Business Segment Information (Details) - USD ($)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 29, 2015	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 29, 2015	Sep. 30, 2014	Dec. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Refranchising loss	$ 2,174,000	$ 0	$ 11,732,000	$ 0
Revenues:
Total revenues	664,654,000	619,890,000	1,989,815,000	1,856,698,000
Segment profit:
Total segment profit	124,581,000	124,318,000	377,913,000	392,435,000
Depreciation and amortization	33,885,000	31,187,000	100,167,000	90,681,000
Unallocated General and Administrative Expenses	37,575,000	34,460,000	103,515,000	102,112,000
Pre-opening expenses	2,298,000	2,083,000	6,253,000	5,283,000
Interest expense	1,363,000	462,000	2,266,000	1,386,000
Other (income) expense, net	(55,000)	(719,000)	948,000	(5,934,000)
Income before income taxes	50,794,000	58,216,000	168,497,000	203,454,000
Capital expenditures:
Capital Expenditures	48,445,000	64,605,000	153,301,000	155,348,000
Segment Assets
Unallocated cash and cash equivalents	275,177,000	146,110,000	275,177,000	146,110,000	$ 196,493,000	$ 125,245,000
Unallocated trade and other accounts receivable	42,764,000		42,764,000		36,584,000
Unallocated property and equipment	782,099,000		782,099,000		787,294,000
Total assets	1,483,214,000		1,483,214,000		1,390,686,000
Company bakery cafe operations [Member]
Revenues:
Total revenues	584,664,000	545,393,000	1,756,464,000	1,636,587,000
Franchise operations [Member]
Revenues:
Total revenues	33,740,000	30,585,000	98,952,000	89,950,000
Operating Segments [Member]
Segment profit:
Depreciation and amortization	33,885,000		100,167,000	90,681,000
Unallocated Amount to Segment [Member]
Segment profit:
Unallocated General and Administrative Expenses	36,296,000	33,089,000	99,782,000	97,565,000
Segment Assets
Unallocated cash and cash equivalents	275,177,000		275,177,000		196,493,000
Unallocated trade and other accounts receivable	5,552,000		5,552,000		3,104,000
Unallocated property and equipment	103,628,000		103,628,000		84,224,000
Unallocated deposits and other	8,339,000		8,339,000		3,575,000
Other unallocated assets	53,689,000		53,689,000		71,030,000
Operating Segments [Member]
Segment Assets
Total assets	1,036,829,000		1,036,829,000		1,032,260,000
Operating Segments [Member] | Company bakery cafe operations [Member]
Revenues:
Total revenues	584,664,000	545,393,000	1,756,464,000	1,636,587,000
Segment profit:
Total segment profit	87,513,000	90,292,000	266,456,000	290,713,000
Depreciation and amortization	26,004,000	25,593,000	78,698,000	75,791,000
Capital expenditures:
Capital Expenditures	39,756,000	47,896,000	117,866,000	112,127,000
Segment Assets
Total assets	950,708,000		950,708,000		953,896,000
Operating Segments [Member] | Franchise operations [Member]
Revenues:
Total revenues	33,740,000	30,585,000	98,952,000	89,950,000
Segment profit:
Total segment profit	32,461,000	29,214,000	95,219,000	85,403,000
Segment Assets
Total assets	11,565,000		11,565,000		13,145,000
Operating Segments [Member] | Fresh dough and other product operations [Member]
Revenues:
Total revenues	96,198,000	92,789,000	284,089,000	275,353,000
Segment profit:
Total segment profit	4,607,000	4,812,000	16,238,000	16,319,000
Depreciation and amortization	2,321,000	2,141,000	6,855,000	6,295,000
Capital expenditures:
Capital Expenditures	3,217,000	2,534,000	7,710,000	9,101,000
Segment Assets
Total assets	74,556,000		74,556,000		$ 65,219,000
Operating Segments [Member] | Corporate Administration [Member]
Segment profit:
Depreciation and amortization	5,560,000	3,453,000	14,614,000	8,595,000
Capital expenditures:
Capital Expenditures	5,472,000	14,175,000	27,725,000	34,120,000
Intersegment Eliminations [Member] | Intersegment Eliminations [Member]
Revenues:
Total revenues	$ (49,948,000)	$ (48,877,000)	$ (149,690,000)	$ (145,192,000)