Labor and Benefits. Labor and benefit costs for our restaurants increased by $1.6 million, or 1.3%, to $122.3 million during the thirteen weeks ended September 30, 2025, from $120.7 million during the comparable thirteen-week period of 2024. This increase was primarily due to $1.5 million related to higher workers' compensation insurance expense. Included in labor and benefits for the thirteen weeks ended September 30, 2025 and October 1, 2024, was approximately $0.6 million and $0.7 million, respectively, or 0.2% of revenues, of stock-based compensation expense related to equity awards granted in accordance with our Gold Standard Stock Ownership Program for certain restaurant management team members. As a percentage of revenues, labor and benefit costs remained consistent at 37.1% for the current thirteen-week period and the prior year comparable period.
Occupancy and Operating. Occupancy and operating expenses increased by $1.3 million, or 1.6%, to $81.6 million during the thirteen weeks ended September 30, 2025, from $80.3 million during the comparable thirteen-week period of 2024. This was primarily due to increases of $1.0 million in property insurance, $0.9 million in utilities, $0.4 million in marketing-related expenses, and $0.3 million in credit card processing fees, offset by decreases of $0.8 million in supplies, $0.4 million in repairs and maintenance, and $0.2 million in delivery fees. As a percentage of revenues, occupancy and operating expenses remained consistent at 24.7% for the current thirteen-week period and the prior year comparable period.
General and Administrative. General and administrative expenses increased by $1.5 million, or 7.0%, to $22.4 million during the thirteen weeks ended September 30, 2025, from $21.0 million during the comparable thirteen-week period of 2024. This was primarily due to $1.4 million in stock-based compensation. General and administrative expenses during the thirteen weeks ended October 1, 2024 included a stock-based compensation credit related to the reversal of previously awarded stock-based compensation expense in conjunction with our leadership transition. Included in general and administrative costs for the thirteen weeks ended September 30, 2025 and October 1, 2024, was approximately $1.6 million and $0.2 million, or 0.5% and 0.1% of revenues, respectively, of stock-based compensation expense. This increase was primarily due to equity forfeitures associated with leadership changes during the thirteen-week period ended October 1, 2024. As a percentage of revenues, general and administrative expenses increased to 6.8% for the current thirteen-week period from 6.4% for the prior year comparable period.
Depreciation and Amortization. Depreciation and amortization increased by $1.1 million, or 6.1%, to $19.3 million during the thirteen weeks ended September 30, 2025, compared to $18.2 million during the comparable thirteen-week period of 2024. This increase was primarily due to depreciation expense related to our restaurants opened since the thirteen weeks ended October 1, 2024, coupled with depreciation related to our remodeled restaurants. As a percentage of revenues, depreciation and amortization increased to 5.8% for the current thirteen-week period from 5.6% for the prior year comparable period.
Restaurant Opening. Restaurant opening expenses were zero during the thirteen weeks ended September 30, 2025, compared to $1.1 million during the comparable thirteen-week period of 2024. This decrease was primarily due to the timing of openings.
Loss on Disposal and Impairment of Assets, Net. Loss on disposal and impairment of assets, net, was $0.6 million during the thirteen weeks ended September 30, 2025, compared to $0.3 million during the comparable thirteen-week period of 2024. For the thirteen weeks ended September 30, 2025 and October 1, 2024, these costs primarily related to disposals of assets in conjunction with initiatives to keep our restaurants up to date.
Interest Expense, Net. Interest expense, net, was $1.2 million during the thirteen weeks ended September 30, 2025, compared to $1.3 million during the comparable thirteen-week period of 2024. This decrease was primarily due to a lower weighted average interest rate year over year.
Other Income, Net. Other income, net, was $1.2 million during the thirteen weeks ended September 30, 2025, compared to $0.8 million during the comparable thirteen-week period of 2024. This change is primarily due to gains associated with the cash surrender value of certain life insurance policies.
Income Tax (Benefit) Expense. Our effective income tax rate for the thirteen weeks ended September 30, 2025, was a benefit of 146.5% compared to a benefit of 8.2% for the comparable thirteen-week period of 2024. The effective tax rate expense and benefit, respectively, for the thirteen weeks ended September 30, 2025 and October 1, 2024, was different than the statutory rate primarily due to FICA tax tip credits.
Thirty-Nine Weeks Ended September 30, 2025 Compared to Thirty-Nine-Weeks Ended October 1, 2024
Revenues. Total revenues increased by $30.8 million, or 3.0%, to $1.04 billion during the thirty-nine weeks ended September 30, 2025, from $1.01 billion during the comparable thirty-nine-week period of 2024. The increase in revenues primarily consisted of a 1.8%, or $17.7 million, increase in comparable restaurant sales and $14.8 million related to sales from new restaurants not yet in our comparable restaurant sales base, offset by $1.5 million related to closed restaurants. The increase in comparable restaurant sales was due to an increase in guest traffic of approximately 2.2%, offset by an average check decrease of approximately 0.4%, resulting from changes in daypart and channel mix, partially mitigated by menu price increases.
Cost of Sales. Cost of sales increased by $1.1 million, or 0.4%, to $262.5 million during the thirty-nine weeks ended September 30, 2025, from $261.5 million during the comparable thirty-nine-week period of 2024. This increase was primarily to support the higher sales at restaurants in our comparable restaurant sales base as well as our new restaurants. As a percentage of revenues, cost of sales