Description of Business and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)	9 Months Ended
	Oct. 01, 2017
Entity Information [Line Items]
Business Description and Basis of Presentation [Text Block]	1. Description of Business and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies: Description of Business The use of the terms “CEC Entertainment,” the “Company,” “we,” “us” and “our” throughout these unaudited notes to the interim Consolidated Financial Statements refer to CEC Entertainment, Inc. and its subsidiaries. We currently operate and franchise Chuck E. Cheese’s and Peter Piper Pizza family dining and entertainment venues in a total of 47 states and 13 foreign countries and territories. Our venues provide our guests with a variety of family entertainment and dining alternatives. All of our venues utilize a consistent restaurant-entertainment format that features both family dining and entertainment areas with a mix of food, entertainment and merchandise. The economic characteristics, products and services, preparation processes, distribution methods and types of customers are substantially similar for each of our venues. Therefore, we aggregate each venue’s operating performance into one reportable segment for financial reporting purposes.
Organization, Consolidation, Basis of Presentation, Business Description and Accounting Policies [Text Block]	Description of Business and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies: Description of Business The use of the terms “CEC Entertainment,” the “Company,” “we,” “us” and “our” throughout these unaudited notes to the interim Consolidated Financial Statements refer to CEC Entertainment, Inc. and its subsidiaries. We currently operate and franchise Chuck E. Cheese’s and Peter Piper Pizza family dining and entertainment venues in a total of 47 states and 13 foreign countries and territories. Our venues provide our guests with a variety of family entertainment and dining alternatives. All of our venues utilize a consistent restaurant-entertainment format that features both family dining and entertainment areas with a mix of food, entertainment and merchandise. The economic characteristics, products and services, preparation processes, distribution methods and types of customers are substantially similar for each of our venues. Therefore, we aggregate each venue’s operating performance into one reportable segment for financial reporting purposes. Basis of Presentation The Company has a controlling financial interest in International Association of CEC Entertainment, Inc. (the “Association”), a variable interest entity (“VIE”). The Association primarily administers the collection and disbursement of funds (the “Association Funds”) used for advertising, entertainment and media programs that benefit both us and our Chuck E. Cheese’s franchisees. We and our franchisees are required to contribute a percentage of gross sales to these funds and could be required to make additional contributions to fund any deficits that may be incurred by the Association. We include the Association in our Consolidated Financial Statements, as we concluded that we are the primary beneficiary of its variable interests because we (a) have the power to direct the majority of its significant operating activities; (b) provide it unsecured lines of credit; and (c) own the majority of the venues that benefit from the Association’s advertising, entertainment and media expenditures. The assets, liabilities and operating results of the Association are not material to our Consolidated Financial Statements. Because the Association Funds are required to be segregated and used for specified purposes, we do not reflect franchisee contributions to the Association Funds as revenue, but rather record franchisee contributions as an offset to reported advertising expenses. Our contributions to the Association Funds are eliminated in consolidation. Contributions to the advertising, entertainment and media funds from our franchisees were $1.7 million for both the nine months ended October 1, 2017 and October 2, 2016, respectively. Cash balances held by the Association are restricted for use in our advertising, entertainment and media programs, and are recorded as “Restricted cash” on our Consolidated Balance Sheets. The preparation of these unaudited Consolidated Financial Statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”) requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of our unaudited Consolidated Financial Statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Interim Financial Statements The accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements as of and for the three and nine months ended October 1, 2017 and October 2, 2016 are unaudited and are presented in accordance with the requirements for quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and, consequently, do not include all of the information and footnote disclosures required by GAAP. In the opinion of management, the Consolidated Financial Statements include all adjustments (consisting solely of normal recurring adjustments) necessary for the fair statement of its consolidated results of operations, financial position and cash flows as of the dates and for the periods presented in accordance with GAAP and the rules and regulations of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). All intercompany accounts have been eliminated in consolidation. Consolidated results of operations for interim periods are not necessarily indicative of results for the full year. The unaudited Consolidated Financial Statements should be read in conjunction with the Consolidated Financial Statements and related notes included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 1, 2017, filed with the SEC on March 16, 2017.
Basis of Presentation	Basis of Presentation The Company has a controlling financial interest in International Association of CEC Entertainment, Inc. (the “Association”), a variable interest entity (“VIE”). The Association primarily administers the collection and disbursement of funds (the “Association Funds”) used for advertising, entertainment and media programs that benefit both us and our Chuck E. Cheese’s franchisees. We and our franchisees are required to contribute a percentage of gross sales to these funds and could be required to make additional contributions to fund any deficits that may be incurred by the Association. We include the Association in our Consolidated Financial Statements, as we concluded that we are the primary beneficiary of its variable interests because we (a) have the power to direct the majority of its significant operating activities; (b) provide it unsecured lines of credit; and (c) own the majority of the venues that benefit from the Association’s advertising, entertainment and media expenditures. The assets, liabilities and operating results of the Association are not material to our Consolidated Financial Statements. Because the Association Funds are required to be segregated and used for specified purposes, we do not reflect franchisee contributions to the Association Funds as revenue, but rather record franchisee contributions as an offset to reported advertising expenses. Our contributions to the Association Funds are eliminated in consolidation. Contributions to the advertising, entertainment and media funds from our franchisees were $1.7 million for both the nine months ended October 1, 2017 and October 2, 2016, respectively. Cash balances held by the Association are restricted for use in our advertising, entertainment and media programs, and are recorded as “Restricted cash” on our Consolidated Balance Sheets. The preparation of these unaudited Consolidated Financial Statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”) requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of our unaudited Consolidated Financial Statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
Sale Leaseback Transaction	On April 25, 2017, we closed a sale leaseback transaction with NADG NNN Acquisitions, Inc. (“NADG NNN”). Pursuant to the sale leaseback transaction, we sold our property located in Conyers, Georgia to NADG NNN, and we leased the property back from NADG NNN pursuant to a master lease on a triple-net basis for its continued use as Chuck-E-Cheese’s family dining and entertainment venue. The lease has an initial term of 20 years, with four five-year options to renew. For accounting purposes, this sale-leaseback transaction is accounted for under the financing method rather than as a completed sale. Under the financing method, we (i) include the sales proceeds received in other long-term liabilities until our continuing involvement with the properties is terminated, (ii) report the associated property as owned assets, (iii) continue to depreciate the assets over their remaining useful lives, and (iv) record the rental payments as interest expense and a reduction of the sale leaseback obligation. When and if our continuing involvement with a property terminates and the sale of that property is recognized for accounting purposes, we expect to record a gain equal to the excess of the proceeds received over the remaining net book value of the property. The aggregate purchase price for the property in connection with the sale leaseback transaction was approximately $4.1 million million in cash, and the net proceeds realized were approximately $3.9 million
Recently Issued Accounting Guidance	Recently Issued Accounting Guidance Accounting Guidance Adopted: Effective January 2, 2017 we adopted Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2015-11, Inventory (Topic 330): Simplifying the Measurement of Inventory. This amendment requires entities to measure most inventory at the “lower of cost or net realizable value,” thereby simplifying the former guidance under which entities measured inventory at the lower of cost or market (market in this context was defined as one of three different measures, one of which was net realizable value). The adoption of this amendment did not have a significant impact on our Consolidated Financial Statements. Effective January 2, 2017 we adopted ASU 2016-09, Compensation—Stock Compensation (Topic 718). This amendment requires that (i) all excess tax benefits and deficiencies (including tax benefits of dividends on share-based payment awards) be recognized as income tax expense or benefit on the income statement, (ii) the tax effects of exercised or vested awards be treated as discrete items in the reporting period in which they occur, and (iii) an entity recognize excess tax benefits regardless of whether the benefit reduces taxes payable in the current period or not. On the statement of cash flows excess tax benefits are classified along with other income tax cash flows as an operating activity. As allowed by the amendment we have elected to account for forfeitures when they occur. The threshold for an award to qualify for equity classification permits withholding up to the maximum statutory tax rate in applicable jurisdictions, and the cash paid by an employer when directly withholding shares for tax-withholding purposes should be classified as a financing activity on the statement of cash flows. The adoption of this amendment did not have a significant impact on our Consolidated Financial Statements. Accounting Guidance Not Yet Adopted: In February 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued ASU 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842). This new standard introduces a new lease model that requires the recognition of lease assets and lease liabilities on the balance sheet and the disclosure of key information about leasing arrangements. While this new standard retains most of the principles of the existing lessor model under U.S. GAAP, it aligns many of those principles with Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 606: Revenue from Contracts with Customers. The new guidance will be effective for us beginning on December 31, 2018. Early adoption will be permitted for all entities. We are currently evaluating the impact of the adoption of this guidance on our Consolidated Financial Statements, but we expect this will have a material effect on our balance sheet since the Company has a significant amount of operating and capital lease arrangements. In April 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-10, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606): Identifying Performance Obligations and Licensing. This amendment updates the revenue guidance on identifying performance obligations and accounting for licenses of intellectual property, changing the FASB's previous proposals on right-of-use licenses and contractual restrictions. For an entity that licenses intellectual property, the amount or timing of revenue recognition and the timing and pattern of revenue recognition for intellectual property licenses, including the application of the sale- and usage-based royalties exception, may be significantly different from current practice. We are currently in the process of completing our assessment of all potential impacts of this amendment on our revenues, including: (i) our accounting for franchise and development fees, and (ii) accounting for our national advertising costs under the Association Funds. Specifically, we expect the adoption of this amendment will require us to recognize initial and renewal franchise and development fees on a straight-line basis over the life of the franchise agreement. Historically, we have recognized revenue from initial franchise and development fees upon the opening of a franchised restaurant when we have completed all of our material obligations and initial services. Additionally, we expect to account for our national advertising fund revenues on a gross basis, instead of net. We do not expect the impact of recognizing initial franchise fees over the franchise agreement period and recognizing advertising expense upon adoption of this standard to have a material effect on our consolidated financial statements. We have determined that this amendment will not have an impact on our recognition of revenue related to our franchise royalties, which are based on a percentage of franchise sales and revenue from Company-operated venues. We will adopt the guidance in this amendment beginning with our fiscal first quarter 2018 and will apply the guidance using the modified retrospective method, recognizing the cumulative effect of applying the new standard to new contracts and contracts that are not considered completed as of January 1, 2018, with no restatement of the comparative periods presented. In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-01, Clarifying the Definition of a Business (Topic 805). The amendments in this update clarify the definition of a business to assist entities with evaluating whether transactions should be accounted for as acquisitions or disposals of assets or businesses. The definition of a business affects many areas of accounting, including acquisitions, disposals, goodwill and consolidation. This ASU will be effective for us for annual and interim reporting periods beginning on January 1, 2018. We do not expect the adoption of this amendment to have a significant impact on our Consolidated Financial Statements. In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-04, Goodwill and Other (Topic 350): Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment. This amendment eliminates Step 2, which measures a goodwill impairment loss by comparing the implied fair value of a reporting unit’s goodwill with the carrying amount of that goodwill, from the goodwill impairment test. Instead, under the amendments in this ASU, an entity should perform its annual, or interim, goodwill impairment test by comparing the fair value of a reporting unit with its carrying amount. An entity should recognize an impairment charge for the amount by which the carrying amount exceeds the reporting unit’s fair value. However, the loss recognized should not exceed the total amount of goodwill allocated to that reporting unit. Additionally, an entity should consider income tax effects from any tax deductible goodwill on the carrying amount of the reporting unit when measuring the goodwill impairment loss, if applicable. This ASU is effective for us for our annual or any interim goodwill impairment test in fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2020 and will be applied on a prospective basis. Early adoption is permitted for interim or annual goodwill impairment tests performed on testing dates after January 1, 2017. We do not expect the adoption of this amendment to have a significant impact on our Consolidated Financial Statements. In August 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-12, Derivatives and Hedging (Topic 815). This amendment expands and refines hedge accounting for both nonfinancial and financial risk components and aligns the recognition and presentation of the effects of the hedging instrument and the hedged item in the financial statements. It also includes certain targeted improvements to simplify the application of current guidance related to hedge accounting. This ASU will be effective for us for annual and interim reporting periods beginning on December 31, 2019, with early adoption permitted. We do not expect the adoption of this amendment to have a significant impact on our Consolidated Financial Statements.