Acquisition of Bachan's Closed and Off to Strong Start
Closed $400M acquisition of Bachan's on May 1 financed with $200M term loan (interest <5%) and cash. Circana data for the quarter ending Mar 31 showed Bachan's sales growth >25% and TDPs up >50%. Management expects a Q4 net sales run-rate moderately above the $87M reported for calendar 2025 for the portion of the quarter the business is included and notes Bachan's gross margin is accretive to the company.
Record Gross Profit and Continued Margin Expansion
Reported record third quarter gross profit of $107.2M, up $1.3M or 1.2% year-over-year, with reported gross margin expanding by 50 basis points. This marks the 11th straight quarter of gross margin improvement, driven by procurement, manufacturing, value engineering, distribution and other productivity programs.
Strong Brand and Category Share Performance
Circana scanner and category data: New York Bakery frozen garlic bread sales up 4.4%, adding 260 basis points to a 46.7% category share; Sister Schubert's + Texas Roadhouse dinner rolls combined grew 10.1% with a 61% share; Chick-fil-A licensed sauces +4.4% with a 5 basis point share gain; branded croutons added 40 basis points to 28.5% share. Core brands and licensed items sales were up 0.2% for the Circana period.
Foodservice Momentum with Key National Accounts
Foodservice (excluding TSA) net sales increased 1.8% and volume improved 0.8%, with increased demand from core national chain customers (notably Chick-fil-A and Taco Bell) contributing to growth.
Strong Cash Generation and Balance Sheet Position Pre-Acquisition
Year-to-date operating cash flow up over $55M versus prior year and operating cash flow grew 32%. Company reported a debt-free balance sheet and over $218M in cash at quarter end prior to financing the Bachan's acquisition.
Dividend Increase and Capital Investment Plan
Quarterly cash dividend of $1.00 per share paid on March 31, a 5% increase year-over-year, continuing a 63-year streak of annual dividend increases. Year-to-date capital expenditures $54.6M with full-year FY2026 CapEx forecast of $80M to support cost savings and manufacturing improvements.
Product Innovation and New SKUs
Launched new items including Marzetti Protein Ranch dressing, veggie dips, Olive Garden Zesty Italian flavor, larger Chick-fil-A Avocado Lime Ranch bottle, and protein-forward portable dip cups showing promising early velocity in the dips/portable format.
IT and Supply-Chain Investments Driving Productivity
Investments (including SAP and trade/optimization systems) supported improved revenue growth management and supply chain productivity; management expects much of the IT spend to be behind them while continuing targeted SG&A investments to support growth.