Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Narrative (Details) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands				3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Oct. 28, 2016 USD ($) restaurant state property	Jul. 29, 2016	Apr. 29, 2016 USD ($) restaurant property	Oct. 28, 2016 USD ($) restaurant state $ / shares shares	Oct. 23, 2015 USD ($) $ / shares shares	Oct. 28, 2016 USD ($) restaurant state segment $ / shares shares	Oct. 23, 2015 USD ($) $ / shares shares	Apr. 29, 2016 USD ($) restaurant
Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Goodwill and other intangible assets	$ 19,751		$ 19,829	$ 19,751		$ 19,751		$ 19,829
Number of restaurants | restaurant	522			522		522
Number of states in which entity operates | state	18			18		18
Number of reporting segments | segment						2
Deferred gift card revenue	$ 12,051		14,147	$ 12,051		$ 12,051		14,147
Shipping and handling costs				4,092	$ 3,322	7,404	$ 7,191
Allowance for doubtful accounts receivable	871		534	871		871		534
Accounts receivable reduction related to sales promotions	11,410		4,916	11,410		11,410		4,916
Accretion income				574	513	1,133	1,011
Impairment charges				523	285	523	285
Notes receivable, net	6,256		20,886	6,256		6,256		20,886
Raw materials and supplies	16,276		13,815	16,276		16,276		13,815
Finished goods	17,059		11,183	17,059		17,059		11,183
Depreciation				17,606	$ 20,067	35,140	$ 40,181
Current assets held for sale	23,887		31,644	$ 23,887		$ 23,887		31,644
Goodwill and other intangible assets			19,829					19,829
Dilutive shares not included in computation of dilutive earnings per share (in shares) | shares				337,218	251,799	326,605	241,455
Cash dividends (in dollars per share) | $ / shares				$ 0.34	$ 0.31	$ 0.68	$ 0.62
Accrued non-income taxes	14,246		15,696	$ 14,246		$ 14,246		15,696
Self-insurance reserves	18,429		20,169	18,429		18,429		20,169
Non-current deferred sale leaseback gains	54,564		$ 56,036	54,564		54,564		$ 56,036
Net gain (loss) on sale				736		1,472
Advertising expense				10,206	$ 10,033	$ 19,465	$ 19,026
BEF Foods Noncompetition Agreements
Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Goodwill Amortization Period						5 years
Building and Improvements | Minimum
Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Property, plant and equipment, useful lives						5 years
Building and Improvements | Maximum
Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Property, plant and equipment, useful lives						50 years
Machinery and Equipment | Minimum
Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Property, plant and equipment, useful lives						3 years
Machinery and Equipment | Maximum
Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Property, plant and equipment, useful lives						10 years
Capitalized Internal Labor Costs
Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Depreciation				855	548	$ 1,782	1,052
Enterprise Resource Planning System
Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Property, plant and equipment, useful lives						10 years
Mimi's Cafe
Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Sale note receivable						$ 30,000
Sale interest rate		1.50%
Sale note receivable term		7 years
Impairment charges				16,000
Bob Evans Restaurants
Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Promotional spending				8,519	9,504	15,293	18,253
Number of properties | restaurant			143					143
Lease term (in years)								20 years
Non-current deferred sale leaseback gains	$ 56,868			56,868		$ 56,868
Advertising expense allocated percentage						70.00%
Bob Evans Restaurants | Nonoperating Restaurant | Current assets held for sale
Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Number of locations held-for-sale | property	21		30
BEF Foods
Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Promotional spending				19,330	$ 15,655	$ 35,621	$ 30,408
Number of properties | restaurant			2					2
Lease term (in years)								20 years
Non-current deferred sale leaseback gains	$ 2,305			$ 2,305		$ 2,305