UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
______________________
 
FORM 8-K
 
CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934
 
Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): May 31, 2016
 
 
THE CHEFS’ WAREHOUSE, INC.
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)
    
Delaware
001-35249
20-3031526
(State or Other Jurisdiction
of Incorporation)
(Commission
File Number)
(I.R.S. Employer
Identification No.)
     
100 East Ridge Road, Ridgefield, CT 06877
(Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code)
 
Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (203) 894-1345
 
Not Applicable
(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)
 
Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):
 
o   Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)
 
o   Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)
 
o   Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))
 
o   Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))
 
 


 
 
 
 
          
Item 7.01 Regulation FD Disclosure

The following information is intended to be furnished under Item 7.01 of Form 8-K, “Regulation FD Disclosure.” This information shall not be deemed “filed” for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), or incorporated by reference in any filing under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Exchange Act, whether made before or after the date of this report, regardless of any general incorporation language in the filing.
    
In a press release dated May 31, 2016 (the “Press Release”), The Chefs’ Warehouse, Inc. (the “Company”) announced that it is commencing a refinancing process. The full text of the Press Release is furnished herewith as Exhibit 99.1 to this report.
    
Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits

(d) Exhibits.  The following exhibit is being furnished herewith to this Current Report on Form 8-K

Exhibit No.
Description
99.1
Press Release of The Chefs’ Warehouse, Inc. dated May 31, 2016.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
    
SIGNATURES
 
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
 
 
THE CHEFS’ WAREHOUSE, INC.
 
     
       
 
By:
/s/ Alexandros Aldous
 
 
Name:  
Alexandros Aldous
 
 
Title:
General Counsel and Corporate Secretary
 
 
 
 
Date:   May 31, 2016
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
  
EXHIBIT INDEX

Exhibit No.
Description
99.1
Press Release of The Chefs’ Warehouse, Inc. dated May 31, 2016.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
The Chefs’ Warehouse, Inc. Commences Refinancing Process

Also Announces Proposed New Asset-Based Loan Facility

Ridgefield, CT, May 31, 2016– The Chefs’ Warehouse, Inc. (NASDAQ: CHEF), (“the Company”) a premier distributor of specialty food products in the United States, announced today that it commenced a refinancing process with the marketing of a new $280 million term loan facility and a $50 million delayed term loan facility, subject to market and other considerations.  If the proposed refinancing is successful, the proceeds of the term loan facility will be used to refinance the Company’s existing credit facility, retire its outstanding senior secured notes, pay related fees, costs and expenses and for general corporate purposes. The proceeds of the delayed draw term loan facility will be used for permitted acquisitions and general corporate purposes. Concurrent with the refinancing, the Company also expects to enter into a $75 million asset-based credit facility. There can be no assurance that the proposed refinancing will be effected as described above or at all.


Forward-Looking Statements
Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: Statements in this press release regarding the Company’s business that are not historical facts are “forward-looking statements” that involve risks and uncertainties and are based on current expectations and management estimates; actual results may differ materially. The risks and uncertainties which could impact these statements include, but are not limited to, the Company’s ability to successfully deploy its operational initiatives to achieve synergies from the acquisition of the Del Monte entities; the Company’s sensitivity to general economic conditions, including the current economic environment, changes in disposable income levels and consumer discretionary spending on food-away-from-home purchases; the Company’s vulnerability to economic and other developments in the geographic markets in which it operates; the risks of supply chain interruptions due to a lack of long-term contracts, severe weather or more prolonged climate change, work stoppages or otherwise; the risk of loss of customers due to the fact that the Company does not customarily have long-term contracts with its customers; the risks of loss of revenue or reductions in operating margins in the Company’s protein business as a result of competitive pressures within this segment of the Company’s business; changes in the availability or cost of the Company’s specialty food products; the ability to effectively price the Company’s specialty food products and reduce the Company’s expenses; the relatively low margins of the foodservice distribution industry and the Company’s and its customers’ sensitivity to inflationary and deflationary pressures; the Company’s ability to successfully identify, obtain financing for and complete acquisitions of other foodservice distributors and to integrate and realize expected synergies from those acquisitions; the Company’s ability to begin servicing customers from its new Chicago, San Francisco and Las Vegas distribution centers and the expenses associated therewith; increased fuel cost volatility and expectations regarding the use of fuel surcharges; fluctuations in the wholesale prices of beef, poultry and seafood, including increases in these prices as a result of increases in the cost of feeding and caring for livestock; the loss of key members of the Company’s management team and the Company’s ability to replace such personnel; and the strain on the Company’s infrastructure and resources caused by its growth. Any forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and, as such, speak only as of the date made. A more detailed description of these and other risk factors is contained in the Company’s most recent annual report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on March 4, 2016 and other reports filed by the Company with the SEC since that date.
   
 
 

 
   
The Company is not undertaking to update any information in the foregoing report until the effective date of its future reports required by applicable laws. Any projections of future results of operations are based on a number of assumptions, many of which are outside the Company’s control and should not be construed in any manner as a guarantee that such results will in fact occur. These projections are subject to change and could differ materially from final reported results. The Company may from time to time update these publicly announced projections, but it is not obligated to do so.

About The Chefs’ Warehouse
The Chefs’ Warehouse, Inc. (http://www.chefswarehouse.com) is a premier distributor of specialty food products in the United States and Canada focused on serving the specific needs of chefs who own and/or operate some of the nation’s leading menu-driven independent restaurants, fine dining establishments, country clubs, hotels, caterers, culinary schools, bakeries, patisseries, chocolatiers, cruise lines, casinos and specialty food stores. The Chefs’ Warehouse, Inc. carries and distributes more than 34,000 products to more than 26,000 customer locations throughout the United States and Canada.

Contact:
Investor Relations
John Austin, (718) 684-8415