RICK Rci Hospitality Holdings, Inc. - 10-K

Item 1A. RISK FACTORS.

An investment in our common stock involves a high degree of risk. You should carefully consider the risks described below before deciding to purchase shares of our common stock. If any of the events, contingencies, circumstances or conditions described in the risks below actually occurs, our business, financial condition, or results of operations could be seriously harmed. The trading price of our common stock could, in turn, decline and you could lose all or part of your investment.

A summary of our risk factors is as follows:

Risks related to our business

◦ We may deviate from our present capital allocation strategy.

◦ We may need additional financing, or our business expansion plans may be significantly limited.

◦ There is substantial competition in the nightclub entertainment industry, which may affect our ability to operate profitably or acquire additional clubs.

◦ The adult entertainment industry is extremely volatile.

◦ Private advocacy group actions targeted at the kind of adult entertainment we offer could result in limitations and our inability to operate in certain locations and negatively impact our business.

◦ We rely heavily on information technology in our operations and any material failure, weakness, interruption or breach of security could prevent us from effectively operating our business.

◦ We are exposed to risks related to cyber security and protection of confidential information, and failure to protect the integrity and security of payment card or individually identifiable information of our guests and employees or confidential and proprietary information of the Company could damage our reputation and expose us to loss of revenues, increased costs and litigation.

◦ Our acquisitions may result in disruptions in our business and diversion of management’s attention.

◦ The impact of new club or restaurant openings could result in fluctuations in our financial performance.

◦ Our ability to grow sales through delivery orders is uncertain.

◦ We incur significant costs as a result of operating as a public company, and our management devotes substantial time to new compliance initiatives.

◦ We have identified material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting.

◦ We may have uninsured risks in excess of our insurance coverage or self-insurance.

◦ We are subject to increasing legal complexity and could be party to litigation that could adversely affect us.

◦ Our previous liability insurer may be unable to provide coverage to us and our subsidiaries.

◦ The protection provided by our service marks is limited.

◦ We are dependent on key personnel.

◦ If we are not able to hire, develop, and retain qualified club and restaurant employees and/or appropriately plan our workforce, our growth plan and profitability could be adversely affected.

◦ A failure to maintain food safety throughout the supply chain and food-borne illness concerns may have an adverse effect on our business.

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◦ Our venture, expansion, and renovation projects may face significant inherent risks.

◦ Other risk factors may adversely affect our financial performance.

Risks related to general macroeconomic and safety conditions

◦ Our business, financial condition, and results of operations could be adversely affected by disruptions in the global economy caused by the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine and the Israel-Hamas war.

◦ If we are unable to maintain compliance with certain of our debt covenants or unable to obtain waivers, we may be unable to make additional borrowings and be declared in default where our debt will be made immediately due and payable. In addition, global economic conditions may make it more difficult to access new credit facilities.

◦ We have recorded impairment charges in current and past periods and may record additional impairment charges in future periods.

Risks related to regulations and/or regulatory agencies

◦ Our business operations are subject to regulatory uncertainties which may affect our ability to continue operations of existing nightclubs, acquire additional nightclubs, or be profitable.

◦ The adult entertainment industry standard is to classify adult entertainers as independent contractors, not employees. If federal or state law mandates that they be classified as employees, our business could be adversely impacted.

◦ Our revenues could be significantly affected by limitations relating to permits to sell alcoholic beverages.

◦ Activities or conduct at our nightclubs may cause us to lose necessary business licenses, expose us to liability, or result in adverse publicity, which may increase our costs and divert management’s attention from our business.

Risk related to our common stock

◦ We must continue to meet NASDAQ Global Market Continued Listing Requirements, or we risk delisting.

◦ We may be subject to allegations, defamations, or other detrimental conduct by third parties, which could harm our reputation and cause us to lose customers and/or contribute to a deflation of our stock price.

◦ Our quarterly operating results may fluctuate and could fall below the expectations of securities analysts and investors due to seasonality and other factors, some of which are beyond our control, resulting in a decline in our stock price.

◦ Anti-takeover effects of the issuance of our preferred stock could adversely affect our common stock.

◦ Future sales or the perception of future sales of a substantial amount of our common stock may depress our stock price.

◦ Our stock price has been volatile and may fluctuate in the future.

◦ Cumulative voting is not available to our stockholders.

◦ Our directors and officers have limited liability and have rights to indemnification.

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Details of our risk factors are as follows:

Risks related to our business

We may deviate from our present capital allocation strategy.

We believe that our present capital allocation strategy will provide us with optimized returns. However, implementation of our capital allocation strategy depends on the interplay of several factors such as our stock price, our outstanding common shares, the interest rates on our debt, and the rate of return on available investments. If these factors are not conducive to implementing our present capital allocation strategy, or we determine that adopting a different capital allocation strategy is in the best interest of shareholders, we reserve the right to deviate from this approach. There can be no assurance that we will not deviate from or adopt an alternative capital allocation strategy moving forward.

We may need additional financing, or our business expansion plans may be significantly limited.

If cash generated from our operations is insufficient to satisfy our working capital and capital expenditure requirements, we will need to raise additional funds through the public or private sale of our equity or debt securities. The timing and amount of our capital requirements will depend on a number of factors, including cash flow and cash requirements for nightclub acquisitions and new restaurant development. If additional funds are raised through the issuance of equity or convertible debt securities, the ownership percentage of our then-existing shareholders will be diluted. We cannot ensure that additional financing will be available on terms favorable to us, if at all. Any future equity financing, if available, may result in dilution to existing shareholders; and debt financing, if available, may include restrictive covenants. Any failure by us to procure timely additional financing, if needed, will have material adverse consequences on our business operations.

There is substantial competition in the nightclub entertainment industry, which may affect our ability to operate profitably or acquire additional clubs.

Our nightclubs face substantial competition. Some of our competitors may have greater financial and management resources than we do. Additionally, the industry is subject to unpredictable competitive trends and competition for general entertainment dollars. There can be no assurance that we will be able to remain profitable in this competitive industry.

The adult entertainment industry is extremely volatile.

Historically, the adult entertainment, restaurant and bar industry has been an extremely volatile industry. The industry tends to be extremely sensitive to the general local economy, in that when economic conditions are prosperous, adult entertainment industry revenues increase, and when economic conditions are unfavorable, entertainment industry revenues decline. Coupled with this economic sensitivity are the trendy personal preferences of the customers who frequent adult nightclubs. We continuously monitor trends in our customers’ tastes and entertainment preferences so that, if necessary, we can make appropriate changes which will allow us to remain one of the premiere adult nightclubs. However, any significant decline in general corporate conditions or uncertainties regarding future economic prospects that affect consumer spending could have a material adverse effect on our business. In addition, we have historically catered to a clientele base from the upper end of the market. Accordingly, further reductions in the amounts of entertainment expenses allowed as deductions from income under the Internal Revenue Code of 1954, as amended, could adversely affect sales to customers dependent upon corporate expense accounts.

Private advocacy group actions targeted at the kind of adult entertainment we offer could result in limitations in our inability to operate in certain locations and negatively impact our business.

Our ability to operate successfully depends on the protection provided to us under the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. From time to time, private advocacy groups have sought to target our nightclubs by petitioning for non-renewal of certain of our permits and licenses. Furthermore, private advocacy groups, which have influence on certain financial institutions, have swayed these institutions to not do business with us. In addition to possibly limiting our operations and financing options, negative publicity campaigns, lawsuits and boycotts could negatively affect our businesses and cause additional financial harm by discouraging investors from investing in our securities or requiring that we incur significant expenditures to defend our business.

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We rely heavily on information technology in our operations and any material failure, weakness, interruption, or breach of security could prevent us from effectively operating our business.

Our operations and corporate functions rely heavily on information systems, including point-of-sale processing, management of our supply chain, payment of obligations, collection of cash, electronic communications, data warehousing to support analytics, finance and accounting systems, mobile technologies to enhance the customer experience, and other various processes and procedures, some of which are handled by third parties. Our ability to efficiently and effectively manage our business depends significantly on the reliability and capacity of these systems. The failure of these systems to operate effectively, maintenance problems, upgrading or transitioning to new platforms, or a breach in security relating to these systems could result in delays in consumer service and reduce efficiency in our operations. These problems could adversely affect our results of operations, and remediation could result in significant, unplanned capital investments.

We are exposed to risks related to cyber security and protection of confidential information, and failure to protect the integrity and security of payment card or individually identifiable information of our guests and employees or confidential and proprietary information of the Company could damage our reputation and expose us to loss of revenues, increased costs, and litigation.

Our technology systems contain personal, financial, and other information that is entrusted to us by our guests and employees, as well as financial, proprietary, and other confidential information related to our business, and a significant portion of our sales are by credit or debit cards. If our technology systems, or those of third-party services providers we rely upon, are compromised as a result of a cyber-attack (including whether from circumvention of security systems, denial-of-service attacks, hacking, “phishing” attacks, computer viruses, ransomware, malware, or social engineering) or other external or internal method, it could result in an adverse and material impact on our reputation, operations, and financial condition. The cyber risks we face range from cyber-attacks common to most industries, to attacks that target us due to the confidential consumer information we obtain through our electronic processing of credit and debit card transactions. Such security breaches could also result in litigation or governmental investigation against us, as well as the imposition of penalties. These impacts could also occur if we are perceived either to have had an attack or to have failed to properly respond to an incident. Like many other customer facing companies we have experienced, and will likely continue to experience, attempts to compromise our information technology systems. Additionally, the techniques and sophistication used to conduct cyber-attacks and breaches of information technology systems, as well as the sources and targets of these attacks, change frequently and are often not recognized until such attacks are launched or have been in place for a period of time. In addition, the rapid evolution and increased adoption of artificial intelligence technologies may also heighten our cybersecurity risks by making cyber-attacks more difficult to detect, contain, and mitigate. While we continue to make significant investment in physical and technological security measures, employee training, and third-party services designed to anticipate cyber-attacks and prevent breaches, our information technology networks and infrastructure or those of our third-party vendors and other service providers could be vulnerable to damage, disruptions, shutdowns or breaches of confidential information due to criminal conduct, employee error or malfeasance, utility failures, natural disasters, or other catastrophic events. Due to these scenarios we cannot provide assurance that we will be successful in preventing such breaches or data loss.

We are subject to a variety of continually evolving and developing laws and regulations regarding privacy, data protection, and data security, including those related to the collection, storage, handling, use, disclosure, transfer, and security of personal data. The use and disclosure of such information is regulated and enforced at the federal, state and international levels, and these laws, rules and regulations are subject to change. Additionally, the information, security and privacy requirements imposed by governmental regulation are increasingly demanding. Our systems may not be able to satisfy these changing requirements and guest and employee expectations, or may require significant additional investments or time in order to do so. Efforts to hack or breach security measures, failures of systems or software to operate as designed or intended, viruses, operator error or inadvertent releases of data all threaten our information systems and records and that of our service providers.

As privacy and information security laws and regulations change or cyber risks evolve pertaining to data, we may incur significant additional costs in technology, third-party services, and personnel to maintain systems designed to anticipate and prevent cyber-attacks. As with many public companies, our defenses are under attack regularly. There might be minor intrusions from time to time. We have added certain preventive measures to reduce cyber risks. However, we cannot provide assurance that our security frameworks and measures will be successful in preventing future significant cyber-attacks or data loss. A breach in the security of our information technology systems or those of our service providers could lead to an interruption in the operation of our systems, resulting in operational inefficiencies and a loss of profits. Additionally, a significant theft, loss or misappropriation of, or access to, guests’ or other proprietary data or other breach

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of our information technology systems could result in fines, legal claims or proceedings including regulatory investigations and actions, or liability for failure to comply with privacy and information security laws, which could disrupt our operations, damage our reputation and expose us to claims from guests and employees, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Our acquisitions may result in disruptions in our business and diversion of management’s attention.

We have made and may continue to make acquisitions of complementary nightclubs, restaurants or related operations. Any acquisitions will require the integration of the operations, products and personnel of the acquired businesses and the training and motivation of these individuals. Such acquisitions may disrupt our operations and divert management’s attention from day-to-day operations, which could impair our relationships with current employees, customers and partners. We may also incur debt or issue equity securities to pay for any future acquisitions. These issuances could be substantially dilutive to our stockholders. In addition, our profitability may suffer because of acquisition-related costs or amortization, or impairment costs for acquired goodwill and other intangible assets. If management is unable to fully integrate acquired business, products, or persons with existing operations, we may not receive the benefits of the acquisitions, and our revenues and stock trading price may decrease.

The impact of new club or restaurant openings could result in fluctuations in our financial performance.

Performance of any new club or restaurant location will usually differ from its originally targeted performance due to a variety of factors, and these differences may be material. New clubs and restaurants typically encounter higher customer traffic and sales in their initial months, which may decrease over time. Accordingly, sales achieved by new or reconcepted locations may not be indicative of future operating results. Additionally, we incur substantial pre-opening expenses each time we open a new establishment, which expenses may be higher than anticipated. Due to the foregoing factors, results for any one fiscal quarter are not necessarily indicative of results to be expected for any other fiscal quarter or for a full fiscal year.

Our ability to grow sales through delivery orders is uncertain.

Part of our strategy for restaurant growth is dependent on increased sales from guests that want our food delivered to them. We currently rely on third-party delivery providers for the ordering and payment platforms that receive guest orders and that send orders directly to our point-of-sale system. These platforms could be damaged or interrupted by technological failures, cyber-attacks, or other factors, which may adversely impact our sales through these channels.

Delivery providers generally fulfill delivery orders through drivers that are independent contractors. These drivers may make errors, fail to make timely deliveries, damage our food, or poorly represent our brands, which may lead to customer disappointment, reputational harm and unmet sales expectations. Our sales may also be adversely impacted if there is a shortage of drivers that are willing and available to make deliveries from our restaurants. We also incur additional costs associated with delivery orders, and it is possible that these orders could cannibalize more profitable in-restaurant visits or take-out orders.

We incur significant costs as a result of operating as a public company, and our management devotes substantial time to new compliance initiatives.

We incur significant legal, accounting and other expenses that our non-public competition does not incur. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (the “Sarbanes-Oxley Act”), as well as new rules subsequently implemented by the SEC, have imposed various requirements on public companies, including requiring certain corporate governance practices. Our management and other personnel devote a substantial amount of time to these compliance initiatives. Moreover, these rules and regulations increase our legal and financial compliance costs and will make some activities more time-consuming and costly.

In addition, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act requires, among other things, that we maintain effective internal control over financial reporting and effective disclosure controls and procedures. In particular, under Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, we are required to perform system and process evaluation and testing on the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting, and our independent registered public accounting firm is required to report on the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting. In performing this evaluation and testing, both our management and our independent registered public accounting firm concluded that our internal control over financial reporting is not effective as of September 30, 2025. We are, however, addressing this issue and remediating our material weaknesses. When we were to

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identify a material weakness, correcting that issue, and thereafter our continued compliance with Section 404 require that we incur substantial accounting expense and expend significant management efforts. Moreover, if we are not able to correct an internal control issue and comply with the requirements of Section 404 in a timely manner, or if in the future we or our independent registered public accounting firm identifies deficiencies in our internal controls over financial reporting that are deemed to be material weaknesses, the market price of our stock could decline, and we could be subject to sanctions or investigations by the SEC or other regulatory authorities, which would require additional financial and management resources.

We have identified material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting.

Management, including our Interim Chief Executive Officer and our Interim Chief Financial Officer, assessed the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of September 30, 2025, and concluded that we did not maintain effective internal control over financial reporting. Management identified material weaknesses related to (1) ineffective design and operation of controls over certain information technology general controls, including change management and vendor management controls; (2) ineffective design and operation of controls, which include management review controls, over the accounting for business combinations and contingent liabilities; and (3) ineffective design and operation of controls, which include management review controls, over the impairment assessments over long-lived assets, definite- and indefinite-lived intangible assets, and goodwill. See Item 9A, “Controls and Procedures,” below. While certain actions have been taken to implement a remediation plan to address these material weaknesses and to enhance our internal control over financial reporting, if these material weaknesses are not remediated, it could adversely affect our ability to report our financial condition and results of operations in a timely and accurate manner, which could negatively affect investor confidence in our Company, and, as a result, the value of our common stock could be adversely affected.

We may have uninsured risks in excess of our insurance coverage or self-insurance.

Historically, we have maintained insurance in amounts we consider adequate for personal injury and property damage to which the business of the Company may be subject. During fiscal 2025, however, we self-insured certain general liability and liquor insurance coverage in a number of establishments due to increasingly prohibitive costs of such coverage. However, we still carry at least the minimum insurance coverage where it is required by law for licensing requirements. There can be no assurance that we will not have uninsured liabilities or liabilities in excess of the coverage provided by insurance or self-insurance, which liabilities may be imposed pursuant to the Texas “dram shop” statute or similar “dram shop” statutes or common law theories of liability in other states where we operate or expand. For example, the Texas “dram shop” statute provides a person injured by an intoxicated person the right to recover damages from an establishment that wrongfully served alcoholic beverages to such person if it was apparent to the server that the individual being sold, served or provided with an alcoholic beverage was obviously intoxicated to the extent that he presented a clear danger to himself and others. An employer is not liable for the actions of its employee who over-serves if (i) the employer requires its employees to attend a seller training program approved by the TABC; (ii) the employee has actually attended such a training program; and (iii) the employer has not directly or indirectly encouraged the employee to violate the law. It is our policy to require that all servers of alcohol working at our clubs in Texas be certified as servers under a training program approved by the TABC, which certification gives statutory immunity to the sellers of alcohol from damage caused to third parties by those who have consumed alcoholic beverages at such establishment pursuant to the TABC. There can be no assurance, however, that uninsured liabilities may not arise in the markets in which we operate which could have a material adverse effect on the Company.

We are subject to increasing legal complexity and could be party to litigation that could adversely affect us.

Increasing legal complexity will continue to affect our operations and results. We could be subject to legal proceedings that may adversely affect our business, including class actions, administrative proceedings, government investigations, employment and personal injury claims, claims alleging violations of federal and state laws regarding consumer, workplace and employment matters, wage and hour claims, discrimination and similar matters, landlord/tenant disputes, disputes with current and former suppliers, claims by current and former franchisees, contractors, data privacy claims and intellectual property claims (including claims that we infringed upon another party’s trademarks, or copyrights). Inconsistent standards imposed by governmental authorities can adversely affect our business and increase our exposure to litigation which could result in significant judgments, including punitive and liquidated damages, and injunctive relief.

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Occasionally, our guests file complaints or lawsuits against us alleging that we are responsible for an illness or injury they suffered as a result of a visit to our clubs or restaurants, or that we have problems with food quality or operations. As a Company, we take responsible alcohol service seriously. However, we are subject to "dram shop" statutes. These statutes generally allow a person injured by an intoxicated person to recover damages from an establishment that served alcoholic beverages to the intoxicated person. Some litigation against restaurant chains has resulted in significant judgments, including punitive damages, under dram shop statutes. Because a plaintiff may seek punitive damages, which may not be covered by insurance, this type of action could have an adverse impact on our financial condition and results of operations.

Litigation involving our relationship with contractors and the legal distinction between our contractors and us for employment law purposes, if determined adversely, could increase costs, negatively impact the business prospects of our operations and subject us to incremental liability for their actions.

Our operating results could also be affected by the following:

• The relative level of our defense costs and nature and procedural status of pending proceedings;

• The cost and other effects of settlements, judgments or consent decrees, which may require us to make disclosures or to take other actions that may affect perceptions of our brands and products;

• Adverse results of pending or future litigation, including litigation challenging the composition and preparation of our products, or the appropriateness or accuracy of our marketing or other communication practices; and

• The scope and terms of insurance or indemnification protections that we may have (if any).

Claims brought by government authorities have the potential to be especially disruptive to our business and operations. As described further under “Legal Matters” in Note 11 to our consolidated financial statements, on September 16, 2025, the Company was indicted in the Supreme Court of the State of New York, County of New York, along with two executive officers of the Company (Eric Langan, then Chief Executive Officer, and Bradley Chhay, then Chief Financial Officer, who each subsequently stepped down from those positions in November 2025), three employees of subsidiaries, and the Company’s subsidiaries Peregrine Enterprises, Inc. (the operator of Rick’s Cabaret in New York City), RCI Dining Services (37th Street), Inc. (the operator of Vivid Cabaret in New York City) and RCI 33rd Street Ventures, Inc. (the operator of Hoops Cabaret and Sports Bar in New York City). The indictment alleges that the defendants committed conspiracy, bribery, criminal tax fraud, and offering a false instrument for filing. These charges, which resulted from a previously disclosed investigation by the Office of the Attorney General of New York, allege that a tax auditor with the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance was provided complimentary admission to clubs, restaurant meals, private dances and travel expenses in exchange for the reduction of certain sales tax liabilities in connection with the use of “Dance Dollars.” The Company is continuing to evaluate the charges in the indictment and intends to vigorously defend itself against them, while also continuing to seek a just resolution. The charges are merely allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law. It is not possible at this time to determine whether the Company will incur any fines, penalties, or liabilities in connection with the investigation. If, however, a government authority was to allege that illegal conduct was committed by the Company or any of its employees or executives, regardless of whether any such claims are valid, such claims have the potential to affect our business and defending such claims may be expensive and may divert time, attention and money away from our operations and hurt our performance. Further, adverse publicity resulting from these claims may negatively affect our business.

Our previous liability insurer may be unable to provide coverage to us and our subsidiaries.

As previously reported, the Company and its subsidiaries were insured under a liability policy issued by Indemnity Insurance Corporation, RRG (“IIC”) through October 25, 2013. The Company and its subsidiaries changed insurance companies on that date.

On November 7, 2013, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware entered a Rehabilitation and Injunction Order (“Rehabilitation Order”), which declared IIC impaired, insolvent and in an unsafe condition and placed IIC under the supervision of the Insurance Commissioner of the State of Delaware (“Commissioner”) in her capacity as receiver (“Receiver”). The Rehabilitation Order empowered the Commissioner to rehabilitate IIC through a variety of means, including gathering assets and marshaling those assets, as necessary. Further, the order stayed or abated pending lawsuits involving IIC as the insurer until May 6, 2014.

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On April 10, 2014, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware entered a Liquidation and Injunction Order With Bar Date (“Liquidation Order”), which ordered the liquidation of IIC and terminated all insurance policies or contracts of insurance issued by IIC. The Liquidation Order further ordered that all claims against IIC must have been filed with the Receiver before the close of business on January 16, 2015, and that all pending lawsuits involving IIC as the insurer were further stayed or abated until October 7, 2014. As a result, the Company and its subsidiaries no longer had insurance coverage under the liability policy with IIC. The Company has retained counsel to defend against and evaluate these claims and lawsuits. We are funding 100% of the costs of litigation and will seek reimbursement from the bankruptcy receiver. The Company filed the appropriate claims against IIC with the Receiver before the January 16, 2015 deadline and has provided updates as requested; however, there are no assurances of any recovery from these claims. It is unknown at this time what effect this uncertainty will have on the Company. As of September 30, 2025, we have no remaining unresolved claims out of the original 71 claims.

The protection provided by our service marks is limited.

Our rights to the trade names “RCI Hospitality Holdings, Inc.,” “Rick’s,” “Rick’s Cabaret,” “Tootsie’s Cabaret,” “Club Onyx,” “XTC Cabaret,” “Temptations,” “Jaguars,” “Downtown Cabaret,” “Cabaret East,” “Bombshells Restaurant and Bar,” “Vee Lounge,” “Mile High Men’s Club,” “Country Rock Cabaret,” “PT’s,” and “Diamond Cabaret” are established under common law, based upon our substantial and continuous use of these trade names in interstate commerce, some of which have been in use at least as early as 1987. We have registered our service mark, “RICK’S AND STARS DESIGN,” and the “BOMBSHELLS RESTAURANT & BAR” logo design with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. We have also obtained service mark registrations from the Patent and Trademark Office for “RICK’S AND STARS DESIGN” logo, “RCI HOSPITALITY HOLDINGS, INC.,” “RICK’S,” “RICK’S CABARET,” “CLUB ONYX,” “XTC CABARET,” “SCARLETT’S CABARET,” “SILVER CITY CABARET,” “BOMBSHELLS RESTAURANT AND BAR,” “THE SEVILLE CLUB,” “DOWN IN TEXAS SALOON,” “HOOPS CABARET,” “VEE LOUNGE,” “STUDIO 80,” “FOXY’S CABARET,” “EXOTIC DANCER,” “TOYS FOR TATAS,” “MILE HIGH MEN’S CLUB,” “MHMC logo,” “AFTER DARK,” “COUNTRY ROCK CABARET,” “PT’S,” “DIAMOND CABARET,” "CABARET ROYALE," BABY DOLLS SALOON," "BABY DOLLS TOPLESS SALOON," "BABY DOLLS," "JAGUARS," and BOMBSHELLS OFFICER’S CLUB are registered through service mark registrations issued by the United States Patent and Trademark Office. As of this date, we have pending registration applications for the names “TOOTSIES CABARET,” "RICK'S REWARDS," "VENICE CABARET," “CHERRY CREEK FOOD HALL AND BREWERY”, and “THE MANSION.” We also own the rights to numerous trade names associated with our media division. There can be no assurance that these steps we have taken to protect our service marks will be adequate to deter misappropriation of our protected intellectual property rights. Litigation may be necessary in the future to protect our rights from infringement, which may be costly and time consuming. The loss of the intellectual property rights owned or claimed by us could have a material adverse effect on our business.

We are dependent on key personnel.

Our future success is dependent, in a large part, on retaining the services of individuals who possess comprehensive knowledge of our industry. Eric Langan, our former President and Chief Executive Officer, and Bradley Chhay, our former Chief Financial Officer, have served these roles in the past, but both individuals stepped down as executive officers in November 2025. Travis Reese and Albert Molina have stepped in to fill these positions and Messrs. Langan and Chhay have remained with the Company in different roles. Our executive officers have vast experience in the adult nightclub and/or hospitality industries, with Mr. Molina having specialized familiarity with our accounting systems and how they affect our operations. The loss of key personnel could have a negative effect on our operating, marketing and financial performance if we are unable to find an adequate replacement with similar knowledge and experience within our industry. There can be no assurance that any of our key personnel will continue to be employed by us.

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If we are not able to hire, develop, and retain qualified club and restaurant employees and/or appropriately plan our workforce, our growth plan and profitability could be adversely affected.

We rely on our restaurant and club-level employees to consistently provide high-quality food and positive experiences to our guests. In addition, our ability to continue to open new restaurants depends on us attracting, hiring, developing, and retaining high-quality managers. Maintaining appropriate staffing in our restaurants requires precise workforce planning, which planning has become more complex due to predictive scheduling laws (also called “fair workweek” or “secure scheduling”) and “just cause” termination legislation in certain geographic areas where we operate, and the so-called “great resignation” trend. The market for qualified talent continues to be competitive and we must ensure that we continue to offer competitive wages, benefits, and workplace conditions to retain qualified employees. We have experienced and may continue to experience challenges in hiring and retaining restaurant and club employees and in maintaining full restaurant and or club staffing in various locations, which has resulted in longer wait times for guest orders and potentially decreased employee satisfaction. A shortage of qualified candidates who meet all legal work authorization and training requirements, failure to hire and retain new restaurant or club employees in a timely manner or higher than expected turnover levels could affect our ability to open new restaurants, grow sales at existing restaurants and clubs or meet our labor cost objectives. In addition, failure to adequately monitor and proactively respond to employee dissatisfaction could lead to poor guest satisfaction, higher turnover, litigation and unionization efforts, which could negatively impact our ability to meet our growth targets.

A failure to maintain food safety throughout the supply chain and food-borne illness concerns may have an adverse effect on our business.

Food safety is a top priority, and we dedicate substantial resources to ensuring that our guests enjoy safe, quality food products. However, food safety issues could be caused at the point of source or by food suppliers or distributors and, as a result, be out of our control. In addition, regardless of the source or cause, any report of food-borne illnesses such as E. coli, hepatitis A, trichinosis or salmonella, and other food safety issues including food tampering or contamination, at one of our restaurants or clubs could adversely affect the reputation of our brands and have a negative impact on our sales. Even instances of food-borne illness, food tampering or food contamination occurring solely at restaurants of our competitors could result in negative publicity about the food service industry generally and adversely impact our sales. The occurrence of food-borne illnesses or food safety issues could also adversely affect the price and availability of affected ingredients, resulting in higher costs and lower margins.

Our venture, expansion, and renovation projects may face significant inherent risks.

Investment in certain projects we may undertake will be subject to the many risks inherent in the expansion or renovation of an existing enterprise or construction of a new enterprise, including unanticipated design, construction, regulatory, environmental and operating problems and lack of demand for our projects.

Our current and future projects could also experience:

• delays and significant cost increases;

• delays in obtaining or inability to obtain necessary permits, licenses and approvals;

• lack of sufficient, or delays in the availability of, financing;

• shortages of materials;

• shortages of skilled labor, work stoppages or labor disputes;

• poor performance or nonperformance by any third parties on whom we place reliance;

• unforeseen construction scheduling, engineering, environmental, permitting, construction or geological problems, including defective plans and specifications;

• weather interference, floods, fires or other casualty losses; and

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The completion dates of any of our projects could differ significantly from expectations for construction-related or other reasons. Actual costs and construction periods for any of our projects can differ significantly from initial expectations. Our initial project costs and construction periods are based upon budgets, conceptual design documents and construction schedule estimates prepared at inception of the project in consultation with architects and contractors. Many of these costs can increase over time as the project is built to completion.

We can provide no assurance that any project will be completed on time, if at all, or within established budgets, or that any project will result in increased earnings to us. Significant delays, cost overruns, or failures of our projects to achieve market acceptance could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Other risk factors may adversely affect our financial performance.

Other risk factors that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements by affecting, among many things, pricing, consumer spending and consumer confidence, include, without limitation, changes in economic conditions and financial and credit markets, credit availability, increased fuel costs and availability for our employees, customers and suppliers, health epidemics or pandemics or the prospects of these events (such as reports on avian flu or COVID-19), consumer perceptions of food safety, changes in consumer tastes and behaviors, governmental monetary policies, changes in demographic trends, terrorist acts, energy shortages and rolling blackouts, and weather (including, major hurricanes and regional snow storms) and other acts of God.

We are also subject to the general risks of inflation, increases in minimum wage, health care, and other benefits that may have a material adverse effect on our cost structure, and the disruption in our supply chain caused by several factors.

Risks related to general macroeconomic and safety conditions

Our business, financial condition, and results of operations could be adversely affected by disruptions in the global economy caused by the ongoing war and other geopolitical conflict.

Ongoing war and other geopolitical conflicts could have adverse effects on global macroeconomic conditions which could negatively impact our business, financial condition, and results of operations. These conflicts are highly unpredictable and have historically resulted in significant volatility in oil and natural gas prices worldwide.

If we are unable to maintain compliance with certain of our debt covenants or unable to obtain waivers, we may be unable to make additional borrowings and be declared in default where our debt will be made immediately due and payable. In addition, global economic conditions may make it more difficult to access new credit facilities.

Our liquidity position is, in part, dependent upon our ability to borrow funds from financial institutions and/or private individuals. Certain of our debts have financial covenants that require us to maintain certain operating income to debt service ratios. As of September 30, 2025, we were in compliance with all covenants. Due to the impact of macroeconomic, geopolitical, and health and safety factors, and the potential economic slowdown, our financial performance in future periods could be negatively impacted. A failure to comply with the financial covenants under our credit facility or obtain waivers would give rise to an event of default under the terms of certain of our debts, allowing the lenders to accelerate repayment of any outstanding debt.

We have recorded impairment charges in current and past periods and may record additional impairment charges in future periods.

Our nightclubs are often acquired with a purchase price based on historical EBITDA (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization). This results in certain nightclubs carrying a substantial amount of intangible asset value, mostly allocated to licenses and goodwill. Generally accepted accounting principles require periodic impairment review of indefinite-lived intangible assets, long-lived assets, and goodwill to determine if, or when events and circumstances indicate that, the fair value of these assets is not recoverable. As a result of our periodic impairment reviews, we recorded impairment charges of $5.3 million in 2025 (representing $3.8 million of SOB license impairment on six clubs and $1.6 million of property and equipment impairment on one food hall operated under the Bombshells segment); $38.5 million in 2024 (representing $8.9 million of goodwill impairment, $11.8 million of SOB license impairment on seven clubs, $10.6 million of property and equipment impairment on four clubs and nine Bombshells units, $6.5 million of operating lease right-of-use assets impairment on five Bombshells units, $693,000 of tradename impairment on one club, and $68,000 related to other assets); and $12.6 million in 2023 (representing $4.2 million of goodwill impairment, $6.5 million of SOB

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license impairment on eight clubs, $1.0 million of operating lease right-of-use asset on one club, $814,000 of software impairment on two investment projects, and $58,000 of property and equipment impairment on one club). If difficult market and economic conditions materialize over the next year and/or we experience a decrease in revenue at one or more nightclubs or restaurants, we could incur a decline in fair value of one or more of our nightclubs or restaurants. This could result in future impairment charges of up to the total value of our tangible and intangible assets, including goodwill. We actively monitor our clubs and restaurants for any indication of impairment.

Risks related to regulations and/or regulatory agencies

Our business operations are subject to regulatory uncertainties which may affect our ability to continue operations of existing nightclubs, acquire additional nightclubs, or be profitable.

Adult entertainment nightclubs are subject to local, state and federal regulations. Our business is regulated by local zoning, local and state liquor licensing, local ordinances, and state and federal time place and manner restrictions. The adult entertainment provided by our nightclubs has elements of speech and expression and, therefore, enjoys some protection under the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. However, the protection is limited to the expression, and not the conduct of an entertainer. While our nightclubs are generally well established in their respective markets, there can be no assurance that local, state and/or federal licensing and other regulations will permit our nightclubs to remain in operation or profitable in the future.

The adult entertainment industry standard is to classify adult entertainers as independent contractors, not employees. If federal or state law mandates that they be classified as employees, our business could be adversely impacted.

The adult entertainment industry standard is to classify adult entertainers as independent contractors, not employees. The Internal Revenue Service regulations and applicable state law guidelines regarding independent contractor classification are subject to judicial and agency interpretation, and it could be determined that the independent contractor classification is inapplicable. Further, if legal standards for classification of independent contractors change, it may be necessary to modify our compensation structure for these adult entertainers, including by paying additional compensation or reimbursing expenses. While we take steps to ensure that our adult entertainers are deemed independent contractors, if our adult entertainers are determined to have been misclassified as independent contractors, we would incur additional exposure under federal and state law, workers’ compensation, unemployment benefits, labor, employment and tort laws, including for prior periods, as well as potential liability for employee benefits and tax withholdings. Any of these outcomes could result in substantial costs to us, could significantly impair our financial condition and our ability to conduct our business as we choose, and could damage our ability to attract and retain other personnel.

Our revenues could be significantly affected by limitations relating to permits to sell alcoholic beverages.

We derive a significant portion of our revenues from the sale of alcoholic beverages. States in which we operate may have laws which may limit the availability of a permit to sell alcoholic beverages, or which may provide for suspension or revocation of a permit to sell alcoholic beverages in certain circumstances. The temporary or permanent suspension or revocations of any such permits would have a material adverse effect on our revenues, financial condition and results of operations. In all states where we operate, management believes we are in compliance with applicable city, county, state or other local laws governing the sale of alcohol.

Activities or conduct at our nightclubs may cause us to lose necessary business licenses, expose us to liability, or result in adverse publicity, which may increase our costs and divert management’s attention from our business.

We are subject to risks associated with activities or conduct at our nightclubs that are illegal or violate the terms of necessary business licenses. Some of our nightclubs operate under licenses for sexually oriented businesses and are afforded some protection under the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. While we believe that the activities at our nightclubs comply with the terms of such licenses, and that the element of our business that constitutes an expression of free speech under the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution is protected, activities and conduct at our nightclubs may be found to violate the terms of such licenses or be unprotected under the U.S. Constitution. This protection is limited to the expression and not the conduct of an entertainer. An issuing authority may suspend or terminate a license for a nightclub found to have violated the license terms. Illegal activities or conduct at any of our nightclubs may result in negative publicity or litigation. Such consequences may increase our cost of doing business, divert management’s attention from our business and make an investment in our securities unattractive to current and potential investors, thereby lowering our profitability and our stock price.

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We have developed comprehensive policies aimed at ensuring that the operation of each of our nightclubs is conducted in conformance with local, state and federal laws. We have a “no tolerance” policy on illegal drug use in or around our facilities. We continually monitor the actions of entertainers, waitresses and customers to ensure that proper behavior standards are met. However, such policies, no matter how well designed and enforced, can provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurance that the policies’ objectives are being achieved. Because of the inherent limitations in all control systems and policies, there can be no assurance that our policies will prevent deliberate acts by persons attempting to violate or circumvent them. Notwithstanding the foregoing limitations, management believes that our policies are reasonably effective in achieving their purposes.

Risk related to our common stock

We must continue to meet NASDAQ Global Market Continued Listing Requirements, or we risk delisting.

Our securities are currently listed for trading on the NASDAQ Global Market. We must continue to satisfy NASDAQ’s continued listing requirements or risk delisting which would have an adverse effect on our business. If our securities are ever delisted from NASDAQ, they may trade on the over-the-counter market, which may be a less liquid market. In such case, our shareholders’ ability to trade or obtain quotations of the market value of shares of our common stock would be severely limited because of lower trading volumes and transaction delays. These factors could contribute to lower prices and larger spreads in the bid and ask prices for our securities. Additionally, we are presently not in compliance with NASDAQ Listing Rule 5250(c)(1), which requires timely filing of all required periodic financial reports with the SEC. Although we intend to regain compliance with Listing Rule 5250(c)(1) by filing all such reports as soon as practicable, there is no assurance that we will be able to maintain compliance with Listing Rule 5250(c)(1) or any of the other NASDAQ continued listing requirements.

We may be subject to allegations, defamations, or other detrimental conduct by third parties, which could harm our reputation and cause us to lose customers and/or contribute to a deflation of our stock price.

We have been subject to allegations by third parties or purported former employees, negative internet postings, and other adverse public exposure on our business, operations and staff compensation. We may also become the target of defamations or other detrimental conduct by third parties or disgruntled former or current employees. Such conduct may include complaints, anonymous or otherwise, to regulatory agencies, media or other organizations. We may be subject to government or regulatory investigation or other proceedings as a result of such third-party conduct and may be required to spend significant time and incur substantial costs to address such third-party conduct, and there is no assurance that we will be able to conclusively refute each of the allegations within a reasonable period of time, or at all. Any government or regulatory investigations initiated as a result of the above may cause a deflation in our stock price. Additionally, allegations, directly or indirectly against us, may be posted on the internet, including social media platforms by anyone, whether or not related to us, on an anonymous basis. Any negative publicity on us or our management can be quickly and widely disseminated. Social media platforms and devices immediately publish the content of their subscribers and participants post, often without filters or checks on accuracy of the content posted. Information posted may be inaccurate and adverse to us, and it may harm our reputation, business or prospects. The harm may be immediate without affording us an opportunity for redress or correction. Our reputation may be negatively affected as a result of the public dissemination of negative and potentially false information about our business and operations, which in turn may cause us to lose customers.

Our quarterly operating results may fluctuate and could fall below the expectations of securities analysts and investors due to seasonality and other factors, some of which are beyond our control, resulting in a decline in our stock price.

Our nightclub operations are affected by seasonal factors. Historically, we have experienced reduced revenues from April through September with the strongest operating results occurring from October through March. As a result, our quarterly and annual operating results and comparable restaurant sales may fluctuate significantly as a result of seasonality and the factors discussed above. Accordingly, results for any one fiscal quarter are not necessarily indicative of results to be expected for any other fiscal quarter or for any fiscal year and same-store sales for any particular future period may decrease. In the future, operating results may fall below the expectations of securities analysts and investors. In that event, the price of our common stock would likely decrease.

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Anti-takeover effects of the issuance of our preferred stock could adversely affect our common stock.

Our board of directors has the authority to issue up to 1,000,000 shares of preferred stock in one or more series, to fix the number of shares constituting any such series, and to fix the rights and preferences of the shares constituting any series, without any further vote or action by the stockholders. The issuance of preferred stock by the board of directors could adversely affect the rights of the holders of our common stock. For example, such issuance could result in a class of securities outstanding that would have preferences with respect to voting rights and dividends and in liquidation over the common stock, and could (upon conversion or otherwise) enjoy all of the rights appurtenant to common stock. The board’s authority to issue preferred stock could discourage potential takeover attempts and could delay or prevent a change in control of the Company through merger, tender offer, proxy contest or otherwise by making such attempts more difficult to achieve or costlier. There are no issued and outstanding shares of preferred stock; there are no agreements or understandings for the issuance of preferred stock; and the board of directors has no present intention to issue preferred stock.

Future sales or the perception of future sales of a substantial amount of our common stock may depress our stock price.

The market price of our common stock could decline as a result of sales of substantial amounts of our common stock in the public market, or as a result of the perception that these sales could occur. In addition, these factors could make it more difficult for us to raise funds through future offerings of common stock.

Our stock price has been volatile and may fluctuate in the future.

The trading price of our securities may fluctuate significantly. This price may be influenced by many factors, including:

• our performance and prospects;

• the depth and liquidity of the market for our securities;

• investor perception of us and the industry in which we operate;

• changes in earnings estimates or buy/sell recommendations by analysts;

• general financial and other market conditions; and

• domestic economic conditions.

Public stock markets have experienced, and may experience, extreme price and trading volume volatility. These broad market fluctuations may adversely affect the market price of our securities.

Cumulative voting is not available to our stockholders.

Cumulative voting in the election of directors is expressly denied in our Articles of Incorporation. Accordingly, the holder or holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of our common stock may elect all of our directors.

Our directors and officers have limited liability and have rights to indemnification.

Our Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws provide, as permitted by governing Texas law, that our directors and officers shall not be personally liable to us or any of our stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director or officer, with certain exceptions. The Articles further provide that we will indemnify our directors and officers against expenses and liabilities they incur to defend, settle, or satisfy any civil litigation or criminal action brought against them on account of their being or having been its directors or officers unless, in such action, they are adjudged to have acted with gross negligence or willful misconduct.

The inclusion of these provisions in the Articles may have the effect of reducing the likelihood of derivative litigation against directors and officers and may discourage or deter stockholders or management from bringing a lawsuit against directors and officers for breach of their duty of care, even though such an action, if successful, might otherwise have benefited us and our stockholders.

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The Articles provide for the indemnification of our officers and directors, and the advancement to them of expenses in connection with any proceedings and claims, to the fullest extent permitted by Texas law. The Articles include related provisions meant to facilitate the indemnitee’s receipt of such benefits. These provisions cover, among other things: (i) specification of the method of determining entitlement to indemnification and the selection of independent counsel that will in some cases make such determination, (ii) specification of certain time periods by which certain payments or determinations must be made and actions must be taken, and (iii) the establishment of certain presumptions in favor of an indemnitee.

Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to our directors, officers and controlling persons pursuant to the foregoing provisions, we have been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission, such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is therefore unenforceable.

Item 7. MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS.

OVERVIEW

The following Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (“MD&A”) is intended to help the reader understand RCI Hospitality Holdings, Inc., our operations and our present business environment. MD&A is provided as a supplement to, and should be read in conjunction with, our consolidated financial statements and the accompanying notes thereto contained in Item 8 – “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” of this report. This overview summarizes the MD&A, which includes the following sections:

• Our Business — a general description of our business and the adult nightclub industry, our objective, our strategic priorities, our core capabilities, and challenges and risks of our business.

• Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates — a discussion of accounting policies that require critical judgments and estimates.

• Operations Review — an analysis of our Company’s consolidated results of operations for the three years presented in our consolidated financial statements.

• Liquidity and Capital Resources — an analysis of cash flows, aggregate contractual obligations, and an overview of financial position.

OUR BUSINESS

The following are our operating segments:

Nightclubs

Our wholly-owned subsidiaries own and/or operate upscale adult nightclubs. These nightclubs are in Houston, Austin, San Antonio, Dallas, Fort Worth, Beaumont, Longview, Harlingen, Edinburg, Tye, Lubbock, Round Rock, El Paso and Odessa, Texas; Central City and Denver, Colorado; Charlotte and Raleigh, North Carolina; Minneapolis, Minnesota; New York and Newburgh, New York; Miami Gardens, Pembroke Park and Miami, Florida; Pittsburgh and Allentown, Pennsylvania; Phoenix, Arizona; Louisville, Kentucky; Portland, Maine; Indianapolis, Indiana; Washington Park, Kappa, Sauget and Chicago, Illinois; Inkster, Michigan; and West Columbia, South Carolina. No sexual contact is permitted at any of our locations. We also own and operate a Studio 80 dance club in Fort Worth, Texas. We also own and lease to third parties real properties that are adjacent to (or used to be locations of) our clubs.

Bombshells

Our wholly-owned subsidiaries own and operate restaurants and sports bars in Houston, Dallas, Pearland, Tomball, Katy, Arlington, Stafford, and Lubbock, Texas, and Denver, Colorado, under the brand name Bombshells Restaurant & Bar.

Other

Our wholly-owned subsidiaries own a media division (“Media Group”), including the leading trade magazine serving the multibillion-dollar adult nightclubs industry and the adult retail products industry. We also own an industry trade show, an industry trade publication and more than a dozen industry and social media websites. Included here is Drink Robust, which is licensed to sell Robust Energy Drink in the United States.

We generate our revenues from the sale of liquor, beer, wine, food, and merchandise; service revenues such as cover charges, membership fees, and facility use fees; and other revenues such as commissions from vending and ATM machines, real estate rental, valet parking, and other products and services for both nightclub and restaurant/sports bar operations. Other revenues include Media Group revenues for the sale of advertising content and revenues from our annual Expo convention, and Drink Robust sales. Our fiscal year-end is September 30.

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Upon initial adoption of ASU 2023-07 for the annual reporting period ended September 30, 2025 (see Note 2 to our consolidated financial statements), certain previously reported segment information have changed. There were no changes in consolidated amounts. Segment-related discussions and analyses in the MD&A relate to amounts exclusive of intersegment items.

Same-Store Sales. We calculate same-store sales by comparing year-over-year revenues from nightclubs and restaurants/sports bars starting in the first full quarter of operations after at least 12 full months for Nightclubs and at least 18 full months for Bombshells. We consider the first six months of operations of a Bombshells unit to be the “honeymoon period” where sales are significantly higher than normal. We exclude from a particular month’s calculation units previously included in the same-store sales base that have closed temporarily for more than 15 days until its next full quarter of operations. We also exclude from the same-store sales base units that are being reconcepted or are closed due to renovations or remodels. Acquired units are included in the same-store sales calculation as long as they qualify based on the definitions stated above. Revenues outside of our Nightclubs and Bombshells reportable segments’ core business are excluded from same-store sales calculation.

Our goal is to use our Company’s assets—our brands, financial strength, and the talent and strong commitment of our management and employees—to become more competitive and to accelerate growth.

CRITICAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES AND ESTIMATES

Management’s discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations are based upon our financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”). The preparation of these consolidated financial statements requires our management to make assumptions and estimates about future events and apply judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses, and related disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities. These estimates are based on management’s historical and industry experience and on various other assumptions that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances. On a regular basis, we evaluate these accounting policies, assumptions, estimates and judgments to ensure that our financial statements are presented fairly and in accordance with GAAP. However, because future events and their effects cannot be determined with certainty, actual results may differ from our estimates, and such differences could be material.

A full discussion of our significant accounting policies is contained in Note 2 to our consolidated financial statements, which is included in Item 8 – “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” of this report. We believe that the following accounting estimates are the most critical to aid in fully understanding and evaluating our financial results. These estimates require our most difficult, subjective or complex judgments because they relate to matters that are inherently uncertain. We have reviewed these critical accounting policies and estimates and related disclosures with our Audit Committee.

Impairment of Long-Lived Assets

We review long-lived assets, such as property and equipment, and intangible assets subject to amortization, for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset or asset group may not be recoverable. These events or changes in circumstances include, but are not limited to, significant underperformance relative to historical or projected future operating results, significant changes in the manner of use of the acquired assets or the strategy for the overall business, and significant negative industry or economic trends. Recoverability of assets to be held and used is measured by a comparison of the carrying amount of the asset group to the estimated undiscounted cash flows over the estimated remaining useful life of the primary asset included in the asset group. If the asset group is not recoverable, the impairment loss is calculated as the excess of the carrying value over the fair value. We define our asset group as an operating club or restaurant location, which is also our reporting unit or the lowest level for which cash flows can be identified. Key estimates in the undiscounted cash flow model include management’s estimate of the projected revenues and operating margins. Fair value is determined using the market, income, or cost approaches. If fair value is used to determine using the income approach, an additional key assumption is the selection of a weighted-average cost of capital to discount cash flows. Assets to be disposed of are separately presented in the balance sheet and reported at the lower of the carrying amount or fair value less costs to sell and are no longer depreciated.

During fourth quarter of 2025, we impaired one property for $1.6 million in property and equipment.

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During the third quarter of 2024, we impaired six properties for $4.8 million in property and equipment and $5.7 million in operating lease right-of-use assets. During the fourth quarter of 2024, we impaired ten properties for $5.8 million in property and equipment and $747,000 in operating lease right-of-use assets. These properties are predominantly comprised of leased Bombshells locations.

During the third quarter of 2023, we impaired one property for $58,000 for its property and equipment and $1.0 million for its operating lease right-of-use asset before the club's permanent closure. During the fourth quarter of 2023, we also recognized software impairments amounting to $814,000 related to two venture projects.

Key assumptions and estimates used in long-lived asset impairment testing, the most significant of which is our estimated future cash flows, may produce materially different amounts of fair value, which could significantly impact our results of operations.

Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets

Goodwill and other intangible assets that have indefinite useful lives are tested annually for impairment during our fourth fiscal quarter and are tested for impairment more frequently if events and circumstances indicate that the asset might be impaired.

Our impairment calculations require management to make assumptions and to apply judgment in order to estimate fair values. If our actual results are not consistent with our estimates and assumptions, we may be exposed to impairments that could be material. We do not believe that there is a reasonable likelihood that there will be a change in the estimates or assumptions we used that could cause a material change in our calculated impairment charges.

For our goodwill impairment review, we have the option to first perform a qualitative assessment to determine if it is more likely than not that the fair value of the reporting unit is less than its carrying value. This assessment is based on several factors, including industry and market conditions, overall financial performance, including an assessment of cash flows in comparison to actual and projected results of prior periods. If it is determined that it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying value based on our qualitative analysis, or if we elect to skip this step, we perform a Step 1 quantitative analysis to determine the fair value of the reporting unit. The fair value is determined using market-related valuation models, including discounted cash flows and comparable asset market values. Key estimates in the discounted cash flow model include management’s estimate of the projected revenues and operating margins, along with the selection of a weighted-average cost of capital to discount cash flows. We recognize goodwill impairment in the amount that the carrying value of the reporting unit exceeds the fair value of the reporting unit, not to exceed the amount of goodwill allocated to the reporting unit, based on the results of our Step 1 analysis. For the year ended September 30, 2025, we did not impair goodwill. For the year ended September 30, 2024, we identified four reporting units that were impaired and recognized a total goodwill impairment of $8.9 million. For the year ended September 30, 2023, we identified four reporting units that were impaired and recognized a total goodwill impairment of $4.2 million.

For indefinite- and definite-lived intangibles, specifically SOB licenses, we determine fair value by estimating the multiperiod excess earnings of the asset with key assumptions being similar to those used in the goodwill impairment valuation model. We recorded impairment charges for SOB licenses amounting to $3.8 million in 2025 related to six clubs, $11.8 million in 2024 related to seven clubs, and $6.5 million in 2023 related to eight clubs. For indefinite-lived tradename, we determine fair value by using the relief from royalty method. The fair value is then compared to the carrying value and an impairment charge is recognized by the amount by which the carrying amount exceeds the fair value of the asset. We recorded impairment charges for tradenames amounting to $0 in 2025, $693,000 in 2024 related to one club, and $0 in 2023.

Business Combinations

The Company accounts for business combinations under the acquisition method of accounting, which requires the recognition of acquired tangible and identifiable intangible assets and assumed liabilities at their acquisition date fair values. These fair values are a result of valuation techniques that use significant assumptions that are subject to a high degree of judgment. The excess of the acquisition price over the fair value of assets acquired and liabilities assumed is recorded as goodwill. Results of operations related to acquired entities are included prospectively beginning with the date of acquisition. Acquisition-related costs are expensed as incurred.

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Stock-based Compensation

We recognize expense for stock-based compensation awards, which is equal to the fair value of the awards at grant date, ratably in selling, general and administrative expenses in our consolidated statements of income over their requisite service period. Calculating the grant date fair value of stock-based compensation awards requires the input of subjective assumptions. We determine the fair value of each stock option grant using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model with assumptions based primarily on historical data. Specific inputs to the model include the expected term of the stock options, stock price volatility, dividend yield, and risk-free interest rate.

We used our historical exercise and post-vesting expiration behavior of grantees on stock options awarded prior to the 2022 Plan which may not be reflective of current stock market environment and current mix of grantees. We estimated expected volatility based on historical volatility of the Company's stock price for a period equal to the award's expected term. We estimated expected dividend yield based on the current dividend payout activity and the exercise price (that is, the expected dividends that would likely be reflected in an amount at which the stock option would be exchanged). The risk-free rate is based on the U.S. Treasury yield curve in effect at the time of grant. We recognize forfeitures when they occur.

Income Taxes

We estimate certain components of our provision for income taxes including the recoverability of deferred tax assets that arise from temporary differences between the tax and book carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases. These estimates include depreciation and amortization expense allowable for tax purposes, allowable tax credits for items such as taxes paid on employee tip income, effective rates for state and local income taxes, and the deductibility of certain other items, among others. We adjust our annual effective income tax rate as additional information on outcomes or events becomes available. When necessary, we record a valuation allowance to reduce deferred tax assets to a balance that is more likely than not to be realized.

Legal and Other Contingencies

As mentioned in Item 3 – “Legal Proceedings” and in a more detailed discussion in Note 11 to our consolidated financial statements, we are involved in various suits and claims in the normal course of business. We record a liability when it is probable that a loss has been incurred and the amount is reasonably estimable. There is significant judgment required in both the probability determination and as to whether an exposure can be reasonably estimated. In the opinion of management, there was not at least a reasonable possibility that we may have incurred a material loss, or a material loss in excess of a recorded accrual, with respect to loss contingencies for asserted legal and other claims. However, the outcome of legal proceedings and claims brought against the Company is subject to significant uncertainty. Therefore, although management considers the likelihood of such an outcome to be remote, if one or more of these legal matters were resolved against the Company in a reporting period for amounts in excess of management’s expectations, the Company’s consolidated financial statements for that reporting period could be materially adversely affected. In matters where there is insurance coverage, in the event we incur any liability, we believe it is unlikely we would incur losses in connection with these claims in excess of our insurance coverage.

In fiscal 2025, the Company self-insured a significant portion of expected losses under its general liability and liquor insurance programs due to increasingly prohibitive costs of such coverage from third-party insurers. The Company continues to purchase insurance for workers' compensation, property, auto, and business interruption, as well as the minimum insurance coverage where it is required by law for licensing requirements. We record a liability for unresolved claims and for an estimate of incurred but not reported claims including legal costs based on historical experience. The estimated liability is based on a number of assumptions and factors regarding economic conditions, the frequency and severity of claims development history, and settlement practices. Our assumptions are reviewed, monitored, and adjusted when warranted by changing circumstances.

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OPERATIONS REVIEW

Highlights of operations from fiscal 2025, 2024, and 2023 are as follows (in thousands, except percentages and per share amounts):

Inc (Dec)

Inc (Dec)

Revenues

Consolidated

Nightclubs

Bombshells

Same-store sales

Consolidated

Nightclubs

Bombshells

Income (loss) from operations

Consolidated

Nightclubs

Bombshells

Diluted earnings per share

Non-GAAP diluted earnings per share*

Net cash provided by operating activities

Free cash flow*

* Reconciliation and discussion of non-GAAP financial measures are included under the “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” section of this Item. These measures should be considered in addition to, rather than as a substitute for, U.S. GAAP measures.

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The following common size income statements present a comparison of our consolidated results of operations as a percentage of total revenues for the three most recently completed fiscal years:

Revenues

Sales of alcoholic beverages

Sales of food and merchandise

Service revenues

Other

Total revenues

Operating expenses

Cost of goods sold

Alcoholic beverages sold

Food and merchandise sold

Service and other

Total cost of goods sold (exclusive of items shown separately below)

Salaries and wages

Selling, general, and administrative

Depreciation and amortization

Impairments and other charges, net

Total operating expenses

Income from operations

Other income (expenses)

Interest expense

Interest income

Non-operating gains, net

Income before income taxes

Income tax expense (benefit)

Net income

† Percentages may not foot due to rounding in this and in all of the succeeding tables presenting percentages in this report. They represent their corresponding dollar values divided by the base. Percentage of revenue for individual cost of goods sold items pertains to their respective revenue line.

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Below is a table presenting the changes in each line item of the income statement for the last three fiscal years (dollar amounts in thousands):

Better (Worse)

Amount

Amount

Revenues

Sales of alcoholic beverages

Sales of food and merchandise

Service revenues

Other

Total revenues

Operating expenses

Cost of goods sold

Alcoholic beverages sold

Food and merchandise sold

Service and other

Total cost of goods sold (exclusive of items shown separately below)

Salaries and wages

Selling, general, and administrative

Depreciation and amortization

Impairments and other charges, net

Total operating expenses

Income from operations

Other income/expenses

Interest expense

Interest income

Non-operating gains/losses, net

Income/loss before income taxes

Income tax expense/benefit

Net income

* Not meaningful.

Revenues

Consolidated revenues decreased by $16.2 million, or 5.5%, from 2024 to 2025 due mainly from closed units and the decrease in same-store sales, partially offset by sales from new units. From 2023 to 2024, consolidated revenues increased by $1.8 million, or 0.6%, due mainly from recently acquired clubs and a newly opened Bombshells, partially offset by a decrease in same-store sales and a sales decrease from locations that were closed or rebranded in 2024.

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Segment contribution to total revenues was as follows (dollar amounts in thousands):

Inc (Dec)

Inc (Dec)

Nightclubs

Sales of alcoholic beverages

Sales of food and merchandise

Service revenues

Other revenues

Bombshells

Sales of alcoholic beverages

Sales of food and merchandise

Service revenues

Other revenues

Other

Other revenues

Nightclubs segment revenues. Nightclubs revenues decreased by 0.6% from 2024 to 2025 and increased by 3.0% from 2023 to 2024, as detailed below.

Impact of 2.1% and 2.1% decrease in same-store sales, respectively, to total revenues

New units

Closed units

Other

Net Nightclubs revenue increase (decrease)

Nightclubs segment sales mix for the three fiscal years, below:

Sales of alcoholic beverages

Sales of food and merchandise

Service revenues

Other

The 2025 new units include three clubs, one of which was acquired in January 2025 and the other two in April 2025 (with one of the two transactions that did not close until June 2025 due to permitting delay). There were no new club acquisitions in 2024. The 2023 new units include six clubs, one of which was acquired in October 2022 and five acquired in March 2023. See Note 16 to our consolidated financial statements for more information on our club acquisitions.

Included in other revenues of the Nightclubs segment is real estate rental revenue amounting to $1.7 million in 2025, $1.7 million in 2024, and $1.8 million in 2023.

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Bombshells segment revenues. Bombshells revenues decreased by 29.2% from 2024 to 2025 and decreased by 9.2% from 2023 to 2024, as detailed below.

Impact of 13.6% and 18.4% decrease in same-store sales, respectively, to total revenues

New units

Closed units

Other

Net Bombshells revenue decrease

With underperforming Bombshells closed or sold, we expect same-store sales to improve going forward.

Bombshells segment sales mix for the three fiscal years is as follows:

Sales of alcoholic beverages

Sales of food and merchandise

Service and other revenues

Bombshells San Antonio was acquired from our franchisee in the second quarter of 2023. We also acquired a food hall in Greenwood Village, Colorado, during the first quarter of 2023. We opened Bombshells Stafford in the first quarter of 2024 and sold Bombshells San Antonio in the fourth quarter of 2024. During the first quarter of 2025, we closed two Bombshells locations in Houston, Texas, sold one Bombshells location in Austin, Texas, and also closed the food hall in Greenwood Village, Colorado. We opened one Bombshells location in Denver, Colorado, during the second quarter of 2025 and opened one Bombshells location in Lubbock, Texas, during the fourth quarter of 2025.

Other segment revenues. Other revenues included revenues from Drink Robust in all three fiscal years presented. Drink Robust sales were $129,000, $131,000, and $145,000 in fiscal 2025, 2024, and 2023, respectively, which exclude intercompany sales to Nightclubs and Bombshells units amounting to $260,000, $270,000, and $254,000 in fiscal 2025, 2024, and 2023, respectively. Media business revenues were $991,000, $1.0 million, and $1.1 million in fiscal 2025, 2024, and 2023, respectively.

Operating Expenses

Total operating expenses, as a percent of consolidated revenues, were 89.2%, 93.6%, and 82.5% for the fiscal year 2025, 2024, and 2023, respectively. Significant contributors to the change in operating expenses as a percent of revenues are explained below.

Cost of goods sold . Cost of goods sold includes cost of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, food, cigars and cigarettes, merchandise, media printing/binding, and Drink Robust. As a percentage of consolidated revenues, consolidated cost of goods sold was 13.1%, 13.9%, and 13.3% for fiscal 2025, 2024, and 2023, respectively. See page 36 above for the breakdown of percentages for each line item of consolidated cost of goods sold as it relates to the respective consolidated revenue line. For the Nightclubs segment, cost of goods sold was 11.4%, 11.7%, and 11.1% for fiscal 2025, 2024, and 2023, respectively, which was primarily caused by shifts in sales mix among the three fiscal years. Bombshells cost of goods sold was 23.9%, 24.1%, and 22.4% for fiscal 2025, 2024, and 2023, respectively, which was mainly driven by food cost inflation.

Salaries and wages . Consolidated salaries and wages decreased by $512,000, or 0.6%, from 2024 to 2025 and increased by $4.7 million, or 5.9%, from 2023 to 2024. The dollar changes are mostly from newly acquired or constructed and closed locations. As a percentage of revenues, consolidated salaries and wages were 29.9%, 28.5%, and 27.1% in 2025, 2024, and 2023, respectively, mainly due to sales trend and the impact of fixed salaries on change in sales.

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By reportable segment, salaries and wages are broken down as follows (dollar amounts in thousands):

Inc (Dec)

Inc (Dec)

Nightclubs

Bombshells

Other

Corporate

Unit-level manager payroll is included in salaries and wages of each location, while payroll for regional manager and above are included in Corporate.

Salaries and wages as a percentage of segment revenue (except Corporate, which is based on consolidated revenues):

Nightclubs

Bombshells

Other

Corporate

Bombshells segment salaries and wages decreased in 2025 and 2024 but as a percentage of revenue it increased due to decrease in revenue.

Selling, general and administrative expenses . The components of consolidated selling, general and administrative expenses are in the tables below (dollar amounts in thousands):

Amount

Amount

Amount

Taxes and permits

Advertising and marketing

Supplies and services

Insurance

Lease

Legal

Utilities

Charge card fees

Security

Accounting and professional fees

Repairs and maintenance

Stock-based compensation

Other

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By reportable segment, selling, general and administrative expenses are broken down as follows (dollar amounts in thousands):

Inc (Dec)

Inc (Dec)

Nightclubs

Bombshells

Other

Corporate

Selling, general and administrative expenses as a percentage of segment revenue (except Corporate, which is based on consolidated revenues):

Nightclubs

Bombshells

Other

Corporate

The significant variances in selling, general and administrative expenses are as follows:

As a percentage of revenues, relatively fixed expenses tend to be higher in rate due to lower sales, while more variable expenses tend to keep their rates even if dollar amounts are increasing. Nightclubs expenses increased as a percentage of segment revenue due to newly acquired clubs. Bombshells expenses increased as a percentage of segment revenue due to lower sales.

Taxes and permits increased from 2023 to 2024 mainly due to the increase in the Texas patron tax but decreased from 2024 to 2025 due to closed locations.

Insurance expense increased due to the estimated self-insurance for general liability and liquor liability. Any unallocated self-insurance reserve remains in Corporate segment.

Legal expenses increased due mainly to the increase in ongoing cases, particularly the New York indictment.

Depreciation and amortization . Depreciation and amortization decreased by $317,000, or 2.1%, from 2024 to 2025 and increased by $244,000, or 1.6%, from 2023 to 2024. The increase from 2023 to 2024 was mainly caused by a decrease in the amortization of intangibles due to previous impairment, while the decrease from 2024 to 2025 was mainly caused by closed locations.

Impairments and other charges, net . The components of impairments and other charges, net are in the table below (dollars in thousands):

Inc (Dec)

Inc (Dec)

Impairment of assets

Settlement of lawsuits

Gain on sale of businesses and assets

Gain on insurance

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The significant variances in impairments and other charges, net are discussed below:

During 2025, we recorded aggregate impairment charges amounting to $5.3 million related to SOB licenses of six clubs ($3.8 million) and property and equipment of one food hall ($1.6 million). During 2024, we recorded aggregate impairment charges amounting to $38.5 million related to goodwill of four clubs ($8.9 million), SOB licenses of seven clubs ($11.8 million), operating lease right-of-use assets of five Bombshells locations ($6.5 million), tradename of one club ($693,000), property and equipment of four clubs and nine Bombshells locations ($10.6 million). During 2023, we recorded aggregate impairment charges amounting to $12.6 million related to goodwill of four clubs ($4.2 million), SOB licenses of eight clubs ($6.5 million), operating lease right-of-use asset and property and equipment of a closed club ($1.1 million), and software of two investment projects ($814,000).

In 2025, we settled a consolidated class action lawsuit in Illinois for the alleged collection of customer fingerprints for $2.95 million, consisting of $1.25 million in cash and $1.7 million in VIP cards. In 2023, we recognized settlements with the New York Department of Labor amounting to $3.1 million related to the assessment by the New York Department of Labor for state unemployment insurance. See Note 11 to our consolidated financial statements.

Refer to dispositions in Note 16 to our consolidated financial statement for details on gains or losses on sale of businesses and assets.

In relation to insurance claims and recoveries, we recognized a $77,000 gain in 2023. Gains related to insurance recoveries are recognized when the contingencies related to the insurance claims have been resolved, which may be in a subsequent reporting period. We also partially recovered and recognized a $327,000 gain related to a fire in one of our clubs in Fort Worth, Texas, during 2024 and $2.3 million in 2025. See Note 15 to our consolidated financial statements.

Income from Operations

During fiscal 2025, 2024, and 2023, our consolidated operating margin was 10.8%, 6.4%, and 17.5%, respectively.

Below is a table which reflects segment contribution to income from operations (in thousands):

Nightclubs

Bombshells

Other

Corporate

Nightclubs operating margin was 28.7%, 23.7%, and 30.9% in 2025, 2024, and 2023. Bombshells operating margin was 0.5%, (21.3)%, and 11.7% in 2025, 2024, and 2023, respectively.

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Excluding certain items, non-GAAP operating income (loss) and non-GAAP operating margin are computed in the tables below (dollars in thousands). Refer to discussion of Non-GAAP Financial Measures on page 45.

Nightclubs

Bombshells

Other

Corporate

Total

Income (loss) from operations

Amortization of intangibles

Settlement of lawsuits

Impairment of assets

Loss (gain) on sale of businesses and assets

Gain on insurance

Stock-based compensation

Non-GAAP operating income (loss)

GAAP operating margin

Non-GAAP operating margin

Nightclubs

Bombshells

Other

Corporate

Total

Income (loss) from operations

Amortization of intangibles

Settlement of lawsuits

Impairment of assets

Loss (gain) on sale of businesses and assets

Gain on insurance

Stock-based compensation

Non-GAAP operating income (loss)

GAAP operating margin

Non-GAAP operating margin

Nightclubs

Bombshells

Other

Corporate

Total

Income (loss) from operations

Amortization of intangibles

Settlement of lawsuits

Impairment of assets

Loss (gain) on sale of businesses and assets

Gain on insurance

Stock-based compensation

Non-GAAP operating income (loss)

GAAP operating margin

Non-GAAP operating margin

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Other Income/Expenses

Interest expense decreased by approximately $327,000 from 2024 to 2025 and increased by approximately $753,000 from 2023 to 2024. The decrease in interest expense in 2025 was primarily caused by a lower average year-over-year debt balance. The increase in interest expense was primarily caused by the significantly higher average debt balance from borrowings to finance our acquisitions in 2023 and the additional interest expense from construction loans in 2024 related to build-out projects.

We consider lease plus interest expense as our occupancy costs since most of our debts are for real properties where our clubs and restaurants are located. For occupancy cost purposes, we exclude non-real-estate-related interest expense. Total occupancy cost rate (total occupancy cost as a percentage of revenues) is shown in the table below.

Lease

Interest

Total occupancy cost

Income Taxes

Income tax was approximately a $4.6 million expense in 2025, $410,000 benefit in 2024, and a $6.8 million expense in 2023. Our effective income tax rate was 29.8% in 2025, (15.7)% in 2024, and 19.0% in 2023. The components of our annual effective income tax rate are the following:

Federal statutory income tax expense/benefit

State income taxes, net of federal benefit

Nontaxable or nondeductible items

Goodwill impairment

Section 162(m) excess compensation

Meals and entertainment

Loss (gain) on sale of subsidiary stock

Other nontaxable or nondeductible items

Change in valuation allowance

Tax credits

FICA tip credit

Work Opportunity Tax credits

Expiration of capital loss carryforwards

Stock-based compensation forfeiture

Return-to-provision and prior-period adjustments

Other

Total effective income tax rate

The effective income tax rate difference from the statutory federal corporate tax rate of 21% comes from offsetting impact of state income tax, net of federal benefit, changes in the deferred tax asset valuation allowance, and tax credits that are mostly FICA tip credits. The effective income tax rate for fiscal 2024 was also affected by the low pretax income that caused a high offsetting rate for tax credits, whose dollar value does not change based on pretax income.

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Non-GAAP Financial Measures

In addition to our financial information presented in accordance with GAAP, management uses certain non-GAAP financial measures, within the meaning of the SEC Regulation G, to clarify and enhance understanding of past performance and prospects for the future. Generally, a non-GAAP financial measure is a numerical measure of a company’s operating performance, financial position or cash flows that excludes or includes amounts that are included in or excluded from the most directly comparable measure calculated and presented in accordance with GAAP. We monitor non-GAAP financial measures because it describes the operating performance of the Company and helps management and investors gauge our ability to generate cash flow, excluding (or including) some items that management believes are not representative of the ongoing business operations of the Company, but are included in (or excluded from) the most directly comparable measures calculated and presented in accordance with GAAP. Relative to each of the non-GAAP financial measures, we further set forth our rationale as follows:

Non-GAAP Operating Income and Non-GAAP Operating Margin. We calculate non-GAAP operating income and non-GAAP operating margin by excluding the following items from income from operations and operating margin: (a) amortization of intangibles, (b) impairment of assets, (c) gains or losses on sale of businesses and assets, (d) gains or losses on insurance, (e) settlement of lawsuits, and (f) stock-based compensation. We believe that excluding these items assists investors in evaluating period-over-period changes in our operating income and operating margin without the impact of items that are not a result of our day-to-day business and operations.

Non-GAAP Net Income and Non-GAAP Net Income per Diluted Share . We calculate non-GAAP net income and non-GAAP net income per diluted share by excluding or including certain items to net income attributable to RCIHH common stockholders and diluted earnings per share. Adjustment items are: (a) amortization of intangibles, (b) impairment of assets, (c) gains or losses on sale of businesses and assets, (d) gains or losses on insurance, (e) settlement of lawsuits, (f) gain on lease termination, (g) stock-based compensation, (h) the income tax effect of the above-described adjustments, and (i) change in deferred tax asset valuation allowance. Included in the income tax effect of the above adjustments is the net effect of the non-GAAP provision for income taxes, calculated at 22.7%, 0.0%, and 20.6% effective tax rate of the non-GAAP income before taxes for 2025, 2024, and 2023, respectively, and the GAAP income tax expense (benefit). We believe that excluding and including such items help management and investors better understand our operating activities.

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Adjusted EBITDA . We calculate adjusted EBITDA by excluding the following items from net income attributable to RCIHH common stockholders: (a) depreciation and amortization, (b) income tax expense (benefit), (c) net interest expense, (d) gains or losses on sale of businesses and assets, (e) gains or losses on insurance, (f) impairment of assets, (g) settlement of lawsuits, (h) gain on lease termination, and (i) stock-based compensation. We believe that adjusting for such items helps management and investors better understand our operating activities. Adjusted EBITDA provides a core operational performance measurement that compares results without the need to adjust for federal, state and local taxes which have considerable variation between domestic jurisdictions. The results are, therefore, without consideration of financing alternatives of capital employed. We use adjusted EBITDA as one guideline to assess the unleveraged performance return on our investments. Adjusted EBITDA multiple is also used as a target benchmark for our acquisitions of nightclubs.

We also use certain non-GAAP cash flow measures such as free cash flow. See “Liquidity and Capital Resources” section for further discussion.

The following tables present our non-GAAP performance measures for the periods indicated (in thousands, except per share amounts and percentages):

Reconciliation of GAAP net income to Adjusted EBITDA

Net income attributable to RCIHH common stockholders

Income tax expense (benefit)

Interest expense, net

Settlement of lawsuits

Impairment of assets

Gain on sale of businesses and assets

Depreciation and amortization

Gain on insurance

Gain on lease termination

Stock-based compensation

Adjusted EBITDA

Reconciliation of GAAP net income to non-GAAP net income

Net income attributable to RCIHH common stockholders

Amortization of intangibles

Settlement of lawsuits

Impairment of assets

Gain on sale of businesses and assets

Gain on insurance

Gain on lease termination

Stock-based compensation

Change in deferred tax asset valuation allowance

Net income tax effect

Non-GAAP net income

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Reconciliation of GAAP diluted earnings per share to non-GAAP diluted earnings per share

Diluted shares

GAAP diluted earnings per share

Amortization of intangibles

Settlement of lawsuits

Impairment of assets

Gain on sale of businesses and assets

Gain on insurance

Gain on lease termination

Stock-based compensation

Change in deferred tax asset valuation allowance

Net income tax effect

Non-GAAP diluted earnings per share

Reconciliation of GAAP operating income to non-GAAP operating income

Income from operations

Amortization of intangibles

Settlement of lawsuits

Impairment of assets

Gain on sale of businesses and assets

Gain on insurance

Stock-based compensation

Non-GAAP operating income

Reconciliation of GAAP operating margin to non-GAAP operating margin

GAAP operating margin

Amortization of intangibles

Settlement of lawsuits

Impairment of assets

Gain on sale of businesses and assets

Gain on insurance

Stock-based compensation

Non-GAAP operating margin

The adjustments to reconcile net income attributable to RCIHH common stockholders to non-GAAP net income exclude the impact of adjustments related to noncontrolling interests, which is immaterial.

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LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES

At September 30, 2025, our cash and cash equivalents were $33.7 million as compared to $32.4 million at September 30, 2024. Due to the large volume of cash that we handle, we have very stringent cash controls. As of September 30, 2025, and 2024, we had negative working capital balances. We believe that we can borrow capital if needed but there can be no guarantee that additional liquidity will be readily available or available on favorable terms although we have unused credit facilities as of September 30, 2025.

We have not recently raised capital through the issuance of equity securities although we have used equity recently in our acquisitions. Instead, we use debt financing to lower our overall cost of capital and increase our return on stockholders’ equity. We have a history of borrowing funds in private transactions and from sellers in acquisition transactions and have secured traditional bank financing on our new development projects and refinancing of our existing notes payable. There can be no assurance though that any of these financing options would be presently available on favorable terms, if at all. We also have historically utilized these cash flows to invest in property and equipment, adult nightclubs, and restaurants/sports bars.

During 2023, we acquired six clubs at an aggregate acquisition date fair value of $72.3 million, of which $29.0 million was in cash, $30.5 million in debt (with an acquisition date fair value of $30.4 million), and $16.0 million in equity (200,000 shares of our common stock with an acquisition date fair value of $12.8 million, discounted for lack of marketability due to the lock-up period).

We did not have any business acquisition in 2024.

During 2025, we acquired three clubs at an aggregate acquisition date fair value of $21.0 million, of which $13.0 million was in cash and $8.0 million in debt (with the same acquisition date fair value).

We expect to generate adequate cash flows from operations for the next 12 months from the issuance of this report.

The following table presents a summary of our net cash flows from operating, investing, and financing activities (in thousands):

Operating

Investing

Financing

Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents

We require capital principally for the acquisition of new clubs, construction of new Bombshells, renovation of older units, and investments in technology. We also utilize capital to repurchase our common stock as part of our share repurchase program, based on our capital allocation strategy guidelines, and to pay our quarterly dividends.

Cash Flows from Operating Activities

Following are our summarized cash flows from operating activities (in thousands):

Net income

Depreciation and amortization

Deferred tax benefit

Stock-based compensation expense

Impairment of assets

Net change in operating assets and liabilities

Other

Net cash provided by operating activities

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Net cash flows from operating activities decreased from 2023 to 2024 and from 2024 to 2025 mainly due to the lower same-store sales, partially offset by the lower income taxes paid.

In the next five years, we expect interest payments on our debts to range from $15.0 million in the early years to $8.0 million annually in the latter years for debts we owe as of September 30, 2025.

See Note 12 for our operating lease payment schedule for the next five years and thereafter.

Cash Flows from Investing Activities

Following are our summarized cash flows from investing activities (in thousands):

Proceeds from sale of businesses and assets

Proceeds from notes receivable

Proceeds from insurance

Payments for property and equipment and intangible assets

Acquisition of businesses, net of cash acquired

Net cash used in investing activities

In 2025, we acquired three clubs for a combined sum of $21.0 million (with an aggregate acquisition date fair value of the same amount), of which $13.0 million was in cash and $8.0 million in debt (with an acquisition date fair value of the same amount).

In 2023, we acquired six clubs for a combined sum of $75.5 million (with an aggregate acquisition date fair value of $72.3 million), of which $29.0 million was in cash, $30.5 million in debt (with an acquisition date fair value of $30.4 million), and 200,000 shares of our common stock in equity (with an acquisition date fair value of $12.8 million). We also acquired several real estate properties for club and Bombshells sites totaling $19.7 million, and invested $7.5 million for future casino locations.

As of September 30, 2025, 2024, and 2023, we had $7.9 million, $15.0 million, and $7.7 million in construction-in-progress related mostly to Bombshells units that open in subsequent periods.

See Note 16 to our consolidated financial statements for details of our acquisition and disposition activities.

Following is a reconciliation of our additions to property and equipment for the years ended September 30, 2025, 2024, and 2023 (in thousands):

New capital expenditures in new clubs and Bombshells units and equipment*

Maintenance capital expenditures

Total capital expenditures, excluding business acquisitions

* Includes real estate, except those acquired through business acquisitions.

We expect capital expenditure payments in the range of $11.0 million to $16.0 million in 2026, $6.0 million to $8.0 million of which relate to maintenance capital expenditures to support our existing clubs and restaurants and our corporate office.

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Cash Flows from Financing Activities

Following are our summarized cash flows from financing activities (in thousands):

Proceeds from debt obligations

Payments on debt obligations

Purchase of treasury stock

Payment of dividends

Payment of loan origination costs

Distribution to noncontrolling interests

Net cash used in financing activities

See Note 9 to our consolidated financial statements for a detailed discussion of our debt obligations, including the future maturities of our debt obligations in the next five years and thereafter.

We purchased shares of our common stock representing 270,939 shares, 442,639 shares, and 34,086 shares in 2025, 2024, and 2023, respectively. We paid quarterly dividends of $0.05 per share in the first quarter of 2023. In the second quarter of 2023 through the third quarter of 2024, we increased our quarterly dividends to $0.06 per share. Then starting in the fourth quarter of 2024 through the first quarter of 2026, we increased our quarterly dividends to $0.07 per share. In the second quarter of 2026, we increased our quarterly dividends to $0.08 per share. We expect annual dividend payments of $2.5 million in 2026 based on our current quarterly dividend rate.

Non-GAAP Cash Flow Measure

We also use certain non-GAAP cash flow measures, such as free cash flow. We define free cash flow as net cash provided by operating activities less maintenance capital expenditures. We use free cash flow as the baseline for the implementation of our capital allocation strategy. See table below (in thousands):

Net cash provided by operating activities

Less: Maintenance capital expenditures

Free cash flow

As a % of revenue

We only include maintenance capital expenditures as a reduction from net cash flow from operating activities to arrive at free cash flow. This is because, based on our capital allocation strategy, acquisitions and development of our own clubs and restaurants are our primary uses of free cash flow.

Other than the impact of uncertainties caused by near-term macro environment, including supply chain challenges, and commodity and labor inflation, and the contractual obligations described above, we are not aware of any event or trend that would adversely impact our liquidity. In our opinion, working capital is not a true indicator of our financial status. Typically, businesses in our industry carry current liabilities in excess of current assets because businesses in our industry receive substantially immediate payment for sales, with nominal receivables, while inventories and other current liabilities normally carry longer payment terms. Vendors and purveyors often remain flexible with payment terms, providing businesses in our industry with opportunities to adjust to short-term business downturns. We consider the primary indicators of financial status to be the long-term trend of revenue growth, the mix of sales revenues, overall cash flow, profitability from operations and the level of long-term debt. We continue to monitor the macro environment and will adjust our overall approach to capital allocation as events and trends unfold.

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The following table presents a summary of such indicators (dollars in thousands):

Inc (Dec)

Inc (Dec)

Sales of alcoholic beverages

Sales of food and merchandise

Service revenues

Other revenues

Total revenues

Net income attributable to RCIHH common stockholders

Net cash provided by operating activities

Adjusted EBITDA*

Free cash flow*

Debt (end of period)

* See definition and calculation of Adjusted EBITDA and Free Cash Flow under Non-GAAP Financial Measures and Liquidity and Capital Resources above.

We have not established financing other than the notes payable discussed in Note 9 to the consolidated financial statements. There can be no assurance that we will be able to obtain additional financing on reasonable terms in the future, if at all, should the need arise.

Share Repurchase

As part of our capital allocation strategy, we buy back shares in the open market or through negotiated purchases, as authorized by our board of directors. During fiscal years 2025, 2024, and 2023, we paid for treasury stock amounting to $11.9 million, $20.6 million, and $2.2 million, representing 270,939 shares, 442,639 shares, and 34,086 shares, respectively. On July 9, 2024, the board of directors approved a $25.0 million increase in the Company's share repurchase program. We have approximately $9.2 million remaining authorization to purchase additional shares as of September 30, 2025.

On November 21, 2025, the Company repurchased 821,000 shares of its own common stock from a single stockholder for $30.0 million, paid $8.0 million in cash and $22.0 million under a two-year unsecured promissory note.

For additional details regarding our board approved share repurchase plans, please refer to Item 5 – Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities.

IMPACT OF INFLATION

To the extent permitted by competition, we have managed to recover increased costs through price increases and may continue to do so. However, there can be no assurance that we will be able to do so in the future.

SEASONALITY

Our nightclub operations are affected by seasonal factors. Historically, we have experienced reduced revenues from April through September (our fiscal third and fourth quarters) with the strongest operating results occurring during October through March (our fiscal first and second quarters). Our revenues in certain markets are also affected by sporting events that cause unusual changes in sales from year to year.

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GROWTH STRATEGY

We believe that we can continue to grow organically and through careful entry into markets with high growth potential. Our growth strategy includes acquiring existing clubs, opening new clubs after market analysis and developing new club concepts that are consistent with our management and marketing skills as our capital and manpower allow. We also strive to enter into businesses that complement our own, such as gaming, if they can enhance shareholder value.

In fiscal 2023, we acquired six clubs with an aggregate acquisition date fair value of $72.3 million, of which $29.0 million was in cash, $30.5 million in debt (with an acquisition date fair value of $30.4 million), and 200,000 shares of our common stock in equity.

In fiscal 2024, we did not have any club business acquisitions but opened a new Bombshells location in Stafford, Texas in November 2023.

In fiscal 2025, we acquired three clubs with an aggregate acquisition date fair value of $21.0 million, of which $13.0 million was in cash and $8.0 million in debt.

See Note 16 to our consolidated financial statements.

We continue to evaluate opportunities to acquire new nightclubs and anticipate acquiring new locations that fit our business model as we have done in the past. The acquisition of additional clubs may require us to take on additional debt or issue our common stock, or both. There can be no assurance that we will be able to obtain additional financing on reasonable terms in the future, if at all, should the need arise. An inability to obtain such additional financing could have an adverse effect on our growth strategy.