Leases Properties Leased to Third Parties (Details) - Property Subject to Operating Lease [Member] - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Jul. 02, 2017	Jan. 01, 2017
Property Subject to or Available for Operating Lease [Line Items]
Property Leased to Others	$ 585,663	$ 584,734
Property Leased to Others, Accumulated Depreciation	118,669	110,166
Property Leased to Others, Net	466,994	474,568
Land [Member]
Property Subject to or Available for Operating Lease [Line Items]
Property Leased to Others	271,775	271,160
Building and Building Improvements [Member]
Property Subject to or Available for Operating Lease [Line Items]
Property Leased to Others	312,397	312,067
Restaurant equipment [Member]
Property Subject to or Available for Operating Lease [Line Items]
Property Leased to Others	$ 1,491	$ 1,507

The amount of accumulated depreciation, by major property class, recorded on property subject to or available for lease as of the balance sheet date.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 840
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 4
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6454179&loc=d3e41551-112718

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 840
-SubTopic 20
-Section 45
-Paragraph 3
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6453916&loc=d3e41460-112716

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_PropertySubjectToOrAvailableForOperatingLeaseAccumulatedDepreciation
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount before accumulated depreciation of physical assets used in the normal conduct of business to produce goods and services subject to or available for lease.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 840
-SubTopic 20
-Section 45
-Paragraph 2
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6453916&loc=d3e41457-112716

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 840
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 4
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6454179&loc=d3e41551-112718

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_PropertySubjectToOrAvailableForOperatingLeaseGross
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_PropertySubjectToOrAvailableForOperatingLeaseLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The amount of property, by major property class, net of accumulated depreciation, subject to or available for lease as of the balance sheet date.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_PropertySubjectToOrAvailableForOperatingLeaseNet
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_PropertySubjectToOrAvailableForOperatingLeaseAxis=us-gaap_PropertySubjectToOperatingLeaseMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_MajorPropertyClassAxis=us-gaap_LandMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_MajorPropertyClassAxis=us-gaap_BuildingAndBuildingImprovementsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_MajorPropertyClassAxis=wen_OfficeRestaurantAndTransportationEquipmentMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: