Note 5 - Capital Stock and Transactions with Related Parties (Details Textual) - USD ($)						12 Months Ended				16 Months Ended	36 Months Ended
	May. 01, 2015	Aug. 01, 2014	May. 02, 2014	Jan. 25, 2013	Dec. 27, 2012	May. 02, 2015	Apr. 30, 2015	May. 03, 2014	Apr. 27, 2013	Apr. 30, 2014	May. 02, 2015	Apr. 01, 2013	Mar. 31, 2012
CMA [Member]
Accounts Payable						$ 1,600,000		$ 1,600,000			$ 1,600,000
Related Party Transaction, Amounts of Transaction						$ 6,500,000		$ 6,400,000	$ 6,600,000
Series D Preferred Stock [Member]
Stock Issued During Period, Shares, New Issues				400,000
Preferred Stock, Par or Stated Value Per Share				$ 1		$ 1		$ 1			$ 1
Stock Issued During Period, Value, New Issues				$ 20,000,000
Temporary Equity, Liquidation Preference Per Share				$ 50
Preferred Stock, Dividend Rate, Percentage	2.50%						2.50%			3.00%
Preferred Stock Dividend Rate Basis Spread On Variable Rate						3.70%
Dividends Payable, Current						$ 37,000		$ 90,000			$ 37,000
Preferred Stock, Redemption Price Per Share						$ 50					$ 50
Proceeds from Issuance of Preferred Stock and Preference Stock				$ 19,700,000
Preferred Stock, Shares Issued						120,000		240,000			120,000
Stock Redeemed or Called During Period, Shares		120,000	160,000
Stock Redeemed or Called During Period Percentage			40.00%
Stock Redeemed or Called During Period, Value			$ 8,000,000
Issuance Cost Related to Stock Redeemed			$ 118,000
Stock Redeemed in Period, Percentage		50.00%
Payments for Repurchase of Redeemable Preferred Stock		$ 6,000,000
Preferred Stock, Accretion of Redemption Discount		$ 89,000
Series C Preferred Stock [Member]
Preferred Stock, Par or Stated Value Per Share						$ 1		$ 1			$ 1
Preferred Stock, Shares Issued						150,000		150,000			150,000
Treasury Stock, Shares, Acquired						0		0	0
Dividends, Common Stock, Cash					$ 118,100,000
Common Stock, Dividends, Per Share, Cash Paid					$ 2.55
Proceeds from Issuance of Preferred Stock and Preference Stock						$ (6,000,000)		$ (8,000,000)	$ 19,704,000
Stock Repurchase Program, Number of Shares Authorized to be Repurchased												1,600,000	800,000
Stock Repurchased During Period, Shares											502,060
Stock Repurchase Program, Remaining Number of Shares Authorized to be Repurchased						1,097,940					1,097,940