General	9 Months Ended
Jul. 06, 2011
Business Description and Basis of Presentation [Abstract]
General	1. General The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements of Biglari Holdings Inc. (“we”, “us”, “our”, “Biglari Holdings”, or the “Company”) have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America applicable to interim financial information and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and notes required by accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America for complete financial statements. In our opinion, all adjustments considered necessary to present fairly the condensed consolidated Balance Sheet as of July 6, 2011, the condensed consolidated Statements of Earnings for the twelve and forty weeks ended July 6, 2011 and July 7, 2010, and the condensed consolidated Statements of Cash Flows and Statements of Changes in Shareholders’ Equity for the forty weeks ended July 6, 2011 and July 7, 2010 have been included, and consist only of normal recurring adjustments. The condensed consolidated Statements of Earnings for the twelve and forty weeks ended July 6, 2011 and July 7, 2010 are not necessarily indicative of the condensed consolidated Statements of Earnings for the entire fiscal years. For further information, refer to the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 29, 2010. Biglari Holdings Inc. is a diversified holding company engaged in a number of diverse business activities. The Company is led by Sardar Biglari, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Biglari Holdings and its major operating subsidiaries. The Company’s long-term objective is to maximize per-share intrinsic value of the Company. Our strategy is to reinvest cash generated from our operating subsidiaries into any investments with the objective of achieving high risk-adjusted returns. All major operating, investment, and capital allocation decisions are made for the Company by Mr. Biglari. *Basis of Presentation and Consolidation* As of July 6, 2011, the condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of (i) the Company, (ii) its wholly-owned subsidiaries Steak n Shake Operations, Inc. (“Steak n Shake”), Western Sizzlin Corporation (“Western”), and Biglari Capital Corp. (“Biglari Capital”), and (iii) investment related subsidiaries and limited partnerships (the “consolidated affiliated partnerships”). As a result of the Company’s acquisitions of Western and Biglari Capital during fiscal year 2010, the Company acquired financial interests in The Lion Fund, L.P. (the “Lion Fund”), Western Acquisitions, L.P., Mustang Capital Partners I, L.P. and Mustang Capital Partners II, L.P., investment limited partnerships (collectively referred to as consolidated affiliated partnerships), for which the Company has a substantive controlling interest. We consolidate entities in which we have a wholly-owned or controlling interest in the general partner. The consolidated affiliated partnerships’ assets and liabilities are consolidated on the Company’s July 6, 2011 balance sheet even though outside limited partners have majority ownership in all of the investment partnerships. The Company does not guarantee any of the liabilities of its subsidiaries that are serving as general partners to these consolidated affiliated partnerships. All intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. The financial information of Western and Biglari Capital has been reflected in the condensed consolidated financial statements of the Company as of March 30, 2010 and April 30, 2010, their respective acquisition dates. During the first quarter of fiscal year 2011, Mustang Capital Partners I, L.P. and Mustang Capital Partners II, L.P. were liquidated and the funds were distributed to the partners. During the third quarter of fiscal year 2011, Western Mustang Holdings, L.L.C. sold its interests in Mustang Capital Management, L.L.C. and Mustang Capital Advisors, L.P. Western’s and Biglari Capital’s June 30 quarter end for financial reporting purposes differs from the end of the Company’s fiscal quarter of July 6, 2011. Significant transactions in the intervening period are disclosed.

General

9 Months Ended

Jul. 06, 2011

Business Description and Basis of Presentation [Abstract]

1. General

The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements of Biglari Holdings Inc. (“we”, “us”, “our”, “Biglari Holdings”, or the “Company”) have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America applicable to interim financial information and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and notes required by accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America for complete financial statements. In our opinion, all adjustments considered necessary to present fairly the condensed consolidated Balance Sheet as of July 6, 2011, the condensed consolidated Statements of Earnings for the twelve and forty weeks ended July 6, 2011 and July 7, 2010, and the condensed consolidated Statements of Cash Flows and Statements of Changes in Shareholders’ Equity for the forty weeks ended July 6, 2011 and July 7, 2010 have been included, and consist only of normal recurring adjustments. The condensed consolidated Statements of Earnings for the twelve and forty weeks ended July 6, 2011 and July 7, 2010 are not necessarily indicative of the condensed consolidated Statements of Earnings for the entire fiscal years. For further information, refer to the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 29, 2010.

Biglari Holdings Inc. is a diversified holding company engaged in a number of diverse business activities. The Company is led by Sardar Biglari, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Biglari Holdings and its major operating subsidiaries. The Company’s long-term objective is to maximize per-share intrinsic value of the Company. Our strategy is to reinvest cash generated from our operating subsidiaries into any investments with the objective of achieving high risk-adjusted returns. All major operating, investment, and capital allocation decisions are made for the Company by Mr. Biglari.

Basis of Presentation and Consolidation

As of July 6, 2011, the condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of (i) the Company, (ii) its wholly-owned subsidiaries Steak n Shake Operations, Inc. (“Steak n Shake”), Western Sizzlin Corporation (“Western”), and Biglari Capital Corp. (“Biglari Capital”), and (iii) investment related subsidiaries and limited partnerships (the “consolidated affiliated partnerships”). As a result of the Company’s acquisitions of Western and Biglari Capital during fiscal year 2010, the Company acquired financial interests in The Lion Fund, L.P. (the “Lion Fund”), Western Acquisitions, L.P., Mustang Capital Partners I, L.P. and Mustang Capital Partners II, L.P., investment limited partnerships (collectively referred to as consolidated affiliated partnerships), for which the Company has a substantive controlling interest. We consolidate entities in which we have a wholly-owned or controlling interest in the general partner. The consolidated affiliated partnerships’ assets and liabilities are consolidated on the Company’s July 6, 2011 balance sheet even though outside limited partners have majority ownership in all of the investment partnerships. The Company does not guarantee any of the liabilities of its subsidiaries that are serving as general partners to these consolidated affiliated partnerships. All intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.

The financial information of Western and Biglari Capital has been reflected in the condensed consolidated financial statements of the Company as of March 30, 2010 and April 30, 2010, their respective acquisition dates. During the first quarter of fiscal year 2011, Mustang Capital Partners I, L.P. and Mustang Capital Partners II, L.P. were liquidated and the funds were distributed to the partners. During the third quarter of fiscal year 2011, Western Mustang Holdings, L.L.C. sold its interests in Mustang Capital Management, L.L.C. and Mustang Capital Advisors, L.P. Western’s and Biglari Capital’s June 30 quarter end for financial reporting purposes differs from the end of the Company’s fiscal quarter of July 6, 2011. Significant transactions in the intervening period are disclosed.