Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

INVESTMENTS

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INVESTMENTS
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2012
Investments, Debt and Equity Securities [Abstract]  
Investments in Debt and Marketable Equity Securities (and Certain Trading Assets) Disclosure [Text Block]
4. INVESTMENTS

 

INVESTMENTS AT FAIR VALUE CONSIST OF THE FOLLOWING AT MARCH 31, 2012 AND DECEMBER 31, 2011.

 

    2012     2011  
             
Available-for-sale investments at fair value   $ 212,735     $ 318,353  
Trading securities     -       -  
Total   $ 212,735     $ 318,353  

 

AVAILABLE-FOR-SALE SECURITIES

 

Activity in our available-for-sale securities may be summarized as follows:

    2012     2011  
             
Cost at beginning of year   $ 263,331     $ 284,473  
Contributed to the Company by it's CEO     -       125,331  
Received as management fees     -       1,500  
Other than temporary loss in available-for-sale securities     -       (147,973 )
Cost at end of period     263,331       263,331  
Unrealized gain (loss)     (50,596 )     55,022  
Total   $ 212,735     $ 318,353  

 

Our available-for-sale securities consist of the following:

 

          Unrecognized           Realized     Loss  
          Holding     Fair     Holding     on  
    Cost     Gains (Losses)     Value     Loss     Sale  
March 31, 2012                                        
North Carolina Natural Energy *   $ 1,500     $ -     $ 1,500     $ -     $ -  
North American Energy     126,000       (70,000 )     56,000       -       -  
North American Energy *     10,500       1,500       12,000       -       -  
North American Energy     125,331       17,904       143,235       -       -  
    $ 263,331     $ (50,596 )   $ 212,735     $ -     $ -  
                                         
December 31, 2011                                        
Remodel Auction *   $ -     $ -     $ -     $ (900 )   $ -  
North Carolina Natural Energy *     1,500       -       1,500       -       -  
North American Energy     126,000       (42,000 )     84,000       -       -  
North American Energy *     10,500       7,500       18,000       -       -  
North American Energy     125,331       89,522       214,853       -       -  
Efftec International, Inc. *     -       -       -       (22,500 )     -  
HiTech Stages     -       -       -       (124,573 )     -  
    $ 263,331     $ 55,022     $ 318,353     $ (147,973 )   $ -  

 

* Investments acquired in exchange for management services.

 

Remodel Auction Incorporated (“REMC”) – During 2009, the Company acquired 334 shares of REMC for management services with an initial cost of $275,000 which has now been fully impaired.

 

North Carolina Natural Energy, Inc. (“NCNE”) – NCNE is a successor to REMC whose business was discontinued. NCNE has plans to become involved in some form of natural energy. The Company received 100,000,000 shares of NCNE (less than 1% on a fully diluted basis) for management services during 2011. The shares were valued at $1,500 based on NCNE’s valuation as a shell.

 

North American Energy Resources, Inc. - During the quarter ended June 30, 2009, the Company exchanged its oil & gas property investments for 700,000 shares of North American Energy Resources, Inc. ("NAEY") which were valued at $126,000 based on the closing price of NAEY on the date of the trade. At March 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011, the stock was $0.08 and $0.12 per share, respectively, and the Company had recorded an unrealized loss of $42,000 as of December 31, 2011 and an additional $28,000 in the first quarter of 2012, based on the Company's determination that the price decline was temporary.

 

During the first quarter of 2010, the Company received an additional 150,000 shares of NAEY in exchange for management services. The shares were initially valued at $10,500, based on the trading price at the time. At March 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011, the shares were valued at $12,000 and $18,000.

 

During June 2011, the Company’s CEO contributed 1,790,440 shares of NAEY to the Company which was valued at $125,331 based on the trading price at the time. Mr. Pruitt did not receive additional compensation as a result of the transfer. At March 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011, the shares had a market value of $143,235 and $214,853, respectively.

 

NAEY appointed a new management team in December 2010 and they are seeking acquisition opportunities for onshore and offshore oil and gas properties. Accordingly, the Company determined that any decline was temporary.

 

EffTec International, Inc. - Effective April 1, 2010, the Company's CEO became a director and the CEO of EffTec International, Inc. The Company received 150,000 shares of EffTec and an option to acquire an additional 150,000 shares at $0.15 per share in exchange for the management services to be provided. The shares were valued at $22,500 based on the trading price of EffTec at the date of the transaction. At September 30, 2011, the market value of the Efftec stock dropped to less than $0.01 per share and the Company determined the reduction was other than temporary and impaired its investment to zero.

 

EffTec developed an Internet-based chiller tool called EffTrack™ that: collects, stores and analyzes chiller operating data, calculates and trends chiller performance, diagnoses the cause of chiller inefficiencies, notifies plant contacts when problems occur, recommends corrective actions, measures the results of corrective actions and provides cost analysis of operational improvements.

 

HiTech Stages, Ltd. (“HiTech”) – The Company originally acquired 275,000 shares of HiTech in exchange for 150,450 shares of DineOut during the June 2010 quarter. HiTech was unable to raise sufficient capital to fund its business plan and the stock price dropped to near zero at September 30, 2011. The Company determined the decline was other than temporary and fully impaired its investment on September 30, 2011.

 

OTHER INVESTMENTS ARE SUMMARIZED AS FOLLOWS AT MARCH 31, 2012 AND DECEMBER 31, 2011.

 

    2012     2011  
             
Investments accounted for under the equity method   $ 940,947     $ 813,079  
Investments accounted for under the cost method     766,598       766,598  
Total   $ 1,707,545     $ 1,579,677  

 

 

INVESTMENTS ACCOUNTED FOR USING THE EQUITY METHOD

 

Activity in investments accounted for using the equity method is summarized as follows.

    2012     2011  
             
Balance, beginning of year   $ 813,079     $ 87,200  
Equity in earnings (loss)     (10,538 )     (76,113 )
New investments     138,406       810,133  
Distributions received     -       (8,141 )
Balance, end of year   $ 940,947     $ 813,079  

 

Equity investments consist of the following at March 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011:

 

    2012     2011  
Carrying value:                
Hoot SA I, II, III - South Africa   $ 170,803     $ 140,803  
Hoot Campbelltown Pty. Ltd. (49%) - Australia     559,596       570,134  
Hoot Surfers Paradise Pty. Ltd. (49%) - Australia     210,447       102,041  
Brazil     101       101  
    $ 940,947     $ 813,079  

 

Equity in earnings (loss) and distributions from equity investments during the three months ended March 31, 2012 and 2011 follows. The activity from the South African restaurants is through September 30, 2011 at which time the Company acquired majority ownership and began consolidating these operations

    2012     2011  
Equity in earnings (loss):                
Hoot S.A. I, II, III (opened June 2011)     -       5,103  
Hoot Campbelltown (49%)     (10,538 )     -  
    $ (10,538 )   $ 5,103  
Distributions:                
Hoot S.A. I, LLC (20%)     -       2,646  
Hoot S.A. II, LLC (20%)     -       1,893  
    $ -     $ 4,539  

 

The summarized financial data below includes the South African operations, of which we owned 20% at March 31, 2011 and the Hoot Campbelltown location in Australia, which we owned 49% of at March 31, 2012. The Company acquired majority ownership of the South African operations effective September 30, 2011.

    2012     2011  
             
Revenue   $ 1,108,063     $ 957,735  
Gross profit     781,253       640,751  
Recurring expenses     706,147       589,722  
Pre-opening costs     96,613       -  
Income (loss) from continuing operations     (21,507 )     51,029  
Net income (loss)     (21,507 )     51,029  

 

 

The summarized balance sheets for the two locations in Australia of which we owned 49% at March 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011 follows :

 

    2012     2011  
ASSETS                
Current assets   $ 141,377     $ 58,975  
Non-current assets     2,260,399       1,646,508  
TOTAL ASSETS   $ 2,401,776     $ 1,705,483  
LIABILITIES                
Current liabilities   $ 576,000     $ 76,035  
PARTNER'S EQUITY     1,825,776       1,629,448  
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND PARTNERS' EQUITY   $ 2,401,776     $ 1,705,483  

 

Hooters S.A., GP - The Company formed CHL to own the Company's 50% general partner interest in Hooters S.A., GP, the general partner of the Hooters' restaurant franchises in South Africa. The initial restaurant opened in December 2009 in Durban, South Africa and operations commenced in January 2010. In the initial restaurant CHL had a 10% interest in restaurant cash flows until the limited partners receive payout and a 40% interest in restaurant cash flows after limited partner payout. The second location opened in Johannesburg in June 2010 and a third location opened in Cape Town in June of 2011 with similar structures. Effective September 30, 2011, the Company acquired majority control of the South African operations and began consolidating its operations on October 1, 2011.

 

CHA (Hoot Campbelltown Pty. Ltd and Hoot Surfers Paradise Pty. Ltd.) – CHA entered into a partnership with the current local Hooters franchisee in Australia in which CHA will own 49% and its partner own 51%. The local partner will also manage the restaurants. The first location, Hoot Campbelltown Pty. Ltd. opened in Campbelltown, a suburb of Sydney, in January 2012. A second location, Hoot Surfers Paradise Pty. Ltd., is underway with plans to open in the second quarter of 2012.

 

INVESTMENTS ACCOUNTED FOR USING THE COST METHOD

 

Investments at cost consist of the following at March 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011:

 

Chanticleer Investors, LLC   $ 500,000     $ 500,000  
Edison Nation LLC (FKA Bouncing Brain Productions)     250,000       250,000  
Chanticleer Investors II     16,598       16,598  
    $ 766,598     $ 766,598  

 

Chanticleer Investors LLC - The Company sold 1/2 of its investment in Investors LLC in May 2009 for its cost of $575,000, which reduced its ownership from 23% to 11.5%. Accordingly, in May 2009, the Company discontinued accounting for this investment using the equity method and began to account for the investment using the cost method. In December 2010, the Company sold an additional $75,000 of its investment at cost.

 

On April 18, 2006, the Company formed Investors LLC and sold units for $5,000,000. Investors LLC’s principal asset was a convertible note in the amount of $5,000,000 with Hooters of America, Inc. (“HOA”), collateralized by and convertible into 2% of Hooters common stock. The original note included interest at 6% and was due May 24, 2009. The note was extended until November 24, 2010 and included an increase in the interest rate to 8%.

 
On January 24, 2011, Investors LLC and its three partners combined to form HOA Holdings, LLC ("HOA LLC") and completed the acquisition of Hooters of America, Inc. ("HOA") and Texas Wings, Inc. ("TW"). Together HOA LLC has created an operating company with 161 company-owned locations across sixteen states, or nearly half of all domestic Hooters restaurants and over one-third of the locations worldwide.
 

Investors, LLC had a note receivable in the amount of $5,000,000 from HOA that was repaid at closing. Investors LLC then invested $3,550,000 in HOA LLC (approximately 3.1%) ($500,000 of which is the Company's share). One of the investors in Investors LLC that owned a $1,750,000 share is a direct investor in HOA LLC and will now carry its ownership in HOA LLC directly. The Company now owns approximately 14% of Investors LLC.

 

Based on the current status of this investment, the Company does not consider the investment to be impaired.

 

EE Investors, LLC - On January 26, 2006, we acquired an investment in EE Investors, LLC with cash in the amount of $250,000. We acquired 1,205 units (3.378%) in EE Investors, LLC, whose sole asset is 40% of Edison Nation, LLC (formerly Bouncing Brain Productions, LLC). Edison Nation was formed to provide equity capital for new inventions and help bring them to market. The initial business plan included developing the products and working with manufacturers and marketing organizations to sell the products. This has evolved into a less hands-on program which involves selling products with patents to other larger companies and retaining royalties. Edison Nation has now reached cash flow break-even, and in addition has been retained by a number of companies for which they do product searches to supplement its business. Edison Nation plans to repay the majority of its debt in 2012 and expects to subsequently begin making distributions to its owners. Based on the current status of this investment, the Company does not consider the investment to be impaired.

 

Chanticleer Investors II - The Company paid $16,598 in professional services to form this partnership. Chanticleer Advisors, LLC acts as the managing general partner and receives a management fee based on a percentage of profits.