Business Segment Information (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 25, 2013	Jun. 26, 2012	Jun. 25, 2013	Jun. 26, 2012	Dec. 25, 2012	Dec. 27, 2011
Revenues:
Total revenues	$ 589,011,000	$ 530,591,000	$ 1,150,790,000	$ 1,029,170,000
Segment profit:
Total segment profit	139,021,000	126,119,000	267,570,000	241,053,000
Depreciation and amortization	25,267,000	22,141,000	49,632,000	43,462,000
Unallocated General and Administrative Expenses	29,743,000	30,844,000	58,050,000	57,511,000
Pre-opening expenses	2,081,000	2,476,000	3,172,000	4,087,000
Interest expense	178,000	202,000	480,000	412,000
Other (income) expense, net	(796,000)	288,000	(3,216,000)	726,000
Income before income taxes	84,053,000	71,713,000	162,476,000	138,421,000
Capital expenditures:
Capital Expenditures	45,471,000	34,578,000	81,502,000	64,697,000
Segment Assets
Unallocated cash and cash equivalents	243,138,000	255,799,000	243,138,000	255,799,000	297,141,000	222,640,000
Held-to-maturity Securities, Current	97,919,000		97,919,000		0
Unallocated trade and other accounts receivable	32,007,000		32,007,000		43,843,000
Unallocated property and equipment	610,530,000		610,530,000		571,754,000
Total assets	1,321,729,000		1,321,729,000		1,268,163,000
Operating Segments [Member]
Segment Assets
Total assets	873,718,000		873,718,000		878,035,000
Company bakery cafe operations [Member]
Revenues:
Total revenues	521,038,000	468,645,000	1,018,557,000	907,860,000
Segment profit:
Total segment profit	107,152,000	98,764,000	205,558,000	186,500,000
Depreciation and amortization	21,704,000	19,279,000	42,709,000	37,779,000
Capital expenditures:
Capital Expenditures	37,255,000	29,970,000	66,014,000	54,891,000
Segment Assets
Total assets	806,612,000		806,612,000		807,681,000
Franchise operations [Member]
Revenues:
Total revenues	27,453,000	24,757,000	54,030,000	49,579,000
Segment profit:
Total segment profit	25,948,000	23,212,000	51,006,000	46,013,000
Segment Assets
Total assets	10,165,000		10,165,000		10,285,000
Fresh dough and other product operations [Member]
Revenues:
Total revenues	86,695,000	78,489,000	166,684,000	149,832,000
Segment profit:
Total segment profit	5,921,000	4,143,000	11,006,000	8,540,000
Depreciation and amortization	1,964,000	1,661,000	3,978,000	3,310,000
Capital expenditures:
Capital Expenditures	1,590,000	2,059,000	3,780,000	3,976,000
Segment Assets
Total assets	56,941,000		56,941,000		60,069,000
Intersegment Elimination [Member]
Revenues:
Total revenues	(46,175,000)	(41,300,000)	(88,481,000)	(78,101,000)
Segment profit:
Depreciation and amortization	1,599,000	1,201,000	2,945,000	2,373,000
Capital expenditures:
Capital Expenditures	6,626,000	2,549,000	11,708,000	5,830,000
Unallocated Amount to Segment [Member]
Segment profit:
Unallocated General and Administrative Expenses	28,238,000	29,299,000	55,026,000	53,945,000
Segment Assets
Unallocated cash and cash equivalents	243,138,000		243,138,000		297,141,000
Held-to-maturity Securities, Current	97,919,000		97,919,000		0
Unallocated trade and other accounts receivable	1,611,000		1,611,000		1,592,000
Unallocated property and equipment	40,690,000		40,690,000		30,161,000
Unallocated deposits and other	4,492,000		4,492,000		5,054,000
Other unallocated assets	$ 60,161,000		$ 60,161,000		$ 56,180,000