Debt (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
	Aug. 03, 2012	Jul. 29, 2011
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, gross	$ 525,142	$ 550,246
Current maturities	(106)	(103)
Long-term debt	525,036	550,143
Long-term Debt, by Maturity [Abstract]
2013	106
2014	25,036
2015	25,000
2016	475,000
Total	525,142
Revolving Credit Facility [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Maximum borrowing capacity	500,000
Line of credit facility, expiration date	Jul. 08, 2016
Long-term debt, gross	312,500	318,750
Current borrowing capacity	155,994
Term Loans Payable [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Maximum borrowing capacity	250,000
Term Loans Payable [Member] | Term Loan Payable on or Before July 8, 2016 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Maturity date	Jul. 08, 2016
Long-term debt, gross	212,500	231,250
Notes Payable [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Term of debt instrument	5 years
Original principal amount of notes payable	507
Monthly installment of principal and interest on notes payable	9
Maturity date	Oct. 16, 2013
Interest rate during the period (in hundredths)	2.88%
Long-term debt, gross	142	246
Credit Facility [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Term of debt instrument	5 years
Maximum borrowing capacity	750,000
Weighted average interest rates of the Company's swapped term loans (in hundredths)	7.57%	7.57%
Restrictions on dividends payable	The Credit Facility also imposes restrictions on the amount of dividends the Company is permitted to pay and the amount of shares the Company is permitted to repurchase. In April 2012, the Company amended the Credit Facility to provide more flexibility with regard to the dividends the Company is permitted to pay as well as the amount of shares the Company is able to repurchase. If there is no default then existing and the total of the Company's availability under the Revolving Credit Facility plus the Company's cash and cash equivalents on hand is at least $100,000 (the "liquidity requirements"), the Company may declare and pay cash dividends on its common stock if the aggregate amount of dividends paid in any fiscal year is less than 20% of Consolidated EBITDA from continuing operations (as defined in the Credit Facility) (the "20% limitation") during the immediately preceding fiscal year. In any event, as long as the liquidity requirements are met, dividends may be declared and paid in any fiscal year up to the amount of dividends permitted and paid in the preceding fiscal year without regard to the 20% limitation.
Liquidity requirements	100,000
Dividend limitation (in hundredths)	20.00%
Standby Letters of Credit [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Amount of standby letters of credit	$ 31,506