Retirement Benefit Plans	12 Months Ended
Dec. 28, 2014
Compensation and Retirement Disclosure [Abstract]
Pension and Other Postretirement Benefits Disclosure [Text Block]	Retirement Benefit Plans 401(k) Plan Subject to certain restrictions, the Company has a 401(k) defined contribution plan (the “401(k) Plan”) for all of its employees who meet certain minimum requirements and elect to participate. The 401(k) Plan permits employees to contribute up to 75% of their compensation, subject to certain limitations and provides for matching employee contributions up to 4% of compensation and for discretionary profit sharing contributions. In connection with the matching and profit sharing contributions, the Company recognized compensation expense of $7,023, $8,235 and $8,887 in 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively. Pension Plans The Wendy’s Company maintains two domestic qualified defined benefit plans, the benefits under which were frozen in 1988 and for which The Wendy’s Company has no unrecognized prior service cost. Arby’s employees who were eligible to participate through 1988 (the “Eligible Arby’s Employees”) are covered under one of these plans. Pursuant to the terms of the Arby’s sale agreement, Wendy’s Restaurants retained the liabilities related to the Eligible Arby’s Employees under these plans and received $400 from Buyer for the unfunded liability related to the Eligible Arby’s Employees. In conjunction with the sale of Arby’s, Wendy’s Restaurants transferred the liabilities related to the Eligible Arby’s Employees to The Wendy’s Company. The measurement date used by The Wendy’s Company in determining amounts related to its defined benefit plans is the same as the Company’s fiscal year end. The balance of the accumulated benefit obligations and the fair value of the plans’ assets at December 28, 2014 were $4,080 and $3,065, respectively. As of December 29, 2013, the balance of the accumulated benefit obligations and the fair value of the plans’ assets were $3,797 and $2,924, respectively. As of December 28, 2014 and December 29, 2013, each of the plans had accumulated benefit obligations in excess of the fair value of the assets of the respective plan. The Wendy’s Company recognized $126, $175, and $42 in benefit plan expenses in 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively, which were included in “General and administrative.” The Wendy’s Company’s future required contributions to the plan are expected to be insignificant. Multiemployer Pension Plan Prior to the fourth quarter of 2013, the unionized employees at The New Bakery Co. of Ohio, Inc. (the “Bakery Company”), a 100% owned subsidiary of Wendy’s, now known as The New Bakery Company, LLC, were covered by the Bakery and Confectionery Union and Industry International Pension Fund (the “Union Pension Fund”), a multiemployer pension plan. The Bakery Company remitted contributions based on hours worked by covered, unionized employees pursuant to a collective bargaining agreement that expired on March 31, 2013 and the Rehabilitation Plan adopted by the Union Pension Fund in accordance with the provisions of the Pension Protection Act of 2006 due to the underfunded status of the plan. Contributions, which are included in “Cost of Sales,” were $733 and $785 for 2013 and 2012, respectively. In December of 2013, the Bakery Company terminated its participation in the Union Pension Fund and formally notified the plan’s trustees of its withdrawal from the plan. The Union Pension Fund administrator acknowledged the withdrawal, which required Wendy’s to assume an estimated withdrawal liability of $13,500 based on the applicable requirements of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, as amended, and which was included in “Cost of sales” during the fourth quarter of 2013. As a result, Wendy’s made payments to the Union Pension Fund totaling $719 during 2014 which were recorded as a reduction to the withdrawal liability. The Bakers Local No. 57, Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers & Grain Millers International Union of America, AFL-CIO (the “Union”) filed a charge with the National Labor Relations Board (the “NLRB”) related to the Bakery Company’s withdrawal from the Union Pension Fund. On July 22, 2014, The New Bakery of Zanesville, LLC (“Zanesville”), a 100% owned subsidiary of Wendy’s, and the Union entered into a settlement agreement with the NLRB. The terms of the settlement include an agreement by Zanesville and the Union to recommence negotiations. Zanesville and the Union have recommenced negotiations. Any final withdrawal liability will be determined through discussions between Zanesville and the Union Pension Fund administrator at the conclusion of the negotiations with the Union. The unionized employees became eligible to participate in the 401(k) Plan as of December 5, 2013, for which the Company has made contributions as discussed above in “401(k) plan.” Wendy’s Executive Plans In conjunction with the Wendy’s merger, amounts due under supplemental executive retirement plans (the “SERP”) were funded into a restricted account. As of January 1, 2011, participation in the SERP was frozen to new entrants and future contributions, and existing participants’ balances only earn annual interest. The corresponding SERP liabilities have been included in “Accrued expenses and other current liabilities” and “Other liabilities” and, in the aggregate, were approximately $4,176 and $4,194 as of December 28, 2014 and December 29, 2013, respectively. Pursuant to the terms of the employment agreement that was entered into with our President and Chief Executive Officer as of September 12, 2011, the Company implemented a non-qualified, unfunded, deferred compensation plan. The plan provides that the amount of the executive’s base salary in excess of $1,000 in a tax year will be deferred into the plan which accrues employer funded interest. The related deferred compensation liability has been included in “Accrued expenses and other current liabilities” and was approximately $354 and $207 as of December 28, 2014 and December 29, 2013, respectively, including both employee contributions and employer funded interest.

Retirement Benefit Plans

401(k) Plan

Subject to certain restrictions, the Company has a 401(k) defined contribution plan (the “401(k) Plan”) for all of its employees who meet certain minimum requirements and elect to participate. The 401(k) Plan permits employees to contribute up to 75% of their compensation, subject to certain limitations and provides for matching employee contributions up to 4% of compensation and for discretionary profit sharing contributions.

In connection with the matching and profit sharing contributions, the Company recognized compensation expense of $7,023, $8,235 and $8,887 in 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively.

Pension Plans

The Wendy’s Company maintains two domestic qualified defined benefit plans, the benefits under which were frozen in 1988 and for which The Wendy’s Company has no unrecognized prior service cost. Arby’s employees who were eligible to participate through 1988 (the “Eligible Arby’s Employees”) are covered under one of these plans. Pursuant to the terms of the Arby’s sale agreement, Wendy’s Restaurants retained the liabilities related to the Eligible Arby’s Employees under these plans and received $400 from Buyer for the unfunded liability related to the Eligible Arby’s Employees. In conjunction with the sale of Arby’s, Wendy’s Restaurants transferred the liabilities related to the Eligible Arby’s Employees to The Wendy’s Company. The measurement date used by The Wendy’s Company in determining amounts related to its defined benefit plans is the same as the Company’s fiscal year end.

The balance of the accumulated benefit obligations and the fair value of the plans’ assets at December 28, 2014 were $4,080 and $3,065, respectively. As of December 29, 2013, the balance of the accumulated benefit obligations and the fair value of the plans’ assets were $3,797 and $2,924, respectively. As of December 28, 2014 and December 29, 2013, each of the plans had accumulated benefit obligations in excess of the fair value of the assets of the respective plan. The Wendy’s Company recognized $126, $175, and $42 in benefit plan expenses in 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively, which were included in “General and administrative.” The Wendy’s Company’s future required contributions to the plan are expected to be insignificant.

Multiemployer Pension Plan

Prior to the fourth quarter of 2013, the unionized employees at The New Bakery Co. of Ohio, Inc. (the “Bakery Company”), a 100% owned subsidiary of Wendy’s, now known as The New Bakery Company, LLC, were covered by the Bakery and Confectionery Union and Industry International Pension Fund (the “Union Pension Fund”), a multiemployer pension plan. The Bakery Company remitted contributions based on hours worked by covered, unionized employees pursuant to a collective bargaining agreement that expired on March 31, 2013 and the Rehabilitation Plan adopted by the Union Pension Fund in accordance with the provisions of the Pension Protection Act of 2006 due to the underfunded status of the plan. Contributions, which are included in “Cost of Sales,” were $733 and $785 for 2013 and 2012, respectively.

In December of 2013, the Bakery Company terminated its participation in the Union Pension Fund and formally notified the plan’s trustees of its withdrawal from the plan. The Union Pension Fund administrator acknowledged the withdrawal, which required Wendy’s to assume an estimated withdrawal liability of $13,500 based on the applicable requirements of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, as amended, and which was included in “Cost of sales” during the fourth quarter of 2013. As a result, Wendy’s made payments to the Union Pension Fund totaling $719 during 2014 which were recorded as a reduction to the withdrawal liability. The Bakers Local No. 57, Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers & Grain Millers International Union of America, AFL-CIO (the “Union”) filed a charge with the National Labor Relations Board (the “NLRB”) related to the Bakery Company’s withdrawal from the Union Pension Fund. On July 22, 2014, The New Bakery of Zanesville, LLC (“Zanesville”), a 100% owned subsidiary of Wendy’s, and the Union entered into a settlement agreement with the NLRB. The terms of the settlement include an agreement by Zanesville and the Union to recommence negotiations. Zanesville and the Union have recommenced negotiations. Any final withdrawal liability will be determined through discussions between Zanesville and the Union Pension Fund administrator at the conclusion of the negotiations with the Union.

The unionized employees became eligible to participate in the 401(k) Plan as of December 5, 2013, for which the Company has made contributions as discussed above in “401(k) plan.”

Wendy’s Executive Plans

In conjunction with the Wendy’s merger, amounts due under supplemental executive retirement plans (the “SERP”) were funded into a restricted account. As of January 1, 2011, participation in the SERP was frozen to new entrants and future contributions, and existing participants’ balances only earn annual interest. The corresponding SERP liabilities have been included in “Accrued expenses and other current liabilities” and “Other liabilities” and, in the aggregate, were approximately $4,176 and $4,194 as of December 28, 2014 and December 29, 2013, respectively.

Pursuant to the terms of the employment agreement that was entered into with our President and Chief Executive Officer as of September 12, 2011, the Company implemented a non-qualified, unfunded, deferred compensation plan. The plan provides that the amount of the executive’s base salary in excess of $1,000 in a tax year will be deferred into the plan which accrues employer funded interest. The related deferred compensation liability has been included in “Accrued expenses and other current liabilities” and was approximately $354 and $207 as of December 28, 2014 and December 29, 2013, respectively, including both employee contributions and employer funded interest.