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Karat Packaging Inc.

For the period ended Mar 31, 2026. Filed May 8, 2026.

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About this filing

A company's report for each of its first three quarters. The financial statements are not audited. It shows how the business has moved since the last annual report, and what management says changed.

Mar 31, 2026 · Filed May 8, 2026

KRT$37.79+3.5%Stored close · as of Nov 10, 2026

Extracted filing text, with the paragraph anchors used by the comparison.

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Item 1. Financial Statements

March 31, 2026December 31, 2025
Assets
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents (including $1,557 and $1,488 associated with variable interest entity at March 31, 2026 and December 31, 2025, respectively)$28,680$37,880
Short-term investments5,744—
Accounts receivable, net of allowance for bad debt of $877 and $581 at March 31, 2026 and December 31, 2025, respectively42,27036,402
Inventories80,00981,682
Prepaid expenses and other current assets (including $318 and $314 associated with variable interest entity at March 31, 2026 and December 31, 2025, respectively)4,3335,224
Total current assets161,036161,188
Property and equipment, net (including $41,455 and $41,758 associated with variable interest entity at March 31, 2026 and December 31, 2025, respectively)78,81981,159
Deposits3—
Goodwill3,5103,510
Intangible assets, net267273
Operating right-of-use assets37,58640,299
Deferred tax asset255255
Other non-current assets (including $86 and $68 associated with variable interest entity at March 31, 2026 and December 31, 2025, respectively)1,2061,002
Total assets$282,682$287,686
March 31, 2026December 31, 2025
Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity
Current liabilities
Accounts payable (including $97 associated with variable interest entity as of both March 31, 2026 and December 31, 2025, respectively)$24,282$26,323
Accrued expenses (including $189 and $535 associated with variable interest entity at March 31, 2026 and December 31, 2025, respectively)13,02713,460
Related party payable5,4624,672
Income taxes payable1,267—
Deferred revenue1,165713
Long-term debt, current portion (including $12,714 and $12,941 associated with variable interest entity at March 31, 2026 and December 31, 2025, respectively)12,71412,941
Operating lease liabilities, current portion12,32311,982
Other current liabilities (including $51 and $49 associated with variable interest entity at March 31, 2026 and December 31, 2025, respectively)111129
Total current liabilities70,35170,220
Deferred tax liability2,9362,936
Long-term debt, net of current portion and debt discount of $63 and $78 at March 31, 2026 and December 31, 2025, respectively (including $22,688 and $22,862 associated with variable interest entity at March 31, 2026 and December 31, 2025, respectively, and debt discount of $63 and $78 associated with variable interest entity at March 31, 2026 and December 31, 2025, respectively)22,68822,862
Operating lease liabilities, net of current portion28,82732,074
Other non-current liabilities (including $1,216 and $1,224 associated with variable interest entity at March 31, 2026 and December 31, 2025 respectively)2,7072,724
Total liabilities127,509130,816
Commitments and Contingencies (Note 14)
Karat Packaging Inc. stockholders’ equity
Preferred stock, $0.001 par value, 10,000,000 shares authorized, no shares issued and outstanding, as of both March 31, 2026 and December 31, 2025——
Common stock, $0.001 par value, 100,000,000 shares authorized, 20,124,105 and 19,963,731 shares issued and outstanding, respectively, as of March 31, 2026 and 20,122,505 and 19,962,131 shares issued and outstanding, respectively, as of December 31, 20252020
Additional paid in capital91,21190,939
Treasury stock, $0.001 par value, 160,374 shares as of both March 31, 2026 and December 31, 2025(3,246)(3,246)
Retained earnings59,46261,704
Total Karat Packaging Inc. stockholders’ equity147,447149,417
Noncontrolling interest7,7267,453
Total stockholders’ equity155,173156,870
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity$282,682$287,686

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME (UNAUDITED)

Three Months Ended March 31,
20262025
Net sales$116,947$103,624
Cost of goods sold75,42162,862
Gross profit41,52640,762
Operating expenses
Selling expenses12,93614,411
General and administrative expenses (including $641 and $677 associated with variable interest entity for the three months ended March 31, 2026 and 2025, respectively)20,12618,548
Gain, net, on disposal of property—(17)
Total operating expenses33,06232,942
Operating income8,4647,820
Other income (expenses)
Rental income (including $357 and $446 associated with variable interest entity for the three months ended March 31, 2026 and 2025, respectively)698776
Other income, net (including $76 and $0 associated with variable interest entity for the three months ended March 31, 2026 and 2025, respectively)9144
Gain on foreign currency transactions252239
Interest income (including $3 and $226 associated with variable interest entity for the three months ended March 31, 2026 and 2025, respectively)286566
Interest expense (including ($380) and ($500) associated with variable interest entity for the three months ended March 31, 2026 and 2025, respectively)(409)(509)
Total other income, net9181,116
Income before provision for income taxes9,3828,936
Provision for income taxes2,2412,121
Net income7,1416,815
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest400406
Net income attributable to Karat Packaging Inc.$6,741$6,409
Basic and diluted earnings per share:
Basic$0.34$0.32
Diluted$0.34$0.32
Weighted average common shares outstanding, basic19,963,22420,036,505
Weighted average common shares outstanding, diluted20,073,47920,198,654

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY (UNAUDITED)

Common Stock · Treasury Stock · Additional Paid-in Capital · Retained Earnings · Total Stockholders’ Equity Attributable to Karat Packaging Inc. · Noncontrolling Interest · Total Stockholders’ Equity
Shares · Amount · Shares · Amount
Balance, January 1, 202520,059,505$20(23,000)$(248)$89,457$66,340$155,569$6,630$162,199
Cash dividends declared ($0.45 per share)—————(9,017)(9,017)—(9,017)
Stock-based compensation————346—346—346
Global Wells membership interest tax withholding———————(132)(132)
Net income—————6,4096,4094066,815
Balance, March 31, 202520,059,505$20(23,000)$(248)$89,803$63,732$153,307$6,904$160,211
Common Stock · Treasury Stock · Additional Paid-in Capital · Retained Earnings · Total Stockholders’ Equity Attributable to Karat Packaging Inc. · Noncontrolling Interest · Total Stockholders’ Equity
Shares · Amount · Shares · Amount
Balance, January 1, 202620,122,505$20(160,374)$(3,246)$90,939$61,704$149,417$7,453$156,870
Cash dividends declared ($0.45 per share)—————(8,983)(8,983)—(8,983)
Stock-based compensation————242—242—242
Exercise of stock options1,600———30—30—30
Global Wells membership interest tax withholding———————(127)(127)
Net income—————6,7416,7414007,141
Balance, March 31, 202620,124,105$20(160,374)$(3,246)$91,211$59,462$147,447$7,726$155,173

KARAT PACKAGING, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (UNAUDITED)

(In thousands)

Three Months Ended March 31,
20262025
Cash flows from operating activities
Net income$7,141$6,815
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization (including $303 associated with variable interest entity for both the three months ended March 31, 2026 and 2025)2,7412,688
Adjustments to allowance for bad debt340222
Adjustments to inventory reserve4990
Write-off (recovery) of inventory374(83)
Gain on disposal of property and equipment—(17)
Amortization of loan fees (including $15 associated with variable interest entity for both the three months ended March 31, 2026 and 2025)4523
Accrued interest on certificates of deposit—(48)
Unrealized loss from investment in publicly-traded equity securities4346
Stock-based compensation242346
Amortization of operating right-of-use assets2,7132,253
Government grant income (including ($8) associated with variable interest entity for both the three months ended March 31, 2026 and 2025)(17)(18)
(Increase) decrease in operating assets
Accounts receivable (including $4 and $0 associated with variable interest entity for the three months ended March 31, 2026 and 2025, respectively)(6,208)(5,887)
Inventories1,250(9,191)
Prepaid expenses and other current assets (including ($4) and ($112) associated with variable interest entity for the three months ended March 31, 2026 and 2025, respectively)872257
Other non-current assets (including $18 and ($25) associated with variable interest entity for the three months ended March 31, 2026 and 2025, respectively)(5)(24)
Increase (decrease) in operating liabilities
Accounts payable (including $0 and $3 associated with variable interest entity for the three months ended March 31, 2026 and 2025, respectively)(1,541)6,734
Accrued expenses (including ($346) and ($303) associated with variable interest entity for the three months ended March 31, 2026 and 2025, respectively)(433)1,313
Related party payable7901,927
Income taxes payable (including $0 and $3 associated with variable interest entity for the three months ended March 31, 2026 and 2025, respectively)1,2672,124
Deferred revenue452395
Operating lease liabilities(2,906)(2,337)
Other liabilities (including $5 and $59 associated with variable interest entity for the three months ended March 31, 2026 and 2025, respectively)(18)98
Net cash provided by operating activities7,1917,726
Three Months Ended March 31,
20262025
Cash flows from investing activities
Purchases of property and equipment(565)(107)
Proceeds from disposal of property and equipment—59
Deposits paid for property and equipment(333)(989)
Purchases of publicly-traded equity securities(242)(212)
Proceeds from disposal of publicly-traded equity securities—191
Purchases of short-term investments (including $0 and ($87) associated with variable interest entity for the three months ended March 31, 2026 and 2025, respectively)(5,744)(8,148)
Redemption of short-term investments (including $0 and $7,678 associated with variable interest entity for the three months ended March 31, 2026 and 2025, respectively)—12,739
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities(6,884)3,533
Cash flows from financing activities
Payment of long-term debt (including ($416) and ($295) associated with variable interest entity for the three months ended March 31, 2026 and 2025, respectively)(416)(295)
Payments for lender fees(11)(47)
Proceeds from exercise of common stock options30—
Dividends paid to shareholders(8,983)(9,017)
Payment of Global Wells membership interest tax withholding (including ($127) and ($132) associated with variable interest entity for the three months ended March 31, 2026 and 2025, respectively)(127)(132)
Payment of Global Wells noncontrolling membership interest redemption gain tax withholding (including $0 and ($879) associated with variable interest entity for the three months ended March 31, 2026 and 2025, respectively)—(879)
Net cash used in financing activities(9,507)(10,370)
Net (decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents(9,200)889
Cash and cash equivalents
Beginning of period37,88031,584
End of period$28,680$32,473
Supplemental disclosures of non-cash investing and financing activities:
Transfers from deposits to property and equipment$330$853
Non-cash purchases of property and equipment$—$37
Supplemental disclosures of cash flow information:
Cash paid for interest$383$477
  1. Nature of Operations

Lollicup USA Inc. ("Lollicup") was incorporated in 2001 in California and in October 2025, redomesticated to the State of Texas. Karat Packaging Inc. ("Karat Packaging") was incorporated in 2018 in Delaware and became the holding company for Lollicup (collectively, the "Company") through a share exchange with the shareholders of Lollicup. The Company's shares are listed on the NASDAQ Global Market under the symbol "KRT".

The Company is a manufacturer and distributor of single-use disposable products used in a variety of restaurant and foodservice settings. The Company supplies a wide range of products such as food and take-out containers, bags, boxes, tableware, cups, lids, cutlery, and straws. The products are available in plastic, paper, biopolymer-based, and other compostable forms. In addition to manufacturing and distribution, the Company offers customized solutions to customers, including new product design and development, custom printing, distribution of specialty food and beverages products, such as syrups, boba, and coffee drinks, as well as logistics services.

The Company supplies products to national and regional distributors, restaurant chains, supermarkets, as well as to small businesses including convenience stores, mom-and-pop restaurants, coffee houses, bubble tea cafes, pizza parlors, and frozen yogurt shops.

The Company currently operates manufacturing facilities and distribution centers in Chino, California, Rockwall, Texas, and Kapolei, Hawaii. In addition, the Company operates eight other distribution centers located in Chino, California; Puyallup, Washington; Summerville, South Carolina; Branchburg, New Jersey; Kapolei, Hawaii; Aurora, Illinois; Mesa, Arizona; and Sugar Land, Texas.

  1. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Basis of Presentation: The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles as promulgated in the United States of America ("US GAAP") for interim financial information and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 8-03 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, these condensed consolidated financial statements do not include all the information and footnotes required by US GAAP for complete financial statements. The financial information as of March 31, 2026 and for the three months ended March 31, 2026 and 2025 is unaudited; however, in the opinion of management, all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring accruals) considered necessary for a fair statement have been included. Operating results for the three months ended March 31, 2026 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for any other interim period or for the year ending December 31, 2026.

The condensed consolidated balance sheet at December 31, 2025 has been derived from the audited consolidated financial statements at that date but does not include all of the information and footnotes required by US GAAP for complete financial statements. These financial statements should be read in conjunction with the Company’s audited consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2025, as included in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 13, 2026.

Principles of Consolidation: The condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Karat Packaging and its wholly-owned and controlled operating subsidiaries: Lollicup, Lollicup Franchising, LLC, and Global Wells Investment Group ("Global Wells"), a variable interest entity wherein the Company is the primary beneficiary. All intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated.

Estimates and Assumptions: Management uses estimates and assumptions in preparing financial statements in accordance with US GAAP. Those estimates and assumptions affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities, and the reported revenues and expenses. Actual results could differ materially from the estimates that were assumed in preparing the condensed consolidated financial statements.

Share Repurchases: The Company’s Board of Directors has approved a Share Repurchase Program authorizing the Company to repurchase up to $15,000,000 of its common stock. Under the Share Repurchase Program, the Company may repurchase shares through open market transactions, through privately negotiated transactions, or pursuant to a trading plan separately adopted in the future, subject to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. The Company records the shares repurchased as treasury stock based on the amount paid to repurchase its shares. Direct costs incurred to acquire treasury stock are treated like stock issue costs and added to the cost of the treasury stock.

Reporting Segments: The Company manages and evaluates its operations inone reportable segment. This segment consists of manufacturing and distribution of a broad portfolio of single-use products that are used to serve food and beverages and are available in plastic, paper, biopolymer-based, and other compostable forms. It also consists of the distribution of certain specialty food and beverage products, such as syrup, boba, and coffee drinks, as well as restaurant and warehouse supplies.

Variable Interest Entities: The Company has a variable interest in Global Wells located in Rockwall, Texas. In 2017, Lollicup along with three other unrelated parties formed Global Wells, of which Lollicup received a 13.5% ownership interest and a 25% voting interest. On February 29, 2024, Global Wells and one of its members (the "Selling Member") entered into a membership interest redemption agreement, under which the Selling Member sold and Global Wells purchased and redeemed all of the Selling Member's 10.8% ownership interest in Global Wells for a total cash consideration of $3,208,000, subject to tax withholding. Subsequent to the redemption, the ownership interests and voting power of the remaining members of Global Wells were adjusted proportionally, with Lollicup's ownership interest increasing to 15.1% and voting interest increasing to 33.3%. During the year ended December 31, 2024, a total cash payment of $2,325,000, net of tax withholding, was made to the Selling Member in full consideration of the redemption.

The purpose of Global Wells is to own, construct, and manage warehouses and manufacturing facilities. Global Wells’ operating agreement may require its members to make additional contributions upon the unanimous decision of the members or when the cash in Global Wells’ bank account falls below $50,000. In the event that a member is unable to make an additional capital contribution, the other members will be required to make contributions to offset the amount that the member cannot contribute, up to $25,000.

Global Wells was determined to be a variable interest entity in accordance with ASC Topic 810, Consolidations, however, at the time the investment was made, it was determined that Lollicup was not the primary beneficiary. In 2018, Lollicup entered into an operating lease with Global Wells (the “Texas Lease”). In 2020, the Company entered into another operating lease with Global Wells (the “New Jersey Lease”). On June 26, 2025, the Company renewed the New Jersey Lease with Global Wells, extending the lease term for an additional five years to August 31, 2030.

Upon entering into the Texas Lease with Lollicup on March 23, 2018, it was determined that Lollicup holds current and potential rights that give it the power to direct activities of Global Wells that most significantly impact Global Wells’ economic performance, the ability to receive significant benefits, and the obligation to absorb potentially significant losses, resulting in Lollicup having a controlling financial interest in Global Wells. As a result, Lollicup was deemed to be the primary beneficiary of Global Wells and has consolidated Global Wells under the risk and reward model of ASC 810, for the period from March 23, 2018. The monthly lease payments for both the Texas Lease and the New Jersey Lease are eliminated upon consolidation.

Assets recognized as a result of consolidating Global Wells do not represent additional assets that could be used to satisfy claims against the Company’s general assets. Conversely, liabilities recognized as a result of consolidating Global Wells do not represent additional claims of the Company’s general assets; rather they represent claims against the specific assets of Global Wells. See Note 8 —Long-Term Debt for a description of the two term loans that Global Wells had with financial institutions as of March 31, 2026.

Noncontrolling Interests: The Company consolidates its variable interest entity, Global Wells, in which the Company is the primary beneficiary. Noncontrolling interests represent third-party equity ownership interests in Global Wells. The Company recognizes noncontrolling interests as equity in the condensed consolidated financial statements separate from the Company’s stockholders’ equity. The amount of net income attributable to noncontrolling interests is disclosed in the condensed consolidated statements of income. Tax payments made by the Company on behalf of the noncontrolling interests are deducted from their equity balances, as shown in the condensed consolidated statements of stockholders’ equity.

Revenue Recognition: The Company generates revenues from product sales to customers that include national and regional chains, distributors, small local restaurants, and those that purchase for individual consumption primarily through our online stores. The Company considers revenue disaggregated by customer type to most accurately reflect the nature and uncertainty of its revenue and cash flows that are affected by economic factors. For the three months ended March 31, 2026 and 2025, net sales disaggregated by customer type consist of the amounts shown below.

Three Months Ended March 31,
20262025
(in thousands)
Chains and distributors *$92,879$80,670
Online19,52517,791
Retail *4,5435,163
$116,947$103,624
  • The Company reclassified one customer from the retail to the chains and distributors channel, and recast the corresponding net sales amounts of $1,071,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2025 to conform to the current period presentation. The recast had no effect on previously reported consolidated net sales for the three months ended March 31, 2025.

Chains and distributors revenue: National and regional chains revenue is derived from chain restaurants, supermarkets, and other businesses with multiple locations. Distributors revenue is derived from distributors across the U.S. that purchase the Company’s products for resale and distribution to restaurants, supermarkets, and other businesses. Chain accounts often order through their distribution partners. Revenue from transactions with chains and distributors is recognized at a point in time upon transfer of control of promised products to customers. Transfer of control typically occurs when the title and risk of loss passes to the customer.

Online revenue: Online revenue is derived from the Company's online storefront on www.lollicupstore.com, and through the Company's mobile app, as well as other e-commerce platforms with customers largely consisting of small businesses such as small mom-and-pop restaurants, coffee houses, bubble tea cafes, pizza parlors, and frozen yogurt shops. Revenue from online transactions is recognized at a point in time upon transfer of control of promised products to customers. Transfer of control typically occurs when the title and risk of loss passes to the customer. For online sales on third-party e-commerce platforms, the Company is the principal in the three-party arrangement and control of the products remains with the Company until transferring to the end customer or upon return from the end customer. Online platform fees are recognized as selling expenses.

Retail revenue: Retail revenue is derived primarily from regional and local restaurants, small mom-and-pop restaurants, coffee houses, bubble tea cafes, pizza parlors, and frozen yogurt shops. Revenue from retail transactions is recognized at a point in time upon transfer of control of promised products to customers. Transfer of control typically occurs when the title and risk of loss passes to the customer.

For all of the Company's revenue streams, shipping terms generally indicate when the title and risk of loss have passed, which is generally when products are delivered to customers.

In addition to product sales, the Company also generates revenue from logistics services, which is the transportation and delivery of shipping containers from ports to local retail customers. Logistics services revenue is recognized over time due to the continuous transfer of control to the customer. As control transfers over time, revenue is recognized based on the extent of progress towards completion of the performance obligation. During the three months ended March 31, 2026 and 2025, logistics services revenue was $765,000 and $1,273,000, respectively, and was classified under retail in net sales disaggregated by customer type table above.

The Company’s contract liabilities consist primarily of rebates, sales incentives, cooperative advertising, and deferred revenue. As of March 31, 2026 and December 31, 2025, the Company had accrued $799,000 and $1,133,000, respectively, related to rebates, sales incentives, and cooperative advertising, included in accrued expenses in the condensed consolidated balance sheets. During the three months ended March 31, 2026 and 2025, the Company recognized revenue of $401,000 and $517,000, respectively, related to previously deferred revenue at the beginning of each respective period.

Fair Value Measurements: The Company has financial instruments classified within the fair value hierarchy, which consist of the following:

At March 31, 2026, the Company had money market accounts and investments in publicly-traded equity securities classified as Level 1 and certificates of deposit classified as Level 2 within the fair value hierarchy.

At December 31, 2025, the Company had money market accounts classified as Level 1 and certificates of deposit classified as Level 2 within the fair value hierarchy.

Short-term investments consist of certificates of deposit with an original maturity of longer than 3 months and are reported at their carrying value as current assets on the condensed consolidated balance sheets. The carrying value of these short-term investments approximates fair value as they were purchased near or on the respective balance sheet dates. Other certificates of deposit with an original maturity of equal to or shorter than 3 months have been included as cash equivalents on the condensed consolidated balance sheets.

The following table summarizes the Company’s fair value measurements by level at March 31, 2026 for the assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis:

Level 1Level 2Level 3
(in thousands)
Cash equivalents$2,712$16,101$—
Short-term investments—5,744—
Publicly-traded equity securities199——
Fair value, March 31, 2026$2,911$21,845$—

The following table summarizes the Company’s fair value measurements by level at December 31, 2025 for the assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis:

Level 1Level 2Level 3
(in thousands)
Cash equivalents$3,699$24,696$—
Fair value, December 31, 2025$3,699$24,696$—

The Company has not elected the fair value option as presented by ASC 825, Fair Value Option for Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities, for the financial assets and liabilities that are not otherwise required to be carried at fair value. Under ASC 820, material financial assets and liabilities not carried at fair value, including accounts receivable, accounts payable, related-party payable, accrued expenses, other current liabilities, and borrowings under promissory notes and Line of Credit (as defined below), are reported at their carrying value.

The carrying amounts of cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable, accounts payable, related-party payable, accrued expenses, and other current liabilities at March 31, 2026 and December 31, 2025 approximate fair value because of the short maturity of these instruments. The following is a summary of the carrying amount and estimated fair value of the $23,000,000 and $28,700,000 term loans that mature in September 2026 and July 2027, respectively (the "2026 Term Loan" and the "2027 Term Loan", respectively):

March 31, 2026
Carrying AmountEstimated Fair Value
(in thousands)
2026 Term Loan$12,005$11,861
2027 Term Loan23,39723,458
$35,402$35,319
December 31, 2025
Carrying AmountEstimated Fair Value
(in thousands)
2026 Term Loan$12,240$12,040
2027 Term Loan23,56323,694
$35,803$35,734

The fair value of these financial instruments was determined using Level 2 inputs.

Certain long-lived non-financial assets and liabilities may be required to be measured at fair value on a nonrecurring basis in certain circumstances, including when there is evidence of impairment. These non-financial assets and liabilities may include assets acquired in a business combination or long-lived assets that are determined to be impaired. For the three months ended March 31, 2026, management concluded that an impairment of long-lived assets was not required. The Company did not have any non-financial assets or liabilities that had been measured at fair value subsequent to initial recognition with the exception of a non-cash impairment of an operating ROU asset of$1,993,000 in the year ended December 31, 2024, resulting from the sublease of the Company's City of Industry warehouse in California.

New and Recently Adopted Accounting Standards: The Company is an emerging growth company as that term is used in the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012 (the "JOBS Act"), and as such, the Company has elected to take advantage of certain reduced public company reporting requirements. In addition, Section 107 of the JOBS Act provides that an emerging growth company can take advantage of the extended transition period provided in Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act, for complying with new or revised accounting standards, as a result, the Company will adopt new or revised accounting standards on the relevant dates in which adoption of such standards is required for private companies.

In December 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-09, Income Taxes(Topic 740): Improvements to Income Tax Disclosures. The new guidance requires disaggregated information about the effective tax rate reconciliation and additional information on taxes paid that meet a quantitative threshold. The new guidance is effective for public companies for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2024, and for non-public companies for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2025, with early adoption permitted for both. The Company will adopt the new standard in its annual reporting period beginning after December 15, 2025, and is currently evaluating the impacts of the new guidance on its disclosures within the consolidated financial statements.

In November 2024, the FASB issued ASU 2024-03 Income Statement Expenses (Topic 220): Disaggregation of Income Statement Expenses. The new guidance requires enhanced disclosure of disaggregated information about specific expense categories in the notes to financial statements on an annual and interim basis. The new guidance is effective for all public companies for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2026, and interim periods within fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2027. Early adoption is permitted. The Company will adopt the new standard in its annual reporting period beginning after December 15, 2026. The application of this new guidance is not expected to have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated balance sheets, statements of income or cash flows, as the guidance pertains to disclosures only.

In December 2025, the FASB issued ASU 2025-11 Interim Reporting (Topic 270): Narrow-Scope Improvements. The new guidance creates a comprehensive list of interim disclosures required under US GAAP and incorporates a disclosure principle that requires disclosures at interim periods when an event or change that has a material effect on an entity has occurred since the previous year end. The new guidance is effective for all public companies for interim reporting periods within annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2027. Early adoption is permitted. The Company will adopt the new standard in its interim reporting period beginning after December 15, 2027, and is currently evaluating the impacts of the new guidance on its disclosures within the condensed consolidated financial statements.

  1. Inventories

Inventories consist of the following:

March 31, 2026December 31, 2025
(in thousands)
Raw materials$4,011$4,442
Semi-finished goods9401,308
Finished goods75,81776,642
Subtotal80,76882,392
Less: inventory reserve(759)(710)
Total inventories$80,009$81,682
  1. Property and Equipment
March 31, 2026December 31, 2025
(in thousands)
Machinery and equipment$64,369$64,138
Leasehold improvements19,21219,212
Vehicles9,7299,729
Furniture and fixtures1,0091,009
Building38,57238,572
Land11,90711,907
Computer hardware and software7373
Construction in progress163—
145,034144,640
Less: accumulated depreciation and amortization(66,215)(63,481)
Total property and equipment, net$78,819$81,159

Depreciation and amortization expense is reported within general and administrative expense, except for depreciation and amortization expense related to manufacturing facilities and equipment, which is included in cost of goods sold on the accompanying condensed consolidated statements of income.

For the three months ended March 31, 2026 and 2025, depreciation and amortization expense reported within general and administrative expense was $1,167,000 and $1,132,000, respectively, and depreciation expense reported within cost of goods sold was $1,567,000 and $1,549,000, respectively.

  1. Goodwill

The following table summarizes the activity in the Company's goodwill from December 31, 2025 to March 31, 2026:

(in thousands)
Balance at December 31, 2025$3,510
Goodwill acquired—
Balance at March 31, 2026$3,510
  1. Line of Credit

Pursuant to the terms of the Business Loan Agreement, dated February 23, 2018, between Lollicup, as borrower, and Hanmi Bank, as lender (as amended, the "Loan Agreement"), the Company has a line of credit with a maximum borrowing capacity of $20,000,000 (the "Line of Credit") secured by the Company’s assets. The Company is not required to pay a commitment (unused) fee on the undrawn portion of the Line of Credit and interest is payable monthly. The Company is required to comply with certain financial covenants, including a minimum current ratio, minimum debt to earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization ("EBITDA") ratio and a minimum fixed charge coverage ratio. As of both March 31, 2026 and December 31, 2025, the Company was in compliance with the financial covenants under the Line of Credit.

On March 3, 2025, the Company amended the Line of Credit. Prior to March 3, 2025, the revolving loan facility had a maximum borrowing capacity of $40,000,000 and interest accrued at an annual rate of one month term Secured Overnight Financing Rate ("SOFR") plus 2.50%, with a SOFR floor of 1.00%. The amendment on March 3, 2025, among other things, (1) extended the maturity date to March 14, 2027, (2) reduced the maximum borrowing capacity of the revolving loan facility to $20,000,000, and (3) revised the interest on any Line of Credit borrowings to an annual rate of one month term SOFR plus 2.25%, with a SOFR floor of 1.00%. On March 17, 2025, August 21, 2025, and October 3, 2025, the Company entered into three separate amendments of the Line of Credit, increasing the standby letter of credit sub-limit, respectively, from $5,000,000 to $7,500,000, from $7,500,000 to $10,000,000, and from $10,000,000 to $15,000,000. As of March 31, 2026 and December 31, 2025, the Company hadno borrowings outstanding under the Line of Credit.

The amount issued under the standby letter of credit was $12,313,000 as of both March 31, 2026 and December 31, 2025. As of March 31, 2026, the maximum remaining amount that could be borrowed under the Line of Credit was $7,687,000.

  1. Accrued Expenses

The following table summarizes information related to accrued expense liabilities:

March 31, 2026December 31, 2025
(in thousands)
Accrued miscellaneous expenses$1,841$1,870
Accrued payroll1,212622
Accrued ocean freight and other import costs3,6254,011
Accrued sale and use taxes1,2671,222
Accrued professional services fees659619
Accrued vacation and sick pay1,177855
Accrued property tax3401,190
Accrued shipping expense2,0281,844
Accrued sales discount expense7991,133
Accrued interest expense7994
Total accrued expenses$13,027$13,460
  1. Long-Term Debt

Long-term debt consists of the following:

March 31, 2026December 31, 2025
(in thousands)
The 2026 Term Loan, with an initial balance of $16,115,000 and an option to request for additional advances up to a maximum of $6,885,000 through September 2022, which the Company exercised in February 2022. Interest accrues at a fixed rate of 3.5% per annum. Principal and interest payments of $116,000 are due monthly throughout the term of the loan, with the remaining principal balance due at maturity. On December 18, 2025, the Company made an early payment of $8,000,000 to reduce the remaining principal balance due at maturity, with total monthly payments remaining the same for the remainder of the loan term.$12,017$12,258
The 2027 Term Loan, with an initial balance of $20,700,000 and an option to request for additional advances up to a maximum of $8,000,000 through June 30, 2023, which the Company exercised in March 2023. Interest accrues at a fixed rate of 4.375% per annum. Prior to August 1, 2023, principal and interest payments of $104,000 were due monthly. Beginning August 1, 2023, monthly principal and interest payments increased to $144,000 for the remainder of the loan term, with the remaining principal balance due at maturity. On September 5, 2025, the Company made an early payment of $3,500,000 to reduce the remaining principal balance due at maturity, with total monthly payments remaining the same for the remainder of the loan term.23,44823,623
Long-term debt35,46535,881
Less: unamortized loan fees(63)(78)
Less: current portion(12,714)(12,941)
Long-term debt, net of current portion$22,688$22,862

At March 31, 2026, future maturities are:

(in thousands)
2026 (remainder)$12,541
202722,924
$35,465

The Company was in compliance with all of its financial covenants as of both March 31, 2026 and December 31, 2025.

The 2026 Term Loan matures on September 30, 2026. As of March 31, 2026, the entire remaining balance of $12,017,000 is included in the long-term debt, current portion on the condensed consolidated balance sheet. The Company intends to repay the 2026 Term Loan at maturity using available liquidity, which includes $28,680,000 in cash and cash equivalents and $5,744,000 in short-term investments as of March 31, 2026.

  1. Stockholders' Equity

On November 5, 2025, the Company’s Board of Directors approved a Share Repurchase Program (the "Share Repurchase Program") of up to $15,000,000 of its common stock. Under the Share Repurchase Program, the Company may repurchase shares through open market transactions, through privately negotiated transactions, or pursuant to a trading plan separately adopted in the future, subject to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. The Share Repurchase Program has no set expiration date, and may be suspended, modified or discontinued at any time. During the three months ended March 31, 2026, the Company didnot make any repurchases of its common stock. As of March 31, 2026, the Company had approximately $12,014,000 of remaining authorization for purchases under the Share Repurchase Program.

In January 2019, the Company’s board of directors adopted the 2019 Stock Incentive Plan (the "Plan"). As of March 31, 2026, a total of 1,193,517 shares of common stock were available for further award grants under the Plan. For the three months ended March 31, 2026 and 2025, the Company recognized a total of $242,000 and $346,000 in stock-based compensation expense, respectively. The Company recognizes stock-based compensation over the vesting period, which is generally within three years for both the restricted stock units and stock options.

Stock Options

A summary of the Company’s stock option activity under the Plan for the three months ended March 31, 2026 is as follows:

Number of OptionsWeighted-Average Exercise PriceWeighted-Average Remaining Contract LifeAggregate Intrinsic Value
(in years) · (in thousands)
Outstanding at December 31, 2025287,467$18.565.8$1,152
Exercised(1,600)18.86
Outstanding at March 31, 2026285,867$18.565.6$2,675
Vested and expected to vest at March 31, 2026285,867$18.565.6$2,675
Exercisable at March 31, 2026285,867$18.565.6$2,675

There wereno stock options granted during the three months ended March 31, 2026. At March 31, 2026, all stock options granted under the Plan were fully vested and exercisable.

The aggregate intrinsic value is calculated by subtracting the exercise price of the option from the closing price of the Company’s common stock on March 31, 2026 and December 31, 2025, respectively, multiplied by the number of shares per each option.

Restricted Stock Units

A summary of the Company’s unvested restricted stock units' activity under the Plan for the three months ended March 31, 2026 is as follows:

Number of Shares OutstandingWeighted Average Grant Date Fair Value
Unvested at December 31, 202543,500$28.53
Granted84,00022.34
Unvested at March 31, 2026127,500$24.45

At March 31, 2026, total remaining stock-based compensation cost for unvested restricted stock units was approximately $1,936,000. The cost is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 1.4 years.

  1. Earnings Per Share

(a)Basic

Basic earnings per share is calculated by dividing the net income attributable to equity holders of the Company for the period by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period.

Three Months Ended March 31,
20262025
(in thousands, except per share data)
Net income attributable to Karat Packaging Inc.$6,741$6,409
Weighted average number of common shares outstanding19,96320,037
Basic earnings per share$0.34$0.32

(b)Diluted

Diluted earnings per share is calculated based upon the weighted average number of common shares and common equivalent shares outstanding during the period, calculated using the treasury stock method. Under the treasury stock method, exercise proceeds include the amount the employee must pay for exercising stock options and the amount of compensation cost related to stock awards for future services that the Company has not yet recognized. Common equivalent shares are excluded from the computation in periods in which they have an anti-dilutive effect.

The following table summarizes the calculation of diluted earnings per share:

Three Months Ended March 31,
20262025
(in thousands, except per share data)
Net income attributable to Karat Packaging Inc.$6,741$6,409
Weighted average number of common shares outstanding19,96320,037
Dilutive shares
Stock options and restricted stock units110162
Adjusted weighted average number of common shares20,07320,199
Diluted earnings per share$0.34$0.32

For the three months ended March 31, 2026 and 2025, a total of 18,666 and 0 shares of potentially dilutive shares, respectively, have been excluded in the diluted earnings per share calculation due to their anti-dilutive impact on earnings per share.

  1. Leases

The Company primarily leases manufacturing facilities, distribution centers, and office spaces with lease terms expiring through 2031. The Company recognized the following lease costs in the accompanying condensed consolidated statement of income:

Three Months Ended March 31,
20262025
(in thousands)
Operating lease expense$3,492$3,046
Short-term lease expense456648
Variable lease expense459316
Total lease expense$4,407$4,010

For the three months ended March 31, 2026 and 2025, rent expense included in operating expenses was $3,590,000 and $3,190,000, respectively, and rent expense included in cost of goods sold was $817,000 and $820,000, respectively.

The following table presents supplemental information related to operating leases:

March 31, 2026December 31, 2025
Weighted average remaining lease term3.24 years3.47 years
Weighted average discount rate7.0%6.9%
Three Months Ended March 31,
20262025
(in thousands)
Right-of-use assets obtained in exchange for operating lease liabilities$—$10,457
Cash paid for amounts included in measurement of lease obligations:
Operating cash flows from operating leases$3,636$3,145

As of March 31, 2026, future lease payments under operating leases were as follows:

(in thousands)
2026 (remainder)$10,959
202713,767
202812,915
20297,567
2030715
Thereafter53
Total lease payments45,976
Less: imputed interest(4,826)
Total lease liability balance$41,150

Global Wells has been the landlord under an operating lease agreement with an unrelated party since September 2020. On February 28, 2025, the lease agreement between Global Wells and the tenant was terminated and effective March 1, 2025, Global Wells entered into a newsix-year operating lease agreement ending on February 28, 2031 with a different unrelated party that generates monthly rental payments from $87,000 to $101,000. The expected rental income is $846,000 for the remaining nine months of the year ending December 31, 2026, $1,128,000 per annum over the next four years, and $188,000 for the year ending December 31, 2031.

  1. Related Party Transactions

Keary Global Group, Ltd. ("Keary Global") owns 250,004 shares of the Company's common stock as of March 31, 2026, which Keary Global acquired upon exercise oftwo convertible notes during the third quarter of 2018. Keary Global and its affiliate, Keary International, Ltd. ("Keary International"), are owned by one of the Company’s stockholders’ family member. In addition to being a stockholder, Keary Global and Keary International are inventory suppliers and purchasing agents for the Company overseas. The Company has an ongoing agreement (the "Procurement Agreement") with Keary Global, which was amended and restated on June 26, 2025 to clarify the responsibilities of both parties under the Procurement Agreement. At March 31, 2026 and December 31, 2025, the Company has accounts payable due to Keary Global of $5,462,000 and $4,672,000, respectively. Purchases for the three months ended March 31, 2026 and 2025 from Keary Global were $9,166,000 and $10,340,000, respectively.

On June 26, 2025, the Company renewed the New Jersey Lease with Global Wells, extending the lease term for an additional five years to August 31, 2030. Under this lease renewal, monthly base lease payments range from $122,000 to $140,000 after an initial rent abatement period.

  1. Income Taxes

For the three months ended March 31, 2026 and 2025, the Company's income tax expense was $2,241,000 and $2,121,000, respectively, with an effective tax rate of 23.9% and 23.7%, respectively. For both the three months ended March 31, 2026 and 2025, the Company's effective tax rate differed from the United States federal statutory rate of 21% primarily due to state taxes and the non-taxable non-controlling interest income.

In evaluating the Company’s ability to recover its deferred tax assets, the Company considers all available positive and negative evidence, including its operating results, ongoing tax planning, and forecasts of future taxable income on a jurisdiction-by-jurisdiction basis. Based upon the level of historical taxable income, at this time, the Company determined that sufficient positive evidence existed to conclude that it is more likely than not there will be full utilization of the deferred tax assets in each jurisdiction. As such, as of March 31, 2026, the Company didnot record any valuation allowance.

On July 4, 2025, the President signed H.R. 1, the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” into law. The legislation includes several changes to federal tax law that generally allow for more favorable deductibility of certain business expenses beginning in 2025, including the restoration of immediate expensing of domestic research and development expenditures, reinstatement of 100% bonus depreciation, and more favorable rules for determining the limitation on business interest expense. These changes, primarily timing differences with no net impact, were incorporated in the income tax provision for the period ended March 31, 2026.

The Company remains subject to IRS examination for the 2022 through 2024 tax years. Additionally, the Company files multiple state and local income tax returns and remains subject to examination in various jurisdictions for the 2021 through 2024 tax years. The Company continues to work with the IRS relating to the 2016 and 2017 tax years and does not expect a material impact to the financial statements. In October 2025, the Company received a notice from the IRS that its 2023 federal income tax return was selected for examination. The examination remains in its early stages, and no issues have been raised by the IRS to date. As of both March 31, 2026 and December 31, 2025, the Company didnot have any unrecognized tax benefit.

  1. Commitments and Contingencies

In May 2023, the Company received a Notice of Investigations and Interim Measures stating that U.S. Customs and Border Protection ("CBP") had initiated a formal investigation to determine whether the Company had evaded the anti-dumping and countervailing duty orders on lightweight thermal paper from China by transshipping the merchandise through Taiwan. The period of investigation was from January 2022 through the pendency of the investigation. On February 5, 2024, CBP issued its Notice of Determination concluding that the manufacturing procedures performed by the manufacturer in Taiwan, which the Company imported certain thermal paper products from, did not constitute substantial transformation. On March 19, 2024, the Company submitted a request for an administrative review of the initial determination issued by CBP. On June 11, 2024, CBP completed the administrative review and upheld its initial conclusion. In February 2025, the Company started to receive bills related to certain of its thermal paper shipments. During the year ended December 31, 2025, the Company submitted protests of certain bills received with CBP, and received its determination on all submitted protests as of April 3, 2026. The Company made total payments of $1,909,000 related to certain shipments under the investigation for the year ended December 31, 2025 andno payment for the three months ended March 31, 2026. Payments on bills received are currently due as all submitted protests are resolved. However, the Company is also evaluating other appeal options. The Company maintains a liability reserve, representing the total estimated probable loss from the investigation plus accrued interest, of $1,504,000 and $1,720,000 as of March 31, 2026 and December 31, 2025, respectively. The amount of the final payments could vary significantly from the estimated liability reserve.

The Company is a party to, and certain of its property is the subject of, various pending claims, government investigations and legal proceedings that routinely arise in the ordinary course of its business. Management believes that the outcome of such litigation and claims, should they arise in the future, is not likely to have a material effect on the Company’s financial position or results of operations.

  1. Segment Report

The Company operates and evaluates its business as a single reportable segment. The following is the summary of the financial information for the Company’s reportable segment:

Three Months Ended March 31,
20262025
(in thousands)
Net sales$116,947$103,624
Less (add):
Cost of goods sold75,42162,862
Shipping and transportation10,21710,616
Salaries and benefits9,6589,065
Professional services1,3501,438
Depreciation and amortization1,1731,139
Rent expense3,3052,750
Marketing expense1,3471,518
Online platform fees1,5422,221
Warehouse expense1,258939
Stock-based compensation242346
Gain, net, on disposal of property—(17)
Interest expense409509
Provision for income taxes2,2412,121
Other segment expenses*2,9702,927
Interest income(286)(566)
Other income, net(1,041)(1,059)
Segment net income7,1416,815
Reconciliation of segment net income to consolidated net income
Adjustments and reconciling items——
Consolidated net income$7,141$6,815
  • Other segment expenses include property taxes, insurance expenses, office expenses, bad debt expenses, and utilities.

There are no changes in the basis of segmentation or measurement of segment profit or loss since December 31, 2025. The Company’s long-lived assets are almost entirely located in the United States, and similarly its revenues are almost entirely generated in the United States. Additionally, the segment assets are the same as the assets reported on the condensed consolidated balance sheets.

  1. Subsequent Events

On February 20, 2026, the U.S. Supreme Court held that certain tariffs previously imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act ("IEEPA") were unconstitutional. The case was remanded to the U.S. Court of International Trade (the "CIT") for further instructions regarding the refund of all IEEPA tariffs paid by importers of record. On April 20, 2026, CBP launched a new electronic system entitled Consolidated Administration and Processing of Entries ("CAPE") system to automate refunds for IEEPA tariffs paid by importers, following the order issued by the CIT. The Company has completed the process of reviewing its import data, and determined that it has paid a total of

$26.0 million of IEEPA tariffs during the year ended December 31, 2025 and the first two months of 2026. The Company has submitted refund claims totaling $25.8 million through CAPE, representing claims for IEEPA tariffs paid on all entries that were not yet liquidated or were liquidated within 80 days of submission with CAPE, currently eligible to be automatically refunded through CAPE, upon CBP's approval of the claims. The Company continues to closely monitor the status of its submitted claims, and evaluate the probability and estimated amount of potential refunds. The financial impact of these events is uncertain, as it is unclear whether the current U.S. presidential administration will appeal the ruling of the CIT, whether the Company's submitted claims will be approved by CBP, and to what extent IEEPA tariffs will be refunded by CBP. No tariff refund receivables have been recorded in the accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements.

On May 5, 2026, the Company's Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.45 per share on the Company's common stock, which will be paid on or about May 28, 2026 to shareholders of record at the close of business on May 21, 2026.

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