GEN Restaurant Group (NASDAQ:GENK) Announces Quarterly Earnings Results, Misses Estimates By $0.07 EPS

GEN Restaurant Group (NASDAQ:GENK) released its earnings results on Thursday. The company reported ($0.14) EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.07) by ($0.07), FiscalAI reports. GEN Restaurant Group had a negative return on equity of 1.24% and a negative net margin of 1.42%.The company had revenue of $53.90 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $57.00 million.

Here are the key takeaways from GEN Restaurant Group’s conference call:

• GEN reported a same-store sales decline of 8.8% in Q1 2026, although that was an improvement from the 11.7% decline in Q4 2025. Management said customer traffic remains pressured by macro factors, especially higher fuel prices in California.
• Restaurant profitability weakened as rising food and occupancy costs, plus lower sales, drove restaurant-level adjusted EBITDA down to $4 million, or 7.4% of revenue, versus $9 million and 15.6% a year ago. Total adjusted EBITDA was negative $3.2 million.
• The company is slowing restaurant expansion to 5-7 openings in 2026 and has suspended construction on six additional stores, which management framed as disciplined capital allocation to protect the balance sheet and reduce near-term expenses.
• GEN is pushing its CPG and grocery-store expansion, including tests and launches with Costco, BevMo!, and an Albertsons regional rollout, and said it expects to disclose a financial forecast for the division by the end of Q2. Management reiterated confidence in a long-term revenue run rate above $100 million for the retail business.
• The company ended the quarter with $4.4 million in cash and $15.5 million available on its revolving credit facility. It also expects Q2 to benefit somewhat from pricing actions, while still targeting full-year 2026 revenue of $215 million-$225 million and restaurant-level adjusted EBITDA margins of 15%-15.5% in the second half.

GEN Restaurant Group Stock Performance

Shares of GEN Restaurant Group stock traded down $0.12 on Thursday, hitting $2.14. The stock had a trading volume of 35,683 shares, compared to its average volume of 42,149. GEN Restaurant Group has a 52-week low of $1.43 and a 52-week high of $4.99. The company has a current ratio of 0.42, a quick ratio of 0.40 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41. The stock has a market cap of $70.45 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -3.69 and a beta of 0.79. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $1.77 and its 200 day moving average price is $2.13.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have recently issued reports on GENK. Benchmark cut GEN Restaurant Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 2nd. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (d)” rating on shares of GEN Restaurant Group in a research report on Tuesday, April 21st. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, GEN Restaurant Group currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $4.50.

Institutional Trading of GEN Restaurant Group

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of GEN Restaurant Group by 36.7% in the 4th quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 75,478 shares of the company’s stock valued at $159,000 after purchasing an additional 20,265 shares during the last quarter. XTX Topco Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of GEN Restaurant Group in the 2nd quarter valued at about $49,000. Finally, Jones Financial Companies Lllp lifted its holdings in shares of GEN Restaurant Group by 1,376,466.7% in the 1st quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 41,297 shares of the company’s stock valued at $228,000 after purchasing an additional 41,294 shares during the last quarter. 10.22% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About GEN Restaurant Group

GEN Restaurant Group, Inc, operating as Gen Korean BBQ House, is a restaurant operator specializing in an all-you-can-eat Korean barbecue dining concept. The company offers patrons a hands-on grilling experience with a selection of premium meats, seafood, and vegetables cooked tableside, alongside traditional Korean side dishes and beverages. Gen Korean BBQ House locations feature modern décor and a fast-casual service style designed to appeal to a broad demographic of consumers seeking experiential dining.

The company’s restaurants serve a core menu of marinated and non-marinated proteins, including beef, pork, chicken and plant-based alternatives, complemented by signature banchan (side dishes), sauces and dessert offerings.