Prepaid Expenses (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Jan. 01, 2019	Jan. 02, 2018
Prepaid Expenses
Gift card contract assets	$ 23,388	$ 23,814
Rent	4,939	12,300
Other	12,318	21,552
Total	$ 40,645	$ 57,666

Carrying amount as of the balance sheet date of gift card cost payments made in advance over the period; such amounts will be charged against earnings within one year or the normal operating cycle, if longer.

No definition available.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	cake_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of asset related to consideration paid in advance for other costs that provide economic benefits within a future period of one year or the normal operating cycle, if longer.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (g)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=82887183&loc=d3e6676-107765

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-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 2
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=82887183&loc=d3e6787-107765

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of asset related to consideration paid in advance for costs that provide economic benefits within a future period of one year or the normal operating cycle, if longer.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 2
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=82887183&loc=d3e6787-107765

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-Publisher FASB
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-Topic 210
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-Section 45
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (g)
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Reference 3: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 340
-SubTopic 10
-Section 05
-Paragraph 5
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=68074540&loc=d3e5879-108316

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of asset related to consideration paid in advance for rent that provides economic benefits within a future period of one year or the normal operating cycle, if longer.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 340
-SubTopic 10
-Section 05
-Paragraph 5
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Reference 3: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 340
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-Section 05
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-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=68074540&loc=d3e5865-108316

Reference 4: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
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-Section 45
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (g)(3)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=82887183&loc=d3e6676-107765

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant