Significant Accounting Policies (Details 1) - restaurant	Sep. 27, 2015	Sep. 28, 2014
Star Papa, LP
Noncontrolling Interests
Number of Restaurants	85	82
Papa John's Ownership	51.00%	51.00%
Noncontrolling Interest Ownership	49.00%	49.00%
Colonel's Limited, LLC
Noncontrolling Interests
Number of Restaurants	61	56
Papa John's Ownership	70.00%	70.00%
Noncontrolling Interest Ownership	30.00%	30.00%
PJ Minnesota, LLC
Noncontrolling Interests
Number of Restaurants	35	34
Papa John's Ownership	70.00%	70.00%
Noncontrolling Interest Ownership	30.00%	30.00%
PJ Denver, LLC
Noncontrolling Interests
Number of Restaurants	27	25
Papa John's Ownership	60.00%	60.00%
Noncontrolling Interest Ownership	40.00%	40.00%