(16) Guarantor/Non-Guarantor Guarantor/Non-Guarantor - Statements of Income (Details) (USD $) In Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jul. 03, 2011	Jul. 04, 2010	Jul. 03, 2011	Jul. 04, 2010
Wendy's Restaurants, LLC [Member] | Segment, Continuing Operations [Member]
Sales	$ 544,237	$ 532,411	$ 1,053,523	$ 1,045,158
Franchise revenues	78,222	75,023	151,401	146,990
Revenues	622,459	607,434	1,204,924	1,192,148
Cost of sales	464,798	442,314	903,669	873,651
General and administrative	72,702	72,228	144,641	152,846
Retention program and other transaction related costs	4,692		5,971
Depreciation and amortization	29,783	30,915	59,632	62,881
Impairment of long-lived assets	365	482	8,262	482
Other operating expense (income), net	478	123	1,220	1,334
Costs and expenses	572,818	546,062	1,123,395	1,091,194
Operating profit	49,641	61,372	81,529	100,954
Interest expense	(27,868)	(29,171)	(57,083)	(59,897)
Loss on early extinguishment of debt	0	(26,197)	0	(26,197)
Other income (expense), net	189	482	402	765
Equity in income of subsidiaries	0	0	0	0
Income from continuing operations before income taxes	21,962	6,486	24,848	15,625
(Provision for) benefit from income taxes	(8,965)	(2,411)	(9,713)	(3,399)
Income from continuing operations	12,997	4,075	15,135	12,226
Wendy's Restaurants, LLC [Member] | Segment, Continuing Operations [Member] | Parent [Member]
Sales	0	0	0	0
Franchise revenues	0	0	0	0
Revenues	0	0	0	0
Cost of sales	0	0	0	0
General and administrative	0	0	0	0
Retention program and other transaction related costs	2,946		4,225
Depreciation and amortization	2,439	3,054	5,027	6,225
Impairment of long-lived assets	0	0	0	0
Other operating expense (income), net	0	0	0	0
Costs and expenses	5,385	3,054	9,252	6,225
Operating profit	(5,385)	(3,054)	(9,252)	(6,225)
Interest expense	(22,188)	(18,396)	(45,524)	(33,622)
Loss on early extinguishment of debt		0		0
Other income (expense), net	0	84	0	157
Equity in income of subsidiaries	33,676	20,115	47,062	15,980
Income from continuing operations before income taxes	6,103	(1,251)	(7,714)	(23,710)
(Provision for) benefit from income taxes	10,566	10,626	25,408	30,525
Income from continuing operations	16,669	9,375	17,694	6,815
Wendy's Restaurants, LLC [Member] | Segment, Continuing Operations [Member] | Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Sales	482,024	473,766	937,552	933,120
Franchise revenues	73,265	70,175	142,023	137,709
Revenues	555,289	543,941	1,079,575	1,070,829
Cost of sales	410,566	392,089	800,591	776,337
General and administrative	69,520	70,020	138,012	146,067
Retention program and other transaction related costs	1,746		1,746
Depreciation and amortization	24,769	25,467	49,366	51,586
Impairment of long-lived assets	347	482	7,890	482
Other operating expense (income), net	2,871	2,560	5,545	5,144
Costs and expenses	509,819	490,618	1,003,150	979,616
Operating profit	45,470	53,323	76,425	91,213
Interest expense	(5,557)	(10,699)	(11,320)	(26,120)
Loss on early extinguishment of debt		(26,197)		(26,197)
Other income (expense), net	4,233	4,243	8,031	8,147
Equity in income of subsidiaries	4,356	5,669	5,551	6,799
Income from continuing operations before income taxes	48,502	26,339	78,687	53,842
(Provision for) benefit from income taxes	(18,045)	(11,022)	(33,324)	(31,481)
Income from continuing operations	30,457	15,317	45,363	22,361
Wendy's Restaurants, LLC [Member] | Segment, Continuing Operations [Member] | Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Sales	62,213	58,645	115,971	112,038
Franchise revenues	4,957	4,848	9,378	9,281
Revenues	67,170	63,493	125,349	121,319
Cost of sales	54,232	50,225	103,078	97,314
General and administrative	3,182	2,208	6,629	6,779
Retention program and other transaction related costs	0		0
Depreciation and amortization	2,575	2,394	5,239	5,070
Impairment of long-lived assets	18	0	372	0
Other operating expense (income), net	(2,393)	(2,437)	(4,325)	(3,810)
Costs and expenses	57,614	52,390	110,993	105,353
Operating profit	9,556	11,103	14,356	15,966
Interest expense	(123)	(76)	(239)	(155)
Loss on early extinguishment of debt		0		0
Other income (expense), net	(4,044)	(3,845)	(7,629)	(7,539)
Equity in income of subsidiaries	0	0	0	0
Income from continuing operations before income taxes	5,389	7,182	6,488	8,272
(Provision for) benefit from income taxes	(1,486)	(2,015)	(1,797)	(2,443)
Income from continuing operations	3,903	5,167	4,691	5,829
Wendy's Restaurants, LLC [Member] | Segment, Continuing Operations [Member] | Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Sales	0	0	0	0
Franchise revenues	0	0	0	0
Revenues	0	0	0	0
Cost of sales	0	0	0	0
General and administrative	0	0	0	0
Retention program and other transaction related costs	0		0
Depreciation and amortization	0	0	0	0
Impairment of long-lived assets	0	0	0	0
Other operating expense (income), net	0	0	0	0
Costs and expenses	0	0	0	0
Operating profit	0	0	0	0
Interest expense	0	0	0	0
Loss on early extinguishment of debt		0		0
Other income (expense), net	0	0	0	0
Equity in income of subsidiaries	(38,032)	(25,784)	(52,613)	(22,779)
Income from continuing operations before income taxes	(38,032)	(25,784)	(52,613)	(22,779)
(Provision for) benefit from income taxes	0	0	0	0
Income from continuing operations	(38,032)	(25,784)	(52,613)	(22,779)
Segment, Continuing Operations [Member]
Retention program and other transaction related costs		0		0
Wendy's Restaurants, LLC [Member] | Segment, Discontinued Operations [Member]
Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of income taxes	3,672	5,300	2,559	(5,411)
Loss on disposal of discontinued operations, net of income tax benefit	(3,780)	0	(3,780)	0
(Loss) income from discontinued operations, net of income taxes	(108)	5,300	(1,221)	(5,411)
Wendy's Restaurants, LLC [Member] | Segment, Discontinued Operations [Member] | Parent [Member]
Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of income taxes	0		0
Loss on disposal of discontinued operations, net of income tax benefit	(3,780)		(3,780)
(Loss) income from discontinued operations, net of income taxes	(3,780)	0	(3,780)	0
Wendy's Restaurants, LLC [Member] | Segment, Discontinued Operations [Member] | Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of income taxes	3,219		1,699
Loss on disposal of discontinued operations, net of income tax benefit	0		0
(Loss) income from discontinued operations, net of income taxes	3,219	4,798	1,699	(6,381)
Wendy's Restaurants, LLC [Member] | Segment, Discontinued Operations [Member] | Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of income taxes	453		860
Loss on disposal of discontinued operations, net of income tax benefit	0		0
(Loss) income from discontinued operations, net of income taxes	453	502	860	970
Wendy's Restaurants, LLC [Member] | Segment, Discontinued Operations [Member] | Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of income taxes	0		0
Loss on disposal of discontinued operations, net of income tax benefit	0		0
(Loss) income from discontinued operations, net of income taxes	0	0	0	0
Wendy's Restaurants, LLC [Member]
Depreciation and amortization			81,745	90,338
Impairment of long-lived assets			9,820	14,015
Equity in income of subsidiaries			0	0
Net income	12,889	9,375	13,914	6,815
Wendy's Restaurants, LLC [Member] | Parent [Member]
Depreciation and amortization			5,027	6,225
Impairment of long-lived assets			0	0
Equity in income of subsidiaries			47,062	15,980
Net income	12,889	9,375	13,914	6,815
Wendy's Restaurants, LLC [Member] | Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Depreciation and amortization			71,473	79,038
Impairment of long-lived assets			9,448	14,015
Equity in income of subsidiaries			5,551	6,799
Net income	33,676	20,115	47,062	15,980
Wendy's Restaurants, LLC [Member] | Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Depreciation and amortization			5,245	5,075
Impairment of long-lived assets			372	0
Equity in income of subsidiaries			0	0
Net income	4,356	5,669	5,551	6,799
Wendy's Restaurants, LLC [Member] | Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Depreciation and amortization			0	0
Impairment of long-lived assets			0	0
Equity in income of subsidiaries			(52,613)	(22,779)
Net income	$ (38,032)	$ (25,784)	$ (52,613)	$ (22,779)