(2) Discontinued Operations (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended															12 Months Ended			1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended														12 Months Ended			1 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	Jul. 31, 2011 Arby’s Restaurant Group, Inc [Member]	Jan. 01, 2012 Wendy's Restaurants, LLC [Member]		Oct. 02, 2011 Wendy's Restaurants, LLC [Member]		Jul. 03, 2011 Wendy's Restaurants, LLC [Member]		Apr. 03, 2011 Wendy's Restaurants, LLC [Member]		Jan. 02, 2011 Wendy's Restaurants, LLC [Member]		Oct. 03, 2010 Wendy's Restaurants, LLC [Member]		Jul. 04, 2010 Wendy's Restaurants, LLC [Member]	Apr. 04, 2010 Wendy's Restaurants, LLC [Member]	Jan. 01, 2012 Wendy's Restaurants, LLC [Member]	Jan. 02, 2011 Wendy's Restaurants, LLC [Member]	Jan. 03, 2010 Wendy's Restaurants, LLC [Member]	Jul. 31, 2011 Wendy's Restaurants, LLC [Member] Arby’s Restaurant Group, Inc [Member]	Jan. 01, 2012 Wendy's Restaurants, LLC [Member] Arby’s Restaurant Group, Inc [Member]	Jan. 02, 2011 Wendy's Restaurants, LLC [Member] Arby’s Restaurant Group, Inc [Member]	Jan. 03, 2010 Wendy's Restaurants, LLC [Member] Arby’s Restaurant Group, Inc [Member]	Jan. 01, 2012 Discontinued operation, income tax benefit on loss on discontinued operations [Member] Wendy's Restaurants, LLC [Member] Arby’s Restaurant Group, Inc [Member]	Jan. 01, 2012 Permanent tax difference related to goodwill [Member] Wendy's Restaurants, LLC [Member] Arby’s Restaurant Group, Inc [Member]	Jan. 01, 2012 Income from discontinued operations before disposal [Member] Wendy's Restaurants, LLC [Member] Arby’s Restaurant Group, Inc [Member]	Jan. 01, 2012 Sales and use tax liabilities [Member] Wendy's Restaurants, LLC [Member] Arby’s Restaurant Group, Inc [Member]	Jan. 01, 2012 Incentive compensation [Member] Wendy's Restaurants, LLC [Member] Arby’s Restaurant Group, Inc [Member]	Jan. 01, 2012 Compensation cost [Member] Wendy's Restaurants, LLC [Member] Arby’s Restaurant Group, Inc [Member]	Jan. 01, 2012 Other [Member] Wendy's Restaurants, LLC [Member] Arby’s Restaurant Group, Inc [Member]
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Date of disposal																																					7/4/2011
Percentage of stock divested																																					100.00%
Proceeds from divestiture of businesses																																					$ 130,000
Proceeds from divestiture of business, percentage of buyer stock received																																					18.50%
Indirect investment in Arby's																19,000	0	0																19,000	0	0	19,000
Debt assumed by buyer																																					190,000
Discontinued operation, ordinary tax loss on disposal of Arby's																			230,000
Revenues																																						546,453	1,040,975	1,143,740
Loss from discontinued operations, net of income taxes:
Income (loss) from discontinued operations before income taxes																																						1,692	(35,550)	(3,871)			4,279	(2,112)	(704)	529	(300)
(Provision for) benefit from income taxes																																						(930)	13,114	2,009
Income (loss) on discontinued operations																762	(22,436)	(316)																762	(22,436)	(1,862)		762	(22,436)	(1,862)
Loss on disposal of Arby’s																(8,799)	0	0																(8,799)	0	0		(8,799)	0	0
Net loss from discontinued operations	(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)		(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)		(8,037)	(22,436)	(1,862)
Pre-tax loss on disposal																																						5,227
Transaction closing costs																																						11,500
Post closing purchase price adjustments																																						14,800
Income tax benefit (expense) on pre-tax loss on disposal																																						(3,572)			1,952	(5,524)
Disposal Group, Including Discontinued Operation, Classified Balance Sheet Disclosures [Abstract]
Current assets																																							88,926
Properties																																							382,398
Current liabilities																																							107,135
Long-term debt																																							185,166
Loss on discontinued operations																		1,546
Discontinued Operation, Tax Effect of Discontinued Operation																		$ 875

[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.