Note 16. Business Segment Reporting (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2017	Mar. 31, 2016
Steak n Shake
Revenue	$ 192,690	$ 196,898
Western
Revenue	3,004	3,397
Total Restaurant Operations
Revenue	195,694	200,295
First Guard
Revenue	6,080	5,499
Maxim
Revenue	1,619	2,448
Total Revenue
Revenue	$ 203,393	$ 208,242

Amount of revenue recognized from goods sold, services rendered, insurance premiums, or other activities that constitute an earning process. Includes, but is not limited to, investment and interest income before deduction of interest expense when recognized as a component of revenue, and sales and trading gain (loss).

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 225
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-03.1)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=63488584&loc=d3e20235-122688

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Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration