Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

Nonconsolidated variable interest entities

v3.8.0.1
Nonconsolidated variable interest entities
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2018
Equity Method Investments and Joint Ventures [Abstract]  
Nonconsolidated variable interest entities [Text Block]
Note 9 – Nonconsolidated variable interest entities
 
As of December 31, 2017 and March 31, 2018, the Company’s equity method and cost method investments, for which the Company has determined it is not the primary beneficiary, consist of interests in the following companies, which directly or indirectly operate restaurants:
 
·
31.24% interest in Bagatelle NY LA Investors, LLC (“Bagatelle Investors”)
·
51.13% interest in Bagatelle Little West 12th, LLC (“Bagatelle NY”)
·
10.00% interest in One 29 Park, LLC (“One 29 Park”)
 
Bagatelle Investors is a holding company that has an interest in Bagatelle NY. Both entities were formed in 2011. The Company has determined that it is not the primary beneficiary of these entities as it does not have the power to direct their day to day activities, but the Company is able to exercise influence over these entities. The Company has provided no additional types of support to these entities than what is contractually required.
 
One 29 Park, formed in 2009, operates a restaurant and manages the rooftop of a hotel located in New York, NY. Until the fourth quarter of 2017, the Company accounted for its investment in One 29 Park under the equity method of accounting based on management’s assessment that the Company had significant influence over One 29 Park’s operations. In the fourth quarter of 2017, the majority ownership of One 29 Park changed. As a result of this ownership change, the Company believes that it no longer has significant influence over the operations of One 29 Park, and subsequently began accounting for its investment in One 29 Park under the cost method of accounting. In March 2018, the Company entered into an agreement to sell its 10% interest in One 29 Park to the new ownership group for $0.6 million. For the quarter ended March 31, 2018, the Company reduced its investment in One 29 Park to $0 and recorded a gain of $0.2 million on the sale of its interest in One 29 Park as a component of other expenses, net on the consolidated statement of operations and comprehensive income (loss).
 
At March 31, 2018 and December 31, 2017, the carrying values of these investments were (in thousands):
 
 
 
March 31,
2018
 
December 31,
2017
 
Bagatelle Investors
 
$
30
 
$
33
 
Bagatelle NY
 
 
2,489
 
 
2,509
 
One 29 Park
 
 
 
 
415
 
Totals
 
$
2,519
 
$
2,957
 
 
 
 
For the quarter ended
March 31,
 
 
 
2018
 
2017
 
Equity in loss (income) of investee companies
 
$
23
 
$
(45)
 
 
The Company has entered into management agreements with Bagatelle NY and One 29 Park. For Bagatelle, the Company recorded management fee revenue of approximately $37,000 and $48,000 for the quarters ended March 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively. For One 29 Park, the Company recorded management fee revenue of $0.1 million for each of the quarters ended March 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively. The Company receives rental income from Bagatelle for restaurant space that it subleases to Bagatelle. Rental income of $0.1 million was recorded from this entity for each of the quarters ended March 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively. Net payables of $43,000 and net receivables of $0.1 million to/from Bagatelle and One 29 Park are included in due to related parties, net on the March 31, 2018 and December 31, 2017 consolidated balance sheets, respectively. These amounts, combined with the Company’s equity in each of these investments, represent the Company’s maximum exposure to loss.