Significant Accounting Policies - Noncontrolling Interests and Recent Accounting Pronouncements (Details)	Dec. 25, 2016 item
Noncontrolling Interests
Number of joint ventures	5

Represents the number of joint ventures, which includes noncontrolling interests.

No definition available.

Name:	pzza_NumberOfJointVenturesHavingNoncontrollingInterests
Namespace Prefix:	pzza_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant