TORONTO, May 1, 2026 /CNW/ - Pizza Pizza Royalty Corp. (the "Company") (TSX: PZA), which indirectly owns the Pizza Pizza and Pizza 73 Rights and Marks, released financial results today for the three months ("Quarter") ended March, 31, 2026.
First Quarter highlights:
-- Same store sales(2) decreased 4.1%
-- Royalty Pool sales decreased 3.6%
-- Adjusted earnings per share(5) decreased 6.1%
-- Restaurant network increased by seven net locations
-- Royalty Pool of restaurants for 2026 increased by 20 net restaurants on
January 1, 2026
"Our sales decline was driven by continued pressure on discretionary spending, softer demand, and an increasingly competitive promotional retail landscape. At the same time, we recognize opportunities to drive further value and innovation. We are focused on controlling what we can -- strengthening our product offering, building out our footprint across Canada, and driving operational discipline," said Paul Goddard, President and CEO of Pizza Pizza Limited.
SALES
Royalty Pool System Sales for the Quarter decreased 3.6% to $145.8 million from $151.3 million in the same quarter last year. By brand, sales from the 712 Pizza Pizza restaurants in the Royalty Pool decreased 4.1% to $124.5 million for the Quarter compared to $129.8 million in the same quarter last year. Sales from the 102 Pizza 73 restaurants decreased 0.9% to $21.3 million for the Quarter compared to $21.5 million in the same quarter last year.
For the Quarter, the decrease in Royalty Pool System Sales is largely driven by the same store sales, offset by new restaurants added to the Royalty Pool on January 1, 2026. See "Same Store Sales Growth".
The Pizza Pizza and Pizza 73 restaurants are subject to seasonal variations in their business. System Sales for the quarter ended March 31 have generally been the lowest. System Sales for the quarter ended December 31 have generally been the highest relative to other quarters.
SAME STORE SALES GROWTH ("SSSG")
SSSG, the key driver of yield growth for shareholders of the Company, decreased 4.1% (2025 -- increased 1.2%) for the Quarter. SSSG is calculated using a 13-week comparative basis.
SSSG First Quarter(%)
2026 2025
Pizza Pizza -4.3 0.6
Pizza 73 -2.7 4.9
Combined -4.1 1.2
SSSG is driven by the change in the customer check and customer traffic, both of which are affected by changes in pricing and sales mix. During the Quarter, at both brands, restaurant traffic decreased due to the current economic situation and its impact on consumer discretionary spending, as well as heightened competition for those consumer spending dollars. The average customer check increased slightly, as the brands adjusted retail prices on select offers.
MONTHLY DIVIDENDS AND WORKING CAPITAL RESERVE
The Company's dividends remained unchanged in the Quarter. The Company declared shareholder dividends of $5.7 million, or $0.2325 per share, for the Quarter and the prior year comparable quarter. The payout ratio is 134% for the Quarter and was 117% in the prior year comparable period.
The Company's policy is to distribute all available cash in order to maximize returns to shareholders over time, after allowing for reasonable reserves. Despite seasonal variations inherent to the restaurant industry, the Company's policy is to make equal dividend payments to shareholders on a monthly basis in order to smooth out income to shareholders. After the reduction in the monthly dividend in April 2020, and the eight subsequent increases, including the most recent increase in November 2023, any further change will be implemented with a view to maintaining the continuity of consistent monthly distributions. It is expected that future dividends will continue to be funded entirely by cash flow from operations and the cash reserve.
The Company's working capital reserve is $2.3 million at March 31, 2026, which is a decrease of $1.4 million in the Quarter. System sales for the quarter ended March 31 have generally been the softest and historically results in a payout ratio over 100%. The reserve is available to stabilize dividends and fund other expenditures in the event of short-to-medium-term variability in System Sales and, thus, the Company's royalty income. The Company has historically targeted a payout ratio at or near 100% on an annualized basis.
EARNINGS PER SHARE ("EPS")
Fully-diluted basic EPS for the Quarter decreased to $0.22 when compared to the prior year comparable quarter at $0.233.
As compared to basic EPS, the Company considers adjusted EPS(5) to be a more meaningful indicator of the Company's operating performance and, therefore, presents fully diluted, adjusted EPS. The adjusted EPS for the Quarter decreased 6.1% to $0.216 when compared to the same period of 2025.
RESTAURANT DEVELOPMENT
As previously announced, the number of restaurants in the Company's Royalty Pool increased by 20 net locations to 814 on the January 1, 2026 Adjustment Date, and consists of 712 Pizza Pizza restaurants and 102 Pizza 73 restaurants. The number of restaurants in the Royalty Pool will remain unchanged through 2026.
During the Quarter, Pizza Pizza Limited ("PPL") opened six traditional and three non-traditional Pizza Pizza restaurants, and closed one traditional and one non-traditional Pizza 73 restaurant. The six traditional restaurant openings were across Canada in British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec and two in Newfoundland.
PPL management expects to grow its traditional restaurant network by 2% to 3% and continue its renovation program through 2026.
Readers should note that the number of restaurants added to the Royalty Pool each year may differ from the number of restaurant openings and closings reported by PPL on an annual basis as the years for which they are reported differ slightly.
SELECTED FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
The following tables set out selected financial information and other data of the Company and should be read in conjunction with the March 31, 2026 unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements of the Company ("Financial Statements"). Readers should note that the 2026 results are not directly comparable to the 2025 results due to there being 814 restaurants in the 2026 Royalty Pool compared to 794 restaurants in the 2025 Royalty Pool.
(in thousands of Three months Three months
dollars, except number endedMarch 31, 2026 endedMarch 31, 2025
of restaurants,
days in the year, per
share amounts, and noted
otherwise)
Restaurants in Royalty
Pool(1) 814 794
Same store sales
growth(2) -4.1 % 1.2 %
Days in the Quarter 90 90
System Sales reported by
Pizza Pizza restaurants
in
the Royalty Pool(6) $ 124,526 $ 129,820
System Sales reported by
Pizza 73 restaurants in
the
Royalty Pool(6) 21,308 21,503
Total System Sales $ 145,834 $ 151,323
Royalty -- 6% on Pizza
Pizza System Sales $ 7,471 $ 7,789
Royalty -- 9% on Pizza
73 System Sales 1,918 1,936
Royalty --
International
operations 4 4
Royalty income $ 9,393 $ 9,729
Interest expense on
borrowings(3) (435) (317)
Administrative
expenses (132) (152)
Interest income 25 68
Adjusted earnings
available for
distribution to the
Company and Pizza
Pizza Limited(5) $ 8,851 $ 9,328
Distribution on Class
B and Class D
Exchangeable
Shares(4) (3,010) (2,760)
Current income tax
expense (1,554) (1,656)
Adjusted earnings
available for
shareholder
dividends(5) $ 4,287 $ 4,912
Add back:
Distribution on Class
B and Class D
Exchangeable
Shares(4) 3,010 2,760
Adjusted earnings from
operations(5) $ 7,297 $ 7,672
Basic earnings per
share $ 0.220 $ 0.233
Adjusted earnings per
share(5) $ 0.216 $ 0.230
Dividends declared by
the Company $ 5,724 $ 5,724
Dividend per share $ 0.2325 $ 0.2325
Payout ratio(5) 134 % 117 %
March 31,2026 December 31,2025
Working capital(5) 2,317 3,727
Total assets 382,408 377,103
Total liabilities 75,610 75,614
(1) The number of restaurants for which the Pizza Pizza
Royalty Limited Partnership (the "Partnership") earns
a royalty ("Royalty Pool"), as defined in the amended
and restated Pizza Pizza license and royalty agreement
(the "Pizza Pizza License and Royalty Agreement")
and the amended and restated Pizza 73 license and
royalty agreement (the "Pizza 73 License and Royalty
Agreement") (together, the "License and Royalty Agreements").
For the 2026 fiscal year, the Royalty Pool includes
712 Pizza Pizza restaurants and 102 Pizza 73 restaurants.
The number of restaurants added to the Royalty Pool
each year may differ from the number of restaurant
openings and closings reported by Pizza Pizza Limited
("PPL") on an annual basis as the periods for which
they are reported differ slightly (see "Royalty Pool
Adjustments").
(2) Same store sales growth ("SSSG") is a supplementary
financial measure under NI 52-112 and therefore may
not be comparable to similar measures presented by
other issuers. SSSG means the change in Period's gross
sales of a particular Pizza Pizza or Pizza 73 restaurant
as compared to sales in the previous comparative Period,
where the restaurant has been open at least 13 months.
Additionally, for a Pizza 73 restaurant whose restaurant
territory was adjusted due to an additional restaurant,
the sales used to derive the Step-Out Payment (calculated
as the difference between the average monthly Pizza
73 Royalty payment attributable to that Adjusted Restaurant
in the 12 months immediately preceding the month in
which the territory reduction occurs, less the Pizza
73 Royalty payment attributable to the restaurant
in the current month) may be added to sales to arrive
at SSSG. SSSG does not have any standardized meaning
under IFRS Accounting Standards ("IFRS") as issued
by the International Accounting Standards Board ("IASB").
See "Reconciliation of Non-IFRS Measures".
(3) The Company, indirectly through the Partnership, incurs
interest expense on the $47 million outstanding bank
loan. Interest expense also includes amortization
of loan fees. See "Interest Expense".
(4) Represents the distribution to PPL from the Partnership
on Class B and Class D Units of the Partnership held
by PPL. The Class B and D Units are exchangeable into
common shares of the Company ("Shares") based on the
value of the Class B Exchange Multiplier and the Class
D Exchange Multiplier at the time of exchange as defined
in the License and Royalty Agreements, respectively,
and represent 27.2% of the fully diluted Shares at
March 31, 2026 (December 31, 2025 -- 26.2%). During
the quarter ended March 31, 2026, as a result of the
final calculation of the Exchangeable Class B and
Class D Share entitlements related to the January
1, 2025 Adjustment to the Royalty Pool, PPL was paid
a distribution on additional Exchangeable Shares as
if such Shares were outstanding as of January 1, 2025.
Included in the three months ended March 31, 2026,
is the payment of $153 in distributions to PPL pursuant
to the true-up calculation (March 31, 2025 - PPL received
$34).
(5) "Adjusted earnings available for distribution to the
Company and Pizza Pizza Limited", "Adjusted earnings
from operations", "Adjusted earnings available for
shareholder dividends", "Adjusted earnings per Share",
"Interest paid on borrowings", "Payout Ratio", and
"Working Capital" are non-GAAP financial measures
under NI 52-112. They do not have any standardized
meaning under IFRS and therefore may not be comparable
to similar measures presented by other issuers. See
"Reconciliation of Non-IFRS Measures" and "Interest
Expense".
(6) System Sales (as defined in the License and Royalty
Agreements) reported by Pizza Pizza and Pizza 73 restaurants
include the gross sales of Pizza Pizza company-owned,
jointly-controlled and franchised restaurants, and
the monthly Make-Whole Payment, Step-out and Recombination
Payments, excluding sales and goods and service tax
or similar amounts levied by any governmental or administrative
authority. System Sales do not represent the consolidated
operating results of the Company but are used to calculate
the royalties payable to the Partnership as presented
above.
A copy of the Company's interim consolidated financial statements and related Management's Discussion and Analysis ("MD&A") will be available at www.sedarplus.ca and www.pizzapizza.ca after the market closes on May 1, 2026.
As previously announced, the Company will host a conference call to discuss the results. The details of the conference call are as follows:
Date: May 1, 2026
Time: 5:00 p.m. ET
Call-in number: 416-945-7677 / 888-699-1199
Recording call in number: 289-819-1450 / 888-660-6345
Available until midnight, May 15, 2026
Conference ID: 74639#
A recording of the call will also be available on the Company's website at www.pizzapizza.ca.
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
Certain statements in this report, including information regarding the Company's dividend policy, its ability to meet covenants and other financial obligations, and their ability to achieve their business objectives, constitute "forward-looking" statements, which involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. When used in this report, such statements include such words as "may", "will", "expect", "believe", "plan", and other similar terminology in conjunction with a discussion of future events or operating or financial performance. These statements reflect management's current expectations regarding future events and operating and financial performance and speak only as of the date of this MD&A. The Company does not assume any obligation to update any such forward looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws. These forward-looking statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties. The following are some factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in or underlying such forward-looking statements: changes in national and local business and economic conditions, impacts of legislation and governmental regulation, accounting policies and practices, competition, changes in demographic trends and changing consumer preferences, and the results of operations and financial condition of PPL. The foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive and should be read in conjunction with the other information included in the foregoing MD&A, the PPL financial statements for the period ended December 28, 2025 and the related MD&A and the Company's Annual Information Form.
www.pizzapizza.ca and www.pizza73.com or www.sedarplus.ca.
Exhibit One: Reconciliation of Non-IFRS Measures
The Company's earnings, as presented under IFRS includes non-cash items, such as deferred tax, that do not affect the Company's business operations or its ability to pay dividends to shareholders. The Company believes its earnings are not the only, or most meaningful, measurement of the Company's ability to pay dividends or measure the rate at which the Company is paying out its earnings. Therefore, the Company reports the following non-IFRS measures:
-- Adjusted earnings available for distribution to the Company and PPL;
-- Adjusted earnings from operations;
-- Adjusted earnings available for shareholder dividends;
-- Adjusted earnings per share ("EPS");
-- Payout Ratio; and
-- Working Capital.
The Company believes that the above noted measures provide investors with more meaningful information regarding the amount of cash that the Company has generated to pay dividends, and, together with Interest Paid on Borrowings and SSSG, help illustrate the Company's operating performance and highlight trends in the Company's business. These measures are also frequently used by analysts, investors, and other interested parties in the evaluation of issuers in the Company's sector, particularly those with a royalty-based model. The adjustments to net earnings as recorded under IFRS relate to non-cash items included in earnings and cash payments accounted for on the statement of financial position. Investors are cautioned, however, that this should not be construed as an alternative to net earnings as a measure of profitability. The method of calculating the Company's NI 52-112 non-IFRS financial measures: Adjusted earnings available for distribution to the Company and Pizza Pizza Limited, Adjusted earnings from operations, Adjusted earnings available for shareholder dividends, Adjusted EPS, Payout Ratio, Working Capital and SSSG for the purposes of this MD&A may differ from that used by other issuers and, accordingly, these measures may not be comparable to similar measures used by other issuers.
The table below reconciles the following to "Earnings for the period before income taxes" which is the most directly comparable measure calculated in accordance with IFRS:
-- Adjusted earnings available for distribution to the Company and Pizza
Pizza Limited;
-- Adjusted earnings from operations; and
-- Adjusted earnings available for shareholder dividends.
(in thousands of dollars, Q1 2026 Q4 2025 Q3 2025 Q2 2025
except number of shares)
Earnings for the period before
income taxes 8,851 9,930 9,571 9,734
Adjusted earnings available
for distribution to the
Company and Pizza Pizza
Limited 8,851 9,930 9,571 9,734
Current income tax expense (1,554) (1,775) (1,706) (1,707)
Adjusted earnings from
operations 7,297 8,155 7,865 8,027
Less: Distribution on Class B
and Class D Exchangeable
Shares (3,010) (2,725) (2,726) (2,726)
Adjusted earnings available
for shareholder dividends 4,287 5,430 5,139 5,301
Weighted average Shares --
diluted 33,804,543 33,353,588 33,353,588 33,353,588 (in thousands of dollars, Q1 2025 Q4 2024 Q3 2024 Q2 2024 except number of shares) Earnings for the period before income taxes 9,328 9,840 9,566 9,557 Adjusted earnings available for distribution to the Company and Pizza Pizza Limited 9,328 9,840 9,566 9,557 Current income tax expense (1,656) (1,767) (1,714) (1,712) Adjusted earnings from operations 7,672 8,073 7,852 7,845 Less: Distribution on Class B and Class D Exchangeable Shares (2,760) (2,584) (2,584) (2,584) Adjusted earnings available for shareholder dividends 4,912 5,489 5,268 5,261 Weighted average Shares -- diluted 33,353,588 32,908,631 32,908,631 32,908,631
The Basic EPS and the Adjusted EPS calculations are based on fully diluted weighted average shares, and both include PPL's Class B and Class D Exchangeable Shares since they are exchangeable into and economically equivalent to the Shares. See "Adjusted EPS".
Adjusted EPS is calculated by dividing Adjusted earnings from operations, as explained above, by the fully diluted weighted average shares. Adjusted EPS for the Quarter decreased to $0.216 when compared to the same period of 2025, and reflects the decrease in royalty income and SSSG.
Basic EPS is adjusted as follows: Three months ended
March 31, 2026 March 31, 2025
Basic EPS $ 0.220 $ 0.233
Adjustments:
Deferred tax expense (0.004) (0.003)
Adjusted EPS $ 0.216 $ 0.230
Payout Ratio is a non-IFRS financial measure that does not have a standardized meaning prescribed by IFRS and therefore may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other issuers. The Company presents the Payout Ratio to illustrate the earnings being returned to shareholders. The Company's Payout Ratio is calculated by dividing the dividends declared to shareholders by the adjusted earnings from operations, after paying the distribution on Class B and Class D Exchangeable Shares, in that same period.
Three months ended
(in thousands of dollars, except as March 31, 2026 March 31, 2025
noted otherwise)
Dividends declared to shareholders 5,724 5,724
Adjusted earnings available for
shareholder dividends 4,287 4,912
Payout Ratio 134 % 117 %
Working Capital is defined as total current assets less total current liabilities. The Company views working capital as a measure for assessing overall liquidity and its ability to stabilize dividends and fund unusual expenditures in the event of short- to medium-term variability in Royalty Pool System Sales. The use of the working capital during the Quarter was to help fund the dividends, with the payout ratio of 134%.
(in thousands of dollars) March 31, 2026 December, 2025 Total current assets 5,911 7,258 Less: Total current liabilities 3,594 3,531 Working Capital 2,317 3,727
SSSG is a key indicator used by the Company to measure performance against internal targets and prior period results. SSSG is commonly used by financial analysts and investors to compare PPL to other QSR brands. SSSG is defined as the change in period gross sales of Pizza Pizza and Pizza 73 restaurants as compared to sales in the previous comparative period, where the restaurant has been open at least 13 months. Additionally, for a Pizza 73 restaurant whose restaurant territory was adjusted due to an additional restaurant, the sales used to derive the Step-Out Payment may be added to sales to arrive at SSSG (as defined in footnote 2 on page 3). It is a key performance indicator for the Company as this measure excludes sales fluctuations due to store closings, permanent relocations and chain expansion.
The following table calculates SSSG by reconciling Royalty Pool System Sales, based on calendar periods, to PPL's 13-week sales reporting period used in calculating same store sales.
Three months ended
(in thousands of dollars) March 31, 2026 March 31, 2025
Total Royalty Pool System Sales 145,834 151,323
Adjustments for stores not in both
periods, Make-Whole
Carryover Amount, Step-Out payments, and
the impact
of calendar reporting 978 1,714
Same Store Sales 146,812 153,037
SSSG -4.1 % 1.2 %
SOURCE Pizza Pizza Royalty Corp.
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Copyright CNW Group 2026
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