(26) Legal, Environmental and Other Matters (Details) (Wendy's Restaurants, LLC [Member]) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified		12 Months Ended
Jan. 01, 2012 Legal and Environmental Matters [Member] USD ($)	Jan. 01, 2012 Pending or Threatened Litigation [Member] CAD	Jan. 01, 2012 Positive Outcome of Litigation [Member] USD ($)
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Reserves for legal and environmental matters	$ 2,165
Gain contingency, unrecorded amount			1,000
Loss contingency, damages sought, value		29,000

The value (monetary amount) of the award the plaintiff seeks in the legal matter.

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+ Details