Note 1 - Nature of Operations and Basis of Presentation (Details) - Number of Stores	Aug. 31, 2014
Note 1 - Nature of Operations and Basis of Presentation (Details) - Number of Stores [Line Items]
Company-owned stores	662
Company-Owned Stores [Member] | Open [Member] | Parent Company [Member]
Note 1 - Nature of Operations and Basis of Presentation (Details) - Number of Stores [Line Items]
Company-owned stores	5
Company-Owned Stores [Member] | Open [Member] | U-Swirl, Inc. [Member]
Note 1 - Nature of Operations and Basis of Presentation (Details) - Number of Stores [Line Items]
Company-owned stores	6
Company-Owned Stores [Member] | Parent Company [Member]
Note 1 - Nature of Operations and Basis of Presentation (Details) - Number of Stores [Line Items]
Company-owned stores	5
Company-Owned Stores [Member] | U-Swirl, Inc. [Member]
Note 1 - Nature of Operations and Basis of Presentation (Details) - Number of Stores [Line Items]
Company-owned stores	6
Franchise Stores - Domestic Stores [Member] | Sold, Not Yet Open [Member] | Parent Company [Member]
Note 1 - Nature of Operations and Basis of Presentation (Details) - Number of Stores [Line Items]
Company-owned stores	4
Franchise Stores - Domestic Stores [Member] | Open [Member] | Parent Company [Member]
Note 1 - Nature of Operations and Basis of Presentation (Details) - Number of Stores [Line Items]
Company-owned stores	206
Franchise Stores - Domestic Stores [Member] | Open [Member] | U-Swirl, Inc. [Member]
Note 1 - Nature of Operations and Basis of Presentation (Details) - Number of Stores [Line Items]
Company-owned stores	269
Franchise Stores - Domestic Stores [Member] | Parent Company [Member]
Note 1 - Nature of Operations and Basis of Presentation (Details) - Number of Stores [Line Items]
Company-owned stores	210
Franchise Stores - Domestic Stores [Member] | U-Swirl, Inc. [Member]
Note 1 - Nature of Operations and Basis of Presentation (Details) - Number of Stores [Line Items]
Company-owned stores	269
Franchise Stores - Domestic Kiosks [Member] | Open [Member] | Parent Company [Member]
Note 1 - Nature of Operations and Basis of Presentation (Details) - Number of Stores [Line Items]
Company-owned stores	6
Franchise Stores - Domestic Kiosks [Member] | Parent Company [Member]
Note 1 - Nature of Operations and Basis of Presentation (Details) - Number of Stores [Line Items]
Company-owned stores	6
International License Stores (Member) | Open [Member] | Parent Company [Member]
Note 1 - Nature of Operations and Basis of Presentation (Details) - Number of Stores [Line Items]
Company-owned stores	72
International License Stores (Member) | Open [Member] | U-Swirl, Inc. [Member]
Note 1 - Nature of Operations and Basis of Presentation (Details) - Number of Stores [Line Items]
Company-owned stores	6
International License Stores (Member) | Parent Company [Member]
Note 1 - Nature of Operations and Basis of Presentation (Details) - Number of Stores [Line Items]
Company-owned stores	72
International License Stores (Member) | U-Swirl, Inc. [Member]
Note 1 - Nature of Operations and Basis of Presentation (Details) - Number of Stores [Line Items]
Company-owned stores	6
Cold Stone Creamery - Co-Branded [Member] | Sold, Not Yet Open [Member] | Parent Company [Member]
Note 1 - Nature of Operations and Basis of Presentation (Details) - Number of Stores [Line Items]
Company-owned stores	5
Cold Stone Creamery - Co-Branded [Member] | Open [Member] | Parent Company [Member]
Note 1 - Nature of Operations and Basis of Presentation (Details) - Number of Stores [Line Items]
Company-owned stores	66
Cold Stone Creamery - Co-Branded [Member] | Parent Company [Member]
Note 1 - Nature of Operations and Basis of Presentation (Details) - Number of Stores [Line Items]
Company-owned stores	71
Company-Owned Stores - Co-Branded [Member] | Open [Member] | U-Swirl, Inc. [Member]
Note 1 - Nature of Operations and Basis of Presentation (Details) - Number of Stores [Line Items]
Company-owned stores	3
Company-Owned Stores - Co-Branded [Member] | U-Swirl, Inc. [Member]
Note 1 - Nature of Operations and Basis of Presentation (Details) - Number of Stores [Line Items]
Company-owned stores	3
Franchise Stores - Co-branded [Member] | Sold, Not Yet Open [Member] | U-Swirl, Inc. [Member]
Note 1 - Nature of Operations and Basis of Presentation (Details) - Number of Stores [Line Items]
Company-owned stores	2
Franchise Stores - Co-branded [Member] | Open [Member] | U-Swirl, Inc. [Member]
Note 1 - Nature of Operations and Basis of Presentation (Details) - Number of Stores [Line Items]
Company-owned stores	12
Franchise Stores - Co-branded [Member] | U-Swirl, Inc. [Member]
Note 1 - Nature of Operations and Basis of Presentation (Details) - Number of Stores [Line Items]
Company-owned stores	14
Sold, Not Yet Open [Member]
Note 1 - Nature of Operations and Basis of Presentation (Details) - Number of Stores [Line Items]
Company-owned stores	11
Open [Member]
Note 1 - Nature of Operations and Basis of Presentation (Details) - Number of Stores [Line Items]
Company-owned stores	651