Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Details) (USD $) Share data in Thousands, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended										12 Months Ended
	Jun. 05, 2012		Feb. 28, 2012	Nov. 29, 2011	Aug. 30, 2011	May 31, 2011		Mar. 01, 2011	Nov. 30, 2010	Aug. 31, 2010	Jun. 05, 2012		May 31, 2011		Jun. 01, 2010
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Number of Foreign Countries in which Entity Operates under Ruby Tuesday brand	12										12
Franchisor Disclosure [Line Items]
Number of restaurants	714										714
Ownership percentage for franchise partnerships, minimum (in hundredths)	1.00%										1.00%
Ownership percentage for franchise partnerships, maximum (in hundredths)	50.00%										50.00%
Number Of Franchise Partnerships Acquired													11
Additional Restaurant sales and operating revenue from impact of 53rd week											$ 23,400,000
Additional earning per share from impact of 53rd week (in dollars per share)											$ 0.03
Number of years from date of purchase within which substantially all guests utilize gift cards (in years)	2 years										2 years
Number Of Months After Date Of Activation Card Breakage For Non- Escheatable Amounts Is Recognized	24 months										24 months
Gift card breakage income											1,800,000		1,500,000		1,800,000
Franchise royalties (in hundredths)	4.00%										4.00%
Royalty Fee Allowed Per Franchise Agreements Maximum	4.00%										4.00%
Support Service Fee Allowed Per Franchise Agreements Maximum	1.50%										1.50%
Marketing And Purchasing Fee Allowed Per Franchise Agreements Maximum	1.50%										1.50%
Advertising Fee Allowed Per Franchise Agreements Maximum (in hundredths)	3.00%										3.00%
Past due days for franchise fee revenue not recognized											60 days
Unearned income for franchise fees						1,200,000							1,200,000
Marketing expenses, net of franchise reimbursements											47,900,000		27,800,000		15,400,000
Calculation of weighted-average common and dilutive potential common shares outstanding [Abstract]
Net income/(loss)	(5,816,000)		4,536,000	(2,001,000)	3,093,000	13,916,000		16,000,000	4,565,000	12,397,000	(188,000)		46,878,000		45,344,000
Weighted-average common shares outstanding (in shares)											62,916		64,029		61,533
Dilutive effect of stock options and restricted stock (in shares)											0		919		337
Weighted average common and dilutive potential common shares outstanding (in shares)											62,916		64,948		61,870
Basic earnings/(loss) per share (in dollars per share)	$ (0.09)		$ 0.07	$ (0.03)	$ 0.05	$ 0.22		$ 0.25	$ 0.07	$ 0.19	$ 0		$ 0.73		$ 0.74
Diluted earnings/(loss) per share (in dollars per share)	$ (0.09)		$ 0.07	$ (0.03)	$ 0.05	$ 0.21		$ 0.25	$ 0.07	$ 0.19	$ 0		$ 0.72		$ 0.73
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Total shares that did not impact the computation of diluted earnings per share (in shares)											3,936		2,938		5,334
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Goodwill associated with certain acquisitions	7,989,000					15,571,000					7,989,000		15,571,000
Goodwill impairment	16,919,000										16,919,000
Goodwill impairment loss, net of tax	12,000,000										12,000,000
Goodwill [Roll forward)
Balance, beginning of period					15,571,000					0	15,571,000		0
Acquisitions											7,989,000		15,571,000
Adjustments to purchase price allocations											1,348,000
Impairment	(16,919,000)										(16,919,000)
Balance, end of period	7,989,000					15,571,000					7,989,000		15,571,000		0
Amortization of intangibles											2,314,000		1,477,000		652,000
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Gross Carrying Amount	31,601,000					17,759,000					31,601,000		17,759,000
Accumulated Amortization	6,019,000					3,691,000					6,019,000		3,691,000
Unfavorable lease valuation liabilities	1,300,000					1,200,000					1,300,000		1,200,000
Future amortization expense for trademarks and reacquired franchise rights over next five years [Abstract]
Fiscal 2013											3,500,000
Fiscal 2014											3,300,000
Fiscal 2015											3,100,000
Fiscal 2016											2,800,000
Fiscal 2017											2,400,000
Reacquired Franchise Rights [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Weighted average amortization period (in years)											8.4
Gross Carrying Amount	14,825,000					14,900,000					14,825,000		14,900,000
Accumulated Amortization	4,961,000					2,956,000					4,961,000		2,956,000
Favorable Lease Valuations [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Weighted average amortization period (in years)											25.8
Gross Carrying Amount	2,205,000	[1]				2,023,000	[1]				2,205,000	[1]	2,023,000	[1]
Accumulated Amortization	168,000	[1]				63,000	[1]				168,000	[1]	63,000	[1]
Trademarks [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Gross Carrying Amount	11,961,000					836,000					11,961,000		836,000
Accumulated Amortization	847,000					672,000					847,000		672,000
Service Marks [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Weighted average amortization period (in years)											10
Acquired franchise agreements [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Gross Carrying Amount	2,460,000					0					2,460,000		0
Accumulated Amortization	39,000					0					39,000		0
Others [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Gross Carrying Amount	150,000					0					150,000		0
Accumulated Amortization	4,000					0					4,000		0
Acquired Franchise Rights [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Weighted average amortization period (in years)											7.3
Building [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Estimated useful lives of depreciable assets, minimum (in years)											3
Estimated useful lives of depreciable assets, maximum (in years)											35
Improvements [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Estimated useful lives of depreciable assets, minimum (in years)											3
Estimated useful lives of depreciable assets, maximum (in years)											35
Restaurant Equipment [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Estimated useful lives of depreciable assets, minimum (in years)											3
Estimated useful lives of depreciable assets, maximum (in years)											15
Other Equipment [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Estimated useful lives of depreciable assets, minimum (in years)											3
Estimated useful lives of depreciable assets, maximum (in years)											15
Stock Options [Member]
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Total shares that did not impact the computation of diluted earnings per share (in shares)											2,716	[2]	2,517		4,450
Service-based Restricted Shares [Member]
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Total shares that did not impact the computation of diluted earnings per share (in shares)											1,220	[2]	421		884
Marlin and Ray's [Member]
Franchisor Disclosure [Line Items]
Number of restaurants	11										11
Truffles [Member]
Franchisor Disclosure [Line Items]
Number of restaurants	2										2
Wok Hay [Member]
Franchisor Disclosure [Line Items]
Number of restaurants	1										1
Ruby Tuesday [Member]
Franchisor Disclosure [Line Items]
Number of restaurants	714										714
Number of domestic and international franchise Ruby Tuesday restaurants located outside the Company's existing core markets	79										79
Number of states primarily outside the Company's existing core markets in which Entity Operates	14										14
Lime Fresh [Member]
Franchisor Disclosure [Line Items]
Number of restaurants	13										13
Number of domestic franchise restaurants	4										4
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Unfavorable lease valuation liabilities	$ 200,000										$ 200,000

[1] As of June 5, 2012 and May 31, 2011, we also had $1.3 million and $1.2 million, respectively, of unfavorable lease valuation liabilities which resulted from the terms of acquired franchise operating lease contracts being unfavorable relative to market terms of comparable leases on the acquisition date. In addition, as of June 5, 2012, we had a liability of $0.2 million which resulted from the terms of a Lime Fresh license agreement being unfavorable relative to market terms of a comparable license agreement. The majority of these liabilities is included within Other deferred liabilities in our Consolidated Balance Sheets. See Note 3 to the Consolidated Financial Statements for more information on the favorable and unfavorable lease valuations from our acquisitions of franchise partnerships during fiscal 2011 and Lime Fresh in fiscal 2012.

[2] Due to a net loss for the year ended June 5, 2012, all then outstanding share-based awards were excluded from the computation of diluted loss per share.