Selected Quarterly Financial Data (Unaudited) (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended																12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013		Sep. 30, 2013		Jun. 30, 2013		Mar. 31, 2013		Dec. 31, 2012		Sep. 30, 2012		Jun. 30, 2012		Mar. 31, 2012		Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Selected Quarterly Financial Data [Line Items]
Revenues	$ 157,901		$ 161,283		$ 158,114		$ 163,169		$ 158,637	[1]	$ 216,318	[1]	$ 229,391	[1]	$ 245,582	[1]	$ 640,467	$ 849,928	$ 1,075,198
Operating Margin	91,199		93,043		91,026		94,424		88,738		96,377		98,254		108,575		369,692	391,944	407,629
Net income (loss)	18,131		18,730		16,937		18,239		18,819	[2]	60,573	[2]	16,938	[2]	31,344	[2]	72,037	127,674	75,192
Net income (loss) per common share - Basic	$ 0.95		$ 0.98		$ 0.88		$ 0.95		$ 0.98	[3]	$ 3.26	[3]	$ 0.89	[3]	$ 1.69	[3]	$ 3.75	$ 6.81	$ 3.96
Net income (loss) per common share - Diluted	$ 0.94	[3]	$ 0.97	[3]	$ 0.87	[3]	$ 0.93	[3]	$ 0.97	[3]	$ 3.14	[3]	$ 0.88	[3]	$ 1.64	[3]	$ 3.70	$ 6.63	$ 3.89
Gain (Loss) on Disposition of Assets																	223	102,597	43,253
Applebee's
Selected Quarterly Financial Data [Line Items]
Franchised Company Operated Restaurants in the Quarter									39		98				17			154
Gain (Loss) on Disposition of Assets									$ 13,000		$ 73,600				$ 16,700

[1] Revenues in 2012 were impacted by the refranchising of 154 Applebee's company-operated restaurants in 2012 as follows: 17 in the first quarter of 2012, 98 in the third quarter of 2012 and 39 in the fourth quarter of 2012.

[2] Net income in 2012 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 and $13.0 million in the fourth quarter of 2012.

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