Long-Term Debt Senior Credit Facility (Details) (USD $)				12 Months Ended
	Dec. 30, 2012 Rate	Jan. 01, 2012	Dec. 30, 2012 Letter of Credit [Member]	Dec. 30, 2012 Carrols LLC [Member]	Dec. 30, 2012 Prior to Cash Collateral Release [Member] Rate	Dec. 30, 2012 Minimum [Member]	Dec. 30, 2012 Minimum [Member] Following the Cash Collateral Release [Member] Rate	Dec. 30, 2012 Maximum [Member] Following the Cash Collateral Release [Member] Rate
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Current Borrowing Capacity	$ 20,000,000		$ 15.0
Line of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity	25,000,000
Letters of Credit Outstanding, Amount	5,400,000
Line of Credit Facility, Remaining Borrowing Capacity	14,600,000
Restricted cash	20,000,000	0
Senior Credit Facility, Cash Collateral Release, Adjusted Leverage Ratio	6.00
Line of Credit Facility, Alternative Base Rate, Interest Rate Margin					0.75%		2.50%	3.25%
Line of Credit Facility, Libor Rate, Interest Rate Margin					1.75%	3.50%		4.25%
Debt Instrument, Periodic Payment, Principal				$ 1,625,000