Adoption of ASU 2014-09, "Revenue from Contracts with Customers" – Impact of Adoption on the Statement of Income (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, shares in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2018	Jul. 01, 2018	Apr. 01, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Sep. 24, 2017	Jun. 25, 2017	Mar. 26, 2017	Dec. 30, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 25, 2016
Revenues:
Total revenues	$ 373,981,000	$ 364,007,000	$ 407,959,000	$ 427,369,000	$ 467,606,000	$ 431,709,000	$ 434,778,000	$ 449,266,000	$ 1,573,316,000	$ 1,783,359,000	$ 1,713,620,000
Costs and expenses:
General and administrative expenses									192,551,000	150,866,000	158,135,000
Depreciation and amortization									46,403,000	43,668,000	40,987,000
Total costs and expenses									1,542,647,000	1,630,668,000	1,559,319,000
Refranchising and impairment gains/(losses), net									(289,000)	(1,674,000)	10,222,000
Operating income	(8,314,000)	(13,990,000)	25,367,000	27,317,000	36,604,000	33,515,000	37,217,000	43,681,000	30,380,000	151,017,000	164,523,000
Investment income									817,000	608,000	785,000
Interest expense									(25,306,000)	(11,283,000)	(7,397,000)
Income before income taxes									5,891,000	140,342,000	158,809,000
Income tax expense									2,646,000	33,817,000	49,717,000
Net income before attribution to noncontrolling interests									3,245,000	106,525,000	109,092,000
Income attributable to noncontrolling interests									(1,599,000)	(4,233,000)	(6,272,000)
Net income attributable to the Company	(13,849,000)	(13,033,000)	11,791,000	16,737,000	28,509,000	21,817,000	23,538,000	28,428,000	1,646,000	102,292,000	102,820,000
Calculation of income for earnings per share:
Net income attributable to the Company	$ (13,849,000)	$ (13,033,000)	$ 11,791,000	$ 16,737,000	$ 28,509,000	$ 21,817,000	$ 23,538,000	$ 28,428,000	1,646,000	102,292,000	102,820,000
Net income attributable to common shareholders									$ 1,646,000	$ 103,288,000	$ 102,967,000
Basic earnings per common share	$ (0.44)	$ (0.41)	$ 0.37	$ 0.50	$ 0.82	$ 0.61	$ 0.66	$ 0.78	$ 0.05	$ 2.86	$ 2.76
Diluted earnings per common share	$ (0.44)	$ (0.41)	$ 0.36	$ 0.50	$ 0.81	$ 0.60	$ 0.65	$ 0.77	$ 0.05	$ 2.83	$ 2.74
Basic weighted average common shares outstanding									32,083	36,083	37,253
Diluted weighted average common shares outstanding									32,299	36,522	37,608
Domestic company owned restaurants segment
Revenues:
Total revenues									$ 692,380,000	$ 816,718,000	$ 815,931,000
Costs and expenses:
Operating costs (excluding depreciation and amortization shown separately below):									576,799,000	664,640,000	651,536,000
Refranchising and impairment gains/(losses), net									300,000		11,600,000
North America franchising
Revenues:
Total revenues									79,293,000	106,729,000	102,980,000
North America commissary
Revenues:
Total revenues									609,866,000	673,712,000	623,883,000
Costs and expenses:
Operating costs (excluding depreciation and amortization shown separately below):									575,103,000	631,537,000	579,834,000
International
Revenues:
Total revenues									110,349,000	114,021,000	100,904,000
Costs and expenses:
Operating costs (excluding depreciation and amortization shown separately below):									67,775,000	70,622,000	62,574,000
Other segment
Revenues:
Total revenues									81,428,000	72,179,000	69,922,000
Costs and expenses:
Operating costs (excluding depreciation and amortization shown separately below):									84,016,000	$ 69,335,000	$ 66,253,000
Accounting Standards Update 2014-09 | Total Adjustments
Revenues:
Total revenues									(4,010,000)
Costs and expenses:
General and administrative expenses									3,428,000
Total costs and expenses									(7,372,000)
Operating income									3,362,000
Income before income taxes									3,362,000
Income tax expense									781,000
Net income before attribution to noncontrolling interests									2,581,000
Net income attributable to the Company									2,581,000
Calculation of income for earnings per share:
Net income attributable to the Company									2,581,000
Net income attributable to common shareholders									$ 2,581,000
Basic earnings per common share									$ 0.08
Diluted earnings per common share									$ 0.08
Basic weighted average common shares outstanding									32,083
Diluted weighted average common shares outstanding									32,299
Accounting Standards Update 2014-09 | Total Adjustments | Domestic company owned restaurants segment
Revenues:
Total revenues									$ 3,295,000
Costs and expenses:
Operating costs (excluding depreciation and amortization shown separately below):									47,000
Accounting Standards Update 2014-09 | Total Adjustments | North America franchising
Revenues:
Total revenues									375,000
Accounting Standards Update 2014-09 | Total Adjustments | North America commissary
Revenues:
Total revenues									3,353,000
Accounting Standards Update 2014-09 | Total Adjustments | International
Revenues:
Total revenues									205,000
Accounting Standards Update 2014-09 | Total Adjustments | Other segment
Revenues:
Total revenues									(11,238,000)
Costs and expenses:
Operating costs (excluding depreciation and amortization shown separately below):									(10,847,000)
Accounting Standards Update 2014-09 | Without Adoption of Topic 606
Revenues:
Total revenues									1,569,306,000
Costs and expenses:
General and administrative expenses									195,979,000
Depreciation and amortization									46,403,000
Total costs and expenses									1,535,275,000
Refranchising and impairment gains/(losses), net									(289,000)
Operating income									33,742,000
Investment income									817,000
Interest expense									(25,306,000)
Income before income taxes									9,253,000
Income tax expense									3,427,000
Net income before attribution to noncontrolling interests									5,826,000
Income attributable to noncontrolling interests									(1,599,000)
Net income attributable to the Company									4,227,000
Calculation of income for earnings per share:
Net income attributable to the Company									4,227,000
Net income attributable to common shareholders									$ 4,227,000
Basic earnings per common share									$ 0.13
Diluted earnings per common share									$ 0.13
Basic weighted average common shares outstanding									32,083
Diluted weighted average common shares outstanding									32,299
Accounting Standards Update 2014-09 | Without Adoption of Topic 606 | Domestic company owned restaurants segment
Revenues:
Total revenues									$ 695,675,000
Costs and expenses:
Operating costs (excluding depreciation and amortization shown separately below):									576,846,000
Accounting Standards Update 2014-09 | Without Adoption of Topic 606 | North America franchising
Revenues:
Total revenues									79,668,000
Accounting Standards Update 2014-09 | Without Adoption of Topic 606 | North America commissary
Revenues:
Total revenues									613,219,000
Costs and expenses:
Operating costs (excluding depreciation and amortization shown separately below):									575,103,000
Accounting Standards Update 2014-09 | Without Adoption of Topic 606 | International
Revenues:
Total revenues									110,554,000
Costs and expenses:
Operating costs (excluding depreciation and amortization shown separately below):									67,775,000
Accounting Standards Update 2014-09 | Without Adoption of Topic 606 | Other segment
Revenues:
Total revenues									70,190,000
Costs and expenses:
Operating costs (excluding depreciation and amortization shown separately below):									$ 73,169,000