RNS Number : 2800A
Comptoir Group PLC
22 September 2022
 

22 September 2022

Comptoir Group plc

("Comptoir", the "Company" or the "Group")

Interim Results

Comptoir Group Plc (AIM: COM), the owner and/or operator of Lebanese and Eastern Mediterranean restaurants, is pleased to announce its interim results for the six-month period ended 3 July 2022.

 

Financial Highlights:

 

·      Group revenue of £14.5m, an increase of 158.9% (Restated H1 2021: £5.6m)

·      Gross profit of £11.5m, an increase of 150.0% (Restated H1 2021: £4.6m)

·      Adjusted EBITDA* before highlighted items of £3.4m, up by 112.5% (Restated H1 2021: £1.6m)

·      IFRS profit after tax pf £946k (H1 2021: £1.2m loss)

·      Net cash and cash equivalents at the period end of £8.2m (H1 2021: £ 6.2m; 2 January 2022: £7.1m)

·      The basic earnings per share for the period was 0.77 pence (H1 2021: basic loss per share 0.98 pence)

·      Currently own and operate 21 restaurants, with a further 5 franchise restaurants.

 

 

Note that these results are impacted by Covid-19-related closures affecting all restaurants in the Group.

*Adjusted EBITDA was calculated from the profit/(loss) before taxation adding back interest, depreciation, share-based payments, and non-recurring costs (note 11).

 

 

Beatrice Lafon, Non-Executive Chair, commented: "I am pleased to announce that the first half of 2022 continued 2021's positive trajectory, with strong sales and profit across the estate. The results highlight the Group's resilience against the backdrop of challenges faced by the hospitality sector over the last few years, including the cumulative and ongoing effects of Brexit, Covid, and the war in Ukraine, which continue to weigh on costs, labour availability and consumer footfall.

"Comptoir Group has a strong balance sheet, good cash reserves, a tight cost control culture, a stable of strong brands, a growing digital channel and a new board. Added to this is our unique position in the sector, celebrating Middle Eastern Cuisine and Hospitality. The family ethos that pervades the Comptoir team ensures we consistently deliver that Comptoir hospitality, all of which will enable the Group to innovate and return to growth as opportunities present themselves.

"We are cautious about the immediate-term outlook as we expect the macroeconomic environment to worsen in the months ahead. Rising energy costs and general inflationary pressures are likely to further impact both our costs and our customers' disposable income, however we are optimistic about the longer-term prospects for the business."

 

Enquiries:

 

Comptoir Group Plc

Jean Michel Orieux                                                                                Tel: 0207 486 1111

 

finnCap Ltd (NOMAD and broker)

Simon Hicks                                                                                         Tel: 0207 220 0500        

 

Camarco (Media enquiries)

Jennifer Renwick                                                                                   Tel: 0203 757 4994        

 

Notes to Editors

Comptoir Group PLC owns and operates 26 Lebanese restaurants, six of which are franchised, based predominately in the UK. The flagship brand of the group, Comptoir Libanais, is a collection of restaurants located across London and nationwide, including cities such as Manchester, Bath, Leeds, Birmingham, Oxford and Exeter.

The name Comptoir Libanais means Lebanese Counter and is a place where guests can eat casually and enjoy Middle Eastern food, served with warm and friendly hospitality, just like back home.

The Group also operates Shawa, serving traditional shawarmas through a counter service model in Westfield and Bluewater shopping centers, Yalla-Yalla with branches near Oxford Circus and in Soho, and entertainment venue Kenza, located in Devonshire Square, London.

The group has expanded internationally with its franchise partners HMSHOST, with restaurants in the Netherlands, Dubai.

 

 


Chief Executive's review

 

I am pleased to report a strong set of results for the six-month period to 3 July 2022. The performance of the Group's various brands and restaurants in the first half is pleasing, despite once again being impacted by government restrictions imposed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. "Plan B" was enforced from the 10 December 2021 and work from home was recommended where possible from 13 December 2022.  This measure was not relaxed until 26 January 2022.  At this point, our loyal customers began to return for the family hospitality that makes Comptoir unique.

 

The trading performance has been strong thanks to the hard work of our teams, with the Group comfortably outperforming forecasts and the whole estate has contributed to the half-year performance. London has continued to improve week on week and it is particularly pleasing to see those sites in office or tourist areas returning close to 2019 sales levels.

 

During the period a number of exceptional challenges were presented to the business. In April, government support in respect of business rates and the reduced VAT rate ended.  At the same time, the National Living Wage (NLW) increased from £8.91 to £9.50, as did employers' National Insurance which rose by 1.25%.  In February, Russia entered a war with Ukraine which has had a significant impact on utility and food prices, resulting in the current cost of living crisis. These inflationary pressures will remain throughout the remainder of the year and the business will work to mitigate them. These issues will not be solved without strong relationships with our key stakeholders whose support over the last two years has been paramount.

 

There is an opportunity for the Group to add to its site pipeline thanks to the reduction in competition for premium sites, coupled with our strong relationships with our current landlords. Accordingly, we intend to invest in not only Comptoir Libanais but also expand our QSR Shawa brand. As well as managed site growth, we continue to expand our footprint with our franchise partners and during the period we reopened our Dubai restaurant as well as a new site in Stansted Airport.

 

Financial Performance

 

As already noted, the period was impacted once again by external factors, albeit to a lesser extent than the previous two years. The impact of Covid-19 "Plan B" notwithstanding, the half-year results remained strong.

 

The total revenue for the Group for the half-year was £14.5m (Restated H1 2021 £5.6m) and the adjusted EBITDA profit of £3.4m (H1 2021 £1.6m) driven by strong trading and strong cost control across the business. The IFRS profit after tax was £946k (H1 2019: £1.2m loss).

The Group has also taken account of the amendment to IFRS 16 Covid-19 related rent concessions. Where the rent concession is a direct consequence of Covid-19, and the reduction does not involve substantive changes to the lease then the concessions are able to be credited to the profit and loss. This has resulted in a one-off credit of £0.15m in the period.

 

During the period, we closed one site, but we envisage there will be no more closures across the Group this year. We will make these final decisions at the appropriate time and only if it is in the best interest of the Group.

 

 

 

A summary of the financial performance for the half year is shown in the table below:

 


 Post IFRS 16

 Pre IFRS 16

 Post IFRS 16

 Pre IFRS 16

 Post IFRS 16

 Pre IFRS 16

 

3 July
2022

3 July
2022

Restated
4 July 2021

Restated
4 July 2021

2 January 2022

2 January 2022

 

 £

 £

 £

 £

 £

 £

 







Revenue

    14,501,725

    14,501,725

       5,588,822

       5,588,822

    20,711,257

    20,711,257








Adjusted EBITDA:

 













Profit/(loss) before tax

       1,306,906

       1,098,348

     (1,202,268)

     (1,246,555)

       1,525,167

       1,259,709

Add back:







Depreciation

       1,628,502

          540,612

       1,610,395

          701,898

       3,659,196

       1,372,645

Finance costs

          409,860

            41,319

          399,414

                     -  

          822,094

            21,057

Impairment of assets

                     -  

                     -  

          336,356

          266,255

          336,356

          266,255

EBITDA

       3,345,268

       1,680,279

       1,143,897

        (278,402)

       6,342,813

Share-based payments expense

            14,450

            14,450

            25,046

            25,046

            32,436

            32,436

Restaurant opening costs

            20,040

            20,040

              3,489

              3,489

            10,489

            10,489

Loss on disposal of fixed assets

                     -  

                     -  

          461,185

          461,185

            38,098

            38,098

Adjusted EBITDA

       3,379,758

       1,714,769

       1,633,617

          211,318

       6,423,836

       3,000,689

 

 

Team

 

We continue to prioritise our team's well-being. Whilst the impact of Covid has lessened, the Group has improved the benefits available to the staff to ensure a healthy balance in respect of work and home where possible.

 

Victoria Gunter joined as Head of Procurement during the period.  Victoria has a strong track record having worked in the industry at the highest level and has already made a substantial contribution, as we add to the Group's expertise and plan for future opportunities.

 

Outlook

 

Trading has continued to improve week to week and the overall outperformance of the Group is encouraging. The board has confidence in the prospects for the remainder of the year and into 2023. 

 

We have seen performance improve in our London sites, which naturally remained impacted by the lower number of office workers and tourists. The regional sites continue to perform well. More importantly, all 21 sites are making a positive contribution at the profit level since reopening.

 

The Group has a strong base to continue to operate from as we return to a new normal, and we look to grow faster in the near future.

 

Jean Michel Orieux

Interim CEO

21 September 2022

 

 

Consolidated statement of comprehensive income

For the half-year ended 3 July 2022


Notes

Half-year ended 3 July 2022

Restated*
Half-year ended 4 July 2021

Period ended 2 January 2022

 


£

£

£

Revenue


         14,501,725

           5,588,822

         20,711,257

Cost of sales


          (2,994,130)

             (960,365)

          (3,773,721)

Gross profit

 

         11,507,595

           4,628,457

         16,937,536

Distribution expenses


          (5,308,893)

          (2,486,441)

          (9,318,203)

Administrative expenses


          (4,741,711)

          (6,731,091)

          (9,362,286)

Other income


              259,775

           3,786,221

           4,090,214

Operating profit/(loss)

3

           1,716,766

             (802,854)

           2,347,261

Finance costs


             (409,860)

             (399,414)

             (822,094)

Profit/(loss) before tax

 

           1,306,906

         (1,202,268)

           1,525,167

Taxation (charge)/credit


             (361,081)

                         -  

              118,288

Profit/(loss) for the year

 

              945,825

         (1,202,268)

           1,643,455

Other comprehensive income


                         -  

 -

 -

Total comprehensive profit/(loss) for the year

 

              945,825

         (1,202,268)

           1,643,455

Basic earnings/(loss) per share (pence)

6

                     0.77

                    (0.98)

                     1.34

Diluted earnings/(loss) per share (pence)

6

                     0.77

                    (0.98)

                     1.34


 

 


Notes

Half-year ended 3 July 2022

Restated*
Half-year ended 4 July 2021

Period ended 2 January 2022

Adjusted EBITDA:

 




Profit/(loss) before tax - as above

 

           1,306,906

          (1,202,268)

           1,525,167

Add back:





Depreciation

8

           1,628,502

           1,610,395

           3,659,196

Finance costs


              409,860

              399,414

              822,094

Impairment of assets

8

                         -  

              336,356

              336,356

EBITDA

 

           3,345,268

           1,143,897

           6,342,813

Share-based payments expense

3

                 14,450

                 25,046

                 32,436

Restaurant opening costs

3

                 20,040

                   3,489

                 10,489

Loss on disposal of fixed assets


                         -  

              461,185

                 38,098

Adjusted EBITDA

 

           3,379,758

           1,633,617

           6,423,836

 

All the above results are derived from continuing operations.

 

Consolidated balance sheet

At 3 July 2022

      


Notes

3 July 2022

4 July 2021

2 January 2022

 


£

£

£

Non-current assets

 




Intangible assets

7

                 55,267

                 55,267

                 55,267

Property, plant and equipment

8

           6,970,576

           7,425,908

           7,232,869

Right-of-use assets

8

         14,872,490

         16,098,264

         15,960,380

Deferred tax asset

 

                         -  

              292,409

              106,659

                                                                                            

         21,898,333

         23,871,848

         23,355,175

Current asset

 




Inventories


              517,775

              441,364

              465,890

Trade and other receivables


           1,627,408

              837,619

              698,994

Cash and cash equivalents

 

         10,738,261

           9,174,260

           9,867,799



         12,883,444

         10,453,243

         11,032,683

 





Total assets

 

         34,781,777

         34,325,091

         34,387,858

 





Current liabilities

 




Borrowings


             (600,000)

             (555,000)

             (600,000)

Trade and other payables


          (6,924,257)

          (8,209,594)

          (6,131,539)

Lease liabilities


          (2,380,659)

          (2,331,800)

          (2,387,104)

Current tax liabilities

 

             (104,839)

               (45,817)

               (64,480)



       (10,009,755)

       (11,142,211)

         (9,183,123)

Non-current liabilities

 




Borrowings


          (1,900,000)

          (2,445,000)

          (2,200,000)

Provisions for liabilities


             (735,686)

             (841,663)

             (859,414)

Lease liabilities


        (16,811,910)

        (18,306,833)

        (17,995,233)

Deferred tax liability

 

             (214,063)

             (292,409)

                         -  



       (19,661,659)

       (21,885,905)

       (21,054,647)

 





Total liabilities

 

       (29,671,414)

       (33,028,116)

       (30,237,770)

 


                                  

                                  

                                  

Net assets

 

           5,110,363

           1,296,975

           4,150,088

 


 

 

 

Equity

 




Share capital

9

           1,226,667

           1,226,667

           1,226,667

Share premium


         10,050,313

         10,050,313

         10,050,313

Other reserves


              144,172

              122,332

              129,722

Retained losses

 

          (6,310,789)

        (10,102,337)

          (7,256,614)

Total equity - attributable to equity shareholders of the company

 

           5,110,363

           1,296,975

           4,150,088

 

 

Consolidated statement of changes in equity

For the half-year ended 3 July 2022

 


Notes

Share capital

Share premium

Other reserves

Retained losses

Total equity

 


£

£

£

£

£

At 2 January 2022

 

       1,226,667

    10,050,313

          129,722

     (7,256,614)

       4,150,088

 







Total comprehensive income

 






Profit for the period


                     -  

                     -  

                     -  

          945,825

          945,825








Transactions with owners

 






Share-based payments


                     -  

 -

            14,450

 -

            14,450

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

At 3 July 2022


       1,226,667

    10,050,313

          144,172

     (6,310,789)

       5,110,363

 














At 1 January 2021

 

       1,226,667

    10,050,313

            97,286

     (8,900,069)

       2,474,197

 







Total comprehensive loss

 






Loss for the period


                     -  

                     -  

                     -  

     (1,202,268)

     (1,202,268)








Transactions with owners

 






Share-based payments


                     -  

                     -  

            25,046

                     -  

            25,046








At 4 July 2021

 

       1,226,667

    10,050,313

          122,332

   (10,102,337)

       1,296,975

 














At 1 January 2021

 

       1,226,667

    10,050,313

            97,286

     (8,900,069)

       2,474,197

 







Total comprehensive income

 






Profit for the year


                     -  

                     -  

                     -  

       1,643,455

       1,643,455








Transactions with owners

 






Share-based payments


                     -  

                     -  

            32,436

                     -  

            32,436








At 2 January 2022

 

       1,226,667

    10,050,313

          129,722

     (7,256,614)

       4,150,088

      

 

Consolidated statement of cash flows

For the half-year ended 3 July 2022

 

     


Notes

Half-year ended 3 July 2022

Half-year ended 4 July 2021

Period ended 2 January 2022

 


£

£

£

Operating activities

 









Cash inflow from operations

10

           2,897,522

           2,405,268

           4,675,786

Interest paid


               (41,319)

                         -  

               (21,057)

Tax paid


                         -  

                         -  

                 30,292

Net cash from operating activities

 

           2,856,203

           2,405,268

           4,685,021

 





Investing activities

 









Purchase of property, plant & equipment

8

             (278,319)

             (163,949)

             (436,272)

Net cash used in investing activities

 

             (278,319)

             (163,949)

             (436,272)

 





Financing activities

 









Payment of lease liabilities


          (1,407,422)

             (900,735)

          (2,014,626)

Bank loan repayments


             (300,000)

                         -  

             (200,000)

Net cash used from financing activities

 

         (1,707,422)

             (900,735)

         (2,214,626)

 





Increase in cash and cash equivalents

 

              870,462

           1,340,584

           2,034,123

Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year


           9,867,799

           7,833,676

           7,833,676






Cash and cash equivalents at end of year

 

         10,738,261

           9,174,260

           9,867,799

 

 

Notes to the financial information

For the half-year ended 3 July 2022

 

1.    Basis of preparation

 

The consolidated financial information for the half-year ended 3 July 2022, has been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies the Group applied in the Company's latest annual audited financial statements and are expected to be applied in the annual financial statements for the period ending 2 January 2022. These accounting policies are based on the UK-adopted International Financial Reporting Standards ("IFRS") and International Financial Reporting Interpretation Committee ("IFRIC") interpretations. The consolidated financial information for the half-year ended 3 July 2022 has been prepared in accordance with IAS 34: 'Interim Financial Reporting', as adopted by the UK, and under the historical cost convention.

 

The financial information relating to the half-year ended 3 July 2022 is unaudited and does not constitute statutory financial statements as defined in section 434 of the Companies Act 2006. The comparative figures for the period ended 2 January 2022 have been extracted from the consolidated financial statements, on which the auditors gave an unqualified audit opinion and did not include a statement under section 498 (2) or (3) of the Companies Act 2006. The annual report and accounts for the period ended 2 January 2022 has been filed with the Registrar of Companies.

 

The Group's financial risk management objectives and policies are consistent with those disclosed in the period ended 2 January 2022 annual report and accounts.

 

The half-yearly report was approved by the board of directors on 16 September 2022. The half-yearly report is available on the Comptoir Libanais website, www.comptoirlibanais.com, and at Comptoir Group's registered office, Unit 2, Plantain Place, Crosby Row, London Bridge, SE1 1YN.

 

2.    Changes in accounting policies

 

The accounting policies adopted in the preparation of the consolidated financial information for the half-year ended 3 July 2022 are consistent with those followed in the preparation of the Group's annual consolidated financial statements for the year ended 2 January 2022.

 

At the date of authorisation of the half-yearly report, the following amendments to Standards and Interpretations issued by the IASB that are effective for an annual period that begins on or after 2 January 2022. These amendments have not had any material impact on the amounts reported for the current and prior years.

 

Standard or Interpretation                                                                                            Effective Date

 

IAS 37 Onerous Contracts - Cost of Fulfilling a Contract                                                   1 January 2022

Annual improvements to IFRS Standards 2018-2020                                                        1 January 2022

IAS 16 Property, Plant and Equipment: Proceeds before Intended Use                            1 January 2022

IFRS 3 Reference to the Conceptual Framework                                                              1 January 2022

 

 

New and revised Standards and Interpretations in issue but not yet effective

 

At the date of authorisation of these financial statements, the Group has not early adopted the following amendments to Standards and Interpretations that have been issued but are not yet effective:

 

Standard or Interpretation                                                                                            Effective Date

IFRS 17 Insurance Contracts                                                                                                       1 January 2023

IAS 1 Classification of liabilities as current or non-current                                                            1 January 2023

IAS 1 Disclosure of Accounting Policies                                                                                        1 January 2023

IAS 8 Definition of Accounting Estimate                                                                                        1January 2023

IAS 12 Deferred Tax Related to Assets and Liabilities Arising from a Single Transaction            1 January 2023

Initial Application of IFRS 17 and IFRS 9 - Comparative Information                                           1 January 2023

 

As yet, none of these have been endorsed for use in the UK and will not be adopted until such time as endorsement is confirmed. The directors do not expect any material impact as a result of adopting standards and amendments listed above in the financial year, they become effective.

 

Critical accounting judgements and key sources of estimation uncertainty

 

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with IFRS requires management to make judgments, estimates and assumptions that affect the application of policies and reported amounts of assets and liabilities, income and expenses. The estimates and associated assumptions are based on historical experience and various other factors that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis of making the judgements about carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. The resulting accounting estimates may differ from the related actual results.

 

The estimates and underlying assumptions are reviewed on an ongoing basis. Revisions to accounting estimates are recognised in the period in which the estimate is revised if the revision affects only that period, or in the period of the revision and future periods if the revision affects both current and future periods.

 

In the process of applying the Group's accounting policies, management has made a number of judgments and estimations of which the following are the most significant. The estimates and assumptions that have a risk of causing material adjustment to the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities within the future financial years are as follows:

 

Depreciation, useful lives and residual values of property, plant & equipment

The Directors estimate the useful lives and residual values of property, plant & equipment in order to calculate the depreciation charges. Changes in these estimates could result in changes being required to the annual depreciation charges in the statement of comprehensive incomes and the carrying values of the property, plant & equipment in the balance sheet.

 

Impairment of assets

The Group assesses at each reporting date whether there is an indication that an asset may be impaired. If any such indication exists, or when annual impairment testing for an asset is required, the Group makes an estimate of the asset's recoverable amount. An asset's recoverable amount is the higher of an asset's or cash-generating unit's fair value less costs to sell and its value in use and is determined for an individual asset, unless the asset does not generate cash inflows that are largely independent of those from other assets or groups of assets.

Critical accounting judgements and key sources of estimation uncertainty (continued)

 

Where the carrying amount of an asset exceeds its recoverable amount, the asset is considered impaired and is written down to its recoverable amount. In assessing value in use, the estimated future cash flows are discounted to their present value of money and the risks specific to the asset. Impairment losses of continuing operations are recognised in the profit or loss in those expense categories consistent with the function of the impaired asset. Please refer to note 8 for further details on impairments.

 

Leases

The Group has estimated the lease term of certain lease contracts in which they are a lessee, including whether they are reasonably certain to exercise lessee options. The incremental borrowing rate used to discount lease liabilities has also been estimated in the range of 2.6% to 4%. This is assessed as the rate of interest that would be payable to borrow a similar about of money for a similar length of time for a similar right-of-use asset.

 

Deferred tax assets

Historically, deferred tax assets had been recognised in respect of the total unutilised tax losses within the Group. A condition of recognising this amount depended on the extent that it was probable that future taxable profits will be available.  

 

Restatement of prior year allocation of expenses

 

During the period ended 2 January 2022, the directors reclassified a number of expense items in order to ensure that the nature of the costs were included in the most appropriate profit or loss heading. The reclassifications were incorporated in the Group consolidated financial statements for the period ending 2 January 2022 and therefore the prior period statement of comprehensive income for the half-year ended 4 July 2021 has been restated to reflect this and ensure amounts are comparable.

 

The extract below summarises the total amounts that have been reclassified:

 



Half-year ended 4 July 2021

Restated amount

Restated
Half-year ended 4 July 2021

 

£

£

£

Revenue

           5,670,300

               (81,478)

           5,588,822

Cost of sales

          (1,393,582)

              433,217

             (960,365)

Gross profit

           4,276,718

              351,739

           4,628,457

Distribution expenses

          (1,228,118)

          (1,258,323)

          (2,486,441)

Administrative expenses

          (7,675,722)

              944,631

          (6,731,091)

Other income

           3,824,268

               (38,047)

           3,786,221

Operating loss

            (802,854)

                         -  

            (802,854)

Finance costs

             (399,414)

                         -  

             (399,414)

Profit/(loss) before tax

         (1,202,268)

                         -  

         (1,202,268)

Taxation charge

                         -  

                         -  

                         -  

Profit/(loss) for the period

         (1,202,268)

                         -  

         (1,202,268)

Other comprehensive income

                         -  

                         -  

                         -  

Total comprehensive income/(loss) for the period

         (1,202,268)

                         -  

         (1,202,268)

 




 




3.   Group operating profit/(loss)

 


Half-year ended 3 July 2022

Half-year ended 4 July 2021

Period ended 2 January 2022

This is stated after (crediting)/charging:

£

£

£

Variable lease charges

              385,208

              235,579

              613,531

Rent concessions

             (150,887)

             (714,822)

          (1,284,744)

Lease term modifications

                         -  

             (447,785)

             (444,359)

Share-based payments expense (note 5)

                 14,450

                 25,046

                 32,436

Restaurant opening costs

                 20,040

                   3,489

                 10,489

Depreciation of property, plant and equipment (note 8)

           1,628,502

           1,610,395

           3,659,196

Impairment of assets (note 7 & 8)

                         -  

              336,356

              336,356

Loss on disposal of fixed assets

                         -  

              461,186

                 38,098

Auditors' remuneration

                         -  

                         -  

                 44,500










Half-year ended 3 July 2022

Half-year ended 4 July 2021

Period ended 2 January 2022

 

£

£

£

Pre-opening costs

                 20,040

                   3,489

                 10,489

 

                 20,040

                   3,489

                 10,489

 

 

For the initial trading period following opening of a new restaurant, the performance of that restaurant will be lower than that achieved by other, similar, mature restaurants. The difference in this performance, which is calculated by reference to gross profit margins amongst other key metrics, is quantified and included within opening costs. The breakdown of opening costs, between pre-opening costs and post-opening costs is shown above.

 

4.    Operating segments

 

The Group has only one operating segment: the operation of restaurants with Lebanese and Middle Eastern offering and one geographical segment (the United Kingdom). The Group's brands meet the aggregation criteria set out in paragraph 22 of IFRS 8 "Operating Segments" and as such the Group reports the business as one reportable segment. None of the Group's customers individually contribute over 10% of the total revenue.

 

5.    Share options and share-based payment charge

 

On 4 July 2018, the Group established a Company Share Option Plan ("CSOP") under which 4,890,000 share options were granted to key employees. The CSOP scheme includes all subsidiary companies headed by Comptoir Group PLC. The exercise price of all of the options is £0.1025, which all carry a three-year vesting period and the term to expiration is ten years from the date of grant (4 July 2018).

 

On 21 May 2021, the Group established another Company Share Option Plan ("CSOP") under which 3,245,000 share options were granted to key employees. The CSOP scheme includes all subsidiary companies headed by Comptoir Group PLC. The exercise price of all of the options is £0.0723, which all carry a three-year vesting period and the term to expiration is ten years from the date of grant (21 May 2021).

 

The total share-based payment charge for the period was £14,450 (H1 2021: £25,046, 2 January 2022: £32,436).

 

6.  Earnings/(loss) per share

 

The Company had 122,666,667 ordinary shares of £0.01 each in issue at 3 July 2022. The basic and diluted earnings/(loss) per share figures, is based on the weighted average number of shares in issue during the periods. The basic and diluted earnings/(loss) per share figures are set out below.

 

    


Half-year ended 3 July 2022

Half-year ended 4 July 2021

Period ended 2 January 2022

 

£

£

£

Profit/(loss) attributable to shareholders

              945,825

          (1,202,268)

           1,643,455





Weighted average number of shares

Number

Number

Number

For basic earnings/(loss) per share

       122,666,667

       122,666,667

       122,666,667

Adjustment for options outstanding

              558,126

                         -  

                         -  

For diluted earnings/(loss) per share

       123,224,793

       122,666,667

       122,666,667





Earning/(loss) per share:

Pence per share

Pence per share

Pence per share

Basic (pence)




From profit/(loss) for the year

                     0.77

                    (0.98)

                     1.34





Diluted (pence)




From profit/(loss) for the year

                     0.77

                    (0.98)

                     1.34

 

 

The basic and diluted earnings/(loss) per share is calculated by dividing the profit or loss attributable to ordinary shareholders by the weighted average number of shares and 'in the money' share options in issue. Share options are classified as 'in the money' if their exercise price is lower than the average share price for the period.

 

As required by 'IAS 33: Earnings per share', this calculation assumes that the proceeds receivable from the exercise of 'in the money' options would be used to purchase shares in the open market in order to reduce the number of new shares that would need to be issued. The shares were not 'in the money' as at the half-year ended 4 July 2021 or period ended 2 January 2022 and consequently would be antidilutive. Therefore, no adjustment was made in respect of the share options outstanding to determine the diluted number of options for these periods.

 

7.    Intangible assets

 


Goodwill

Total

Cost

£

£

At 2 January 2022

                 89,961

                 89,961

Additions

                           -

                           -

At 3 July 2022

                 89,961

                 89,961

 



Accumulated amortisation and impairment

 


At 2 January 2022

               (34,694)

               (34,694)

Amortised during the year

                           -

                           -

Impairment during the year

                           -

                           -

At 3 July 2022

               (34,694)

               (34,694)

 



Net Book Value as at 3 July 2022

                 55,267

                 55,267

Net Book Value as at 4 July 2021

                 55,267

                 55,267

Net Book Value as at 2 January 2022

                 55,267

                 55,267

   

 

Intangible fixed assets consist of goodwill from the acquisition of Agushia Limited, which included the Yalla Yalla brand. Goodwill arising on business combinations is not amortised but is subject to an impairment test annually which compares the goodwill's 'value in use' to its carrying value. No impairment of goodwill was considered necessary in the current period.

 

8.    Property, plant and equipment


Right-of use assets

Leasehold land and buildings

Plant and machinery

Fixture, fittings & equipment

Motor vehicles

Total

Cost

£

£

£

£

£

£

At 2 January 2022

    28,644,937

    10,419,010

       4,702,567

       2,843,966

            38,310

    46,648,790

Additions

                       -

                       -

          196,926

            81,393

                       -

          278,319

At 3 July 2022

    28,644,937

    10,419,010

       4,899,493

       2,925,359

            38,310

    46,927,109

 







Accumulated depreciation and impairment

 






At 2 January 2022

   (12,684,557)

     (6,208,028)

     (3,008,896)

     (1,548,952)

             (5,108)

   (23,455,541)

Depreciation during the year

     (1,087,890)

        (304,032)

        (152,952)

           (83,628)

                       -

     (1,628,502)

Impairment during the year

                       -

                       -

                       -

                       -

                       -

                       -

At 3 July 2022

   (13,772,447)

     (6,512,060)

     (3,161,848)

     (1,632,580)

            (5,108)

   (25,084,043)

 







Net book value

 






At 3 July 2022

    14,872,490

       3,906,950

       1,737,645

       1,292,779

            33,202

    21,843,066

At 4 July 2021

    16,098,264

       4,482,614

       1,601,704

       1,298,912

            42,678

    23,524,172

At 2 January 2022

    15,960,380

       4,210,982

       1,693,671

       1,295,014

            33,202

    23,193,249

At each reporting date the Group considers any indication of impairment to the carrying value of its property, plant and equipment. The assessment is based on expected future cash flows and Value-in-Use calculations are performed annually and at each reporting date and is carried out on each restaurant as these are separate 'cash generating units' (CGU). Value-in-Use was calculated as the net present value of the projected risk-adjusted post-tax cash flows plus a terminal value of the CGU. A pre-tax discount rate was applied to calculate the net present value of pre-tax cash flows. The discount rate was calculated using a market participant weighted average cost of capital. A single rate has been used for all sites as management believe the risks to be the same for all sites.

 

8.    Property, plant and equipment (continued)

The recoverable amount of each CGU has been calculated with reference to its Value-in-Use. The key assumptions of this calculation are shown below:

 

Growth rate                               0%

Discount rate                            5.3%

Number of years projected        over life of lease

 

The value-in-use figure has been calculated using the expected annual cashflows of the Group from the latest forecasts at the time of review. In producing the forecasts, the Directors have considered the impact of current inflation levels, rising wage costs as well as the potential risk of recession.

 

The growth rate is based on a combination of industry average growth rates, actual results achieved historically and the current economic conditions. Sensitivity analysis was performed on the forecasted cashflows as well as the growth rate and only a significant reduction in cashflows would result in a material impairment charge. Therefore, based on the impairment review and sensitivity analysis carried out, an impairment charge of £nil (H1 2021: £336,356, 2 January 2022: £336,356) was recorded for the period.

 

9.    Share capital

 

   

Authorised, issued and fully paid

Number of shares

 

Half-year ended 3 July 2022

Half-year ended 4 July 2021

Period ended 2 January 2022

Brought forward

122,666,667

122,666,667

122,666,667

Issued in the period

                         -  

                         -  

                         -  

 

122,666,667

122,666,667

122,666,667

 





Nominal value

 

Half-year ended 3 July 2022

Half-year ended 4 July 2021

Period ended 2 January 2022

 

£

£

£

Brought forward

1,226,667

1,226,667

1,226,667

Issues in the period

                         -  

                         -  

                         -  

 

           1,226,667

1,226,667

1,226,667

 

10.   Cash flow from operations

 

Reconciliation of profit/(loss) to cash generated from operations:

 


Half-year ended 3 July 2022

Half-year ended 4 July 2021

Period ended 2 January 2022

 

£

£

£

Operating profit/(loss) for the year

           1,716,766

             (802,854)

           2,347,261





Depreciation

           1,628,502

           1,610,395

           3,659,196

Loss on disposal of fixed assets

                           -

              461,185

                 38,098

Impairment of assets

                           -

              336,356

              336,356

Share-based payment charge

                 14,450

                 25,046

                 32,436

Rent concessions

             (150,887)

             (714,822)

          (1,284,744)

Lease term modifications

                           -

             (447,785)

             (444,359)





Movements in working capital

 



Increase in inventories

               (51,885)

               (16,693)

               (41,219)

(Increase)/decrease in trade and other receivables

             (928,416)

              263,307

              401,934

Increase/(decrease) in payables and provisions

              668,992

           1,691,133

             (369,173)





Cash generated from operations

           2,897,522

           2,405,268

           4,675,786

 

 

11.   Adjusted EBITDA

 

Adjusted EBITDA was calculated from the profit/loss before taxation adding back interest, depreciation, share-based payments and non-recurring costs incurred in opening new sites, as follows:

 


Half-year ended 3 July 2022

Half-year ended 4 July 2021

Period ended 2 January 2022

 

£

£

£

Operating profit/(loss)

           1,716,766

             (802,854)

           2,347,261





Add back:




Depreciation

           1,628,502

           1,610,395

           3,659,196

Impairment of assets

                           -

              336,356

              336,356

Share-based payments

                 14,450

                 25,046

                 32,436

Loss on disposal of fixed assets

                           -

              461,185

                 38,098

EBITDA

           3,359,718

           1,630,128

           6,413,347

 




Non-recurring costs incurred in opening new sites

                 20,040

                   3,489

                 10,489





Adjusted EBITDA

           3,379,758

           1,633,617

           6,423,836

 

 

12.   Subsequent events

 

On 1 August 2022, a new board was formed. The existing CEO and chairman having served for over 10 years, resigned.  They were replaced by a new Non-Executive Chair, Dr Béatrice Lafon and a Non-Executive director, Mr Jean Michel Orieux. Mr Orieux is acting as interim CEO whilst the Group conducts a search for a permanent successor. The CFO and the Creative Director/Founder continue to serve on the board.

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