Commitments and Contingencies	12 Months Ended
Jan. 03, 2017
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
Commitments and Contingencies	Commitments and Contingencies The primary claims in the Company’s business are workers’ compensation and general liabilities. These insurance programs are self-insured or high deductible programs with excess coverage that management believes is sufficient to adequately protect the Company. In the opinion of management, adequate provision has been made for all incurred claims up to the self-insured or high deductible limits, including provision for estimated claims incurred but not reported. Because of the uncertainty of the ultimate resolution of outstanding claims, as well as the uncertainty regarding claims incurred but not reported, it is possible that management’s provision for these losses could change materially. However, no estimate can currently be made of the range of additional losses. Purchasing Commitments The Company enters into various purchase obligations in the ordinary course of business, generally of short term nature. Those that are binding primarily relate to commitments for food purchases and supplies, amounts owed under contractor and subcontractor agreements, orders submitted for equipment for restaurants under construction, information technology service agreements and marketing initiatives, some of which are related to both Company-operated and franchise-operated locations. The Company also has a long-term beverage supply agreement with a major beverage vendor whereby marketing rebates are provided to the Company and its franchisees based upon the volumes of purchases for system-wide restaurants which vary according to demand for beverage syrup. This contract has terms extending into 2021. The Company’s future estimated cash payments under existing contractual purchase obligations for goods and services as of January 3, 2017 (Successor), are approximately $76.6 million. The Company has excluded agreements that are cancelable without penalty. Severance and Executive Employment Agreements The Company has Severance Agreements and Executive Employment Agreements with certain key officers of the Company, which provide for payment of one year base salary and bonus incentive plan payments, in the event that the officers are terminated without cause. As of January 3, 2017 (Successor) and December 29, 2015 (Successor) the Company’s total contingent liability with respect to the aforementioned agreements is $3.5 million and $3.7 million, respectively, which was not recorded in the consolidated financial statements. Litigation On April 23, 2015, a purported class action and derivative complaint, Jeffery Tomasulo, on behalf of himself and all others similarly situated v. Levy Acquisition Sponsor, LLC, Lawrence F. Levy, Howard B. Bernick, Marc S. Simon, Craig J. Duchossois, Ari B. Levy, Steven C. Florsheim, Gregory G. Flynn, Del Taco Holdings, Inc., and Levy Acquisition Corp. (“Complaint”), was filed in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois (the “Circuit Court”), relating to the then proposed Business Combination pursuant to the Merger Agreement. The Complaint, which purported to be brought as a class action on behalf of all of the holders of the Company’s common stock, generally alleged that the Company’s pre-merger directors breached their fiduciary duties to stockholders by facilitating the then proposed Business Combination and that the Company's preliminary proxy statement that was filed with the SEC on April 2, 2015 was materially misleading and/or incomplete. On May 19, 2016, Tomasulo, on behalf of himself and members of a settlement class entered into a Stipulation of Settlement with the defendants pursuant to which the plaintiff class broadly released claims relating to the Merger, including all claims that the Company's preliminary proxy statement or definitive proxy statement were misleading or improper. Under the settlement, defendants were not required to make any payment to the plaintiff or the plaintiff class but agreed to pay a portion of the hourly fee accrued by plaintiff's counsel. On July 26, 2016, the Court held a final hearing and then certified a settlement class, approved the Stipulation of Settlement and entered a final judgment dismissing the action. The Company has a directors and officers liability insurance policy to cover legal defense costs, judgments and settlements stemming from covered claims, subject to an insurance deductible of $0.25 million per claim. The Company's insurance company has acknowledged coverage for claims asserted in the Complaint against covered persons, subject to a reservation of rights. As of December 29, 2015 (Successor), the Company had an insurance receivable of $0.3 million for legal defense costs it paid in excess of the deductible. The reimbursement from the insurance company was received in January 2016. During the fifty-three weeks ended January 3, 2017 (Successor), and the twenty-six weeks ended December 29, 2015 (Successor) and June 30, 2015 (Predecessor), the Company incurred $0.3 million, $0.1 million and $0.7 million, respectively, in legal defense fees for which the Company received reimbursement of $0.8 million from the insurance company which includes payment of the $0.3 million insurance receivable at December 29, 2015 (Successor). The legal defense fees incurred are reported in transaction-related costs on the accompanying consolidated statements of comprehensive income (loss). In July 2013, a former Del Taco employee filed a purported class action complaint alleging that Del Taco has failed to pay overtime wages and has not appropriately provided meal breaks to its California general managers. Discovery has been completed and the parties are preparing their motions for and opposition to class certification. Del Taco has several defenses to the action that it believes should prevent the certification of the class, as well as the potential assessment of any damages on a class basis. Legal proceedings are inherently unpredictable, and the Company is not able to predict the ultimate outcome or cost of the unresolved matter. However, based on management’s current understanding of the relevant facts and circumstances, the Company does not believe that these proceedings give rise to a probable or estimable loss and should not have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial position, operations or cash flows. Therefore, Del Taco has not recorded any amount for the claim as of January 3, 2017 (Successor). In March 2014, a former Del Taco employee filed a purported class action complaint alleging that Del Taco has not appropriately provided meal breaks and failed to pay wages to its California hourly employees. Discovery is in process and Del Taco intends to assert all of its defenses to this threatened class action and the individual claims. Del Taco has several defenses to the action that it believes should prevent the certification of the class, as well as the potential assessment of any damages on a class basis. Legal proceedings are inherently unpredictable, and the Company is not able to predict the ultimate outcome or cost of the unresolved matter. However, based on management’s current understanding of the relevant facts and circumstances, the Company does not believe that these proceedings give rise to a probable or estimable loss and should not have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial position, operations or cash flows. Therefore, Del Taco has not recorded any amount for the claim as of January 3, 2017 (Successor). The Company and its subsidiaries are parties to other legal proceedings incidental to their businesses, including claims alleging the Company’s restaurants do not comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. In the opinion of management, based upon information currently available, the ultimate liability with respect to those other actions will not have a material effect on the operating results, cash flows or the financial position of the Company.

Commitments and Contingencies

The primary claims in the Company’s business are workers’ compensation and general liabilities. These insurance programs are self-insured or high deductible programs with excess coverage that management believes is sufficient to adequately protect the Company. In the opinion of management, adequate provision has been made for all incurred claims up to the self-insured or high deductible limits, including provision for estimated claims incurred but not reported. Because of the uncertainty of the ultimate resolution of outstanding claims, as well as the uncertainty regarding claims incurred but not reported, it is possible that management’s provision for these losses could change materially. However, no estimate can currently be made of the range of additional losses.

Purchasing Commitments

The Company enters into various purchase obligations in the ordinary course of business, generally of short term nature. Those that are binding primarily relate to commitments for food purchases and supplies, amounts owed under contractor and subcontractor agreements, orders submitted for equipment for restaurants under construction, information technology service agreements and marketing initiatives, some of which are related to both Company-operated and franchise-operated locations. The Company also has a long-term beverage supply agreement with a major beverage vendor whereby marketing rebates are provided to the Company and its franchisees based upon the volumes of purchases for system-wide restaurants which vary according to demand for beverage syrup. This contract has terms extending into 2021. The Company’s future estimated cash payments under existing contractual purchase obligations for goods and services as of January 3, 2017 (Successor), are approximately $76.6 million. The Company has excluded agreements that are cancelable without penalty.

Severance and Executive Employment Agreements

The Company has Severance Agreements and Executive Employment Agreements with certain key officers of the Company, which provide for payment of one year base salary and bonus incentive plan payments, in the event that the officers are terminated without cause. As of January 3, 2017 (Successor) and December 29, 2015 (Successor) the Company’s total contingent liability with respect to the aforementioned agreements is $3.5 million and $3.7 million, respectively, which was not recorded in the consolidated financial statements.

Litigation

On April 23, 2015, a purported class action and derivative complaint, Jeffery Tomasulo, on behalf of himself and all others similarly situated v. Levy Acquisition Sponsor, LLC, Lawrence F. Levy, Howard B. Bernick, Marc S. Simon, Craig J. Duchossois, Ari B. Levy, Steven C. Florsheim, Gregory G. Flynn, Del Taco Holdings, Inc., and Levy Acquisition Corp. (“Complaint”), was filed in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois (the “Circuit Court”), relating to the then proposed Business Combination pursuant to the Merger Agreement. The Complaint, which purported to be brought as a class action on behalf of all of the holders of the Company’s common stock, generally alleged that the Company’s pre-merger directors breached their fiduciary duties to stockholders by facilitating the then proposed Business Combination and that the Company's preliminary proxy statement that was filed with the SEC on April 2, 2015 was materially misleading and/or incomplete. On May 19, 2016, Tomasulo, on behalf of himself and members of a settlement class entered into a Stipulation of Settlement with the defendants pursuant to which the plaintiff class broadly released claims relating to the Merger, including all claims that the Company's preliminary proxy statement or definitive proxy statement were misleading or improper. Under the settlement, defendants were not required to make any payment to the plaintiff or the plaintiff class but agreed to pay a portion of the hourly fee accrued by plaintiff's counsel. On July 26, 2016, the Court held a final hearing and then certified a settlement class, approved the Stipulation of Settlement and entered a final judgment dismissing the action.

The Company has a directors and officers liability insurance policy to cover legal defense costs, judgments and settlements stemming from covered claims, subject to an insurance deductible of $0.25 million per claim. The Company's insurance company has acknowledged coverage for claims asserted in the Complaint against covered persons, subject to a reservation of rights. As of December 29, 2015 (Successor), the Company had an insurance receivable of $0.3 million for legal defense costs it paid in excess of the deductible. The reimbursement from the insurance company was received in January 2016. During the fifty-three weeks ended January 3, 2017 (Successor), and the twenty-six weeks ended December 29, 2015 (Successor) and June 30, 2015 (Predecessor), the Company incurred $0.3 million, $0.1 million and $0.7 million, respectively, in legal defense fees for which the Company received reimbursement of $0.8 million from the insurance company which includes payment of the $0.3 million insurance receivable at December 29, 2015 (Successor). The legal defense fees incurred are reported in transaction-related costs on the accompanying consolidated statements of comprehensive income (loss).

In July 2013, a former Del Taco employee filed a purported class action complaint alleging that Del Taco has failed to pay overtime wages and has not appropriately provided meal breaks to its California general managers. Discovery has been completed and the parties are preparing their motions for and opposition to class certification. Del Taco has several defenses to the action that it believes should prevent the certification of the class, as well as the potential assessment of any damages on a class basis. Legal proceedings are inherently unpredictable, and the Company is not able to predict the ultimate outcome or cost of the unresolved matter. However, based on management’s current understanding of the relevant facts and circumstances, the Company does not believe that these proceedings give rise to a probable or estimable loss and should not have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial position, operations or cash flows. Therefore, Del Taco has not recorded any amount for the claim as of January 3, 2017 (Successor).

In March 2014, a former Del Taco employee filed a purported class action complaint alleging that Del Taco has not appropriately provided meal breaks and failed to pay wages to its California hourly employees. Discovery is in process and Del Taco intends to assert all of its defenses to this threatened class action and the individual claims. Del Taco has several defenses to the action that it believes should prevent the certification of the class, as well as the potential assessment of any damages on a class basis. Legal proceedings are inherently unpredictable, and the Company is not able to predict the ultimate outcome or cost of the unresolved matter. However, based on management’s current understanding of the relevant facts and circumstances, the Company does not believe that these proceedings give rise to a probable or estimable loss and should not have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial position, operations or cash flows. Therefore, Del Taco has not recorded any amount for the claim as of January 3, 2017 (Successor).

The Company and its subsidiaries are parties to other legal proceedings incidental to their businesses, including claims alleging the Company’s restaurants do not comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. In the opinion of management, based upon information currently available, the ultimate liability with respect to those other actions will not have a material effect on the operating results, cash flows or the financial position of the Company.