Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, Inc.: Form 10-K for the period ended Feb 28, 2025

Our Company

Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, Inc., a Delaware corporation, and its subsidiaries, including its operating subsidiary with the same name, Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, Inc., a Colorado corporation (“RMCF”) (referred to as the "Company", "Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory," "we," "us," or "our"), is an international franchisor, confectionery producer and retail operator. Founded in 1981, we are headquartered in Durango, Colorado and produce an extensive line of premium chocolate products and other confectionery products. Our revenues and profitability are derived principally from our franchised/licensed system of retail stores that feature chocolate and other confectionery products including gourmet caramel apples. We also sell our confectionery products in select locations outside of our system of retail stores and may license the use of our brand with certain consumer products. As of February 28, 2025, we operated 2 Company-owned and had 117 licensee-owned and 141 Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory franchised stores spread across 27 states and the Philippines.

Our principal competitive advantage lies in our brand name recognition, and reputation for the quality, variety and taste of our products. Further, we believe the ambiance of our stores, our expertise in the production of chocolate and confectionery products, the merchandising and marketing of confectionery products, and the control and training infrastructures we have implemented to ensure consistent customer service and execution of successful practices and techniques at our stores provides Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory with a differentiated franchise offering. In-store product preparation creates a special store ambiance, and the aroma and sight of products being made attracts foot traffic and assures customers that products are fresh.

We believe our production expertise and reputation for quality has facilitated the sale of select products through Specialty Markets. We are currently selling our products in a select number of Specialty Markets, including wholesale, fundraising, corporate sales, e-commerce, and private label (collectively “Specialty Markets”).

Our consolidated revenues in FY 2025 were primarily derived from three principal sources: (i) sales to franchisees and other third parties of chocolates and other confectionery products produced by us (76%-74%-77% in 2025, 2024 and 2023 respectively); (ii) sales at Company-owned stores of chocolates and other confectionery products (including products produced by us) (5%-5%-3%), and (iii) the collection of initial franchise, royalties and marketing fees from franchisees (19%-21%-20%). For FY 2025, nearly all of our revenues were derived from domestic sources, with less than 1% derived from international sources. As described below, the Company sold its frozen yogurt business subsequent to the end of FY 2023.

Business Strategy

Our updated long term strategic objective is to build upon the solid market position of our brand and high-quality products to create a world-class experience for consumers of premium chocolate and confectionery products, whether in premium confection stores operated by our franchisees or by us, or purchased from us through a variety of other channels. We intend to lead this effort through the delivery of an exceptional store experience and development of category leadership through innovation. To accomplish this objective, we will employ a business strategy that includes the elements set forth below.

Product Quality and Variety

We maintain the gourmet taste and quality of our chocolate products by using the finest chocolate and other wholesome ingredients. We use our proprietary recipes, primarily developed by our master confectionery makers. A typical Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory store offers up to 100 of our chocolate products throughout the year and as many as 200, including many packaged products, during holiday seasons. Individual stores also offer numerous varieties of gourmet caramel apples as well as other products prepared in the store from Company recipes. We continue to enhance our product development and innovation capabilities through the Company’s in-house research and development department.

Store Atmosphere and Ambiance

We seek to establish a fun, enjoyable and inviting atmosphere in each of our store locations. Unlike most other confectionery stores, nearly all Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory stores prepare numerous products, including caramel apples, in the store. In-store preparation is designed to be both fun and entertaining for customers. We believe the in-store preparation and aroma of our products enhances the ambiance at Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory stores, and conveys an image of freshness and homemade quality. We have been, and are committed to, deploying increased resources to our retail store network to further improve the store experience and enhance profitability.

Site Selection

Careful selection of a new retail site is critical to the success of our stores. We consider many factors in identifying suitable sites, including tenant mix, visibility, attractiveness, accessibility, level of foot traffic and occupancy costs. Final site selection occurs only after our senior management has approved the site.

Increase Same Store Retail Sales at Existing Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory Stores

We seek to increase profitability of our store system by increasing sales at existing store locations through a combination of offering the optimal product assortment to stores, improving order fulfillment, facilitating increased product availability to stores through streamlined logistics, and providing Company personnel to help franchised locations improve their sales and profitability.

Enhanced Operating Efficiencies

We continue investing in new and more efficient production equipment, as well as rationalizing our portfolio of products and streamlining production lines to reduce labor costs as well as improve product quality, consistency and margin.

Expansion Strategy

We are continually exploring opportunities to grow our brand and expand our business. Key elements of our expansion strategy are set forth below.

Unit Growth

We continue to pursue unit growth opportunities both in locations where we have traditionally been successful and new markets with favorable demographics by improving and expanding our retail store concepts and product portfolio, and targeting high pedestrian traffic environments.

High Traffic Environments

We currently establish franchised stores in the following environments: regional centers, outlet centers, tourist areas, street fronts, airports, and other entertainment-oriented environments. We have established business relationships with most of the major developers in the United States and believe that these relationships provide us with the opportunity to take advantage of attractive sites in new and existing real estate environments.

Multi-unit Operators

We have historically focused our franchise marketing efforts on single unit operators. By further enhancing our brand strength, product offering, and strong store experience, coupled with enhanced economics, we believe we will be able to appeal more, and market to, multi-unit operators looking to expand their portfolio of franchised opportunities into a premium chocolate franchise concept where we continue to identify substantial interest driven in large part by leased property owners.

Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory Name Recognition and New Market Penetration

We believe our premium reputation, the visibility of our stores and the high foot traffic at many of our locations has generated strong name recognition of Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory and demand for our franchises. The Rocky

Mountain Chocolate Factory system currently is concentrated in the western and Rocky Mountain region of the United States, but growth has generated a gradual easterly momentum as new stores have been opened in the eastern half of the country. We believe this growth has further increased our name recognition and demand for our franchises. We believe that distribution of Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory products through our Specialty Market business also increases our name recognition and brand awareness in areas of the country in which we have not previously had a significant presence and we believe it will also improve and benefit our entire store system.

We seek to establish a fun, enjoyable and inviting atmosphere in each of our store locations. Unlike many other confectionery stores, nearly all Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory stores prepare a variety of products, including caramel apples and fudge, in the store. In-store preparation is designed to be both fun and entertaining for customers and we believe the in-store preparation and aroma of our products enhance the ambiance at Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory stores, conveys an image of freshness and homemade quality.

In January 2007, we began testing co-branded locations, such as the co-branded stores with Cold Stone Creamery. Co-branding a location is a vehicle to develop retail environments that would not typically support a stand-alone Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory store. Co-branding can also be used to more efficiently manage rent structure, payroll and other operating costs in environments that have not historically supported stand-alone Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory stores. As of February 28, 2025, Cold Stone Creamery franchisees operated 107 co-branded locations, and U-Swirl, Inc. ("SWRL") franchisees operated 10 co-branded locations. As of February 28, 2025, the Company had 3 international units in operation, all within the Republic of the Philippines.

Products and Packaging

We produce approximately 300 chocolates and other confectionery products using proprietary recipes developed primarily by our master confectionery makers. These products include many varieties of clusters, caramels, creams, toffees, mints and truffles. These products are offered for sale and also configured into a wide variety of packaged assortments. During the holiday seasons, we make a variety of seasonal items, including many candies offered in packages, which are specifically designed for holidays. A typical Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory store offers up to 100 of these approximately 300 chocolate candies and other confectionery products throughout the year. Individual stores also offer more than a dozen varieties of caramel apples and other products prepared in the store.

In FY 2025, approximately 16% of our Durango plant sales resulted from the sale of products outside of our system of franchised and licensed locations, which we refer to as Specialty Market customers, compared with 10% of our Durango plant sales resulting from Specialty Market customers in FY 2024. See Item 1A “Risk Factors—Risks Specific to Our Company and the Industry in Which We Operate—Our Sales to Specialty Market Customers, Customers Outside Our System of Franchised Stores, Are Concentrated Among a Small Number of Customers.” These products are produced using the same quality ingredients and production processes as the products sold in our network of retail stores.

We use the finest chocolates, nutmeats and other wholesome ingredients in our confectionery products and continually strive to offer new items in order to maintain the excitement and appeal of our offerings. We develop special packaging for the holidays and seasonal offerings, and consumers can have their purchases packaged in decorative boxes and fancy tins throughout the year.

Operating Environment

Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory

We currently establish Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory stores in a variety of environments: indoor and outdoor malls, outlet centers, regional centers, tourist areas, street fronts, airports, casinos, resorts and other entertainment-oriented shopping centers. Each of these environments has a number of attractive features, including high levels of foot traffic.

Franchising Program

General

We continue to attract qualified and experienced franchisees, whom we consider to be a vital part of our continued growth. We believe our relationship with our franchisees is fundamental to the performance of our brand and we strive to maintain a collaborative relationship with our franchisees. Our franchising philosophy is one of service and commitment to our franchise system and we continuously seek to improve our franchise support services. Our concept has been rated as an outstanding franchise opportunity by publications and organizations rating such opportunities.

Franchisee Sourcing and Selection

The majority of new franchises are awarded to persons referred to us by existing franchisees, to interested consumers who have visited one of our domestic franchise locations and to existing franchisees. We also advertise for new franchisees in national and regional newspapers and online as suitable potential store locations come to our attention. Franchisees are currently approved by a committee of the senior executive team based on a variety of qualifications, including the applicant's net worth and liquidity, financial sophistication, and prior relevant business experience, together with an assessment of work ethic and personality compatibility with our discipline and operating philosophy.

International Franchising and Licensing

International growth is generally achieved through entry into a Master License Agreement covering specific countries, with a licensee that meets minimum qualifications to develop Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory in that country. License agreements allow the licensee exclusive development rights in a country. Generally, we require an initial license fee and commitment to a development schedule. The initial term of these license agreements are typically ten years. Active international license agreements in place include:

• A licensing agreement in the Republic of the Philippines, entered in October 2014, amended and extended through November 2027. As of February 28, 2025, 3 units were operating under this agreement.

Co-Branding

In August 2009, we entered into a Master License Agreement with Kahala Franchise Corp. Under the terms of the agreement, select current and future Cold Stone Creamery franchise stores are co-branded with both the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory and the Cold Stone Creamery brands. Locations developed or modified under the agreement are subject to the approval of both parties. Locations developed or modified under the agreement will remain franchisees of Cold Stone Creamery and will be licensed to offer the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory brand. As of February 28, 2025, Cold Stone Creamery franchisees operated 107 stores under this agreement.

Additionally, we allow SWRL brands to offer Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory products under terms similar to other co-branding agreements. As of February 28, 2025, there were 10 SWRL cafés offering Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory products.

Training and Support

Each domestic franchisee owner/operator and each store manager for a domestic franchisee is required to complete a comprehensive training program in store operations and management. We have established a training center at our Durango headquarters in the form of a full-sized replica of a properly configured and merchandised Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory store. Topics covered in the training course include our philosophy of store operation and management, customer service, merchandising, pricing, cooking, inventory and cost control, quality standards, record keeping, labor scheduling and personnel management. Training is based on standard operating policies and procedures contained in an operations manual provided to all franchisees, which the franchisee is required to follow by terms of the franchise agreement. Additionally, and importantly, trainees are provided with a complete orientation to our operations by working in key factory operational areas and by meeting with members of our senior management.

Our operating objectives include providing knowledge and expertise in merchandising, marketing and customer service to all front-line store level employees to maximize their skills and ensure that they are fully versed in our operational techniques.

We provide ongoing support to franchisees through our Franchise Business Support Business Consultants ("Business Consultants"), who maintain regular and frequent communication with the stores by phone and semi-annual site visits.

The Business Consultants also review and discuss store operating results with the franchisee and provide advice and guidance to increase year over years sales and improve store profitability while developing and executing store local-area marketing and merchandising programs.

Quality Standards and Control

The franchise agreements for Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory brand franchisees require compliance with our procedures of operation and food quality specifications and permit audits and inspections by us.

Operating standards for Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory brand stores are set forth in our operations manual. Our operations manual covers general operations, factory ordering, merchandising, advertising and accounting procedures. Through their regular visits to franchised stores, our Business Consultants perform routine performance audits and adherence to our brand standards. We have the right to terminate any franchise agreement for non‑compliance with our operating standards. Products sold at the stores and ingredients used in the preparation of products approved for on-site preparation must be purchased from us or an approved supplier.

The Franchise Agreement: Terms and Conditions

The domestic offer and sales of our franchise concepts are made pursuant to the respective franchise disclosure document prepared in accordance with federal and state laws and regulations. States that regulate the sale and operation of franchises require a franchisor to register or file certain notices with the state authorities prior to offering and selling franchises in those states.

Under the current form of our domestic franchise agreements, franchisees pay us (i) an initial franchise fee for each store, (ii) royalties based on monthly gross sales, and (iii) a marketing fee based on monthly gross sales. Franchisees are generally granted exclusive territory with respect to the operation of their stores only in the immediate vicinity of their store(s). Chocolate products not made on premises by franchisees must be purchased from us or an approved supplier. The franchise agreements require franchisees to comply with our procedures of operation and food quality specifications, to permit inspections and audits by us and to remodel stores to conform with standards then in effect. We may terminate the franchise agreement upon the failure of the franchisee to comply with the conditions of the agreement and upon the occurrence of certain events, such as insolvency or bankruptcy of the franchisee or the commission by the franchisee of any unlawful or deceptive practice, which, in our judgment is likely to adversely affect the network system and our brand. Our ability to terminate franchise agreements pursuant to such provisions is subject to applicable bankruptcy and state laws and regulations. See “Regulation” below for additional information.

The agreements prohibit the transfer or assignment of any interest in a franchise without our prior written consent. The agreements also give us a right of first refusal to purchase any interest in a franchise if a proposed transfer would result in a change of control of that franchise. The refusal right, if exercised, would allow us to purchase the interest proposed to be transferred under the same terms and conditions and for the same price as offered by the proposed transferee.

The term of franchise agreements signed before July 1, 2023 is ten years, and franchisees have the right to renew for one additional ten-year term. The term of franchise agreements signed after July 1, 2023 is ten years, and franchisees have the right to renew for two additional five-year terms. Our revised franchise agreement offers a flat royalty payment on all retail stores sales ranging from 6% to as low as 4% based upon the retail sales mix of Durango produced product sold in comparison to all retail store sales. These terms are only effective with franchise agreements entered into after July 1, 2023 or when a current franchise operator agrees to enter into a new agreement with the Company.

Franchise Financing

We do not typically provide prospective franchisees with financing for their store for new or existing franchises, but we have developed relationships with several sources of franchisee financing to whom we may refer franchisees. Typically, franchisees have obtained their own sources of such financing and have not required our assistance. In the normal course of business, we extend credit to customers, primarily franchisees that satisfy pre-defined credit criteria, for inventory and other operational costs.

In select instances, we have provided limited financing to franchisees. As a result, as of February 28, 2025, we have approximately $0.1 million of notes receivable as a result of financing our franchisees. When we finance franchisees the notes are secured by the assets financed.

Company Store Operations

As of February 28, 2025, there were two Company-owned Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory stores. Our flagship store, located in Durango, Colorado, (“Flagship Store”) provides a training ground for Company personnel and a controllable testing ground for new products and promotions, operating and training methods and merchandising techniques, which may then be incorporated into the franchise store operations.

Production Operations

General

We manufacture our chocolate and confectionery products at our production facility in Durango, Colorado. All products are produced consistent with our philosophy of using the finest high-quality ingredients to achieve our marketing motto of “The Peak of Perfection in Handmade Chocolates®.”

We have always believed that we should control the production of our own chocolate products. By controlling operations and production, we are able to better maintain our high quality standards, offer unique proprietary products, control production and shipment schedules and potentially pursue new or under-utilized distribution channels that reinforces our slogan "America's Chocolatier® since 1981."

Production Processes

The production process primarily involves cooking or preparing confectionery centers, including nuts, caramel, peanut butter, creams and jellies, and then coating them with chocolate or other toppings. All of these processes are conducted in carefully controlled temperature ranges, and we employ strict quality control procedures at every stage of the production process. We use a combination of manual and automated processes at our production facility. Although we believe that it is currently preferable to perform certain production processes, such as the dipping of some large pieces by hand, automation increases the speed and efficiency of the production process. We have, from time-to-time, automated certain processes formerly performed by hand where it has become cost-effective for us to do so without compromising safety, product quality or appearance.

We also seek to ensure the freshness of products sold in Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory stores with frequent shipments. Most Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory stores do not have significant space for the storage of inventory, and we encourage franchisees and store managers to order only the quantities that they can reasonably expect to sell within approximately two to four weeks. For these reasons, we generally do not have a significant backlog of orders.

The production and sale of consumer food products is highly regulated. In the U.S., our activities are subject to regulation by various government agencies, including the Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”), the Department of Agriculture, the Federal Trade Commission, the Department of Commerce and the Environmental Protection Agency, as well as various state and local agencies. Similar agencies also regulate our businesses outside of the U.S.

We have a product quality and safety program. This program is integral to our supply chain platform and is intended to ensure that all products we purchase, produce, and distribute are safe, are of high quality and comply with applicable laws and regulations. Through our product quality and safety program, we evaluate our supply chain including ingredients, packaging, processes, products, distribution and the environment to determine where product quality and safety controls are necessary. We follow the FDA mandated Hazard Analysis and Risk-based Preventive Controls which includes a 12-step process to determine risks based on individual processes. To support this hazard analysis model, and in accordance with private and federal mandated requirements, we also adhere to all good manufacturing practices including several supporting policies and procedures that ensure all risks identified are in control. Various government agencies and third-party firms, as well as our quality assurance staff, conduct audits of all facilities that produce our products to ensure effectiveness and compliance with our program and applicable laws and regulations.

Ingredients

The principal ingredients used in our products are chocolate, nuts, sugar, corn syrup, cream and butter. Our production facility receives shipments of ingredients daily. To ensure the consistency of our products, we buy ingredients from a limited number of reliable suppliers. In order to ensure a continuous supply of chocolate and certain nuts, we frequently enter into purchase contracts of between six to eighteen months for these products. Major suppliers include Guittard Chocolate Company, Batory Sweetener Solutions, Chase Pecan LP, and Blue Diamond. Because prices for these products may fluctuate, we may benefit if prices rise during the terms of these contracts, but we may be required to pay above-market prices if prices fall. We have one or more alternative sources for most essential ingredients and therefore believe that the loss of any one supplier would not have a material adverse effect on our business or results of operations. We currently purchase small amounts of finished confectionery from third parties on a private label basis for sale in Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory stores. As a result of recent macro-economic inflationary trends, tariffs, and disruptions to the global supply chain, we have experienced and may continue to experience higher raw material, labor, and freight costs.

Trucking Operations

We operate six trucks and ship a substantial portion of our products from the production facility on our own fleet. Our trucking operations enable us to deliver our products to the stores quickly and cost-effectively. In addition, we back-haul many of our own ingredients and supplies, as well as products from third parties, on return trips, which helps achieve even greater efficiencies and cost savings.

Marketing

General

We rely primarily on in-store promotion and point-of-purchase materials to promote the sale of our products. The monthly marketing fees collected from franchisees are used by us to develop new packaging and in-store promotion and point-of-purchase materials, and to create and update our local store marketing guides and materials.

We focus on local store marketing efforts by providing customizable marketing materials, including advertisements, coupons, flyers and brochures generated by our in-house Creative Services department. The department works directly with franchisees to implement local store marketing programs.

We have not historically, and do not intend to, engage in national traditional media advertising in the near future. Consistent with our commitment to community support, we seek opportunities to participate in local and regional events, sponsorships and charitable causes. This support leverages low-cost, high-return publicity opportunities for mutual gain partnerships.

Internet and Social Media

We’ve initiated a program to leverage the marketing benefits of various social media outlets. These lower-cost marketing opportunities leverage the positive feedback of our customers, expanding brand awareness through a customer’s network of contacts. Complementary to local store marketing efforts, these networks also provide a medium for us to communicate regularly with customers. When possible, we work to facilitate direct relationships between our franchisees and their customers. We use social media as a tool to build brand recognition, increase repeat exposure, and enhance dialogue with consumers about their preferences and needs. The majority of stores have location-specific Facebook® and Instagram® accounts dedicated to helping customers interact directly with their local store. Proceeds from the monthly marketing fees collected from franchisees are used by us to facilitate and assist franchisees in managing their online presence consistent with our brand and marketing efforts.

Competition

The retailing of confectionery products is highly competitive. We and our franchisees compete with numerous businesses that offer products similar to those offered by our retail stores and Specialty Markets. Competitors may have greater name recognition and financial, marketing and other resources than us. In addition, there is intense competition among retailers for attractive commercial real estate sites suitable for Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory franchise store locations, store personnel and qualified franchisees.

We believe that our principal competitive strengths lie in our name recognition and our reputation for the quality, value, variety and taste of our products and the ambiance in our stores; our knowledge and experience in applying criteria for the selection of new store locations; our expertise in merchandising and marketing of chocolate and other confectionery products; and the control and training infrastructures we have implemented to ensure execution of successful practices and techniques at our retail store locations. In addition, by controlling the production of our own confectionery products, we can better maintain our high product quality standards for those products, offer proprietary products, manage costs, control production and shipment schedules and pursue new or under-utilized distribution channels.

Trade Name and Trademarks

The trade name “Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory®,” the phrases, “The Peak of Perfection in Handmade Chocolates®”, “America's Chocolatier®” as well as all other trademarks, service marks, symbols, slogans, emblems, logos and designs used in the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory system, are our proprietary rights. We believe all of the foregoing are of material importance to our business. The trademark “Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory” is registered in the United States and Canada. Applications to register the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory trademark have been filed and/or obtained in certain foreign countries.

We have not attempted to obtain patent protection for the proprietary recipes developed by our master confectionery makers and instead rely upon our ability to maintain the confidentiality of those recipes.

Environmental Matters

We are not aware of any federal, state, local or international environmental laws or regulations that we expect to materially affect our earnings or competitive position or result in material capital expenditures. However, we cannot predict the effect of possible future environmental legislation or regulations on our operations. During FY 2025, we had no material environmental compliance-related capital expenditures, and no such material expenditures are anticipated in FY 2026.

Seasonal Factors

Our sales and earnings are somewhat seasonal, with higher sales and earnings occurring during key holidays, such as Christmas, Easter and Valentine's Day, and the U.S. summer vacation season than at other times of the year, which may cause fluctuations in our quarterly results of operations. In addition, quarterly results have been, and in the future are likely to be, affected by the timing of new store openings, the sale of franchises and the timing of purchases by customers outside our network of franchised locations. Because of the seasonality of our business, results for any quarter are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be achieved in other quarters or for a full fiscal year.

Regulation

Our two current Company-owned and other franchised Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory stores are subject to licensing and regulation by the health, sanitation, safety, building and fire agencies in the state or municipality where located. Difficulties or failures in obtaining the required licensing or approvals could delay or prevent the opening of new stores. New stores must also comply with landlord and developer criteria.

Many states have laws regulating franchise operations, including registration and disclosure requirements in the offer and sale of franchises. We are also subject to the Federal Trade Commission regulations relating to disclosure requirements in the sale of franchises and ongoing disclosure obligations.

Additionally, certain states have enacted and others may enact laws and regulations governing the termination or non-renewal of franchises and other aspects of the franchise relationship that are intended to protect franchisees, including among other things, limitations on the duration and scope of non-competition provisions applicable to franchisees. Although these laws and regulations, and related court decisions, may limit our ability to terminate franchises and alter franchise agreements, we do not believe that such laws or decisions will have a material adverse effect on our franchise operations. However, the laws applicable to franchise operations and relationships continue to develop, and we are unable to predict the effect on our intended operations of additional requirements or restrictions that may be enacted or of court decisions that may be adverse to franchisors.

Federal and state environmental regulations have not had a material impact on our operations but more stringent and varied requirements of local governmental bodies with respect to zoning, land use and environmental factors could delay the construction of new stores, increase our capital expenditures and thereby decrease our earnings and negatively impact our competitive position.

Companies engaged in the production, packaging and distribution of food products are subject to extensive regulation by various governmental agencies. A finding of failure to comply with one or more regulations could result in the imposition of sanctions, including the closing of all or a portion of our facilities for an indeterminate period of time. Our product labeling is subject to and complies with the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act of 1990 and the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act of 2004.

We provide a limited amount of trucking services to third parties, to fill available space on our trucks. Our trucking operations are subject to various federal and state regulations, including regulations of the Federal Highway Administration and other federal and state agencies applicable to motor carriers, safety requirements of the Department of Transportation relating to interstate transportation and federal and state regulations governing matters such as vehicle weight and dimensions.

We believe that we are operating in substantial compliance with all applicable laws and regulations.

Human Capital Resources

As of February 28, 2025, we employed approximately 160 people, including 140 full-time employees. Most employees, with the exception of store management, production management and corporate management, are paid on an hourly basis. We also employ some individuals on a temporary basis during peak periods of store and factory operations. We seek to ensure that participatory management processes, mutual respect and professionalism and high-performance expectations for the employees exist throughout the organization. We believe that we provide working conditions, wages and benefits that compare favorably with those of our competitors. Our employees are not covered by a collective bargaining agreement. We consider our employee relations to be good.

Our franchisees are independent business owners, their employees are not our employees and therefore are not included in our employee count.

Labor and Supply Chain

As a result of recent macroeconomic inflationary trends, including tariffs, and disruptions to the global supply chain, we have experienced and expect to continue experiencing higher raw material, labor, and freight costs. We have experienced labor and logistics challenges, which we believe have contributed to lower production facility, retail, and e-commerce sales of our products due to the availability of material, labor, and freight. In addition, we could experience additional lost sales opportunities if our products are not available for purchase as a result of disruptions in our supply chain relating to an inability to obtain ingredients or packaging, labor challenges at our logistics providers or our production facility, or if we or our franchisees experience delays in stocking our products. See “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” for a discussion of recent business developments.

Our principal executive offices are located at 265 Turner Drive, Durango, Colorado 81303, and our telephone number is (970) 259-0554. We have retail store locations throughout the United States and the Philippines. Our website address is www.rmcf.com (http://www.rmcf.com). Information contained on or accessible through our websites is neither a part of this Annual Report nor incorporated by reference herein.

Ethics and Governance

We have adopted the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory Code of Conduct, which qualifies as a code of ethics under Item 406 of Regulation S-K. The code applies to all of our employees, officers, including our principal executive officer, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer or controller, and persons performing similar functions, and directors. Our Code of Conduct is available free of charge on our website at https://ir.rmcf.com/corporate-governance/governance-documents. We will disclose any waiver we grant to an executive officer or director under our code of ethics, or certain amendments to the Code of Conduct, on our website.

In addition, we have adopted Code of Ethics for Senior Financial Officers, charters for each of the Board’s three standing committees and the Whistleblower/Complaint Procedures for Accounting and Auditing Matters. All of these materials are available on our web site at https://ir.rmcf.com/corporate-governance/governance-documents.

Available Information

The Internet address of our website is www.rmcf.com (http://www.rmcf.com). Additional websites specific to our franchise opportunities and investor relations are www.sweetfranchise.com (http://www.sweetfranchise.com) and https://ir.rmcf.com, respectively.

We file or furnish annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy statements and other information with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). We make available free of charge, through our Internet website, our Annual Report, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, and amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file such material with, or furnish it to, the SEC. The SEC also maintains a website that contains these reports, proxy and information statements and other information that can be accessed, free of charge, at www.sec.gov (http://www.sec.gov). The contents of our websites are not incorporated into, and should not be considered a part of, this Annual Report.

We announce material information to the public about us and our business through a variety of means, including filings with the SEC, press releases, public conference calls, webcasts, the investor relations section of our website (https://ir.rmcf.com) in order to achieve broad, non-exclusionary distribution of information to the public and for complying with our disclosure obligations under Regulation FD. The contents of our websites and corporate reports mentioned herein are not incorporated by reference into this Annual Report on Form 10-K or in any other report or document we file with the SEC, and any references to our websites or the contents of our websites are intended to be inactive textual references only.

Our business, results of operations and financial position are subject to various risks, including those discussed below, which may affect the value of our common stock. The following risk factors, which we believe represent the most significant factors that may make an investment in our common stock risky, may cause our actual results to differ materially from those projected in any forward-looking statement. You should carefully consider these factors, as well as the other information contained in this Annual Report, including the information set forth in “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Results of Operations and Financial Position,” when evaluating an investment in our common stock.

Risks Specific to Our Company and the Industry in Which We Operate

Our Sales To Specialty Market Customers, Customers Outside Our System Of Franchised Stores, Are Concentrated Among A Small Number Of Customers.

The Company has historically sold its product to relatively few customers outside its network of franchised and licensed locations (Specialty Market customers).

During FY 2025 our sales to Specialty Market customers were approximately $3.7 million or 12% of our total revenue.

The Divestiture Of Our U-Swirl Business May Have Material Adverse Effects On Our Financial Condition, Results Of Operations Or Cash Flows.

In May 2023, subsequent to our fiscal year-end, we announced that we had completed the sale of substantially all of the assets of U-Swirl, our wholly-owned subsidiary and frozen yogurt business. The consummation of the sale of the U-Swirl business involves risks, including retention of uncertain contingent liabilities related to the divested business which could result in a material adverse effect to our financial condition, results of operations or cash flows. We cannot be certain that we will be successful in managing these or any other significant risks that we encounter as a result of divesting the U-Swirl business.

Our Growth Is Dependent Upon Attracting And Retaining Qualified Franchisees And Their Ability To Operate Their Franchised Stores Successfully.

Our continued growth and success are dependent in part upon our ability to attract, retain and contract with qualified franchisees. Our growth is dependent upon the ability of franchisees to operate their stores successfully, promote and develop our store concepts, and maintain our reputation for an enjoyable in-store experience and high-quality products. Although we have established criteria to evaluate prospective franchisees and have been successful in attracting franchisees, there can be no assurance that franchisees will be able to operate successfully in their franchise areas in a manner consistent with our concepts and standards. As a result, we may realize a reduction in number of units in operation or fail to achieve our opening targets.

Increases In Costs Could Adversely Affect Our Operations.

Inflationary factors such as increases in the costs of raw materials and labor directly affect our operations. Most of our leases provide for cost-of-living adjustments and require us to pay taxes, insurance and maintenance expenses, all of which are subject to inflation. Additionally, our future lease costs for new facilities may reflect potentially escalating costs of real estate and construction. There is no assurance that we will be able to pass on our increased costs to our customers or that our customers will continue to purchase at historical levels in the event that we pass along cost increases in the form of higher prices. If we are unable to pass along cost increases, we may realize a decrease in gross margin on products we sell and produce.

Price Increases May Not Be Sufficient To Offset Cost Increases And Maintain Profitability Or May Result In Sales Volume Declines Associated With Pricing Elasticity.

We may be able to pass some or all raw material and other input cost increases to customers by increasing the selling prices of our products, however, higher product prices may also result in a reduction in sales volume and/or consumption. If we are not able to increase our selling prices sufficiently, or in a timely manner, to offset increased raw material or other input costs, including packaging, direct labor, overhead and employee benefits, or if our sales volume decreases significantly, there could be a negative impact on our financial condition and results of operations.

Our Expansion Plans Are Dependent On The Availability Of Suitable Sites For Franchised Stores At Reasonable Occupancy Costs.

Our expansion plans are dependent on our ability to obtain suitable sites for franchised stores at reasonable occupancy costs for our franchised stores in high foot traffic retail environments. There is no assurance that we will be able to obtain suitable locations for our franchised stores at a cost that will allow such stores to be economically viable.

Same Store Sales Have Fluctuated and Will Continue to Fluctuate.

Our same store sales, defined as year-over-year sales for a store that has been open for at least one year, have fluctuated in the past on an annual and quarterly basis and are expected to continue to fluctuate in the future. Sustained declines in same store sales or significant same store sales declines in any single period could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations. For example, same store sales declined during FY 2021, primarily as a result of nearly all of the franchise stores being directly and negatively impacted by public health measures taken in response to COVID-19, with nearly all locations experiencing reduced operations as a result of, among other things, modified business hours and store and mall closures. Same store sales increased during FY 2022, primarily as a result of nearly all of the franchise stores being directly and positively impacted by a resurgence in consumer demand following the relaxing of many public health measures taken in response to COVID-19. If same-store sales decline in the future, we may experience a decrease in demand for products we sell and a decrease in revenue from royalty and marketing fees.

Higher Labor Costs, Increased Competition For Qualified Team Members And Ensuring Adequate Staffing Increases The Cost Of Doing Business. Additionally, Changes In Employment And Labor Laws, Including Health Care Legislation And Minimum Wage Increases, Could Increase Costs For Our System-Wide Operations.

Our success depends in part on our and our franchisees’ ability to recruit, motivate, train and retain a qualified workforce to work in stores in a competitive environment. We and our franchisees have experienced, and could continue to experience, a shortage of labor for stores positions due to job market trends and conditions, which could decrease the pool of available qualified talent for key functions. Our ability to attract and retain hourly employees in our stores and factory has been impacted by these trends and conditions, and we expect staffing and labor challenges to continue into FY 2026. Increased costs associated with recruiting, motivating and retaining qualified employees to work in the Company-owned stores, franchised stores and our production facility have had, and may in the future have, a negative impact on our Company-owned store and production margins and the margins of franchised stores. Competition for qualified drivers for both our stores and supply-chain function also continues to increase as more companies compete for drivers or enter the delivery space, including third party aggregators. Additionally, economic actions, such as boycotts, protests, work stoppages or campaigns by labor organizations, could adversely affect us (including our ability to recruit and retain talent) or our franchisees and suppliers. Social media may be used to foster negative perceptions of employment with our Company in particular or in our industry generally, and to promote strikes or boycotts.

We are also subject to federal, state and foreign laws governing such matters as minimum wage requirements, overtime compensation, benefits, working conditions, citizenship requirements and discrimination and family and medical leave and employee related litigation. Labor costs and labor-related benefits are primary components in the cost of operation. Labor shortages, increased employee turnover and health care mandates could increase our system-wide labor costs.

A significant number of hourly personnel are paid at rates at or above the federal and state minimum wage requirements. Accordingly, the enactment of additional state or local minimum wage increases above federal wage rates or regulations related to exempt employees has increased and could continue to increase labor costs for our domestic system-wide operations. A significant increase in the federal minimum wage requirement could adversely impact our financial condition and results of operations.

The Seasonality Of Our Sales And New Store Openings Can Have A Significant Impact On Our Financial Results From Quarter To Quarter.

Our sales and earnings are seasonal, with higher sales and earnings occurring during holidays and summer vacation season than at other times of the year, which causes fluctuations in our quarterly results of operations. In addition, quarterly results have been, and in the future are likely to be, affected by the timing of new store openings and the sale of franchises. Because of the seasonality of our business and the impact of new store openings and sales of franchises, results for any quarter are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be achieved in other quarters or for a full fiscal year.

The Retailing Of Confectionery Products Is Highly Competitive And Many Of Our Competitors Have Competitive Advantages Over Us.

The retailing of confectionery products is highly competitive. We and our franchisees compete with numerous businesses that offer similar products. Many of these competitors may have greater name recognition and financial, marketing and other resources than we do. In addition, there is intense competition among retailers for real estate sites, store personnel and qualified franchisees. Competitive market conditions could have a material adverse effect on us and our results of operations and our ability to expand successfully.

Changes In Consumer Tastes And Trends Could Have A Material Adverse Effect On Our Operations.

The sale of our products is affected by changes in consumer tastes and health concerns, including views regarding the consumption of chocolate. Numerous other factors that we cannot control, such as economic conditions, demographic trends, traffic patterns and weather conditions, influence the sale of our products. Changes in any of these factors could have a material adverse effect on us and our results of operations.

We Are Subject To Federal, State And Local Regulations.

We are subject to regulation by the Federal Trade Commission and must comply with certain state laws governing the offer, sale and termination of franchises and the refusal to renew franchises. Many state laws also regulate substantive aspects of the franchisor-franchisee relationship by, for example, requiring the franchisor to deal with its franchisees in good faith, prohibiting interference with the right of free association among franchisees and regulating discrimination among franchisees in charges, royalties or fees. Franchise laws continue to develop and change, and changes in such laws could impose additional costs and burdens on franchisors. Our failure to obtain approvals to sell franchises and the adoption of new franchise laws, or changes in existing laws, could have a material adverse effect on us and our results of operations.

Each of our Company-owned and franchised stores is subject to licensing and regulation by the health, sanitation, safety, building and fire agencies in the state or municipality where located. Difficulties or failures in obtaining required licenses or approvals from such agencies could delay or prevent the opening of a new store. We and our franchisees are also subject to laws governing our relationships with employees, including minimum wage requirements, overtime, working and safety conditions and citizenship requirements. Because a significant number of our employees are paid at rates related to the state minimum wage, increases in the minimum wage would increase our labor costs. The failure to obtain required licenses or approvals, or an increase in the minimum wage rate, employee benefits costs (including costs associated with mandated health insurance coverage) or other costs associated with employees, could have a material adverse effect on us and our results of operations.

Companies engaged in the production, packaging and distribution of food products are subject to extensive regulation by various governmental agencies. A finding of failure to comply with one or more regulations could result in the imposition of sanctions, including the closing of all or a portion of our facilities for an indeterminate period of time, and could have a material adverse effect on us and our results of operations.

Information Technology System Failures, Breaches Of Our Network Security Or Inability To Upgrade Or Expand Our Technological Capabilities Could Interrupt Our Operations And Adversely Affect Our Business.

We and our franchisees rely on our computer systems and network infrastructure across our operations, including point-of-sale (POS) processing at our stores. Our and our franchisees’ operations depend upon our and our franchisees’ ability to protect our computer equipment and systems against damage from physical theft, fire, power loss, telecommunications failure or other catastrophic events, as well as from internal and external cybersecurity breaches, viruses and other disruptive problems. Any damage or failure of our computer systems or network infrastructure that causes an interruption in our operations could have a material adverse effect on our business and subject us or our franchisees to litigation or to actions by regulatory authorities. Furthermore, the importance of such information technology systems and networks increased in FY 2021 and continued into FY 2022, FY 2023, FY 2024 and FY 2025 due to many of our employees working remotely.

A party who is able to compromise the security measures on our networks or the security of our infrastructure could, among other things, misappropriate our proprietary information and the personal information of our customers and employees, cause interruptions or malfunctions in our or our franchisee’s operations, cause delays or interruptions to our ability to operate, cause us to breach our legal, regulatory or contractual obligations, create an inability to access or rely upon critical business records or cause other disruptions in our operations. These breaches may result from human errors, equipment failure, fraud, or malice on the part of employees or third parties.

We expend financial resources to protect against such threats and may be required to further expend financial resources to alleviate problems caused by physical, electronic, and cyber security breaches. As techniques used to breach security are growing in frequency and sophistication and are generally not recognized until launched against a target, regardless of our expenditures and protection efforts, we may not be able to implement security measures in a timely manner or, if and when implemented, these measures could be circumvented. Any breaches that may occur could expose us to an increased risk of lawsuits, loss of existing or potential future customers, harm to our reputation and increases in our security costs, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial performance and operating results.

In the event of a breach resulting in loss of data, such as personally identifiable information or other such data protected by data privacy or other laws, we may be liable for damages, fines and penalties for such losses under applicable regulatory frameworks despite not handling the data. Further, the regulatory framework around data custody, data privacy and breaches varies by jurisdiction and is an evolving area of law. We may not be able to limit our liability or damages in the event of such a loss.

We are continuing to invest in and expand, upgrade and develop our information technology capabilities, including enterprise resource planning (ERP) software and point-of-sale (POS) systems, as well as the adoption of cloud services for e-mail, intranet, and file storage. If we are unable to successfully upgrade or expand our technological capabilities, we may not be able to take advantage of market opportunities, manage our costs and transactional data effectively, satisfy customer requirements, execute our business plan or respond to competitive pressures. Additionally, unforeseen problems with our ERP or POS system may affect our operational abilities and internal controls and we may incur additional costs in connection with such upgrades and expansion.

If We, Our Business Partners, Or Our Franchisees Are Unable To Protect Our Customers’ Data, We Could Be Exposed To Data Loss, Litigation, Liability And Reputational Damage.

In connection with credit and debit card sales, we and our franchisees transmit confidential credit and debit card information by way of secure private retail networks. A number of retailers have experienced actual or potential security breaches in which credit and debit card information may have been stolen. Although we and our franchisees use private networks, third parties may have the technology or know-how to breach the security of the customer information transmitted in connection with credit and debit card sales, and our and our franchisees’ security measures and those of our and our franchisees’ technology vendors may not effectively prohibit others from obtaining improper access to this information. If a person were able to circumvent these security measures, he or she could destroy or steal valuable information or disrupt our and our franchisees’ operations. Any security breach could expose us and our franchisees to risks of data loss and liability and could seriously disrupt our and our franchisees’ operations and any resulting negative publicity could significantly harm our reputation. We may also be subject to lawsuits or other proceedings in the future relating to these types of incidents. Proceedings related to the theft of credit and debit card information may be brought by payment card providers, banks, and credit unions that issue cards, cardholders (either individually or as part of a class action lawsuit), and federal and state regulators. Any such proceedings could harm our reputation, distract our management team members from running our business and cause us to incur significant unplanned liabilities, losses and expenses.

We also sell and accept for payment gift cards, and our customer loyalty program provides rewards that can be redeemed for purchases. Like credit and debit cards, gift cards and rewards earned by our customers are vulnerable to theft, whether physical or electronic. We believe that, due to their electronic nature, rewards earned through our customer loyalty program are primarily vulnerable to hacking. Customers affected by any loss of data or funds could litigate against us, and security breaches or even unsuccessful attempts at hacking could harm our reputation, and guarding against or responding to hacks could require significant time and resources.

We also receive and maintain certain personal information about our customers, including information received through our marketing programs, franchisees and business partners. Our collection, storage, handling, use, disclosure and security of this information is regulated by U.S. federal, state and local and foreign laws and regulations. If our security and information systems are compromised or our employees fail to comply with these laws and regulations and this information is obtained by unauthorized persons or used inappropriately, it could adversely affect our reputation, as well as the results of operations, and could result in litigation against us or the imposition of penalties. In addition, our ability to accept credit and debit cards as payment in our stores and online depends on us maintaining our compliance status with standards set by the PCI Security Standards Council. These standards, set by a consortium of the major credit card companies, require certain levels of system security and procedures to protect our customers’ credit and debit card information as well as other personal information. Privacy and information security laws and regulations change over time, and compliance with those changes may result in cost increases due to necessary system and process changes.

We Are Subject To Periodic Litigation, Which Could Result In Unexpected Expenses Of Time And Resources.

From time to time, we are called upon to defend ourselves against lawsuits relating to our business. Due to the inherent uncertainties of litigation, we cannot accurately predict the ultimate outcome of any such proceedings. An unfavorable outcome in any current or future legal proceedings could have an adverse impact on our business, and financial results. In addition, any significant litigation in the future, regardless of its merits, could divert management's attention from our operations and result in substantial legal fees. Any litigation could result in substantial costs and a diversion of management's attention and resources that are needed to successfully run our business.

Changes In Health Benefit Claims And Healthcare Reform Legislation Could Have A Material Adverse Effect On Our Operations.

We accrue for costs to provide self-insured benefits for our employee health benefits program. We accrue for self-insured health benefits based on historical claims experience and we maintain insurance coverage to prevent financial losses from catastrophic health benefit claims. We monitor pending and enacted legislation in an effort to evaluate the effects of such legislation upon our business. Our financial position or results of operations could be materially adversely impacted should we experience a material increase in claims costs or a change in healthcare legislation that impacts our business.

Our Expansion Into New Markets May Present Increased Risks Due To Our Unfamiliarity With Those Areas And Our Target Customers’ Unfamiliarity With Our Brands.

Consumers in any new markets we enter will not be familiar with our brands, and we will need to build brand awareness in those markets through significant investments in advertising and promotional activity. We may find it more difficult in new markets to secure desirable locations and to hire, motivate and keep qualified employees.

Issues Or Concerns Related To The Quality And Safety Of Our Products, Ingredients Or Packaging Could Cause A Product Recall And/Or Result In Harm To The Company’s Reputation, Negatively Impacting Our Results Of Operations.

In order to sell our products, we need to maintain a good reputation with our customers and consumers. Issues related to the quality and safety of our products, ingredients or packaging could jeopardize our Company’s image and reputation. Negative publicity related to these types of concerns, or related to product contamination or product tampering, whether valid or not, could decrease demand for our products or cause production and delivery disruptions. We may need to recall products if any of our products become unfit for consumption. In addition, we could potentially be subject to litigation or government actions, which could result in payments of fines or damages. Costs associated with these potential actions could negatively affect our results of operations.

Our Financial Results May Be Adversely Impacted By The Failure To Successfully Execute Or Integrate Acquisitions, Divestitures And Joint Ventures.

From time to time, we may evaluate potential acquisitions, divestitures or joint ventures that align with our strategic objectives. The success of such activity depends, in part, upon our ability to identify suitable buyers, sellers or business partners; perform effective assessments prior to contract execution; negotiate contract terms; and, if applicable, obtain government approval. These activities may present certain financial, managerial, staffing and talent, and operational risks, including diversion of management’s attention from existing core businesses; difficulties integrating or separating businesses from existing operations; and challenges presented by acquisitions or joint ventures which may not achieve sales levels and profitability that justify the investments made. If the acquisitions, divestitures or joint ventures are not successfully implemented or completed, there could be a negative impact on our results of operations.

Provisions In Our Organizational Documents, As Well As Provisions Of Delaware Law, Could Make It More Difficult Or Costly For A Third Party To Acquire Us, Even If Doing So Would Benefit Our Stockholders, And Could Limit Attempts To Make Changes In Our Management.

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and bylaws, as well as Delaware law, contain provisions that could make it more difficult for a third party to acquire us without the consent of our Board of Directors. These provisions include the following:

• Authorize the issuance of “blank check” preferred stock, which is preferred stock with voting or other rights or preferences that could impede a takeover attempt and that the Board of Directors can create and issue without prior stockholder approval;
• Establish advance notice requirements for submitting nominations for election to the Board of Directors and for proposing matters that can be acted upon by stockholders at a meeting;
• Prohibit stockholder actions by written consent, which means all stockholder actions must be taken at a meeting of our stockholders; and
• Require super-majority voting to amend some provisions in our certificate of incorporation and to amend our bylaws.

Although we believe all of these provisions will make a higher third-party bid more likely by requiring potential acquirers to negotiate with the Board of Directors, these provisions will apply even if an initial offer may be considered beneficial by some stockholders and therefore could delay and/or prevent a deemed beneficial offer from being considered. These provisions could also discourage proxy contests and make it more difficult for our stockholders to elect directors and take other corporate actions, which may prevent a change of control or changes in our management that a stockholder might consider favorable. In addition, Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law may discourage, delay, or prevent a change in control of us. Any delay or prevention of a change of control or change in management that stockholders might otherwise consider to be favorable could cause the market price of our common stock to decline.

Our Common Stock Price May Be Volatile Or May Decline Regardless Of Our Operating Performance.

Volatility in the market price of our common stock may prevent you from being able to sell your shares at or above the price you paid for such shares. Many factors, which are outside our control, may cause the market price of our common stock to fluctuate, including those described elsewhere in this “Risk Factors” section and this Annual Report, as well as the following:

• Our operating and financial performance and prospects;
• Our quarterly or annual earnings or those of other companies in our industry compared to market expectations;
• Conditions that impact demand at our stores and for our products;
• Future announcements concerning our business or our competitors’ businesses;
• The public’s reaction to our press releases, other public announcements and filings with the SEC;
• The size of our public float, and the trading volume of our common stock;
• Coverage by or changes in financial estimates by securities analysts or failure to meet their expectations;
• Market and industry perception of our success, or lack thereof, in pursuing our growth strategy;
• Strategic actions by us or our competitors, such as acquisitions or restructurings;
• Changes in laws or regulations which adversely affect our industry or us;
• Changes in accounting standards, policies, guidance, interpretations or principles;
• Changes in senior management or key personnel;
• Issuances, exchanges or sales, or expected issuances, exchanges or sales of our capital stock;
• Changes in our dividend policy;
• Adverse resolution of new or pending litigation against us; and
• Changes in general market, economic and political conditions in the United States and global economies or financial markets, including those resulting from tariffs, inflation, natural disasters, terrorist attacks, public health outbreaks, acts of war and responses to such events.

As a result, volatility in the market price of our common stock may prevent investors from being able to sell their common stock at or above the price they paid for such shares. These broad market and industry factors may materially reduce the market price of our common stock, regardless of our operating performance. In addition, price volatility may be greater if the public float and trading volume of our common stock is low. As a result, you may suffer a loss on your investment.

Our Auditor’s Opinion on Our Audited Consolidated Financial Statements for the Year Ended February 28, 2025, included in this Annual Report, Contains an Explanatory Paragraph Relating to our Ability to Continue as a Going Concern.

During the year ended February 28, 2025, we incurred a net loss of $6.1 million and used cash in operating activities of $6.6 million. In addition, at February 28, 2025, we were in violation of a debt covenant for our $6.0 million Credit

Agreement where the lender can demand repayment. These factors raise substantial doubts about our ability to continue as a going concern within one year of the date that the consolidated financial statements included in this Annual Report are issued. Our auditor’s opinion on our audited consolidated financial statements for the year ended February 28, 2025 includes an explanatory paragraph stating that our losses and negative cash flows from operations and uncertainty in generating sufficient cash to meet our operating obligations raise substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern. While we are considering a variety of funding sources and transactions that could raise capital, there can be no assurances that we will be successful in these efforts or will be able to resolve our liquidity issues or eliminate our operating losses. If we are unable to obtain sufficient funding, we would need to significantly reduce our operating plans and curtail some or all of our strategic plans. Accordingly, our business, prospects, financial condition, and results of operations will be materially and adversely affected, and we may be unable to continue as a going concern. If we are unable to continue as a going concern, we may have to liquidate our assets and may receive less than the value at which those assets are carried on our audited consolidated financial statements, and it is likely that investors will lose all or a part of their investment. If we seek additional financing to fund our business activities in the future and there remains substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern, investors or other financing sources may be unwilling to provide additional funding on commercially reasonable terms or at all.

Our Inability to Meet a Financial Covenant Contained in our Credit Facility May Adversely Affect our Liquidity, Financial Condition and Results of Operations.

Pursuant to a credit agreement (the “Credit Agreement”), with RMC Credit Facility LLC, a Colorado limited liability company (the “Lender”), dated September 30, 2024, we have a $6.0 million promissory note, made by the Company to the Lender, for general corporate and working capital purposes (the "Note"). The Credit Agreement is secured by substantially all of our assets, except retail store assets. Interest on borrowings is set at 12.0% for a 3-year term beginning September 30, 2024. Additionally, the Credit Agreement is subject to various financial ratios and leverage covenants.

As of February 28, 2025, we were not in compliance with the requirement under the Credit Agreement to maintain a ratio of total liabilities to tangible net worth of no more than 2.0 to 1. Our ratio as of February 28, 2025 was 2.21 to 1.

In addition, the Credit Agreement permits the Company to invest no more than $3.5 million per year in capital equipment. The Company invested $3.7 million during the year ended February 28, 2025.

The Company has received a waiver from the Lender as of the date of issuance of the consolidated financial statements and is in compliance with all other aspects of the Credit Agreement. There can be no assurance that the Lender will grant us a waiver for future noncompliance.

If we are not in compliance with the requirements under the Credit Agreement, under the terms of the Credit Agreement, the Lender has the option, but not the obligation, to immediately demand repayment of the full amount of the Note. As of the date of this Annual Report, we do not have enough cash on hand to satisfy our obligations under the Note if the Lender exercised its option to demand repayment. If the Lender exercises its option and demands repayment at some time in the future, however, we may not have sufficient funds available to make the payments required. If we are unable to repay amounts owed, the Lender may be entitled to foreclose on and sell substantially all of our assets, which secure our borrowings under the Credit Agreement, which would have an adverse effect on our liquidity, financial condition and results of operations.

In addition, the Lender retains the right to act on covenant violations that occur after the date of delivery of any waiver. In the future, if the Lender were to decline to grant us a waiver and instead demand repayment, we may need to seek alternative financing to pay these obligations as we may not have sufficient facilities or sufficient cash on hand at that time to satisfy these obligations.

Risks Related to the Economy

Global Or Regional Public Health Outbreaks Could Negatively Impact Our Business Operations, Financial Performance And Results Of Operations.

Our business and financial results could be negatively impacted by public health outbreaks. The severity, magnitude and duration of global or regional public health outbreaks are uncertain and hard to predict. For example, COVID-19 significantly impacted economic activity and markets around the world, and resulted in broader supply, transportation and labor disruptions resulting in inflation and generally higher operating costs in our business. Relatedly, commodity and transportation costs have become more volatile and generally increased since the COVID-19 pandemic, as have supply chain disruptions, and transportation and labor shortages. Additionally, government or regulatory responses to public health outbreaks could negatively impact our business. Mandatory lockdowns or other restrictions on operations in some countries temporarily disrupted our ability to distribute our products in some markets. Resumption, continuation or expansion of these disruptions could materially adversely impact our operations and results.

These and other impacts of global or regional public health outbreaks could have the effect of heightening many of the other risks described in the risk factors presented in this filing, including but not limited to those relating to our reputation, brands, consumer preferences, supply chain, product sales, pricing actions, results of operations or financial condition. We might not be able to predict or respond to all impacts on a timely basis to prevent near- or long-term adverse impacts to our results. The ultimate impact of these disruptions also depends on events beyond our knowledge or control, including the duration and severity of other public health outbreaks and actions taken by parties other than us to respond to them. Any of these disruptions could have a negative impact on our business operations, financial performance, results of operations and stock price, and this impact could be material.

General Economic Conditions Could Have A Material Adverse Effect On Our Business, Results Of Operations And Liquidity Or Our Franchisees, With Adverse Consequences To Us.

Consumer purchases of discretionary items, including our products, often decline during weak economic periods where disposable income is adversely affected. Our performance is subject to factors that affect worldwide economic conditions, including employment, consumer debt, reductions in net worth based on severe market declines, residential real estate and mortgage markets, taxation, fuel and energy prices, interest rates, tariffs, consumer confidence, public health, the value of the U.S. dollar versus foreign currencies and other macroeconomic factors. These factors may cause consumers to purchase products from lower priced competitors or to defer purchases of discretionary products altogether.

Economic weakness could have a material effect on our results of operations, liquidity and capital resources. It could also impact our ability to fund growth and/or result in us becoming more reliant on external financing, the availability and terms of which may be uncertain. In addition, a weak economic environment may exacerbate the other risks noted below.

We rely in large part on our franchisees and the manner in which they operate their stores to develop and promote our business. It is possible that additional franchisees could file for bankruptcy, become delinquent in their payments to us, or simply shut down which could have a significant adverse impact on our business due to loss of factory sales and loss or delay in payments of royalties, contributions to our marketing fund and other fees. Additionally, the availability of credit to our small business franchisees may be curtailed due to tighter credit conditions in the marketplace, and as a result, could delay or preclude franchisees from making required store upgrades.

Although we have developed, and continue to develop, evolving criteria to evaluate and screen prospective developers and franchisees, we cannot be certain that the developers and franchisees we select will have the business acumen or financial resources necessary to open and operate successful franchises in their franchise areas, and state franchise laws may limit our ability to terminate or modify these franchise arrangements. Moreover, franchisees may not successfully operate stores in a manner consistent with our standards and requirements, or may not hire and train qualified managers and other store personnel. The failure of developers and franchisees to open and operate franchises successfully could have a material adverse effect on us, our reputation, our brand, our ability to attract prospective franchisees, our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

We are subject to risks from changes to the trade policies, including tariff and import/export regulations by the U.S. and/or other foreign governments.

Changes in trade policy, including trade restrictions, new or increased tariffs or quotas, embargoes, sanctions and countersanctions, safeguards or customs restrictions by the U.S. and/or other foreign governments could have a material adverse impact on our business. The imposition of new tariffs or increases in existing tariffs on products imported from countries could result in increased costs for our goods. These cost increases may reduce our margins, require us to raise prices, or make our products less competitive in the marketplace. In addition, other countries may change their business and trade policies in anticipation of or in response to increased import tariffs and other changes in trade policy and regulations already enacted or that may be enacted in the future. If we are unable to mitigate these risks through supply chain adjustments, pricing strategies, or other measures, our financial performance and growth prospects could be negatively affected.

We Currently, And May In The Future, Have Assets Held At Financial Institutions That May Exceed The Insurance Coverage Offered By The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”), The Loss Of Which Would Have A Severe Negative Affect On Our Operations And Liquidity.

We may maintain our cash assets at financial institutions in the U.S. in amounts that may be in excess of the FDIC insurance limit of $250,000. In the event of a failure or liquidity issues at any of the financial institutions where we maintain our deposits or other assets, we may incur a loss to the extent such loss exceeds the FDIC insurance limitation, which could have a material adverse effect upon our liquidity, financial condition and our results of operations. Similarly, if our customers or partners experience liquidity issues as a result of financial institution defaults or non-performance where they hold cash assets, their ability to pay us may become impaired and could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, including the collection of accounts receivable and cash flows.

Risks Related to Our Franchisees

The Financial Performance Of Our Franchisees Can Negatively Impact Our Business.

Our financial results are dependent in part upon the operational and financial success of our franchisees. Franchisees purchase product from us and we receive royalties, franchise fees, contributions to our marketing fund, and other fees from our franchisees. We have established operational standards and guidelines for our franchisees; however, we have limited control over how our franchisees’ businesses are run. While we are responsible for ensuring the success of our entire system of stores and for taking a longer-term view with respect to system improvements, our franchisees have individual business strategies and objectives, which might conflict with our interests. Our franchisees may not be able to secure adequate financing to open or continue operating their Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory stores. If they incur too much debt or if economic or sales trends deteriorate such that they are unable to repay existing debt, our franchisees could experience financial distress or even bankruptcy. If a significant number of franchisees become financially distressed, it could harm our operating results through reduced royalty revenues and the impact on our profitability could be greater than the percentage decrease in the royalty revenues. This would reduce our royalty revenues and could negatively impact margins, since we may not be able to reduce fixed costs which we continue to incur.

We Have Limited Control With Respect To The Operations Of Our Franchisees, Which Could Have A Negative Impact On Our Business.

Franchisees are independent business operators and are not our employees, and we do not exercise control over the day-to-day operations of their stores. We provide training and support to franchisees, and set and monitor operational standards, but the quality of franchised stores may be diminished by any number of factors beyond our control, despite our enforcing the terms and conditions of the Company's franchise agreement and operations manual. Consequently, franchisees may not successfully operate stores in a manner consistent with our standards and requirements, or may not hire and train qualified managers and other store personnel. If franchisees do not operate to our expectations, our image and reputation, and the image and reputation of other franchisees, may suffer materially and system-wide sales could decline significantly, which would reduce our royalty revenues, and the impact on profitability could be greater than the percentage decrease in royalties and fees.

A Significant Shift By Franchisees From Company-Manufactured Products To Products Produced By Third Parties Could Adversely Affect Our Operations.

Franchisees' sales of products produced by us generate higher revenues to us than sales of store-made or other products. We have seen a significant increase in system-wide sales of store-made and other products, which has led to a decrease in purchases from us and has had an adverse effect on our revenues. If this trend continues, it could further adversely affect our total revenues and results of operations. Such a decrease could result from franchisees' decisions to sell more store-made products or products purchased from approved third party suppliers.

Risks Related to Our Supply Chain

Increase In Ingredient And Other Operating Costs, Including Those Caused By Weather And Food Safety, Could Adversely Affect Our Results Of Operations.

Our Company-owned and franchised stores could also be harmed by supply chain interruptions including those caused by factors beyond our control or the control of our suppliers. However, prolonged disruption in the supply of products from or to our manufacturing facility due to weather, natural disasters, food safety incidents, regulatory compliance, labor dispute or interruption of service by carriers could increase costs, limit the availability of raw materials critical to our store operations and have a significant impact on results. Increasing weather variability or other long-term changes in weather patterns could have a significant impact on the price or availability of some of our raw materials and other materials throughout our supply chain. In particular, adverse weather or cocoa beans or nuts shortages could disrupt the supply of key ingredients to our and our franchisees’ stores. Insolvency of key suppliers could also cause similar business interruptions and negatively impact our business.

Disruption To Our Manufacturing Facility Or Supply Chain Could Impair Our Ability To Produce Or Deliver Finished Products, Resulting In A Negative Impact On Our Results Of Operations.

All of our manufacturing operations are located in Durango, Colorado. Disruption to our manufacturing facility or to our supply chain could result from a number of factors, including natural disasters, outbreak of disease, weather, fire or explosion, extreme forest fires, terrorism or other acts of violence, labor strikes or other labor activities, unavailability of raw or packaging materials, and operational and/or financial instability of key suppliers and other vendors or service providers. We believe that we take adequate precautions to mitigate the impact of possible disruptions. We have strategies and plans in place to manage disruptive events if they were to occur. However, if we are unable, or find that it is not financially feasible, to effectively plan for or mitigate the potential impacts of such disruptive events on our manufacturing facility or supply chain, our financial condition and results of operations could be negatively impacted.

Risk Management and Strategy

We have established processes, that seek to assess, identify, and manage material risks from cybersecurity threats to the IT systems and information that we use or will use, transmit, receive, and maintain. The processes for assessing, identifying, and managing material risks from cybersecurity threats have been integrated into the overall risk management system through the use of firewalls, antivirus and malware detection, and other security software. The processes include efforts to identify the relevant assets that could be affected, determine possible threat sources and threat events, assess threats based on their potential likelihood and impact, and identify controls that are in place or necessary to manage and/or mitigate such risks. We have engaged consultants to assist us with risk mitigation and monitoring threats from both inside and outside our network, including risks of cybersecurity threats associated with the use of third-party service providers. We maintain full backups on a regular basis to protect against the loss of critical data.

We have not experienced any material cybersecurity incidents to date that have materially affected, or that are reasonably likely to materially affect our business, strategy, results of operations or financial condition, and the expenses incurred from any security incidents have been immaterial. However, as discussed under “Risk Factors” in Part I, Item 1A of this Annual Report, cybersecurity threats pose multiple and potentially material risks to us, including to our results of operations and financial condition. We rely extensively on information technology systems and could face cybersecurity risk. As cybersecurity threats become more frequent, sophisticated, and coordinated, it is reasonably likely that we may expend greater resources to continue to modify and enhance protective measures against such security risks.

Governance

Our Board of Directors is responsible for exercising oversight of management’s identification and management of, and planning for, risks from cybersecurity threats. The Board’s Audit Committee routinely evaluates the Company’s cybersecurity through communications with management and the Company’s information technology department. Systems are in place to perform ongoing testing to defend and mitigate against unwelcome intrusions and attacks.

The interim CEO and CFO communicate with the head of the information technology department daily to monitor any potential or perceived threats to our technology infrastructure. A comprehensive and regularly tested Incident Response Plan (IRP) has been established that outlines specific steps for various types of cyber incidents. There are key performance indicators (KPIs) and metrics used to measure the effectiveness of the cybersecurity program, including processes to keep senior management and the Board’s Audit Committee informed. The Company also maintains a cybersecurity insurance policy to provide financial protection in the event of a critical breach.

We employ information technology specialists and use external consulting firms to supplement our cybersecurity practices. Both the interim CEO and CFO have experience in managing teams of information technology specialists and assessing cybersecurity threats.

Our production operations and corporate headquarters are located at 265 Turner Drive, Durango, Colorado 81303, which is a 53,000 square foot manufacturing facility that we own. During FY 2025, our manufacturing operations produced approximately 2.05 million pounds of chocolate products, which was an increase of approximately 27% from the approximately 1.61 million pounds produced in FY 2024. In July 2024, we sold an unused parcel of land in Durango, Colorado for a purchase price of approximately $0.9 million.

As of February 28, 2025, the Company had obligations for one non-cancelable lease for our Flagship Store having an expiration date of January 31, 2026, which contains an optional ten-year renewal right and a five-year lease for our Company owned store in Corpus Christi, TX having an expiration date of January 1, 2029. We expect to exercise our renewal right for the Flagship Store. We do not deem these to be material in relation to our overall operations.

For information as to the amount of our rental obligations under leases on both Company-owned and franchised stores, see Note 10 “Leasing Arrangements” to our consolidated financial statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report.

This Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (this “MD&A”) is intended to assist in an understanding of our financial condition and should be read in conjunction with our Consolidated Financial Statements and accompanying Notes included in Item 8 of this Annual Report. The following discussion contains forward-looking statements that reflect our plans, estimates and beliefs, and involve risks and uncertainties. Our actual results may differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, including those discussed elsewhere in this Annual Report, particularly in Item 1A. “Risk Factors.”

Overview

Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, Inc., a Delaware corporation, and its subsidiaries (including its operating subsidiary with the same name, Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, Inc., a Colorado corporation) (“RMCF”) (referred to as the “Company,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) is an international franchisor, confectionery producer and retail operator. Founded in 1981, we are headquartered in Durango, Colorado and produce an extensive line of premium chocolate products and other confectionery products. Our revenues and profitability are derived principally from our franchised/licensed system of retail stores that feature chocolate and other confectionery products including gourmet caramel apples. We may also sell our confectionery products in select locations outside of our system of retail stores and license the use of our brand with certain consumer products. As of February 28, 2025, there were 2 Company-owned, 117 licensee-owned and 141 franchised Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory stores operating in 27 states and the Philippines.

Recent Developments

On May 1, 2023, subsequent to the end of FY 2023, the Company completed the sale of substantially all of the assets of its wholly-owned subsidiary and frozen yogurt business, U-Swirl International, Inc. The aggregate sale price of U-Swirl was $2.75 million, consisting of (i) $1.75 million in cash and (ii) $1.0 million evidenced by a three-year secured promissory note. The business divestiture of the U-Swirl segment was preceded by a separate sale of the Company’s three owned U-Swirl locations on February 24, 2023. The consolidated financial statements present the historical financial results of the former U-Swirl segment as discontinued operations for all periods presented. See Note 15 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8, “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data“, of this Annual Report for information on this divestiture.

With the sale of U-Swirl, we continue to focus on our confectionery business to further enhance our competitive position and operating margin, simplify our business model, and deliver sustainable value to our stockholders.

On August 5, 2024, the Company entered into securities purchase agreements with Steven L. Craig, an existing director of the Company and American Heritage Railways, Inc. a company affiliated with Allen C. Harper who joined the board of directors in December 2024 (the “Investors”), pursuant to which, among other things, the Investors agreed to subscribe for and purchase, and the Company agreed to issue and sell to the Investors in a private placement, an aggregate of 1,250,000 of shares of the Company’s common stock at a price per share equal to $1.75, for total proceeds of approximately $2.2 million. On September 5, 2024, the Company filed a Form S-1 registering the shares sold in the private placement. The Form S-1 was declared effective by the SEC on October 9, 2024.

On September 30, 2024, the Company repaid the amount owed under its credit agreement with Wells Fargo Bank N.A. (the "Wells Fargo Credit Agreement") and entered into a new credit agreement (the “Credit Agreement”) with RMC Credit Facility, LLC (“RMC”). Pursuant to the Credit Agreement, the Company received an advance in the principal amount of $6.0 million, which advance is evidenced by a promissory note (the “Note”). The Note will mature on September 30, 2027 (the “Maturity Date”), and interest will accrue at a rate of 12% per annum and is payable monthly in arrears. All outstanding principal and interest will be due on the Maturity Date. RMC is a special purpose investment entity affiliated with Steven L. Craig, one of the members of the Company's board of directors.

Current Trends Affecting Our Business and Outlook

As a result of recent macroeconomic inflationary trends and disruptions to the global supply chain, we have experienced and expect to continue experiencing higher raw material, labor, and freight costs. We have experienced labor and logistics challenges, which we believe have contributed to lower factory, retail and e-commerce sales. In addition, we could experience additional lost sale opportunities if our products are not available for purchase as a result of continued disruptions in our supply chain relating to an inability to obtain raw materials or packaging, or if we or our franchisees experience delays in stocking our products.

During FY 2023, the Company incurred substantial costs associated with a stockholder’s contested solicitation of proxies in connection with our 2022 annual meeting of stockholders. During FY 2023, the Company incurred approximately $4.1 million of costs associated with the contested solicitation of proxies, however, there were no such comparable costs in FY 2024 or FY 2025.

We are subject to seasonal fluctuations in sales because of key holidays and the location of our franchisees, which have traditionally been located in high traffic areas such as resorts or tourist locations, and the nature of the products we sell, which are seasonal. Historically, the strongest sales of our products have occurred during key holidays and summer vacation seasons. Additionally, quarterly results have been, and in the future are likely to be, affected by the timing of new store openings and the sales of new franchise locations. Because of the seasonality of our business and the impact of new store openings and sales of new franchises, results for any quarter are not necessarily indicative of results that may be achieved in other quarters or for a full fiscal year.

The most important factors for continued growth in our earnings are our ability to increase the sales of premium chocolate products produced in our Durango production facility, and the support of our franchisees in increasing the frequency of customer visits and the average value of each customer transaction, along with ongoing e-commerce revenue growth, and new franchised store growth.

Our ability to successfully achieve expansion of our franchise systems depends on many factors not within our control including the availability of suitable sites for new store locations and the availability of qualified franchisees to support our expansion plans.

Efforts to increase same store pounds purchased from our production facility by franchised stores and to increase total Durango production depend on many factors, including new store openings, effective e-commerce initiatives, industry competition, the receptivity of our franchise system to our product introductions and promotional programs.

Results of Continuing Operations

Fiscal 2025 Compared To Fiscal 2024

Results Summary

Basic loss per share increased from a loss from continuing operations of $(0.77) per share in FY 2024 to a loss from continuing operations of $(0.86) per share in FY 2025. Revenues increased by 5.8% from $28.0 million for FY 2024 to $29.6 million for FY 2025. Operating loss and loss from continuing operations was $4.9 million in FY 2024 compared to an operating loss of $5.9 million in FY 2025.

REVENUES

($'s in thousands)

26

Durango Product and Retail Sales

The increase in total sales for FY 2025 compared to FY 2024 was primarily due to a 9%, or $2.0 million, increase in sales of products to our network of franchised and licensed retail stores, Specialty Markets customers, and e-commerce customers, and also reflective of price increases.

We continue to rationalize product offerings to improve production efficiencies, while adding new products we believe can generate high sales volumes and gross profit margins at or above our average level for bulk and packaged items. We continue to focus our marketing efforts to increase total pounds purchased by franchise locations.

Royalties, Marketing Fees and Franchise Fees

Royalty and marketing fees decreased during FY 2025 compared to FY 2024 was primarily due to the Company offering more favorable royalty agreements within our updated franchise agreement designed to increase the amount of Durango product items sold in franchised stores. The change in franchise fee revenue during FY 2025 compared to FY 2024 was not material.

COSTS AND EXPENSES

Cost of Sales and Expenses

($'s in thousands)

($'s in thousands)

($'s in thousands)

Non-GAAP Measures

In addition to the results provided in accordance with GAAP, we provide certain non-GAAP measures, which present results on an adjusted basis. These are supplemental measures of performance that are not required by or presented in accordance with GAAP. Adjusted gross margin is a non-GAAP measure. Adjusted gross margin is equal to the sum of our total gross margin plus depreciation and amortization calculated in accordance with GAAP. We believe adjusted gross margin is helpful in understanding our past performance as a supplement to gross margin, and other performance measures calculated in conformity with GAAP. We believe that adjusted gross margin is useful to investors because they provide a measure of operating performance and our ability to generate cash that is unaffected by non-cash accounting measures. Additionally, we use adjusted gross margin rather than gross margin to make incremental pricing decisions. Adjusted gross margin has limitations as analytical tools because they exclude the impact of depreciation and amortization expense and you should not consider it in isolation or as a substitute for any measure reported under GAAP. Our use of capital assets makes depreciation and amortization expense a necessary element of our costs and our ability to generate income. Due to these limitations, we use adjusted gross margin as measures of performance only in conjunction with GAAP measures of performance such as gross margin.

Cost of Sales and Gross Margin

Total gross margin decreased to 0.4% in FY 2025 compared to a gross margin of 6.2% during FY 2024, due primarily to an increase in overhead costs, a sharp increase in the cost of cocoa as a raw material as well as other inflationary pressures we were unable to capture through appropriate and timely price increases, in addition to a reduction in production volume. Additionally, costs incurred increased as a result of the Company undertaking actions to relocate its consumer packaging operations to Salt Lake City, Utah, in response to limited labor availability in the Durango labor pool, which led to elevated production costs, decreased operating efficiencies, and a large write-off of inventory value recognized in cost of sales. This business arrangement was wound down between January 1, 2025 and February 28, 2025 after our peak holiday selling season. The Company estimates the impact of this contributed a negative $1.5 million. We now have all of our consumer packaging assets returned to our Durango production facility, which will have an immediate and positive impact on gross margin and profitability through efficiencies at that location.

Franchise Costs

The decrease in franchise costs in FY 2025 compared to FY 2024 was due primarily to prior year investments in human capital and the ongoing brand update and store redesign expense, an initiative that is now complete and spanned nearly two years. As a percentage of total royalty and marketing fees and franchise fee revenue, franchise costs decreased to 43.4% in FY 2025 from 43.5% in FY 2024. This decrease as a percentage of royalty, marketing and franchise fees is primarily a result of higher royalty fees partially offset by higher costs associated with providing a high level of customer service to our entire franchise network which had been lacking in prior years. As a percentage of total revenue, franchise costs decreased to 8.2% during FY 2025, compared to 9.2% during FY 2024.

Sales and Marketing

The decrease in sales and marketing costs during FY 2025, compared to FY 2024, was due primarily to changes with the organization of the department under which fewer marketing executives were hired to address gaps in our historic marketing plan, and a more focused ad spend was undertaken to direct resources to achieve a higher return on investment. As a percentage of total revenues, sales and marketing expenses decreased to 6.7% during FY 2025, compared to 7.6% during FY 2024.

General and Administrative

The decrease in general and administrative costs during FY 2025, compared to FY 2024, was due in part to headcount rationalization designed to improve efficiency and collaboration across departments. The Company continued to incur an elevated level of professional fees related to support our Board of Directors and costs associated with compensation obligations for our former Chief Executive Officer. The Company had additional legal and professional costs associated with an equity raise and the refinancing of our credit facility. We also had a variety of technology and corporate matters requiring outside consulting services. As a percentage of total revenues, general and administrative expenses decreased to 21.3% during FY 2025, compared to 23.9% during FY 2024.

Retail Operating Expenses

Retail operating expenses increased 6.7% during FY 2025 compared to FY 2024. This increase is primarily the result of the mid-year FY 2024 addition of the Company's Corpus Christi, TX location. As a percentage of total revenues, retail operating expenses remained relatively unchanged at 2.4% during FY 2025 compared to 2.4% during FY 2024.

Depreciation and Amortization

Depreciation and amortization, exclusive of depreciation and amortization included in cost of sales, was $0.2 million during FY 2025, an increase from $0.1 million during FY 2024. Depreciation and amortization included in cost of sales increased 3.3% during FY 2024 to FY 2025. This increase was the result of ongoing investment in production equipment.

Other Income (Expense)

Other expense was $0.2 million during FY 2025, compared to other income of $26 thousand during FY 2024. This represents interest expense of $0.5 million during FY 2025 compared to $0.1 million during FY 2024, a gain on disposal of assets of $0.2 million during FY 2025 with no such costs in FY 2024, and interest income of $27 thousand during FY 2025 compared to $0.1 million during FY 2024.

Income Tax Provision (Benefit)

We had no income tax expense during the years ended February 28, 2025 and or February 29, 2024 due to our loss from operations. See Note 12 to the financial statements for a description of income taxes, deferred tax assets, and associated reserves.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

As of February 28, 2025, working capital was $2.4 million compared with $1.5 million as of February 29, 2024. The increase in working capital was due primarily to an equity capital raise of $2.2 million, a refinancing of the Company's previous revolving credit facility into a 3-year note payable that generated an additional $2.5 million of balance sheet liquidity, and the sale of assets that generated $2.3 million, offset by $3.8 million of capital investment in the Durango production facility, plus net change in accounts receivable and accounts payable. Expected future cash requirements include supporting current operations and building inventory including capital expenditures to support our business.

Cash and cash equivalent balances decreased from $2.1 million as of February 29, 2024 to $0.7 million as of February 28, 2025 primarily as a result of cash used by operating and investing activities. Our current ratio was 1.34 to 1.0 on February 28, 2025 compared to 1.19 to 1.0 on February 29, 2024. We monitor current and anticipated future levels of cash and cash equivalents in relation to anticipated operating, financing and investing requirements.

During FY 2025, we had a consolidated net loss of $6.1 million. Operating activities used cash of $6.6 million, with the principal adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash used in operating activities being depreciation and amortization of $1.0 million, provision for obsolete inventory of $0.3 million, stock compensation expense of $0.3 million, and gain on the sale of assets of $0.2 million. During FY 2024, we had a consolidated net loss of $4.2 million, less net loss from discontinued operations of $0.7 million. Operating activities used cash of $2.4 million, with the principal adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash used in operating activities being depreciation and amortization of $0.9 million, provision for obsolete inventory of $0.2 million and stock compensation expense of $0.4 million.

During FY 2025, investing activities used cash of $1.7 million, primarily due to the purchases of property and equipment of $3.8 million, partially offset by the proceeds from the sale of assets of $2.3 million. In comparison, investing activities used cash of $1.5 million during FY 2024 primarily due to the purchases of property and equipment of $3.0 million, partially offset by investing cash flow from discontinued operations of $1.4 million.

During FY 2025, financing activities provided cash of $6.9 million, primarily due to proceeds from notes payable of $6.0 million, proceeds from the line of credit of $2.2 million, and issuance of common stock through the securities purchase agreement of $2.2 million, partially offset by the payment on the line of credit of $3.5 million and payment of debt issuance costs of $0.1 million. In comparison, financing activities provided cash of $1.3 million during FY 2024 resulting from the Company drawing down $1.3 million on its revolving line of credit.

The conditions above raise substantial doubt regarding our ability to continue as a going concern for a period of at least one year from the date of issuance of these financial statements. In addition, our independent registered public accounting firm, in their report on the Company’s February 28, 2025, audited financial statements, raised substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern.

Credit Agreement and Payment of Wells Fargo Credit Agreement

On September 30, 2024, the Company entered into a new credit agreement (the “Credit Agreement”) with RMC Credit Facility, LLC ("RMC"). Pursuant to the Credit Agreement, the Company received an advance in the principal amount of $6.0 million, which advance is evidenced by a promissory note (the “Note”). The Note will mature on September 30, 2027 (the “Maturity Date”), and interest will accrue at a rate of 12% per annum and is payable monthly in arrears. All outstanding principal and interest will be due on the Maturity Date. The Credit Agreement is collateralized by the Company’s Durango real estate property and the related inventory and property, plant and equipment located on that property, as well as the Company’s accounts receivable and cash accounts.

In connection with the Credit Agreement and the Note, the Company entered into a Deed of Trust with RMC and the Public Trustee of La Plata County, Colorado with respect to the Company’s property in Durango, Colorado. RMC is a special purpose investment entity affiliated with Steven L. Craig, one of the members of the Company's board of directors.

The proceeds of the Credit Agreement were used as follows: (i) $3.5 million was used to repay the Wells Fargo Credit Agreement and (ii) the remaining balance was used for continued capital investment and working capital needs. The Credit Agreement contains customary events of default, including nonpayment of principal and interest when due, failure to comply with covenants, and a change of control of the Company, as well as customary affirmative and negative covenants, including, without limitation, certain reporting obligations and certain limitations on liens, encumbrances, and indebtedness. The Credit Agreement also limits our capital expenditures to $3.5 million per year and contains two financial covenants measured quarterly: a maximum ratio of total liabilities to total net worth and a minimum current ratio.

The Company paid off the outstanding balance of $3.5 million of the Wells Fargo Credit Agreement upon maturity on September 30, 2024.

The Company was not in compliance with the requirement under the Credit Agreement to limit annual capital expenditures to $3.5 million as of February 28, 2025, nor was the Company in compliance with the liabilities to tangible net worth of 2.0:1.0 as of February 28, 2025. The Company has received a waiver from the Lender as of the date of issuance of these financial statements and is in compliance with all other aspects of the Credit Agreement.

The Company will continue to explore additional means of strengthening its liquidity position and ensuring compliance with its debt financing covenants, which may include the obtaining of waivers from our lenders.

On August 5, 2024, the Company entered into securities purchase agreements with Steven L. Craig, an existing director of the Company and American Heritage Railways, Inc. a company affiliated with Allen C. Harper who joined the board of directors in December 2024 (the “Investors”), pursuant to which, among other things, the Investors agreed to subscribe for and purchase, and the Company agreed to issue and sell to the Investors in a private placement, an aggregate of 1,250,000 of shares of the Company’s common stock at a price per share equal to $1.75, for total proceeds of approximately $2.2 million. On September 5, 2024, the Company filed a Form S-1 registering the shares sold in the private placement. The Form S-1 was declared effective by the SEC on October 9, 2024.

Contractual Obligations

The table below presents significant contractual obligations of the Company at February 28, 2025.

(Amounts in thousands)

The Company made an average of $3.4 million per year in capital expenditures during FY 2024 to FY 2025. For FY 2026 the Company anticipates incurring substantially lower levels of capital expenditures.

Impact of Inflation

Inflationary factors such as increases in the costs of raw materials and labor directly affect the Company's operations. Most of the Company's leases provide for cost-of-living adjustments and require it to pay taxes, insurance and maintenance expenses, all of which are subject to inflation. Additionally, the Company’s future lease cost for new facilities may include potentially escalating costs of real estate and construction. There is no assurance that the Company will be able to pass on increased costs to its customers.

Depreciation expense is based on the historical cost to the Company of its fixed assets, and is therefore potentially less than it would be if it were based on the current replacement cost. While property and equipment acquired in prior years will ultimately have to be replaced at higher prices, it is expected that replacement will be a gradual process over many years.

Critical Accounting Estimates

Our discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations are based upon our consolidated financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. The preparation of our consolidated financial statements requires us to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses and the related disclosures. Estimates and assumptions include, but are not limited to, the carrying value of accounts and notes receivable from franchisees, inventories, the useful lives of fixed assets, goodwill, and other intangible assets, income taxes, contingencies and litigation. We base our estimates on analyses, which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Actual results may differ from these estimates. The Company did not identify any critical estimates used in the preparation of our consolidated financial statements for the year ended February 28, 2025.

Disclosure Controls and Procedures and Changes in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

Disclosure Controls and Procedures — The Company maintains disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Exchange Act), that are designed to ensure that material information relating to the Company is made known to the officers who certify the Company’s financial reports and to other members of senior management and the Board of Directors. These disclosure controls and procedures are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed in the Company’s reports that are filed or submitted under the Exchange Act, are recorded, processed, summarized, and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms. Disclosure controls and procedures include, without limitation, controls and procedures designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed in the reports that the Company files or submits under the Exchange Act is accumulated and communicated to our management, including our principal executive and principal financial officer, or persons performing similar functions, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.

Management, under the supervision and with the participation of our Interim Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, has conducted an evaluation of the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures. Based on that evaluation, our Interim Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer concluded that the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures were effective as of February 28, 2025.

Management’s Annual Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting — Management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rule 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) under the Exchange Act). The Company’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed under supervision of the Company’s principal executive officer and principal financial officer to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and preparation of the Company’s consolidated financial statements for external purposes in accordance with GAAP. Management, with the participation of our Interim Chief Executive Officer, has evaluated the effectiveness, as of February 28, 2025, of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. In making this evaluation, management used the criteria set forth by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission in its publication Internal Control-Integrated Framework (2013). Based on that evaluation, management concluded that the Company’s internal control over financial reporting was effective as of February 28, 2025.

Under the applicable SEC rules, we are not required to include an attestation report of our independent registered public accounting firm, CohnReznick LLP, on the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.

Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting — There were no changes in our internal control over financial reporting identified in management's evaluation pursuant to Rules 13a-15(d) or 15d-15(d) of the Exchange Act during the quarter ended February 28, 2025, that materially affected, or that we believe are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.