Hamburger Hamlet Blames Loss on Southland Outlets

Hamburger Hamlet Restaurants Inc., the Sherman Oaks-based restaurant chain, reported a loss of $605,000 for its fiscal fourth quarter, because of weakness at its outlets in Southern California and one-time expenses for severance payments.

The loss for the quarter that ended Dec. 26 contrasted with a profit of $692,000 a year earlier. For the latest fiscal quarter, the company reported revenue of $16.9 million, up 2% from $16.5 million a year earlier.

For its fiscal year that ended Dec. 26, Hamburger Hamlet posted a profit of $458,000, down sharply from earnings of $2.9 million a year earlier. Revenue for the latest fiscal year totaled $68.6 million, an 8% increase from $63.5 million in the previous fiscal year. The company said it was emphasizing growth in Chicago and Washington, D. C., where its restaurants are doing much better. The company owns and operates 35 restaurants, most of them in Southern California.