(17) Transaction Related and Other Costs (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended													3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Jan. 01, 2012	Jan. 02, 2011	Jan. 03, 2010	Jan. 01, 2012 Wendy's Restaurants, LLC [Member]	Jan. 02, 2011 Wendy's Restaurants, LLC [Member]	Jan. 03, 2010 Wendy's Restaurants, LLC [Member]	Jan. 01, 2012 Executive terminations costs [Domain] Wendy's Restaurants, LLC [Member]	Jan. 01, 2012 Executive severance, required payments [Member] Wendy's Restaurants, LLC [Member]	Jan. 01, 2012 Executive severance, vesting of stock awards [Member] Wendy's Restaurants, LLC [Member]	Jan. 01, 2012 Severance and stock compensation costs [Member] Wendy's Restaurants, LLC [Member]	Jan. 01, 2012 Employee retention [Member] Wendy's Restaurants, LLC [Member]	Jan. 01, 2012 Employee retention [Member] Corporate [Member]	Jan. 01, 2012 Bonus [Member] Wendy's Restaurants, LLC [Member]	Oct. 02, 2011 Relocation [Member] Wendy's Restaurants, LLC [Member]	Jan. 01, 2012 Relocation [Member] Wendy's Restaurants, LLC [Member]		Jan. 01, 2012 Other professional fees [Member] Wendy's Restaurants, LLC [Member]	Jan. 01, 2012 Other professional fees [Member] Corporate [Member]	Jan. 01, 2012 Other [Member] Wendy's Restaurants, LLC [Member]	Jan. 01, 2012 Other [Member] Corporate [Member]	Jan. 01, 2012 Fiscal year 2012 [Member]
Transaction related and other costs	$ 45,711	$ 0	$ 0	$ 44,477	$ 0	$ 0	$ 20,806	$ 14,481	$ 6,325	$ 28,680	$ 8,495	$ 159	$ 3,127		$ 1,670	[1]	$ 2,090	$ 845	$ 415	$ 230
Transaction related costs, expected														$ 1,500							$ 23,000

[1] Relocation costs are expensed as incurred. However, payments of $1,500 incurred during the third quarter of 2011 due to the relocation of a corporate executive will be expensed over the three year period following this executive’s relocation in accordance with the terms of the agreement.