Segment Information (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended				9 Months Ended
	Sep. 25, 2011		Sep. 26, 2010		Sep. 25, 2011		Sep. 26, 2010		Dec. 26, 2010
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue from external customers	$ 305,668,000		$ 273,126,000		$ 911,669,000		$ 839,559,000
Intersegment revenues	42,095,000		72,939,000		147,498,000		223,884,000
Income (loss) before income taxes	16,846,000		12,540,000		62,693,000		61,132,000
Less: Income attributable to noncontrolling interests	(817,000)		(672,000)		(2,868,000)		(2,672,000)
Total income before income taxes, net of noncontrolling interests	16,029,000		11,868,000		59,825,000		58,460,000
Accumulated depreciation and amortization	(260,617,000)				(260,617,000)
Net property and equipment	183,184,000				183,184,000				186,594,000	[1]
Domestic Company-owned restaurants [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue from external customers	128,787,000		120,414,000		395,099,000		374,652,000
Income (loss) before income taxes	4,273,000		5,503,000		22,577,000		25,604,000
Property and equipment, gross	173,814,000				173,814,000
Domestic Commissaries [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue from external customers	130,870,000		111,884,000		379,569,000		338,460,000
Intersegment revenues	38,702,000		32,376,000		112,674,000		99,254,000
Income (loss) before income taxes	7,237,000		5,393,000		21,112,000		20,577,000
Property and equipment, gross	85,264,000				85,264,000
North America Franchising [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue from external customers	18,122,000	[2]	16,802,000	[2]	56,265,000	[2]	52,598,000	[2]
Intersegment revenues	542,000		494,000		1,625,000		1,509,000
Income (loss) before income taxes	15,941,000	[2]	14,663,000	[2]	50,190,000	[2]	46,713,000	[2]
International [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue from external customers	15,521,000	[2]	11,888,000	[2]	42,551,000	[2]	34,175,000	[2]
Intersegment revenues	58,000		163,000		163,000		852,000
Income (loss) before income taxes	249,000	[2]	(1,309,000)	[2]	(817,000)	[2]	(4,162,000)	[2]
Property and equipment, gross	18,279,000				18,279,000
North America [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Other sales	12,368,000		12,138,000		38,185,000		39,674,000
Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Intersegment revenues			37,052,000		25,117,000		113,556,000
Income (loss) before income taxes			(658,000)				5,505,000
All Others [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Intersegment revenues	2,793,000		2,854,000		7,919,000		8,713,000
Income (loss) before income taxes	(66,000)		60,000		(742,000)		1,187,000
Property and equipment, gross	36,157,000				36,157,000
Unallocated Amount to Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Income (loss) before income taxes	(11,085,000)		(11,004,000)		(29,371,000)		(33,963,000)
Property and equipment, gross	130,287,000				130,287,000
Business Intersegment, Eliminations [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Income (loss) before income taxes	297,000		(108,000)		(256,000)		(329,000)
Reclassification from International to North America Franchising [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Impact of reclassification of franchised restaurants on revenues			362,000.0				1,100,000
Impact of reclassification of franchised restaurants on income before income taxes			$ 302,000				$ 982,000

[1] Note: The balance sheet at December 26, 2010 has been derived from the audited consolidated financial statements at that date, but does not include all information and footnotes required by accounting principles generally accepted in the United States for a complete set of financial statements.

[2] The results for the three and nine months ended September 26, 2010 for franchised restaurants operating in Hawaii, Alaska and Canada have been reclassified from the International segment to the North America franchising segment to conform to the current year presentation. The impact of the reclassification was to increase North America franchising revenues and income before income taxes by $362,000 and $302,000, respectively, for the three months ended September 26, 2010, and $1.1 million and $982,000, respectively, for the nine months ended September 26, 2010, with corresponding decreases in the International segment.