Schedule of Cash Flows (Parent Company, USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Sep. 24, 2014	Sep. 25, 2013	Sep. 26, 2012
Parent Company
Operating activities
Net earnings	$ 91,050	$ 18,949	$ 28,804	$ 140,271	$ 21,593
Adjustments to reconcile net earnings to net cash:
Excess distributed earning of subsidiaries	0	0	20,341	0	0
Undistributed earnings of subsidiaries	(23,356)	(8,678)	5,009	(29,777)	(28,306)
Provision for deferred income taxes	40,523	8,142	(1,886)	56,396	(3,570)
Gain on sale of Biglari Capital Corp	0	0	0	(1,597)	0
Investment gains (including contributions)	0	0	0	(162,300)	(4,152)
Investment partnerships gains	(110,268)	(20,457)	(6,749)	(20,068)	0
Distributions from investment partnerships and subsidiaries	0	0	7,776	0	0
Changes in accounts payable and accrued expenses	(185)	689	(10,554)	785	7,346
Changes in receivables and other	1,102	(723)	(4,016)	3,410	(3,483)
Net cash provided by operating activities	(1,134)	(2,078)	38,725	(12,880)	(10,572)
Investing activities
Investments in and advances to/ from subsidiaries, net	(5,172)	(2,348)	(13,318)	30,000	7,239
Additions of property and equipment	0	0	(1,096)	(1,106)	(624)
Acquisition of businesses, net of cash acquired	0	0	(40,143)	0	0
Proceeds from sale of Biglari Capital Corp., net of cash on hand	0	0	0	1,699	0
Purchases of investments	0	0	(60,000)	(46,977)	(101,004)
Sales of investments	0	0	0	1	49,536
Changes in due to/from broker	0	0	0	0	(7,051)
Net cash used in investing activities	(5,172)	(2,348)	(114,557)	(16,383)	(51,904)
Financing activities
Proceeds from stock rights offering	0	0	85,873	75,595	0
Proceeds from exercise of stock options and employees stock purchase plan	3	0	24	16	403
Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities	3	0	85,897	75,611	403
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	(6,303)	(4,426)	10,065	46,348	(62,073)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year	82,344	72,279	72,279	25,931	88,004
Cash and cash equivalents at end of year	$ 76,041	$ 67,853	$ 82,344	$ 72,279	$ 25,931