Operations and Basis of Presentation	12 Months Ended
Dec. 29, 2017
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Operations and Basis of Presentation	Operations and Basis of Presentation Description of Business and Basis of Presentation The financial statements include the consolidated accounts of The Chefs’ Warehouse, Inc. (the “Company”), and its wholly-owned subsidiaries. The Company’s quarterly periods end on the thirteenth Friday of each quarter. Every six to seven years the Company will add a fourteenth week to its fourth quarter to more closely align its year end to the calendar year. The consolidated statement of operations for the fiscal year ended December 30, 2016 contained a 53rd week while all other years presented contained 52 weeks. The Company operates in one reportable segment, food product distribution, which is concentrated on the East and West Coasts of the United States. The Company’s customer base consists primarily of menu-driven independent restaurants, fine dining establishments, country clubs, hotels, caterers, culinary schools, bakeries, patisseries, chocolatiers, cruise lines, casinos and specialty food stores. Consolidation The consolidated financial statements include all the accounts of the Company and its direct and indirect wholly-owned subsidiaries. All significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated. Guidance Adopted in 2017 Subsequent Measurement of Inventory: In July 2015, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued guidance to simplify the subsequent measurement of inventory. This guidance requires that inventory be measured at the lower of cost or net realizable value. The Company adopted this guidance prospectively. Adoption of this guidance did not impact the Company's consolidated financial statements. Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting: In March 2016, the FASB issued guidance to simplify the accounting for employee share-based payments. The main provisions are to recognize excess tax benefits in the income statement rather than to additional paid-in capital, allow an entity to account for forfeitures as they occur, allow an entity to withhold employee shares up to the individual's maximum statutory tax rate without triggering liability classification of the award, present excess tax benefits as an operating cash flow and to present cash payments for employee tax withholding on vested stock awards as a financing cash flow. The guidance also requires that any unrecognized tax benefits that were not previously recognized be recorded through a cumulative-effect adjustment to retained earnings in the period in which the guidance is adopted. Upon adoption, the Company made an accounting policy election to account for forfeitures as they occur and began recognizing any excess tax benefits through current year earnings. There were no previously unrecognized tax benefits that required a cumulative-effect adjustment to retained earnings. Adoption of this guidance did not have a material impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements. Restricted Cash: In November 2016, the FASB issued guidance which includes guidance to clarify how companies present and classify restricted cash or restricted cash equivalents in the statement of cash flows. The guidance requires that a statement of cash flows explain the change during the period in the total of cash, cash equivalents and amounts generally described as restricted cash or restricted cash equivalents. Adoption of this guidance did not impact the consolidated financial statements as the Company does not have restricted cash. Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment: In January 2017, the FASB issued guidance which simplifies goodwill impairment testing by removing Step 2 from the goodwill impairment test which required companies to assign the fair value of a reporting unit to its underlying assets and liabilities. Instead, an entity should recognize an impairment charge for the amount by which the carry amount of a reporting unit exceeds its fair value. Adoption of this guidance did not impact the Company's consolidated financial statements. Scope of Modification Accounting: In May 2017, the FASB issued guidance which clarifies when to account for a change to the terms or conditions of a share-based payment award as a modification. Under the new guidance, modification accounting is required only if the fair value, the vesting conditions, or the classification of the award (as equity or liability) changes as a result of the change in terms or conditions. Adoption of this guidance did not impact the consolidated financial statements as the Company did not have any share-based payment award modifications. Guidance Not Yet Adopted Revenue from Contracts with Customers: In May 2014, the FASB issued guidance to clarify the principles for recognizing revenue. This guidance includes the required steps to achieve the core principle that an entity should recognize revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. On August 12, 2015, the FASB voted to defer the effective date by one year to December 15, 2017 for interim and annual reporting periods beginning after that date. Early adoption is permitted but not before the original effective date (annual periods beginning after December 15, 2016). The Company has completed its analysis on the impact this guidance has on its customer contracts, sales incentive programs, gift card programs, information systems, business processes, and financial statement disclosures. The new revenue recognition model provides guidance on the identification of multiple performance obligations embedded within customer contracts. The Company's customer contracts include performance obligations which are satisfied as each product is delivered to the customer. Thus revenues will be recognized at a point in time. Under the new standard such performance obligations are satisfied at the point at which the Company transfers control to the customer. This is consistent with the Company's current practice of recognizing revenue upon delivery to the customer, with the exception of the Company's current practice of recognizing revenue at shipping point on direct-to-consumer sales. The impact of the change in revenue recognition timing of its direct-to-consumer sales is immaterial. The new standard includes the concept of variable consideration and requires companies to include variable consideration in the transaction price to the extent it is probable that there will not be a significant reversal in the amount of cumulative revenue recognized when the uncertainty is resolved. Although the Company's sales incentive programs fall under the scope of this new guidance, it will not have a significant impact on the amount or timing of revenue recognition. The new standard addresses current diversity in practice in regards to the derecognition of unredeemed gift card liabilities that are not subject to unclaimed property laws. The new guidance requires companies to recognize revenue on such liabilities through breakage or when the likelihood of customer redemption becomes remote. This is consistent with the Company's existing method of recognizing breakage revenue on these liabilities. The Company expects to adopt this guidance when effective using the modified retrospective approach. Under this approach, prior financial statements would not be restated and a cumulative effect adjustment, if any, will be recorded as an adjustment to retained earnings. The cumulative effect adjustment is immaterial to our financial statements. Adoption will result in expanded disclosures on revenue recognition policies, disaggregated revenues and contract liabilities. Leases: In February 2016, the FASB issued guidance to increase the transparency and comparability among organizations by recognizing right-of-use assets and lease liabilities on the balance sheet and disclosing key information about leasing arrangements. Current GAAP does not require lessees to recognize assets and liabilities arising from operating leases on the balance sheet. This new guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018. Early adoption is permitted. The Company expects to adopt this guidance when effective and is in the early stages of implementation. Adoption will have a material impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements, primarily to the consolidated balance sheets and related disclosures, as a result of recognizing right-of-use assets and lease liabilities arising from its operating leases. Clarifying the Definition of a Business: In January 2017, the FASB issued guidance which clarifies whether transactions should be accounted for as acquisitions of assets or businesses. The guidance requires an entity to determine if substantially all of the fair value of the assets acquired is concentrated in a single identifiable asset or a group of similar identifiable assets. If this criterion is met, the new guidance would define this as an asset acquisition. Furthermore, the guidance requires a business to include, at a minimum, an input and substantive process that together significantly contribute to the ability to create outputs. The guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017. The Company expects to adopt this guidance when effective and adoption is not expected to have a material effect on its financial statements. Use of Estimates The preparation of the Company’s consolidated financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles requires it to make estimates and assumptions that affect reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues, expenses and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities. Estimates are used in determining, among other items, the allowance for doubtful accounts, reserves for inventories, self-insurance reserves for group medical insurance, workers’ compensation insurance and automobile liability insurance, future cash flows associated with impairment testing for intangible assets (including goodwill) and long-lived assets, useful lives for intangible assets, stock-based compensation, contingent earn-out liabilities and tax reserves. Actual results could differ from estimates.

Operations and Basis of Presentation

Description of Business and Basis of Presentation

The financial statements include the consolidated accounts of The Chefs’ Warehouse, Inc. (the “Company”), and its wholly-owned subsidiaries. The Company’s quarterly periods end on the thirteenth Friday of each quarter. Every six to seven years the Company will add a fourteenth week to its fourth quarter to more closely align its year end to the calendar year. The consolidated statement of operations for the fiscal year ended December 30, 2016 contained a 53rd week while all other years presented contained 52 weeks. The Company operates in one reportable segment, food product distribution, which is concentrated on the East and West Coasts of the United States. The Company’s customer base consists primarily of menu-driven independent restaurants, fine dining establishments, country clubs, hotels, caterers, culinary schools, bakeries, patisseries, chocolatiers, cruise lines, casinos and specialty food stores.

Consolidation

The consolidated financial statements include all the accounts of the Company and its direct and indirect wholly-owned subsidiaries. All significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated.

Guidance Adopted in 2017

Subsequent Measurement of Inventory: In July 2015, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued guidance to simplify the subsequent measurement of inventory. This guidance requires that inventory be measured at the lower of cost or net realizable value. The Company adopted this guidance prospectively. Adoption of this guidance did not impact the Company's consolidated financial statements.

Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting: In March 2016, the FASB issued guidance to simplify the accounting for employee share-based payments. The main provisions are to recognize excess tax benefits in the income statement rather than to additional paid-in capital, allow an entity to account for forfeitures as they occur, allow an entity to withhold employee shares up to the individual's maximum statutory tax rate without triggering liability classification of the award, present excess tax benefits as an operating cash flow and to present cash payments for employee tax withholding on vested stock awards as a financing cash flow. The guidance also requires that any unrecognized tax benefits that were not previously recognized be recorded through a cumulative-effect adjustment to retained earnings in the period in which the guidance is adopted. Upon adoption, the Company made an accounting policy election to account for forfeitures as they occur and began recognizing any excess tax benefits through current year earnings. There were no previously unrecognized tax benefits that required a cumulative-effect adjustment to retained earnings. Adoption of this guidance did not have a material impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements.

Restricted Cash: In November 2016, the FASB issued guidance which includes guidance to clarify how companies present and classify restricted cash or restricted cash equivalents in the statement of cash flows. The guidance requires that a statement of cash flows explain the change during the period in the total of cash, cash equivalents and amounts generally described as restricted cash or restricted cash equivalents. Adoption of this guidance did not impact the consolidated financial statements as the Company does not have restricted cash.

Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment: In January 2017, the FASB issued guidance which simplifies goodwill impairment testing by removing Step 2 from the goodwill impairment test which required companies to assign the fair value of a reporting unit to its underlying assets and liabilities. Instead, an entity should recognize an impairment charge for the amount by which the carry amount of a reporting unit exceeds its fair value. Adoption of this guidance did not impact the Company's consolidated financial statements.

Scope of Modification Accounting: In May 2017, the FASB issued guidance which clarifies when to account for a change to the terms or conditions of a share-based payment award as a modification. Under the new guidance, modification accounting is required only if the fair value, the vesting conditions, or the classification of the award (as equity or liability) changes as a result of the change in terms or conditions. Adoption of this guidance did not impact the consolidated financial statements as the Company did not have any share-based payment award modifications.

Guidance Not Yet Adopted

Revenue from Contracts with Customers: In May 2014, the FASB issued guidance to clarify the principles for recognizing revenue. This guidance includes the required steps to achieve the core principle that an entity should recognize revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. On August 12, 2015, the FASB voted to defer the effective date by one year to December 15, 2017 for interim and annual reporting periods beginning after that date. Early adoption is permitted but not before the original effective date (annual periods beginning after December 15, 2016).

The Company has completed its analysis on the impact this guidance has on its customer contracts, sales incentive programs, gift card programs, information systems, business processes, and financial statement disclosures. The new revenue recognition model provides guidance on the identification of multiple performance obligations embedded within customer contracts. The Company's customer contracts include performance obligations which are satisfied as each product is delivered to the customer. Thus revenues will be recognized at a point in time. Under the new standard such performance obligations are satisfied at the point at which the Company transfers control to the customer. This is consistent with the Company's current practice of recognizing revenue upon delivery to the customer, with the exception of the Company's current practice of recognizing revenue at shipping point on direct-to-consumer sales. The impact of the change in revenue recognition timing of its direct-to-consumer sales is immaterial.

The new standard includes the concept of variable consideration and requires companies to include variable consideration in the transaction price to the extent it is probable that there will not be a significant reversal in the amount of cumulative revenue recognized when the uncertainty is resolved. Although the Company's sales incentive programs fall under the scope of this new guidance, it will not have a significant impact on the amount or timing of revenue recognition.

The new standard addresses current diversity in practice in regards to the derecognition of unredeemed gift card liabilities that are not subject to unclaimed property laws. The new guidance requires companies to recognize revenue on such liabilities through breakage or when the likelihood of customer redemption becomes remote. This is consistent with the Company's existing method of recognizing breakage revenue on these liabilities.

The Company expects to adopt this guidance when effective using the modified retrospective approach. Under this approach, prior financial statements would not be restated and a cumulative effect adjustment, if any, will be recorded as an adjustment to retained earnings. The cumulative effect adjustment is immaterial to our financial statements. Adoption will result in expanded disclosures on revenue recognition policies, disaggregated revenues and contract liabilities.

Leases: In February 2016, the FASB issued guidance to increase the transparency and comparability among organizations by recognizing right-of-use assets and lease liabilities on the balance sheet and disclosing key information about leasing arrangements. Current GAAP does not require lessees to recognize assets and liabilities arising from operating leases on the balance sheet. This new guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018. Early adoption is permitted. The Company expects to adopt this guidance when effective and is in the early stages of implementation. Adoption will have a material impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements, primarily to the consolidated balance sheets and related disclosures, as a result of recognizing right-of-use assets and lease liabilities arising from its operating leases.

Clarifying the Definition of a Business: In January 2017, the FASB issued guidance which clarifies whether transactions should be accounted for as acquisitions of assets or businesses. The guidance requires an entity to determine if substantially all of the fair value of the assets acquired is concentrated in a single identifiable asset or a group of similar identifiable assets. If this criterion is met, the new guidance would define this as an asset acquisition. Furthermore, the guidance requires a business to include, at a minimum, an input and substantive process that together significantly contribute to the ability to create outputs. The guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017. The Company expects to adopt this guidance when effective and adoption is not expected to have a material effect on its financial statements.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of the Company’s consolidated financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles requires it to make estimates and assumptions that affect reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues, expenses and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities. Estimates are used in determining, among other items, the allowance for doubtful accounts, reserves for inventories, self-insurance reserves for group medical insurance, workers’ compensation insurance and automobile liability insurance, future cash flows associated with impairment testing for intangible assets (including goodwill) and long-lived assets, useful lives for intangible assets, stock-based compensation, contingent earn-out liabilities and tax reserves. Actual results could differ from estimates.