BJ'S Restaurants, Inc. 401(k) Review & Grade
BJ'S Restaurants, Inc. 401(k) Plan
Huntington Beach, CAAccommodation & Food Services12,036 active participantsPlan year 2024
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$74Employer $ per active participant
$328Employee $ saved per active participant
0.38%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$44.7MNet plan assets, end of year
–Average balance per account (account count looks misreported)
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity5.0 / 5010th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost1.6 / 256th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving1.5 / 1510th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features0 / 10No auto-enrollment or default investment reported
- Red-flag deductions-10 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score0 / 100 · Grade F
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Accommodation & Food Services plans with 10,000+ active participants (41 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 10th |
| Lower admin cost | 6th |
| Employee saving | 10th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 24% |
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Red flags from the filing
Late deposits: the filing says some employee contributions were not sent to the plan on time ($1,047 reported). That's money taken from paychecks that sat with the employer longer than the law allows.
What to do if you're in this plan
- BJ'S Restaurants put in about $74 per active participant, below the typical peer ($393). Any match is still an instant return, so contribute enough to get all of it.
- The filing shows total dollars, not the match formula. Ask HR for the Summary Plan Description so you know the exact match and vesting schedule.
- Direct plan expenses (0.38% of assets) are well above similar-size plans (0.09%). Check your annual fee disclosure, choose low-cost index funds if you can, and think about whether savings beyond the match belong in an IRA.
- The plan reported late deposits of employee contributions. Compare your pay stubs with your account statements, and contact the plan administrator if money shows up late.
- Changing jobs? You can usually leave the money in the plan, move it to your new employer's plan, or roll it into an IRA. Don't cash out: you'd owe taxes and possibly a 10% penalty.
The raw numbers from the filing
| Employer contributions | $894,924 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $3,952,878 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $483,944 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $157,809 |
| Benefits paid out | $3,744,593 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $37.9M / $44.7M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 12,110 / 11,963 |
| Participants with account balances | 1,358 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Not reported |
| Auditor | Pension Assurance LLP |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Empower Annuity Insurance Company | $152,641 reported compensation |
| Concurrent Investment Advisors LLC | $20,000 reported compensation |
| Raymond James | −$1,380 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251015134505NAL0006460400001, received 2025-10-15, EIN 33-0485615, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.