Impairments Fair Value Table (Details) $ in Thousands		12 Months Ended
		Apr. 29, 2016 USD ($) restaurant		Apr. 24, 2015 USD ($) restaurant		Apr. 25, 2014 USD ($) restaurant
Impaired Long Lived Assets Held And Used [Line Items]
Impairments		$ 8,384		$ 8,861		$ 16,850
Bob Evans Restaurants
Impaired Long Lived Assets Held And Used [Line Items]
Number of property locations held for use | restaurant						7
Bob Evans Restaurants | Underperforming Restaurants
Impaired Long Lived Assets Held And Used [Line Items]
Impairments		$ 6,710		$ 2,851
Number of property locations held for sale | restaurant		27		20
Bob Evans Restaurants | Operating Restaurant
Impaired Long Lived Assets Held And Used [Line Items]
Impairment charges						$ 4,133
Number of property locations held for use | restaurant		6		11		7
Number of property locations held for sale | restaurant		13		8
Bob Evans Restaurants | Nonoperating Restaurant
Impaired Long Lived Assets Held And Used [Line Items]
Impairments		$ 1,674				$ 9,380
Number of property locations held for use | restaurant		2		2
Number of property locations held for sale | restaurant		5		1		29
Bob Evans Restaurants | Reclassified Restaurant
Impaired Long Lived Assets Held And Used [Line Items]
Impairments						$ 714
Number of property locations held for sale | restaurant						1
Bob Evans Restaurants | Certain commercial vehicles
Impaired Long Lived Assets Held And Used [Line Items]
Impairment charges						$ 337
BEF Foods
Impaired Long Lived Assets Held And Used [Line Items]
Impairments						3,000
BEF Foods | Nonoperating Restaurant
Impaired Long Lived Assets Held And Used [Line Items]
Impairments						$ 3,000
Number of property locations held for sale | restaurant						1
Fair Value, Measurements, Nonrecurring | Bob Evans Restaurants | Underperforming Restaurants
Impaired Long Lived Assets Held And Used [Line Items]
Impairment charges		$ 3,316	[1]	$ 3,442	[2]
Impairments		$ 5,068	[3]	2,658	[4]
Fair Value, Measurements, Nonrecurring | Bob Evans Restaurants | Nonoperating Restaurant
Impaired Long Lived Assets Held And Used [Line Items]
Impairment charges	[5]					$ 4,470
Impairments	[6]					9,380
Fair Value, Measurements, Nonrecurring | BEF Foods | Underperforming Restaurants
Impaired Long Lived Assets Held And Used [Line Items]
Impairments				$ 0
Fair Value, Measurements, Nonrecurring | BEF Foods | Nonoperating Restaurant
Impaired Long Lived Assets Held And Used [Line Items]
Impairments	[7]					$ 3,000

[1] Relates to six operating and two nonoperating properties

[2] Relates to 11 operating and two nonoperating properties

[3] Relates to 13 operating and five nonoperating properties

[4] Relates to eight operating and one nonoperating properties

[5] $4,133 and $337 relates to impairment of seven operating properties and certain commercial vehicles, respectively

[6] $9,380 relates to impairment of 29 nonoperating properties, of which $714 relates to the impairment of one property no longer classified as held for sale

[7] $3,000 relates to impairment of one nonoperating property