Assets Held for Sale (Details) (USD $)			9 Months Ended		9 Months Ended		9 Months Ended		1 Months Ended	9 Months Ended	1 Months Ended	9 Months Ended	1 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Sep. 30, 2012 Applebee's parcel	Dec. 31, 2011 Applebee's parcel	Sep. 30, 2012 Applebee's Virginia	Sep. 30, 2012 Company Operated Virginia Missouri and Indiana [Member] Restaurants	Sep. 30, 2012 Company Operated Applebee's Six State Market Area Centered Around Memphis Tennessee [Member] Restaurants	Dec. 31, 2011 Company Operated Applebee's Six State Market Area Centered Around Memphis Tennessee [Member] Restaurants	Apr. 30, 2012 Company Operated Applebee's Virginia Restaurants	Sep. 30, 2012 Company Operated Applebee's Virginia Restaurants	May 31, 2012 Company Operated Applebee's Missouri and Indiana [Member] Restaurants	Sep. 30, 2012 Company Operated Applebee's Missouri and Indiana [Member] Restaurants	Jul. 31, 2012 Company Operated Applebee's Michigan Restaurants	Sep. 30, 2012 Company Operated Applebee's Michigan Restaurants
Assets Held For Sale [Line Items]
Number of Restaurants						137		17
Parcels of Land With Refranchised Restaurants				1
Parcels of Land Intended for Future Restaurant Development			1	3
Number of Restaurants Sold During Period							17					33		65
Parcels of Land Intended for Future Restaurant Development Sold			2
Restaurants Held For Refranchising and Sale of Related Assets									39	39	33		65
Assets Held For Sale [Roll Forward]
Assets held for sale, Beginning of period	$ 16,372,000	$ 9,363,000
Assets transferred to held for sale					54,700,000
Assets sold					(45,200,000)
Impairment					(2,500,000)
Assets held for sale, End of period	$ 16,372,000	$ 9,363,000