Wyndham Worldwide Reports Second Quarter 2009 Results

PARSIPPANY, N.J. 07-29-2009 —
Wyndham Worldwide Corporation (NYSE:WYN) today announced results for the three months ended June 30, 2009.

SECOND QUARTER 2009 HIGHLIGHTS:

• The Company generated diluted adjusted earnings per share (EPS) of $0.41, compared with Company–issued guidance of $0.36 – $0.4
• The Company reaffirms full–year 2009 revenue and adjusted EBITDA guidance
• Wyndham Hotel Group's concentration in the economy and mid–scale segments led it to outperform the overall industry average domestic revenue per available room (RevPAR), posting a decline of 13.6% compared with a decline of 19.5%, as reported by Smith Travel Research
• Group RCI adjusted EBITDA, excluding the net effect of foreign currency impacts, increased 30%
• Volume per guest (VPG) at Wyndham Vacation Ownership increased 17%, reflecting strong pricing and higher close rates
• In May 2009, the Company successfully completed $480 million of debt issuances maturing in 2012 and 2014; increasing available capacity on its revolving credit facility to approximately $840 million as of June 30, 2009

Read more:

http://www.wyndhamworldwide.com/investors/show_release.cfm?id=557

Famous Dave's Reports Second Quarter Earnings of $0.26 per share

MINNEAPOLIS, Jul 29, 2009 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Famous Dave's of America, Inc. (NASDAQ: DAVE) today announced revenue and net income of $36.3 million and $2.4 million, respectively, or $0.26 per diluted share for its fiscal 2009 second quarter ended June 28, 2009. This compares to revenue and net income of $38.8 million and $2.3 million, respectively, or $0.23 per diluted share for the comparable period of 2008. For the six months ended June 28, 2009, the Company had revenue and net income of $70.1 million and $3.7 million, respectively, or $0.40 per diluted share. For the comparable six months of 2008, the Company had revenue and net income of $72.5 million and $3.1 million, respectively, or $0.32 per diluted share

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http://ir.famousdaves.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=92947&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1313845&highlight=

2009 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Study

Facing similar challenges to that of the domestic airline and auto industries—namely, rising costs and a lack of customers—the hotel industry has also been forced to slash operating costs and reduce staff in hopes of remaining competitive. But even though reduced demand has forced hotel properties to make sweeping changes, hotel guest satisfaction actually improved in 2009, according to a recent J.D. Power and Associates study. How have hoteliers accomplished this feat? By focusing on their customers.

Read more:
http://www.jdpower.com/travel/articles/2009-North-America-Hotel-Guest-Satisfaction-Study

Eateries say biz is cooking

The summer months are usually the worst for the city's restaurants as New Yorkers head to the beach, business meetings are put on hold and the Big Apple simply slooows.
But this year is different. The summer seems to be ushering in a period of growth. “The mood is getting back to normal,” says Dean Poll, president of the Boathouse restaurant in Central Park. “It seems like things have finally stabilized.”

Read more:
http://www.crainsnewyork.com/article/20090726/SMALLBIZ/307269955

Starbucks to Expand Further in China, Won’t Enter India Soon

July 29 (Bloomberg) -- Starbucks Corp., the world’s biggest coffee-shop operator, will keep China as a key part of its Asia growth strategy and has no immediate plans to enter India, the head of the company’s international unit said.
“China clearly is a huge opportunity for us, today and into the foreseeable future,” Martin Coles, president of Starbucks Coffee International Inc., said in an interview in Seoul. “We certainly have aspirations to have operations in India, but this is not something that is on the front burner and about to happen.”

Read more;
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601205&sid=aYVXEkEZkjmc

DineEquity, Inc. Announces Solid Second Quarter 2009 Financial Results

GLENDALE, CA, Jul 28, 2009 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) -- DineEquity, Inc. (NYSE: DIN), the parent company of Applebee's Neighborhood Grill & Bar and IHOP Restaurants, today announced financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2009. DineEquity's financial performance included the following highlights: -- Excluding gains and impairment charges, diluted net income per share
available to common shareholders increased by $0.72 to $0.74 from $0.02
compared to the same quarter last year, primarily due to lower interest
expense and reduced General & Administrative (G&A) expenses. Diluted net
income per share available to common shareholders increased by $2.51 to
$1.09 from a loss of $1.42 compared to the same quarter last year.
Read more:
http://investors.dineequity.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=104384&p=irol-newsArticle_Print&ID=1312780&highlight=

UK Chain Hotels Market Review – June 2009

Hotel occupancy in June proved relatively robust, according to the latest HotStats survey by industry experts, TRI Hospitality Consulting.
Occupancy levels in London for June 2009 reached 84.1%, only one percentage point below last year. June is traditionally the best performing month in the capital, driven by strong corporate demand, leisure tourism and major events such as Wimbledon, which attracts over half a million visitors to London.

Read more:
http://ehotelier.com/hospitality-news/item.php?id=P16763

Bay Restaurant Group refinances to tune of £150m

Bay Restaurant Group (BRG), which operates La Tasca, Slug & Lettuce and ha ha bar & grill eateries, has reduced its debt by between £100m and £150m following a refinancing, according to sources.
The 180 strong group, which emerged from the controversial ‘pre-pack’ administration deal of Laurel Pub Company last year, said it had refinanced to the tune of £150m, with debt believed to have been cut by up to £150m.
BRG said it had agreed the new facility terms with Icelandic bank Kaupthing and Germany’s Commerzbank until 2012.

Read more:
http://www.thepublican.com/story.asp?sectioncode=7&storycode=64664&c=1

DIAMONDROCK HOSPITALITY COMPANY REPORTS SECOND QUARTER 2009 RESULTS

BETHESDA, Maryland, Tuesday July 28, 2009 – DiamondRock Hospitality Company (the "Company") (NYSE: DRH) today announced results of operations for its second quarter ended June 19, 2009. The Company is a lodging-focused real estate investment trust that owns twenty premium hotels in North America.
Second Quarter 2009 Highlights
 RevPAR: The Company’s RevPAR was $109.85, a decrease of 22.2 percent compared to the same period in 2008.
 Hotel Adjusted EBITDA Margins: The Company’s Hotel Adjusted EBITDA margins were 25.19%, a decrease of 604 basis points compared to the same period in 2008.
 Adjusted EBITDA: The Company’s Adjusted EBITDA was $32.6 million, a decline of 39% compared to the same period in 2008.
 Adjusted FFO: The Company’s Adjusted FFO was $24.9 million and Adjusted FFO per diluted share was $0.24.
 Successful Equity Raise: The Company issued 17,825,000 shares of its common stock at $4.85 per share during the second quarter, which resulted in net proceeds of $82.1 million.

Read more:
http://phx.corporate-ir.net/External.File?item=UGFyZW50SUQ9MTEyNzB8Q2hpbGRJRD0tMXxUeXBlPTM=&t=1

Total Insanity: Commerce Restaurant to go Cashless

Bad news for mobsters, drug dealers, and The Real Housewives of New Jersey: Following up on a Gael Greene tweet, Eater learns from Tony Zazula, the owner of West Village restaurant Commerce, that starting in September, they will no longer accept cash. That's right: they will no longer accept our standard monetary unit, the good old American greenback

Read more:
http://eater.com/archives/2009/07/total_insanity_commerce_restaurant_to_go_cashless.php

Benihana Inc. Reports Total Restaurant Sales and Comparable Restaurant Sales for the First Fiscal Quarter 2010

First Fiscal Quarter 2010 Restaurant Sales
Total restaurant sales increased 1.7% to $95.5 million in the first fiscal quarter 2010 from $93.9 million in the first fiscal quarter 2009. For the first fiscal quarter 2010, Company-wide comparable restaurant sales were (10.1%), comprised of (13.1%) at Benihana teppanyaki, 3.5% at RA Sushi, and (14.8%) at Haru.
During the period, Benihana teppanyaki represented approximately 66.2% of consolidated restaurant sales, while RA Sushi and Haru accounted for 23.2% and 10.6% of consolidated restaurant sales, respectively. There were a total of 1,532 store-operating weeks in the first fiscal quarter 2010 compared to 1,348 store-operating weeks in the first fiscal quarter 2009.

Read more:
http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=111271&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1313473&highlight=

J. ALEXANDER’S CORPORATION REPORTS RESULTS

NASHVILLE, TN., July 28, 2009 ‐‐ J. Alexander’ Corporation (NASDAQ: JAX) today
reported operating results for the second quarter and first half of 2009.
A summary of the second quarter of 2009 compared to the second period of 2008
follows:
• Net sales were $34,710,000 as compared to $34,767,000 recorded in the
second quarter of 2008.
• Average weekly same store sales per restaurant declined by 7%.
• The loss before income taxes was $1,431,000 compared to income before
income taxes of $950,000 in the second quarter of 2008.
• An income tax benefit of $635,000 was recorded for the second quarter of
2009 compared to a tax benefit of $273,000 for the second quarter of 2008.
The benefit for the second quarter of 2008 was due to the effect of lowering
the estimated annual effective tax rate for 2008 during that quarter primarily
because of lower estimates of pre‐tax income for the year.
• The net loss was $796,000 compared to net income of $1,223,000 in the
second period of 2008, and the loss per share was $ .13 compared to diluted
earnings per share of $ .18 in the second quarter of 2008.

Read more:
http://www.jalexanders.com/investor/reports/July_28_09.pdf

STR Global posts June 2009 results for Asia/Pacific region

LONDON—Hotels in the Asia/Pacific region experienced double-digit decreases when reported in U.S. dollars for all three key performance metrics for June 2009, according to data compiled by STR Global.
In year-over-year measurements, the Asia/Pacific region’s occupancy dropped 10.8 percent to 56.2 percent; average daily rate declined 16.3 percent to US$111.85; and revenue per available room fell 25.3 percent to US$62.88.

Read more:
http://www.hotelnewsnow.com/articles.aspx?ArticleId=1596

STR Global posts Middle East/Africa June 2009 results

LONDON—The Middle East/Africa region suffered declines in all three key measurements in year-over-year results when reported in U.S. dollars for June 2009, according to data compiled by STR Global.
The region’s occupancy dropped 11.7 percent to 59.6 percent; average daily rate decreased 2.8 percent to US$138.23; and revenue per available room decreased 14.2 percent to US$82.38.
Read more:
http://www.hotelnewsnow.com/articles.aspx?ArticleId=1599

STR Global posts June 2009 results for Europe

LONDON—The European hotel industry posted mixed year-over-year results when reported in U.S. dollars, euros and British pounds for June 2009, according to data compiled by STR Global.
Figures for occupancy, average daily rate and revenue per available room ranged from double-digit losses to single-digit gains, depending on the market and the currency used for comparison.

Read more:
http://www.hotelnewsnow.com/articles.aspx?ArticleId=1600