Note 11. PREFERRED STOCK

Series B Cumulative Preferred Stock

On October 3 and October 4, 2019, the Company completed the initial closing of its continuous public offering (the “Series B Preferred Offering”) of up to $30,000,000 of units (the “Series B Units”) at $25.00 per Series B Unit, with each Series B Unit comprised of one share of 8.25% Series B Cumulative Preferred Stock (“Series B Preferred Stock”) and 0.60 warrants (the “Series B Warrants”) to purchase common stock at $8.50 per share, exercisable for five years.

The offering includes up to 1,200,000 shares of Series B Preferred Stock and Series B Warrants initially exercisable to purchase up to an aggregate of 720,000 shares of our common stock. The shares of Series B Preferred Stock and Series B Warrants will be issued separately but can only be purchased together in the Series B Preferred Offering. Each Warrant will be immediately exercisable and will expire on the five-year anniversary of the date of issuance.

The Company will pay cumulative dividends on the Series B Preferred Stock from and including the date of original issuance in the amount of $2.0625 per share each year, which is equivalent to 8.25% of the $25.00 liquidation preference per share. Dividends on the Series B Preferred Stock will be payable quarterly in arrears based on the Company’s fiscal quarters.

The Company may not redeem the Series B Preferred Stock before the first anniversary of the initial issuance date. After the first anniversary of the initial issuance date the Company has the option to redeem the Series B Preferred Stock, in whole or in part, for cash plus any accrued and unpaid dividends to the date of redemption at the following redemption price per share:

The Series B Preferred Stock will mature on the five-year anniversary of the initial issuance date or the earlier liquidation, dissolution or winding-up of the Company. Upon maturity, the holders of Series B Preferred Stock will be entitled to receive cash redemption of their shares in an amount equal to $25.00 per share plus any accrued and unpaid dividends.

Holders of Series B Preferred Stock have the option to cause the Company to redeem all or any portion of their Series B Preferred Stock following the first anniversary of the initial issuance date for cash at the following redemption prices per share, plus any accrued and unpaid dividends:

The rights of holders of Series B Preferred Stock to receive their liquidation preference also will be subject to the proportionate rights of our Series A Fixed Rate Cumulative Preferred Stock and any other class or series of our capital stock ranking in parity with the Series B Preferred Stock as to liquidation.

As of March 29, 2020, there were 57,140 shares of Series B Preferred Stock outstanding.

The Company classified the Series B Preferred Stock as long-term debt because it contains an unconditional obligation requiring the Company to redeem the instruments at the maturity date or upon the election of the holders as described above in cash. The associated Series B Warrants have been recorded as additional paid-in capital. On the issuance date, the Company allocated the proceeds between the Series B Preferred Stock and the Series B Warrants based on the relative fair values of each.

As of March 29, 2020, the net Series B Preferred Stock balance was $1,090,000 including an unaccreted debt discount of $15,000 and unamortized debt offering costs of $324,000. The Company recognized interest expense on the Series B Preferred Stock of $48,000 for the fiscal quarter ended March 29, 2020, which includes accretion expense of the debt discount of $1,000 and amortization of debt offering costs of $19,000. The effective interest rate for the Series B Preferred Stock for 2020 was 17.7%.

Series A Fixed Rate Cumulative Preferred Stock

On June 8, 2018, the Company filed a Certificate of Designation of Rights and Preferences of Series A Fixed Rate Cumulative Preferred Stock (“Series A Preferred Stock”) with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware (the “Certificate of Designation”), designating a total of 100,000 shares of Series A Preferred Stock. The Certificate of Designation contains the following terms pertaining to the Series A Preferred Stock:

Dividends – Holders of Series A Preferred Stock will be entitled to receive cumulative dividends on the $100.00 per share stated liquidation preference of the Series A Preferred Stock, in the amount of (i) cash dividends at a rate of 9.9% per year, plus (ii) deferred dividends equal to 4.0% per year, payable on the Mandatory Redemption Date (defined below).

Voting Rights – As long as any shares of Series A Preferred Stock are outstanding and remain unredeemed, the Company may not, without the majority vote of the Series A Preferred Stock, (a) alter or change adversely the rights, preferences or voting power given to the Series A Preferred Stock, (b) enter into any merger, consolidation or share exchange that adversely affects the rights, preferences or voting power of the Series A Preferred Stock, (c) authorize or increase any other series or class of stock that has rights senior to the Series A Preferred Stock, or (d) waive or amend the dividend restrictions in Sections 3(d) or 3(e) of the Certificate of Designation. The Series A Preferred Stock will not have any other voting rights, except as may be provided under applicable law.

Liquidation and Redemption - Upon (i) the five-year anniversary of the initial issuance date (June 8, 2023), or (ii) the earlier liquidation, dissolution or winding-up of the Company (the “Series A Mandatory Redemption Date”), the holders of Series A Preferred Stock will be entitled to cash redemption of their shares in an amount equal to $100.00 per share plus any accrued and unpaid dividends.

In addition, prior to the Series A Mandatory Redemption Date, the Company may optionally redeem the Series A Preferred Stock, in whole or in part, at the following redemption prices per share, plus any accrued and unpaid dividends:

Holders of Series A Preferred Stock may also optionally cause the Company to redeem all or any portion of their shares of Series A Preferred Stock beginning any time after the two-year anniversary of the initial issuance date for an amount equal to $100.00 per share plus any accrued and unpaid dividends, which amount may be settled in cash or Common Stock of the Company, at the option of the holder. If a holder elects to receive Common Stock, the shares will be issued based on the 20-day volume weighted average price of the Common Stock immediately preceding the date of the holder’s redemption notice.

As of March 29, 2020, there were 100,000 shares of Series A Preferred stock outstanding, issued in the following two transactions:

The Company classifies the Series A Preferred Stock as long-term debt because it contains an obligation to issue a variable number of common shares for a fixed monetary amount. As of March 29, 2020, the net Series A Preferred Stock balance was $9,919,000 which is net of an unaccreted debt discount of $71,000 and unamortized debt offering costs of $10,000.

The Company recognized interest expense on the Series A Preferred Stock of $355,000 for the thirteen weeks ended March 29, 2020, which includes accretion expense of $6,000 and $1,000 for the amortization of debt offering costs, representing an effective interest rate of 14.3%. The Company recognized interest expense on the Series A Preferred Stock of $354,000 for the thirteen weeks ended March 31, 2019, which includes accretion expense of $5,000 as well as $1,000 for the amortization of debt offering costs, representing an effective interest rate of 14.2%%.

Series A-1 Fixed Rate Cumulative Preferred Stock

On July 3, 2018, the Company filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware a Certificate of Designation of Rights and Preferences of Series A-1 Fixed Rate Cumulative Preferred Stock (the “Series A-1 Certificate of Designation”), designating a total of 200,000 shares of Series A-1 Fixed Rate Cumulative Preferred Stock (the “Series A-1 Preferred Stock”). As of March 29, 2020, there were 45,000 shares of Series A-1 Preferred Stock issued and outstanding. The Series A-1 Certificate of Designation contains the following terms pertaining to the Series A-1 Preferred Stock:

Dividends. Holders of Series A-1 Preferred Stock will be entitled to receive cumulative dividends on the $100.00 per share stated liquidation preference of the Series A-1 Preferred Stock, in the amount of cash dividends at a rate of 6.0% per year.

Voting Rights. As long as any shares of Series A-1 Preferred Stock are outstanding and remain unredeemed, the Company may not, without the majority vote of the Series A-1 Preferred Stock, (a) materially and adversely alter or change the rights, preferences or voting power given to the Series A-1 Preferred Stock, (b) enter into any merger, consolidation or share exchange that materially and adversely affects the rights, preferences or voting power of the Series A-1 Preferred Stock, or (c) waive or amend the dividend restrictions in Sections 3(d) or 3(e) of the Certificate of Designation. The Series A-1 Preferred Stock will not have any other voting rights, except as may be provided under applicable law.

Liquidation and Redemption. Upon (i) the five-year anniversary of the initial issuance date (July 3, 2023), or (ii) the earlier liquidation, dissolution or winding-up of the Company (the “Series A-1 Mandatory Redemption Date”), the holders of Series A-1 Preferred Stock will be entitled to cash redemption of their shares in an amount equal to $100.00 per share plus any accrued and unpaid dividends. In addition, prior to the Mandatory Redemption Date, the Company may optionally redeem the Series A-1 Preferred Stock, in whole or in part, at par plus any accrued and unpaid dividends.

Holders of Series A-1 Preferred Stock may also optionally cause the Company to redeem all or any portion of their shares of Series A-1 Preferred Stock beginning any time after the two-year anniversary of the initial issuance date for an amount equal to $100.00 per share plus any accrued and unpaid dividends, which amount may be settled in cash or Common Stock of the Company, at the option of the holder. If a holder elects to receive Common Stock, shares will be issued as payment for redemption at the rate of $11.75 per share of Common Stock.

As of March 29, 2020, there were 45,000 shares of Series A-1 Preferred Stock outstanding.

The Company classifies the Series A-1 Preferred Stock as long-term debt because it contains an obligation to issue a variable number of common shares for a fixed monetary amount.

As of March 29, 2020, the net Series A-1 Preferred Stock balance was $4,415,000 which is net of an unaccreted debt discount of $62,000 and unamortized debt offering costs of $23,000.

The Company recognized interest expense on the Series A-1 Preferred Stock of $50,000 for the thirteen weeks ended March 29, 2020, which was net of an adjustment to the debt discount in the amount of $19,000 as well as $2,000 for the amortization of debt offering costs, representing an effective interest rate of 4.6%. The Company recognized interest expense on the Series A-1 Preferred Stock of $77,000 for the thirteen weeks ended March 31, 2019, which included recognized accretion expense of $8,000, as well as $2,000 for the amortization of debt offering costs, representing an effective interest rate of 6.9%.

The issuance of the Series A Preferred Stock and Series A-1 Preferred Stock was exempt from the registration requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) pursuant to the exemption for transactions by an issuer not involving any public offering under Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act and Rule 506 of Regulation D of the Securities Act and in reliance on similar exemptions under applicable state laws. Each of the investors in the Offering represented that it is an accredited investor within the meaning of Rule 501(a) of Regulation D and was acquiring the securities for investment only and not with a view towards, or for resale in connection with, the public sale or distribution thereof. The securities were offered without any general solicitation by the Company or its representatives.