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Income Taxes (Narrative) (Details) (USD $)
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
Dec. 25, 2013
Dec. 26, 2012
Valuation Allowance [Line Items]      
Tax benefit recognized $ (270,000)us-gaap_ValuationAllowanceDeferredTaxAssetChangeInAmount $ (420,000)us-gaap_ValuationAllowanceDeferredTaxAssetChangeInAmount $ (661,000)us-gaap_ValuationAllowanceDeferredTaxAssetChangeInAmount
Out-of-period discrete tax adjustment (500,000)us-gaap_TaxAdjustmentsSettlementsAndUnusualProvisions   1,700,000us-gaap_TaxAdjustmentsSettlementsAndUnusualProvisions
Deferred tax benefit 13,215,000us-gaap_DeferredIncomeTaxExpenseBenefit 9,100,000us-gaap_DeferredIncomeTaxExpenseBenefit 11,423,000us-gaap_DeferredIncomeTaxExpenseBenefit
Tax credit carryforward 22,089,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsTaxCreditCarryforwardsGeneralBusiness 29,490,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsTaxCreditCarryforwardsGeneralBusiness  
Alternative minimum tax credit carryforwards 7,811,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsTaxCreditCarryforwardsAlternativeMinimumTax 10,344,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsTaxCreditCarryforwardsAlternativeMinimumTax  
Valuation allowance, amount to be credited to paid-in capital 2,000,000denn_ValuationAllowanceDeferredTaxAssetAmountToBeCreditedToPaidInCapital    
South Carolina net operating loss carryforwards 78.00%denn_OperatingLossCarryforwardsStateAndLocalPercentageOfIncomeTaxAuthority    
Unrecognized tax benefits 0us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefits 0us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefits  
General Business Tax Credit Carryforward [Member]      
Valuation Allowance [Line Items]      
Deferred tax benefit   300,000us-gaap_DeferredIncomeTaxExpenseBenefit
/ us-gaap_TaxCreditCarryforwardAxis
= us-gaap_GeneralBusinessMember
 
Tax credit carryforward 24,700,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsTaxCreditCarryforwardsGeneralBusiness
/ us-gaap_TaxCreditCarryforwardAxis
= us-gaap_GeneralBusinessMember
   
Tax credit carryforwards unrecognized 5,300,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsTaxDeferredExpenseCompensationAndBenefitsShareBasedCompensationCost
/ us-gaap_TaxCreditCarryforwardAxis
= us-gaap_GeneralBusinessMember
   
Alternative Minimum Tax Credit Carryforward [Member]      
Valuation Allowance [Line Items]      
Alternative minimum tax credit carryforwards 7,800,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsTaxCreditCarryforwardsAlternativeMinimumTax
/ us-gaap_TaxCreditCarryforwardAxis
= denn_AlternativeMinimumTaxCreditCarryforwardMember
   
AMT NOL Carryforwards [Member]      
Valuation Allowance [Line Items]      
NOL carryforwards 28,000,000us-gaap_OperatingLossCarryforwards
/ us-gaap_TaxCreditCarryforwardAxis
= denn_NetOperatingLossesAlternativeMinimumTaxMember
   
State and Local Jurisdiction [Member]      
Valuation Allowance [Line Items]      
Tax benefit recognized   (200,000)us-gaap_ValuationAllowanceDeferredTaxAssetChangeInAmount
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= us-gaap_StateAndLocalJurisdictionMember
 
State job tax credits 700,000us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationTaxCredits
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= us-gaap_StateAndLocalJurisdictionMember
800,000us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationTaxCredits
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= us-gaap_StateAndLocalJurisdictionMember
 
Additional state job tax credits 500,000us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationTaxCreditsOther
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= us-gaap_StateAndLocalJurisdictionMember
   
Out-of-period discrete tax adjustment     $ 1,600,000us-gaap_TaxAdjustmentsSettlementsAndUnusualProvisions
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= us-gaap_StateAndLocalJurisdictionMember