Income Taxes (Deferred Income Taxes) (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Noncurrent deferred tax assets (liabilities):
Loss carry forwards	$ 743	$ 2,745
Deferred rent and franchise revenue	14,454	11,850
Property, equipment and intangible assets	(26,514)	(19,342)
Stock-based compensation	2,847	2,442
Tax credit carry forwards	897	565
Other	1,061ndls_DeferredTaxAssetsOtherNoncurrent	594ndls_DeferredTaxAssetsOtherNoncurrent
Total noncurrent net deferred tax assets (liabilities)	(6,512)	(1,146)
Current deferred tax assets (liabilities):
Inventory smallwares	(2,405)	(1,737)
Other	702ndls_DeferredTaxAssetsOtherCurrent	607ndls_DeferredTaxAssetsOtherCurrent
Total current deferred tax liabilities	(1,703)	(1,130)
Net deferred tax assets (liability)	(8,215)us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsLiabilitiesNet	(2,276)us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsLiabilitiesNet
Deferred Tax Liabilities, Gross	(31,216)us-gaap_DeferredIncomeTaxLiabilities	(22,881)us-gaap_DeferredIncomeTaxLiabilities
Deferred Tax Assets, Gross	$ 23,001us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsGross	$ 20,605us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsGross

Deferred Tax Assets, Other, Current

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Amount of deferred tax liability attributable to taxable temporary differences.

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