Accounting Policies (Policies)	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2017
Accounting Changes and Error Corrections [Abstract]
Fiscal Period	The Company’s fiscal quarters end on the Sunday closest to the last day of each calendar quarter. For convenience, the fiscal quarters of each year are referred to as ending on March 31, June 30, September 30 and December 31. The first fiscal quarter of 2017 began on January 2, 2017 and ended on April 2, 2017; the first fiscal quarter of 2016 began on January 4, 2016 and ended on April 3, 2016
Accounting Standards Adopted in the Current Fiscal Year and Not Yet Adopted	Accounting Standards Adopted Effective January 2, 2017 In March 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued new guidance that addresses accounting for certain aspects of share-based payments, including excess tax benefits or deficiencies, forfeiture estimates, statutory tax withholding and cash flow classification of certain share-based payment activity. As a result of the adoption of the new guidance on a prospective basis, the Company recognized an excess tax deficiency from stock-based compensation as a discrete item, increasing the income tax provision for the three months ended March 31, 2017 by $0.8 million; prior period amounts have not been restated. Historically, excess tax benefits or deficiencies were recorded as additional paid-in capital. The Company elected to apply the prospective transition method in its Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows; accordingly, the cash flows for the three months ended March 31, 2016 were not restated. The Company has elected to maintain its practice of estimating forfeitures when recognizing expense for share-based payment awards. Amendments to the accounting for minimum statutory withholding requirements had no impact on the Company's Consolidated Financial Statements. In November 2016, the FASB issued new guidance to reduce diversity in practice in the classification and presentation of changes in restricted cash in the statement of cash flows. The new guidance requires amounts generally described as restricted cash should be included with cash and cash equivalents when reconciling the beginning-of-period total amounts to the end-of-period total amounts shown on the statement of cash flows. Calendar year public entities will be required to adopt the new guidance beginning with the first fiscal quarter of 2018. The Company elected to adopt the new guidance retrospectively effective January 2, 2017 and the cash flows for the three months ended March 31, 2016 were restated. Adoption of the new guidance did not impact the Company's Consolidated Balance Sheets or Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income. In January 2017, the FASB issued new guidance simplifying the test of goodwill for impairment. The new guidance requires a single-step quantitative test to measure potential impairment based on the excess of a reporting unit's carrying amount over its fair value. Calendar year public entities will be required to adopt the new guidance beginning with the first fiscal quarter of 2020. The Company has elected early adoption of the new guidance, as is permitted for interim or annual tests of goodwill performed after January 1, 2017. Newly Issued Accounting Standards Not Yet Adopted In August 2016, the FASB issued new guidance on the classification of certain cash receipts and payments in the statement of cash flows. The new guidance is intended to reduce diversity in practice in how certain transactions are classified in the statement of cash flows. The Company will be required to adopt the new guidance beginning with its first fiscal quarter of 2018. Early adoption is permitted. The Company is currently assessing the impact that the new guidance will have on its consolidated statements of cash flows. In June 2016, the FASB issued new guidance on the measurement of credit losses on financial instruments. The new guidance will replace the incurred loss methodology of recognizing credit losses on financial instruments that is currently required with a methodology that estimates the expected credit loss on financial instruments and reflects the net amount expected to be collected on the financial instrument. Application of the new guidance may result in the earlier recognition of credit losses as the new methodology will require entities to consider forward-looking information in addition to historical and current information used in assessing incurred losses. The Company will be required to adopt the new guidance on a modified retrospective basis beginning with its first fiscal quarter of 2020, with early adoption permitted in its first fiscal quarter of 2019. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of the new guidance on its consolidated financial statements and related disclosures and whether early adoption will be elected. In February 2016, the FASB issued new guidance with respect to the accounting for leases. The new guidance will require lessees to recognize a right-of-use asset and a lease liability for virtually all leases, other than leases with a term of 12 months or less, and to provide additional disclosures about leasing arrangements. Accounting by lessors is largely unchanged from existing accounting guidance. The Company will be required to adopt the new guidance on a modified retrospective basis beginning with its first fiscal quarter of 2019. Early adoption is permitted. While the Company is still in the process of evaluating the impact of the new guidance on its consolidated financial statements and disclosures, the Company expects adoption of the new guidance will have a material impact on its Consolidated Balance Sheets due to recognition of the right-of-use asset and lease liability related to its operating leases. While the new guidance is also expected to impact the measurement and presentation of elements of expenses and cash flows related to leasing arrangements, the Company does not presently believe there will be a material impact on its Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income or Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows. In January 2016, the FASB issued guidance on the recognition and measurement of financial instruments. The guidance modifies how entities measure certain equity investments and present changes in the fair value of those investments, as well as changes how fair value of financial instruments is measured for disclosure purposes. The amendment is effective commencing with the Company's first fiscal quarter of 2018. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of the new guidance on its financial statements and disclosures. In May 2014, the FASB issued new accounting guidance on revenue recognition, which provides for a single, five-step model to be applied to all revenue contracts with customers. The new standard also requires additional financial statement disclosures that will enable users to understand the nature, amount, timing and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows relating to customer contracts. Companies have an option to use either a retrospective approach or cumulative effect adjustment approach to implement the standard. In August 2015, the FASB deferred the effective date of the new revenue guidance by one year such that the Company will be required to adopt the new guidance beginning with its first fiscal quarter of 2018. The FASB subsequently issued several clarifications on specific topics within the new revenue recognition guidance that did not change the core principles of the guidance originally issued in May 2014. This new guidance supersedes nearly all of the existing general revenue recognition guidance under U.S. GAAP as well as most industry-specific revenue recognition guidance, including guidance with respect to revenue recognition by franchisors. The Company believes the recognition of the majority of its revenues, including franchise royalty revenues, sales of IHOP pancake and waffle dry mix and retail sales at company-operated restaurants will not be affected by the new guidance. Additionally, lease rental revenues are not within the scope of the new guidance. The Company believes the new guidance will impact the timing of recognition of franchise and development fees. Under existing guidance, these fees are typically recognized upon the opening of restaurants. Under the new guidance, the Company believes the fees will have to be deferred and recognized as revenue over the respective term of the franchise and development agreements. However, the effect of the required deferral of fees received in a given year will be mitigated by the recognition of revenue from fees retrospectively deferred from prior years. The Company is currently reviewing nearly 4,000 agreements to obtain the data elements necessary to implement the new guidance and cannot quantify the impact of the new guidance on its consolidated financial statements and related disclosures at this time. The Company also believes the new guidance will impact the accounting for transactions related to the Applebee's national advertising fund. Currently, franchisee contributions to and expenditures of the Applebee's national advertising fund are not included in the Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income because the Company in not considered to have principal control over Applebee's advertising expenditures. Under the new guidance, the Company would include contributions to and expenditures from the Applebee's advertising fund within the Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income as is currently done with contributions to and expenditures from the IHOP national advertising fund. While this change will materially impact the gross amount of reported franchise revenues and expenses, the impact would be an offsetting increase to both revenue and expense such that there will not be a significant, if any, impact on gross profit and net income. The Company presently expects to use the retrospective method of adoption when the new revenue guidance is adopted in the first fiscal quarter of 2018.

Accounting Standards Adopted Effective January 2, 2017

In March 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued new guidance that addresses accounting for certain aspects of share-based payments, including excess tax benefits or deficiencies, forfeiture estimates, statutory tax withholding and cash flow classification of certain share-based payment activity. As a result of the adoption of the new guidance on a prospective basis, the Company recognized an excess tax deficiency from stock-based compensation as a discrete item, increasing the income tax provision for the three months ended March 31, 2017 by $0.8 million; prior period amounts have not been restated. Historically, excess tax benefits or deficiencies were recorded as additional paid-in capital. The Company elected to apply the prospective transition method in its Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows; accordingly, the cash flows for the three months ended March 31, 2016 were not restated. The Company has elected to maintain its practice of estimating forfeitures when recognizing expense for share-based payment awards. Amendments to the accounting for minimum statutory withholding requirements had no impact on the Company's Consolidated Financial Statements.

In November 2016, the FASB issued new guidance to reduce diversity in practice in the classification and presentation of changes in restricted cash in the statement of cash flows. The new guidance requires amounts generally described as restricted cash should be included with cash and cash equivalents when reconciling the beginning-of-period total amounts to the end-of-period total amounts shown on the statement of cash flows. Calendar year public entities will be required to adopt the new guidance beginning with the first fiscal quarter of 2018. The Company elected to adopt the new guidance retrospectively effective January 2, 2017 and the cash flows for the three months ended March 31, 2016 were restated. Adoption of the new guidance did not impact the Company's Consolidated Balance Sheets or Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income.

In January 2017, the FASB issued new guidance simplifying the test of goodwill for impairment. The new guidance requires a single-step quantitative test to measure potential impairment based on the excess of a reporting unit's carrying amount over its fair value. Calendar year public entities will be required to adopt the new guidance beginning with the first fiscal quarter of 2020. The Company has elected early adoption of the new guidance, as is permitted for interim or annual tests of goodwill performed after January 1, 2017.

Newly Issued Accounting Standards Not Yet Adopted

In August 2016, the FASB issued new guidance on the classification of certain cash receipts and payments in the statement of cash flows. The new guidance is intended to reduce diversity in practice in how certain transactions are classified in the statement of cash flows. The Company will be required to adopt the new guidance beginning with its first fiscal quarter of 2018. Early adoption is permitted. The Company is currently assessing the impact that the new guidance will have on its consolidated statements of cash flows.

In June 2016, the FASB issued new guidance on the measurement of credit losses on financial instruments. The new guidance will replace the incurred loss methodology of recognizing credit losses on financial instruments that is currently required with a methodology that estimates the expected credit loss on financial instruments and reflects the net amount expected to be collected on the financial instrument. Application of the new guidance may result in the earlier recognition of credit losses as the new methodology will require entities to consider forward-looking information in addition to historical and current information used in assessing incurred losses. The Company will be required to adopt the new guidance on a modified retrospective basis beginning with its first fiscal quarter of 2020, with early adoption permitted in its first fiscal quarter of 2019. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of the new guidance on its consolidated financial statements and related disclosures and whether early adoption will be elected.

In February 2016, the FASB issued new guidance with respect to the accounting for leases. The new guidance will require lessees to recognize a right-of-use asset and a lease liability for virtually all leases, other than leases with a term of 12 months or less, and to provide additional disclosures about leasing arrangements. Accounting by lessors is largely unchanged from existing accounting guidance. The Company will be required to adopt the new guidance on a modified retrospective basis beginning with its first fiscal quarter of 2019. Early adoption is permitted.

While the Company is still in the process of evaluating the impact of the new guidance on its consolidated financial statements and disclosures, the Company expects adoption of the new guidance will have a material impact on its Consolidated Balance Sheets due to recognition of the right-of-use asset and lease liability related to its operating leases. While the new guidance is also expected to impact the measurement and presentation of elements of expenses and cash flows related to leasing arrangements, the Company does not presently believe there will be a material impact on its Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income or Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows.

In January 2016, the FASB issued guidance on the recognition and measurement of financial instruments. The guidance modifies how entities measure certain equity investments and present changes in the fair value of those investments, as well as changes how fair value of financial instruments is measured for disclosure purposes. The amendment is effective commencing with the Company's first fiscal quarter of 2018. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of the new guidance on its financial statements and disclosures.

In May 2014, the FASB issued new accounting guidance on revenue recognition, which provides for a single, five-step model to be applied to all revenue contracts with customers. The new standard also requires additional financial statement disclosures that will enable users to understand the nature, amount, timing and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows relating to customer contracts. Companies have an option to use either a retrospective approach or cumulative effect adjustment approach to implement the standard. In August 2015, the FASB deferred the effective date of the new revenue guidance by one year such that the Company will be required to adopt the new guidance beginning with its first fiscal quarter of 2018. The FASB subsequently issued several clarifications on specific topics within the new revenue recognition guidance that did not change the core principles of the guidance originally issued in May 2014.

This new guidance supersedes nearly all of the existing general revenue recognition guidance under U.S. GAAP as well as most industry-specific revenue recognition guidance, including guidance with respect to revenue recognition by franchisors. The Company believes the recognition of the majority of its revenues, including franchise royalty revenues, sales of IHOP pancake and waffle dry mix and retail sales at company-operated restaurants will not be affected by the new guidance. Additionally, lease rental revenues are not within the scope of the new guidance.

The Company believes the new guidance will impact the timing of recognition of franchise and development fees. Under existing guidance, these fees are typically recognized upon the opening of restaurants. Under the new guidance, the Company believes the fees will have to be deferred and recognized as revenue over the respective term of the franchise and development agreements. However, the effect of the required deferral of fees received in a given year will be mitigated by the recognition of revenue from fees retrospectively deferred from prior years. The Company is currently reviewing nearly 4,000 agreements to obtain the data elements necessary to implement the new guidance and cannot quantify the impact of the new guidance on its consolidated financial statements and related disclosures at this time.

The Company also believes the new guidance will impact the accounting for transactions related to the Applebee's national advertising fund. Currently, franchisee contributions to and expenditures of the Applebee's national advertising fund are not included in the Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income because the Company in not considered to have principal control over Applebee's advertising expenditures. Under the new guidance, the Company would include contributions to and expenditures from the Applebee's advertising fund within the Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income as is currently done with contributions to and expenditures from the IHOP national advertising fund. While this change will materially impact the gross amount of reported franchise revenues and expenses, the impact would be an offsetting increase to both revenue and expense such that there will not be a significant, if any, impact on gross profit and net income.

The Company presently expects to use the retrospective method of adoption when the new revenue guidance is adopted in the first fiscal quarter of 2018.