(6) Fair Value of Financial Instruments Fair Value of Financial Instruments 2 (Details) (USD $) In Thousands	Oct. 02, 2011
Wendy's Restaurants, LLC [Member] | Carrying (Reported) Amount, Fair Value Disclosure [Member] | 10% senior notes (d) | Unsecured Debt [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Long-term debt, including current portion	$ 554,474
Wendy's Restaurants, LLC [Member] | Portion at Fair Value, Fair Value Disclosure [Member] | 10% senior notes (d) | Unsecured Debt [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Long-term debt, including current portion	602,855	[1]
Wendy's Restaurants, LLC [Member] | Carrying (Reported) Amount, Fair Value Disclosure [Member] | Wendy's Restaurants term loan [Member] | Secured Debt [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Long-term debt, including current portion	467,163
Wendy's Restaurants, LLC [Member] | Portion at Fair Value, Fair Value Disclosure [Member] | Wendy's Restaurants term loan [Member] | Secured Debt [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Long-term debt, including current portion	466,718	[1]
Wendy's Restaurants, LLC [Member] | 6.20% senior notes (d) | Carrying (Reported) Amount, Fair Value Disclosure [Member] | Unsecured Debt [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Long-term debt, including current portion	224,777
Wendy's Restaurants, LLC [Member] | 6.20% senior notes (d) | Portion at Fair Value, Fair Value Disclosure [Member] | Unsecured Debt [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Long-term debt, including current portion	234,000	[1]
Wendy's Restaurants, LLC [Member] | Carrying (Reported) Amount, Fair Value Disclosure [Member] | Sale-leaseback obligations [Member] (e) | Secured Debt [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Long-term debt, including current portion	1,460
Wendy's Restaurants, LLC [Member] | Portion at Fair Value, Fair Value Disclosure [Member] | Sale-leaseback obligations [Member] (e) | Secured Debt [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Long-term debt, including current portion	1,732	[2]
Wendy's Restaurants, LLC [Member] | Carrying (Reported) Amount, Fair Value Disclosure [Member] | Capitalized lease obligations (e) | Secured Debt [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Long-term debt, including current portion	14,151
Wendy's Restaurants, LLC [Member] | Portion at Fair Value, Fair Value Disclosure [Member] | Capitalized lease obligations (e) | Secured Debt [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Long-term debt, including current portion	15,585	[2]
Wendy's Restaurants, LLC [Member] | Carrying (Reported) Amount, Fair Value Disclosure [Member] | 7% debentures (d) | Unsecured Debt [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Long-term debt, including current portion	82,056
Wendy's Restaurants, LLC [Member] | Portion at Fair Value, Fair Value Disclosure [Member] | 7% debentures (d) | Unsecured Debt [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Long-term debt, including current portion	87,500	[1]
Wendy's Restaurants, LLC [Member] | Carrying (Reported) Amount, Fair Value Disclosure [Member] | Other [Member] | Unsecured Debt [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Long-term debt, including current portion	1,060
Wendy's Restaurants, LLC [Member] | Portion at Fair Value, Fair Value Disclosure [Member] | Other [Member] | Unsecured Debt [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Long-term debt, including current portion	1,088
Corporate [Member] | Carrying (Reported) Amount, Fair Value Disclosure [Member] | 6.54% aircraft term loan (e) | Secured Debt [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Long-term debt, including current portion	11,654
Corporate [Member] | Portion at Fair Value, Fair Value Disclosure [Member] | 6.54% aircraft term loan (e) | Secured Debt [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Long-term debt, including current portion	11,840	[2]
Wendy's Restaurants, LLC [Member] | Carrying (Reported) Amount, Fair Value Disclosure [Member] | Financial Guarantee [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Guarantees	420
Wendy's Restaurants, LLC [Member] | Portion at Fair Value, Fair Value Disclosure [Member] | Financial Guarantee [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Guarantees	420	[3]
The Wendy's Company [Member] | Carrying (Reported) Amount, Fair Value Disclosure [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Long-term debt, including current portion	1,356,795
Wendy's Restaurants, LLC [Member] | Carrying (Reported) Amount, Fair Value Disclosure [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Long-term debt, including current portion	1,345,141
The Wendy's Company [Member] | Portion at Fair Value, Fair Value Disclosure [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Long-term debt, including current portion	1,421,318
Wendy's Restaurants, LLC [Member] | Portion at Fair Value, Fair Value Disclosure [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Long-term debt, including current portion	$ 1,409,478

[1] The fair values were based on quoted market prices.

[2] The fair values were determined by discounting the future scheduled principal payments using an interest rate assuming the same original issuance spread over a current U.S. Treasury bond yield for securities with similar durations.

[3] Wendy’s provided loan guarantees to various lenders on behalf of franchisees entering into pooled debt facility arrangements for new store development and equipment financing. Wendy’s has accrued a liability for the fair value of these guarantees, the calculation for which was based upon a weighted average risk percentage established at the inception of each program.