Parent Financial 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
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 475,231								$ 512,508							$ 475,231		$ 512,508		$ 591,719
Total current assets	746,936								754,788							746,936		754,788
Properties	1,192,200								1,551,261							1,192,200		1,551,261
Deferred income tax benefit and other	67,542								77,164							67,542		77,164
Total assets	4,300,668								4,732,654							4,300,668		4,732,654
Current liabilities:
Current portion of long-term debt (a)	6,597								18,415							6,597		18,415
Total current liabilities	368,268								421,486							368,268		421,486
Long-term debt (a)	1,350,402								1,553,987							1,350,402		1,553,987
Other liabilities	108,885								170,254							108,885		170,254
Stockholders’ equity:
Common stock, $0.10 par value; 1,500,000 shares authorized;	47,042								47,042							47,042		47,042
Additional paid-in capital	2,779,871								2,771,126							2,779,871		2,771,126
Accumulated deficit	(434,999)								(412,464)							(434,999)		(412,464)
Common stock held in treasury, at cost	(395,947)								(249,547)							(395,947)		(249,547)
Accumulated other comprehensive income	102								7,017							102		7,017
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity	4,300,668								4,732,654							4,300,668		4,732,654
Income:
Investment income (loss)																484		5,259		(3,092)
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:
General and administrative																292,390		311,511		353,148
Depreciation and amortization																122,992		126,846		134,063
Transaction related and other costs																45,711		0		0
Impairment of long-lived assets																12,883		26,326		25,619
Merger restructuring																0		0		11,096
Intercompany interest expense																114,110		118,385		106,878
Other operating expense (income), net																4,152		3,357		3,469
Costs and expenses																2,294,237		2,224,994		2,339,451
Loss from continuing operations before income taxes																24,440		13,556		(16,262)
Benefit from income taxes																(6,528)		4,555		21,640
Equity in income from discontinued operations of subsidiaries																				(1,546)
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash provided by operating activities:
Share-based compensation provision																16,990		10,492		12,095
Depreciation and amortization																122,992		126,846		134,063
Income on collection of notes receivable																0		4,909		0
Write-off and amortization of deferred financing costs																6,216		11,779		15,820
Deferred income tax provision (benefit), net																1,624		(29,779)		(40,127)
Other, net																565		(1,430)		(4,317)
Changes in assets and liabilities:
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities																246,717		226,250		295,130
Cash flows from investing activities:
Proceeds from repayment of notes receivable																0		30,752		0
Other, net																(265)		352		(371)
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities																(58,197)		(112,922)		(55,619)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Repayments of long-term debt																(38,702)		(474,791)		(210,371)
Repurchases of common stock																(157,556)		(173,537)		(72,927)
Dividends paid																(32,366)		(27,621)		(27,976)
Proceeds from stock option exercises																6,359		1,444		1,715
Other, net																(2,262)		(953)		(156)
Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities																(224,584)		(194,150)		259,393
Net (decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents																(37,277)		(79,211)		501,629
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period							512,508								591,719	512,508		591,719		90,090
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	475,231								512,508							475,231		512,508		591,719
Parent Company [Member]
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	128,441								313,622							128,441		313,622		51,973
Amounts due from subsidiaries	86,965								75,456							86,965		75,456
Other current assets	9,876								1,250							9,876		1,250
Total current assets	225,282								390,328							225,282		390,328
Investments in consolidated subsidiaries	1,814,310								1,791,475							1,814,310		1,791,475
Properties	4								9,408							4		9,408
Deferred income tax benefit and other	64,088								64,985							64,088		64,985
Total assets	2,103,684								2,256,196							2,103,684		2,256,196
Current liabilities:
Amounts due to subsidiaries	88,531								63,019							88,531		63,019
Current portion of long-term debt (a)	1,460	[4]							1,368	[4]						1,460	[4]	1,368	[4]
Deferred income taxes and other current liabilities	2,456								11,813							2,456		11,813
Total current liabilities	92,447								76,200							92,447		76,200
Long-term debt (a)	9,843	[4]							11,303	[4]						9,843	[4]	11,303	[4]
Other liabilities	5,325								5,519							5,325		5,519
Stockholders’ equity:
Common stock, $0.10 par value; 1,500,000 shares authorized;	47,042								47,042							47,042		47,042
Additional paid-in capital	2,779,871								2,771,126							2,779,871		2,771,126
Accumulated deficit	(434,999)								(412,464)							(434,999)		(412,464)
Common stock held in treasury, at cost	(395,947)								(249,547)							(395,947)		(249,547)
Accumulated other comprehensive income	102								7,017							102		7,017
Total stockholders’ equity	1,996,069								2,163,174							1,996,069		2,163,174
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity	2,103,684								2,256,196							2,103,684		2,256,196
Income:
Equity in income from continuing operations of subsidiaries																21,115		20,261		10,832
Investment income (loss)																0		4,913		61
Revenues																21,115		25,174		10,893
Costs and expenses:
General and administrative																10,476		8,087		11,568
Depreciation and amortization																627		1,863		1,745
Transaction related and other costs																1,234		0		0
Merger restructuring																0		0		3,008
Other operating expense (income), net																960		(517)		(721)
Costs and expenses																13,297		9,433		15,600
Loss from continuing operations before income taxes																7,818		15,741		(4,707)
Benefit from income taxes																10,094		2,370		10,085
Income (loss) from continuing operations																17,912		18,111		5,378
Equity in income from discontinued operations of subsidiaries																(8,037)		(22,436)		(316)
Net income (loss)																9,875		(4,325)		5,062
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income (loss)																9,875		(4,325)		5,062
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash provided by operating activities:
Equity in (income) loss from operations of subsidiaries																(13,078)		2,175		(10,516)
Dividends from subsidiaries																0		443,700		115,000
Other operating transactions with Wendy’s Restaurants, LLC																6,031		8,032		(14,114)
Tax sharing payments received from subsidiaries																13,078		0		10,417
Share-based compensation provision																1,021		914		1,555
Depreciation and amortization																627		1,863		1,745
Income on collection of notes receivable																0		(4,909)		0
Tax sharing receivable from subsidiaries, net																(2,437)		(1,052)		(65,366)
Deferred income tax provision (benefit), net																(10,094)		(4,027)		67,241
Other, net																(1,547)		8		(2,175)
Changes in assets and liabilities:
Other current assets																491		231		1,467
Other current liabilities																(2,332)		(4,033)		(8,951)
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities																1,635		438,577		101,365
Cash flows from investing activities:
Net repayments from subsidiaries																377		987		31,901
Proceeds from repayment of notes receivable																0		30,752		0
Other, net																0		205		(443)
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities																377		31,944		31,458
Cash flows from financing activities:
Repayments of long-term debt																(1,368)		(8,330)		(889)
Repurchases of common stock																(157,556)		(173,537)		(72,927)
Dividends paid																(32,366)		(27,621)		(27,976)
Proceeds from stock option exercises																6,359		1,444		1,715
Other, net																(2,262)		(828)		(7,633)
Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities																(187,193)		(208,872)		(107,710)
Net (decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents																(185,181)		261,649		25,113
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period							313,622								51,973	313,622		51,973		26,860
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	128,441								313,622							128,441		313,622		51,973
Secured Debt [Member] | Debt Instrument 8 [Member] | Parent Company [Member]
Stockholders’ equity:
Long-term debt	11,303								12,671							11,303		12,671
Notes Receivable [Member]
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash provided by operating activities:
Income on collection of notes receivable																		$ (4,909)

[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.

[4] Consists of a 6.54% term loan on our owned aircraft in the amount of $11,303 and $12,671 at January 1, 2012 and January 2, 2011, respectively.