Operations and Basis of Presentation	9 Months Ended
Sep. 28, 2018
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 Company operates in one reportable segment, foodservice distribution, which is concentrated primarily 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. Unaudited Interim Financial Statements The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements and the related interim information contained within the notes to such unaudited consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) and the applicable rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) for interim information and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. Accordingly, they do not include all the information and disclosures required by GAAP for complete financial statements. These unaudited consolidated financial statements and related notes should be read in conjunction with the Company’s audited consolidated financial statements and notes thereto for the fiscal year ended December 29, 2017 filed as part of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K, as filed with the SEC on March 9, 2018. The unaudited consolidated financial statements appearing in this Form 10-Q have been prepared on the same basis as the audited consolidated financial statements included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K, as filed with the SEC on March 9, 2018, and in the opinion of management include all normal recurring adjustments that are necessary for the fair statement of the Company’s interim period results. The year-end consolidated balance sheet data was derived from the audited financial statements but does not include all disclosures required by GAAP. Due to seasonal fluctuations and other factors, the results of operations for the thirteen and thirty-nine weeks ended September 28, 2018 are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the full year. The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make significant estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting periods. Actual results could differ from management’s estimates. Guidance Adopted in 2018 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 Company adopted this guidance as of December 30, 2017. 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. The Company adopted this guidance as of December 30, 2017 using the modified retrospective approach. Under this approach, prior financial statements are not restated and a cumulative effect adjustment is recognized upon adoption. The cumulative effect adjustment was immaterial to the Company’s financial statements. In addition, the Company made an accounting policy election to adopt the permitted practical expedient that allows an entity to expense the incremental costs of acquiring a contract as incurred if the amortization period is one year or less. Guidance Not Yet Adopted Comprehensive Income: In February 2018, the FASB issued guidance that permits a Company to reclassify the stranded tax effects in accumulated other comprehensive income resulting from the enactment of H.R. 1, originally known as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, (the “Tax Act”) to retained earnings. The guidance also requires companies to disclose the accounting policy for releasing disproportionate tax effects from accumulated other comprehensive income. The 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 adoption is not expected to have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements. 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. In July 2018, the FASB issued new guidance that provided for a new optional transition method that allows entities to initially apply the new leases standard at the adoption date and recognize a cumulative-effect adjustment to opening retained earnings. Under this approach, comparative periods are not restated. The Company expects to adopt this guidance when effective using the optional transition method. The Company is implementing a software platform to facilitate compliance with the new standard and updating related business processes and controls. 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.

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 Company operates in one reportable segment, foodservice distribution, which is concentrated primarily 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.

Unaudited Interim Financial Statements

The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements and the related interim information contained within the notes to such unaudited consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) and the applicable rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) for interim information and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. Accordingly, they do not include all the information and disclosures required by GAAP for complete financial statements. These unaudited consolidated financial statements and related notes should be read in conjunction with the Company’s audited consolidated financial statements and notes thereto for the fiscal year ended December 29, 2017 filed as part of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K, as filed with the SEC on March 9, 2018.

The unaudited consolidated financial statements appearing in this Form 10-Q have been prepared on the same basis as the audited consolidated financial statements included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K, as filed with the SEC on March 9, 2018, and in the opinion of management include all normal recurring adjustments that are necessary for the fair statement of the Company’s interim period results. The year-end consolidated balance sheet data was derived from the audited financial statements but does not include all disclosures required by GAAP. Due to seasonal fluctuations and other factors, the results of operations for the thirteen and thirty-nine weeks ended September 28, 2018 are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the full year.

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make significant estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting periods. Actual results could differ from management’s estimates.

Guidance Adopted in 2018

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 Company adopted this guidance as of December 30, 2017.

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. The Company adopted this guidance as of December 30, 2017 using the modified retrospective approach. Under this approach, prior financial statements are not restated and a cumulative effect adjustment is recognized upon adoption. The cumulative effect adjustment was immaterial to the Company’s financial statements. In addition, the Company made an accounting policy election to adopt the permitted practical expedient that allows an entity to expense the incremental costs of acquiring a contract as incurred if the amortization period is one year or less.

Guidance Not Yet Adopted

Comprehensive Income: In February 2018, the FASB issued guidance that permits a Company to reclassify the stranded tax effects in accumulated other comprehensive income resulting from the enactment of H.R. 1, originally known as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, (the “Tax Act”) to retained earnings. The guidance also requires companies to disclose the accounting policy for releasing disproportionate tax effects from accumulated other comprehensive income. The 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 adoption is not expected to have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

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. In July 2018, the FASB issued new guidance that provided for a new optional transition method that allows entities to initially apply the new leases standard at the adoption date and recognize a cumulative-effect adjustment to opening retained earnings. Under this approach, comparative periods are not restated. The Company expects to adopt this guidance when effective using the optional transition method. The Company is implementing a software platform to facilitate compliance with the new standard and updating related business processes and controls. 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.