v3.22.2.2
Leases
12 Months Ended
Jul. 29, 2022
Leases [Abstract]  
Leases
9. Leases


In 2020, the Company adopted new accounting guidance for leases.  As part of the adoption of this accounting guidance for leases, the Company elected to not separate lease and non-lease components.   Additionally, the Company elected to apply the short term lease exemption to all asset classes and the short term lease expense for the period reasonably reflects the short term lease commitments.  As the Company’s leases do not provide an implicit rate, the Company uses the incremental borrowing rate based on the information available at the time of commencement or modification date in determining the present value of lease payments. For operating leases that commenced prior to the date of adoption of the new lease accounting guidance, the Company used the incremental borrowing rate as of the adoption date.  Assumptions used in determining the Company’s incremental borrowing rate include the Company’s implied credit rating and an estimate of secured borrowing rates based on comparable market data.


The Company has entered into agreements for real estate leases that are not recorded as right-of-use assets or lease liabilities as it has not yet taken possession. These leases are expected to commence in 2023 with undiscounted future payments of $35,433.


The following table summarizes the components of lease cost for operating leases for the years ended July 29, 2022, July 30, 2021 and July 31, 2020:

 
2022
   
 2021
   
2020
 
Operating lease cost
 
$
108,903
   
$
106,266
    $ 82,963  
Short term lease cost
   
2,409
     
2,363
      2,896  
Variable lease cost
   
2,673
     
2,248
      1,719  
Total lease cost
 
$
113,985
   
$
110,877
    $ 87,578  


The following table summarizes supplemental cash flow information and non-cash activity related to the Company’s operating leases for the year ended July 29, 2022, July 30, 2021 and July 31, 2020:

     2022      2021      2020  
Operating cash flow information:
                 
Gain on sale and leaseback transactions
 
$
   
$
217,722
    $ 69,954  
Cash paid for amounts included in the measurement of lease liabilities
   
92,600
     
89,264
      80,265  
Noncash information:
                       
Right-of-use assets obtained in exchange for new operating lease liabilities
   
19,143
     
316,563
      267,266  
Lease modifications  or reassessments increasing or decreasing right-of-use assets
   
11,978
     
35,059
      29,793  
Lease modifications removing right-of-use assets
   
(670
)
   
(544
)
 
(19,939 )


The following table summarizes the weighted-average remaining lease term and the weighted-average discount rate for operating leases as of July 29, 2022, July 30, 2021 and July 31, 2020:

 
2022
   
2021
    2020  
Weighted-average remaining lease term
 
17.38 Years
   
18.17 Years
      19.05 Years  
Weighted-average discount rate
   
4.90
%
   
4.84
%
    4.50 %


The following table summarizes the maturities of undiscounted cash flows reconciled to the total operating lease liability as of July 29, 2022:

Year
 
Total
 
2023
 
$
90,446
 
2024
   
69,633
 
2025
   
65,841
 
2026
   
64,635
 
2027
   
64,350
 
Thereafter
   
832,487
 
Total future minimum lease payments
   
1,187,392
 
Less imputed remaining interest
   
(410,662
)
Total present value of operating lease liabilities
 
$
776,730
 

Sale and Leaseback Transactions
 

In 2009, the Company completed sale and leaseback transactions involving 15 of its owned stores and its retail distribution center.  Under the transactions, the land, buildings and improvements at the locations were sold and leased back for terms of 20 and 15 years, respectively.  Equipment was not included.  The leases include specified renewal options for up to 20 additional years.
 

In 2000, the Company completed a sale and leaseback transaction involving 65 of its owned Cracker Barrel stores.  Under the transaction, the land, buildings and building improvements at the locations were sold and leased back for a term of 21 years.  The leases for these stores included specified renewal options for up to 20 additional years.  On July 29, 2020, the Company entered into an agreement with the original lessor and a third-party financier to obtain ownership of 64 of the 65 Cracker Barrel properties and simultaneously entered into a sale and leaseback transaction with the financier for an aggregate purchase price, net of closing costs, of $198,083. The Company purchased the remaining property for approximately $3,200. In connection with the sale and leaseback transaction, the Company entered into lease agreements for each of the properties for initial terms of 20 years and renewal options up to 50 years. The aggregate initial annual rent payment for the properties is approximately $14,379 and includes 1% annual rent increases over the initial lease terms.  All the properties qualified for sale and leaseback and operating lease accounting classification and the Company recorded a gain on the sale and leaseback transaction of $69,954 which is recorded in the gain on sale and leaseback transactions line in the Consolidated Statements of Income (Loss).  The Company also recorded operating lease right-of-use assets and corresponding operating lease liabilities of $261,698 and $182,649, respectively.


On August 4, 2020, the Company completed a subsequent sale and leaseback transaction involving 62 of its owned Cracker Barrel stores for an aggregate purchase price, net of closing costs, of $146,357.  Under the transaction, the land, buildings and building improvements at the locations were sold and leased back for initial terms of 20 years and renewal options up to 50 years. The aggregate initial annual rent payment for the properties is approximately $10,393 and includes 1% annual rent increases over the initial lease terms.  All of the properties qualified for sale and leaseback and operating lease accounting classification, and the Company recorded a gain of $217,722 which is recorded in the gain on sale and leaseback transaction line in the Consolidated Statement of Income in the first quarter of 2021.  The Company also recorded operating lease right-of-use assets, including a non-cash asset recognized as part of accounting for the transaction of $175,960, and corresponding operating lease liabilities of $309,624 and $133,663, respectively.