(28) Geographic Information (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended															12 Months Ended
	Jan. 01, 2012		Oct. 02, 2011		Jul. 03, 2011		Apr. 03, 2011		Jan. 02, 2011		Oct. 03, 2010		Jul. 04, 2010		Apr. 04, 2010	Jan. 01, 2012	Jan. 02, 2011	Jan. 03, 2010
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	$ 615,018	[1]	$ 611,416	[1]	$ 622,459	[1]	$ 582,465	[1]	$ 582,583	[2]	$ 600,708	[2]	$ 607,434	[3]	$ 584,714	$ 2,431,358	$ 2,375,439	$ 2,437,095
Long-lived assets	1,192,200								1,551,261							1,192,200	1,551,261	1,619,248
Wendy's Restaurants, LLC [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	615,018	[1]	611,416	[1]	622,459	[1]	582,465	[1]	582,583	[2]	600,708	[2]	607,434		584,714	2,431,358	2,375,439	2,437,095
Long-lived assets	1,192,196								1,541,853							1,192,196	1,541,853	1,607,858
Wendy's Restaurants, LLC [Member] | Operating Segments [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues																2,431,459	2,375,501	2,437,095
Long-lived assets	1,179,765								1,145,707							1,179,765	1,145,707	1,177,482
Wendy's Restaurants, LLC [Member] | Corporate and Other [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Long-lived assets	12,431								13,748							12,431	13,748	10,621
Wendy's Restaurants, LLC [Member] | Corporate Elimination [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues																(101)	(62)
Corporate [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Long-lived assets	4								9,408							4	9,408	11,390
Segment, Discontinued Operations [Member] | Wendy's Restaurants, LLC [Member] | Corporate and Other [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Long-lived assets									382,398								382,398	419,755
UNITED STATES
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Long-lived assets	1,132,796								1,490,064							1,132,796	1,490,064	1,555,816
UNITED STATES | Wendy's Restaurants, LLC [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues																2,161,281	2,117,000	2,190,003
Long-lived assets	1,132,792								1,480,656							1,132,792	1,480,656	1,544,426
UNITED STATES | Wendy's Restaurants, LLC [Member] | Operating Segments [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues																2,161,382	2,117,062	2,190,003
Long-lived assets	1,120,361								1,084,516							1,120,361	1,084,516	1,114,057
UNITED STATES | Wendy's Restaurants, LLC [Member] | Corporate and Other [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Long-lived assets	12,431								13,748							12,431	13,748	10,621
UNITED STATES | Wendy's Restaurants, LLC [Member] | Corporate Elimination [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues																(101)	(62)
UNITED STATES | Corporate [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Long-lived assets	4								9,408							4	9,408	11,390
UNITED STATES | Segment, Discontinued Operations [Member] | Wendy's Restaurants, LLC [Member] | Corporate and Other [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Long-lived assets									382,392								382,392	419,748
CANADA
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Long-lived assets	59,379								61,178							59,379	61,178	63,400
CANADA | Wendy's Restaurants, LLC [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues																254,683	244,654	233,359
Long-lived assets	59,379								61,178							59,379	61,178	63,400
CANADA | Wendy's Restaurants, LLC [Member] | Operating Segments [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues																254,683	244,654	233,359
Long-lived assets	59,379								61,172							59,379	61,172	63,393
CANADA | Wendy's Restaurants, LLC [Member] | Corporate and Other [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Long-lived assets	0								0							0	0	0
CANADA | Wendy's Restaurants, LLC [Member] | Corporate Elimination [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues																0	0
CANADA | Corporate [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Long-lived assets	0								0							0	0	0
CANADA | Segment, Discontinued Operations [Member] | Wendy's Restaurants, LLC [Member] | Corporate and Other [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Long-lived assets									6								6	7
Other International [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Long-lived assets	25								19							25	19	32
Other International [Member] | Wendy's Restaurants, LLC [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues																15,394	13,785	13,733
Long-lived assets	25								19							25	19	32
Other International [Member] | Wendy's Restaurants, LLC [Member] | Operating Segments [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues																15,394	13,785	13,733
Long-lived assets	25								19							25	19	32
Other International [Member] | Wendy's Restaurants, LLC [Member] | Corporate and Other [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Long-lived assets	0								0							0	0	0
Other International [Member] | Wendy's Restaurants, LLC [Member] | Corporate Elimination [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues																0	0
Other International [Member] | Corporate [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Long-lived assets	0								0							0	0	0
Other International [Member] | Segment, Discontinued Operations [Member] | Wendy's Restaurants, LLC [Member] | Corporate and Other [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Long-lived assets									$ 0								$ 0	$ 0

[1] The operating profit was materially affected by transaction related and other costs in each of the 2011 quarters and impairment of long-lived assets in the first and fourth quarters of 2011. The impact of transaction related and other costs on net income (loss) for the first, second, third and fourth quarters of 2011 was $799, $2,933, $14,732 and $9,279, respectively, after income tax benefits of $480, $1,759, $8,839 and $5,656, respectively. The impact of the impairment of long-lived assets on net income for the first and fourth quarters of 2011 was $4,865 and $2,847, respectively, after income tax benefits of $3,032 and $1,774, respectively. In addition, The Wendy’s Company incurred transaction related and other costs in the first, second, third and fourth quarters of 2011 of $379, $216, $167 and $9, respectively, net of income tax benefits of $226, $131, $101 and $5, respectively.

[2] The operating profit was materially affected by impairment of long-lived assets in the third and fourth quarters of 2010. The impact of the impairment of long-lived assets on net income (loss) for the third and fourth quarters of 2010 was $12,908 and $3,037, respectively, after income tax benefits of $8,013 and $1,886, respectively.

[3] Net income for The Wendy’s Company was affected by income recognized in the second quarter of 2010 on the repayment and cancellation of the DFR Notes of $3,044, after income tax expense of $1,865.