Share-Based Compensation Share-based Compensation Expense (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
Jan. 02, 2022	Jan. 03, 2021	Dec. 29, 2019
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Allocation of Recognized Period Costs
Share-based compensation	$ 22,019	$ 18,930	$ 18,676
Income tax benefit	(2,790)	(2,958)	(2,990)
Share-based compensation, net of income tax benefit	19,229	15,972	15,686
Total share-based compensation not yet recognized, non-vested awards	$ 29,337
Total share-based compensation not yet recognized, period for recognition, non-vested awards	2 years 21 days
Stock Options
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Allocation of Recognized Period Costs
Share-based compensation	$ 9,256	8,499	7,685
Restricted Stock
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Allocation of Recognized Period Costs
Share-based compensation	6,677	6,507	5,762
Performance Condition Award
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Allocation of Recognized Period Costs
Share-based compensation	2,861	782	2,195
Market Condition Performance Award
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Allocation of Recognized Period Costs
Share-based compensation	3,225	2,521	2,023
Modified Awards
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Allocation of Recognized Period Costs
Share-based compensation	0	621	1,011
Reorganization and realignment
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Allocation of Recognized Period Costs
Share-based compensation	$ 19	$ 213	$ 396

Amount of expense for award under share-based payment arrangement. Excludes amount capitalized.

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 718
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=120381028&loc=d3e5047-113901

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 718
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SAB Topic 14.F)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=122041274&loc=d3e301413-122809

Reference 3: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 718
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (h)(1)(i)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=120381028&loc=d3e5070-113901

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_AllocatedShareBasedCompensationExpense
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount, after tax, of expense for award under share-based payment arrangement.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_AllocatedShareBasedCompensationExpenseNetOfTax
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

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

- Definition

Amount of cost not yet recognized for nonvested award under share-based payment arrangement.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 718
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (i)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=120381028&loc=d3e5070-113901

+ Details

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

- Definition

Weighted-average period over which cost not yet recognized is expected to be recognized for award under share-based payment arrangement, in 'PnYnMnDTnHnMnS' format, for example, 'P1Y5M13D' represents reported fact of one year, five months, and thirteen days.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_EmployeeServiceShareBasedCompensationNonvestedAwardsTotalCompensationCostNotYetRecognizedPeriodForRecognition1
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of tax benefit for recognition of expense of award under share-based payment arrangement.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 718
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (h)(1)(i)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=120381028&loc=d3e5070-113901

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_EmployeeServiceShareBasedCompensationTaxBenefitFromCompensationExpense
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis=us-gaap_EmployeeStockOptionMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis=us-gaap_RestrictedStockMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis=wen_PerformanceConditionAwardMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis=wen_MarketConditionPerformanceAwardMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis=wen_ModifiedAwardsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_IncomeStatementLocationAxis=wen_ReorganizationandrealignmentMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: