Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows - USD ($) $ in Thousands	6 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Dec. 29, 2015	Jun. 30, 2015	Jan. 03, 2017	Dec. 30, 2014
Successor
Operating activities
Net income (loss)	$ 2,653		$ 20,913
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash provided by operating activities:
Recovery of doubtful accounts	0		0
Depreciation and amortization	11,276		23,129
Amortization of favorable and unfavorable lease assets and liabilities, net	(364)		(607)
Amortization of deferred financing costs	155		392
Subordinated note interest paid-in-kind	0		0
Debt modification costs	78		0
Stock-based compensation	1,498		4,096
Change in fair value of warrant liability	0		0
Impairment of long-lived assets	0		0
Deferred income taxes	88		10,741
Loss (gain) on disposal of assets	3		312
Restaurant closure charges	0		(179)
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Accounts and other receivables, net	8		(921)
Inventories	(265)		88
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	653		(659)
Increase (Decrease) in Other Noncurrent Assets	0		(59)
Accounts payable	(3,309)		(404)
Other accrued liabilities	3,434		3,733
Other non-current liabilities	1,177		(3,387)
Net cash provided by operating activities	17,085		57,546
Investing activities
Purchases of property and equipment	(18,593)		(45,853)
Proceeds from disposal of property and equipment	0		3,423
Proceeds from the Company’s trust account	149,989		0
Purchases of other assets	(589)		(1,333)
Acquisition of franchisees	0		(3,891)
Proceeds from dissolution of investments in partnerships	1,586		0
Acquisition of Del Taco Holdings, net of cash acquired	(89,827)		0
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	42,566		(47,654)
Financing activities
Proceeds from term loan, net of debt discount	0		0
Proceeds from deemed landlord financing liabilities	1,208		1,974
Proceeds from issuance of common stock	35,000		0
Repurchase of common stock and warrants	0		(15,314)
Payment of tax withholding related to restricted stock vesting, option exercises and distribution of restricted stock units	0		(916)
Payments on term loans	(227,100)		0
Payments on capital leases and deemed landlord financing	(864)		(1,728)
Payment on subordinated notes	0		0
Proceeds from revolving credit facility, net of debt discount	162,556		24,000
Payments on revolving credit facility	(14,000)		(19,000)
Payment for interest rate cap	0		(312)
Payments for debt issue costs	(484)		0
Repayment of note payable	(523)		0
Payment of deferred underwriter compensation	(5,250)		0
Proceeds from Stock Options Exercised	0		5
Settlement of vested restricted stock units	0		0
Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities	(49,457)		(11,291)
(Decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents	10,194		(1,399)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period			10,194
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	10,194		8,795
Supplemental cash flow information:
Cash paid during the period for interest	3,216		6,328
Cash paid during the period for income taxes, net of tax refunds	161		3,531
Supplemental schedule of non-cash activities:
Accrued property and equipment purchases	2,766		2,830
Write-offs against bad debt reserves	0		72
Amortization of interest rate cap into net income (loss), net of tax	0		0
Change in other asset for fair value of interest rate cap recorded to other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax	0		172
Warrant liability reclassified to equity upon exercise of warrants	0		0
Issuance of shares for consideration in the acquisition of Del Taco Holdings, Inc.	189,306		0
Issuance of warrants as payment for working capital loans	389		0
Common stock of Del Taco Restaurants, Inc. reclassified to equity upon release from possible redemption	136,213		$ 0
Predecessor [Member]
Operating activities
Net income (loss)		$ 2,104		$ (9,255)
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash provided by operating activities:
Recovery of doubtful accounts		0		(10)
Depreciation and amortization		8,249		18,608
Amortization of favorable and unfavorable lease assets and liabilities, net		3		144
Amortization of deferred financing costs		908		1,418
Subordinated note interest paid-in-kind		37		14,897
Debt modification costs		139		1,241
Stock-based compensation		532		954
Change in fair value of warrant liability		(35)		1,417
Impairment of long-lived assets		0		9,617
Deferred income taxes		551		1,165
Loss (gain) on disposal of assets		99		(151)
Restaurant closure charges		0		0
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Accounts and other receivables, net		154		(1,355)
Inventories		145		(96)
Prepaid expenses and other current assets		(426)		(598)
Increase (Decrease) in Other Noncurrent Assets		0		0
Accounts payable		4,222		1,662
Other accrued liabilities		(5,026)		4,468
Other non-current liabilities		(1,573)		1,350
Net cash provided by operating activities		10,083		45,476
Investing activities
Purchases of property and equipment		(14,813)		(17,416)
Proceeds from disposal of property and equipment		42		212
Proceeds from the Company’s trust account		0		0
Purchases of other assets		(513)		(864)
Acquisition of franchisees		0		0
Proceeds from dissolution of investments in partnerships		0		0
Acquisition of Del Taco Holdings, net of cash acquired		0		0
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities		(15,284)		(18,068)
Financing activities
Proceeds from term loan, net of debt discount		23,654		60,388
Proceeds from deemed landlord financing liabilities		0		1,450
Proceeds from issuance of common stock		91,236		0
Repurchase of common stock and warrants		0		0
Payment of tax withholding related to restricted stock vesting, option exercises and distribution of restricted stock units		(7,533)		0
Payments on term loans		0		(22,500)
Payments on capital leases and deemed landlord financing		(831)		(1,785)
Payment on subordinated notes		(108,113)		(62,000)
Proceeds from revolving credit facility, net of debt discount		10,000		0
Payments on revolving credit facility		(6,000)		0
Payment for interest rate cap		0		0
Payments for debt issue costs		(593)		(392)
Repayment of note payable		0		0
Payment of deferred underwriter compensation		0		0
Proceeds from Stock Options Exercised		0		0
Settlement of vested restricted stock units		0		(87)
Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities		1,820		(24,926)
(Decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents		(3,381)		2,482
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	$ 5,172	8,553		6,071
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period		5,172		8,553
Supplemental cash flow information:
Cash paid during the period for interest		13,548		12,500
Cash paid during the period for income taxes, net of tax refunds		46		37
Supplemental schedule of non-cash activities:
Accrued property and equipment purchases		2,460		911
Write-offs against bad debt reserves		0		33
Amortization of interest rate cap into net income (loss), net of tax		58		19
Change in other asset for fair value of interest rate cap recorded to other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax		(24)		(125)
Warrant liability reclassified to equity upon exercise of warrants		8,274		0
Issuance of shares for consideration in the acquisition of Del Taco Holdings, Inc.		0		0
Issuance of warrants as payment for working capital loans		0		0
Common stock of Del Taco Restaurants, Inc. reclassified to equity upon release from possible redemption		$ 0		$ 0