UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549 FORM 8-K CURRENT REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(D) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported) October 14, 2004 CHECKERS DRIVE-IN RESTAURANTS, INC. (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter) DELAWARE 0-19649 58-1654960 (State or Other (Commission (IRS Employer Jurisdiction of File Number) Identification No.) Incorporation) 4300 WEST CYPRESS STREET, SUITE 600, TAMPA FLORIDA 33607 (Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code) (813) 283-7000 (Registrant's Telephone Number, Including Area Code) NOT APPLICABLE (Former Name or Former Address, if Changed Since Last Report) Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below): ____ Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425) ____ Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12) ____ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b)) ____ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c)) SECTION 7 REGULATION FD Item 7.01. REGULATION FD DISCLOSURE. At the Checkers Drive-In Restaurants, Inc. (the "Company") earnings conference call held at 5:00 pm on Thursday, October 15, 2004, after the delivery of prepared remarks, we discussed the preliminary results of Period 10 (the four week period beginning September 7, 2004 and ending October 4, 2004). Those preliminary results indicated that: (a) Company owned same store sales during Period 10 increased 17.6% over the same period in our 2003 fiscal year; (b) that the Company's cost of sales (restaurant food, paper and labor costs) during Period 10 was 61.6% of the Company Period 10 restaurant sales; and (c) our franchisees' same store sales for Period 10 increased by 12.7%. The information in this Report is furnished pursuant to Item 7.01 of this Form 8-K. Consequently, it is not deemed "filed" for the purposes of Section 18 of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section. It may only be incorporated by reference in another filing under the Exchange Act or Securities Act of 1933 if such subsequent filing specifically references this Form 8-K. SIGNATURES Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized. CHECKERS DRIVE-IN RESTAURANTS, INC. By:_________________________________ Name: S. Patric Plumley Title: SVP and CFO Dated: October 14, 2004