Assets Held for Sale Assets Held for Sale (Narrative) (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011 parcel	Dec. 31, 2010 parcel
Assets Held For Sale [Line Items]
Assets Held For Sale Sold	$ 71,200,000
Reacquired Franchises and Equipment	0	332,000
Parcels of Land With Refranchised Restaurants	2
Parcels of Land Intended for Future Restaurant Development		3
Assets Transferred to Held For Sale	43,300,000
Assets held for sale	$ 9,363,000	$ 37,944,000
IHOP [Member]
Assets Held For Sale [Line Items]
Restaurant Held for Refranchising		1
Refranchised Restaurants	2
Applebee's [Member]
Assets Held For Sale [Line Items]
Parcels of Land With Refranchised Restaurants	1	3
Company Operated Restaurant Subject to Leaseback	1
Restaurants Subject to Leaseback Sold	1
Applebee's [Member] | St. Louis, Missouri [Member]
Assets Held For Sale [Line Items]
Company Operated Restaurants Sold	36
Applebee's [Member] | Memphis, Tennessee [Member]
Assets Held For Sale [Line Items]
Number of Company Operated Restaurants	17
Applebee's [Member] | Memphis, Tennessee [Member] | Second Agreement [Member]
Assets Held For Sale [Line Items]
Company Operated Restaurants Franchised and Sale of Related Restaurant Assets	17
Applebee's [Member] | New England [Member]
Assets Held For Sale [Line Items]
Company Operated Restaurants Sold	66
Applebee's [Member] | New England [Member] | First Agreement [Member]
Assets Held For Sale [Line Items]
Company Operated Restaurants Franchised and Sale of Related Restaurant Assets	66
Applebee's [Member] | Washington DC [Member]
Assets Held For Sale [Line Items]
Company Operated Restaurants Sold	30
Entity Operated Units [Member] | St. Louis, Missouri [Member]
Assets Held For Sale [Line Items]
Restaurants With Assets Included in Assets Held for Sale		36
Entity Operated Units [Member] | Washington DC [Member]
Assets Held For Sale [Line Items]
Restaurants With Assets Included in Assets Held for Sale		30