# The Restaurant Group plc and COVID-19

- Link: https://www.directorstalkinterviews.com/the-restaurant-group-plc-and-covid-19/412809085
- Published: 2020-03-18T07:47:21+00:00
- Author: Giles Arbor

In light of current equity market conditions and the rapidly changing developments
regarding Covid-19, **The Restaurant Group plc** (LON:RTN) provided the following
update.

**Current Trading Update:**

Group like-for-like sales for the first eight weeks of the financial year were up
4.5%, in a period unaffected by Covid-19.

In the last two weeks we have seen an increasing and material impact of Covid-19
across our businesses with Group like-for-like sales being down 12.5%. In particular,
our Concessions business has been significantly impacted with like-for-like sales
down 21.7% and getting worse by the day given International travel bans.

**Outlook:**

The Restaurant Group’s key priority at these unprecedented times is the health and
safety of our employees, customers and business partners.

The Group has been reviewing the rapidly evolving situation relating to Covid-19
and has modelled a scenario of the potential financial outcome in the coming months.
It is now clear that the increasing effects of Covid-19 will result in a material
reduction in our expectations for revenue and profit across the business for the
first half of this financial year (the period ending 28th June 2020).

Today, the Company is therefore providing guidance on the potential impact on our
full year results of Covid-19. This guidance is predicated on the following revenue
assumptions:

 * An overall decline in Group like-for-like sales of 25% in FY2020 (assumed down
   45% in the first half and 5% in the second half).
 * A significant decline in our Concessions business (down 92% in Q2) with significant
   disruption persisting through the remainder of the year (down 31% in H2).
 * A sustained reduction in footfall across Leisure, Pubs and Wagamama, with like-
   for-like sales across these businesses down 68% in Q2, including 10 weeks of 
   shutdown, before normalising through H2.

In response to the uncertain environment, the Group is taking a number of actions
to protect profitability and to conserve cash:

 * The Group will reduce capital expenditure for 2020 by at least £45m from the 
   previous guidance of £75m.
 * The Group is highly focused on delivering maximum operational efficiency across
   all areas of our business over the course of 2020 and is targeting to save at
   least £45m.
 * The Group will be working with landlords across all business areas to ensure 
   that no minimum guarantees are enforced within Concessions, where rents are largely
   turnover based; and to ensure that the rent roll for 2020 across our other businesses
   equitably reflects the unique and unforeseeable situation. The forecast assumes
   at least a 50% reduction in fixed rent across all our Wagamama, Concessions, 
   Pubs and Leisure restaurants, and reflects the business rates holiday for three
   quarters of 2020 as announced yesterday in the Chancellor’s statement.
 * The Group will work with lending banks to seek covenant holidays throughout 2020
   in order to preserve maximum flexibility to operate the business through this
   challenging period.

As a result, the Group currently estimates Adjusted EBITDA for the financial year
ended 27 December 2020 to be between £95m and £105m with leverage (pre-IFRS 16 net
debt to EBITDA) of between 2.2x and 2.5x.

Under this scenario, we would retain a minimum of £75m of cash liquidity throughout
the remainder of the 2020 financial year. The Group estimates that in the event 
that the entire group is in shutdown for a period in excess of that assumed above,
then the adverse impact on cash would be no more than £15m for each further month
of shutdown.

Clearly the situation is evolving rapidly and there is no certainty around the severity
and duration of the impact on the business. The Company is continuing to consider
its funding options, both equity and debt, on an ongoing basis.

The Restaurant Group is fundamentally a resilient business with a strong asset base,
substantial cash liquidity and strong cash flow. The Group has a strong management
team in place and the capability to adapt and respond quickly to changing market
conditions.

The Board remains confident in the strategy over the longer term and believes the
Group will be well positioned to benefit from the normalisation in trade with its
diversified set of brands.

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