(30) Guarantor/Non-Guarantor Income Statements (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
Revenues [Abstract]
Sales																$ 2,126,544	$ 2,079,081	$ 2,134,242
Franchise revenues																304,814	296,358	302,853
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
Costs and Expenses [Abstract]
Cost of sales	454,440	[1]	458,000	[1]	464,798	[1]	438,871	[1]	431,984	[2]	451,319	[2]	442,314	[3]	431,337	1,816,109	1,756,954	1,812,056
General and administrative																292,390	311,511	353,148
Depreciation and amortization																122,992	126,846	134,063
Impairment of long-lived assets																12,883	26,326	25,619
Transaction related and other costs																45,711	0	0
Merger restructuring																0	0	11,096
Other operating expense (income), net																4,152	3,357	3,469
Costs and expenses																2,294,237	2,224,994	2,339,451
Operating profit	29,280	[1]	32,390	[1]	47,434	[1]	28,017	[1]	33,547	[2]	20,290	[2]	58,947	[3]	37,661	137,121	150,445	97,644
Interest expense																(114,110)	(118,385)	(106,878)
Loss on early extinguishment of debt																0	(26,197)	0
Other income (expense), net																945	2,434	(20)
Income (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes																24,440	13,556	(16,262)
(Provision for) benefit from income taxes																(6,528)	4,555	21,640
Income from continuing operations	4,290	[1]	2,544	[1]	11,374	[1]	(296)	[1]	6,115	[2]	(757)	[2]	5,442	[3]	7,311	17,912	18,111	5,378
Discontinued operations:
Income from discontinued operations, net of income taxes																762	(22,436)	(316)
Loss on disposal of discontinued operations, net of income taxes																(8,799)	0	0
(Loss) income from discontinued operations, net of income taxes	(306)	[1]	(6,510)	[1]	(108)	[1]	(1,113)	[1]	(16,873)	[2]	(152)	[2]	5,300	[3]	(10,711)	(8,037)	(22,436)	(316)
Net income (loss)	3,984	[1]	(3,966)	[1]	11,266	[1]	(1,409)	[1]	(10,758)	[2]	(909)	[2]	10,742	[3]	(3,400)	9,875	(4,325)	5,062
Wendy's Restaurants, LLC [Member]
Revenues [Abstract]
Sales																2,126,544	2,079,081	2,134,242
Franchise revenues																304,814	296,358	302,853
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
Costs and Expenses [Abstract]
Cost of sales	454,440	[1]	458,000	[1]	464,798	[1]	438,871	[1]	431,984	[2]	451,319	[2]	442,314		431,337	1,816,109	1,756,954	1,812,052
General and administrative																281,591	303,324	343,121
Depreciation and amortization																122,365	124,984	132,318
Impairment of long-lived assets																12,883	26,326	23,443
Transaction related and other costs																44,477	0	0
Merger restructuring																0	0	8,088
Other operating expense (income), net																4,041	3,494	2,453
Costs and expenses																2,281,466	2,215,082	2,321,475
Operating profit	32,370	[1]	35,993	[1]	49,641	[1]	31,888	[1]	37,022	[2]	22,381	[2]	61,372		39,582	149,892	160,357	115,620
Interest expense																(113,243)	(117,349)	(105,562)
Loss on early extinguishment of debt																0	(26,197)	0
Other income (expense), net																943	1,317	(4,600)
Equity in income (loss) of subsidiaries																0	0	0
Income (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes																37,592	18,128	5,458
(Provision for) benefit from income taxes																(16,622)	1,670	6,053
Income from continuing operations	925	[1]	4,910	[1]	12,997	[1]	2,138	[1]	7,063	[2]	509	[2]	4,075		8,151	20,970	19,798	11,511
Discontinued operations:
Income from discontinued operations, net of income taxes																762	(22,436)	(1,862)
Loss on disposal of discontinued operations, net of income taxes																(8,799)	0	0
(Loss) income from discontinued operations, net of income taxes	(306)	[1]	(6,510)	[1]	(108)	[1]	(1,113)	[1]	(16,873)	[2]	(152)	[2]	5,300		(10,711)	(8,037)	(22,436)	(1,862)
Net income (loss)	619	[1]	(1,600)	[1]	12,889	[1]	1,025	[1]	(9,810)	[2]	357	[2]	9,375		(2,560)	12,933	(2,638)	9,649
Wendy's Restaurants, LLC [Member] | Parent [Member]
Revenues [Abstract]
Sales																0	0	0
Franchise revenues																0	0	0
Revenues																0	0	0
Costs and Expenses [Abstract]
Cost of sales																0	0	0
General and administrative																0	0	0
Depreciation and amortization																10,629	11,920	4,270
Impairment of long-lived assets																0	0	0
Transaction related and other costs																38,349
Merger restructuring																		4,283
Other operating expense (income), net																1,005	0	0
Costs and expenses																49,983	11,920	8,553
Operating profit																(49,983)	(11,920)	(8,553)
Interest expense																(89,999)	(78,737)	(32,064)
Loss on early extinguishment of debt																	0
Other income (expense), net																282	158	24
Equity in income (loss) of subsidiaries																106,218	19,446	(52,890)
Income (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes																(33,482)	(71,053)	(93,483)
(Provision for) benefit from income taxes																55,214	68,415	103,132
Income from continuing operations																21,732	(2,638)	9,649
Discontinued operations:
Income from discontinued operations, net of income taxes																0
Loss on disposal of discontinued operations, net of income taxes																(8,799)
(Loss) income from discontinued operations, net of income taxes																(8,799)	0	0
Net income (loss)																12,933	(2,638)	9,649
Wendy's Restaurants, LLC [Member] | Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Revenues [Abstract]
Sales																1,891,033	1,853,269	1,918,781
Franchise revenues																285,743	277,496	284,955
Revenues																2,176,776	2,130,765	2,203,736
Costs and Expenses [Abstract]
Cost of sales																1,608,896	1,562,141	1,619,733
General and administrative																248,793	258,289	290,755
Depreciation and amortization																100,994	102,148	117,824
Impairment of long-lived assets																12,346	22,458	23,443
Transaction related and other costs																6,128
Merger restructuring																		3,402
Other operating expense (income), net																10,971	10,887	10,201
Costs and expenses																1,988,128	1,955,923	2,065,358
Operating profit																188,648	174,842	138,378
Interest expense																(22,734)	(29,044)	(42,323)
Loss on early extinguishment of debt																	(20,430)
Other income (expense), net																17,282	16,051	10,411
Equity in income (loss) of subsidiaries																(9,211)	(50,152)	(125,862)
Income (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes																173,985	91,267	(19,396)
(Provision for) benefit from income taxes																(68,428)	(49,323)	(31,632)
Income from continuing operations																105,557	41,944	(51,028)
Discontinued operations:
Income from discontinued operations, net of income taxes																0
Loss on disposal of discontinued operations, net of income taxes																0
(Loss) income from discontinued operations, net of income taxes																0	0	0
Net income (loss)																105,557	41,944	(51,028)
Wendy's Restaurants, LLC [Member] | Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Revenues [Abstract]
Sales																235,598	225,837	215,461
Franchise revenues																19,085	18,899	17,898
Revenues																254,683	244,736	233,359
Costs and Expenses [Abstract]
Cost of sales																207,213	194,813	192,319
General and administrative																32,798	45,035	52,366
Depreciation and amortization																10,742	10,916	10,224
Impairment of long-lived assets																537	3,868	0
Transaction related and other costs																0
Merger restructuring																		403
Other operating expense (income), net																(7,935)	(7,393)	(7,748)
Costs and expenses																243,355	247,239	247,564
Operating profit																11,328	(2,503)	(14,205)
Interest expense																(510)	(9,568)	(31,175)
Loss on early extinguishment of debt																	(5,767)
Other income (expense), net																(16,621)	(14,892)	(15,035)
Equity in income (loss) of subsidiaries																0	0	0
Income (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes																(5,803)	(32,730)	(60,415)
(Provision for) benefit from income taxes																(3,408)	(17,422)	(65,447)
Income from continuing operations																(9,211)	(50,152)	(125,862)
Discontinued operations:
Income from discontinued operations, net of income taxes																661
Loss on disposal of discontinued operations, net of income taxes																0
(Loss) income from discontinued operations, net of income taxes																661	(22,492)	(1,862)
Net income (loss)																(8,550)	(72,644)	(127,724)
Wendy's Restaurants, LLC [Member] | Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Revenues [Abstract]
Sales																(87)	(25)	0
Franchise revenues																(14)	(37)	0
Revenues																(101)	(62)	0
Costs and Expenses [Abstract]
Cost of sales																0	0	0
General and administrative																0	0	0
Depreciation and amortization																0	0	0
Impairment of long-lived assets																0	0	0
Transaction related and other costs																0
Merger restructuring																		0
Other operating expense (income), net																0	0	0
Costs and expenses																0	0	0
Operating profit																(101)	(62)	0
Interest expense																0	0	0
Loss on early extinguishment of debt																	0
Other income (expense), net																0	0	0
Equity in income (loss) of subsidiaries																(97,007)	30,706	178,752
Income (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes																(97,108)	30,644	178,752
(Provision for) benefit from income taxes																0	0	0
Income from continuing operations																(97,108)	30,644	178,752
Discontinued operations:
Income from discontinued operations, net of income taxes																101
Loss on disposal of discontinued operations, net of income taxes																0
(Loss) income from discontinued operations, net of income taxes																101	56	0
Net income (loss)																$ (97,007)	$ 30,700	$ 178,752

[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.