Adoption of ASU 2014-09, "Revenue from Contracts with Customers" – Impact of Adoption for the Second Quarter on the Statement of Income (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jul. 01, 2018	Jun. 25, 2017	Jul. 01, 2018	Jun. 25, 2017
Revenues:
Total revenues	$ 407,959	$ 434,778	$ 835,328	$ 884,044
Costs and expenses:
General and administrative expenses	38,712	40,248	78,441	76,662
Depreciation and amortization	11,731	10,654	23,270	21,111
Total costs and expenses	380,470	397,561	780,726	803,146
Refranchising loss, net	(2,122)		(1,918)
Operating income	25,367	37,217	52,684	80,898
Net Interest expense	(5,662)	(1,759)	(10,617)	(3,569)
Income before income taxes	19,705	35,458	42,067	77,329
Income tax expense	7,040	10,476	12,022	22,448
Net income before attribution to noncontrolling interests	12,665	24,982	30,045	54,881
Income attributable to noncontrolling interests	(874)	(1,444)	(1,517)	(2,915)
Net income attributable to the Company	11,791	23,538	28,528	51,966
Calculation of income for earnings per share:
Net income attributable to the Company	11,791	23,538	28,528	51,966
Change in noncontrolling interest redemption value		662		1,182
Net income attributable to participating securities	(72)	(99)	(147)	(216)
Net income attributable to common shareholders	$ 11,719	$ 24,101	$ 28,381	$ 52,932
Basic earnings per common share	$ 0.37	$ 0.66	$ 0.87	$ 1.44
Diluted earnings per common share	$ 0.36	$ 0.65	$ 0.86	$ 1.42
Basic weighted average common shares outstanding	31,941	36,732	32,610	36,771
Diluted weighted average common shares outstanding	32,175	37,217	32,860	37,283
Domestic Company-owned restaurants
Revenues:
Total revenues	$ 181,379	$ 202,756	$ 371,621	$ 409,652
Costs and expenses:
Operating costs (excluding depreciation and amortization shown separately below):	147,781	162,433	305,100	327,852
North America franchising
Revenues:
Total revenues	23,912	26,588	48,718	54,195
North America commissary
Revenues:
Total revenues	153,455	160,059	315,168	331,399
Costs and expenses:
Operating costs (excluding depreciation and amortization shown separately below):	143,300	149,472	294,981	309,429
International
Revenues:
Total revenues	29,069	27,245	59,183	52,867
Costs and expenses:
Operating costs (excluding depreciation and amortization shown separately below):	18,248	17,272	37,278	33,063
Other segment
Revenues:
Total revenues	20,144	18,130	40,638	35,931
Costs and expenses:
Operating costs (excluding depreciation and amortization shown separately below):	20,698	$ 17,482	41,656	$ 35,029
Accounting Standards Update 2014-09 | Total Adjustments
Revenues:
Total revenues	(1,814)		(4,250)
Costs and expenses:
General and administrative expenses	34		538
Total costs and expenses	(3,189)		(6,110)
Operating income	1,375		1,860
Income before income taxes	1,375		1,860
Income tax expense	306		418
Net income before attribution to noncontrolling interests	1,069		1,442
Net income attributable to the Company	1,069		1,442
Calculation of income for earnings per share:
Net income attributable to the Company	1,069		1,442
Net income attributable to common shareholders	$ 1,069		$ 1,442
Basic earnings per common share	$ 0.03		$ 0.04
Diluted earnings per common share	$ 0.03		$ 0.04
Basic weighted average common shares outstanding	31,941		32,610
Diluted weighted average common shares outstanding	32,175		32,860
Accounting Standards Update 2014-09 | Total Adjustments | Domestic Company-owned restaurants
Revenues:
Total revenues	$ 812		$ 1,076
Costs and expenses:
Operating costs (excluding depreciation and amortization shown separately below):	(272)		(338)
Accounting Standards Update 2014-09 | Total Adjustments | North America franchising
Revenues:
Total revenues	82		120
Accounting Standards Update 2014-09 | Total Adjustments | International
Revenues:
Total revenues	175		324
Accounting Standards Update 2014-09 | Total Adjustments | Other segment
Revenues:
Total revenues	(2,883)		(5,770)
Costs and expenses:
Operating costs (excluding depreciation and amortization shown separately below):	(2,951)		(6,310)
Accounting Standards Update 2014-09 | Without Adoption of Topic 606
Revenues:
Total revenues	406,145		831,078
Costs and expenses:
General and administrative expenses	38,746		78,979
Depreciation and amortization	11,731		23,270
Total costs and expenses	377,281		774,616
Refranchising loss, net	(2,122)		(1,918)
Operating income	26,742		54,544
Net Interest expense	(5,662)		(10,617)
Income before income taxes	21,080		43,927
Income tax expense	7,346		12,440
Net income before attribution to noncontrolling interests	13,734		31,487
Income attributable to noncontrolling interests	(874)		(1,517)
Net income attributable to the Company	12,860		29,970
Calculation of income for earnings per share:
Net income attributable to the Company	12,860		29,970
Net income attributable to participating securities	(72)		(147)
Net income attributable to common shareholders	$ 12,788		$ 29,823
Basic earnings per common share	$ 0.40		$ 0.91
Diluted earnings per common share	$ 0.40		$ 0.91
Basic weighted average common shares outstanding	31,941		32,610
Diluted weighted average common shares outstanding	32,175		32,860
Accounting Standards Update 2014-09 | Without Adoption of Topic 606 | Domestic Company-owned restaurants
Revenues:
Total revenues	$ 182,191		$ 372,697
Costs and expenses:
Operating costs (excluding depreciation and amortization shown separately below):	147,509		304,762
Accounting Standards Update 2014-09 | Without Adoption of Topic 606 | North America franchising
Revenues:
Total revenues	23,994		48,838
Accounting Standards Update 2014-09 | Without Adoption of Topic 606 | North America commissary
Revenues:
Total revenues	153,455		315,168
Costs and expenses:
Operating costs (excluding depreciation and amortization shown separately below):	143,300		294,981
Accounting Standards Update 2014-09 | Without Adoption of Topic 606 | International
Revenues:
Total revenues	29,244		59,507
Costs and expenses:
Operating costs (excluding depreciation and amortization shown separately below):	18,248		37,278
Accounting Standards Update 2014-09 | Without Adoption of Topic 606 | Other segment
Revenues:
Total revenues	17,261		34,868
Costs and expenses:
Operating costs (excluding depreciation and amortization shown separately below):	$ 17,747		$ 35,346