(15) Guarantor/Non-Guarantor Balance Sheets (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Apr. 01, 2012	Jan. 01, 2012	Apr. 03, 2011	Jan. 02, 2011
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	$ 418,410	$ 475,231	$ 500,061	$ 512,508
Accounts and notes receivable	72,074	68,349
Inventories	12,004	12,903
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	42,447	27,397
Deferred income tax benefit	91,689	93,384
Advertising funds restricted assets	77,289	69,672
Total current assets	713,913	746,936
Noncurrent assets
Properties	1,195,107	1,192,200
Goodwill	872,032	870,431
Other intangible assets	1,299,480	1,304,288
Investments	118,969	119,271
Deferred costs and other assets	66,603	67,542
Total assets	4,266,104	4,300,668
Current liabilities:
Current portion of long-term debt	7,705	6,597
Accounts payable	54,007	81,301
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities	184,560	210,698
Total current liabilities	323,561	368,268
Noncurrent liabilities
Long-term debt	1,344,687	1,350,402
Deferred income	6,007	6,523
Deferred income taxes	475,908	470,521
Other liabilities	108,600	108,885
Invested equity:
Member interest, $0.01 par value, 1,000 shares authorized, one share issued and outstanding	47,042	47,042
Other capital	2,779,947	2,779,871
Accumulated deficit	(430,457)	(434,999)
Accumulated other comprehensive income	4,627	102
Total stockholders’ equity	2,007,341	1,996,069	2,167,113	2,163,174
Total liabilities and invested equity	4,266,104	4,300,668
Wendy's Restaurants, LLC [Member]
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	281,713	346,648	181,300	198,686
Accounts and notes receivable	67,974	67,453
Inventories	12,004	12,903
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	34,870	18,408
Deferred income tax benefit	92,667	94,963
Due from affiliate	0	0
Advertising funds restricted assets	77,289	69,672
Total current assets	566,517	610,047
Noncurrent assets
Properties	1,195,106	1,192,196
Goodwill	877,309	875,708
Other intangible assets	1,299,480	1,304,288
Investments	114,759	114,651
Deferred costs and other assets	66,111	66,827
Net investment in subsidiaries	0	0
Deferred income tax benefit	0	0
Total assets	4,119,282	4,163,717
Current liabilities:
Current portion of long-term debt	5,969	5,137
Accounts payable	53,514	80,986
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities	185,769	212,150
Advertising fund restricted liabilities	77,289	69,672
Total current liabilities	336,343	367,945
Noncurrent liabilities
Long-term debt	1,339,376	1,340,559
Due to affiliates	13,802	15,368
Deferred income	6,007	6,523
Deferred income taxes	535,973	537,689
Other liabilities	95,548	95,969
Invested equity:
Member interest, $0.01 par value, 1,000 shares authorized, one share issued and outstanding	0	0
Other capital	2,442,486	2,440,130
Accumulated deficit	(487,294)	(486,567)
Advances to The Wendy’s Company	(155,000)	(155,000)
Accumulated other comprehensive income	5,843	1,101
Total stockholders’ equity	1,806,035	1,799,664	1,788,248	1,776,630
Total liabilities and invested equity	4,119,282	4,163,717
Wendy's Restaurants, LLC [Member] | Parent [Member]
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	110,150	174,638	6,664	79,355
Accounts and notes receivable	1,430	2,682
Inventories	0	0
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	4,688	5,446
Deferred income tax benefit	57,437	59,737
Due from affiliate	322,597	295,080
Advertising funds restricted assets	0	0
Total current assets	496,302	242,503
Noncurrent assets
Properties	11,012	12,431
Goodwill	0	0
Other intangible assets	16,620	18,011
Investments	19,000	19,000
Deferred costs and other assets	25,052	26,446
Net investment in subsidiaries	2,274,293	2,253,006
Deferred income tax benefit	31,368	29,269
Total assets	2,873,647	2,895,746
Current liabilities:
Current portion of long-term debt	4,785	3,952
Accounts payable	3,723	9,215
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities	40,553	62,209
Advertising fund restricted liabilities	0	0
Total current liabilities	49,061	75,376
Noncurrent liabilities
Long-term debt	1,015,550	1,017,401
Due to affiliates	0	0
Deferred income	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Other liabilities	3,001	3,305
Invested equity:
Member interest, $0.01 par value, 1,000 shares authorized, one share issued and outstanding	0	0
Other capital	2,442,486	2,440,130
Accumulated deficit	(487,294)	(486,567)
Advances to The Wendy’s Company	(155,000)	(155,000)
Accumulated other comprehensive income	5,843	1,101
Total stockholders’ equity	1,806,035	1,799,664
Total liabilities and invested equity	2,873,647	2,895,746
Wendy's Restaurants, LLC [Member] | Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	134,399	128,818	93,697	53,810
Accounts and notes receivable	60,075	59,137
Inventories	10,958	11,766
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	28,602	11,732
Deferred income tax benefit	34,226	34,226
Due from affiliate	0	0
Advertising funds restricted assets	0	0
Total current assets	268,260	245,679
Noncurrent assets
Properties	1,124,305	1,120,383
Goodwill	828,914	828,411
Other intangible assets	1,258,578	1,262,070
Investments	0	0
Deferred costs and other assets	40,668	40,131
Net investment in subsidiaries	354,763	348,931
Deferred income tax benefit	0	0
Total assets	3,875,488	3,845,605
Current liabilities:
Current portion of long-term debt	919	923
Accounts payable	44,377	64,251
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities	139,557	137,105
Advertising fund restricted liabilities	0	0
Total current liabilities	516,898	202,279
Noncurrent liabilities
Long-term debt	320,290	319,643
Due to affiliates	332,045	308,654
Deferred income	5,662	6,132
Deferred income taxes	551,579	551,579
Other liabilities	84,217	84,647
Invested equity:
Member interest, $0.01 par value, 1,000 shares authorized, one share issued and outstanding	0	0
Other capital	2,169,333	2,168,046
Accumulated deficit	376,666	358,524
Advances to The Wendy’s Company	(155,000)	(155,000)
Accumulated other comprehensive income	5,843	1,101
Total stockholders’ equity	2,396,842	2,372,671
Total liabilities and invested equity	3,875,488	3,845,605
Wendy's Restaurants, LLC [Member] | Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	37,164	43,192	80,939	65,521
Accounts and notes receivable	6,469	5,634
Inventories	1,046	1,137
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	1,580	1,230
Deferred income tax benefit	1,004	1,000
Due from affiliate	0	0
Advertising funds restricted assets	77,289	69,672
Total current assets	124,552	121,865
Noncurrent assets
Properties	59,789	59,382
Goodwill	149,115	145,133
Other intangible assets	24,282	24,207
Investments	95,759	95,651
Deferred costs and other assets	391	250
Net investment in subsidiaries	0	0
Deferred income tax benefit	0	0
Total assets	453,888	446,488
Current liabilities:
Current portion of long-term debt	265	262
Accounts payable	5,414	7,520
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities	5,659	12,836
Advertising fund restricted liabilities	77,289	69,672
Total current liabilities	92,981	90,290
Noncurrent liabilities
Long-term debt	3,536	3,515
Due to affiliates	4,354	1,794
Deferred income	345	391
Deferred income taxes	15,762	15,379
Other liabilities	8,330	8,017
Invested equity:
Member interest, $0.01 par value, 1,000 shares authorized, one share issued and outstanding	0	0
Other capital	332,805	332,707
Accumulated deficit	(5,714)	(6,706)
Advances to The Wendy’s Company	0	0
Accumulated other comprehensive income	5,843	1,101
Total stockholders’ equity	332,934	327,102
Total liabilities and invested equity	453,888	446,488
Wendy's Restaurants, LLC [Member] | Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	0	0	0	0
Accounts and notes receivable	0	0
Inventories	0	0
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	0	0
Deferred income tax benefit	0	0
Due from affiliate	(322,597)	(295,080)
Advertising funds restricted assets	0	0
Total current assets	(322,597)	0
Noncurrent assets
Properties	0	0
Goodwill	(100,720)	(97,836)
Other intangible assets	0	0
Investments	0	0
Deferred costs and other assets	0	0
Net investment in subsidiaries	(2,629,056)	(2,601,937)
Deferred income tax benefit	(31,368)	(29,269)
Total assets	(3,083,741)	(3,024,122)
Current liabilities:
Current portion of long-term debt	0	0
Accounts payable	0	0
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities	0	0
Advertising fund restricted liabilities	0	0
Total current liabilities	(322,597)	0
Noncurrent liabilities
Long-term debt	0	0
Due to affiliates	(322,597)	(295,080)
Deferred income	0	0
Deferred income taxes	(31,368)	(29,269)
Other liabilities	0	0
Invested equity:
Member interest, $0.01 par value, 1,000 shares authorized, one share issued and outstanding	0	0
Other capital	(2,502,138)	(2,500,753)
Accumulated deficit	(370,952)	(351,818)
Advances to The Wendy’s Company	155,000	155,000
Accumulated other comprehensive income	(11,686)	(2,202)
Total stockholders’ equity	(2,729,776)	(2,699,773)
Total liabilities and invested equity	$ (3,083,741)	$ (3,024,122)