Adoption of ASU 2014-09, "Revenue from Contracts with Customers" – Impact of Adoption for the Third Quarter on the Statement of Income (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 24, 2017	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 24, 2017
Revenues:
Total revenues	$ 364,007	$ 431,709	$ 1,199,335	$ 1,315,753
Costs and expenses:
General and administrative expenses	55,462	35,758	133,903	112,420
Depreciation and amortization	11,585	11,181	34,855	32,292
Total costs and expenses	377,997	398,194	1,158,723	1,201,340
Refranchising loss, net			(1,918)
Operating (loss) income	(13,990)	33,515	38,694	114,413
Net Interest expense	(5,963)	(2,566)	(16,580)	(6,135)
(Loss) Income before income taxes	(19,953)	30,949	22,114	108,278
Income tax (benefit) expense	(7,359)	8,280	4,663	30,728
Net (loss) income before attribution to noncontrolling interests	(12,594)	22,669	17,451	77,550
Income attributable to noncontrolling interests	(439)	(852)	(1,956)	(3,767)
Net (loss) income attributable to the Company	(13,033)	21,817	15,495	73,783
Calculation of (loss) income for (loss) earnings per share:
Net (loss) income attributable to the Company	(13,033)	21,817	15,495	73,783
Change in noncontrolling interest redemption value		237		1,419
Net income attributable to participating securities		(89)	(147)	(305)
Net (loss) income attributable to common shareholders	$ (13,033)	$ 21,965	$ 15,348	$ 74,897
Basic (loss) earnings per common share	$ (0.41)	$ 0.61	$ 0.48	$ 2.05
Diluted (loss) earnings per common share	$ (0.41)	$ 0.60	$ 0.47	$ 2.02
Basic weighted average common shares outstanding	31,573	36,146	32,265	36,563
Diluted weighted average common shares outstanding	31,573	36,581	32,489	37,047
Domestic Company-owned restaurants
Revenues:
Total revenues	$ 158,285	$ 196,267	$ 529,906	$ 605,919
Costs and expenses:
Operating costs (excluding depreciation and amortization shown separately below):	135,836	161,867	440,936	489,719
North America franchising
Revenues:
Total revenues	12,806	25,567	61,524	79,762
North America commissary
Revenues:
Total revenues	146,240	164,028	461,408	495,427
Costs and expenses:
Operating costs (excluding depreciation and amortization shown separately below):	137,928	155,572	432,909	465,001
International
Revenues:
Total revenues	25,653	28,771	84,836	81,638
Costs and expenses:
Operating costs (excluding depreciation and amortization shown separately below):	15,184	17,910	52,462	50,973
Other segment
Revenues:
Total revenues	21,023	17,076	61,661	53,007
Costs and expenses:
Operating costs (excluding depreciation and amortization shown separately below):	22,002	$ 15,906	63,658	$ 50,935
Accounting Standards Update 2014-09 | Total Adjustments
Revenues:
Total revenues	(1,486)		(5,736)
Costs and expenses:
General and administrative expenses	(317)		221
Total costs and expenses	(2,725)		(8,835)
Operating (loss) income	1,239		3,099
(Loss) Income before income taxes	1,239		3,099
Income tax (benefit) expense	277		695
Net (loss) income before attribution to noncontrolling interests	962		2,404
Net (loss) income attributable to the Company	962		2,404
Calculation of (loss) income for (loss) earnings per share:
Net (loss) income attributable to the Company	962		2,404
Net (loss) income attributable to common shareholders	$ 962		$ 2,404
Basic (loss) earnings per common share	$ 0.03		$ 0.07
Diluted (loss) earnings per common share	$ 0.03		$ 0.07
Basic weighted average common shares outstanding	31,573		32,265
Diluted weighted average common shares outstanding	31,573		32,489
Accounting Standards Update 2014-09 | Total Adjustments | Domestic Company-owned restaurants
Revenues:
Total revenues	$ 1,185		$ 2,261
Costs and expenses:
Operating costs (excluding depreciation and amortization shown separately below):	(126)		(464)
Accounting Standards Update 2014-09 | Total Adjustments | North America franchising
Revenues:
Total revenues	91		211
Accounting Standards Update 2014-09 | Total Adjustments | International
Revenues:
Total revenues	(112)		212
Accounting Standards Update 2014-09 | Total Adjustments | Other segment
Revenues:
Total revenues	(2,650)		(8,420)
Costs and expenses:
Operating costs (excluding depreciation and amortization shown separately below):	(2,282)		(8,592)
Accounting Standards Update 2014-09 | Without Adoption of Topic 606
Revenues:
Total revenues	362,521		1,193,599
Costs and expenses:
General and administrative expenses	55,145		134,124
Depreciation and amortization	11,585		34,855
Total costs and expenses	375,272		1,149,888
Refranchising loss, net			(1,918)
Operating (loss) income	(12,751)		41,793
Net Interest expense	(5,963)		(16,580)
(Loss) Income before income taxes	(18,714)		25,213
Income tax (benefit) expense	(7,082)		5,358
Net (loss) income before attribution to noncontrolling interests	(11,632)		19,855
Income attributable to noncontrolling interests	(439)		(1,956)
Net (loss) income attributable to the Company	(12,071)		17,899
Calculation of (loss) income for (loss) earnings per share:
Net (loss) income attributable to the Company	(12,071)		17,899
Net income attributable to participating securities			(147)
Net (loss) income attributable to common shareholders	$ (12,071)		$ 17,752
Basic (loss) earnings per common share	$ (0.38)		$ 0.55
Diluted (loss) earnings per common share	$ (0.38)		$ 0.55
Basic weighted average common shares outstanding	31,573		32,265
Diluted weighted average common shares outstanding	31,573		32,489
Accounting Standards Update 2014-09 | Without Adoption of Topic 606 | Domestic Company-owned restaurants
Revenues:
Total revenues	$ 159,470		$ 532,167
Costs and expenses:
Operating costs (excluding depreciation and amortization shown separately below):	135,710		440,472
Accounting Standards Update 2014-09 | Without Adoption of Topic 606 | North America franchising
Revenues:
Total revenues	12,897		61,735
Accounting Standards Update 2014-09 | Without Adoption of Topic 606 | North America commissary
Revenues:
Total revenues	146,240		461,408
Costs and expenses:
Operating costs (excluding depreciation and amortization shown separately below):	137,928		432,909
Accounting Standards Update 2014-09 | Without Adoption of Topic 606 | International
Revenues:
Total revenues	25,541		85,048
Costs and expenses:
Operating costs (excluding depreciation and amortization shown separately below):	15,184		52,462
Accounting Standards Update 2014-09 | Without Adoption of Topic 606 | Other segment
Revenues:
Total revenues	18,373		53,241
Costs and expenses:
Operating costs (excluding depreciation and amortization shown separately below):	$ 19,720		$ 55,066