(16) Guarantor/Non-Guarantor Statements of Cash Flows (Details) (Wendy's Restaurants, LLC [Member], USD $) In Thousands	9 Months Ended
	Oct. 02, 2011	Oct. 03, 2010
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income (loss)	$ 12,314	$ 7,172
Adjustments to reconcile net (loss) income to net cash (used in) provided by operating activities:
Equity in (income) loss from operations of subsidiaries	0	0
Depreciation and amortization	112,503	136,051
Net receipt of deferred vendor incentives	13,876	10,096
Share-based compensation provision	12,973	9,841
Distributions received from joint venture	10,784	9,718
Impairment of long-lived assets	9,820	41,424
Loss on disposal of Arby’s	8,849	0
Deferred income tax (benefit) provision, net	8,600	(4,918)
Non-cash rent expense (credit)	6,166	7,152
Accretion of long-term debt	6,137	13,013
Write-off and amortization of deferred financing costs	4,854	10,378
Tax sharing (receivable from) payable to parent, net	2,437	(8,673)
Provision for (recovery of) doubtful accounts	2,004	7,586
Tax sharing receipt from (payment to) affiliate, net	0	0
Other operating transactions with affiliates	(4,366)	(6,831)
Equity in earnings in joint ventures, net	(7,817)	(7,127)
Tax sharing payment to The Wendy's Company	(13,078)	0
Other, net	191	(1,731)
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Accounts and notes receivable	(6,664)	(6,721)
Inventories	(210)	1,824
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	(8,520)	(7,386)
Accounts payable	8,960	(7,289)
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities	(513)	(32,616)
Net cash provided by operating activities	179,300	170,963
Cash flows from investing activities:
Proceeds from sale of Arby’s, net	103,162	0
Proceeds from dispositions	3,799	4,394
Capital expenditures	(91,913)	(94,736)
Restaurant acquisitions	(6,613)	0
Franchise incentive loans	(1,269)	0
Investment in joint venture	(1,183)	0
Other, net	(245)	1,369
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities	5,738	(88,973)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from long-term debt	0	497,661
Repayments of long-term debt	(35,594)	(462,831)
Dividends paid to The Wendy's Company	0	(443,700)
Capital contribution from Parent	0	0
Dividend paid to Parent	0
Redemption of preferred stock		0
Deferred financing costs	(57)	(16,286)
Net cash used in financing activities	(35,651)	(425,156)
Net cash (used in) provided by operations before effect of exchange rate changes on cash	149,387	(343,166)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash	(2,556)	894
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	146,831	(342,272)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	198,686	538,864
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	345,517	196,592
Parent [Member]
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income (loss)	12,314	7,172
Adjustments to reconcile net (loss) income to net cash (used in) provided by operating activities:
Equity in (income) loss from operations of subsidiaries	(89,796)	(26,830)
Depreciation and amortization	7,886	9,341
Net receipt of deferred vendor incentives	0	0
Share-based compensation provision	8,480	2,950
Distributions received from joint venture	0	0
Impairment of long-lived assets	0	0
Loss on disposal of Arby’s	8,849
Deferred income tax (benefit) provision, net	8,856	(1,485)
Non-cash rent expense (credit)	0	0
Accretion of long-term debt	1,590	1,229
Write-off and amortization of deferred financing costs	4,854	3,133
Tax sharing (receivable from) payable to parent, net	(57,495)	(38,855)
Provision for (recovery of) doubtful accounts	0	0
Tax sharing receipt from (payment to) affiliate, net	36,000	32,000
Other operating transactions with affiliates	58,509	(734)
Equity in earnings in joint ventures, net	0	0
Tax sharing payment to The Wendy's Company	(13,078)
Other, net	(948)	2,527
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Accounts and notes receivable	(806)	(42)
Inventories	(6)	0
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	(1,727)	1,185
Accounts payable	2,370	712
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities	(6,749)	(25,060)
Net cash provided by operating activities	(20,897)	(32,757)
Cash flows from investing activities:
Proceeds from sale of Arby’s, net	110,238
Proceeds from dispositions	98	0
Capital expenditures	(7,602)	(12,890)
Restaurant acquisitions	0
Franchise incentive loans	0
Investment in joint venture	0
Other, net	0	0
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities	102,734	(12,890)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from long-term debt		497,500
Repayments of long-term debt	(28,816)	(1,411)
Dividends paid to The Wendy's Company		(68,700)
Capital contribution from Parent	(30,000)	(474,569)
Dividend paid to Parent	40,000
Redemption of preferred stock		0
Deferred financing costs	(57)	(16,286)
Net cash used in financing activities	(18,873)	(63,466)
Net cash (used in) provided by operations before effect of exchange rate changes on cash	62,964	(109,113)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash	0	0
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	62,964	(109,113)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	79,355	237,607
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	142,319	128,494
Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income (loss)	88,779	32,420
Adjustments to reconcile net (loss) income to net cash (used in) provided by operating activities:
Equity in (income) loss from operations of subsidiaries	5,275	38,142
Depreciation and amortization	74,572	77,983
Net receipt of deferred vendor incentives	6,789	5,009
Share-based compensation provision	3,821	4,330
Distributions received from joint venture	0	0
Impairment of long-lived assets	7,890	17,695
Loss on disposal of Arby’s	0
Deferred income tax (benefit) provision, net	(826)	(3,433)
Non-cash rent expense (credit)	6,434	7,227
Accretion of long-term debt	4,383	11,571
Write-off and amortization of deferred financing costs	0	0
Tax sharing (receivable from) payable to parent, net	59,932	30,182
Provision for (recovery of) doubtful accounts	(319)	2,163
Tax sharing receipt from (payment to) affiliate, net	(36,000)	(32,000)
Other operating transactions with affiliates	(2,651)	(30,430)
Equity in earnings in joint ventures, net	0	0
Tax sharing payment to The Wendy's Company	0
Other, net	2,342	1,402
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Accounts and notes receivable	(1,891)	3,042
Inventories	1,031	570
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	(3,551)	(4,077)
Accounts payable	527	(3,875)
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities	9,037	(9,895)
Net cash provided by operating activities	225,574	148,026
Cash flows from investing activities:
Proceeds from sale of Arby’s, net	0
Proceeds from dispositions	2,865	2,174
Capital expenditures	(71,712)	(40,237)
Restaurant acquisitions	(6,613)
Franchise incentive loans	(1,269)
Investment in joint venture	(1,183)
Other, net	0	0
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities	(77,912)	(38,063)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from long-term debt		0
Repayments of long-term debt	(487)	(200,551)
Dividends paid to The Wendy's Company		(361,000)
Capital contribution from Parent	0	215,000
Dividend paid to Parent	(40,000)
Redemption of preferred stock		19,877
Deferred financing costs	0	0
Net cash used in financing activities	(40,487)	(326,674)
Net cash (used in) provided by operations before effect of exchange rate changes on cash	107,175	(216,711)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash	0	0
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	107,175	(216,711)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	53,810	255,230
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	160,985	38,519
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income (loss)	(4,258)	(43,732)
Adjustments to reconcile net (loss) income to net cash (used in) provided by operating activities:
Equity in (income) loss from operations of subsidiaries	0	0
Depreciation and amortization	30,045	48,727
Net receipt of deferred vendor incentives	7,087	5,087
Share-based compensation provision	672	2,561
Distributions received from joint venture	10,784	9,718
Impairment of long-lived assets	1,930	23,729
Loss on disposal of Arby’s	0
Deferred income tax (benefit) provision, net	570	0
Non-cash rent expense (credit)	(268)	(75)
Accretion of long-term debt	164	213
Write-off and amortization of deferred financing costs	0	7,245
Tax sharing (receivable from) payable to parent, net	0	0
Provision for (recovery of) doubtful accounts	2,323	5,423
Tax sharing receipt from (payment to) affiliate, net	0	0
Other operating transactions with affiliates	(60,224)	24,333
Equity in earnings in joint ventures, net	(7,817)	(7,127)
Tax sharing payment to The Wendy's Company	0
Other, net	(1,203)	(5,660)
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Accounts and notes receivable	(3,967)	(9,721)
Inventories	(1,235)	1,254
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	(3,242)	(4,494)
Accounts payable	6,063	(4,126)
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities	(2,801)	2,339
Net cash provided by operating activities	(25,377)	55,694
Cash flows from investing activities:
Proceeds from sale of Arby’s, net	(7,076)
Proceeds from dispositions	836	2,220
Capital expenditures	(12,599)	(41,609)
Restaurant acquisitions	0
Franchise incentive loans	0
Investment in joint venture	0
Other, net	(245)	1,369
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities	(19,084)	(38,020)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from long-term debt		161
Repayments of long-term debt	(6,291)	(260,869)
Dividends paid to The Wendy's Company		(14,000)
Capital contribution from Parent	30,000	259,569
Dividend paid to Parent	0
Redemption of preferred stock		(19,877)
Deferred financing costs	0	0
Net cash used in financing activities	23,709	(35,016)
Net cash (used in) provided by operations before effect of exchange rate changes on cash	(20,752)	(17,342)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash	(2,556)	894
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	(23,308)	(16,448)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	65,521	46,027
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	42,213	29,579
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income (loss)	(84,521)	11,312
Adjustments to reconcile net (loss) income to net cash (used in) provided by operating activities:
Equity in (income) loss from operations of subsidiaries	84,521	(11,312)
Depreciation and amortization	0	0
Net receipt of deferred vendor incentives	0	0
Share-based compensation provision	0	0
Distributions received from joint venture	0	0
Impairment of long-lived assets	0	0
Loss on disposal of Arby’s	0
Deferred income tax (benefit) provision, net	0	0
Non-cash rent expense (credit)	0	0
Accretion of long-term debt	0	0
Write-off and amortization of deferred financing costs	0	0
Tax sharing (receivable from) payable to parent, net	0	0
Provision for (recovery of) doubtful accounts	0	0
Tax sharing receipt from (payment to) affiliate, net	0	0
Other operating transactions with affiliates	0	0
Equity in earnings in joint ventures, net	0	0
Tax sharing payment to The Wendy's Company	0
Other, net	0	0
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Accounts and notes receivable	0	0
Inventories	0	0
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	0	0
Accounts payable	0	0
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities	0	0
Net cash provided by operating activities	0	0
Cash flows from investing activities:
Proceeds from sale of Arby’s, net	0
Proceeds from dispositions	0	0
Capital expenditures	0	0
Restaurant acquisitions	0
Franchise incentive loans	0
Investment in joint venture	0
Other, net	0	0
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities	0	0
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from long-term debt		0
Repayments of long-term debt	0	0
Dividends paid to The Wendy's Company		0
Capital contribution from Parent	0	0
Dividend paid to Parent	0
Redemption of preferred stock		0
Deferred financing costs	0	0
Net cash used in financing activities	0	0
Net cash (used in) provided by operations before effect of exchange rate changes on cash	0	0
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash	0	0
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	$ 0	$ 0