CINCINNATI, Oct. 22, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Frisch's Restaurants, Inc. (NYSE MKT: FRS) reported revenue of $62,583,320 during its fiscal 2015 first quarter ended September 23, 2014 (consisting of 16 weeks), a 2.2 percent increase over the $61,236,621 reported in the prior year's first quarter. Net Earnings increased 37.2 percent in the first quarter to $2,622,801 ($0.51 diluted earnings per share) up from $1,912,045 ($0.38 diluted earnings per share) in the comparable quarter last year. The increase in earnings was primarily due to higher restaurant operating income of $167,258 and a $1,405,176 gain from the sale of a restaurant that was closed in July 2014, offset in part by an impairment charge of $418,300 in the carrying value of property held for sale.

Same store sales were up 1.8 percent in the first quarter of fiscal 2015 while overall sales increased 2.2 percent over the first quarter of fiscal 2014 as a result of a new restaurant opening in the prior year offset in part by the closure of an existing unit in July of this year. As a percentage of sales, the margin on restaurant operating income of 10.2 percent was flat with the prior year's first quarter, as higher costs for beef were compensated by lower pension costs and lower fees on gift cards.

At the Corporate level, administrative expense increased 5.4 percent in first quarter 2015 primarily as a result of higher professional fees and higher incentive compensation expense than last year's first quarter. The effective tax rate decreased to 29.9 percent in the quarter compared to 30 percent in last year's first quarter due to changes in tax credits and deferred state taxes.

Craig F. Maier, President and Chief Executive Officer, said, "Our first quarter showed good growth in sales despite marginally lower customer counts, a trend we see extending into our second quarter as the economy in our market area continues to strengthen. Our same store drive-through sales showed especially strong results in the first quarter 2015 with an 8 percent increase versus last year. On the cost side we continue to be challenged by the continuation of historically high beef prices, but were able to maintain our margin percentage through other cost savings."

Frisch's Restaurants, Inc. is a regional company that operates full service family-style restaurants under the name "Frisch's Big Boy." All Frisch's Big Boy restaurants are currently located in various regions of Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana.

The Company owns the trademark "Frisch's" and has exclusive, irrevocable ownership of the rights to the "Big Boy" trademark, trade name and service marks in the states of Kentucky and Indiana, and in most of Ohio and Tennessee. All of the Frisch's Big Boy restaurants also offer "drive-thru" service. The Company also licenses Frisch's Big Boy restaurants to other operators, currently in certain parts of Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana.

The Company currently operates 95 company-owned Frisch's Big Boy restaurants and there are an additional 26 franchised Frisch's Big Boy restaurants that are operated by licensees.

The Company has reported a profit every year since going public in 1960, and paid cash dividends to shareholders every quarter over the same period.

Statements contained in this news release which are not historical facts are forward looking statements as that item is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Act of 1995. Such forward looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from estimated results. Such risks and uncertainties are detailed in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

[See attached Financial Statements]



                                     Frisch's Restaurants, Inc. and Subsidiaries

                              CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF EARNINGS (unaudited)

                                        (In thousands, except per share data)


                                                                                           16 weeks ended
                                                                                           --------------

                                                                                Sept. 23,            Sept. 17,

                                                                                            2014                 2013
                                                                                            ----                 ----

    Sales                                                             $62,583               $61,237

    Cost of sales

                                          Food and paper                                    21,201               20,350

                                          Payroll and related                               21,749               21,633

                                          Other operating costs                             13,243               13,031


                                                                                          56,193               55,014

    Restaurant operating income                                                           6,390                6,223

                                          Administrative and advertising                     3,970                3,767

                                          Other (revenue)                                    (444)               (424)

                                          (Gain) on sale of real property                  (1,405)                (67)

                                          Impairment of long lived assets                      418                    -


    Operating income                                                                      3,851                2,947

                                          Interest expense                                     111                  215


    Earnings before income tax                                                            3,740                2,732

    Income taxes                                                                          1,117                  820
                                                                                          -----                  ---

    NET EARNINGS                                                       $2,623                $1,912
                                                                       ======                ======


    Earnings per share (EPS) of common
     stock:

                                          Basic net earnings per share                        $.51                 $.38


                                          Diluted net earnings per share                      $.51                 $.38


    Diluted average shares outstanding                                                    5,122                5,081
                                                                                          =====                =====

    Depreciation included above                                        $3,221                $3,227
                                                                       ======                ======



                                      Frisch's Restaurants, Inc. and Subsidiaries

                                          CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEET

                                               (In thousands of dollars)

                                                              September 23,         June 3,

                                                                               2014             2014

                                                               (unaudited)
                                                                ----------

    Assets

                     Current assets

                     Cash and equivalents                                    $3,386           $2,038

                     Trade and other receivables                              1,527            1,900

                     Inventories                                              6,334            5,637

                     Other current assets                                     3,905            4,047
                                                                              -----            -----

                                                                             15,152           13,622


                      Property and
                      equipment                                             104,657          104,862


                     Other assets

                      Goodwill & other intangible
                      assets                                                    772              773

                      Real property not used in
                      operations                                              6,326            6,744

                     Other                                                    3,393            3,261
                                                                              -----            -----

                                                                             10,491           10,778
                                                                             ------           ------


                                                                           $130,300         $129,262
                                                                           ========         ========


    Liabilities and shareholders' equity

                      Current
                      liabilities

                      Long-term debt, current
                      maturities                                             $1,814           $1,996

                     Accounts payable                                         7,451            6,812

                     Accrued and other expenses                               8,894            9,319
                                                                              -----            -----

                                                                             18,159           18,127


                      Long-term
                      obligations

                     Long-term debt                                           4,311            4,737

                     Other long-term obligations                             12,305           12,055
                                                                             ------           ------

                                                                             16,616           16,792


                      Shareholders'
                      equity                                                 95,525           94,343
                     -----------


                                                                           $130,300         $129,262
                                                                           ========         ========

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SOURCE Frisch's Restaurants, Inc.