Ruth's Hospitality Group Q3 2021 Earnings Call Transcript

Quartr
Provided by Quartr
October 28, 2021

There are 8 speakers on the call.

Operator

Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to today's Ruth Hospitality Group Third Quarter 2021 Earnings Conference Call. At this time, all participants are in a listen only mode. Following the company's formal remarks, we will conduct a question and answer session. Instructions will be provided at that time for your queue up for the questions.

Operator

As a reminder, today's conference call is being recorded. Call. I would now like to turn the conference over to Christy Chipman, Chief Financial Officer. Please go ahead.

Speaker 1

Thank you, Latana, and good morning, everyone. Call. Joining me on the call today is Sheryl Henry, our President, Chief Executive Officer and Chairperson of the Board. Before we begin, I'd like to remind you that as call. As part of our discussion today, we will include forward looking statements.

Speaker 1

These statements are not guarantees of our future performance, and therefore, undue reliance should not be placed upon them. Call. We'd also encourage you to refer to the Investor Relations section of our website at rhgi.com as well as the SEC's website atsec.gov call for copies of today's earnings press release and our recent filings with the SEC for a more detailed discussion of the risks that could impact our future operating and financial results. Call. During this call, we will refer to adjusted earnings per share.

Speaker 1

This non GAAP measurement was calculated by excluding certain items. Call. We believe that this measure represents a useful internal measure of performance. You can find a reconciliation of adjusted earnings per share in our press release for today's call. Call.

Speaker 1

I would now like to turn the call over to our Chief Executive Officer, Cheryl Henry. Thank you, Christy, and good morning, everyone. Call. Our 3rd quarter results demonstrated our team's continued operational excellence in a challenging and dynamic environment. Call.

Speaker 1

Our performance also reminded us of how sought after the Ruth's Chris brand experience is and how our guests trust call. Our commitment to safety, quality and the genuine hospitality that our team members and franchise partners have delivered for more than 56 years. Call. During the quarter, we generated solid revenue growth, including a comparable sales increase of approximately 8% relative to 2019. Call.

Speaker 1

The improvement over 2019 was especially notable given a negative 700 basis point impact call from our Boston, Hawaii and Manhattan markets, which as we have discussed have not fully recovered from the effects of the pandemic. Call. Excluding these markets, comps were up about 15% over 2019. In terms of margins, we were also able to deliver improvement over 2019, call, driven not only by strong sales, but also by our operations team and the efficiency initiatives they've worked on for the last 18

Operator

call. As far as the Q4 to

Speaker 1

date, I'm pleased to say our comparable sales remain approximately 11% above 2019, call, excluding the 6 restaurants in the 3 markets I just discussed. Embedded in that comp number is softer performance in private dining, call, which has not returned as quickly as our main dining room. Having said that, we have recently seen an uptick in inquiries for holiday season events call and are working to convert those to booked events. We also expect to see some rebound in Hawaii in the 4th quarter call and more so early next year as the state welcomes tourists again beginning in November. Call.

Speaker 1

As far

Operator

as the state of the

Speaker 1

business generally, despite near term external pressures and uncertainties, we are committed to investing in the long term health call of the business. An important part of that is ensuring that when our guests return to our restaurants, they are welcomed with world class hospitality and safety. Call. This requires not only hiring exceptional team members, but investing the time and resources to train them. Call.

Speaker 1

Beyond investments in hiring and training, the second bucket of investment is growing our restaurant base. Call. In late September, we successfully opened in Short Hills, New Jersey. We're pleased that sales performance to date has been better than our system average, call demonstrating the enthusiasm guests have for Ruth's Chris when we enter new markets. Call.

Speaker 1

We will open an additional company owned restaurant in Lake Grove, New York before the end of the year and are on track to open 5 new restaurants in 2022, call including one management agreement. We also have a solid pipeline for 2023 and currently anticipate signing additional leases by the end of this year. Call. The 3rd bucket of investment is enhancing our ability to use advancements in data and digital technologies. Call.

Speaker 1

As you've heard me say before, this effort is focused on 3 areas for us enhancing the guest experience, call, reducing friction in the restaurant and driving operational efficiencies. To realize the full scale benefits of this initiative, call. We have been working to replace old and introduce new technologies into our restaurants. For example, in the 3rd quarter, we made call. Progress implementing our POS and labor management systems with a full rollout expected in the Q1 of 2022.

Speaker 1

Call. In addition to the foundational technology, we've been mining our data and testing several ways to automate restaurant insights to deliver on these priorities. Call. For example, we are testing a proprietary approach to use guest data to enhance the guest experience. The intent is to better understand call.

Speaker 1

Why our guests visit groups and make sure each visit is further personalized by our staff. Call. Another example that targets both the top line and bottom line is a pilot linked to maximizing our capacity in the restaurant call while managing labor hours. Early results are positive and we expect a system wide rollout to begin by the end of November. Call.

Speaker 1

While these technology initiatives may take time to roll out and refine, we're confident that when we reach full scale, they will help us drive sales call and operating efficiency during more productive menu, better labor management and demand forecasting. Call. Now it's important to note that all of these investments are possible because of our financial position, which has allowed us to make investments in organic growth call, while returning capital to shareholders. During the Q3, we've repurchased 192,000 shares of our common stock, call, and we're thrilled to be able to resume buybacks as part of our total return strategy. We also entered into a new credit agreement, call, which not only increased the size of our facility, but also provided us with more favorable terms, including additional flexibility with regard to capital expenditures, call, share repurchases and potential dividends.

Speaker 1

In closing, we are encouraged by our continued sales momentum and strategic progress. Call. I reiterate, at the core of this success is our team members and franchise partners, who have remained resilient and committed to excellence. Call. They have provided an amazing and consistent guest experience, which is the core of what Ruth's Chris must do every pre day.

Speaker 1

I will now turn the call back to Christy Chipman to cover the specifics of the quarter. Thank you, Cheryl. For the Q3 ended September 26, call. We reported GAAP net income of $6,900,000 or $0.20 per diluted share compared to a net loss of 5,300,000 call or $0.15 loss per diluted common share during the Q3 of 2020. Excluding adjustments, non GAAP diluted earnings call.

Speaker 1

Per common share was $0.20 compared to a loss per common share of $0.04 in the Q3 of 2020. Please refer to our earnings release and related disclosures call for a reconciliation of the GAAP to non GAAP net income. Total revenues for the quarter were $104,200,000 compared to call $63,400,000 in 2020. Company owned restaurant sales were $97,500,000 compared to 58.6 call, dollars 6,000,000 in the prior year. Comparable restaurant sales for the quarter versus 2020 increased 66.8 percent call.

Speaker 1

And compared to 2019, they increased 7.6%. By month, comp sales were positive 16.3% in July, call, 1.9% in August and 3.3% in September. Comp sales dropped to positive single digits in the last two months of the quarter as the Delta variant moves through our largest market. We are pleased that despite the variant, guests felt safe dining in our restaurants call, and we averaged weekly sales of nearly $103,000 versus $93,000 in 2019. Call.

Speaker 1

Franchise income for the quarter was $4,700,000 up 35.1 percent versus the same quarter last year, while other operating income was 1,900,000 call. Overall, restaurant margins during the quarter 2021 were better by 80 basis points call compared to Q3 2019 despite rising inflation, particularly in food. Food and beverage call. Cost for the quarter were 34.2 percent as beef prices during the quarter increased approximately 65% compared to last year call and were up 47% compared to 2019. Our market basket experienced inflation of approximately 29% compared to call.

Speaker 1

Q3 2019 with most of this increase being in proteins, particularly beef, crab and lobster. Call. While this inflation is historically high, we remain committed to serving our guests fresh prime aged beef. Call. Given the volatility within the supply chain and our inability to precisely predict cost of goods sold, we will not be providing further guidance

Speaker 2

call for the Q4 or next year

Speaker 1

at this time. I'd now like to take a minute to address how we are thinking strategically about pricing as we move forward

Speaker 2

call to offset the

Speaker 1

inflation we're experiencing. We have historically taken price in the 1% to 3% range, and this year's pricing to date has been over 4% call from the price taken in May and the one we recently did in September. While we are carrying more price this year, it remains below the inflation levels we are experiencing call. With beef prices remaining at high levels, we reviewed pricing again recently and we'll be taking another price increase call of 1.3% in mid November. As I mentioned in our last call, we are thoughtful and surgical with these price call to ensure we balance profitability with the value we've been known for in the fine dining category, and we will continue to approach pricing with this lens.

Speaker 1

Call. Our efficiency initiatives continued to benefit us during the quarter with labor as a percentage of sales improving 4 14 basis points call compared to the pre COVID Q3 of 2019. We began adding an additional manager back into our higher volume restaurants this quarter and call. We expect to continue to add back on average one manager to most of our restaurants in 2022. Given our year to date results, call.

Speaker 1

We expect that we will end the year with our labor as a percentage of sales approximately 300 basis points better compared with full year 2019. Call. G and A increased $100,000 compared to the Q3 of 2020 to $7,700,000 call. This increase was primarily due to an increase in performance based comp related expenses. Full year G and A is expected to be between $32,000,000 $33,000,000 At the end of the quarter, we had $83,800,000 in cash and our outstanding debt remained at $70,000,000 Our cash balance as of October 27 was $84,600,000 With that, let me turn the call back to Cheryl.

Speaker 1

Thank call. Thank you, Christy. In closing, we feel very good about our sales momentum. We've taken price to the degree that we can, but make no mistake, We will not jeopardize our long term brand position for short term quarterly gain. Preserving our brand positioning is critical for long term success.

Speaker 1

Call. We also feel very good about our pipeline of new restaurants and the strategic progress we're making in the areas of technology and training. Call. We simply can't deliver solid long term financial performance without unit growth, greater efficiency and attention to detail within our 4 walls. Call.

Speaker 1

This all translates into confidence that we can continue to create value for our shareholders as the virus abates and the economy recovers call and obviously longer term. We look forward to the remainder of 2021 and continuing to execute against our plans in 2022. Call. With that, I will turn the call over to questions.

Operator

Thank you. At this time, we will conduct a question and answer session. Call. One moment while we poll for our first question. Our first question comes from Nicole Miller with Piper Sandler.

Operator

Please proceed. Call.

Speaker 3

Thank you. Good morning. I wanted to better understand the new store opening in the quarter and the commentary around, It sounds like the sales trends essentially. And if I'm thinking about the core base, it's a lot of heavy lifting on recovery, call. Some differences maybe in channels of sales, right?

Speaker 3

Lunch versus dinner, things like that and what people are ordering. Call. And then of course, some price from inflation in the past few years. But then you open the store and it opens at parity, it sounds like, call with The Core. And I'm wondering how does that inform, the development going forward when you see that kind of success call and take us back to the East Coast acquisition and the total addressable market white space that you had envisioned at that time.

Speaker 3

Call.

Speaker 1

Thanks, Nicole. So I'm going to take it in parts and maybe toss a couple to Christy. But I think call. Your question generally is around are we optimistic given the opening of this store in a market and call. And mentioning this 2019 acquisition of a lot of Long Island.

Speaker 1

So let me just start with the restaurant we are opening call. Before the end of the year is actually in that market. And so I think we were optimistic when we made the acquisition above the marketplace. And certainly call. Given the performance of Short Hills, which is generally in the Northeast area and given it was actually over our system average, call.

Speaker 1

We feel even more positive about what the potential is for us. We are doing work. It's hard to say right now and I won't adjust numbers based on what we shared back then when we did the acquisition. But I think there's a couple of factors in play. One is, as we get towards the call.

Speaker 1

End of the pandemic and things abate further, what types of population migration are permanent? Does that call. Say anything about suburb locations, suburban locations for us, even more so than we may have seen in our portfolio before. And then looking at some of the work that we were doing pre COVID, call. But we're bringing out of the ground now these smaller footprints that we can maximize and optimize capacity in.

Speaker 1

And so we are looking at all of that. I think it's a great call. We are very pleased about the short call. We were very pleased about seeing it open the way it did. I think just the buzz in the marketplace was exciting for us about the Ruth's Chris brand.

Speaker 1

They knew we were coming. They showed up. They continue to show up. So it's early, but I think it's a good sign in general for how markets react to roots when we enter a market. So that was certainly great to see.

Speaker 1

I think there was something else in your question specific around kind of AUVs and pricing and I'll let Christy speak call. I'll speak a little bit to that. Yes. Nicole, thanks for the question. I think you were asking about just what's happening within people building their own check call as well as the pricing.

Speaker 1

So I mentioned the pricing in my prepared comments, but as far as what we're seeing with guests call. Continuing to create their own experience by adding on that is definitely still continuing in the areas of apps, call. Salad size as well as entree complements and desserts. So we are still benefiting in our check not only from the price, but also from the guests call. You are coming into our restaurant trading up or into additional items per visit.

Speaker 3

Call. And then just a second and last question on the adding, I think I heard you say adding 1 more manager per call. Talk a little bit about more about that because you're still obviously hitting from a year end perspective the objective on the labor savings. Call. It sounds like this would be because of increased demand.

Speaker 3

Is it one manager that was already in the system? Is it call. Someone new, you have to go out and teach The Roost culture. Do they work the same in terms of is it in equal hours to the way you established a manager shift call. Previously, what has changed in that profile?

Speaker 1

So let me try and then Cheryl can clean up after me if she needs to. So to date, we've added call. Approximately 20 additional restaurants to our highest volume properties. Call. We are offsetting some of that labor because we have had key hourly labor in the restaurant call to accommodate the number of hours we need from a management perspective.

Speaker 1

In some cases, if they're ready, we'll promote from within. Otherwise, we will go outside call. And so as we look to next year, it really is about sales and traffic call. Returning to pre pandemic levels as we look to add those managers back into the remaining call, 50 ad restaurants that we need to do that. Yes.

Speaker 1

And just let me add this because Nicole, I think your question about are these new people, what about the culture is really important. And one of the things I've talked call before. That remains true even coming out of these 18 months or so is the average tenure of the leadership teams in these restaurants. So if you look at the chef call. In the GM, you're looking at 9 10 year tenure with our company and culture lives through people.

Speaker 1

So having that leadership have such an amazing tenure and understand this brand, call. We've been through a lot of things and come out the other side. It really helps as we're training new people into the culture that those people still sit in these leadership positions and just breathe the culture of Roots. So it's really one of the things I point out a lot because I think it's so critical to ensuring that the culture call. And the experience the guest has is consistent.

Speaker 3

Thank you.

Operator

Call. Our next question comes from James Rutherford with Stephens. Please proceed.

Speaker 4

Great. Good morning, Sheryl and Christy. Hope you're doing well. Call. I want to start off on the menu price discussion.

Speaker 4

How did you settle on the mid single digit price that it looks like you'll be running towards the exiting part of this quarter? Call. Everything we've heard from restaurant operators broadly is that there's little to no consumer pushback when you're hitting on price. I know it can take time to call. To discern what the pushback actually is, with commodity basket up nearly 30%, why not push more?

Speaker 4

It seems like maybe this is indication you think operator's temporary nature to these higher prices on the beef side, but just love your thoughts around the menu price.

Speaker 1

Yes. And so we've call. We talked about many before and I'll reiterate something Christy said. So we've been and I've used this term quite a bit and over the years is reluctant pricers. Call.

Speaker 1

I think what has what's at the core of that is ensuring that we're not just thinking short term, but long term. Call. And this is a we've been 56 years at this. And I think when you think about short term, long term relative to 56 years, I call. I think that gives you some idea of how protective of the guest experience and the value proposition you bring is.

Speaker 1

Having said that, call. We are looking at the impact and making the right decisions. And we've said this before, we use call. A lot of data, we review it usually on a quarterly basis or twice a year and then quarterly, and now we're reviewing it consistently. So I think we'll look at it again if we need to.

Speaker 1

I think we feel good with where we are now. And to your point, I think guests have call. Given us the permission to sit between that 5% 6%, which again is higher than we've ever been. But I think it's call, strategically and surgically understanding where that price is available going forward. And so the way we are addressing it is with a more frequent review and understanding exactly

Speaker 5

where we

Speaker 1

need to be going forward.

Speaker 4

Okay. Got it. That's helpful. And then Christy, one for you. Could you remind us call.

Speaker 4

What the monthly average weekly sales were is kind of going back, but on the Q4 of 2019, I know November December ramped pretty significantly. I just want to make sure as we lap those call. And thinking about the comps, so we can get that right. But more importantly underlying that is, I mean, how are your staffing levels and how do you think you're set up to accommodate that higher demand in the holiday season?

Speaker 1

Call. Sure. So I'll take the first part and then if Sheryl wants to come in for the back half of that question. So call. If we look at Q4 2019 October, we were at $100,400 call.

Speaker 1

We were at 109.7 call it for November and 150.5 for December in 2019. Call. Yes. Just on the staffing, so every the holiday season comes every year. I mean every year months call.

Speaker 1

So prior to that, the operations team has a plan. They implement obviously the environment around labor and we've heard on every call is a little bit different. We are in a different segment. And so as we look at the average hourly wage and so forth, I think that helps us. But we've implemented the same plan this year to ensure that the restaurants are staffed.

Speaker 1

I'm not going to say it's easy and that's not more work and takes more attention from the management team as it does. Call. But we feel confident that we will have the right team in the building and we're, as we mentioned, investing to ensure they are trained in the right way. They offer the exact experience that guests have expected from us for years. And so we're confident as we move through that we will be able to staff the restaurants.

Speaker 1

In the areas of a handful of markets where we're struggling, we're putting additional initiatives in to ensure that we have the staffing levels we need. Call.

Speaker 4

Okay. That's helpful. I can squeeze one more in. The marketing and advertising guidance of $13,000,000 to $14,000,000 implies, I think a bigger Q4 than we've seen in recent history for advertising marketing spend, something in the $5,000,000 to $6,000,000 range. What's the source of that step up?

Speaker 4

And just kind of any thoughts around that, please?

Speaker 1

Yes. Thanks for the question. So marketing call. For us right now is all leaning into the data digital project that Cheryl mentioned during the call, which is expected to have call. A greater impact as we've ramped up in the Q3 and now into Q4.

Speaker 4

Okay, perfect. Thanks very much.

Operator

Call. Our next question comes from Andy Barish with Jefferies. Please proceed.

Speaker 6

Call. Yes. Hey, guys. A couple of operational questions just on call. A few things you mentioned in your opening remarks, Cheryl, on POS and labor management systems Call.

Speaker 6

And then capacity expansion efforts, can you just give us a little color in terms of what that call. Potentially could give you and layer in as new efforts in as you move through 2022? Call.

Speaker 1

So I'll start and there's only a little bit I can give you just because of the uniqueness of the work and we don't want to share it too broadly at this point. Call. Obviously POS, we're end of lifing on our existing POS system, so moving to a new one was necessary. But it also gives call. It's an opportunity to make sure that we streamline it for our teams in the restaurants and make sure that we have it set up for the future of the call.

Speaker 1

Data in digital bringing all those guestroom sites into the restaurant that we need. From a labor management perspective, we are call. Expanding the use of labor management as we look at what operating hours we should have, when do we want to bring in each position call. And within the restaurant in order to maximize the efficiency that we can have and using the insights on exactly call in 15 minute increments when sales are coming in, etcetera. So we can save on the margin still within the labor category overall.

Speaker 1

Call. So a lot of it is around how do we get more turns on the busiest days within the restaurant? How do we staff that call. Appropriately, how do we take into consideration people, no shows within the restaurant and make sure that we still are able to call except walk ins and not have a table sitting empty on our busiest days.

Speaker 6

And is call. Thank you. And is the capacity expansion more table management, that's call. Seating utilization or is it actual physical expansion as you've done with some of the remodels over the years?

Speaker 1

Call? It's not physical expansion, it's more the former.

Speaker 6

Okay. And then call. Just finally from me, if you could, I guess, frame up sort of call. The 300 basis points labor save at 2021 year end versus 2019, but then having a full cadre of call. Additional managers back in the system for the full year of 2022, how should we think about that kind of coming off of call.

Speaker 6

That year end 2021 comment you're making, meaning, are there other efficiencies that maybe offset call. Some of that manager spend or is that really incremental labor costs we need to factor in?

Speaker 1

Call. So I think there are some efficiencies that will offset that. So if you start with 300 basis points call. Kind of versus 2019 is where we'll end the year. I think assuming that we carry 2 to 2 call.

Speaker 1

25 of that into 2022, allowing us to do the training that Cheryl mentioned as well as call. Add that to managers, that should be good.

Speaker 6

Okay. Thanks for that. Very helpful.

Operator

Call. Our next question comes from Brian Vaccaro with Raymond James. Please proceed.

Speaker 7

Hi, thanks and good morning. I wanted to just touch on the underperforming markets call. And kind of can you speak to what you're seeing at the local level across Boston and Hawaii, Manhattan? I heard your comments call. But we're seeing some data sets that suggest Boston is starting to come back to life a little bit.

Speaker 7

So if you can just touch on some of those underperforming markets at the local level, that would be

Speaker 1

call. Sure. I'll take the this is Sheryl, the most obvious one for us is Hawaii. I think we all saw call. So as Hawaii opened in July, there was actually an uptick and we were running about 70% of 2019.

Speaker 1

And then the market was shut down Corales. And so I think that's where you see the impact in the quarter. And the expectation is that it is opening back up for tourism in November. And so we expect a build back at that point. I think, as I mentioned, we'll see a bit of it call in December.

Speaker 1

And then as we go into next year, barring any other shutdowns or restrictions to tourism. Call. And so that's really it's very specific to that market. It certainly has an impact. I think it's been the one that's probably had if we looked back the most kind of open closings restrictions, back to restrictions and requirements back to open again.

Speaker 1

And so that one's caused it the most volatile. Call. Boston, downtown Boston in Manhattan, I think your comments about is it starting to come back, they've been the 2 markets that I think reacted call the most aggressively from a consumer mindset standpoint, as well as kind of return to office. Call. And so those 2 probably have the biggest impact of that, the dual consumer celebratory guests not being ready to come call back yet as well as having offices we're going to open then delayed then we're going to open and then delayed again.

Speaker 1

And so I think call. As Christy, as we've mentioned, we're going into the further into the Q4 around the holidays and into next year, again, barring any other variance or call. Any other delta issues, we expect that we'll start to see

Speaker 2

those come back a bit

Speaker 7

more as well. Okay. That's helpful. I was hoping shifting back to pricing, I was hoping just to sharpen my pencil a little bit on some of the details there. Can you give us what effective menu pricing was in the call.

Speaker 7

Was in the Q3. How much did you take in September? And then where will effective pricing be in call. 4Q with all these puts and takes, if you're lapping any etcetera, where will that effective pricing be in the 4th quarter?

Speaker 1

Call. Yes. So Q3 effective pricing was 4.5%. We took 2.5% in the May timeframe, mid May. Call.

Speaker 1

Our September pricing was 1.6% and our effective pricing call for the Q4 is 5.9%. And I'll just add, you're going to see about 1% of that roll off call as we enter the beginning of next year.

Speaker 7

Excellent. Very helpful. Last one, I guess, for me, just on labor. Call. Where are can you help us frame what's where are your average staffing levels across your company units versus 2019?

Speaker 7

And can you break that down a little bit call. Further for us, maybe comment on what percent of units remain materially understaffed? And are they seeing material impact on sales that are being left on the table due to these staffing shortages?

Speaker 1

Yes, sure. So we're at about 90% staffing level right now. Call. And that is we're happy with that because we did make the efficiency changes within the restaurant and eliminated the need for some positions. So call.

Speaker 1

So we haven't seen some of the staffing shortages overall. We do have a handful of restaurants, I would say, that call. Our challenge right now and particularly in the back of the house, but for the most part, call. Our restaurant team member size is 90% of what it was before. Call.

Speaker 7

Okay. And you mentioned bringing back an additional manager. Once you're call. Per store, once you're done with that, how will your average number of managers per store compare to 2019?

Speaker 1

Call. It will be down approximately 1 manager.

Speaker 7

Down about 1 manager. Okay, great. All right. All right, I'll pass it along. Thank you.

Operator

Call. Thank you. Our next question comes from Todd Brooks with C. L. King.

Operator

Please proceed.

Speaker 5

Hey, good morning to you both. Just Couple of quick questions around holiday demand. And Christy, you shared kind of the build that you see and or saw in December call. Fiscal 2019 off of November. Can you maybe talk about that $150,000 How much of that was kind of private dining call.

Speaker 5

And holiday group related. And then if we can talk about kind of the timing of when those bookings typically would show up. I know, Cheryl, I think you talked about it starting to build here recently. But any color that you can give on are the bookings that are happening call. Similar size, are they smaller parties than usual?

Speaker 5

Just some color around how holiday is shaping up early on here.

Speaker 1

Yes. And I think I mentioned even on the last call, the way people book call. I'm saying I've been here for almost 15 years and it's shifted significantly about when people book versus in prior years. And so I think call. The pandemic and back to office and a lot of that even further put some variables into the timing of booking.

Speaker 1

I can speak to what we've seen and I think that's call. There's what carried out from private dining to a good extent is social events. And so those are hanging in. We see people that are call. Smaller groups and family celebrations and friend celebrations have been fairly consistent.

Speaker 1

We're seeing an uptick on the business side of bookings within the last few weeks. Call. I think it's still a bit early because of the uncertainties out there. I think we'll see over the next couple of weeks to 3 to 4 weeks in call. This kind of 4th cycle of kind of with the wait and see that some of the delta implications are.

Speaker 1

Call. But I think it's early good signs. I will say it's really going to be dependent on how people feel as we get closer to the holidays. Call. So yes, I think again early good signs.

Speaker 1

It's good to see some of the business inquiries coming back that we didn't necessarily have before. Call. And I think we'll know more over the next few weeks.

Speaker 5

And I don't know if you can quantify kind of going back to fiscal 2019 that 150,000 call. A week. What's the complexion of that? How much is made up by this business that we're hoping is still on the come here, but we won't know because of the nature of how people are booking? Is that typically when you look at the $40,000 weekly lift, is it half of that?

Speaker 5

And I'm just trying to think about what hole we're trying to fill.

Speaker 1

Call. Yes, I would say that if you used approximately 20% of your December number, that's related to private dining call. In 2019. Great. And then a

Speaker 7

few things I'd

Speaker 1

add to that as we talked about this all through the pandemic is call. The fluidity of the buckets of business. And so to your point, we've seen our whole focus has been call. At least for the last year is meet the guests where they are. If they want ruse anywhere, if it's a private dining event, if it's outside in the tent, call.

Speaker 1

This is a la carte dining, bar dining, is make sure that wherever the guest wants to be, we can accommodate it. And we've seen them move within. So call. Pre COVID, the buckets of business being special occasion celebratory just because in business. And we've been able to kind of move call.

Speaker 1

And speak to our guests within the what's the occasion they want to come from. So we see that fluidity remaining, as we look towards the 4th quarter, and understanding the different revenue channels and revenue centers that we can move the guests into.

Speaker 5

Call. Okay, great. Very helpful. And a final one from me, if I could. How meaningful typically in this Q4 period is the gift card business group.

Speaker 5

For Roots and what was the experience during kind of 2020? How much did that business dip? And then opportunity and kind of marketing against that. Is that a focus in 2021? And does that get realized fairly quickly?

Speaker 5

Is that call. If it's a Q4 type of gift, is it a Q1 type of redemption pattern? Thank you.

Speaker 2

Call. Hi, Todd. This is Mike Hynes. On the gift cards, Q4 is obviously our biggest season. Call.

Speaker 2

What we saw last year is the sales did drop similar to gift card sales did drop similar to our call. Restaurant sales, not quite as severe, but a similar pattern. We have not seen a change yet on redemption behavior. Call. It's followed historical patterns so far, so no change to note there.

Speaker 5

Okay, great. Thanks, call.

Speaker 1

I have one that there's been a lot of reports lately that the gift card channel is something people are going call. We'll be looking for this year to sell experiences. So I think that's positive, for us versus items or things. And so we look We're trying to tap into that to the extent we can because it does help with future visitation.

Speaker 5

Okay, great. Perfect. Thank you.

Operator

Call. Thank you. At this time, there are no further questions in queue. I would like to turn the call back over to Ms. Cheryl Henry for closing comments.

Speaker 1

Call. Thank you everyone for joining us on the call today and we look forward to speaking with you again soon.

Operator

Call. Thank you. This does conclude today's teleconference. You may disconnect your lines at this time. And thank you for your participation and have a great day.

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Earnings Conference Call
Ruth's Hospitality Group Q3 2021
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