This story was originally published on Restaurant Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Restaurant Dive newsletter. Dive Brief: Papa Murphy’s, a take-and-bake pizza chain with about 1,000 units, has closed a number of underperforming restaurants over the past year as part of an initiative to strengthen the overall system, Eric Lefebvre, CEO and president of parent company MTY Food Group, said during an earnings call Friday. Lefebvre didn’t indicate how many closures hav ...

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Fiscal 2025 showed significant operational and financial improvements with gross margins above 43% and a more than $14 million year-over-year improvement in adjusted EBITDA [4][12] - Adjusted EBITDA for the fourth quarter was $5.8 million and $14.8 million for the full fiscal year, representing a year-over-year improvement of more than $7 million for the quarter and more than $14 million for the full fiscal year [12][14] - Gross margin in the fourth quarter was 44.9%, a year-over-year increase of 610 basis points, while for the full fiscal year, gross margins were 43.5%, a 420 basis point increase compared to the prior year [12][13] - Net sales during the fourth quarter were $85.1 million compared to $84.4 million during the prior year period, with full fiscal year net sales slightly up to $342.3 million compared to $341.1 million in the prior year [13][14] - Operating expenses increased by $14.3 million to $150.4 million for the year, primarily due to a decrease in net gains related to asset sales [14][15] - Free cash flow for the fourth quarter was $7.5 million and $6.5 million for the full fiscal year, representing a year-over-year increase of $12.1 million for the quarter and $34.5 million for the full fiscal year [16] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Total coffee volumes decreased by 10% year-over-year to just shy of 20 million pounds in 2025, reflecting challenges in the coffee industry [8] - The company launched the SOME1 specialty brand, which has shown encouraging early responses and opportunities in the pipeline [4][5] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The U.S. food services sector experienced weaker growth than during the COVID-19 pandemic, with one of the weakest six-month periods of sales growth in the past decade [8][9] - Green coffee prices rose over 65% in the past year, contributing to a challenging market environment [9][10] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on driving top-line revenue growth, increasing coffee volumes, and enhancing customer retention and expansion efforts in fiscal 2026 [10][18] - A strategy committee has been formed to explore growth opportunities, with a commitment to leveraging the DSD network for better product penetration and customer acquisition [10][11] - The company aims to differentiate itself through a comprehensive set of coffee solutions and a strong customer service commitment [5][11] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management acknowledged significant challenges in the macro and microeconomic environments, particularly in the coffee industry, and anticipates pressure on gross margins and overall financial results in fiscal 2026 [9][10][16] - Despite these challenges, management expressed confidence in the company's ability to generate long-term value for shareholders under more favorable market conditions [16][17] Other Important Information - The company made meaningful progress in strengthening its balance sheet, ending the year with $6.8 million of unrestricted cash and a $10 million decrease in net debt [15][16] - The Revive services team was fully reintegrated into field operations, enhancing customer service efforts [6][7] Q&A Session Summary Question: Congratulations on the execution over the past year - Management appreciated the acknowledgment of their efforts [22] Question: Areas of focus for operational efficiency and margin improvements - Management indicated a pivot from pricing action to performance and execution, emphasizing customer-focused service and fulfillment [24][25] Question: Customer churn levels and order fulfillment progress - Management reported significant improvements in order fulfillment and addressed challenges related to out-of-stock situations [29][30] Question: Opportunities to drive better penetration and stabilize volumes - Management acknowledged the difficult macro environment but emphasized the potential for growth through customer engagement and activation of the DSD network [39][40] Question: Traction with larger restaurant groups - Management confirmed existing work with larger restaurant groups and the opportunity for growth in that space [41][42] Question: Ability to focus on larger restaurant groups with new leadership - Management affirmed that the new leadership structure allows for more focused efforts on larger accounts [44][45] Question: Opportunities to leverage allied products - Management indicated ongoing initiatives to drive interest in allied goods and maximize sales opportunities [47][48]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Fiscal 2025 showed significant operational and financial improvements, with gross margins above 43% and a more than $14 million year-over-year improvement in adjusted EBITDA [4][13] - Adjusted EBITDA for Q4 was $5.8 million, and for the full fiscal year, it was $14.8 million, marking a year-over-year improvement of over $7 million for the quarter and over $14 million for the year [13] - Gross margin in Q4 was 44.9%, a year-over-year increase of 610 basis points, while for the full fiscal year, gross margins were 43.5%, a 420 basis point increase compared to the prior year [13][14] - Net sales during Q4 were $85.1 million, slightly up from $84.4 million in the prior year, and for the full fiscal year, net sales increased to $342.3 million from $341.1 million [14] - Operating expenses increased by $14.3 million to $150.4 million for the year, primarily due to a decrease in net gains from asset sales [15] - Free cash flow for Q4 was $7.5 million, and for the full fiscal year, it was $6.5 million, representing a year-over-year increase of $12.1 million for the quarter and $34.5 million for the year [17] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company launched the SOME1 specialty brand, which has received encouraging early responses and is expected to create new opportunities [4][5] - Total coffee volumes decreased by 10% year-over-year to just shy of 20 million pounds in 2025, reflecting challenges in the coffee industry [8] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The U.S. food services sector showed weaker growth than during the COVID-19 pandemic, with restaurants and bars experiencing one of the weakest sales growth periods in a decade [8][9] - Green coffee prices rose over 65% in the past year, contributing to a challenging market environment [9] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on driving growth through customer retention, expanding its DSD network, and enhancing its white glove service value proposition [10][11] - A strategy committee has been formed to explore growth opportunities, with a commitment to addressing customer and coffee pound degradation [10][12] - The company aims to leverage its core coffee capabilities and expand its white label customer portfolio [11] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management acknowledged significant challenges in the macro and microeconomic environments, particularly in the coffee industry, and anticipates pressure on gross margins and overall financial results in fiscal 2026 [9][17] - Despite these challenges, management expressed confidence in the company's ability to generate long-term value for shareholders under more favorable market conditions [18] Other Important Information - The company made meaningful progress in strengthening its balance sheet, with a $10 million decrease in net debt and $32.6 million of additional borrowing capacity under its credit facility [16] Q&A Session Summary Question: Operational efficiency and margin improvements focus areas - Management indicated a pivot from pricing optimization to performance and execution, emphasizing customer-focused service and fulfillment [25][26] Question: Customer churn levels and order fulfillment progress - Management reported significant improvements in order fulfillment and noted that customer churn is influenced by macroeconomic headwinds [30][31] Question: Opportunities for growth and customer acquisition - Management acknowledged the difficult macro environment but emphasized the potential for better penetration and customer acquisition through their DSD network [38][39] Question: Engagement with larger restaurant groups - Management confirmed existing work with larger restaurant groups and highlighted the opportunity for growth in this area [41] Question: Potential for adding allied products - Management stated that they already offer allied goods and are continuously looking for opportunities to leverage their distribution channels [47]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Aterian reported net revenue for Q4 2024 at $24.6 million, a decline of 25% from $32.8 million in Q4 2023, primarily due to SKU rationalization and lower liquidation levels of high-cost inventory [42] - Adjusted EBITDA for Q4 2024 was essentially break-even, improving by 98.5% from an adjusted EBITDA loss of $5.6 million in Q4 2023 [47] - The net loss for Q4 2024 was $1.3 million, an improvement of approximately 83.1% from a loss of $7.7 million in the year-ago quarter [46] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company streamlined its product portfolio to focus on six foundational brands, which has improved efficiency and ROI [18] - Gross margin for Q4 2024 increased to 63.4% from 51% in the year-ago quarter, driven by SKU rationalization and product mix [43] - Contribution margin for Q4 2024 was 19.4%, a significant improvement from negative 0.8% in the previous year [44] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - Aterian's revenue is primarily derived from e-commerce marketplaces, with a focus on Amazon, Walmart, and Target Plus [12] - The company plans to expand into new channels and geographies, including further growth in Mercado Libre and brick-and-mortar retail [25][26] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company aims for net revenue growth of 5% to 7% in 2025, with a focus on channel and geographic expansion, as well as new product launches [22][24] - Aterian is targeting a break-even adjusted EBITDA for 2025, representing a significant improvement from the adjusted EBIT loss of $2.1 million in 2024 [23][52] - The company has initiated a two-year share repurchase program of up to $3 million, reflecting confidence in its long-term prospects [35][56] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed optimism about the company's ability to navigate challenges, including tariffs, and emphasized the importance of a diversified supply chain [32][34] - The company expects to see improved leverage and associated profits as growth rates outpace fixed cost investments [30] - Management noted that consumer behavior has remained stable, with no significant softness observed despite broader economic concerns [92] Other Important Information - Aterian's inventory level was reduced to $13.7 million at the end of Q4 2024, down from $20.4 million in the year-ago quarter [48] - The company is working to reduce its reliance on China for sourcing, aiming to decrease the percentage of net revenues from China by 50% by the end of 2026 [32][33] Q&A Session Summary Question: Performance of SKUs added to Target Plus during Black Friday - Management indicated that they are focusing on marquee SKUs for Target Plus and are pleased with the performance of the steam mop [61][65] Question: Guidance for first quarter performance - Management explained that new product launches and channel expansions are expected to drive stronger performance in the second half of the year [71][73] Question: Impact of tariffs on pricing and transaction volume - Management clarified that while tariffs are expected to lead to price increases, they believe they can mitigate some of the costs and still achieve growth targets [76][80] Question: Long-term growth targets and consumer behavior - Management discussed that the three-year growth targets are driven by new product launches and channel expansions, and noted that consumer behavior has not shown significant changes [85][90]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - The first quarter showed solid sales growth with net sales increasing by $85.1 million, a nearly 4% increase compared to the same period last year [12] - Adjusted EBITDA for the quarter was positive at $1.4 million, an improvement of $1.9 million year over year from a loss of $0.5 million [11] - Gross margin increased by 630 basis points year over year to 43.9%, compared to 37.6% in the first quarter of last year [11] - Operating expenses were $40.1 million, or 47.2% of net sales, compared to $32.9 million, or 40.1% of net sales, in the first quarter of last year [12] - The net loss for the quarter was $5 million, compared to a net loss of $1.6 million in the first quarter of last year [13] - Cash flow from operating activities improved to positive $2.5 million, representing a $9.6 million improvement compared to negative $7.1 million in the first quarter of last year [13][14] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - The Brand Pyramid initiative has led to a refresh of the premium Boyd's coffee brand, which is now positioned as the premier nationwide coffee offering [5][6] - The company is working on a new specialty tier brand to be announced soon, marking a reintroduction into the specialty coffee space [6] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company is navigating volatility in coffee markets and changes in consumer behaviors, with a focus on optimizing commodity purchasing and inventory management [9] - Customer retention has stabilized due to improved execution by the restructured sales force [8] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on customer growth, adding density across existing DSD routes, and selling additional products to existing customers to generate additional revenue [16] - The strategy includes optimizing routes and improving product penetration within the existing customer base [28] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in the initiatives put in place and operational improvements made throughout fiscal 2024 to navigate macroeconomic headwinds [9][14] - The company does not expect financial results to be linear quarter to quarter but remains focused on building a solid foundation for sustainable value creation [14] Other Important Information - The company has achieved five consecutive quarters of improved cash from operating activities [14] - Management acknowledged the current volatility in coffee commodity markets and the macroeconomic environment [14] Q&A Session Summary Question: Growth and density in routes and churn - Management noted a positive trend in customer retention despite industry headwinds, with churn levels better than anticipated [21][22] Question: Addressing out of stock issues - The company has resolved out of stock issues through SKU rationalization and careful customer communication [26] Question: Growth from new routes or adjusting routes - The focus is on optimizing existing routes rather than adding new ones, with an emphasis on improving utilization [27] Question: Impact of new specialty coffee brand on financials - The new specialty brand is expected to transition existing volume and create incremental revenue opportunities [40][41] Question: Incremental opportunities with Boyd's brand - There are opportunities for Boyd's brand to perform well in new markets with a unified brand approach [42] Question: Gross margin drivers - Pricing optimization efforts in response to rising commodity markets have been key to gross margin improvement [46] Question: Potential for further asset disposals - The company is not relying on asset disposals as a business strategy but may consider offers for branches that no longer fit its needs [48]