Item 1.01. Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement
On September 28, 2022, Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc. (the "Company")
entered into a Nomination and Cooperation Agreement (the "Agreement") with
Biglari Capital Corp. and certain of its affiliates, including Biglari Holdings
Inc. (collectively, "Biglari").
Pursuant to the Agreement, the Company has agreed to expand the size of the
Board of Directors of the Company (the "Board") from ten to eleven members, and
to appoint Biglari nominee Jody L. Bilney to fill the vacancy created by such
increase in the size of the Board. Additionally, the Board has agreed to include
Ms. Bilney as a Board-nominated and recommended candidate for election as a
director at each of the 2022 annual meeting (the "Annual Meeting") and the 2023
annual meeting of the Company's shareholders. The Board has agreed to consider
Ms. Bilney for membership on the committees of the Board on the same basis as
other non-management directors.
Subject to certain exceptions set forth in the Agreement, the Agreement
terminates on the date that is thirty business days prior to the deadline for
director nominations under the Company's bylaws for the 2024 annual meeting of
the Company's shareholders.
Biglari has agreed to various customary standstill provisions during the term of
the Agreement (with certain standstill obligations expiring February 29, 2024).
In addition, Biglari has agreed to cause all of its shares of the Company's
common stock to be present for quorum purposes and to be voted at the Company's
annual and special meetings of shareholders in favor of all directors nominated
by the Board and against any directors not nominated and recommended for
election by the Board.
The Agreement also contains customary and mutual covenants concerning
non-disparagement.
In connection with the Agreement, the Company will reimburse Biglari for its
documented costs and expenses in connection with the negotiation of the
Agreement and Biglari's 2022 nomination of candidates to the Board in an amount
not to exceed $500,000 in the aggregate.
The foregoing description of the Agreement is qualified in its entirety by
reference to the full text of the Agreement, which is attached hereto as
Exhibit 10.1 and incorporated herein by reference.
Item 5.02. Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors;
Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain
Officers.
The disclosure set forth in Item 1.01 above is incorporated by reference into
this Item 5.02.
Effective simultaneously with the Company's entry into the Agreement, the Board
increased the size of the Board from ten to eleven members and appointed
Ms. Bilney, age 60, to fill the vacancy created by such increase in the size of
the Board and serve as a director until the Annual Meeting. Ms. Bilney has not
yet been appointed to any committees of the Board.
Ms. Bilney will receive compensation as an outside director generally in
accordance with the Company's outside director compensation practices described
in the Company's proxy statement filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange
Commission on October 7, 2021. The initial annual retainer and equity grant to
be received by Ms. Bilney will be prorated for her period of service during the
year in which she was first appointed to the Board.
Ms. Bilney has no family relationships with any of the Company's directors or
executive officers. Ms. Bilney has not been a party to any transactions that
would be required to be reported under Item 404(a) of Regulation S-K in this
Current Report on Form 8-K. Ms. Bilney is a party to a letter agreement with
Biglari pursuant to which Biglari paid Ms. Bilney $20,000 upon her nomination
for election as a director of the Company.
The Board has determined that Ms. Bilney is independent under the applicable
rules of the Nasdaq Stock Market and the Company's Corporate Governance
Guidelines.
On September 28, 2022, the Company issued a press release that is attached to
this Current Report on Form 8-K as Exhibit 99.1 and is incorporated herein by
reference, announcing Ms. Bilney's appointment to the Board.
Item 9.01. Financial Statements and Exhibits.
(d) Exhibits.
Exhibit No. Description
10.1 Nomination and Cooperation Agreement, dated September 28, 2022,
by and among Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc. and the
persons and entities listed on Schedule A thereto.
99.1 Press Release issued by Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc.
dated September 28, 2022.
104 Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL
document).
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