Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, Inc. (RRGB) Earnings Call Transcripts

Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, Inc.'s Latest Earnings Call - Q1 FY2026

Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, Inc. reported its first quarter 2026 results, showing a decrease in total revenues to $378 million, down $14 million from the previous year, primarily due to restaurant closures and a decline in comparable sales. Despite this, the company achieved its highest Q1 restaurant operating profit margin in five years at 14.8%. Same-store sales were down 0.6%, with a 1.0% increase in average check offset by a 1.6% decrease in traffic. Management maintained full-year guidance, expecting comparable restaurant revenues to grow between 0.5% and 1.5% and adjusted EBITDA to range between $70 million and $73 million.

Reported metrics

Guidance from management

Management maintained full-year guidance, expecting comparable restaurant revenues to grow between 0.5% and 1.5%, and adjusted EBITDA between $70 million and $73 million. Capital expenditures are expected to be between $25 million and $30 million.

What management said

Alex, it's Dave. I'll start out and then I'll hand it over to you guys. I think you're right. I mean we did see strength coming into the year. We saw a little bit of dip through the weather that everybody saw in the middle of the quarter and then a nice rebound at the end. Combination of Big Yumm, certainly, the new menu launch that we put out performed as we had hoped or better than we had hoped across a number of d...

Yes. The only thing I would add -- this is Chris. I'd say from a marketing perspective, we did increase our spend year-over-year. We feel really good about that targeted marketing approach. We said on the last call, we expect to spend more in marketing dollars much every quarter of this year than we spent a year ago. And I think that we're going to continue on that track certainly in the second quarter.

What analysts pressed on

Analysts expressed concerns about the sustainability of traffic improvements and the impact of menu pricing strategies. Questions focused on the balance between value offerings and menu innovation, as well as the potential impact of store closures on revenue and EBITDA.

Main topics on the call

• Traffic and Sales Performance — Same-store sales decreased by 0.6%, with a 1.0% increase in average check and a 1.6% decrease in traffic. Management noted, 'This traffic result improved sequentially from Q4,' indicating traction in their strategies.
• Profit Margin Improvement — Restaurant-level operating margin improved by 50 basis points to 14.8%, the highest in five years. Management attributed this to 'incremental gains in four-wall efficiency.'
• Big Yummm Value Platform — The Big Yummm platform mixed at over 13%, with offerings ranging from $9.99 to $16.99, supporting incremental traffic and trial. Management stated it 'continues to resonate with guests.'
• Cost Management and Efficiency — Labor efficiency initiatives drove approximately 130 basis points of year-over-year savings, with labor percentage at 35.7%, the lowest in three years. Management emphasized 'sustained accountability and ownership.'

Read the full Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, Inc. transcript (Q1 FY2026) → Summary generated from the call transcript; every figure above is stated by management on the record.

Earnings Call History

EarningsCalls.dev has 29 Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, Inc. earnings call transcripts on record, spanning February 25, 2020 to August 12, 2026. Based on this history, Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, Inc. reports quarterly. The most recent call on file is dated August 12, 2026. The full list is below — each row opens the complete, free-to-read transcript.

Ticker

RRGB

Exchange

NasdaqGS

Country

US

Sector

Consumer Discretionary

Industry

Hotels, Restaurants and Leisure

Calls on record

29

First call

February 25, 2020

Most recent

August 12, 2026

Reporting cadence

quarterly