Consolidated Statements of Stockholders' Equity (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified		Total	Common Stock [Member]	Additional Paid-in Capital [Member]	Retained Earnings [Member]	Treasury Stock [Member]	Accumulated Translation Adjustment [Member]	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Other [Member]	Wendy's Restaurants, LLC [Member]		Wendy's Restaurants, LLC [Member] Common Stock [Member]	Wendy's Restaurants, LLC [Member] Additional Paid-in Capital [Member]	Wendy's Restaurants, LLC [Member] Retained Earnings [Member]	Wendy's Restaurants, LLC [Member] Advances to Parent [Member]	Wendy's Restaurants, LLC [Member] Accumulated Translation Adjustment [Member]	Wendy's Restaurants, LLC [Member] Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Other [Member]
Total stockholders’ equity at Dec. 28, 2008		$ 2,383,445	$ 47,042	$ 2,753,141	$ (357,541)	$ (15,944)	$ (42,313)	$ (940)	$ 2,254,775		$ 0	$ 2,958,921	$ (506,511)	$ (155,000)	$ (42,313)	$ (322)
Comprehensive income:
Net income (loss)		5,062	0	0	5,062	0	0	0	9,649		0	0	9,649	0	0	0
Change in unrealized gain on available-for-sale securities		(49)	0	0	0	0	0	(49)
Change in unrecognized pension loss									12		0	0	0	0	0	12
Foreign currency translation adjustment		37,617	0	0	0	0	37,617	0	37,617		0	0	0	0	37,617	0
Comprehensive income		42,630	0	0	0	0	0	0	47,278		0	0	0	0	0	0
Cash dividends paid to Parent									(115,000)	[1]	0	(115,000)	0	0	0	0
Cash dividends		(27,976)	0	0	(27,976)	0	0	0
Accrued dividend on nonvested restriced stock		(25)	0	0	(25)	0	0	0
Repurchases of common stock		(78,720)	0	0	0	(78,720)	0	0
Share-based compensation expense		15,294	0	15,294	0	0	0	0	13,570		0	13,570	0	0	0	0
Common stock issued upon exercises of stock options		1,966	0	(4,720)	0	6,686	0	0
Restricted common stock issued		0	0	(1,777)	0	1,777	0	0
Noncontrolling interests primarily distributions		(129)		(129)	0	0	0	0
Other		(146)	0	(376)	0	230	0	0	(2,716)		0	(2,716)	0	0	0	0
Total stockholders’ equity at Jan. 03, 2010		2,336,339	47,042	2,761,433	(380,480)	(85,971)	(4,696)	(989)	2,197,907		0	2,854,775	(496,862)	(155,000)	(4,696)	(310)
Comprehensive income:
Net income (loss)		(3,400)							(2,560)
Total stockholders’ equity at Apr. 04, 2010
Total stockholders’ equity at Jan. 03, 2010		2,336,339	47,042	2,761,433	(380,480)	(85,971)	(4,696)	(989)	2,197,907		0	2,854,775	(496,862)	(155,000)	(4,696)	(310)
Comprehensive income:
Net income (loss)		(4,325)	0	0	(4,325)	0	0	0	(2,638)		0	0	(2,638)	0	0	0
Change in unrealized gain on available-for-sale securities		(59)	0	0	0	0	0	(59)
Change in unrecognized pension loss		95	0	0	0	0	0	95	11		0	0	0	0	0	11
Foreign currency translation adjustment		12,666	0	0	0	0	12,666	0	12,666		0	0	0	0	12,666	0
Comprehensive income		8,377	0	0	0	0	0	0	10,039		0	0	0	0	0	0
Cash dividends paid to Parent									(443,700)	[1]	0	(443,700)	0	0	0	0
Cash dividends		(27,621)	0	0	(27,621)	0	0	0
Accrued dividend on nonvested restriced stock		(38)	0	0	(38)	0	0	0
Repurchases of common stock		(167,743)	0	0	0	(167,743)	0	0
Share-based compensation expense		13,704	0	13,704	0	0	0	0	12,790		0	12,790	0	0	0	0
Common stock issued upon exercises of stock options		1,278	0	(562)	0	1,840	0	0
Restricted common stock issued		0	0	(2,765)	0	2,765	0	0
Tax charge from share-based compensation		(664)	0	(664)	0	0	0	0
Other		(458)	0	(20)	0	(438)	0	0	(406)		0	(406)	0	0	0	0
Total stockholders’ equity at Jan. 02, 2011		2,163,174	47,042	2,771,126	(412,464)	(249,547)	7,970	(953)	1,776,630		0	2,423,459	(499,500)	(155,000)	7,970	(299)
Total stockholders’ equity at Oct. 03, 2010
Comprehensive income:
Net income (loss)	[2]	(10,758)							(9,810)
Total stockholders’ equity at Jan. 02, 2011		2,163,174							1,776,630
Comprehensive income:
Net income (loss)	[3]	(1,409)							1,025
Total stockholders’ equity at Apr. 03, 2011
Total stockholders’ equity at Jan. 02, 2011		2,163,174	47,042	2,771,126	(412,464)	(249,547)	7,970	(953)	1,776,630		0	2,423,459	(499,500)	(155,000)	7,970	(299)
Comprehensive income:
Net income (loss)		9,875	0	0	9,875	0	0	0	12,933		0	0	12,933	0	0	0
Change in unrecognized pension loss		(46)	0	0	0	0	0	(46)	299		0	0	0	0	0	299
Foreign currency translation adjustment		(6,869)	0	0	0	0	(6,869)	0	(6,869)		0	0	0	0	(6,869)	0
Comprehensive income		2,960	0	0	0	0	0	0	6,363		0	0	0	0	0	0
Cash dividends paid to Parent									0	[1]	0	0	0	0	0	0
Cash dividends		(32,366)	0	0	(32,366)	0	0	0
Accrued dividend on nonvested restriced stock		(44)	0	0	(44)	0	0	0
Repurchases of common stock		(157,556)	0	0	0	(157,556)	0	0
Share-based compensation expense		17,688	0	17,688	0	0	0	0	16,667		0	16,667	0	0	0	0
Common stock issued upon exercises of stock options		6,193	0	(891)	0	7,084	0	0
Restricted common stock issued		0	0	6,136	0	(6,136)	0	0
Tax charge from share-based compensation		(1,923)	0	(1,923)	0	0	0	0
Other		(2,057)	0	7	0	(2,064)	0	0	4		0	4	0	0	0	0
Total stockholders’ equity at Jan. 01, 2012		1,996,069	47,042	2,779,871	(434,999)	(395,947)	1,101	(999)	1,799,664		0	2,440,130	(486,567)	(155,000)	1,101	0
Total stockholders’ equity at Oct. 02, 2011
Comprehensive income:
Net income (loss)	[3]	3,984							619
Total stockholders’ equity at Jan. 01, 2012		$ 1,996,069							$ 1,799,664

[1] Wendy’s Restaurants paid cash dividends to The Wendy’s Company in 2010 and 2009 which were charged to “Invested equity.”

[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] 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.