I must admit, when I first entered a Luby's (NYSE: LUB ) cafeteria at the insistence of a colleague, it was with no small degree of trepidation. Having been subjected to the punishment of four years of high school cafeteria food, I was in no particular rush to relive the experience. However, instead of having a cold sloppy joe unceremoniously dumped on my tray (think of the lunchroom lady from Billy Madison), my fears were allayed by a broad selection of entrees, vegetables, and desserts that were not only identifiable but also tasty.
Unfortunately, the company's sales haven't looked nearly as palatable. After hitting a plateau around $500 million during the late 1990s, revenues have since been in a tailspin, bottoming out at $304 million in fiscal 2003. Maybe the Houston-based company has pulled out of the dive, though, as this morning it reported that first-quarter sales climbed 4.2% to $70.3 million from $67.4 million a year ago.
Luby's posted improvements in other areas as well. Last year's $0.20 net loss was scaled back by 75% to $0.05. The company also shaved 100 basis points off its labor expenses (though this was offset by a corresponding rise in food costs) and paid down debt by nearly $3 million by selling real estate from closed restaurants. Furthermore, its 4.2% same-store sales gain stacks up well against many casual dining rivals that are struggling with sluggish comps.
Ryan's (Nasdaq: RYAN ) for example, posted a 4.8% decline in same-store sales last month, on the heels of a 4.5% drop in October. Ruby Tuesday (NYSE: RI ) reported an 8.6% decline in second-quarter comps at company-owned units, extending the weakness that had surfaced in the first quarter. The story is similar at Brinker (NYSE: EAT ) , which just announced falling comps at its flagship Chili's chain.
Luby's has done a good job of trimming its debt, and after several years of contraction, sales are slowly beginning to creep higher. Furthermore, the company's takeout operations -- like those of Outback Steakhouse (NYSE: OSI ) , Ruby Tuesday, and others -- have been embraced by time-starved consumers. To-go orders represented almost 14% of last year's sales.
Nevertheless, Luby's is generating minimal free cash flow and has not posted an annual profit since 2000. There are many options in this crowded sector, for both investors and diners; I think I will slide my tray further down the line in search of something a little more appetizing.
Fool contributor Nathan Slaughter owns none of the companies mentioned.
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