Definitive Additional Materials
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
SCHEDULE 14A
Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934 (Amendment No. )
Filed by the Registrant þ
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Preliminary Proxy Statement |
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Confidential, for Use of the Commission Only (as permitted by Rule 14a-6(e)(2)) |
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Definitive Proxy Statement |
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Definitive Additional Materials |
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Soliciting Material Pursuant to §240.14a-12 |
Kona Grill, Inc.
(Name of Registrant as Specified In Its Charter)
(Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if other than the Registrant)
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On April 21, 2010, Kona Grill, Inc. distributed the following letter to its stockholders.
April 14, 2010
To All of Our Stockholders:
Recently, your Board of Directors (Board) sent you the Companys Proxy Statement and
WHITE proxy card relating to the 2010 Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be held on April
28th. The 2010 Annual Meeting is vitally important because you are being asked to choose from
among six director candidates to elect three Company directors.
ONLY YOU can decide who are the three most qualified persons to serve your interests on the
Companys Board and shape Kona Grills strategic direction, work with your new management team to
enhance the long-term value of your investment, improve the Companys brand, and lead Kona Grill
for the foreseeable future. No matter how many shares of common stock you own, it is very
important that you make certain they are represented at this years Annual Meeting.
The past 24 months have been extremely challenging for Kona Grill. The global economic
downturn sharply reduced consumer spending in multiple industries and consumer traffic in the
upscale, casual dining segment of the restaurant sector where your Company operates was
severely affected by the recession. Moreover, due to the frozen credit environment, the Companys
senior equipment lender declined to finalize a $10 million capital lease facility that was expected
to be funded in November 2008. For reasons unrelated to Kona Grills financial condition and
prospects, no other source of external financing was available to Kona Grill on commercially
attractive terms. The depth of the global recession, coupled with the frozen credit environment,
required the Company to act quickly to obtain alternate financing sources to supplement Kona
Grills operating cash flows. Fortunately, we successfully raised $3.2 million of net proceeds
from our common stock rights offering in which the holders of 82% of our common stock participated.
Your Board, has responded proactively by appointing a new management team with extensive
restaurant experience and by implementing other measures to accelerate Kona Grills return to
profitability.
WHAT WE DID IN 2009:
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We significantly reduced costs relating to salary and benefits, travel and consulting
services resulting in aggregate annual savings of $1.5 million, which went right to the
bottom line. |
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We preserved variable margins by proactively managing food and beverage costs throughout
last years difficult economic period. |
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In May 2009, the Board began a national search to recruit a management team with extensive
restaurant experience. |
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In June 2009, we terminated our stockholder rights plan because at the May 2009 Annual
Meeting a majority of you declined to vote for its continuation. |
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In November 2009, we hired Marc A. Buehler to serve as your new President and Chief
Executive Officer. Mr. Buehler brings a highly successful 15-year career in the restaurant
industry and the Board is excited that Mr. Buehler is now leading Kona Grill into the future. |
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To bolster the management team under Mr. Buehler, in December 2009 we added Rachel
Phillips-Luther, with over 10 years of multi-restaurant marketing experience, as your new VP
of Marketing and Brand Innovation, and in February 2010, we added Larry Ryback, with over 20
years of high-volume, upscale restaurant operating experience, as your new Sr. VP of
Operations. |
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During 2009, in the midst of a severe global recession, we were still able to execute our
growth strategy by opening four new restaurants in Richmond, VA; Woodbridge, NJ; Eden
Prairie, MN; and Tampa, FL. We plan to open an additional restaurant in Baltimore, MD during
2010.
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WHAT WE ARE DOING IN 2010:
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To grow sales and improve profitability, we are reengineering our menu and introducing
new food and drink offerings. |
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We are initiating new branding and marketing programs to increase existing customer
traffic and introduce our brand to new consumers. |
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We intend to remodel two older restaurants in Kansas City and Denver commencing in the
third quarter of this year. |
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We are implementing improved training initiatives, new guest feedback systems and
increased focus on taking care of every guest, every day in every restaurant. |
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We realigned incentive compensation plans for management employees at all levels of your
Company to reward value creating performance. |
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We successfully negotiated several lease abatements, resulting in cost savings over the
past 12 months in excess of $600,000 and we are commencing discussions with the landlords
at all of our restaurant venues to seek additional rent concessions. |
While there remains much work to be done, your Board and your new management team believe that
Kona Grill is headed in the right direction and has a bright future. Your new management team
benefits from a strong working relationship with the existing board. We believe in being proactive
and our recent results prove it. As we reported publicly, this past month, March 2010, Company
same-store sales turned positive for the first time since February 2008!!!
As you know, Mill Road Capital, L.P. (Mill Road), one of the Companys largest stockholders,
recently launched an opposition campaign a proxy fight to unseat all three
incumbent-director candidates nominated by your Board for election at this years Annual Meeting.
Mill Road is seeking to replace them with its three hand-picked opposition nominees. This proxy
fight already has been and will continue to be costly and disruptive to your Company and your new
management team at a time when all of your Companys, Boards and managements time and attention,
and Kona Grills financial resources, should be dedicated exclusively to proactively driving
increased restaurant sales and Company profitability.
SEND MILL ROAD A MESSAGE THAT NOW IS NOT THE TIME TO SEEK TO CREATE A HOUSE DIVIDED.
PLEASE DISCARD ANY OPPOSITION GOLD PROXY CARD YOU MAY RECEIVE FROM OR ON BEHALF OF MILL
ROAD.
PLEASE SUPPORT ALL THREE OF YOUR BOARDS NOMINEES BY COMPLETING AND RETURNING TODAY THE
WHITE COMPANY PROXY CARD AND BY VOTING FOR EACH OF ANTHONY L. WINCZEWSKI, MARK A.
ZESBAUGH AND DOUGLAS G. HIPSKIND.
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YOUR VOTE IS VERY IMPORTANT WE STRONGLY ENCOURAGE YOU TO VOTE
TODAY USING THE COMPANYS
WHITE COMPANY PROXY CARD
To vote FOR your Boards nominees, please properly complete the enclosed WHITE
company proxy card and return it in the pre-addressed, postage-paid envelope. Your board strongly
urges you to discard and not to return any gold proxy card Mill Road may send to you or which you
otherwise may receive. Even if you have previously returned the gold proxy card supplied by Mill
Road, you can still vote FOR your Boards nominees by voting the enclosed WHITE company
proxy card today.
You should know that on March 25, 2010, the Company received a letter from Mr. Marcus Jundt
whereby he notified the Company that he was withdrawing his self-nomination to be elected to your
Board.
If you have any questions, require assistance in voting your WHITE company proxy card,
or need additional copies of the Companys proxy materials, please contact our proxy solicitation
firm, The Altman Group, Inc., toll free at (877) 864-5055 or collect at (201) 806-7300 or via
e-mail at ProxyInfo@altmangroup.com.
On behalf of your Board of Directors and management team, thank you for your attention and
continued support. We look forward to seeing you at our 2010 Annual Meeting of Stockholders.
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YOUR VOTE IS IMPORTANT, NO MATTER HOW MANY OR HOW FEW SHARES YOU OWN.
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If your shares are registered in your own name, please sign, date and mail the enclosed
WHITE Proxy Card and return it in the postage paid envelope provided today. |
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If your shares are held in the name of a brokerage firm, bank, nominee or other
institution, only it can vote your shares and only after receiving your specific
instructions. Accordingly, please sign, date and mail the enclosed WHITE Proxy Card in the
postage-paid envelope provided. |
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After signing the enclosed WHITE Proxy Card do not sign or return the gold proxy card. |
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Please do not send back any gold proxy card you receive from Mill Road even to vote
against their nominees, as doing so will likely override any prior vote you cast on the
WHITE proxy card |
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Remember only your latest dated proxy will determine how your shares are to be voted
at the meeting. If you voted a gold proxy card and want to change your vote, you can do so
now by sending in the enclosed WHITE proxy card. |
If you have any questions or need further assistance in voting your shares, please contact our
proxy solicitor:
The Altman Group, Inc.
Toll-free at (877) 864-5055
or
collect at (201) 806-7300.
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