Luby’s,
Inc.
13111
Northwest Freeway
Suite
600
Houston,
Texas 77040
713-329-6800
www.lubys.com
December
11, 2006
Dear
Shareholders:
On
behalf
of our Board of Directors, we are pleased to invite you to attend the 2006
Annual Meeting of Shareholders of Luby's, Inc. to be held on Wednesday, January
24, 2007, at 9:00 a.m., Central time, at the Sheraton Houston Brookhollow
Hotel,
3000 North Loop West, Houston, Texas 77092. All record holders of Luby's
outstanding common shares at the close of business on November 27, 2006 are
eligible to vote on matters brought before this meeting.
Matters
on which action will be taken at the meeting are explained in detail in the
attached Notice and Proxy Statement. Please review the following Proxy Statement
carefully. Your vote is important, so be sure to vote your shares as soon
as
possible. Please review the enclosed Proxy for specific voting
instructions.
Thank
you
for your support.
Sincerely,
|
Sincerely,
|
|
|
|
|
/s/
GASPER MIR, III
|
/s/
CHRISTOPHER J. PAPPAS
|
Gasper
Mir, III
|
Christopher
J. Pappas
|
Chairman
of the Board
|
President
and CEO
|
LUBY'S,
INC.
13111
Northwest Freeway, Suite 600
Houston,
Texas 77040
NOTICE
OF ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS TO BE HELD
JANUARY
24, 2007
NOTICE
IS
HEREBY GIVEN that the 2007 Annual Meeting of Shareholders of Luby's, Inc.,
a
Delaware corporation, will be held at the Sheraton Houston Brookhollow Hotel,
3000 North Loop West, Houston, Texas 77092, on Wednesday, January 24, 2007,
at
9:00 a.m., Central time, for the following purposes:
(1) To
elect
three directors to serve until the 2010 Annual Meeting of
Shareholders;
(2) To
ratify
the appointment of Grant Thornton LLP as independent auditor for the 2007
fiscal
year;
(3) To
act
upon one non-binding shareholder proposal to declassify the Board of Directors;
and
(4) To
act
upon such other matters as may properly come before the meeting or any
adjournment or postponement thereof.
The
Board
of Directors has determined that shareholders of record at the close of business
on November 27, 2006, will be entitled to vote at the meeting.
A
complete list of shareholders entitled to vote at the meeting will be on
file at
Luby's corporate office at 13111 Northwest Freeway, Suite 600, Houston, Texas,
for a period of ten days prior to the meeting. During such time, the list
will
be open to the examination of any shareholder during ordinary business hours
for
any purpose germane to the meeting.
Shareholders
who do not expect to attend the meeting in person are urged to review the
enclosed proxy for specific voting instructions and to choose the method
they
prefer for casting their votes.
By
Order
of the Board of Directors,
Peter
Tropoli
Senior
Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary
Dated:
December 11, 2006
LUBY'S,
INC.
13111
Northwest Freeway, Suite 600
Houston,
Texas 77040
PROXY
STATEMENT
_______________
This
Proxy Statement and the accompanying proxy are being provided to shareholders
in
connection with the solicitation of proxies by the Board of Directors of
Luby's,
Inc. (the "Company") for use at the Annual Meeting of Shareholders of the
Company to be held on Wednesday, January 24, 2007, or at any adjournment
or
postponement thereof (the "Annual Meeting"). This Proxy Statement and the
accompanying proxy are first being mailed to shareholders on or about December
18, 2006.
VOTING
PROCEDURES
Your
Vote is Very Important
Whether
or not you plan to attend the meeting, please take the time to vote your
shares
as soon as possible.
Shares
Outstanding, Voting Rights, and Quorum
Only
holders of record of common stock of the Company at the close of business
on
November 27, 2006, will be entitled to vote at the meeting or at adjournments
or
postponements thereof. There were 27,758,983 shares of common stock outstanding
on the record date, exclusive of 1,676,403 treasury shares.
Each
share of common stock outstanding is entitled to one vote. The presence in
person or by proxy of the holders of a majority of the shares of common stock
outstanding will constitute a quorum at the meeting.
Methods
of Voting
•
Shares
Held in Shareholder's Name. If
your
shares are held in your name, you may vote by mail, via the Internet, or
by
telephone. You may also vote in person by attending the meeting.
•
Shares
Held in "Street Name" Through a Bank or Broker.
If your
shares are held through a bank or broker, you can vote via the Internet or
by
telephone if your bank or broker offers these options. Please see the voting
instructions provided by your bank or broker for use in instructing your
bank or
broker how to vote. Your bank or broker cannot vote your shares without
instructions from you. You will not be able to vote in person at the meeting
unless you obtain a signed proxy from the record holder giving you the right
to
vote the shares.
If
your
proxy card is signed and returned without specifying choices, the shares
represented will be voted as recommended by the Board of Directors (the "Board")
of the Company.
Revoking
Your Proxy
•
Shares
Held in Shareholder's Name. If
your
shares are held in your name, whether you vote by mail, the Internet, or
by
telephone, you may later revoke your proxy by delivering a written statement
to
that effect to the Secretary of the Company prior to the date of the Annual
Meeting, by a later-dated electronic vote via the Internet, by telephone,
by
submitting a properly signed proxy with a later date, or by voting in person
at
the Annual Meeting.
•
Shares
Held in "Street Name" Through a Bank or Broker.
If you
hold your shares through a bank or broker, the methods available to you to
revoke your proxy are determined by your bank or broker, so please see the
instructions provided by your bank or broker.
Vote
Required
A
majority of the votes cast by the shares present in person or represented
by
proxy and entitled to vote in the election of directors at the Annual Meeting
is
required for the election of a director nominee. Approval of the appointment
of
auditors requires the affirmative vote of a majority of the shares present
or
represented at the meeting. Approval of the non-binding shareholder proposal
described on page requires
the affirmative vote of a majority of the shares present or represented by
proxy
at the meeting. If the non-binding shareholder proposal receives approval
at the
Annual Meeting and the Board decides to submit the proposed amendment to
a vote
at a subsequent meeting of shareholders, an affirmative vote of at least
80% of
the outstanding shares of common stock at such subsequent meeting is required
to
amend that portion of the Company's certificate of incorporation providing
for a
classified Board. Abstentions and broker nonvotes will be included in
determining the presence of a quorum at the meeting. However, abstentions
and
broker nonvotes will not be included in determining the number of votes cast
on
any matter.
Other
Business
The
Board
knows of no other matters that may be presented for shareholder action at
the
meeting. If other matters are properly brought before the meeting, the persons
named as proxies on the accompanying proxy card intend to vote the shares
represented by them in accordance with their best judgment.
Confidential
Voting Policy
It
is the
Company's policy that any proxy, ballot, or other voting material that
identifies the particular shareholder’s vote and contains the shareholder's
request for confidential treatment will be kept confidential, except in the
event of a contested proxy solicitation or as may be required by law. The
Company may be informed whether or not a particular shareholder has voted
and
will have access to any comment written on a proxy, ballot, or other material
and to the identity of the commenting shareholder. Under the policy, the
inspectors of election at any shareholder meeting will be independent parties
unaffiliated with the Company.
OWNERSHIP
OF EQUITY SECURITIES IN THE COMPANY
The
following table sets forth information concerning the beneficial ownership
of
the Company's common stock, as of November 27, 2006, for (a) each director
currently serving on the Company's Board, (b) each nominee for election as
a
director at the 2007 Annual Meeting, (c) each of the officers named in the
Summary Compensation Table not listed as a director, and (d) all directors
and
executive officers as a group. In general, "beneficial ownership" includes
those
shares a director or executive officer has the power to vote or transfer
and
shares that the director or executive officer has the right to acquire within
60
days after November 27, 2006.
Name(1)
|
Shares
Beneficially
Owned
|
Percent
of
Common
Stock
|
Judith
B. Craven (2)
|
33,576
|
*
|
Arthur
R. Emerson (3)
|
35,670
|
*
|
Jill
Griffin (4)
|
12,821
|
*
|
J.S.B.
Jenkins (5)
|
13,437
|
*
|
Frank
Markantonis (6)
|
18,799
|
*
|
Joe
C. McKinney (7)
|
14,163
|
*
|
Gasper
Mir, III (8)
|
15,497
|
*
|
Christopher
J. Pappas (9)
|
3,421,178
|
12.57%
|
Harris
J. Pappas (10)
|
3,421,178
|
12.57%
|
Ernest
Pekmezaris (11)
|
44,296
|
*
|
Peter
Tropoli (12)
|
35,054
|
*
|
Jim
W. Woliver (13)
|
35,543
|
*
|
All
directors and executive officers of the Company, as a
group
(12 persons) (14)
|
7,101,212
|
24.85%
|
____________________
*
Represents beneficial
ownership of less than one percent of the shares of the Company's common
stock
issued and outstanding on November 27, 2006.
(1) Except
as
indicated in these notes and subject to applicable community property laws,
each
person named in the table owns directly the number of shares indicated
and has
the
sole
power
to
vote and to dispose of such shares. Shares of phantom stock held by a
nonemployee director convert into an equivalent number of shares of the
Company's common
stock
when the nonemployee director ceases to be a director of the Company due
to
resignation, retirement, death, disability, removal, or any other circumstance.
The
shares
of
common
stock payable upon conversion of the phantom stock are included in this table
because it is possible for the holder to acquire the common stock within
60
days
if
his or
her
directorship
terminated. Under the Company’s Nonemployee Director Stock Option Plan,
restricted stock awards may become unrestricted when a
nonemployee
director ceases
to
be a
director of the Company for any reason.
(2) The
shares shown for Dr. Craven include 1,500 shares held for her benefit in
a
custodial account, 18,666 shares which she has the right to acquire within
60
days under the
Nonemployee
Director Stock Option Plan, 11,468 shares of phantom stock held under the
Nonemployee Director Phantom Stock Plan and 1,942 shares of restricted
stock.
(3) The
shares shown for Mr. Emerson include 3,237 shares held jointly with his wife
in
a custodial account, 18,666 shares which he has the right to acquire within
60
days under
the Nonemployee
Director Stock Option Plan, 11,825 shares of phantom stock held under the
Nonemployee Director Phantom Stock Plan and 1,942 shares of restricted
stock.
(4) The
shares shown for Ms. Griffin include 8,000 shares which she has the right
to
acquire within 60 days under the Nonemployee Director Stock Option Plan and
4,821 shares of
restricted
stock.
(5) The
shares shown for Mr. Jenkins include 8,000 shares which he has the right
to
acquire within 60 days under the Nonemployee Director Stock Option Plan and
5,437 shares of
restricted
stock.
(6) The
shares shown for Mr. Markantonis include 100 shares held for his benefit
in a
custodial account, 10,000 shares which he has the right to acquire within
60
days under the
Nonemployee
Director Stock Option Plan, 3,878 shares of phantom stock held under the
Nonemployee Director Phantom Stock Plan and 4,821 shares of
restricted stock.
(7) The
shares shown for Mr. McKinney include 8,000 shares which he has the right
to
acquire within 60 days under the Nonemployee Director Stock Option Plan and
6,163 shares of
restricted
stock.
(8) The
shares shown for Mr. Mir include 10,000 shares which he has the right to
acquire
within 60 days under the Nonemployee Director Stock Option Plan, 2,452 shares
of
phantom
stock
held
under the Nonemployee Director Phantom Stock Plan and 3,045 shares of restricted
stock.
(9) The
shares shown for Christopher J. Pappas include 671,900 shares held for his
benefit in a custodial account, 1,136,375 shares which he has the right to
acquire within 60 days pursuant to stock options granted in connection with
his
employment by the Company in 2001, and 1,612,903 shares arising from his
conversion of subordinated debt to equity on August 31, 2005. See "Certain
Relationships and Related Transactions" beginning on page
.
(10) The
shares shown for Harris J. Pappas include 671,900 shares held for his benefit
in
a custodial account, 1,136,375 shares which he has the right to acquire within
60 days
pursuant
to
stock options granted in connection with his employment by the Company in
2001,
and 1,612,903 shares arising from his conversion of subordinated debt to
equity
on
August 31,
2005. See
"Certain Relationships and Related Transactions" beginning on page
.
(11) The
shares shown for Mr. Pekmezaris include 9,010 shares held for his benefit
in a
custodial account, 29,500 shares which he has the right to acquire within
60
days under Luby's
Incentive
Stock Plan and 5,786 shares of restricted stock.
(12) The
shares shown for Mr. Tropoli include 29,500 shares which he has the right
to
acquire within 60 days under Luby's Incentive Stock Plan and 5,554 shares
of
restricted stock.
(13) The
shares shown for Mr. Woliver include 21,601 shares held in a custodial account
for the benefit of Mr. Woliver and his wife, 12,000 shares which he has the
right to acquire within 60 days under the Nonemployee Director Stock Option
Plan
and 1,942 shares of restricted stock.
(14) The
shares shown for all directors and executive officers as a group include
2,425,082 shares which they have the right to acquire within 60 days under
the
Company's various benefit plans, and 29,623 shares of phantom stock held
by
nonemployee directors under the Nonemployee Director Phantom Stock
Plan.
PRINCIPAL
SHAREHOLDERS
The
following table sets forth information as to the beneficial ownership of
the
Company's common stock by each person or group known by the Company to own
beneficially more than 5% of the outstanding shares of the Company's common
stock as of November
27,
2006
and, unless otherwise indicated, is based on disclosures made by the beneficial
owners in SEC filings under Section 13 of the Exchange Act:
Name
and Address of Beneficial Owner (1)
|
|
Shares
Beneficially
Owned
|
|
Percent
of
Common
Stock
|
|
Christopher
J. Pappas (2)
|
|
|
3,421,178
|
|
|
12.57
|
%
|
642
Yale Street
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Houston,
Texas 77007
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Harris
J. Pappas (3)
|
|
|
3,421,178
|
|
|
12.57
|
%
|
642
Yale Street
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Houston,
Texas 77007
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(1) Except
as
indicated in these notes and subject to applicable community property laws,
each
person named
in
the table owns directly the number of shares indicated and has
the sole
power to vote and to
dispose
of such shares.
(2) The
shares shown for Christopher J. Pappas include 671,900 shares held for his
benefit in a custodial account,
1,136,375 shares which he has the right to acquire within 60 days
pursuant
to
stock options granted
in connection with his employment by the Company in 2001, 65,500 stock options
granted in 2005,
and
1,612,903 shares arising from his
conversion
of
subordinated debt to equity on August 31, 2005. See "Certain Relationships
and
Related Transactions" beginning on page
.
(3) The
shares shown for Harris J. Pappas include 671,900 shares held for his benefit
in
a custodial account,
1,136,375
shares which he has the right to acquire within 60 days
pursuant
to
stock options granted in connection
with his employment by the Company in 2001, 65,500 stock options granted
in
2005, and 1,612,903
shares arising from his
conversion
of
subordinated debt to equity on August 31, 2005. See "Certain
Relationships and Related Transactions" beginning on page
.
ELECTION
OF DIRECTORS (Item 1)
The
shareholders elect approximately one-third of the members of the Board of
Directors annually. The Board is divided into three classes, as nearly equal
in
number as possible, with the members of each class serving three-year terms.
Currently, the Board consists of ten members, three whose terms expire at
the
2007 Annual Meeting, four whose terms expire at the 2008 annual meeting of
shareholders, and three whose terms expire at the 2009 annual meeting of
shareholders.
The
terms
of Jill Griffin, Christopher
J. Pappas
and Jim
W. Woliver will expire at the 2007 Annual Meeting of shareholders. The Board
nominates Jill Griffin, Christopher
J. Pappas
and Jim
W. Woliver for election as directors
to serve until the 2010 annual meeting of shareholders or until their successors
are elected and qualified. The Board recommends a vote "FOR" all such
nominees.
The
Board
has nominated Christopher
J.
Pappas
to serve until the 2010 annual meeting of shareholders. His brother, Harris
J.
Pappas, is currently serving until the 2009 annual meeting of shareholders,
and,
as with all directors, each of them would serve until his or her successor
is
duly elected and qualified. Pursuant to the terms of the First Amendment
to
Purchase Agreement dated June 7, 2004, among the Company, Christopher J.
Pappas
and Harris J. Pappas, the Company agreed that Messrs. Pappas would have the
right to nominate a number of directors for election to the Board which,
if such
nominees are elected, would result in Messrs. Pappas having nominated three
of
the then-serving directors of the Company. Messrs. Pappas are entitled to
exercise this right for so long as they are both executive officers of the
Company. Messrs. Pappas designated themselves and Frank Markantonis as their
nominees for director. The Board recommends a vote "FOR" Christopher
J.
Pappas.
All
such
nominees named above have indicated a willingness to serve as directors,
but
should any of them decline or be unable to serve, proxies may be voted for
another person nominated as a substitute by the Board.
The
following information is furnished with respect to each of the nominees and
for
each of the directors whose terms will continue after the Annual
Meeting.
Nominees
for Election to Terms Expiring in 2010
JILL
GRIFFIN is a business consultant, best-selling business book author and
international speaker. She is a principal of the Griffin Group, founded by
her
in 1988, which specializes in customer loyalty research, customer relationship
program development, and management training. She is 52 years of age and
has
been a director of the Company since January of 2003. She is Vice-Chair of
the
Personnel and Administrative Policy Committee and a member of the Executive
Compensation Committee. Previously, she served as senior brand manager for
RJR/Nabisco's largest brand. She then joined AmeriSuites Hotels where she
served
as national director of sales and marketing. She has also served on the
marketing faculty at the University of Texas at Austin.
CHRISTOPHER
J. PAPPAS has been President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company since
March 7, 2001. He also has been Chief Executive Officer of Pappas Restaurants,
Inc. since 1980. He is 59 years of age and has been a director of the Company
since March of 2001. He is also a director of Amegy Bank N.A. (formerly
Southwest Bank of Texas N.A.), and previously served on its advisory board;
the
National Restaurant Association; the University of Houston Conrad Hilton
School
of Hotel and Restaurant Management Dean's Advisory Board; the Greater Houston
Partnership Board; and the Sam Houston Council of Boy Scouts of America Board.
He is a member of the Executive Committee.
JIM
W.
WOLIVER is a retired former officer of the Company. He was Senior Vice
President-Operations from 1995 to 1997 and Vice President-Operations from
1984
to 1995. He is 69 years of age and has been a director of the Company since
January of 2001. He is a member of the Personnel and Administrative Policy
Committee and the Executive Compensation Committee.
Incumbents
Whose Terms Expire in 2009
J.S.B.
JENKINS has been President, Chief Executive Officer, and a Director of Tandy
Brands Accessories, Inc. since November 1990. Previously, he served in several
executive capacities within that company, including President of Tex Tan
Welhausen Co., a division of Tandy Brands, Inc. He has also served as the
Executive Vice President of the Bombay Company, Inc. Mr. Jenkins is 63 years
of
age and has served on the Board of Directors of Luby’s, Inc. since January of
2003. He is Chairman of the Executive Compensation Committee; Vice-Chairman
of
the Finance and Audit Committee; a member of the Nominating and Corporate
Governance Committee; and a member of the Executive Committee. He also currently
serves on the Boards of Directors for Hardware Resources and for the Southwest
(Northern) Advisory Board of Liberty Mutual Insurance Company. He is a member
of
the Texas A&M University College of Business Administration/Graduate School
of Business Development Council, the Texas A&M University President's
Council, and the Advisory Board of Directors for the Texas A&M University
12th Man Foundation.
JOE
C.
McKINNEY has been Vice-Chairman of Broadway National Bank since October 1,
2002.
He formerly served as Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of
JPMorgan Chase Bank-San Antonio (commercial banking) until his retirement
on
March 31, 2002. He is 60 years of age and has been a director of the
Company
since January of 2003 and serves as Chairman of the Finance and Audit Committee,
as a member of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, and member
of
the Executive Committee. He is a director of Broadway National Bank; Broadway
Bancshares, Inc.; Columbia Industries; USAA Real Estate Company; Tampa Equities
REIT I (USAA); Houston REIT (USAA); U.S. Industrial REIT I (USAA); and Cobalt
Industrial REIT (USAA). He was a director of Prodigy Communications Corporation
and served on its Special Shareholder Committee and the Audit and Compensation
Committee. He served from January 2001 to November 2001 when the company
was
sold to SBC Communications, Inc.
HARRIS
J.
PAPPAS has been Chief Operating Officer of the Company since March 7, 2001.
He
also has been President of Pappas Restaurants, Inc. since 1980. He is 62
years
of age and has been a director of the Company since March of 2001. He is
a
member of the Executive Committee and the Personnel and Administrative Policy
Committee. He is a director of Oceaneering International, Inc. and an advisory
director of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Houston. He is also an advisory
trustee of Schreiner University and an advisory board member of Frost National
Bank-Houston. He served as an advisory director of Memorial Hermann Affiliated
Services from 2002 to 2004, and as a Corporate Member of Memorial Healthcare
System from October 2004 to October 2006.
Incumbents
Whose Terms Expire in 2008
JUDITH
B.
CRAVEN has been President of JAE & Associates LLC since June 2002. She was
President of United Way of the Texas Gulf Coast from 1992 to 1998. She is
61
years of age and has been a director of the Company since January of 1998.
She
is Vice Chair of the Board of Directors, Chair of the Personnel and
Administrative Policy Committee, Vice-Chair of the Executive Compensation
Committee and the Executive Committee, and a member of the Nominating and
Corporate Governance Committee. She is also a director of Belo Corporation;
Sysco Corporation; Sun America Fund; and Valic Corp. She serves on the Board
of
Regents of the University of Texas at Austin. Previously she served as a
director of Compaq Computer Corp.
ARTHUR
R.
EMERSON has been Chairman/CEO of GRE Creative Communications, an advertising
and
public relations firm, since June 2000. Prior to such he was Vice President
and
General Manager of the Texas stations of the Telemundo television network.
He is
61 years of age and has been a director of the Company since January of 1998.
He
is a member of the Finance and Audit Committee. Mr. Emerson is also a director
of USAA Federal Savings Bank, Chairman of its Credit Committee, and former
Chairman of its Trust Committee.
FRANK
MARKANTONIS is an attorney licensed to practice in Texas since 1973. He is
58
years of age and has been a director of the Company since January of 2002.
He is
a member of the Personnel and Administrative Policy Committee. Mr. Markantonis
has worked extensively in the real estate and corporate areas for over 30
years.
He is a member of the State Bar of Texas and the District of Columbia Bar.
His
principal client is Pappas Restaurants, Inc.
GASPER
MIR, III is currently serving as Executive General Manager of Strategic
Partnerships for the Houston Independent School District. Mr. Mir is a principal
owner of the public accounting and professional services firm Mir•Fox &
Rodriguez, P.C., which he founded in 1988. He is currently on a leave of
absence
from that firm. He is 60 years
of
age and has been a director of the Company since January of 2002. He is Chairman
of the Board of Directors, Chairman of the Executive Committee and the
Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, and a member of the Finance
and
Audit Committee. Mr.
Mir
is also a director of the Memorial Hermann Hospital System; the Sam Houston
Council of Boy Scouts; the Advisory Board of the University of Houston-Downtown
School of Business; and the Houston Region Advisory Board of JPMorgan Chase
Bank
of Texas.
THE
BOARD OF DIRECTORS RECOMMENDS A VOTE "FOR" EACH OF THE DIRECTOR NOMINEES.
APPOINTMENT
OF AUDITORS (Item 2)
The
Board
of Directors of the Company has appointed the firm of Grant Thornton LLP
to
audit the accounts of the Company for the 2007 fiscal year. Representatives
of
Grant Thornton LLP are expected to be present at the Annual Meeting with
the
opportunity to make a statement if they desire to do so and are expected
to be
available to respond to appropriate questions. Ratification of the appointment
of auditors is not a matter which is required to be submitted to a vote of
shareholders, but the Board considers it appropriate for the shareholders
to
express or withhold their approval of the appointment. If shareholder
ratification should be withheld, the Board would consider an alternative
appointment for the succeeding fiscal year. The affirmative vote of a majority
of the shares present in person and represented by proxy at the meeting is
required for approval.
Change
in Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
On
November 17, 2006, the Finance and Audit Committee dismissed Ernst & Young
LLP, the Company’s current independent registered public accounting firm, and
appointed Grant Thornton LLP as the Company's independent registered public
accounting firm for the fiscal year ending August 29, 2007.
Ernst
& Young LLP’s reports on the Company’s financial statements for the years
ended August 30, 2006 and August 31, 2005 did not contain an adverse opinion
or
a disclaimer of opinion and were not qualified or modified as to uncertainty,
audit scope or accounting principle.
During
the fiscal years ended August 30, 2006 and August 31, 2005, and the subsequent
interim periods through the date of dismissal, there were no disagreements
with
Ernst & Young LLP on any matters of accounting principles or practices,
financial statement disclosure, or auditing scope or procedure which, if
not
resolved to Ernst & Young LLP’s satisfaction, would have caused Ernst &
Young LLP to make reference in its reports on the Company’s financial statements
for such years. During the fiscal years ended August 30, 2006 and August
31,
2005, there were no “reportable events,” as such term is defined in
Item 304(a)(1)(v) of Regulation S-K, except
for the material weaknesses identified as of November 17, 2004 and February
9,
2005, reported by management in Item 4 of its quarterly reports on Form
10-Q/A and 10-Q both filed on March 29, 2005. The reports indicate that the
Company did not maintain effective internal control over financial reporting
as
of November 17, 2004 and February 9, 2005 due to the
Company’s determination, like many other retail and restaurant companies, that
its historical methods of accounting for scheduled rent increases, and of
determining lives used in the calculation of depreciation of leasehold
improvements for certain leased properties, were not in accordance with U.S.
Generally Accepted Accounting Principles. As a result, the Company restated
its
previously issued fiscal 2005 first quarter Form 10-Q and previously issued
audited consolidated financial statements for fiscal years 2004, 2003 and
2002.
Ernst
& Young LLP was asked to furnish the Finance and Audit Committee a letter,
addressed to the Securities and Exchange Commission, stating whether it agrees
with the above statements. A copy of that letter, dated November 22, 2006,
is
filed as Exhibit 16.1 to the Company's Current Report on Form 8-K dated
November 17, 2006.
During
the Company’s fiscal year ended August 31, 2005, the Company did not consult
with Grant Thornton LLP regarding any of the matters or events set forth
in Item
304(a)(2)(i) and Item 304(a)(2)(ii) of Regulation S-K. During the Company’s
fiscal year ended August 30, 2006, the Company consulted with Grant Thornton
LLP
and was provided oral advice with regard to the financial reporting disclosures
required with the adoption of SFAS No. 123R and other financial reporting
disclosures in its interim financial statements. There were no disagreements
on
any accounting principles or practices or financial statement disclosures.
Subsequent
to August 30, 2006, the Company has not consulted with Grant Thornton LLP
regarding any of the matters or events set forth in Item 304(a)(2)(i) and
Item
304(a)(2)(ii) of Regulation S-K.
Fees
Paid to the Independent Auditor
The
table
below shows aggregate
fees for
professional services rendered for the Company by the Company’s previous auditor
Ernst & Young LLP for the fiscal years ended August 30, 2006, and August 31,
2005:
|
|
2006
|
|
2005
|
|
|
|
(in
thousands)
|
|
Audit
Fees
|
|
$
|
463
|
|
$
|
502
|
|
Audit-Related
Fees
|
|
|
27
|
|
|
23
|
|
Tax
Fees
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
5
|
|
All
Other Fees
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
|
Total
|
|
$
|
490
|
|
$
|
530
|
|
Audit
Fees
for the
fiscal years ended August 30, 2006, and August 31, 2005, were for professional
services in connection with the audits of the annual consolidated financial
statements of the Company, review of financial statements included in the
Company's Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, and consents and assistance with
the
review of documents filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission.
Audit-Related
Fees
for the
fiscal years ended August 30, 2006, and August 31, 2005, were in connection
with
the Company’s performance of Sarbanes-Oxley
Section 404 implementation and attestation procedures.
Tax
Fees
for the
fiscal years ended August 30, 2006, and August 31, 2005, were for services
related to the
review of the Company’s federal income tax returns.
All
Other Fees for
the
fiscal year ended August
30, 2006 were for services related to the Company’s additional filings during
the year. All Other Fees are
not
applicable for the fiscal year ended August
31, 2005.
The
Finance and Audit Committee has considered whether the provision of the above
services other than audit services is compatible with maintaining Ernst &
Young LLP's independence.
Preapproval
Policies and Procedures
All
auditing services and nonaudit services provided by Grant Thornton LLP must
be
preapproved by the Finance and Audit Committee. Generally, this approval
will
take place each year at the August meeting of the Finance and Audit Committee
for the subsequent fiscal year and as necessary during the year for unforeseen
requests. The nonaudit services specified in Section 10A(g) of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934 may not be, and are not, provided by Grant Thornton
LLP.
Grant Thornton LLP will provide a report to the Chair of the Finance and
Audit
Committee prior to each regularly scheduled Finance and Audit Committee meeting
detailing all fees, by project, incurred by Grant Thornton LLP year-to-date
and
an estimate for the fiscal year. The Chair of the Finance and Audit Committee
will review the Grant Thornton LLP fees at each Finance and Audit Committee
meeting. The Finance and Audit Committee will periodically review such fees
with
the full Board of Directors. The de minimis exception was not used for any
fees
paid to Ernst & Young LLP while serving as the Company’s
auditor.
THE
BOARD OF DIRECTORS RECOMMENDS A VOTE "FOR" THE RATIFICATION OF THE APPOINTMENT
OF GRANT THORNTON LLP.
SHAREHOLDER
PROPOSAL (Item 3)
The
proponent of the following shareholder proposal has notified the Company
that he
intends to cause the proposal set out below to be presented at the Annual
Meeting. If the proponent, or a representative of the proponent who is qualified
under state law, is present and submits the proposal for a vote, then the
proposal will be voted upon at the Annual Meeting. In accordance with federal
securities regulations, we have included the proposal and its supporting
statement exactly as submitted by the proponent. We are not responsible for
the
truthfulness or accuracy of any of the material provided by the proponent.
The
following proposal contains assertions that, in the judgment of the Board,
are
incorrect and in many cases are based solely on opinion and are not supported
by
fact. Rather than recite all of these inaccuracies and refute each of these
assertions, the Board has recommended a vote "AGAINST" the proposal for the
broader policy reasons set forth following the proponent's
proposal.
Proponent's
Proposal
"RESOLVED:
That
the stockholders of Luby’s, Inc., assembled in annual meeting in person or
by proxy, hereby request that the Board of Directors take the needed
steps
to provide that at future elections of directors, new directors
be elected
annually and not by classes, as is now provided, and that on expiration
of
present terms of directors, their subsequent elections shall also
be on an
annual basis.”
REASONS
Luby’s
shareholders believe that the board of directors should be declassified,
as evidenced by a majority of the votes cast in 2001, 2003, 2004,
2005,
and 2006. Unfortunately, our directors have routinely dismissed
the
majority vote of shareholders cast for this proposal, yet they
continue to
welcome and accept a vote from most of the same shareholders for
their
election to office. These shareholders have affirmed the proponent’s
belief that classification of the board of directors is not in
the best
interest of Luby’s, Inc. because it makes a board less accountable when
all directors do not stand for election each year. The annual election
of
directors fosters board independence, a crucial element of good
governance.
Mathis
proposals on this and related issues have preceded board sponsored
recommendations at Freeport-McMoRan, McMoRan Exploration, First
Energy,
Honeywell, Baker Hughes, Intermec, Inc., Reliant Energy, and Tidewater,
Inc.
The
majority of all S&P 500 companies now elect their entire board
annually.
THE
CURRENT TREND IS AWAY FROM STAGGERED BOARDS
Our
board continues to ignore this trend and four past majority votes
supporting similar proposals.
· Consider
the Boards arguments in opposition to this proposal---Luby’s 80% super
majority rule, and the claim of significant benefit to shareholders,
while
59.08% of
shareholders
casting votes (in 2006) disagreed with the Board’s defense of a staggered
system.
· Consider,
In light of current trends reflecting better corporate governance,
the
Board’s defense of a classified system approved fifteen years ago in
1991.
If
you are tired of the same old stale rhetoric in opposition to this
proposal and the Board’s refusal to submit a binding proposal to
shareholders, please vote YES
for this initiative submitted by Harold Mathis with an address
of P.O. Box
1209, Richmond, Texas 77046-1209, to elect each director
annually.
PLEASE
MARK YOUR PROXY IN FAVOR OF THIS
PROPOSAL.
|
Board's
Statement Opposing the Proposal
In
1991,
the Company's shareholders approved the current classification system for
the
Board, dividing the Board into three equal or nearly equal classes, each
to
serve for a term of three years, with one class elected each year. The staggered
election of directors is a common practice that has been approved by the
shareholders of many corporations.
The
Board
believes that a classified board provides for continuity and stability and
enhances the Board's ability to implement the Company's long-term strategy
and
to focus on long-term performance. Each current member of the Board brings
valuable knowledge and experience to the Company and a majority of the directors
at any given time will have prior experience as directors of the Company
and
will be familiar with the Company's business strategies and operations. The
Board values the wisdom and insight that come with the knowledge of its
directors. The Board believes that a de-classified Board would risk losing
the
core knowledge of the Company inherent in the Board of Directors without
the
opportunity to obtain such knowledge and experience. A classified Board permits
a more orderly process for directors to consider, in the exercise of their
fiduciary responsibilities, any and all alternatives to maximize shareholder
value. Directors have fiduciary duties that do not depend on how often they
are
elected. Directors who are elected to three-year terms are just as accountable
to shareholders as directors who are elected on an annual basis. In addition,
because a classified Board makes it more difficult for a substantial shareholder
to change the entire Board abruptly without the cooperation of the incumbent
Board, it enhances the ability of the Board to consider whether initiatives
proposed by such a substantial shareholder are in the best interests of the
Company and all of its shareholders.
The
proponent presented this proposal at prior annual meetings of shareholders.
Although the proposal received support, in all such years the proposal received
far less than the 80% of the outstanding shares necessary to amend the specific
section of the Company's certificate of incorporation addressing the election
of
directors to require annual elections.
Shareholders
should be aware that approval of the proposal would not declassify the Board.
To
declassify the Board, the Board must propose to the shareholders an amendment
to
the relevant section of the certificate of incorporation, following which
80% of
the total outstanding shares of common stock must approve the proposed amendment
at a subsequent meeting of shareholders. Any shareholder approval of this
proponent's proposal at the Annual Meeting would be only a recommendation
to the
Board.
Subsequent
to each of the last five annual meetings of shareholders, the Board has reviewed
the corporate governance structure of the Company, including the structure
and
function of the Board and its committees. In addition, the Board spent
considerable time to extensively evaluate the proposal. As a result of this
review and evaluation, the Board has concluded that the classification of
director terms continues to provide significant benefits to the Company's
shareholders.
THE
BOARD OF DIRECTORS RECOMMENDS A VOTE "AGAINST" THE SHAREHOLDER
PROPOSAL.
CORPORATE
GOVERNANCE
COMMITEES
OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
The
Board
currently has the following committees: Finance and Audit, Nominating and
Corporate Governance, Personnel and Administrative Policy, Executive
Compensation, and Executive. All committees meet as necessary to fulfill
their
responsibilities. The Board has directed each committee to consider matters
within its areas of responsibility and to make recommendations to the full
Board
for action on these matters. Only the Executive Committee is empowered to
act on
behalf of the Board, and the specific powers of that committee may be exercised
only in extraordinary circumstances. The Board of Directors held four regular
meetings and three special meetings during the fiscal year ended August
30, 2006. Each director attended more than 85% of the aggregate of all meetings
of the Board and the committees of the Board on which he or she served during
the last fiscal year.
Finance
and Audit Committee
The
Finance and Audit Committee is a standing audit committee established to
oversee
the Company's accounting and financial reporting processes and the audit
of the
Company's financial statements. Its primary functions are to monitor and
evaluate corporate financial plans and performance and to assist the Board
in
monitoring (1) the integrity of the financial statements of the Company;
(2) the
Company’s compliance with legal and regulatory requirements; (3) the independent
auditor's qualifications and independence; and (4) the performance of the
Company's internal audit function and its independent auditor. Management
is
responsible for preparing the financial statements, and the independent auditor
is responsible for auditing those financial statements. The Finance and Audit
Committee is also directly responsible for the appointment, compensation,
retention, and oversight of the work of the Company's independent auditor
and
the preparation of the Finance and Audit Committee Report below.
A
copy of
the current Finance and Audit Committee Charter adopted by the Board is
available on the Company's website at www.lubys.com. All members of the Finance
and Audit Committee are independent directors as described below. The Finance
and Audit Committee met eleven times during the last fiscal year.
The
Board
determined that Gasper Mir, III and Joe C. McKinney are "audit committee
financial experts" as defined in rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission
adopted pursuant to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
At
least
quarterly, Committee members have the opportunity to meet privately with
representatives of the Company's independent auditor and with the Company's
Director of Internal Audit.
The
members of the Finance and Audit Committee are: Joe C. McKinney (Chair);
J.S.B.
Jenkins (Vice-Chair); Arthur R. Emerson; and Gasper Mir, III.
Nominating
and Corporate Governance Committee
The
primary functions of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee are
(1)
to maintain oversight of the development, structure, performance, and evaluation
of the Board; (2) to seek and recommend candidates to fill vacancies on the
Board; and (3) to recommend appropriate Board action on renewal terms of
service
for incumbent members as their terms near completion. A copy of the current
Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee Charter is available on the
Company's website at www.lubys.com. All members of the Nominating and Corporate
Governance Committee are independent directors as described below. The
Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee met three times during the
last
fiscal year.
The
members of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee are: Gasper
Mir,
III (Chair); Judith B. Craven (Vice-Chair); J.S.B Jenkins; and Joe C.
McKinney.
Personnel
and Administrative Policy Committee
The
primary functions of the Personnel and Administrative Policy Committee are
to
monitor and evaluate the policies and practices of (1) human resource management
and administration; (2) management development; (3)
non-executive
officer compensation and benefits (other than Board and executive compensation);
(4) retirement/savings and investment plan administration; (5) marketing
and
public relations strategies; (6) safety and security policies; and (7) investor
relations and communications on matters other than financial reporting. The
Personnel and Administrative Policy Committee met six times during the last
fiscal year.
None
of
the members of the Committee is an officer or employee, or a former officer
or
employee of the Company, except Messrs. Woliver and Pappas. Mr. Woliver retired
as an officer and employee of the Company in 1997, and Mr. Pappas is currently
Chief Operating Officer of the Company.
The
members of the Personnel and Administrative Policy Committee are: Judith
B.
Craven (Chair); Jill Griffin (Vice-Chair); Frank Markantonis; Harris J. Pappas;
and Jim W. Woliver.
Executive
Compensation Committee
The
primary functions of the Executive Compensation Committee are (1) to discharge
the Board's responsibilities relating to compensation of the Company's
executives and its Board and (2) to communicate to shareholders the Company's
executive compensation policies and the reasoning behind such policies. The
Executive Compensation Committee may delegate its responsibilities to a
subcommittee consisting of one or more of its members. The Executive
Compensation Committee Charter is available on the Company's website at
www.lubys.com.
All
members of the Executive Compensation Committee are independent directors
as
described below. The Executive Compensation Committee met five times during
the
last fiscal year.
The
members of the Executive Compensation Committee are: J.S.B. Jenkins (Chair);
Judith B. Craven (Vice-Chair); Jill Griffin; and Jim W. Woliver.
Executive
Committee
The
primary functions of this Committee are (1) to facilitate action by the Board
between meetings of the Board; and (2) to develop and periodically review
the
Company's Corporate Governance Guidelines and recommend such changes as may
be
determined appropriate to the Board so as to reflect the responsibilities
of the
Board and the manner in which the enterprise should be governed in compliance
with best practices. The Executive Committee did not meet during the last
fiscal
year.
The
members of the Executive Committee are: Gasper Mir, III (Chair); Judith B.
Craven (Vice-Chair); Joe C. McKinney; J.S.B. Jenkins; Christopher J. Pappas;
and
Harris J. Pappas.
NOMINATIONS
FOR DIRECTOR
Qualifications
and Process
The
Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee considers candidates for Board
membership suggested by its members and other Board members, as well as
management and shareholders. The Committee may retain a third-party search
firm
to assist it in identifying candidates.
Once
the
Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee has identified a prospective
nominee, the Committee makes an initial determination as to whether to conduct
a
full evaluation of the candidate. The initial determination is based on the
information provided to the Committee with the recommendation of the prospective
candidate, as well as the Committee's own knowledge of the prospective
candidate, which may be supplemented by inquiries of the person making the
recommendation or others. The preliminary determination is based primarily
on
the need for additional Board members to fill vacancies or expand the size
of
the Board and the likelihood that the prospective nominee can satisfy the
evaluation factors described below.
If
the
Committee determines, in consultation with the Board, as appropriate, that
additional consideration is warranted, it may request a third-party search
firm
to gather additional information about the prospective nominee's background
and
experience and report its findings to the Committee. The Committee then
evaluates the prospective nominee against the standards and qualifications
set
out in the Company’s Corporate Governance Guidelines and the charter of the
Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, including:
● a
candidate's expertise and experience;
● independence
(as defined by applicable New York Stock Exchange and SEC rules);
● financial
literacy and understanding of business strategy, business environment,
corporate
governance, and
board
operation knowledge;
● commitment
to our core values;
● skills,
expertise, independence of mind, and integrity;
● relationships
with the Company;
● service
on the boards of directors of other companies;
● openness,
ability to work as part of a team and willingness to commit the required
time;
and
● familiarity
with the Company and its industry.
The
Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee also considers the diversity
of,
and the optimal enhancement of the current mix of talent and experience on,
the
Board and other factors as it deems relevant, including the current composition
of the Board, the balance of management and independent directors, and the
need
for Audit Committee expertise.
In
connection with its evaluation, the Committee determines whether to interview
the prospective nominee; in addition, if warranted, one or more members of
the
Committee, and others as appropriate, may interview prospective nominees
in
person. After completing this evaluation and interview, the Committee makes
a
recommendation to the full Board as to the persons who should be nominated
by
the Board, and the Board determines the nominees after considering the
recommendation and report of the Committee.
The
Company did not pay any third party a fee to assist in the process of
identifying or evaluating nominees for election at the Annual Meeting. The
Company did not receive any director candidates for election at the Annual
Meeting put forward by a shareholder or group of shareholders who beneficially
own more than five percent of the Company’s common stock, other than
Christopher
J. Pappas
as
stated above. All nominees for election as directors at the Annual Meeting
are
incumbent directors of the Company standing for re-election.
Submission
of Shareholder Nominations to the Board of Directors
A
shareholder who wishes to recommend a prospective nominee for election to
the
Board should send the recommendation to the attention of the Corporate Secretary
or any member of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee in care
of
the Corporate Secretary, at Luby's, Inc., 13111 Northwest Freeway, Suite
600,
Houston, Texas
77040.
The notice should include any supporting material the shareholder considers
appropriate. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee will also
consider whether to recommend for nomination any person nominated by a
shareholder pursuant to the provision of our bylaws relating to shareholder
nominations as described in "Director Nominations For 2007 Annual Meeting",
beginning on page
.
CORPORATE
GOVERNANCE GUIDELINES
The
Company maintains Corporate Governance Guidelines evidencing the views of
the
Company on such matters as the role and responsibilities of the Board,
composition of the Board, Board leadership, functioning of the Board,
functioning of committees of the Board, and other matters. These guidelines
are
reviewed annually and modified when deemed appropriate by the Board. The
current
version of the Company's Corporate Governance Guidelines can be found on
the
Company's website at
http://www.lubys.com/corporategovernanceguidelines.asp.
Director
Attendance at Annual Meetings
Although
the Company does not have a formal policy regarding director attendance
at its
annual meetings of shareholders, all of the Company’s directors attended the
2006 annual meeting, and the Company expects all continuing members will
be
present for the 2007 Annual Meeting.
Presiding
Director
The
Chairman of the Board of Directors currently presides over the executive
sessions of non-management directors. If the offices of Chief Executive Officer
and Chairman are not separate or, for any other reason, the Chairman is not
independent, the independent directors will elect one of the independent
directors to preside over the executive sessions of non-management
directors.
Director
Independence
The
Board
has affirmatively determined that the following directors are "independent"
directors under the Luby’s Director
Independence Test:
Judith
B. Craven; Arthur R. Emerson; Jill Griffin; J.S.B. Jenkins; Joe C. McKinney;
Gasper Mir, III; and Jim W. Woliver. The Luby’s Director
Independence Test is available on the Company’s website at
www.lubys.com.
Code
of Conduct and Ethics for All Directors, Officers, and
Employees
The
Board
has adopted a Policy Guide on Standards of Conduct and Ethics, which is
applicable to all directors, officers, and employees. The intent of the Policy
Guide on Standards of Conduct and Ethics is to promote observance of fundamental
principles of honesty, loyalty, fairness, and forthrightness and adherence
to
the letter and spirit of the law. Waivers of any part of the Policy Guide
on
Standards of Conduct and Ethics for any director or executive officer are
permitted only by a vote of the Board or a designated Board committee that
will
ascertain whether a waiver is appropriate under all the circumstances. The
Company intends to disclose any waivers of the Policy Guide on Standards
of
Conduct and Ethics granted to directors and executive officers on the Company's
website at www.lubys.com.
Copies
of
the Policy Guide on Standards of Conduct and Ethics are available in print
to
shareholders upon request or on the Company's website at www.lubys.com.
Code
of Ethics for the Chief Executive Officer and Senior Financial
Officers
The
Board
has adopted a Supplemental Standards of Conduct and Ethics that apply to
the
Company's Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Controller, and
all
senior financial officers ("Senior Officers' Code"). The Senior Officers'
Code
is designed to deter wrongdoing and to promote:
· |
honest
and ethical conduct, including the ethical handling of actual or
apparent
conflicts of interest between personal and professional
relationships;
|
· |
full,
fair, accurate, timely, and understandable disclosure in reports
and
documents that the Company files with, or submits to, the Securities
and
Exchange Commission and in other public communications made by the
Company;
|
· |
compliance
with governmental laws, rules, and regulations;
|
· |
the
prompt internal reporting to an appropriate person or persons identified
in the Senior Officers' Code of violations of the Senior Officers'
Code;
and
|
· |
accountability
for adherence to the Senior Officers' Code.
|
Waivers
of the Senior Officers' Code for the Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial
Officer, and the Controller are permitted only by a vote of the Board or
a
designated Board committee that will ascertain whether a waiver is appropriate
under all the circumstances. The Company intends to disclose any waivers
of the
Senior Officers' Code granted to the Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial
Officer, or the Controller on the Company's website at
www.lubys.com.
Copies
of
the Senior Officers' Code are available in print to shareholders upon request
or
on the Company's website at www.lubys.com.
Receipt
and Retention of Complaints Regarding Accounting and Auditing
Matters
To
facilitate the reporting of questionable accounting, internal accounting
controls or auditing matters, the Company has established an anonymous reporting
hotline through which employees can submit complaints on a confidential and
anonymous basis. Any concerns regarding accounting, internal accounting
controls, auditing, or other disclosure matters reported on the hotline are
reported to the Chairman of the Finance and Audit Committee. These reports
are
confidential and anonymous. Procedures are in place to investigate all reports
received by the hotline relating to questionable accounting, internal accounting
controls, or auditing matters and to take any corrective action, if necessary.
The Board is notified of these reports at every quarterly Board meeting,
or
sooner if necessary.
Any
person who has concerns regarding accounting, internal accounting controls,
or
auditing matters may address them to the attention of Chairman, Finance and
Audit Committee, Luby's, Inc., 13111 Northwest Freeway, Suite 600, Houston,
Texas 77040.
Nonretaliation
for Reporting
The
Company's policies prohibit retaliation against any director, officer, or
employee for any report made in good faith. However, if the reporting individual
was involved in improper activity, the individual may be appropriately
disciplined even if he or she was the one who disclosed the matter to the
Company. In these circumstances, the Company may consider the conduct of
the
reporting individual in promptly reporting the information as a mitigating
factor in any disciplinary decision.
Shareholder
Communications to the Board of Directors
Shareholders
and other parties interested in communicating directly with the Chairman
of the
Board, the non-management directors as a group or the Board itself regarding
the
Company may do so by writing to the Chairman of the Board, in care of the
Corporate Secretary at Luby's, Inc., 13111 Northwest Freeway, Suite 600,
Houston, Texas 77040. Instructions on how to communicate with the Board are
also
available on the Company’s Investor Relations website, which can be reached
through a link at http://www.lubys.com/06aboutusinvestor.asp.
The
Board
has approved a process for handling letters received by the Company and
addressed to non-management members of the Board. Under that process, the
Company’s Corporate Secretary reviews all such correspondence that, in the
opinion of the Corporate Secretary, deals with the function of the Board
or
committees thereof or that the Corporate Secretary otherwise determines requires
the Board’s attention. Directors may at any time request copies of all
correspondence received by the Company that is addressed to members of the
Board. Concerns relating to accounting, internal controls or auditing matters
are immediately brought to the attention of the Company’s internal audit
department and handled in accordance with procedures that the Finance and
Audit
Committee has established with respect to such matters.
SECTION
16(a) BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP REPORTING COMPLIANCE
Section
16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 requires the Company's directors,
executive officers, and any persons beneficially owning more than ten percent
of
the Company's common stock to report their initial ownership of the Company's
common stock and any subsequent changes in that ownership to the Securities
and
Exchange Commission and the New York Stock Exchange, and to provide copies
of
such reports to the Company. Based upon the Company's review of copies of
such
reports received by the Company and written representations of its directors
and
executive officers, the Company believes that during the year ended August
30,
2006, all Section 16(a) filing requirements were satisfied on a timely
basis.
On
July
23, 2002, the Company entered into an Indemnification Agreement with each
member
of the Board of Directors under which the Company obligated itself to indemnify
each director to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law so that he
or
she will continue to serve the Company free from undue concern regarding
liabilities. The Company has also entered into an Indemnification Agreement
with
each person becoming a member of the Board of Directors since July 23, 2002.
The
Board of Directors has determined that uncertainties relating to liability
insurance and indemnification have made it advisable to provide directors
with
assurance that liability protection will be available in the
future.
The
Company obtains certain services from entities owned or controlled by
Christopher J. Pappas, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company,
and
Harris J. Pappas, Chief Operating Officer of the Company (the “Pappas
Entities”), pursuant to the terms of a Master Sales Agreement dated July 23,
2002 and renewed on December 6, 2005. The types of services periodically
provided to the Company by these entities are the supply of goods and other
services necessary for the operation of the Company. An Affiliate Services
Agreement between Luby’s and the Pappas Entities expired on December 31, 2005
and was not renewed. During the 2006 fiscal year, the Pappas Entities provided
goods to the Company under the Master Sales Agreement in the amount of
approximately $107,479. Consistent
with past practices, the Finance and Audit Committee of the Board of Directors
reviewed on a quarterly basis all applicable amounts related to either the
Master Sales Agreement or the Affiliate Services Agreement. That committee
consists entirely of nonemployee directors.
The
Company anticipates that payments to the Pappas
Entities
under
the Master Sales Agreement during the current fiscal year will
not
exceed $500,000. Such payments will be primarily for goods purchased pursuant
to
the terms of the Master Sales Agreement. In the opinion of the Finance and
Audit
Committee, the fees paid by the Company for such goods and/or services are
primarily at or below what the Company would pay for comparable goods and/or
services (if available) from a party unaffiliated with the Company.
The
Company leases real property from the Pappas Entities under a separate
agreement, dated September 28, 2001 and amended as of May 20,
2003, for use as the Company's service center.
From
September
1,
2006,
through November 30, 2006, the Company incurred lease costs for the service
center in the amount of $32,597, including rent and utilities. The Company
has
contracted to pay $6,800 per month in rent under the lease agreement to the
Pappas Entities during the current fiscal year. The Company is obligated
under
the lease agreement to pay all related repairs and maintenance, insurance,
and
pro-rata portion of utilities. The current term of this lease is
month-to-month.
The
Company previously leased a location from an unrelated third party. That
location is used to house increased equipment inventories resulting from
prior
store closures. The Company considered it more prudent to lease this location
rather than to pursue purchasing a storage facility, as its strategy is to
focus
its capital expenditures on its operating restaurants. In a separate
transaction, the third-party property owner sold the location to the Pappas
Entities during the fourth quarter of fiscal 2003, with the Pappas Entities
becoming the Company's landlord for that location effective August 1, 2003.
The
storage site complements the Company's Houston service center with approximately
27,000 square feet of warehouse space. The Company paid approximately $66,708
under this lease arrangement in fiscal 2006. From
September 1, 2006, through November 30,
2006,
the Company incurred lease costs for the storage site of approximately $16,677.
The Company has contracted to pay $5,559 per month in rent pursuant to this
lease agreement to the Pappas Entities during the current fiscal year. The
Company is obligated under the lease agreement to pay all related repairs
and
maintenance, insurance, and pro-rata portion of utilities. The current term
of
this lease is month-to-month.
Late
in
the third quarter of fiscal 2004, Messrs. Pappas became partners in a limited
partnership which purchased a retail strip center in Houston, Texas.
Messrs.
Pappas own a 50% limited partner interest and a 50% general partner interest
in
the limited partnership. A third party company manages the center. One
of
the Company’s restaurants has rented approximately 7% of the space in that
center since July of 1969. No changes were made to the Company’s lease terms as
a result of the transfer of ownership of the center to the new partnership.
The
Company made payments of $265,676
during
the fiscal year ended August 30, 2006, and $66,657 from
September 1,
2006
to November 30, 2006 under the lease agreement. On
November 22, 2006, the Company executed a new lease agreement with respect
to
this property.
The
new
lease agreement provides for a primary term, beginning in the calendar
year
2008, of approximately 12 years with two subsequent five-year options,
and it
gives the landlord an option to buy out the tenant on or after the calendar
year
2015 by paying the then unamortized cost of improvements to the tenant.
The
Company will owe, under the lease, $16.65 per square foot plus maintenance,
taxes, and insurance for the calendar year 2008. Thereafter, the lease
provides
for reasonable increases in rent at set intervals. All amendments to this
lease
were approved by the Finance and Audit Committee.
The
Company currently holds treasury shares that have been reserved for (1) the
issuance of shares to Messrs. Pappas upon exercise of the options granted
to
them on March 9, 2001, and (2) the issuance of shares under the Company’s
Nonemployee Director Phantom Stock Option Plan. In accordance with an agreement
between Messrs. Pappas and the Company dated June 7, 2004, Christopher and
Harris Pappas agreed to limit their exercise of stock options to a number
that
will ensure the “net treasury shares available” are not exceeded. The New York
Stock Exchange has authorized the listing of up
to
2,240,000 additional shares of the Company's common stock, which would permit
the full exercise of the options granted to Messrs. Pappas.
EXECUTIVE
COMPENSATION COMMITTEE REPORT
Compensation
Objectives
The
Company's executive compensation program is designed to enable the Company
to
execute its business objectives by attracting, retaining, and motivating
the
highest quality of management talent. The program serves to incent and reward
executive performance that leads to long-term enhancement of shareholder
value
and to encourage the executives to deliver such performance and to continue
with
the Company for the long-term. The Executive Compensation Committee annually
evaluates the effectiveness of the Company's executive compensation program
in
meeting its objectives. The Executive Compensation Committee annually advises
the Board on the compensation to be paid to the Company's executive officers
and
approves the compensation for executive officers. The Committee evaluates
compensation with reference to the Company's performance for the prior fiscal
year, competitive compensation data, subjective evaluation of each executive's
contribution to the Company's performance, each executive's experience,
responsibilities, and management abilities. The Company's executive compensation
program currently consists of the elements summarized below.
Base
Salaries
The
Company seeks to compensate executives for their performance throughout the
year
with annual base salaries that are fair and competitive while being consistent
with the Company's position in the foodservice industry. Such annual base
salaries currently fall in the 50th
to
75th
percentile of Marketplace Base Salaries for persons of similar responsibility
and scope. The Company defines the relative labor market for such executive
talent through the use of peer and market data. Base salaries are reviewed
annually or biannually to ensure continuing consistency with the industry
and
the Company’s level of performance during the previous fiscal year. Future
adjustments to base salaries and salary ranges will reflect average movement
in
the competitive market as well as individual performance. Any base salary
increase awarded to an executive reflects the Company’s financial performance,
individual performance, and potential changes in the officer’s duties and
responsibilities.
Salaries
of the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer are fixed according
to each officer's employment agreement, leaving only the incentive and equity
compensation for these officers within the discretion of the Committee. See
"—Employment Agreements" and "—Compensation of Chief Executive Officer"
beginning on page .
Members
of the Committee, along with members of the Finance and Audit Committee,
were
involved in advising the Board on the appropriateness and reasonableness
of the
compensation packages for these executive officers.
Annual
Incentive Compensation
The
Company’s Annual Incentive Compensation Plan directly links annual incentive
payments to the achievement of pre-determined and Board-approved financial
and
operating goals. Corporate and individual performance objectives are established
near the beginning of each fiscal year. If earned, the annual incentive
compensation paid to each executive in the form of a cash bonus will vary
according to the Company’s overall financial performance. Annual
bonuses are determined by the Company's performance relative to pre-determined
goals
that are based on same store sales (35%), earnings before interest, taxes,
depreciation and amortization (55%) and by the executive's performance relative
to individually set personal goals for the fiscal year (10%).
Long-Term
Incentive Compensation
Long-term
incentive compensation in the form of equity grants of the Company’s common
stock, such as incentive stock option grants and grants of restricted stock,
are
used to (1) incent performance that leads to enhanced shareholder value,
(2)
encourage retention, and (3) closely align the executive’s interests with
shareholders’ long term interests. The expected present value of these
incentives is calculated using the binomial pricing method. The size of stock
option and restricted stock grants is determined relative to the Company’s size
and its market, employee qualifications and position, as well as peer data.
The
Executive Compensation Committee administers the Company's stock option,
ownership, and other equity-based compensation plans to the Named Executive
Officers (as
defined
in "Summary Compensation Table" beginning on page ).
The
Executive Compensation Committee typically considers the grants of incentive
stock options to eligible executive officers and other officers on an annual
basis. The options,
which
typically vest in installments over six years,
are
typically granted at market price of the Company’s stock on the date of grant
and
provide compensation to the optionee only to the extent the market price
of the
stock increases between the date of grant and the date the option is exercised.
Options are intended to provide long-term compensation tied specifically
to
increases in the price of the Company's common stock.
The
number of option shares granted each year is typically determined by a formula
using a dollar amount divided by the option's exercise price.
All
grants require Board approval, and are typically presented at the first
regularly scheduled Board meeting following the disclosure of year-end results.
Neither the Company nor the Committee has a program,
plan, or practice to time option grants to its executives in coordination
with
the release of material nonpublic information. Any stock options grants made
to
non-executive employees typically will occur concurrently with grants to
Named
Executive Officers.
Stock
Ownership Guidelines
The
Board
of Directors has adopted guidelines for ownership of the Company's common
stock
by executives and directors to help demonstrate the alignment of the interests
of the Company's executives and directors with the interests of its
shareholders. The amount of stock in which a particular executive is required
to
hold is determined relative to the executive’s position with the Company. The
guidelines provide that executives and directors are expected to attain the
following levels of stock ownership within five years of their election to
the
specified director or officer position:
Position
|
Share
Ownership
|
Chief
Executive Officer
|
4
times annual base salary
|
President
and Senior Vice President
|
2
times annual base salary
|
Vice
President
|
Equal
to annual base salary
|
Nonemployee
Director
|
Shares
with a market value of at least
$100,000
|
Phantom
stock and stock equivalents in the nonemployee director deferred compensation
plan are considered common stock for purposes of the guidelines, as they
are
essentially awarded in lieu of cash compensation for Board services.
Use
of Third Party Compensation Consultant
In
fiscal
2006, as in prior years, the Company engaged a third-party compensation
consultant, Towers Perrin, to provide an assessment of the Company’s
compensation structure for all of its officer and director positions and
to
evaluate their compensation relative to the marketplace. Towers Perrin directly
engaged the Committee on at least one occasion and met with members of
Management.
Towers
Perrin relied on its own annual incentive plan design surveys, its experience
with general industry companies with annual revenues similar to that of the
Company, and research from the proxy statements of companies
considered peers of the Company. Towers Perrin developed marketplace base
salary, target annual incentive opportunity, target total annual compensation,
actual total annual compensation, long term incentive award level, target
total
direct compensation, and actual total direct compensation rates.
The
Company is a party to employment agreements with Christopher J. Pappas, the
Company’s President and Chief Executive Officer, and Harris J. Pappas, the
Company’s Chief Operating Officer. These agreements have been filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission as exhibits to the Company's Annual Report
on
Form 10-K filed November 14, 2005. Each agreement, which expires in August
2008,
provides for a fixed base annual salary of $400,000, plus bonus compensation
at
the discretion of the Board or appropriate Board Committee. Please
read "—Compensation of Chief Executive Officer" on page for
more
information regarding Mr. Christopher J. Pappas' employment
agreement.
Change
in Control Agreements
The
employment agreements of Christopher J. Pappas and Harris J. Pappas each
provide
that the employee will be entitled to receive all of his compensation and
benefits under the contract until August 31, 2008, if either (1) the Company
terminates his employment without cause, as defined in the agreements, or
(2) he
terminates his employment for good reason, as defined in the
agreements.
Salary
Continuation Agreements
The
Company currently has no salary continuation agreement, or agreement having
similar effect, in place with any employee of the Company other than the
Change
in Control Agreements described above.
Mr.
Christopher J. Pappas' base salary is fixed according to his employment
agreement with the Company. Under his current employment agreement, which
expires in August 2008, Mr. Pappas' annual base salary for fiscal 2006 was
set
at $400,000. Mr. Pappas is eligible to receive annual cash bonuses under
the
employment agreement at the discretion of the Executive Compensation Committee.
Mr. Pappas received a cash bonus of $181,951 in fiscal 2006, based on the
factors described above in the Annual Incentive Compensation discussion.
Mr.
Pappas's previous employment agreement, which was replaced by his current
employment agreement in November 2005, had fixed his base salary for fiscal
2006
at $300,000, with a potential cash bonus of up to $200,000. In connection
with
entering into the current employment agreement, on November 8, 2005 the Company
granted Mr. Pappas options to purchase 65,500 shares of the Company's common
stock at an exercise price of $12.92 per share. In determining the size of
the
stock option grant, the Committee considered the Company’s size and its market,
Mr. Pappas' individual performance and experience, peer group data and the
size
of grants previously made to Mr. Pappas.
Section
162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code
Section
162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code generally disallows a public company's
tax
deduction for compensation to the chief executive officer and the four other
most highly compensated executive officers in excess of $1 million in any
calendar year. Compensation that qualifies as "performance based compensation"
(as defined for purposes of Section 162(m)) is excluded from the $1 million
limitation, and therefore remains fully deductible by the company that pays
it.
Options granted under the Company's long-term incentive plan have been
structured to qualify as performance-based and thus would not be subject
to this
deduction limitation. While the Compensation Committee will seek to utilize
deductible forms of compensation to the extent practicable, it does not believe
that compensation decisions should be made solely to maintain the deductibility
of compensation for federal income tax purposes. Although none of the Named
Executive Officers reached the deduction limitation in fiscal 2006, the
Executive Compensation Committee plans to continue to evaluate the Company’s
salary, bonus and stock option programs to determine the advisability of
future
compliance with Section 162(m).
Executive
Compensation Committee
J.S.B.
Jenkins (Chair)
Judith
B.
Craven (Vice-Chair)
Jill
Griffin
Jim
W.
Woliver
EXECUTIVE
OFFICERS
Certain
information is set forth below concerning the executive officers of the Company,
each of whom has been elected to serve until his successor is duly elected
and
qualified:
Name
|
Served
as
Officer
Since
|
Positions
with Company and
Principal
Occupation Last Five Years
|
Age
|
Christopher
J. Pappas
|
2001
|
President
and CEO (since March
|
59
|
|
|
2001),
CEO of Pappas Restaurants,
|
|
|
|
Inc.
|
|
Harris
J. Pappas
|
2001
|
Chief
Operating Officer (since March
|
62
|
|
|
2001),
President of Pappas
|
|
|
|
Restaurants,
Inc.
|
|
Ernest
Pekmezaris
|
2001
|
Senior
Vice President and CFO (since
|
62
|
|
|
March
2001), Treasurer and former
|
|
|
|
CFO
of Pappas Restaurants, Inc.
|
|
Peter
Tropoli
|
2001
|
Senior
Vice President-Administration, General Counsel (since March 2001),
Secretary
(since January 2006),
|
34
|
|
|
attorney
in private practice.
|
|
The
table
below contains information concerning annual and long-term compensation of
the
current Chief Executive Officer, all persons who served as Chief Executive
Officer of the Company during the last fiscal year, the current Chief Financial
Officer, all persons who served as Chief Financial Officer of the Company
during
the last fiscal year, and the most highly compensated individuals who made
in
excess of $100,000 in total compensation and who served as executive officers
during the last fiscal year (collectively the "Named Executive Officers"),
for
services rendered in all capacities for the fiscal years ended August 30,
2006,
August 31, 2005, and August 25, 2004.
|
|
|
Long-Term
Compensation
|
|
|
|
Annual
Compensation
|
Awards
|
Payouts
|
|
Name
and Principal Position
|
Fiscal
Year
|
Salary
|
Bonus
|
Other
Annual Compensation
(1)
|
Restricted
Stock
Awards
|
Securities
Underlying
Options
(2)
|
LTIP
Payouts
|
All
Other
Compensation
|
Christopher
J. Pappas
|
2006
|
$
400,000
|
$181,951
|
$
0
|
$
0
|
86,089
|
$ 0
|
$ 0
|
President
and Chief
|
2005
|
358,083
|
45,763
|
0
|
0
|
65,500
|
0
|
0
|
Executive
Officer
|
2004
|
221,154
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Harris
J. Pappas
|
2006
|
400,000
|
181,951
|
0
|
0
|
86,089
|
0
|
0
|
Chief
Operating Officer
|
2005
|
358,083
|
45,763
|
0
|
0
|
65,500
|
0
|
0
|
|
2004
|
221,154
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ernest
Pekmezaris
|
2006
|
244,231
|
63,110
|
0
|
33,451
|
23,658
|
0
|
0
|
Senior
Vice President
|
2005
|
207,692
|
80,000
|
0
|
30,900
|
18,000
|
0
|
0
|
and
Chief Financial Officer
|
2004
|
200,000
|
50,000
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Peter
Tropoli
|
2006
|
226,077
|
95,321
|
0
|
32,108
|
23,658
|
0
|
0
|
Senior
Vice President —
|
2005
|
150,000
|
80,000
|
0
|
29,664
|
18,000
|
0
|
0
|
Administration,
General
|
2004
|
150,000
|
50,000
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
Counsel,
and Secretary
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
__________
(1) Perquisites
and other personal benefits that did not exceed the lesser of $50,000 or
10% of
the total amount of annual salary and bonus for any Named Executive Officer
have
been
excluded.
The
table below reports exercises of stock options by the Named Executive Officers
during fiscal 2006 and the value of their unexercised stock options as of
August
30, 2006. Except
for
the
exercisable stock options granted to Messrs. Pappas, which were granted pursuant
to their employment agreements with the Company, the stock options were granted
under the Company's Incentive Stock Plans.
Aggregated
Options Exercises in Last Fiscal Year
and
Fiscal Year-End Option Values
Name
|
Shares
Acquired
on
Exercise
|
Value
Realized
|
Number
of Securities
Underlying
Unexercised
Options
at FY-End
Exercisable/Unexercisable
|
Value
of Unexercised
In-the-Money
Options
at
FY-End (1)
Exercisable/Unexercisable
|
Christopher
J. Pappas
|
0
|
$0
|
1,120,000/65,500
|
$10,931,200/639,280
|
Harris
J. Pappas
|
0
|
0
|
1,120,000/65,500
|
10,931,200/639,280
|
Ernest
Pekmezaris
|
0
|
0
|
25,000/18,000
|
244,000/175,680
|
Peter
Tropoli
|
0
|
0
|
25,000/18,000
|
244,000/175,680
|
__________
(1) The
value
of unexercised options is based on a price of $9.76 per common share at August
30, 2006.
DIRECTOR
COMPENSATION
Each
nonemployee director other than the Chairman of the Board is paid an annual
retainer of $30,000. The Chairman of the Board is paid an annual retainer
of
$55,000. In addition to the base annual retainer of $30,000, the Chairman
of the
Finance and Audit Committee is paid an additional annual retainer of $14,000,
and the Chair of each other Board Committee is paid an additional annual
retainer of $3,000.
All
nonemployee directors are also paid the following meeting fees for each meeting
he or she attends: (1) $1,500 per day for each meeting of the Board, including
Committee meetings attended on the same day as a meeting of the Board, so
long
as the total duration of the meeting(s) attended on that day exceeds four
hours;
(2) $1000 per day for each meeting of the Board, including Committee meetings
attended on the same day as a meeting of the Board, if the meeting is conducted
by telephone or its total duration is less than four hours; (3) $1,000 per
day
for each meeting of any Board committee held on a day other than a Board
meeting
day; and (4) $500 per day for each meeting of any Board committee conducted
by
telephone on a day other than a Board meeting day.
Under
the
Company's Nonemployee Director Stock Option Plan (the "Option Plan"), each
nonemployee director is required to use at least $15,000 of the annual $30,000
retainer to purchase restricted stock. In addition, each nonemployee director,
prior to the end of any calendar year, may elect to receive an Elective Retainer
Award, whereupon on the first day of each January, April, July, and October
during the term of the plan, the director agrees to purchase shares of
restricted stock with the director's meeting and annual retainer fees and
is
granted an additional number of whole shares of restricted stock equal to
20% of
the number of whole shares of restricted stock issued in payment of the Elective
Retainer Award for the quarterly period beginning on that date.
Further,
under the Option Plan, nonemployee directors may be periodically granted
nonqualified options to purchase shares of the Company's common stock at
an
option price equal to 100% of their fair market value on the date of grant.
Each
option terminates on the earlier of the tenth anniversary of the grant date
or
one year after the optionee ceases to be a director. An option may not be
exercised prior to the first anniversary of the grant date, subject to certain
exceptions specified in the Option Plan. No nonemployee director may receive
options to purchase more than 5,000 shares in any 12-month period.
The
Company's Nonemployee Director Deferred Compensation Plan permits nonemployee
directors to defer all or a portion of their directors' fees in accordance
with
applicable regulations under the Internal Revenue Code. Deferred
amounts bear interest at the average interest rate of U.S. Treasury ten-year
obligations. The Company's obligation to pay deferred amounts is unfunded
and is
payable from general assets of the Company.
The
Company's
Corporate Governance Guidelines establish guidelines for share ownership.
Currently, Directors are expected to accumulate, over time, common shares
with a
market value of at least $100,000.
Use
of Third Party Compensation Consultants
In
fiscal
2005 and 2006, the Company engaged a third-party compensation consultant
to
provide an assessment of the Company’s current compensation structure for its
directors and to evaluate their compensation relative to the marketplace.
The
consultants directly engaged the Executive Compensation Committee on at least
one occasion and met with the Company’s management.
FINANCE
AND AUDIT COMMITTEE REPORT
In
fulfilling its oversight responsibilities, the Committee reviewed and discussed
with management and the independent auditor the Company's audited financial
statements in the annual report on Form 10-K and their judgment about the
quality and appropriateness of accounting principles and financial statement
presentations, the reasonableness of significant judgments, the clarity of
the
disclosures in the financial statements, and major issues as to the adequacy
of
the Company's internal controls. In addition, the Committee discussed any
matter
required to be communicated under generally accepted auditing standards.
The
Committee discussed with the independent auditor matters required to be
discussed by Statement on Auditing Standards No. 61 (Communication with Audit
Committees). The Committee also has discussed with the independent auditor
the
auditor's independence from the Company and management, including matters
in the
written disclosures provided by the independent auditor to the Finance and
Audit
Committee as required by the Independence Standards Board Standards No. 1
(Independence Discussions with Audit Committees). The Committee also considered
the compatibility of nonaudit services with the independent auditor's
independence.
In
reliance on the reviews and discussions referred to above, the Committee
recommended to the Board, and the Board has approved, that the audited financial
statements be included in the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended
August 30, 2006, for filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
The
Committee appointed Grant
Thornton LLP as
the
independent registered public accounting firm for the Plan for the 2007 fiscal
year, and it dismissed Ernst & Young LLP, the Company’s current independent
registered public accounting firm.
Finance
and Audit Committee
Joe
C.
McKinney (Chair)
J.S.B.
Jenkins (Vice-Chair)
Arthur
Emerson
Gasper
Mir, III
STOCK
PERFORMANCE GRAPH
The
following graph compares the cumulative total shareholder return on the
Company's common stock for the five fiscal years ended August 30, 2006, with
the
cumulative total return on the S&P SmallCap 600 Index and an industry peer
group index. The peer group index consists of Bob Evans Farms, Inc. Ryan's
Family Steak Houses, Inc. Ruby Tuesday Inc. and CBRL Group Inc. These companies
are multi-unit family restaurant operators in the mid-price range.
The
cumulative total shareholder return computations set forth in the performance
graph assume an investment of $100 on August 29, 2001, and the reinvestment
of
all dividends. The returns of each company in the peer group index have been
weighted according to that company's stock market capitalization.
COMPARISON
OF 5 YEAR CUMULATIVE TOTAL RETURN*
AMONG
LUBY'S, INC., THE S&P SMALLCAP 600 INDEX
AND
A
PEER GROUP
*$100
invested on 8/29/01 in stock or index-including reinvestment of dividends.
Fiscal years ending August 28, 2002, August 27, 2003, August 25, 2004, August
31, 2005 and August 30, 2006.
S&P
SmallCap 600 Data Copyright (C)2005, Standard & Poor's, a division of The
McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
|
8/01
|
8/02
|
8/03
|
8/04
|
8/05
|
8/06
|
Luby's,
Inc.
|
$
100.00
|
57.16
|
27.90
|
74.02
|
149.64
|
108.30
|
S&P
SmallCap 600
|
100.00
|
90.47
|
111.00
|
127.50
|
161.28
|
172.76
|
Peer
Group
|
100.00
|
109.93
|
131.06
|
137.09
|
137.36
|
153.62
|
SHAREHOLDER
PROPOSALS FOR 2008 ANNUAL MEETING
Proposals
of shareholders for inclusion in the Company's proxy statement and form of
proxy
for the Company's 2008 Annual Meeting of Shareholders submitted pursuant
to Rule
14a-8 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 must be received in writing
by
the Company at its corporate office no later than September 10,
2007.
Notice of a shareholder proposal submitted outside the processes of Rule
14a-8
with respect to the Company's 2008 Annual Meeting of Shareholders will be
considered untimely if received by the Company after October 24, 2007.
The
Company's Bylaws provide that candidates for election as directors at an
Annual
Meeting of Shareholders will be nominated by the Board of Directors or by
any
shareholder of record entitled to vote at the meeting, so long as the
shareholder gives timely notice thereof. To be timely, such notice must be
delivered in writing to the Secretary of the Company at the principal executive
offices of the Company not later than 90 days prior to the date of the meeting
of shareholders at which directors are to be elected and must include (1)
the
name and address of the shareholder who intends to make the nomination; (2) the
name, age, and business address of each nominee; and (3) such other information
with respect to each nominee as would be required to be disclosed in a proxy
solicitation relating to an election of directors pursuant to Regulation
14A
under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
PROXY
SOLICITATION
The
cost
of soliciting proxies will be borne by the Company. The transfer agent and
registrar for the Company's common stock, American Stock Transfer & Trust
Company, as a part of its regular services and for no additional compensation
other than reimbursement for out-of-pocket expenses, has been engaged to
assist
in the proxy solicitation. Proxies may be solicited through the mail and
through
telephonic or telegraphic communications to, or by meetings with, shareholders
or their representatives by directors, officers, and other employees of the
Company who will receive no additional compensation therefore.
The
Company requests persons such as brokers, nominees, and fiduciaries holding
stock in their names for the benefit of others, or holding stock for others
who
have the right to give voting instructions, to forward proxy material to
their
principals and to request authority for the execution of the proxy, and the
Company will reimburse such persons for their reasonable expenses.
By
Order
of the Board of Directors,
Peter
Tropoli
Senior
Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary
Dated:
December 11, 2006