Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

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Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2017
Accounting Policies [Abstract]  
Use of Estimates

Use of Estimates

 

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the financial statements and accompanying notes. Significant estimates include the valuation of the investments, deferred tax asset valuation allowances, valuing options and warrants using the Black-Scholes models, intangible asset valuations and useful lives, depreciation and uncollectible accounts and reserves. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Revenue Recognition

REVENUE RECOGNITION

 

Revenue is recognized when all of the following criteria have been satisfied:

 

  Persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists;
     
  Delivery has occurred or services have been rendered;
     
  The seller’s price to the buyer is fixed or determinable; and
     
  Collectability is reasonably assured.

 

Restaurant Net Sales and Food and Beverage Costs

 

The Company records revenue from restaurant sales at the time of sale, net of discounts, coupons, employee meals, and complimentary meals and gift cards. Sales, value added tax (“VAT”) and goods and services tax (“GST”) collected from customers and remitted to governmental authorities are presented on a net basis within sales in our consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss. Restaurant cost of sales primarily includes the cost of food, beverages, and merchandise and disposable paper and plastic goods used in preparing and selling our menu items, and exclude depreciation and amortization. Vendor allowances received in connection with the purchase of a vendor’s products are recognized as a reduction of the related food and beverage costs as earned.

 

Management Fee Income

 

The Company receives revenue from management fees from certain non-affiliated companies, including from managing its investment in Hooters of America.

 

Gaming Income

 

The Company receives revenue from operating a gaming facility adjacent to its Hooters restaurant in Jantzen Beach, Oregon. Revenue from gaming is recognized as earned from gaming activities, net of payouts to customers, taxes and government fees. These fees are recognized as they are earned based on the terms of the management agreements.

 

Franchise Income

 

The Company accounts for initial franchisee fees in accordance with FASB ASC 952, “Franchisors”. The Company grants franchises to operators in exchange for initial franchise license fees and continuing royalty payments. Franchise license fees are deferred when received and recognized as revenue when the Company has performed substantially all initial services required by the franchise or license agreement, which is generally upon the opening of a store. Continuing fees, which are based upon a percentage of franchisee revenues, are recognized on the accrual basis as those sales occur.

Business Combinations

Business combinations

 

For business combinations, the assets acquired, the liabilities assumed, and any non-controlling interest are recognized at the acquisition date, measured at their fair values as of that date. In a business combination achieved in stages, the identifiable assets and liabilities, as well as the non-controlling interest in the acquiree, are recognized at the full amounts of their fair values.

Long-Lived Assets

Long-lived Assets

 

The Company accounts for amortizing long-lived assets in accordance with Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 360, “Accounting for the Impairment or Disposal of Long-Lived Assets” (“ASC 360”), which requires that long-lived assets be evaluated for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount may not be recoverable or the useful life has changed. Some of the events or changes in circumstances that would trigger an impairment test include, but are not limited to;

 

  significant under-performance relative to expected and/or historical results (negative comparable sales growth or operating cash flows for two consecutive years);
     
  significant negative industry or economic trends;
     
  knowledge of transactions involving the sale of similar property at amounts below the company’s carrying value; or
     
  the company’s expectation to dispose of long-lived assets before the end of their estimated useful lives, even though the assets do not meet the criteria to be classified as “held for sale”.

 

Long-lived assets are grouped for recognition and measurement of impairment at the lowest level for which identifiable cash flows are largely independent of the cash flows of other assets. The impairment test for long-lived assets requires us to assess the recoverability of our long-lived assets by comparing their net carrying value to the sum of undiscounted estimated future cash flows directly associated with and arising from the Company’s use and eventual disposition of the assets. If the net carrying value of a group of long-lived assets exceeds the sum of related undiscounted estimated future cash flows, the Company would be required to record an impairment charge equal to the excess, if any, of net carrying value over fair value.

 

When assessing the recoverability of our long-lived assets, which include property and equipment and finite-lived intangible assets, the Company makes assumptions regarding estimated future cash flows and other factors. Some of these assumptions involve a high degree of judgment and also bear a significant impact on the assessment conclusions. Included among these assumptions are estimating undiscounted future cash flows, including the projection of comparable sales, operating expenses, capital requirements for maintaining property and equipment and residual value of asset groups. The Company formulates estimates from historical experience and assumptions of future performance, based on business plans and forecasts, recent economic and business trends, and competitive conditions. In the event that our estimates or related assumptions change in the future, the Company may be required to record an impairment charge.

 

The Company evaluates the remaining useful lives of long-lived assets and identifiable intangible assets whenever events or circumstances indicate that a revision to the remaining period of amortization is warranted. Such events or circumstances may include (but are not limited to): the effects of obsolescence, demand, competition, and/or other economic factors including the stability of the industry in which the Company operates, known technological advances, legislative actions, or changes in the regulatory environment. If the estimated remaining useful lives change, the remaining carrying amount of the long-lived assets and identifiable intangible assets would be amortized prospectively over that revised remaining useful life.

Restaurant Pre-opening and Closing Expenses

RESTAURANT PRE-OPENING and closing EXPENSES

 

Restaurant pre-opening and closing expenses are non-capital expenditures and are expensed as incurred or as triggered by managements determination to close a store. Restaurant pre-opening expenses consist of the costs of hiring and training the initial hourly work force for each new restaurant, travel, the cost of food and supplies used in training, grand opening promotional costs, the cost of the initial stocking of operating supplies and other direct costs related to the opening of a restaurant, including rent during the construction and in-restaurant training period. Restaurant closing expenses consists of the costs related to the closing of a restaurant location and include write-off of property and equipment, lease termination costs and other costs directly related to the closure.

Liquor Licenses

LIQUOR LICENSES

 

The costs of obtaining non-transferable liquor licenses that are directly issued by local government agencies for nominal fees are expensed as incurred. The costs of purchasing transferable liquor licenses through open markets in jurisdictions with a limited number of authorized liquor licenses are capitalized as indefinite-lived intangible assets and included in other assets. Liquor licenses are reviewed for impairment annually or when events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount may not be recoverable. Annual liquor license renewal fees are expensed over the renewal term.

Accounts and Other Receivables

ACCOUNTS AND OTHER RECEIVABLES

 

The Company monitors its exposure for credit losses on its receivable balances and the creditworthiness of its receivables on an ongoing basis and records related allowances for doubtful accounts. Allowances are estimated based upon specific customer and other balances, where a risk of default has been identified, and also include a provision for non-customer specific defaults based upon historical experience. The majority of the Company’s accounts are from customer credit card transactions with minimal historical credit risk. As of December 31, 2017 and 2016, the Company has not recorded an allowance for doubtful accounts. If circumstances related to specific customers change, estimates of the recoverability of receivables could also change.

Inventories

INVENTORIES

 

Inventories are recorded at the lower of cost (first-in, first-out method) or net realizable value, and consist primarily of restaurant food items, supplies, beverages and merchandise.

Leases

LEASES

 

The Company leases certain property under operating leases. The Company also finances certain property using capital leases, with the asset and obligation recorded at an amount equal to the present value of the minimum lease payments during the lease term.

 

Many of these lease agreements contain rent holidays, rent escalation clauses and/or contingent rent provisions. Rent expense is recognized on a straight-line basis over the expected lease term, including cancelable option periods when failure to exercise such options would result in an economic penalty. The Company also may receive tenant improvement allowances in connection with its leases, which are capitalized as leasehold improvements with a corresponding liability recorded in the deferred rent liability line in the consolidated balance sheet. The tenant improvement allowance liability is amortized on a straight-line basis over the lease term as a reduction of rent expense. The rent commencement date of the lease term is the earlier of the date when the Company becomes legally obligated for the rent payments or the date when the Company takes access to the property or the grounds for build out. Certain leases contain percentage rent provisions where additional rent may become due if the location exceeds certain sales thresholds. The Company recognizes expense related to percentage rent obligations at such time as it becomes probable that the percent rent threshold will be met.

Fair Value of Financial Instruments

fair value of financial instruments

 

The Company is required to disclose fair value information about financial instruments when it is practicable to estimate that value. The carrying amounts of the Company’s cash, accounts receivable, other receivables, accounts payable, accrued expenses, other current liabilities, convertible notes payable and notes payable approximate their estimated fair value due to the short-term maturities of these financial instruments and/or because related interest rates offered to the Company approximate current market rates.

Property and Equipment

Property and Equipment

 

Property and equipment are stated at cost, less accumulated depreciation. Depreciation and amortization, which includes depreciation of assets held under capital leases, are recorded generally using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the respective assets or, if shorter, the term of the lease for certain assets held under a capital lease. Leasehold improvements are amortized over the lesser of the expected lease term, or the estimated useful lives of the related assets using the straight-line method.

 

The estimated useful lives used to compute depreciation and amortization are as follow:

 

  Leasehold improvements 5-15 years
  Restaurant furnishings and equipment 3-10 years
  Furniture and fixtures 3-10 years
  Office and computer equipment 3-7 years

 

Maintenance and repairs are charged to operations when incurred. Betterments and renewals are capitalized. When property and equipment are sold or otherwise disposed of, the asset account and related accumulated depreciation account are relieved, and any gain or loss is included in operations.

Goodwill

Goodwill

 

The Company reviews goodwill for impairment annually or more frequently if indicators of impairment exist. Goodwill is not subject to amortization and has been assigned to reporting units for purposes of impairment testing. The reporting units are our segments (See Note 14).

 

A significant amount of judgment is involved in determining if an indicator of impairment has occurred. Such indicators may include, among others: a significant decline in the Company’s expected future cash flows; a sustained, significant decline in our stock price and market capitalization; a significant adverse change in legal factors or in the business climate; unanticipated competition; the testing for recoverability of a significant asset group within a reporting unit; and slower growth rates. Any adverse change in these factors could have a significant impact on the recoverability of these assets and could have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

 

The goodwill impairment test involves a two-step process. The first step is a comparison of each reporting unit’s fair value to its carrying value. The Company estimates fair value using the best information available, including market information and discounted cash flow projections (also referred to as the income approach). The income approach uses a reporting unit’s projection of estimated operating results and cash flows that is discounted using a weighted-average cost of capital that reflects current market conditions. The projection uses management’s best estimates of economic and market conditions over the projected period including growth rates in sales, costs and number of units, estimates of future expected changes in operating margins and cash expenditures. Other significant estimates and assumptions include terminal value growth rates, future estimates of capital expenditures and changes in future working capital requirements. The Company validates its estimates of fair value under the income approach by comparing the values to fair value estimates using a market approach. A market approach estimates fair value by applying cash flow and sales multiples to the reporting unit’s operating performance. The multiples are derived from comparable publicly traded companies with similar operating and investment characteristics of the reporting units.

 

If the fair value of the reporting unit is higher than its carrying value, goodwill is deemed not to be impaired, and no further testing is required. If the carrying value of the reporting unit is higher than its fair value, there is an indication that impairment may exist and the second step must be performed to measure the amount of impairment loss. The amount of impairment is determined by comparing the implied fair value of reporting unit goodwill to the carrying value of the goodwill in the same manner as if the reporting unit was being acquired in a business combination. Specifically, fair value is allocated to all of the assets and liabilities of the reporting unit, including any unrecognized intangible assets, in a hypothetical analysis that would calculate the implied fair value of goodwill. If the implied fair value of goodwill is less than the recorded goodwill, the Company would record an impairment loss for the difference.

 

As of December 31, 2017, goodwill is not impaired at any of our reporting units. While the estimated fair value of the Hooters Full Service reporting unit exceeded its carrying value, that excess was not significant. Accordingly, a significant reduction in future revenue for the Hooters unit from that contemplated in the Company's cash flow projections could result in an impairment of goodwill.

 

The Company is considering various strategies to improve cash flow and reduce long-term debt, which could include selling certain of its operating assets, as well as possibly closing certain under-performing store locations to improve cash flows. Those strategic evaluations are ongoing, no decisions have been made and management can provide no assurance that the Company will proceed with any asset sales, or that such asset sale can be completed on favorable terms, or at all.

 

In the event that management does elect to proceed with asset sales and/or affect store closures in the future rather than continue to hold and operate all its assets long term, management's assessment of the fair value, and ultimate recoverability, of goodwill, intangibles, property and equipment and other assets would be impacted and the Company could incur significant noncash impairment charges and cash exit costs in future periods.

Intangible Assets

InTANGIBLE ASSETS

 

Indefinite-lived trade name/trademark

 

Certain of the Company's trade name/trademarks have been determined to have an indefinite life. Generally accepted accounting principles in the Unites States require the Company to perform indefinite lived asset impairment testing annually or more frequently when negative conditions or triggering events arise. The fair value of trade name/trademarks are estimated and compared to the carrying value. The Company estimates the fair value of trademarks using the relief-from-royalty method, which requires assumptions related to projected sales from its annual long-range plan; assumed royalty rates that could be payable if the Company did not own the trademarks; and a discount rate. As of December 31, 2017, indefinite-lived trade names/trademarks are not impaired.

 

Definite-lived trade name/trademark

 

Certain of the Company's trade name/trademarks have been determined to have a definite life and are being amortized on a straight-line basis over estimated useful lives of 10 years. The amortization expense of these definite-lived intangibles is included in depreciation and amortization in the Company's consolidated statement of operations and comprehensive loss. As of December 31, 2017, definite-lived trade names/trademarks are not impaired.

 

Franchise Cost

 

Intangible assets are recorded for the initial franchise fees for our Hooter’s restaurants. The Company amortizes these amounts over a 20-year period, which is the life of the franchise agreement. The Company also has intangible assets representing the acquisition date fair value of customer contracts acquired in connection with BGR’s franchise business. The Company previously determined this intangible asset to be indefinite lived based on the Company’s expectations of franchisee renewals. During 2017, management reevaluated the expected life of the BGR franchise intangible and determined that the asset was impaired, resulting in an impairment charged of $264 thousand. Management also revised its estimated useful life of the related intangible asset and began amortizing the related asset over the weighted average life of the underlying franchise agreements.

Derivative Liabilities

DERIVATIVES

 

On May 4, 2017, the Company issued 8% non-convertible secured debentures in the principal amount of $6,000,000 and warrants to purchase 1,200,000 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $3.50 and a ten-year term (see Note 8- Long Term Debt and Notes Payable). On October 12, 2017, the Company entered into a Securities Purchase Agreement for the sale of 499,857 shares of common stock at a purchase price of $2.00 per share. The company also issued 5½ year warrants to purchase up to 499,857 shares of common stock at a exercise price of $3.50 per share. (See Note 12- Shareholder's Equity). The Company determined that the warrants issued in connection with both the debentures and the Securities Purchase Agreement were fixed price instruments and did not meet any other criteria requiring derivative liability accounting.

Acquired Assets and Assumed Liabilities

ACQUIRED ASSETS AND ASSUMED LIABILITIES

 

Pursuant to ASC No. 805-10-25, if the initial accounting for a business combination is incomplete by the end of the reporting period in which the combination occurs, but during the allowed measurement period not to exceed one year from the acquisition date, the Company retrospectively adjusts the provisional amounts recognized at the acquisition date by means of adjusting the amount recognized for goodwill.

Income Taxes

Income Taxes

 

Deferred income taxes are provided on the liability method whereby deferred tax assets are recognized for deductible temporary differences and operating loss and tax credit carryforwards and deferred tax liabilities are recognized for taxable temporary differences. Temporary differences are the differences between the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and their tax basis. Deferred tax assets are reduced by a valuation allowance when, in the opinion of management, it is more likely than not that some portion or all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are adjusted for the effects of changes in tax laws and rates on the date of enactment. The Company has provided a valuation allowance for the full amount of the deferred tax assets.

 

As of December 31, 2017 and 2016, the Company had no accrued interest or penalties relating to any income tax obligations. The Company currently has no federal or state examinations in progress, nor has it had any federal or state tax examinations since its inception. The last three years of the Company’s tax years are subject to federal and state tax examination.

Stock-Based Compensation

Stock-based Compensation

 

The compensation cost relating to share-based payment transactions (including the cost of all employee stock options) is required to be recognized in the financial statements. That cost is measured based on the estimated fair value of the equity or liability instruments issued. A wide range of share-based compensation arrangements including share options, restricted share plans, performance-based awards, share appreciation rights and employee share purchase plans are included.

 

Reverse Split

 

As of May 19, 2017, the Company affected a one-for-ten reverse stock split of the Company’s shares of common stock. As a result of reverse stock split, each ten shares of common stock issued and outstanding were combined into one share of common stock. No fractional shares were issued in connection with the reverse stock split. The Company rounded fractional shares up to the nearest whole number.

 

The reverse stock split had no impact on the par value per share of the Company’s common stock or the number of authorized shares. All current and prior period amounts related to shares, share prices and earnings per share contained in the accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been restated to give retrospective presentation for the reverse stock split.

Loss Per Common Share

LOSS PER COMMON SHARE

 

The Company is required to report both basic earnings per share, which is based on the weighted-average number of shares outstanding and diluted earnings per share, which is based on the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding plus all diluted shares outstanding.

 

The following table summarizes the number of common shares potentially issuable upon the exercise of certain warrants, convertible notes payable and convertible interest as of December 31, 2017 and 2016, which have been excluded from the calculation of diluted net loss per common share since the effect would be antidilutive.

 

    December 31, 2017     December 31, 2016  
Warrants     2,362,615       972,203  
Convertible notes     366,667       372,500  
Accrued interest on convertible notes     18,681       45,876  
Total     2,747,963       1,390,579  

Advertising

ADVERTISING

 

Advertising costs are expensed as incurred. Advertising expenses which are included in restaurant operating expenses in the accompanying consolidated statement of operations, totaled $0.5 million and $0.7 million for the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively. Advertising expense primarily consists of local advertising.

Amortization of Debt Discount

AMORTIZATION OF DEBT DISCOUNT

 

The Company has issued various debt with warrants and conversion features for which total proceeds were allocated to individual instruments based on the relative fair value of each instrument at the time of issuance. The offset to the amounts allocated to the other warrants and conversion features and the value of the debt was recorded as discount on debt and amortized over the term of the respective debt. For the year ended December 31, 2017 and 2016 amortization of debt discount was $0.8 million and $1.0 million, respectively.

Foreign Currency Translation

FOREIGN CURRENCY TRANSLATION

 

Assets and liabilities denominated in local currency are translated to U.S. dollars using the exchange rates in effect at the balance sheet date. Results of operations are translated using average exchange rates prevailing throughout the period. Adjustments resulting from the process of translating foreign currency financial statements from functional currency into U.S. dollars are included in accumulated other comprehensive loss within stockholders’ equity. Foreign currency transaction gains and losses are included in current earnings. The Company has determined that local currency is the functional currency for each of its foreign operations.

Comprehensive Income (Loss)

Comprehensive Income (LOSS)

 

Standards for reporting and displaying comprehensive income (loss) and its components (revenues, expenses, gains and losses) in a full set of general-purpose financial statements requires that all items that are required to be recognized under accounting standards as components of comprehensive income (loss) be reported in a financial statement that is displayed with the same prominence as other financial statements. We are required to (a) classify items of other comprehensive income (loss) by their nature in financial statements, and (b) display the accumulated balance of other comprehensive income (loss) separately in the equity section of the balance sheet for all periods presented. Other comprehensive income (loss) items include foreign currency translation adjustments.

Concentration of Credit Risk

concentration of credit risk

 

The Company maintains its cash with major financial institutions. Cash held in U.S. bank institutions is currently insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”) up to $250,000 at each institution. No similar insurance or guarantee exists for cash held in South Africa or the United Kingdom bank accounts. There was approximately $202 thousand and $35 thousand in aggregate uninsured cash balances at December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively.

 

Certain reclassifications have been made in the financial statements at December 31, 2016 and for the year then ended to conform with current year presentation. The reclassifications had no effect on net loss.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

RECENT ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS

 

In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2014-09 “Revenue from Contracts with Customers”. The FASB has also issued additional related standards (ASU’s 2015-14, 2016-08, 2016-10, 2016-12, 2016-20) all of which supersede the existing revenue recognition guidance and provides a new framework for recognizing revenue. The core principle of the new standard is that an entity should recognize revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods and services. The new standard also requires significantly more comprehensive disclosures than the existing standard. Guidance subsequent to ASU 2014-09 has been issued to clarify various provisions in the standard, including principal versus agent considerations, identifying performance obligations, licensing transactions, as well as various technical corrections and improvements. This standard may be adopted using either a retrospective or modified retrospective method. Early adoption is permitted.

 

We are substantially complete with our evaluation of the impact this standard is expected to have on our consolidated financial statements. We do not expect a significant impact on restaurant sales, gaming income or management fees or to sales-based royalty revenue. However, the pattern and timing of revenue recognition related to the fixed fees associated with our franchise agreements (such as restaurant opening and area fees) will differ from current policy. Under the new standard, the license granted to each restaurant under each existing contract is considered a performance obligation. All other promises (such as providing assistance during the opening of a restaurant) will be combined with the license as one performance obligation. Accordingly, we will allocate the total transaction price (comprised of the restaurant opening and territory fees) to each restaurant expected to be opened by the licensee under the contract. We will recognize the fee allocated to each restaurant as revenue on a straight-line basis over the restaurant’s license term, which generally begins when the restaurant opens.

 

We plan to adopt the standard on January 1, 2018, utilizing a modified retrospective transition approach. We are in the process of finalizing our analysis and expect the adoption to result in a decrease to retained earnings of approximately $220 thousand on the transition date with a corresponding increase of $220 thousand in deferred revenue.

 

In November 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-07 “Income Taxes (Topic 740): Balance Sheet Classification of Deferred Taxes” related to the presentation of deferred income taxes. The guidance requires that deferred tax assets and liabilities be classified as non-current in a consolidated balance sheet. This guidance was adopted in the first quarter of 2017 and did not materially affect the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

 

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02 “Leases,” which supersedes ASC 840 “Leases” and creates a new topic, ASC 842 “Leases.” This update requires lessees to recognize a lease liability and a lease asset for all leases, including operating leases, with a term greater than 12 months on its balance sheet. The update also expands the required quantitative and qualitative disclosures surrounding leases. This update is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018 and interim periods within those fiscal years, with earlier adoption permitted. This update will be applied using a modified retrospective transition approach for leases existing at, or entered into after, the beginning of the earliest comparative period presented in the financial statements.

 

The Company is currently evaluating the impact this standard will have on its consolidated financial statements and are in process of identifying the population of leases to be analyzed and recognized as right to use assets and liabilities on the Company’s consolidated balance sheet upon adoption. The Company has not completed its evaluation or quantified the impact that adoption of ASU 2016-02 will have on its consolidated financial statements. However, management does expect there to be a material increase in both assets and liabilities reflected on its consolidated balance sheets as a result of adoption on January 1, 2019 with the majority of leases currently classified as operating will be reflected as right to use assets and capital lease obligations on the consolidated balance sheet under the new standard.

 

In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-09 “Compensation - Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting”. The amendments in this update simplify several aspects of the accounting for employee share-based payment transactions, including the accounting for income taxes, forfeitures and statutory tax withholding requirements, as well as classification in the statement of cash flows. This update was adopted by the Company as of January 1, 2017 and did not have any effect on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

 

In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-04 “Intangibles—Goodwill and Other (Topic 350): Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment.” The new guidance simplifies the test for goodwill impairment. Currently, the fair value of the reporting unit is compared with the carrying value of the reporting unit (identified as “Step 1”). If the fair value of the reporting unit is lower than its carrying amount then, the implied fair value of goodwill is calculated. If the implied fair value of goodwill is lower than the carrying value of goodwill an impairment is recognized (identified as “Step 2”). The new standard eliminates Step 2 from the impairment test; therefore, a goodwill impairment will be recognized as the difference of the fair value and the carrying value of the reporting unit. The new standard becomes effective on January 1, 2020 with early adoption permitted. The Company adopted ASU 2017-04 effective January 1, 2018 and it did not have any effect on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

 

In July 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-11, Earnings Per Share (Topic 260), Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity (Topic 480) and Derivatives and Hedging (Topic 815): I. Accounting for Certain Financial Instruments with Down Round Features; II. Replacement of the Indefinite Deferral for Mandatorily Redeemable Financial Instruments of Certain Nonpublic Entities and Certain Mandatorily Redeemable Noncontrolling Interests with a Scope Exception. Part I of this update addresses the complexity of accounting for certain financial instruments with down round features. Down round features are features of certain equity-linked instruments (or embedded features) that result in the strike price being reduced on the basis of the pricing of future equity offerings. Current accounting guidance creates cost and complexity for entities that issue financial instruments (such as warrants and convertible instruments) with down round features that require fair value measurement of the entire instrument or conversion option. Part II of this update addresses the difficulty of navigating Topic 480, Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity, because of the existence of extensive pending content in the FASB Accounting Standards Codification. This pending content is the result of the indefinite deferral of accounting requirements about mandatorily redeemable financial instruments of certain nonpublic entities and certain mandatorily redeemable noncontrolling interests. The amendments in Part II of this update do not have an accounting effect. This ASU is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2018. Early adoption is permitted. The Company adopted  ASU 2017-11 as of January 1, 2017 with no material effect on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

 

In August 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-15, Statement af Cash Flows: Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payment. ASU 2016-15 provides guidance on the classification of eight cash flow issues in order to reduce diversity in practice. The new standard is effective for us beginning January 1, 2018, with early adoption permitted.

 

We elected to early adopt ASU 2016-15 during fiscal year 2017. The new standard requires application using a retrospective transition method. We have evaluated the impact on a quantitative and qualitative basis and concluded it was not material to any of our prior periods presented.

 

There are several other new accounting pronouncements issued by FASB, which are not yet effective. Each of these pronouncements has been or will be adopted, as applicable, by the Company. At December 31, 2017, other than the adoption of ASU No. 2016-02 “Leases,” none of these pronouncements are expected to have a material effect on the financial position, results of operations or cash flows of the Company.