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Income Taxes Income Taxes Net Operating Losses and Tax Credits (Details) (USD $)
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
 12 Months Ended
Dec. 28, 2014
Dec. 29, 2013
Dec. 30, 2012
Summary of Net Operating Loss and Tax Credit Carryforwards [Line Items]      
Tax Credit Carryforward, Amount $ 92,953us-gaap_TaxCreditCarryforwardAmount    
Exercise of Stock Options and Vesting of Restricted Awards, Aggregate Deductions 142,422wen_ExerciseofStockOptionsandVestingofRestrictedAwardsAggregateDeductions    
Excess Tax Benefit from Share-based Compensation, Recognized 9,363wen_ExcessTaxBenefitfromSharebasedCompensationRecognized    
Deferred Tax Asset Not Recognized, Amount of Unrecognized Deferred Tax Asset, Compensation and Benefits 51,786wen_DeferredTaxAssetNotRecognizedAmountofUnrecognizedDeferredTaxAssetCompensationandBenefits    
Deferred Tax Assets, Valuation Allowance 11,213us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsValuationAllowance 10,548us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsValuationAllowance 21,052us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsValuationAllowance
Valuation Allowance, Deferred Tax Asset, Increase (Decrease), Amount 665us-gaap_ValuationAllowanceDeferredTaxAssetChangeInAmount (10,504)us-gaap_ValuationAllowanceDeferredTaxAssetChangeInAmount 3,655us-gaap_ValuationAllowanceDeferredTaxAssetChangeInAmount
Reversal of Deferred Tax Liability Relating to Investment in Foreign Subsidiaries   1,832wen_ReversalOfDeferredTaxLiabilityRelatingToInvestmentInForeignSubsidiaries  
Undistributed Earnings of Foreign Subsidiaries 63,800us-gaap_UndistributedEarningsOfForeignSubsidiaries    
Deferred Tax Liability Not Recognized, Amount of Unrecognized Deferred Tax Liability, Undistributed Earnings of Foreign Subsidiaries 6,100us-gaap_DeferredTaxLiabilityNotRecognizedAmountOfUnrecognizedDeferredTaxLiabilityUndistributedEarningsOfForeignSubsidiaries    
Domestic Tax Authority [Member]      
Summary of Net Operating Loss and Tax Credit Carryforwards [Line Items]      
Tax Credit Carryforward, Amount 90,136us-gaap_TaxCreditCarryforwardAmount
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= us-gaap_DomesticCountryMember		    
State and Local Jurisdiction [Member]      
Summary of Net Operating Loss and Tax Credit Carryforwards [Line Items]      
Tax Credit Carryforward, Amount 504us-gaap_TaxCreditCarryforwardAmount
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= us-gaap_StateAndLocalJurisdictionMember		    
Net Operating Loss Carryforwards 1,087,272us-gaap_OperatingLossCarryforwards
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= us-gaap_StateAndLocalJurisdictionMember		    
Foreign Tax Authority [Member]      
Summary of Net Operating Loss and Tax Credit Carryforwards [Line Items]      
Tax Credit Carryforward, Amount 2,313us-gaap_TaxCreditCarryforwardAmount
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= us-gaap_ForeignCountryMember		    
Deferred Tax Asset [Domain] | Domestic Tax Authority [Member]      
Summary of Net Operating Loss and Tax Credit Carryforwards [Line Items]      
Net Operating Loss Carryforwards $ 124,566us-gaap_OperatingLossCarryforwards
/ us-gaap_BalanceSheetLocationAxis
= us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetDomain
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= us-gaap_DomesticCountryMember