11. Goodwill
The following summarizes changes in the Company’s goodwill, by reportable segment (in thousands):
Domestic Company-
owned Restaurants
International
All OtherTotal
Balance at December 25, 2022$55,507 $14,673 $436 $70,616 
Acquisitions (a)
1,102 4,274 — 5,376 
Divestitures (b)
— — (436)(436)
Foreign currency adjustments— 650 — 650 
Balance at December 31, 2023$56,609 $19,597 $— $76,206 
Divestitures (b)
— (453)— (453)
Acquisition accounting adjustments (c)
— (95)— (95)
Foreign currency adjustments— (198)— (198)
Balance at December 29, 2024$56,609 $18,851 $— $75,460 
______________________________
(a)Goodwill recognized during the year ended December 31, 2023 includes $4.3 million from the UK franchisee acquisitions as well as $1.1 million related to the Domestic restaurant acquisitions. See “Note 24. Acquisitions” for further information.
(b)During the year ended December 29, 2024, the Company disposed of $0.5 million of goodwill in connection with the refranchising of 60 formerly Company-owned restaurants in the United Kingdom. During the year ended December 31, 2023, the Company disposed of $0.4 million of goodwill in connection with the sale of our Preferred Marketing Solutions business. See “Note 16. Restructuring” and “Note 22. Divestitures” for further information.
(c)Acquisition accounting adjustments were recorded during the year ended December 29, 2024 to increase property and equipment to fair value as a result of the finalization of our valuation of acquired property and equipment from the UK franchisee acquisitions. See “Note 24. Acquisitions” for further information.

Historical Timeline

Fiscal YearFiled
2024Feb 27, 2025Showing above
2023Feb 29, 2024
2022Feb 23, 2023
2021Feb 24, 2022
2020Feb 25, 2021
2019Feb 26, 2020
2018Mar 8, 2019
2017Feb 27, 2018
2016Feb 21, 2017
2015Feb 23, 2016

About Goodwill & Intangibles Disclosures

Goodwill and intangible asset disclosures reveal the premium paid in acquisitions and how management assesses whether that premium retains its value. Since goodwill is no longer amortized under US GAAP, the annual impairment test is the only mechanism that adjusts carrying values downward — making the assumptions behind that test critically important for investors.

Key signals: a history of goodwill impairments suggests management consistently overpays for acquisitions. Watch the gap between reporting unit fair value and carrying amount — when fair value exceeds carrying amount by less than 10-20%, a small decline in business performance could trigger a write-down. For finite-lived intangibles, examine useful life assumptions across customer relationships, technology, and trade names; aggressive estimates inflate near-term earnings. Compare total intangibles-to-total-assets ratios against peers to assess acquisition dependency. Rising goodwill as a percentage of equity can signal balance sheet fragility.