Consolidating Financial Information Supplemental Condensed Consolidating Statement of Operations (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended																12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2012		Sep. 30, 2012		Jun. 30, 2012		Mar. 31, 2012		Dec. 31, 2011		Sep. 30, 2011		Jun. 30, 2011		Mar. 31, 2011		Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Franchise revenues																	$ 421,459	$ 398,539	$ 377,137
Company restaurant sales																	291,121	530,984	815,572
Rental revenues																	122,859	125,960	124,508
Financing revenues																	14,489	19,715	16,424
Total segment revenues	158,637	[1]	216,318	[1]	229,391	[1]	245,582	[1]	242,179	[1]	264,481	[1]	268,338	[1],[2]	300,200	[1]	849,928	1,075,198	1,333,641
Franchise expenses																	109,900	105,006	103,505
Restaurant expenses																	249,296	458,443	699,336
Rental expenses																	97,165	98,147	99,030
Financing expenses																	1,623	5,973	1,969
General and administrative																	163,215	155,822	160,330
Interest expense																	114,338	132,707	171,537
Impairment and closure charges																	4,218	29,865	4,285
Amortization of intangible assets																	12,293	12,300	12,300
Loss on extinguishment of debt																	5,554	11,159	107,003
Loss (gain) on disposition of assets																	(102,597)	(43,253)	(13,574)
Other (income) expense																	0	4,000	0
Intercompany dividend																			0
Income (loss) before income taxes																	194,923	104,998	(12,080)
Benefit (provision) for income taxes																	(67,249)	(29,806)	9,292
Net income (loss)	18,819	[3]	60,573	[3]	16,938	[3]	31,344	[3]	28,620	[3]	16,525	[3]	348	[2],[3]	29,699	[3]	127,674	75,192	(2,788)
Parent
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Franchise revenues																	2,600	2,500	0
Company restaurant sales																	0	0	0
Rental revenues																	0	0	0
Financing revenues																	0	0	0
Total segment revenues																	2,600	2,500	0
Franchise expenses																	2,500	2,100	0
Restaurant expenses																	0	0	0
Rental expenses																	0	0	0
Financing expenses																	0	0	0
General and administrative																	36,300	28,300	27,400
Interest expense																	106,100	117,200	27,800
Impairment and closure charges																	0	0	0
Amortization of intangible assets																	0	0	0
Loss on extinguishment of debt																	5,600	11,200	4,400
Loss (gain) on disposition of assets																	1,200	0	0
Other (income) expense																	(220,700)	(150,600)	300
Intercompany dividend																			(409,300)
Income (loss) before income taxes																	71,600	(5,700)	349,400
Benefit (provision) for income taxes																	56,000	61,300	22,600
Net income (loss)																	127,600	55,600	372,000
Combined Guarantor Subsidiaries
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Franchise revenues																	417,700	395,100	376,800
Company restaurant sales																	291,100	529,700	813,600
Rental revenues																	122,900	125,800	124,300
Financing revenues																	14,500	19,700	16,400
Total segment revenues																	846,200	1,070,300	1,331,100
Franchise expenses																	107,300	102,800	103,500
Restaurant expenses																	249,300	457,600	698,000
Rental expenses																	97,200	98,100	98,900
Financing expenses																	1,600	6,000	2,000
General and administrative																	124,900	125,300	130,700
Interest expense																	8,200	15,500	143,800
Impairment and closure charges																	3,500	29,500	3,100
Amortization of intangible assets																	12,300	12,300	12,300
Loss on extinguishment of debt																	0	0	102,600
Loss (gain) on disposition of assets																	(102,200)	(43,300)	(13,900)
Other (income) expense																	0	21,200	(75,100)
Intercompany dividend																			0
Income (loss) before income taxes																	344,100	245,300	125,200
Benefit (provision) for income taxes																	(123,200)	(90,900)	(17,300)
Net income (loss)																	220,900	154,400	107,900
Combined Non-guarantor Subsidiaries
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Franchise revenues																	1,100	1,000	700
Company restaurant sales																	0	1,300	2,000
Rental revenues																	0	100	200
Financing revenues																	0	0	0
Total segment revenues																	1,100	2,400	2,900
Franchise expenses																	100	100	0
Restaurant expenses																	0	800	1,300
Rental expenses																	0	100	100
Financing expenses																	0	0	0
General and administrative																	2,000	2,200	2,200
Interest expense																	0	0	0
Impairment and closure charges																	700	400	1,200
Amortization of intangible assets																	0	0	0
Loss on extinguishment of debt																	0	0	0
Loss (gain) on disposition of assets																	(1,600)	0	300
Other (income) expense																	0	(1,700)	100
Intercompany dividend																			0
Income (loss) before income taxes																	(100)	500	(2,300)
Benefit (provision) for income taxes																	0	(200)	4,000
Net income (loss)																	(100)	300	1,700
Eliminations and Reclassification
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Franchise revenues																	0	0	(400)
Company restaurant sales																	0	0	0
Rental revenues																	0	0	0
Financing revenues																	0	0	0
Total segment revenues																	0	0	(400)
Franchise expenses																	0	0	0
Restaurant expenses																	0	0	0
Rental expenses																	0	0	0
Financing expenses																	0	0	0
General and administrative																	0	0	0
Interest expense																	0	0	0
Impairment and closure charges																	0	0	0
Amortization of intangible assets																	0	0	0
Loss on extinguishment of debt																	0	0	0
Loss (gain) on disposition of assets																	0	0	0
Other (income) expense																	220,700	135,100	74,700
Intercompany dividend																			409,300
Income (loss) before income taxes																	(220,700)	(135,100)	(484,400)
Benefit (provision) for income taxes																	0	0	0
Net income (loss)																	$ (220,700)	$ (135,100)	$ (484,400)

[1] Revenues have been impacted by the refranchising of 286 Applebee's company-operated restaurants over the past two years as follows: 17 in the first quarter of 2012, 98 in the third quarter of 2012, 39 in the fourth quarter of 2012, 65 in the first quarter of 2011, one in the third quarter of 2011 and 66 in the fourth quarter of 2011.

[2] The net income and net loss per share were significantly impacted by approximately $21 million of charges related to the termination of the sublease for the Applebee's Restaurant Support Center in Lenexa, Kansas in the 2nd quarter of 2011.

[3] Net income (loss) was impacted by gains on disposition of assets (primarily the refranchising and sale of related restaurant assets of Applebee's company-operated restaurants) of $16.7 million in the first quarter of 2012, $73.6 million in the third quarter of 2012, $13.0 million in the fourth quarter of 2012, $23.8 million in the first quarter of 2011 and $22.0 million in the fourth quarter of 2011.