SIR Corp. Announces Closure of Far Niente, FOUR and Petit Four

BURLINGTON, ON, Oct. 12, 2016 /CNW/ - SIR Corp. ("SIR") and SIR Royalty Income Fund (TSX: SRV.UN) ("the Fund") today announced the pending closure of Far Niente®, FOUR® and Petit Four® at 187 Bay Street in downtown Toronto, effective Saturday, October 15, 2016. SIR was unable to negotiate a lease extension with the landlord with sufficient term to ensure a suitable return on its planned investment in the location and has therefore decided to allow its lease for the site at 187 Bay Street to terminate on the expiry date of October 31, 2016. SIR expects to relocate most of the staff from these three locations to other SIR restaurants.

Far Niente, FOUR and Petit Four are considered as one restaurant under the Fund's Royalty Pooled Revenue accounting structure. Under terms of the License and Royalty Agreement between SIR and the SIR Royalty Limited Partnership (the "Partnership"), SIR is obligated to indirectly pay the Fund, via the Partnership, a "Make-Whole Payment", subject to certain terms, initially equal to the amount of the Royalty that otherwise would have been paid to the Partnership by Far Niente, FOUR and Petit Four from their date of closure until December 31, 2016.  On January 1, 2017, SIR will convert the same number of Class A GP units that it received for this restaurant when it was added to the Royalty Pooled restaurants at the time of the Fund's initial public offering in October 2004, into Class B GP units.  This will have the net effect of increasing the Fund's share of the Partnership's earnings.

The Fund does not expect the closure of Far Niente/FOUR/Petit Four to have a material impact on the Fund's distributable cash¹ or payout ratio¹ for the remainder of 2016. SIR expects the impact to Royalty Pool Revenue in 2017 and beyond resulting from the closure of Far Niente/FOUR/Petit Four to be offset by the aforementioned conversion of Class A GP units to Class B GP units and the anticipated positive contributions from the addition of new restaurants to the Royalty Pool going forward and from investments by SIR to drive future same store sales growth.

(1) Distributable cash and payout ratio are non-GAAP financial measures and do not have standardized meanings prescribed by IFRS.  However, the Fund believes that distributable cash and the payout ratio are useful measures as they provide investors with an indication of cash available for distribution.  The Fund's method of calculating distributable cash and the payout ratio may differ from that of other issuers and, accordingly, distributable cash and the payout ratio may not be comparable to measures used by other issuers.  Investors are cautioned that distributable cash and the payout ratio should not be construed as an alternative to the statement of cash flows as a measure of liquidity and cash flows of the Fund.  The payout ratio is calculated as cash distributed for the period as a percentage of the distributable cash for the period.  Distributable cash represents the amount of money which the Fund expects to have available for distribution to Unitholders of the Fund, and is calculated as cash provided by operating activities of the Fund, adjusted for the net change in non-cash working capital items including a reserve for income taxes payable and the net change in the distribution receivable from the SIR Royalty Limited Partnership.  For a detailed explanation of how the Fund's distributable cash is calculated, please refer to the Fund's MD&A for the three-month and six-month periods ended June 30, 2016, which can be accessed via the SEDAR website (www.sedar.com).

About SIR Corp.
SIR is a privately held Canadian corporation that owns and operates a portfolio of 60 restaurants and one seasonal retail outlet in Canada. SIR's Concept brands include: Jack Astor's Bar and Grill®, with 40 locations; Scaddabush Italian Kitchen & Bar®, together with Alice Fazooli's®, for a total of six locations; and Canyon Creek®, with eight locations.  SIR also operates one-of-a-kind "Signature" brands in downtown Toronto, including Reds® Wine Tavern, Reds® Midtown Tavern, Far Niente®/FOUR®/Petit Four®, and The Loose Moose®.  All trademarks related to the Concept and Signature brands noted above are used by SIR under a License and Royalty Agreement with SIR Royalty Limited Partnership in consideration for a Royalty, payable by SIR to the Partnership, equal to six percent of the revenue of the 57 restaurants currently included in the Royalty Pool. SIR also owns and operates Duke's Refresher® & Bar in downtown Toronto, one seasonal Signature restaurant, Abbey's Bake House®, and one seasonal retail outlet, which are not currently part of the Royalty Pool. For more information on SIR Corp. or the SIR Royalty Income Fund, please visit www.sircorp.com.  

About SIR Royalty Income Fund
The Fund is a trust governed by the laws of the province of Ontario that receives distribution income from its investment in the SIR Royalty Limited Partnership and interest income from the SIR Loan. The Fund intends to pay distributions to unitholders on a monthly basis.

Caution concerning forward-looking statements
Certain statements contained in this news release, or incorporated herein by reference that are not current or historical factual statements may constitute forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws ("forward-looking statements"). Statements concerning the objectives, goals, strategies, intentions, plans, beliefs, expectations and estimates, and the business, operations, financial performance and condition of the Fund, the SIR Holdings Trust (the "Trust"), the Partnership, SIR, the SIR Restaurants or industry results, are forward-looking statements. The words "may", "will", "would", "should", "expect", "believe", "plan", "anticipate", "intend", "estimate" and other similar terminology and the negative of such expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Fund, the Trust, the Partnership, SIR, the SIR Restaurants or industry results, to differ materially from the anticipated results, performance, achievements or developments expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These statements reflect Management's current expectations, estimates and projections regarding future events and operating performance and speak only as of the date of this document. Readers should not place undue importance on forward-looking statements and should not rely upon this information as of any other date. Risks related to forward-looking statements include, among other things, challenges presented by a number of factors, including: market conditions at the time of this filing; competition; changes in demographic trends; weather; changing consumer preferences and discretionary spending patterns; changes in consumer confidence; changes in national and local business and economic conditions; changes in foreign exchange; changes in availability of credit; legal proceedings and challenges to intellectual property rights; dependence of the Fund on the financial condition of SIR; legislation and governmental regulation; accounting policies and practices; and the results of operations and financial condition of SIR. The foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. Many of these issues can affect the Fund's or SIR's actual results and could cause their actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in any forward-looking statements made by, or on behalf of, the Fund or SIR.  There can be no assurance that SIR will remain compliant in the future with all of its financial covenants under the Credit Agreement and imposed by the lender. Given these uncertainties, readers are cautioned that forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, and should not place undue reliance on them. The Fund and SIR expressly disclaim any obligation or undertaking to publicly disclose or release any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on Management's current plans, estimates, projections, beliefs and opinions, and the Fund and SIR do not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking statements should assumptions related to these plans, estimates, projections, beliefs and opinions change, except as expressly required by applicable securities laws.

In formulating the forward-looking statements contained herein, Management has assumed that business and economic conditions affecting SIR's restaurants and the Fund will continue substantially in the ordinary course, including without limitation with respect to general industry conditions, competition, general levels of economic activity (including in downtown Toronto), regulations (including those regarding employees, food safety, tobacco and alcohol), weather, taxes, foreign exchange rates and interest rates, that there will be no pandemics or other material outbreaks of disease or safety issues affecting humans or animals or food products, and that there will be no unplanned material changes in its facilities, equipment, customer and employee relations, or credit arrangements. These assumptions, although considered reasonable by Management at the time of preparation, may prove to be incorrect.  In particular, Management has assumed that the tax effects on distributions will remain consistent with current regulations or pronouncements, and also in estimating the revenue for new restaurants, Management has assumed that they will operate consistent with other similar SIR restaurants, and has assumed that SIR will remain compliant in the future with all of its financial covenants under the Credit Agreement and imposed by the lender. For more information concerning the Fund's risks and uncertainties, please refer to the March 15, 2016 Annual Information Form, for the period ended December 31, 2015, which is available under the Fund's profile at www.sedar.com. All of the forward-looking statements made herein are qualified by these cautionary statements and other cautionary statements or factors contained herein, and there can be no assurance that the actual results or developments will be realized or, even if substantially realized, that they will have the expected consequences to, or effects on, the Fund or SIR.

SOURCE SIR Royalty Income Fund

Peter Fowler, CEO, SIR Corp., Tel: [phone]; Bruce Wigle, Bay Street Communications, Tel: [phone]