Selected Quarterly Financial Data (Unaudited) (Details) (USD $)	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
Selected Quarterly Financial Data [Line Items]
Revenues	$ 158,637,000	[1]	$ 216,318,000	[1]	$ 229,391,000	[1]	$ 245,582,000	[1]	$ 242,179,000	[1]	$ 264,481,000	[1]	$ 268,338,000	[1],[2]	$ 300,200,000	[1]	$ 849,928,000	$ 1,075,198,000	$ 1,333,641,000
Operating Margin	88,738,000		96,377,000		98,254,000		108,575,000		96,022,000		100,553,000		100,285,000	[2]	110,769,000		391,944,000	407,629,000	429,801,000
Net income (loss)	18,819,000	[3]	60,573,000	[3]	16,938,000	[3]	31,344,000	[3]	28,620,000	[3]	16,525,000	[3]	348,000	[2],[3]	29,699,000	[3]	127,674,000	75,192,000	(2,788,000)
Net income (loss) per common share - Basic	$ 0.98	[4]	$ 3.26	[4]	$ 0.89	[4]	$ 1.69	[4]	$ 1.55	[4]	$ 0.86	[4]	$ (0.02)	[2],[4]	$ 1.59	[4]	$ 6.81	$ 3.96	$ (1.74)
Net income (loss) per common share - Diluted	$ 0.97	[4]	$ 3.14	[4]	$ 0.88	[4]	$ 1.64	[4]	$ 1.51	[4]	$ 0.85	[4]	$ (0.02)	[2],[4]	$ 1.53	[4]	$ 6.63	$ 3.89	$ (1.74)
Gain (Loss) on Disposition of Assets																	102,597,000	43,253,000	13,574,000
Applebee's
Selected Quarterly Financial Data [Line Items]
Franchised Company Operated Restaurants in the Quarter									66		1				65
Gain (Loss) on Disposition of Assets	13,000,000		73,600,000				16,700,000		22,000,000						23,800,000
Applebee's | Support Center Sale Leaseback Agreement
Selected Quarterly Financial Data [Line Items]
Charges related to the termination of sublease for Applebee's Support Center													$ 21,000,000

[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.

[4] The quarterly amounts may not add to the full year amount as each quarterly calculation is discrete from the full-year calculation.