(22) Retirement Benefit Plans Multiemployer Plan (Details) (Wendy's Restaurants, LLC [Member], Union Pension Fund [Member], USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
	Jan. 01, 2012 H		Jan. 02, 2011		Jan. 03, 2010
Cost of sales [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Multiemployer plan, withdrawal obligation					$ 4,975
New CBA [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Multiemployer plan, period contributions	781	[1]	766	[1]	641	[1]
Multiemployer plans, certified zone status	Green	[2]	Green	[2]
Increase (decrease) in limits on actuarial value of assets, percentage	130.00%
Multiemployer plans, minimum contribution, per hour	2.73
Multiemployer plans, hours of employment, expected	308,000
Multiemployer plans, minimum annual contribution, expected	840
New CBA [Member] | Cost of sales [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Multiemployer plan, additional expense Incurred			900
Multiemployer plan, period contributions			$ 600

[1] In accordance with the terms of the New CBA, the Companies are required to make minimum contributions of $2.73 per hour of employment for each employee covered under the Union Pension Fund. As of January 1, 2012, based on approximately 308,000 hours of expected employment, the Companies’ minimum annual contribution to the Union Pension Fund would be $840.

[2] The Union Pension Fund elected an expanded asset smoothing period of 10 years for the investment loss incurred in the plan year ended December 31, 2008 and an increase in the limits on the actuarial value of the assets to 130% of market value for the plan years beginning January 1, 2009 and 2010, as permitted under the Preservation of Access to Care for Medicare Beneficiaries and Pension Relief Act of 2010. The Union Pension Plan certified its zone status after making this election.