Quarterly report pursuant to sections 13 or 15(d)

Nonconsolidated variable interest entities

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Nonconsolidated variable interest entities
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2014
Nonconsolidated variable interest entities [Abstract]  
Nonconsolidated variable interest entities

Note 8 - Nonconsolidated variable interest entities:

Accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America provide a framework for identifying variable interest entities (VIEs) and determining when a company should include the assets, liabilities, noncontrolling interests, and results of activities of a VIE in its consolidated financial statements. In general, a VIE is a corporation, partnership, limited-liability corporation, trust, or any other legal structure used to conduct activities or hold assets that (1) has an insufficient amount of equity to carry out its principal activities without additional subordinated financial support, (2) has a group of equity owners that are unable to direct the activities of the entity that most significantly impact its economic performance, or (3) has a group of equity owners that do not have the obligation to absorb losses of the entity or the right to receive returns of the entity. A VIE should be consolidated if a party with an ownership, contractual, or other financial interest in the VIE that is considered a variable interest (a variable interest holder) has the power to direct the VIE's most significant activities and the obligation to absorb losses or right to receive benefits of the VIE that could be significant to the VIE. A variable interest holder that consolidates the VIE is called the primary beneficiary. Upon consolidation, the primary beneficiary generally must initially record all of the VIE's assets, liabilities, and noncontrolling interests at fair value and subsequently account for the VIE as if it were consolidated based on majority voting interest. At March 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013, the Company held investments that were evaluated against the criteria for consolidation and determined that it is not the primary beneficiary of the investments because the Company lacks the power to direct the activities of the variable interest entities that most significantly impacts their economic performance. Therefore consolidation in the Company's financial statements is not required. At March 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013, the Company held the following investments:

 

    At March 31,     At December 31,  
    2014     2013  
Bagatelle NY LA Investors, LLC ("Bagatelle Investors")   $ 753,887     $ 840,614  
Bagatelle Little West 12th , LLC ( "Bagatelle NY")     1,272,140       1,192,363  
Bagatelle La Cienega, LLC ("Bagatelle LA")     -       -  
Totals   $ 2,026,027     $ 2,032,977  

 

Bagatelle Investors is a holding company that has interests in two operating restaurant companies, Bagatelle NY and Bagatelle LA. All three entities were formed in 2011. The Company holds interests in all three entities. See Note 9 for condensed financial information related to these entities.

 

During the periods ended March 31, 2014 and 2013, the Company provided no explicit or implicit financial or other support to these VIEs that were not previously contractually required.

 

The amounts presented above represent maximum exposure to loss.