(23) Lease Commitments (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
	Jan. 01, 2012		Jan. 02, 2011	Jan. 03, 2010
Operating Leases, Income Statement, Lease Revenue [Abstract]
Minimum rentals	$ 70,478		$ 68,849	$ 71,325
Contingent rentals	10,468		10,033	10,664
Operating leases, rent expense	80,946		78,882	81,989
Sublease income	(15,084)		(14,275)	(15,457)
Operating leases, rent expense, net	65,862		64,607	66,532
Wendy's Restaurants, LLC [Member]
Operating Leases, Income Statement, Lease Revenue [Abstract]
Minimum rentals	69,329		67,587	69,602
Contingent rentals	10,468		10,033	10,664
Operating leases, rent expense	79,797		77,620	80,266
Sublease income	(13,746)		(12,769)	(13,877)
Operating leases, rent expense, net	66,051		64,851	66,389
Minimum Lease Payments, Sale Leaseback Transactions [Abstract]
Minimum lease payments, sale leaseback transactions, within one year	95
Minimum lease payments, sale leaseback transactions, within two years	103
Minimum lease payments, sale leaseback transactions, within three years	106
Minimum lease payments, sale leaseback transactions, within four years	120
Minimum lease payments, sale leaseback transactions, within five years	111
Minimum lease payments, sale leaseback transactions, thereafter	2,699
Minimum lease payments, sale leaseback transactions	3,234
Interest portion of minimum lease payments, sale leaseback transactions	(1,768)
Present value of future minimum lease payments, sale leaseback transactions	1,466
Capital Leases, Future Minimum Payments Due [Abstract]
Capital leases, future minimum payments due, current	2,779
Capital leases, future minimum payments due in two years	2,480
Capital leases, future minimum payments due in three years	2,442
Capital leases, future minimum payments due in four years	2,464
Capital leases, future minimum payments due in five years	2,073
Capital leases, future minimum payments due thereafter	19,882
Capital leases, future minimum payments due	32,120
Capital leases, future minimum payments, interest included in payments	(16,898)
Capital leases, future minimum payments, present value of net minimum payments	15,222
Operating Leases, Future Minimum Payments Due [Abstract]
Operating leases, future minimum payments due, current	75,161	[1]
Operating leases, future minimum payments, due in two years	67,035	[1]
Operating leases, future minimum payments, due in three years	61,581	[1]
Operating leases, future minimum payments, due in four years	57,115	[1]
Operating leases, future minimum payments, due in five years	52,890	[1]
Operating leases, future minimum payments, due thereafter	644,883	[1]
Operating leases, future minimum payments due	958,665	[1]
Future Minimum Sublease Rentals, Sale Leaseback Transactions [Abstract]
Future minimum sublease rentals, sale leaseback transactions, within one year	117
Future minimum sublease rentals, sale leaseback transactions, within two years	117
Future minimum sublease rentals, sale leaseback transactions, within three years	117
Future minimum sublease rentals, sale leaseback transactions, within four years	117
Future minimum sublease rentals, sale leaseback transactions, within five years	117
Future minimum sublease rentals, sale leaseback transactions, thereafter	1,464
Future minimum sublease rentals, sale leaseback transactions	2,049
Capital Leases, Future Minimum Payments Receivable [Abstract]
Capital leases, future minimum payments receivable, current	536
Capital leases, future minimum payments, receivable in two years	536
Capital leases, future minimum payments, receivable in three years	536
Capital leases, future minimum payments, receivable in four years	536
Capital leases, future minimum payments, receivable in five years	536
Capital leases, future minimum payments, receivable due thereafter	4,630
Capital leases, future minimum payments receivable	7,310
Operating Leases, Future Minimum Payments Receivable [Abstract]
Operating leases, future minimum payments receivable, current	6,433	[1]
Operating leases, future minimum payments receivable, in two years	5,231	[1]
Operating leases, future minimum payments receivable, in three years	4,645	[1]
Operating leases, future minimum payments receivable, in four years	4,159	[1]
Operating leases, future minimum payments receivable, in five years	3,665	[1]
Operating leases, future minimum payments receivable, thereafter	24,826	[1]
Operating leases, future minimum payments receivable	48,959	[1]
Owned Properties, Future Minimum Payments Due [Abstract]
Owned properties, future minimum payments receivable, current	3,968
Owned properties, future minimum payments receivable, in two years	3,666
Owned properties, future minimum payments receivable, in three years	3,576
Owned properties, future minimum payments receivable, in four years	3,539
Owned properties, future minimum payments receivable, in five years	3,492
Owned properties, future minimum payments receivable, thereafter	36,007
Owned properties, future minimum payments receivable	54,248
Leases, favorable and unfavorable, net	33,913
Leases, straight-line rent	23,582
Leases, advances by landlord for leasehold improvements, net of payments for assumed leases with below market rent	1,186
Wendy's Restaurants, LLC [Member] | Other liabilities [Member]
Owned Properties, Future Minimum Payments Due [Abstract]
Leases, unfavorable	(49,430)
Corporate [Member]
Operating Leases, Income Statement, Lease Revenue [Abstract]
Minimum rentals	1,149		1,262	1,723
Contingent rentals	0		0	0
Operating leases, rent expense	1,149		1,262	1,723
Sublease income	(1,338)		(1,506)	(1,580)
Operating leases, rent expense, net	(189)		(244)	143
Operating Leases, Future Minimum Payments Due [Abstract]
Operating leases, future minimum payments due, current	711
Operating Leases, Future Minimum Payments Receivable [Abstract]
Operating leases, future minimum payments receivable	580
Favorable leases [Member] | Wendy's Restaurants, LLC [Member]
Operating Leases, Future Minimum Payments Receivable [Abstract]
Finite-lived intangible assets, gross	108,304		134,445
Favorable leases [Member] | Wendy's Restaurants, LLC [Member] | Other intangible assets [Member]
Operating Leases, Future Minimum Payments Receivable [Abstract]
Finite-lived intangible assets, gross	$ 83,343

[1] In addition to the amounts presented in the table above, The Wendy’s Company will have rental payments of $711 and rental receipts of $580 in 2012 under the lease for The Wendy’s Company’s former corporate headquarters and from the sublease for office space on two of the floors covered under the lease to a management company formed by our Chairman, who was our former Chief Executive Officer, our Vice Chairman, who was our former President and Chief Operating Officer, and a director, who was our former Vice Chairman (the “Management Company”).