keegan’s businesses run at higher labor costs than BTND. We benefit from minimal turnover in unit restaurant management. Payroll costs are semi-variable, meaning that they do not decrease proportionally to decreases in revenue; thus, they increase as a percentage of restaurant sales when there is a decrease.

Occupancy and Other Operating Costs:

For 2023, occupancy and other costs increased to 15.3% of sales or $2,154,611 compared to $1,928,308 or 15.3% of restaurant sales in 2022.

Depreciation and Amortization Costs:

For 2023, depreciation and amortization costs increased 33.3%, or $149,502, to $598,540 (4.3% of sales) from $449,038 (3.6% of sales) in 2022. Depreciation and amortization costs increased principally due to a full year of depreciation expense for the three restaurants purchased during 2023 for approximately $2.4 million and capital additions in the last two years, including major parking lot repairs and significant replacement of HVAC equipment at several locations. These capital additions offset the decrease in depreciation and amortization resulting from a substantial amount of our equipment reaching a fully depreciated status.

General and Administrative Costs

General and administrative costs in 2023 increased 1%, or $16,926, to $1,650,755 (11.7% of sales) from $1,633,829 (13.0% of sales) in 2022.

Income (loss) from Operations:

The loss from operations was $1,072,589 in 2023 compared to operating loss of $391,164 in 2022. The change in income from operations in 2023 compared to 2022 was primarily due to the matters discussed in the “Net Revenues,” “General and Administrative Costs,” and “Restaurant Operating Costs” sections above.

Interest expense:

In 2023, our interest expense decreased $17,158 to $97,608 (.7% of restaurant sales) from $114,766 (.9% of restaurant sales) in 2022 as a result of schedule amortization reducing the loan balance.

Interest and Dividends and Other Income:

Interest and Dividend income was $300,923 in 2023 resulting from generally rising interest rates. Other income of $103,848 in 2023 includes the reversal of a 2022 fiscal year $100,000 accrual for property taxes on the St. Louis property.

Net Income (loss):

The net loss was $887,368 in 2023, compared to a loss of $562,285 in 2022. The change in 2023 from 2022 was primarily attributable to the matters discussed in the “Net Revenues,” “Restaurant Operating Costs,” “General and Administrative Costs,” and “Other Income” sections.

Restaurant-level EBITDA:

To supplement the consolidated financial statements, which are prepared and presented in accordance with GAAP, we use restaurant-level EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization), which is not a measure defined by GAAP. This non-GAAP operating measure is useful to both management and, we believe, investors because it represents one means of gauging the overall profitability of our recurring and controllable core restaurant operations. However, this measure is not indicative of our overall results, nor does restaurant-level profit accrue directly to the benefit of stockholders, primarily due to the exclusion of corporate-level expenses. Restaurant-level EBITDA should not be considered a substitute for or superior to operating income, which is calculated in accordance with GAAP, and the reconciliations to operating income set forth below should be carefully evaluated.

We define restaurant-level EBITDA as operating income before pre-opening costs, if any, general and administrative costs, depreciation, and amortization. General and administrative expenses are excluded as they are generally unrelated to restaurant-specific costs. Depreciation and amortization are excluded because they are not ongoing controllable cash expenses and are unrelated to ongoing operations' health.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

For the 52 weeks ending December 31, 2023, we recorded an after-tax loss of $887,368. At that time, we had $6,692,506 in cash and marketable securities and a net working capital of $5,724,483.  

Our primary requirements for liquidity are to fund our working capital needs, capital expenditures, and general corporate needs, as well as to invest in or acquire businesses that are synergistic with our business. Our operations do not require significant working capital as, generally, restaurants operate with negative working capital. Working capital deficits may be incurred in the future. Our liquidity and cash flows sources are operating cash flows and cash and cash equivalents and marketable securities on hand. We have used available cash to make acquisitions, service debt, and maintain our stores. Our working capital position benefits from the fact that we collect cash from sales from our customers at the point of sale or within a few days from our credit card processor, and in general, payments to our vendors are not due for thirty days. 

Summary of Cash Flows

Cash Flows Provided by Operating Activities

Operating cash flow in 2023 was negative $258,787 compared to a positive $211,798 in 2022, representing a decline in cash flow from operations from $594,316 in 2022.

Cash Flows Used in Investing Activities

In 2023, on a net basis we sold or held to maturity marketable securities, including $4.9 million in short-term U.S. Treasury Bills. The Company used cash of approximately $500,000 in capital improvements at it restaurants and received $496,000 in cash from the sale of one of its locations.

Cash Flows from Financing Activities

Cash flow from financing activities reflects a reduction of $675,471 in broker margin borrowing, $250,525 used to purchase shares of the Company’s common stock held in treasury and principal payments on long-term debt.

Contractual Obligations

As of December 31, 2023, we had $4,269,505 in contractual obligations, including $1,815,948 in contractual commitments relating to leases on restaurants acquired in 2022. Our monthly required payments total approximately $59,300.

Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk.

Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.

As a smaller reporting company, as defined by Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act and Item 10(f)(1) of Regulation S-K, we have elected to comply with certain scaled disclosure reporting obligations and are not required to provide the information required by this item.

Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

To the Board of Directors and

Shareholders of BT Brands, Inc.

Opinion on the Consolidated Financial Statements

We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of BT Brands, Inc. (the “Company”) as of December 31, 2023 and January 1, 2023 and the related consolidated statements of operations, shareholders’ equity, and cash flows for the fiscal years then ended (collectively referred to as the “consolidated financial statements”). In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the consolidated financial position of the Company as of December 31, 2023 and January 1, 2023 and the results of its operations and its cash flows for the fiscal years then ended in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

Basis for Opinion

These consolidated financial statements are the responsibility of the Company's management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company's consolidated financial statements based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) ("PCAOB") and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the consolidated financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. The Company is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. As part of our audits, we are required to obtain an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.

Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the consolidated financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the consolidated financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the consolidated financial statements. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

/s/ Boulay PLLP

We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2015.

Minneapolis, Minnesota

April 1, 2024

PCAOB ID: 542

BT BRANDS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

BT BRANDS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES 

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements 

See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

BT BRANDS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES   

 CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS