Fiesta Restaurant (FRGI) 10-Q 5 Nov 13 2013 Q3 Quarterly report Financial data

Document_and_Entity_Informatio

Document and Entity Information	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 29, 2013	Oct. 31, 2013
Document And Entity Information [Abstract]	'	'
Entity Registrant Name	'FIESTA RESTAURANT GROUP, INC.	'
Entity Central Index Key	'0001534992	'
Current Fiscal Year End Date	'--12-29	'
Entity Filer Category	'Accelerated Filer	'
Document Type	'10-Q	'
Document Period End Date	29-Sep-13	'
Document Fiscal Year Focus	'2013	'
Document Fiscal Period Focus	'Q3	'
Amendment Flag	'false	'
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding	'	23,638,885

Consolidated_Balance_Sheets_Un

Consolidated Balance Sheets (Unaudited) (USD $)	Sep. 29, 2013	Dec. 30, 2012
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Current assets:	'	'
Cash	$5,886	$15,533
Trade receivables	6,997	5,935
Inventories	2,457	2,750
Prepaid rent	2,388	2,094
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	4,617	2,596
Deferred income taxes	2,424	2,049
Total current assets	24,769	30,957
Property and equipment, net	144,407	126,516
Goodwill	123,484	123,484
Intangible assets, net	141	202
Deferred income taxes	12,642	13,101
Deferred financing costs, net	4,511	5,690
Other assets	3,308	3,779
Total assets	313,262	303,729
Current liabilities:	'	'
Current portion of long-term debt	56	60
Accounts payable	8,966	10,411
Accrued interest	2,303	6,761
Accrued payroll, related taxes and benefits	12,871	14,719
Accrued real estate taxes	4,648	3,366
Other liabilities	5,968	5,961
Total current liabilities	34,812	41,278
Long-term debt, net of current portion	200,847	200,889
Lease financing obligations	3,035	3,029
Deferred income--sale-leaseback of real estate	34,696	36,096
Other liabilities	11,957	11,933
Total liabilities	285,347	293,225
Commitments and contingencies	'	'
Stockholder's equity:	'	'
Common stock, par value $.01; authorized 100,000,000 shares; issued 23,643,983 and 23,514,437 shares, respectively, and outstanding 22,999,917 and 22,748,241 shares, respectively	230	227
Additional paid-in capital	12,852	10,254
Retained earnings	14,833	23
Total stockholder's equity	27,915	10,504
Total liabilities and stockholder's equity	$313,262	$303,729

Consolidated_Balance_Sheets_Un1

Consolidated Balance Sheets (Unaudited) (Parenthetical) (USD $)	Sep. 29, 2013	Dec. 30, 2012
Statement of Financial Position [Abstract]	'	'
Common stock, par value	$0.01	$0.01
Common stock, shares authorized	100,000,000	100,000,000
Common stock, shares issued	23,643,983	23,514,437
Common stock, shares outstanding	22,999,917	22,748,241

Consolidated_Statements_of_Ope

Consolidated Statements of Operations (Unaudited) (USD $)	3 Months Ended				9 Months Ended
In Thousands, except Share data, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 29, 2013		Sep. 30, 2012		Sep. 29, 2013		Sep. 30, 2012
Revenues:	'		'		'		'
Restaurant sales	$140,069		$127,648		$413,435		$381,422
Franchise royalty revenues and fees	609		525		1,747		1,726
Total revenues	140,678		128,173		415,182		383,148
Costs and expenses:	'		'		'		'
Cost of sales	45,162		41,021		132,891		123,106
Restaurant wages and related expenses (including stock-based compensation expense of $1, $1, $2 and $9, respectively)	36,979	[1]	33,860	[1]	107,914	[1]	101,821	[1]
Restaurant rent expense	6,853		6,224		19,699		15,421
Other restaurant operating expenses	18,283		16,529		51,786		48,119
Advertising expense	4,271		3,757		13,275		11,923
General and administrative (including stock-based compensation expense of $657, $379, $1,677 and $1,594, respectively)	11,685	[2]	11,198	[2]	35,895	[2]	32,800	[2]
Depreciation and amortization	5,129		4,486		15,117		13,703
Pre-opening costs	590		232		2,379		1,056
Impairment and other lease charges	-312		-45		239		6,816
Other income	-57		0		-554		0
Total operating expenses	128,583		117,262		378,641		354,765
Income from operations	12,095		10,911		36,541		28,383
Interest expense	4,457		5,036		14,475		19,334
Income before income taxes	7,638		5,875		22,066		9,049
Provision for income taxes	2,596		2,226		7,256		3,344
Net income	$5,042		$3,649		$14,810		$5,705
Basic and diluted net income per share	$0.21		$0.16		$0.63		$0.25
Basic and diluted weighted average common shares outstanding	22,986,615		22,747,044		22,921,233		22,937,270
[1]	(1) Includes stock-based compensation expense of $1 and $2 for the three and nine months ended SeptemberB 29, 2013, respectively, and $1 and $9 for the three and nine months ended SeptemberB 30, 2012, respectively.
[2]	(2) Includes stock-based compensation expense of $657 and $1,677 for the three and nine months ended SeptemberB 29, 2013, respectively, and $379 and $1,594 for the three and nine months ended SeptemberB 30, 2012, respectively.

Consolidated_Statements_of_Ope1

Consolidated Statements of Operations (Unaudited) (Parenthetical) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 29, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 29, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012
Stock-based compensation	$700	$400	$1,700	$1,600
Restaurant Wages And Related Expenses [Member]	'	'	'	'
Stock-based compensation	1	1	2	9
General and Administrative Expense [Member]	'	'	'	'
Stock-based compensation	$657	$379	$1,677	$1,594

Consolidated_Statement_of_Chan

Consolidated Statement of Changes in Stockholder's Equity Statement (USD $)	Total	Number of Common Stock Shares [Member]	Common Stock [Member]	Additional Paid-in Capital [Member]	Retained Earnings [Member]
In Thousands, except Share data, unless otherwise specified	USD ($)		USD ($)	USD ($)	USD ($)
Beginning balance at Jan. 01, 2012	($4,672)	'	$227	$3,345	($8,244)
Beginning shares at Jan. 01, 2012	'	23,161,822	'	'	'
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]	'	'	'	'	'
Capital contributions	4,154	'	'	4,154	'
Stock-based compensation	1,400	'	'	1,400	'
Issuance of non-vested shares at spin-off	'	-434,397	'	'	'
Vesting of restricted shares	'	20,799	'	'	'
Net income	5,705	'	'	'	5,705
Ending balance at Sep. 30, 2012	6,587	'	227	8,899	-2,539
Ending shares at Sep. 30, 2012	'	22,748,224	'	'	'
Beginning balance at Dec. 30, 2012	10,504	'	227	10,254	23
Beginning shares at Dec. 30, 2012	22,748,241	22,748,241	'	'	'
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]	'	'	'	'	'
Capital contributions	96	'	'	96	'
Stock-based compensation	1,679	'	'	1,679	'
Vesting of restricted shares	'	'	3	'	'
Vesting of restricted shares	'	251,676	'	'	'
Vesting of restricted shares and related tax benefit	826	'	'	823	'
Net income	14,810	'	'	'	14,810
Ending balance at Sep. 29, 2013	$27,915	'	$230	$12,852	$14,833
Ending shares at Sep. 29, 2013	22,999,917	22,999,917	'	'	'

Consolidated_Statements_of_Cas

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (Unaudited) (USD $)	9 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 29, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012
Cash flows from operating activities:	'	'
Net income	$14,810	$5,705
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities:	'	'
Loss (gain) on disposals of property and equipment	-261	101
Stock-based compensation	1,679	1,401
Impairment and other lease charges	239	6,816
Loss on settlements of lease financing obligations	0	120
Depreciation and amortization	15,117	13,703
Amortization of deferred financing costs	1,194	1,234
Amortization of deferred gains from sale-leaseback transactions	-2,588	-1,493
Accretion of interest on lease financing obligations	6	220
Deferred income taxes	34	-1,221
Changes in other operating assets and liabilities	-9,921	-5,308
Net cash provided by operating activities	20,309	21,278
Capital expenditures:	'	'
New restaurant development	-28,442	-16,790
Restaurant remodeling	-2,602	-5,931
Other restaurant capital expenditures	-4,152	-5,300
Corporate and restaurant information systems	-3,595	-849
Total capital expenditures	38,791	28,870
Properties purchased for sale-leaseback	-4,438	-2,082
Proceeds from sale-leaseback transactions	10,774	1,491
Proceeds from sales of other properties	1,734	934
Net cash used in investing activities	-30,721	-28,527
Cash flows from financing activities:	'	'
Borrowings from Carrols Restaurant Group, Inc., net	0	500
Capital contribution from Carrols Restaurant Group, Inc.	0	2,500
Excess tax benefit from vesting of restricted shares	826	0
Borrowings on revolving credit facility	'	2,100
Repayments on revolving credit facility	'	-2,100
Principal payments on capital leases	-46	-45
Deferred financing costs	0	-231
Settlement of lease financing obligations	0	-6,047
Other	-15	0
Net cash provided by (used in) fnancing activities	765	-3,323
Net increase (decrease) in cash	-9,647	-10,572
Cash, beginning of period	15,533	13,670
Cash, end of period	5,886	3,098
Supplemental disclosures:	'	'
Interest paid on long-term debt	18,172	18,668
Interest paid on lease financing obligations	191	4,143
Accruals for capital expenditures	2,123	579
Income tax payments, net	7,106	2,601
Non-cash reduction of lease financing obligations	0	114,165
Non-cash reduction of assets subject to lease financing obligations	0	80,419
Non-cash capital contribution from former parent	96	1,654
Elimination of LFO Requirement During Period [Member]	'	'
Supplemental disclosures:	'	'
Non-cash reduction of lease financing obligations	'	114,200
Non-cash reduction of assets subject to lease financing obligations	'	80,400
Transfer of income tax related assets and liabilities [Member] | Carrols Restaurant Group [Member]	'	'
Supplemental disclosures:	'	'
Non-cash capital contribution from former parent	$100	$1,700

Basis_of_Presentation

Basis of Presentation	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 29, 2013
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]	'
Basis of Presentation	'
	Basis of Presentation
	Business Description. Fiesta Restaurant Group, Inc. ("Fiesta Restaurant Group" or "Fiesta") owns, operates and franchises two fast-casual restaurant brands through its wholly-owned subsidiaries Pollo Operations, Inc., and its subsidiaries, and Pollo Franchise, Inc., (collectively “Pollo Tropical”) and Taco Cabana, Inc. and its subsidiaries (collectively “Taco Cabana”). Unless the context otherwise requires, Fiesta and its subsidiaries, Pollo Tropical and Taco Cabana, are collectively referred to as the “Company”. At September 29, 2013, Fiesta operated 100 Pollo Tropical® restaurants, of which 94 were located in Florida, four were located in Georgia and two were located in Tennessee, and franchised a total of 38 Pollo Tropical restaurants, including 18 in Puerto Rico, one in Ecuador, two in Honduras, one in the Bahamas, two in Trinidad & Tobago, three in Venezuela, three in Costa Rica, two in Panama, one in the Dominican Republic, one in India and four on college campuses in Florida. At September 29, 2013, the Company also owned and operated 164 Taco Cabana® restaurants, of which 161 were located in Texas and three were located in Oklahoma, and franchised a total of eight Taco Cabana restaurants, including four in New Mexico, one in Georgia and three non-traditional locations (two college campuses and one sports arena) in Texas.
	Spin-Off from Carrols Restaurant Group, Inc. On May 7, 2012, Carrols Restaurant Group, Inc. ("Carrols Restaurant Group" or "Carrols") completed the spin-off of Fiesta through the distribution of all of the outstanding shares of Fiesta Restaurant Group's common stock to the stockholders of Carrols Restaurant Group (the "Spin-off"). As a result of the Spin-off, Fiesta Restaurant Group is now an independent public company whose common stock is traded on The NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol “FRGI.”
	In connection with the Spin-off, Fiesta and Carrols entered into several agreements that govern Carrols' post Spin-off relationship with Fiesta, including a Separation and Distribution Agreement, Employee Matters Agreement, Tax Matters Agreement and Transition Services Agreement ("TSA"). See Note 4—Former Related Party Transactions.
	Basis of Consolidation. The unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements presented herein reflect the consolidated financial position, results of operations and cash flows of Fiesta and its wholly-owned subsidiaries. The condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared as if the Company was in existence for all periods presented.
	Through the date of the Spin-off, these unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared on a stand-alone basis from the separate records maintained by Carrols and may not necessarily be indicative of the results of operations or cash flows that would have resulted had allocations and other related-party transactions been consummated with unrelated parties or had the Company been an independent, publicly traded company during all of the periods presented. The unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements reflect the historical financial position, results of operations and cash flows of the Company as it has historically operated, in conformity with U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles ("GAAP"). All intercompany transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.
	In connection with the Spin-off, the board of directors of the Company authorized a 23,161.8 for one split of its outstanding common stock that was effective on April 19, 2012. Accordingly, all references to share and per share amounts related to common stock included in the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes have been adjusted to reflect the stock split and change in the number of authorized shares. The stock split has been retroactively applied to the Company’s financial statements.
	Fiscal Year. The Company uses a 52-53 week fiscal year ending on the Sunday closest to December 31. The fiscal year ended December 30, 2012 contained 52 weeks. The three and nine months ended September 29, 2013 and September 30, 2012 each contained thirteen and thirty-nine weeks, respectively.
	Basis of Presentation. The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements for the three and nine months ended September 29, 2013 and September 30, 2012 have been prepared without an audit pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities Exchange Commission and do not include certain information and footnotes required by GAAP for complete financial statements. In the opinion of management, all normal and recurring adjustments considered necessary for a fair presentation of such financial statements have been included. The results of operations for the three and nine months ended September 29, 2013 and September 30, 2012 are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the full year.
	These unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto for the year ended December 30, 2012 included in the Company's 2012 Annual Report on Form 10-K. The December 30, 2012 balance sheet data is derived from those audited financial statements.
	Allocations. Through the date of the Spin-off, Carrols provided administrative support to the Company for executive management, information systems and certain accounting, legal and other administrative functions. The cost of these services were allocated to the Company based primarily on a pro-rata share of either the Company’s revenues, number of restaurants or number of employees. The allocations may not reflect the expenses the Company would have incurred as an independent, publicly traded company for the periods presented. Following the Spin-off, certain of these functions continue to be provided by Carrols under the TSA, and the Company is performing certain functions using its own resources or purchased services from third parties. Refer to Note 4—Former Related Party Transactions for further discussion related to agreements entered into effective as of the Spin-off.
	Management believes that its allocations are reasonable and based on a systematic and rational method; however, they are not necessarily indicative of the actual financial results of the Company, including such expenses that would have been incurred by the Company had it been operating as a separate, stand-alone entity for the periods presented. As a stand-alone entity, the Company expects to incur expenses that may not be comparable in future periods to what is presented for the historical periods presented in the condensed consolidated financial statements. Consequently, the financial information herein may not reflect the financial position, results of operations and cash flows of the Company in the future or if the Company had been an independent stand-alone entity during all periods presented. In our opinion, the condensed consolidated financial statements include all adjustments necessary for a fair presentation of its results of operations.
	Fair Value of Financial Instruments. Fair value is defined as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants on the measurement date. In determining fair value, the accounting standards establish a three level hierarchy for inputs used in measuring fair value as follows: Level 1 inputs are quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities; Level 2 inputs are observable for the asset or liability, either directly or indirectly, including quoted prices in active markets for similar assets or liabilities; and Level 3 inputs are unobservable and reflect our own assumptions. The following methods were used to estimate the fair value of each class of financial instruments for which it is practicable to estimate the fair value:
	•	Current Assets and Liabilities. The carrying values reported on the balance sheet of cash, accounts receivable and accounts payable approximate fair value because of the short maturity of those financial instruments.
	•	Senior Secured Second Lien Notes. The fair value of outstanding senior secured second lien notes, which was approximately $212.5 million at September 29, 2013, is based on recent trading values, which are considered Level 1. The senior secured second lien notes are recorded in Long-term debt, net of current portion and had a carrying value of $200.0 million at September 29, 2013.
	See Note 2 for discussion of the fair value measurement of non-financial assets.
	Use of Estimates. The preparation of the condensed consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the dates of the financial statements. Estimates also affect the reported amounts of expenses during the reporting periods. Significant items subject to such estimates and assumptions include: allocations of Carrols' general and administrative expenses and interest expense on amounts due to Carrols prior to the Spin-off, accrued occupancy costs, insurance liabilities, evaluation for impairment of goodwill and long-lived assets and lease accounting matters. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
	Reclassifications. Certain amounts have been reclassified from Restaurant rent expense, Advertising expense and Other restaurant operating expenses to Pre-opening costs in order to conform to the current year presentation.

Impairment_of_LongLived_Assets

Impairment of Long-Lived Assets and Other Lease Charges	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 29, 2013
Asset Impairment Charges [Abstract]	'
Impairment of Long Lived Assets and Other Lease Charges [Text Block]	'
	Impairment of Long-Lived Assets and Other Lease Charges
	The Company reviews its long-lived assets, principally property and equipment, for impairment at the restaurant level. If an indicator of impairment exists for any of its assets, an estimate of undiscounted future cash flows over the life of the primary asset for each restaurant is compared to that long-lived asset’s carrying value. If the carrying value is greater than the undiscounted cash flow, the Company then determines the fair value of the asset and if an asset is determined to be impaired, the loss is measured by the excess of the carrying amount of the asset over its fair value. For closed restaurant locations, the Company reviews the future minimum lease payments and related ancillary costs from the date of the restaurant closure to the end of the remaining lease term and records a lease charge for the lease liabilities to be incurred, net of any estimated sublease recoveries.
	The Company determined the fair value of restaurant equipment, for those restaurants reviewed for impairment, based on current economic conditions and the Company’s history of using these assets in the operation of its business. For those restaurants reviewed for impairment where the Company owns the land and building, the Company also utilized third-party information such as a broker market price opinion to determine the fair value of the property. These fair value asset measurements rely on significant unobservable inputs and are considered Level 3 in the fair value hierarchy. The Level 3 assets measured at fair value associated with impairment charges recorded during the nine months ended September 29, 2013 totaled less than $0.1 million.
	Impairment of long-lived assets for the Company’s segments and other lease charges recorded were as follows:
		Three Months Ended						Nine Months Ended
		September 29, 2013			September 30, 2012			September 29, 2013			September 30, 2012
	Pollo Tropical	$	(37	)	$	94		$	(99	)	$	5,931
	Taco Cabana	(275		)	(139		)	338			885
		$	(312	)	$	(45	)	$	239		$	6,816
	During the three and nine months ended September 29, 2013, the Company recorded lease charge recoveries, net of other lease charges, of $(0.3) million and $(0.2) million, respectively, related to previously closed locations. The Company also recorded an impairment charge of $0.4 million related to a Taco Cabana restaurant during the nine months ended September 29, 2013.
	During the nine months ended September 30, 2012, the Company recorded other lease charges, net of recoveries, of $1.5 million and impairment charges of $4.1 million associated with the closure of the Company’s five Pollo Tropical restaurants in New Jersey in the first quarter of 2012. The Company also recorded an impairment charge of $0.5 million related to a Pollo Tropical restaurant and $1.0 million related to two Taco Cabana restaurants and a recovery of other lease charges of $(0.2) million related to a non-operating Pollo Tropical restaurant during the nine months ended September 30, 2012.

Other_Liabilities_LongTerm

Other Liabilities, Long-Term	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 29, 2013
Other Liabilities, Long-Term [Abstract]	'
Other Liabilities Disclosure [Text Block]	'
	Other Liabilities, Long-Term
	Other liabilities, long-term, consisted of the following:
		September 29, 2013			December 30, 2012
	Accrued occupancy costs	$	9,288		$	8,493
	Accrued workers’ compensation and general liability claims	935			1,270
	Deferred compensation	487			812
	Other	1,247			1,358
		$	11,957		$	11,933
	Accrued occupancy costs include obligations pertaining to closed restaurant locations and accruals to expense operating lease rental payments on a straight-line basis over the lease term.
	The following table presents the activity in the closed-store reserve, of which $1.2 million and $1.7 million are included in long-term accrued occupancy costs above at September 29, 2013 and December 30, 2012, respectively, with the remainder in other current liabilities:
		Nine Months Ended September 29, 2013			Year Ended December 30, 2012
	Balance, beginning of period	$	2,432		$	2,246
	Provisions for restaurant closures	—			1,796
	Recoveries, net of additional lease charges	(158		)	(377		)
	Payments, net	(834		)	(1,496		)
	Other adjustments	105			263
	Balance, end of period	$	1,545		$	2,432

Former_Related_Party_Transacti

Former Related Party Transactions	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 29, 2013
Related Party Transactions [Abstract]	'
Related Party Transactions Disclosure [Text Block]	'
	Former Related Party Transactions
	Effective upon the completion of the Spin-off, Fiesta Restaurant Group ceased to be a related party of Carrols.
	Prior to the date of the Spin-off, the Company's expenses included allocations from Carrols of costs associated with administrative support functions which included executive management, information systems, finance, legal, accounting, internal audit and human resources and certain other administrative functions. The Company's allocated administrative expenses from Carrols were $4.2 million for the pre-spin period in 2012.
	As discussed in Note 1, the Company believes the assumptions and methodologies underlying the allocation of administrative expenses are reasonable. However, such expenses may not be indicative of the actual expenses that would have been or will be incurred by the Company now that it is operating as a stand-alone company. As such, the financial information herein may not necessarily reflect the consolidated financial position, results of operations, and cash flows of the Company in the future or if the Company had been a stand-alone entity during the periods presented.
	In the first quarter of 2012, Carrols made a capital contribution in cash to the Company of $2.5 million. The capital contribution in cash was a portion of the excess cash proceeds from debt financings completed in August 2011. In 2012, and prior to the Spin-off, Carrols made non-cash contributions of $1.7 million to the Company, which related to the transfer of income tax- related assets and liabilities. In 2013, Carrols made additional non-cash contributions of $0.1 million to the Company, which also related to the transfer of income tax-related assets and liabilities for periods prior to the Spin-off.
	As of September 29, 2013 and December 30, 2012, the Company owed $0.8 million and $2.7 million, respectively, to Carrols, which is included in accounts payable in the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets.
	All intercompany transactions between the Company and Carrols prior to the Spin-off were included in the Company's historical financial statements and were considered to be effectively settled at the time of the Spin-off.
	Relationship Between Fiesta and Carrols After the Spin-Off
	For purposes of governing certain of the ongoing relationships between the Company and Carrols at and after the Spin-off, the Company and Carrols have entered into the following agreements:
	•	Tax Matters Agreement. The tax matters agreement dated April 24, 2012, (the "Tax Matters Agreement"), (1) governs the allocation of the tax assets and liabilities between Fiesta and Carrols and Carrols Corporation, a subsidiary of Carrols ("Carrols Corp."), (2) provides for certain restrictions and indemnities in connection with the tax treatment of the Spin-off and (3) addresses certain other tax related matters, including, without limitation, those relating to (a) the obligations of Carrols, Carrols Corp. and the Company with respect to the preparation or filing of tax returns for all periods, and (b) the control of any income tax audits and any indemnities with respect thereto. The Tax Matters Agreement provides that if the Company takes any actions after Carrols’ distribution of our shares in the Spin-off that result in or cause the distribution to be taxable to Carrols, the Company will be responsible under the Tax Matters Agreement for any resulting taxes imposed on the Company or on Carrols or Carrols Corp. Further, the Tax Matters Agreement provides that the Company will be responsible for 50% of the losses and taxes of Carrols and its affiliates resulting from the Spin-off not attributable to any such action of the Company or an equivalent action by Carrols.
	•	Transition Services Agreement. Under the TSA, Carrols and Carrols Corp. agreed to provide certain support services (including accounting, tax accounting, treasury management, internal audit, financial reporting and analysis, human resources and employee benefits management, information systems, restaurant systems support, legal, property management and insurance and risk management services) to the Company, and the Company agreed to provide certain limited management services (including certain legal services) to Carrols and Carrols Corp. The charge for transition services is intended to allow Carrols to recover its direct and indirect costs incurred in providing those services. The TSA became effective upon consummation of the Spin-off and will continue for a period of three years provided that the Company may extend the term of the TSA by one additional year upon 90 days prior written notice to Carrols or may terminate the TSA with respect to any service provided thereunder at any time upon 90 days prior written notice to Carrols. During the three and nine months ended September 29, 2013, the Company recognized expenses of $0.3 million and $2.7 million, respectively, related to the TSA. The Company incurred costs of $1.5 million and $2.6 million in the three and nine months ended September 30, 2012 related to the TSA.

Lease_Financing_Obligations

Lease Financing Obligations	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 29, 2013
Lease Financing Obligations [Abstract]	'
Lease Financing Obligations [Text Block]	'
	Lease Financing Obligations
	The Company entered into sale-leaseback transactions in various years that did not qualify for sale-leaseback accounting due to certain forms of continuing involvement and, as a result, the leases were classified as financing transactions in the Company’s consolidated financial statements.
	Under the financing method, the assets remain on the consolidated balance sheet and the net proceeds received by the Company from these transactions are recorded as a lease financing liability. Payments under these leases are applied as payments of imputed interest and deemed principal on the underlying financing obligations.
	These leases generally provide for an initial term of 20 years plus renewal options. The rent payable under such leases includes a minimum rent provision and in some cases, includes rent based on a percentage of sales. These leases also require payment of property taxes, insurance and utilities.
	During the second quarter of 2012, the Company exercised its purchase options under the leases for five restaurant properties previously accounted for as lease financing obligations and purchased these properties from the lessor. As a result, the Company reduced its lease financing obligations by $6.0 million in the second quarter of 2012. Subsequently, four of the five properties have been sold in qualifying sale-leaseback transactions.
	For certain of the Company’s historical sale-leaseback transactions, Carrols has guaranteed the lease payments on an unsecured basis or is the primary lessee on the leases associated with certain of the Company’s sale-leaseback transactions. Prior to the Spin-off, Accounting Standards Codification 840-40 “Sale-Leaseback Transactions” required the Company to classify these leases as lease financing transactions in the Company’s consolidated financial statements because the guarantee from a related party constituted continuing involvement and caused the sale to not qualify for sale-leaseback accounting.
	At the time of the Spin-off, these sale-leaseback transactions qualified for sale-leaseback accounting (and the treatment of such related leases as operating leases) due to the cure or elimination of the provisions that previously precluded sale-leaseback accounting in the Company's financial statements. As a result of the qualification for sale-leaseback accounting during the second quarter of 2012, the Company removed the associated lease financing obligations, property and equipment, and deferred financing costs from its balance sheet, and recognized deferred gains on sale-leaseback transactions related to the qualification of $32.1 million that is being amortized as a reduction of rent expense over the individual remaining lease terms. This resulted in a decrease in lease financing obligations of $114.2 million, a decrease in assets under lease financing obligations of $80.4 million, and a decrease of $1.6 million in deferred financing fees.
	The interest rates on the remaining lease financing obligations ranged from 8.6% to 8.8% at September 29, 2013. Interest expense associated with lease financing obligations was $0.1 million for the three months ended September 29, 2013 and September 30, 2012 and $0.2 million and $4.4 million, respectively, for the nine months ended September 29, 2013 and September 30, 2012.

Income_Taxes

Income Taxes	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 29, 2013
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]	'
Income Tax Disclosure [Text Block]	'
	Income Taxes
	Prior to the Spin-off, the Company’s taxable income was included in the consolidated U.S. federal income tax return of Carrols and in income tax returns filed by Carrols on a consolidated basis with certain state taxing jurisdictions. Subsequent to the Spin-off, the Company is responsible for filing its own consolidated U.S. federal and state tax returns. Prior to the Spin-off, the Company determined its provision for income taxes on a separate return basis.
	The Tax Matters Agreement governs the methodology for allocating responsibility for federal, state, local and foreign income and other taxes related to taxable periods prior to and subsequent to the Spin-off. Under the Tax Matters Agreement, Carrols is generally responsible for Federal income taxes related to the Company for all periods prior to the date of the Spin-off and the Company is responsible for Federal income taxes for periods after the date of the Spin-off. The Company is also responsible for all state taxes that were filed on a consolidated basis both before and after the date of Spin-off, specifically Florida and Texas, and any other states where the Company was filing or will file separate state tax returns.
	The Company’s income tax provision was comprised of the following for the three and nine months ended September 29, 2013 and September 30, 2012:
		Three Months Ended				Nine Months Ended
		September 29, 2013		September 30, 2012		September 29, 2013		September 30, 2012
	Current	$	2,539	$	683	$	7,222	$	4,565
	Deferred	57		1,543		34		(1,221		)
		$	2,596	$	2,226	$	7,256	$	3,344
	The American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2013 (the "Act") was signed into law on January 2, 2013. The Act included a provision to retroactively restore several expired business tax provisions, including the Work Opportunity Tax Credit, as of January 1, 2012, with a new expiration date of December 31, 2013.  Because a change in tax law is accounted for in the period of enactment, and the Act was enacted after Fiesta's fiscal year-end, the retroactive effect of renewing the Work Opportunity Tax Credit was recorded as a discrete item in the first quarter of 2013.
	The provision for income taxes for the three and nine months ended September 29, 2013 was derived using an estimated effective annual income tax rate for 2013 of 36.5%, which excludes any discrete tax adjustments. The discrete tax adjustment for the retroactive effect of renewing the Work Opportunity Tax Credit decreased the provision for income taxes by $0.6 million in the nine months ended September 29, 2013. Other discrete tax adjustments decreased the provision for income taxes by $0.2 million in the three and nine months ended September 29, 2013.
	The provision for income taxes for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2012 was derived using an estimated effective annual income tax rate for 2012 of 39.3%, which excludes any discrete tax adjustments. Discrete tax adjustments increased the provision for income taxes by $25 thousand for three months ended September 30, 2012 and decreased the provision for income taxes by $0.2 million in the nine months ended September 30, 2012.

Stockbased_Compensation

Stock-based Compensation	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 29, 2013
Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Abstract]	'
Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Text Block]	'
	Stock-Based Compensation
	Prior to the Spin-off, certain of the Company's employees participated in the Carrols Restaurant Group, Inc. 2006 Stock Incentive Plan, as amended (the "Carrols Plan"). In conjunction with the Spin-off, the Company established the Fiesta Restaurant Group, Inc. 2012 Stock Incentive Plan (the "Fiesta Plan") in order to be able to compensate its employees and directors by issuing stock options, stock appreciation rights, or stock awards to them under this plan. For the three and nine months ended September 29, 2013 and the period May 7, 2012 through September 30, 2012, the condensed consolidated statements of operations include expenses related to the Company's employees' and directors' participation in both the Carrols Plan and the Fiesta Plan. For the period from January 2, 2012 through the Spin-off, the condensed consolidated statement of operations includes expenses related to the Company's employees' and directors' participation in the Carrols Plan.
	Effective as of the completion of the Spin-off, all holders of Carrols non-vested restricted stock (awarded under the Carrols Plan) on April 26, 2012, the record date of the Spin-off, received one share of Fiesta Restaurant Group non-vested restricted stock for every one share of Carrols non-vested restricted stock held, with terms and conditions substantially similar to the terms and conditions applicable to the Carrols non-vested restricted stock. Future stock compensation expense on all non-vested restricted Carrols and Fiesta stock awards held by the Company's employees will be recorded by the Company.
	During the three months ended March 31, 2013, the Company granted in the aggregate 152,703 non-vested restricted shares under the Fiesta Plan to certain employees. These shares vest and become non-forfeitable over a four year vesting period and will be expensed according to the vesting period. The weighted average fair value at the grant date for restricted non-vested shares issued during the three months ended March 31, 2013 was $20.54. During the three months ended June 30, 2013, the Company granted 8,843 non-vested restricted shares to directors. The weighted average fair value at the grant date was $35.36. These shares vest and become non-forfeitable over a one year vesting period.
	Stock-based compensation expense for the three and nine months ended September 29, 2013 was $0.7 million and $1.7 million, respectively. Stock-based compensation expense for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2012 was $0.4 million and $1.6 million, respectively, and included $0.4 million of expense in the nine months ended September 30, 2012 related to the accelerated vesting of the non-vested restricted shares of the former Chairman of the Company's board of directors upon his departure from the Company's board of directors in the first quarter of 2012. As of September 29, 2013, the total unrecognized stock-based compensation expense relating to non-vested restricted shares was approximately $6.6 million. At September 29, 2013, the remaining weighted average vesting period for non-vested restricted shares was 2.3 years.
	Non-vested Shares
	A summary of all non-vested restricted share activity for the nine months ended September 29, 2013 was as follows:
				Weighted
				Average
				Grant Date
		Shares		Price
	Non-vested at December 30, 2012	766,196		$	12.49
	Granted	161,546		21.35
	Vested	(251,676	)	12.07
	Forfeited	(32,000	)	12.98
	Non-vested at September 29, 2013	644,066		$	14.85
	The fair value of the non-vested restricted shares is based on the closing price on the date of grant.

Business_Segment_Information

Business Segment Information	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 29, 2013
Segment Reporting [Abstract]	'
Business Segment Information	'
	Business Segment Information
	The Company is engaged in the fast-casual restaurant industry, with two restaurant concepts (each of which is an operating segment): Pollo Tropical and Taco Cabana. Pollo Tropical is a fast-casual restaurant brand offering a wide variety of freshly prepared Caribbean inspired food, while our Taco Cabana restaurants offer a broad selection of hand-made, fresh and authentic Mexican food.
	The accounting policies of each segment are the same as those described in the summary of significant accounting policies discussed in Note 1. The Company reports more than one measure of segment profit or loss to the chief operating decision maker for the purposes of allocating resources to the segments and assessing their performance. Prior to January 2013, the primary measure of segment profit or loss used to assess performance and allocate resources was Adjusted EBITDA, which is defined as earnings attributable to the applicable operating segment before interest, income taxes, depreciation and amortization, impairment and other lease charges, stock-based compensation expense, other income and expense and gains and losses on extinguishment of debt. Beginning in January 2013, the primary measures of segment profit or loss used to assess performance and allocate resources are income before taxes and Adjusted EBITDA. Although the chief operating decision maker continues to use Adjusted EBITDA as a measure of segment profitability, in accordance with Accounting Standards Codification 280, Segment Reporting, the following table includes segment income before taxes, which is the measure of segment profit or loss determined in accordance with the measurement principles that are most consistent with the principles used in measuring the corresponding amounts in the consolidated financial statements. The Company has included the presentation of income before tax for all periods presented.
	The “Other” column includes corporate related items not allocated to reportable segments and consists primarily of corporate owned property and equipment and capitalized costs associated with the issuance of indebtedness.
	Three Months Ended	Pollo Tropical			Taco Cabana			Other			Consolidated
	September 29, 2013:
	Restaurant sales	$	65,994		$	74,075		$	—		$	140,069
	Franchise revenue	484			125			—			609
	Cost of sales	21,960			23,202			—			45,162
	Restaurant wages and related expenses (1)	14,966			22,013			—			36,979
	Restaurant rent expense	2,625			4,228			—			6,853
	Other restaurant operating expenses	8,236			10,047			—			18,283
	Advertising expense	1,710			2,561			—			4,271
	General and administrative expense (2)	6,106			5,579			—			11,685
	Depreciation and amortization	2,367			2,762			—			5,129
	Pre-opening costs	476			114			—			590
	Impairment and other lease charges	(37		)	(275		)	—			(312		)
	Interest expense	1,937			2,520			—			4,457
	Income before taxes	6,132			1,506			—			7,638
	Capital expenditures	6,832			2,892			1,298			11,022
	September 30, 2012:
	Restaurant sales	$	57,354		$	70,294		$	—		$	127,648
	Franchise revenue	430			95			—			525
	Cost of sales	18,998			22,023			—			41,021
	Restaurant wages and related expenses (1)	13,254			20,606			—			33,860
	Restaurant rent expense	2,298			3,926			—			6,224
	Other restaurant operating expenses	6,893			9,636			—			16,529
	Advertising expense	1,846			1,911			—			3,757
	General and administrative expense (2)	5,550			5,648			—			11,198
	Depreciation and amortization	2,008			2,473			5			4,486
	Pre-opening costs	48			184			—			232
	Impairment and other lease charges	94			(139		)	—			(45		)
	Interest expense	2,274			2,762			—			5,036
	Income before taxes	4,523			1,357			(5		)	5,875
	Capital expenditures	4,149			7,045			252			11,446
	Nine Months Ended	Pollo Tropical			Taco Cabana			Other			Consolidated
	September 29, 2013:
	Restaurant sales	$	192,372		$	221,063		$	—		$	413,435
	Franchise revenue	1,380			367			—			1,747
	Cost of sales	63,803			69,088			—			132,891
	Restaurant wages and related expenses (1)	43,466			64,448			—			107,914
	Restaurant rent expense	7,220			12,479			—			19,699
	Other restaurant operating expenses	22,849			28,937			—			51,786
	Advertising expense	4,432			8,843			—			13,275
	General and administrative expense (2)	18,573			17,322			—			35,895
	Depreciation and amortization	6,780			8,337			—			15,117
	Pre-opening costs	1,706			673			—			2,379
	Impairment and other lease charges	(99		)	338			—			239
	Interest expense	6,436			8,039			—			14,475
	Income before taxes	19,083			2,983			—			22,066
	Capital expenditures	21,527			13,985			3,279			38,791
	September 30, 2012:
	Restaurant sales	$	171,327		$	210,095		$	—		$	381,422
	Franchise revenue	1,481			245			—			1,726
	Cost of sales	56,895			66,211			—			123,106
	Restaurant wages and related expenses (1)	39,745			62,076			—			101,821
	Restaurant rent expense	5,386			10,035			—			15,421
	Other restaurant operating expenses	20,234			27,885			—			48,119
	Advertising expense	3,963			7,960			—			11,923
	General and administrative expense (2)	15,852			16,948			—			32,800
	Depreciation and amortization	6,191			7,507			5			13,703
	Pre-opening costs	735			321			—			1,056
	Impairment and other lease charges	5,931			885			—			6,816
Interest expense	8,249			11,085			—			19,334
Income (loss) before taxes	9,626			(572		)	(5		)	9,049
Capital expenditures	13,409			15,034			427			28,870
Identifiable Assets:
September 29, 2013:	$	139,505		$	162,393		$	11,364		$	313,262
December 30, 2012	128,593			167,348			7,788			303,729
(1) Includes stock-based compensation expense of $1 and $2 for the three and nine months ended September 29, 2013, respectively, and $1 and $9 for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2012, respectively.
(2) Includes stock-based compensation expense of $657 and $1,677 for the three and nine months ended September 29, 2013, respectively, and $379 and $1,594 for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2012, respectively.

Net_Income_per_Share

Net Income per Share	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 29, 2013
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]	'
Earnings Per Share [Text Block]	'
	Net Income per Share
	We compute basic net income per share by dividing net income applicable to common shares by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during each period. Our non-vested restricted shares contain a non-forfeitable right to receive dividends on a one-to-one per share ratio to common shares and are thus considered participating securities. The impact of the participating securities is included in the computation of basic net income per share pursuant to the two-class method. The two-class method of computing earnings per share is an earnings allocation formula that determines earnings attributable to common shares and participating securities according to dividends declared (whether paid or unpaid) and participation rights in undistributed earnings. Net income per common share was computed by dividing undistributed earnings allocated to common shareholders by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding for the period. In applying the two-class method, undistributed earnings are allocated to both common shares and non-vested restricted shares based on the weighted average shares outstanding during the period.
	For 2012, in determining the weighted average number of shares outstanding for basic net income per share, the 23.2 million shares distributed from Carrols on May 7, 2012 were assumed to be outstanding for the period from January 2, 2012 through May 7, 2012.
	The computation of basic and diluted net income per share for the three and nine months ended September 29, 2013 and September 30, 2012 is as follows:
		Three Months Ended						Nine Months Ended
		September 29, 2013			September 30, 2012			September 29, 2013			September 30, 2012
	Basic and diluted net income per share:
	Net income	$	5,042		$	3,649		$	14,810		$	5,705
	Less: income allocated to participating securities	(140		)	(82		)	(451		)	(96		)
	Net income available to common stockholders	$	4,902		$	3,567		$	14,359		$	5,609
	Basic and diluted weighted average common shares outstanding	22,986,615			22,747,044			22,921,233			22,937,270
	Basic and diluted net income per share	$	0.21		$	0.16		$	0.63		$	0.25

Commitments_and_Contingencies

Commitments and Contingencies	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 29, 2013
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]	'
Commitments Disclosure [Text Block]	'
	Commitments and Contingencies
	The Company is a party to various litigation matters incidental to the conduct of business. The Company does not believe that the outcome of any of these matters will have a material effect on its consolidated financial statements.

Basis_of_Presentation_Accounti

Basis of Presentation Accounting Policies (Policies)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 29, 2013
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]	'
Consolidation, Policy [Policy Text Block]	'
	Basis of Consolidation. The unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements presented herein reflect the consolidated financial position, results of operations and cash flows of Fiesta and its wholly-owned subsidiaries. The condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared as if the Company was in existence for all periods presented.
	Through the date of the Spin-off, these unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared on a stand-alone basis from the separate records maintained by Carrols and may not necessarily be indicative of the results of operations or cash flows that would have resulted had allocations and other related-party transactions been consummated with unrelated parties or had the Company been an independent, publicly traded company during all of the periods presented. The unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements reflect the historical financial position, results of operations and cash flows of the Company as it has historically operated, in conformity with U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles ("GAAP"). All intercompany transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.
	In connection with the Spin-off, the board of directors of the Company authorized a 23,161.8 for one split of its outstanding common stock that was effective on April 19, 2012. Accordingly, all references to share and per share amounts related to common stock included in the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes have been adjusted to reflect the stock split and change in the number of authorized shares. The stock split has been retroactively applied to the Company’s financial statements.
Fiscal Period, Policy [Policy Text Block]	'
	Fiscal Year. The Company uses a 52-53 week fiscal year ending on the Sunday closest to December 31. The fiscal year ended December 30, 2012 contained 52 weeks. The three and nine months ended September 29, 2013 and September 30, 2012 each contained thirteen and thirty-nine weeks, respectively.
Basis of Accounting, Policy [Policy Text Block]	'
	Basis of Presentation. The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements for the three and nine months ended September 29, 2013 and September 30, 2012 have been prepared without an audit pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities Exchange Commission and do not include certain information and footnotes required by GAAP for complete financial statements. In the opinion of management, all normal and recurring adjustments considered necessary for a fair presentation of such financial statements have been included. The results of operations for the three and nine months ended September 29, 2013 and September 30, 2012 are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the full year.
	These unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto for the year ended December 30, 2012 included in the Company's 2012 Annual Report on Form 10-K. The December 30, 2012 balance sheet data is derived from those audited financial statements.
Allocations [Policy Text Block]	'
	Allocations. Through the date of the Spin-off, Carrols provided administrative support to the Company for executive management, information systems and certain accounting, legal and other administrative functions. The cost of these services were allocated to the Company based primarily on a pro-rata share of either the Company’s revenues, number of restaurants or number of employees. The allocations may not reflect the expenses the Company would have incurred as an independent, publicly traded company for the periods presented. Following the Spin-off, certain of these functions continue to be provided by Carrols under the TSA, and the Company is performing certain functions using its own resources or purchased services from third parties. Refer to Note 4—Former Related Party Transactions for further discussion related to agreements entered into effective as of the Spin-off.
	Management believes that its allocations are reasonable and based on a systematic and rational method; however, they are not necessarily indicative of the actual financial results of the Company, including such expenses that would have been incurred by the Company had it been operating as a separate, stand-alone entity for the periods presented. As a stand-alone entity, the Company expects to incur expenses that may not be comparable in future periods to what is presented for the historical periods presented in the condensed consolidated financial statements. Consequently, the financial information herein may not reflect the financial position, results of operations and cash flows of the Company in the future or if the Company had been an independent stand-alone entity during all periods presented. In our opinion, the condensed consolidated financial statements include all adjustments necessary for a fair presentation of its results of operations.
Fair Value of Financial Instruments, Policy [Policy Text Block]	'
	Fair Value of Financial Instruments. Fair value is defined as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants on the measurement date. In determining fair value, the accounting standards establish a three level hierarchy for inputs used in measuring fair value as follows: Level 1 inputs are quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities; Level 2 inputs are observable for the asset or liability, either directly or indirectly, including quoted prices in active markets for similar assets or liabilities; and Level 3 inputs are unobservable and reflect our own assumptions. The following methods were used to estimate the fair value of each class of financial instruments for which it is practicable to estimate the fair value:
	•	Current Assets and Liabilities. The carrying values reported on the balance sheet of cash, accounts receivable and accounts payable approximate fair value because of the short maturity of those financial instruments.
	•	Senior Secured Second Lien Notes. The fair value of outstanding senior secured second lien notes, which was approximately $212.5 million at September 29, 2013, is based on recent trading values, which are considered Level 1. The senior secured second lien notes are recorded in Long-term debt, net of current portion and had a carrying value of $200.0 million at September 29, 2013.
	See Note 2 for discussion of the fair value measurement of non-financial assets.
Use of Estimates, Policy [Policy Text Block]	'
	Use of Estimates. The preparation of the condensed consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the dates of the financial statements. Estimates also affect the reported amounts of expenses during the reporting periods. Significant items subject to such estimates and assumptions include: allocations of Carrols' general and administrative expenses and interest expense on amounts due to Carrols prior to the Spin-off, accrued occupancy costs, insurance liabilities, evaluation for impairment of goodwill and long-lived assets and lease accounting matters. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
Reclassifications [Text Block]	'
	Reclassifications. Certain amounts have been reclassified from Restaurant rent expense, Advertising expense and Other restaurant operating expenses to Pre-opening costs in order to conform to the current year presentation.

Impairment_of_LongLived_Assets1

Impairment of Long-Lived Assets and Other Lease Charges Impairment Accounting Policy (Policies)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 29, 2013
Asset Impairment Charges [Abstract]	'
Impairment or Disposal of Long-Lived Assets, Policy [Policy Text Block]	'
	The Company reviews its long-lived assets, principally property and equipment, for impairment at the restaurant level. If an indicator of impairment exists for any of its assets, an estimate of undiscounted future cash flows over the life of the primary asset for each restaurant is compared to that long-lived asset’s carrying value. If the carrying value is greater than the undiscounted cash flow, the Company then determines the fair value of the asset and if an asset is determined to be impaired, the loss is measured by the excess of the carrying amount of the asset over its fair value. For closed restaurant locations, the Company reviews the future minimum lease payments and related ancillary costs from the date of the restaurant closure to the end of the remaining lease term and records a lease charge for the lease liabilities to be incurred, net of any estimated sublease recoveries.

Lease_Financing_Obligations_Po

Lease Financing Obligations (Policies)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 29, 2013
Lease Financing Obligations [Abstract]	'
Lease Financing Obligations [Policy Text Block]	'
	The Company entered into sale-leaseback transactions in various years that did not qualify for sale-leaseback accounting due to certain forms of continuing involvement and, as a result, the leases were classified as financing transactions in the Company’s consolidated financial statements.
	Under the financing method, the assets remain on the consolidated balance sheet and the net proceeds received by the Company from these transactions are recorded as a lease financing liability. Payments under these leases are applied as payments of imputed interest and deemed principal on the underlying financing obligations.
	These leases generally provide for an initial term of 20 years plus renewal options. The rent payable under such leases includes a minimum rent provision and in some cases, includes rent based on a percentage of sales. These leases also require payment of property taxes, insurance and utilities

Impairment_of_LongLived_Assets2

Impairment of Long-Lived Assets and Other Lease Charges Impairment by segment (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 29, 2013
Asset Impairment Charges [Abstract]	'
Impairment of long lived assets and other lease charge [Table Text Block]	'
	Impairment of long-lived assets for the Company’s segments and other lease charges recorded were as follows:
		Three Months Ended						Nine Months Ended
		September 29, 2013			September 30, 2012			September 29, 2013			September 30, 2012
	Pollo Tropical	$	(37	)	$	94		$	(99	)	$	5,931
	Taco Cabana	(275		)	(139		)	338			885
		$	(312	)	$	(45	)	$	239		$	6,816

Other_Liabilities_LongTerm_Oth

Other Liabilities, Long-Term Other Liabilities (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 29, 2013
Liabilities, Noncurrent [Abstract]	'
Schedule of Accrued Liabilities [Table Text Block]	'
	Other liabilities, long-term, consisted of the following:
		September 29, 2013			December 30, 2012
	Accrued occupancy costs	$	9,288		$	8,493
	Accrued workers’ compensation and general liability claims	935			1,270
	Deferred compensation	487			812
	Other	1,247			1,358
		$	11,957		$	11,933
Restructuring and Related Activities [Abstract]	'
Schedule of Restructuring Reserve by Type of Cost [Table Text Block]	'
	The following table presents the activity in the closed-store reserve, of which $1.2 million and $1.7 million are included in long-term accrued occupancy costs above at September 29, 2013 and December 30, 2012, respectively, with the remainder in other current liabilities:
		Nine Months Ended September 29, 2013			Year Ended December 30, 2012
	Balance, beginning of period	$	2,432		$	2,246
	Provisions for restaurant closures	—			1,796
	Recoveries, net of additional lease charges	(158		)	(377		)
	Payments, net	(834		)	(1,496		)
	Other adjustments	105			263
	Balance, end of period	$	1,545		$	2,432

Income_Taxes_Tables

Income Taxes (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 29, 2013
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]	'
Schedule of Components of Income Tax Expense (Benefit) [Table Text Block]	'
	The Company’s income tax provision was comprised of the following for the three and nine months ended September 29, 2013 and September 30, 2012:
		Three Months Ended				Nine Months Ended
		September 29, 2013		September 30, 2012		September 29, 2013		September 30, 2012
	Current	$	2,539	$	683	$	7,222	$	4,565
	Deferred	57		1,543		34		(1,221		)
		$	2,596	$	2,226	$	7,256	$	3,344

Stockbased_Compensation_Stockb

Stock-based Compensation Stock-based Compensation (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 29, 2013
Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Abstract]	'
Schedule of Nonvested Share Activity [Table Text Block]	'
	Non-vested Shares
	A summary of all non-vested restricted share activity for the nine months ended September 29, 2013 was as follows:
				Weighted
				Average
				Grant Date
		Shares		Price
	Non-vested at December 30, 2012	766,196		$	12.49
	Granted	161,546		21.35
	Vested	(251,676	)	12.07
	Forfeited	(32,000	)	12.98
	Non-vested at September 29, 2013	644,066		$	14.85
	The fair value of the non-vested restricted shares is based on the closing price on the date of grant.

Business_Segment_Information_B

Business Segment Information Business Segment (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 29, 2013
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]	'
Schedule of Segment Reporting Information, by Segment [Table Text Block]	'
	The “Other” column includes corporate related items not allocated to reportable segments and consists primarily of corporate owned property and equipment and capitalized costs associated with the issuance of indebtedness.
	Three Months Ended	Pollo Tropical			Taco Cabana			Other			Consolidated
	September 29, 2013:
	Restaurant sales	$	65,994		$	74,075		$	—		$	140,069
	Franchise revenue	484			125			—			609
	Cost of sales	21,960			23,202			—			45,162
	Restaurant wages and related expenses (1)	14,966			22,013			—			36,979
	Restaurant rent expense	2,625			4,228			—			6,853
	Other restaurant operating expenses	8,236			10,047			—			18,283
	Advertising expense	1,710			2,561			—			4,271
	General and administrative expense (2)	6,106			5,579			—			11,685
	Depreciation and amortization	2,367			2,762			—			5,129
	Pre-opening costs	476			114			—			590
	Impairment and other lease charges	(37		)	(275		)	—			(312		)
	Interest expense	1,937			2,520			—			4,457
	Income before taxes	6,132			1,506			—			7,638
	Capital expenditures	6,832			2,892			1,298			11,022
	September 30, 2012:
	Restaurant sales	$	57,354		$	70,294		$	—		$	127,648
	Franchise revenue	430			95			—			525
	Cost of sales	18,998			22,023			—			41,021
	Restaurant wages and related expenses (1)	13,254			20,606			—			33,860
	Restaurant rent expense	2,298			3,926			—			6,224
	Other restaurant operating expenses	6,893			9,636			—			16,529
	Advertising expense	1,846			1,911			—			3,757
	General and administrative expense (2)	5,550			5,648			—			11,198
	Depreciation and amortization	2,008			2,473			5			4,486
	Pre-opening costs	48			184			—			232
	Impairment and other lease charges	94			(139		)	—			(45		)
	Interest expense	2,274			2,762			—			5,036
	Income before taxes	4,523			1,357			(5		)	5,875
	Capital expenditures	4,149			7,045			252			11,446
	Nine Months Ended	Pollo Tropical			Taco Cabana			Other			Consolidated
	September 29, 2013:
	Restaurant sales	$	192,372		$	221,063		$	—		$	413,435
	Franchise revenue	1,380			367			—			1,747
	Cost of sales	63,803			69,088			—			132,891
	Restaurant wages and related expenses (1)	43,466			64,448			—			107,914
	Restaurant rent expense	7,220			12,479			—			19,699
	Other restaurant operating expenses	22,849			28,937			—			51,786
	Advertising expense	4,432			8,843			—			13,275
	General and administrative expense (2)	18,573			17,322			—			35,895
	Depreciation and amortization	6,780			8,337			—			15,117
	Pre-opening costs	1,706			673			—			2,379
	Impairment and other lease charges	(99		)	338			—			239
	Interest expense	6,436			8,039			—			14,475
	Income before taxes	19,083			2,983			—			22,066
	Capital expenditures	21,527			13,985			3,279			38,791
	September 30, 2012:
	Restaurant sales	$	171,327		$	210,095		$	—		$	381,422
	Franchise revenue	1,481			245			—			1,726
	Cost of sales	56,895			66,211			—			123,106
	Restaurant wages and related expenses (1)	39,745			62,076			—			101,821
	Restaurant rent expense	5,386			10,035			—			15,421
	Other restaurant operating expenses	20,234			27,885			—			48,119
	Advertising expense	3,963			7,960			—			11,923
	General and administrative expense (2)	15,852			16,948			—			32,800
	Depreciation and amortization	6,191			7,507			5			13,703
	Pre-opening costs	735			321			—			1,056
	Impairment and other lease charges	5,931			885			—			6,816
	Interest expense	8,249			11,085			—			19,334
	Income (loss) before taxes	9,626			(572		)	(5		)	9,049
	Capital expenditures	13,409			15,034			427			28,870
Identifiable Assets:
September 29, 2013:	$	139,505		$	162,393		$	11,364		$	313,262
December 30, 2012	128,593			167,348			7,788			303,729
(1) Includes stock-based compensation expense of $1 and $2 for the three and nine months ended September 29, 2013, respectively, and $1 and $9 for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2012, respectively.
(2) Includes stock-based compensation expense of $657 and $1,677 for the three and nine months ended September 29, 2013, respectively, and $379 and $1,594 for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2012, respectively.

Net_Income_per_Share_Tables

Net Income per Share (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 29, 2013
Earnings Per Share, Basic, by Common Class, Including Two Class Method [Line Items]	'
Schedule of Earnings Per Share, Basic, by Common Class, Including Two Class Method [Table Text Block]	'
	The computation of basic and diluted net income per share for the three and nine months ended September 29, 2013 and September 30, 2012 is as follows:
		Three Months Ended						Nine Months Ended
		September 29, 2013			September 30, 2012			September 29, 2013			September 30, 2012
	Basic and diluted net income per share:
	Net income	$	5,042		$	3,649		$	14,810		$	5,705
	Less: income allocated to participating securities	(140		)	(82		)	(451		)	(96		)
	Net income available to common stockholders	$	4,902		$	3,567		$	14,359		$	5,609
	Basic and diluted weighted average common shares outstanding	22,986,615			22,747,044			22,921,233			22,937,270
	Basic and diluted net income per share	$	0.21		$	0.16		$	0.63		$	0.25

Basis_of_Presentation_Fair_Val

Basis of Presentation Fair Value Disclosures (Details) (USD $)	Sep. 29, 2013
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'
Fiesta Restaurant Group 8.875% Senior Secured Second Lien Notes, Carrying Value	$200
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member]	'
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'
Fiesta Restaurant Group 8.875% Senior Secured Second Lien Notes, Fair Value Disclosure	$212.50

Basis_of_Presentation_Basis_of

Basis of Presentation Basis of Presentation Narrative (Details)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Sep. 29, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 29, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012	Dec. 30, 2012
Entity Information [Line Items]	'	'	'	'	'
Weeks In Fiscal Period	13	13	39	39	52
Taco Cabana [Member]	'	'	'	'	'
Entity Information [Line Items]	'	'	'	'	'
Number of Restaurants	'	2	'	2	'
Entity Operated Units [Member] | Pollo Tropical [Member]	'	'	'	'	'
Entity Information [Line Items]	'	'	'	'	'
Number of Restaurants	100	'	100	'	'
Entity Operated Units [Member] | Pollo Tropical [Member] | FLORIDA	'	'	'	'	'
Entity Information [Line Items]	'	'	'	'	'
Number of Restaurants	94	'	94	'	'
Entity Operated Units [Member] | Pollo Tropical [Member] | GEORGIA	'	'	'	'	'
Entity Information [Line Items]	'	'	'	'	'
Number of Restaurants	4	'	4	'	'
Entity Operated Units [Member] | Pollo Tropical [Member] | TENNESSEE	'	'	'	'	'
Entity Information [Line Items]	'	'	'	'	'
Number of Restaurants	2	'	2	'	'
Entity Operated Units [Member] | Taco Cabana [Member]	'	'	'	'	'
Entity Information [Line Items]	'	'	'	'	'
Number of Restaurants	164	'	164	'	'
Entity Operated Units [Member] | Taco Cabana [Member] | TEXAS	'	'	'	'	'
Entity Information [Line Items]	'	'	'	'	'
Number of Restaurants	161	'	161	'	'
Entity Operated Units [Member] | Taco Cabana [Member] | OKLAHOMA	'	'	'	'	'
Entity Information [Line Items]	'	'	'	'	'
Number of Restaurants	3	'	3	'	'
Franchised Units [Member] | Pollo Tropical [Member]	'	'	'	'	'
Entity Information [Line Items]	'	'	'	'	'
Number of Restaurants	38	'	38	'	'
Franchised Units [Member] | Pollo Tropical [Member] | FLORIDA	'	'	'	'	'
Entity Information [Line Items]	'	'	'	'	'
Number of Restaurants	4	'	4	'	'
Franchised Units [Member] | Pollo Tropical [Member] | PUERTO RICO	'	'	'	'	'
Entity Information [Line Items]	'	'	'	'	'
Number of Restaurants	18	'	18	'	'
Franchised Units [Member] | Pollo Tropical [Member] | ECUADOR	'	'	'	'	'
Entity Information [Line Items]	'	'	'	'	'
Number of Restaurants	1	'	1	'	'
Franchised Units [Member] | Pollo Tropical [Member] | HONDURAS	'	'	'	'	'
Entity Information [Line Items]	'	'	'	'	'
Number of Restaurants	2	'	2	'	'
Franchised Units [Member] | Pollo Tropical [Member] | BAHAMAS	'	'	'	'	'
Entity Information [Line Items]	'	'	'	'	'
Number of Restaurants	1	'	1	'	'
Franchised Units [Member] | Pollo Tropical [Member] | TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO	'	'	'	'	'
Entity Information [Line Items]	'	'	'	'	'
Number of Restaurants	2	'	2	'	'
Franchised Units [Member] | Pollo Tropical [Member] | VENEZUELA	'	'	'	'	'
Entity Information [Line Items]	'	'	'	'	'
Number of Restaurants	3	'	3	'	'
Franchised Units [Member] | Pollo Tropical [Member] | COSTA RICA	'	'	'	'	'
Entity Information [Line Items]	'	'	'	'	'
Number of Restaurants	3	'	3	'	'
Franchised Units [Member] | Pollo Tropical [Member] | PANAMA	'	'	'	'	'
Entity Information [Line Items]	'	'	'	'	'
Number of Restaurants	2	'	2	'	'
Franchised Units [Member] | Pollo Tropical [Member] | DOMINICAN REPUBLIC	'	'	'	'	'
Entity Information [Line Items]	'	'	'	'	'
Number of Restaurants	1	'	1	'	'
Franchised Units [Member] | Pollo Tropical [Member] | INDIA	'	'	'	'	'
Entity Information [Line Items]	'	'	'	'	'
Number of Restaurants	1	'	1	'	'
Franchised Units [Member] | Taco Cabana [Member]	'	'	'	'	'
Entity Information [Line Items]	'	'	'	'	'
Number of Restaurants	8	'	8	'	'
Franchised Units [Member] | Taco Cabana [Member] | GEORGIA	'	'	'	'	'
Entity Information [Line Items]	'	'	'	'	'
Number of Restaurants	1	'	1	'	'
Franchised Units [Member] | Taco Cabana [Member] | NEW MEXICO	'	'	'	'	'
Entity Information [Line Items]	'	'	'	'	'
Number of Restaurants	4	'	4	'	'
Franchised Units [Member] | Taco Cabana [Member] | TEXAS	'	'	'	'	'
Entity Information [Line Items]	'	'	'	'	'
Number of Restaurants	3	'	3	'	'
Maximum [Member]	'	'	'	'	'
Entity Information [Line Items]	'	'	'	'	'
Weeks In Fiscal Period	'	'	'	'	53
Stock Split, Conversion Ratio	'	23,161.80	'	'	'
Minimum [Member]	'	'	'	'	'
Entity Information [Line Items]	'	'	'	'	'
Weeks In Fiscal Period	'	'	'	'	52
Stock Split, Conversion Ratio	1	'	'	'	'

Impairment_of_LongLived_Assets3

Impairment of Long-Lived Assets and Other Lease Charges Impairment Table (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 29, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 29, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012
Impairment and Other Lease Charges [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Impairment and other lease charges	($312)	($45)	$239	$6,816
Pollo Tropical [Member]	'	'	'	'
Impairment and Other Lease Charges [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Impairment and other lease charges	-37	94	-99	5,931
Taco Cabana [Member]	'	'	'	'
Impairment and Other Lease Charges [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Impairment and other lease charges	($275)	($139)	$338	$885

Impairment_of_LongLived_Assets4

Impairment of Long-Lived Assets and Other Lease Charges Impairment Narrative (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 29, 2013	Sep. 29, 2013	Sep. 29, 2013	Sep. 29, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2012
			Maximum [Member]	Taco Cabana [Member]	Taco Cabana [Member]	Pollo Tropical [Member]	NEW JERSEY
							Pollo Tropical [Member]
Impairment and Other Lease Charges [Line Items]	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Other Lease Charges	$0.30	($0.20)	'	'	'	($0.20)	$1.50
Fair value of Level 3 assets impaired	'	'	0.1	'	'	'	'
Asset impairment charges	'	'	'	$0.40	$1	$0.50	$4.10
Number of restaurants	'	'	'	'	2	'	5

Other_Liabilities_LongTerm_Oth1

Other Liabilities, Long-Term Other Liabilities Details (Details) (USD $)	Sep. 29, 2013	Dec. 30, 2012
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Accrued occupancy costs	$9,288	$8,493
Accrued workers' compensation and general liability claims	935	1,270
Deferred compensation	487	812
Other	1,247	1,358
Other Liabilities, Noncurrent	$11,957	$11,933

Other_Liabilities_LongTerm_Res

Other Liabilities, Long-Term Restructuring Reserve (Details) (USD $)	9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 29, 2013	Dec. 30, 2012
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]	'	'
Balance, beginning of period	$2,432	$2,246
Provisions for restaurant closures	0	1,796
Accruals (recoveries) for additional lease charges	-158	-377
Payments, net	-834	-1,496
Other adjustments	105	263
Balance, end of period	1,545	2,432
Long-Term Liability [Member]	'	'
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]	'	'
Balance, end of period	$1,200	$1,700

Former_Related_Party_Transacti1

Former Related Party Transactions (Details) (USD $)

3 Months Ended

9 Months Ended

9 Months Ended

3 Months Ended

9 Months Ended

3 Months Ended

9 Months Ended

In Thousands, unless otherwise specified

Sep. 29, 2013

Sep. 30, 2012

Sep. 29, 2013

Sep. 30, 2012

Dec. 30, 2012

Sep. 30, 2012

Apr. 01, 2012

Sep. 29, 2013

Dec. 30, 2012

Sep. 29, 2013

Sep. 30, 2012

Sep. 29, 2013

Sep. 30, 2012

Sep. 29, 2013

Sep. 30, 2012

Carrols Restaurant Group [Member]

Excess Debt Proceeds [Member]

Carrols Restaurant Group [Member]

Carrols Restaurant Group [Member]

Transfer of income tax related assets and liabilities [Member]

Transfer of income tax related assets and liabilities [Member]

Transition Services Agreement [Member]

Transition Services Agreement [Member]

Transition Services Agreement [Member]

Transition Services Agreement [Member]

Carrols Restaurant Group [Member]

Carrols Restaurant Group [Member]

Related Party Transaction [Line Items]

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Capital contributions

'

'

$0

$2,500

'

'

$2,500

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Capital contributions, non-cash

'

'

96

1,654

'

'

'

'

'

100

1,700

'

'

'

'

Accounts payable

8,966

'

8,966

'

10,411

'

'

800

2,700

'

'

'

'

'

'

General and administrative expense

$11,685

[1]

$11,198

[1]

$35,895

[1]

$32,800

[1]

'

$4,200

'

'

'

'

'

$300

$1,500

$2,700

$2,600

[1]

(2) Includes stock-based compensation expense of $657 and $1,677 for the three and nine months ended SeptemberB 29, 2013, respectively, and $379 and $1,594 for the three and nine months ended SeptemberB 30, 2012, respectively.

Lease_Financing_Obligations_De

Lease Financing Obligations (Details) (USD $)

3 Months Ended

9 Months Ended

12 Months Ended

9 Months Ended

3 Months Ended

9 Months Ended

Sep. 29, 2013

Sep. 30, 2012

Sep. 29, 2013

Sep. 30, 2012

Dec. 30, 2012

Sep. 30, 2012

Sep. 30, 2012

7-May-12

Sep. 29, 2013

Sep. 30, 2012

Sep. 29, 2013

Sep. 30, 2012

Sep. 29, 2013

Sep. 29, 2013

Property Purchased During Period [Member]

Elimination of LFO Requirement During Period [Member]

Elimination of LFO Requirement During Period [Member]

Lease Financing Obligations [Member]

Lease Financing Obligations [Member]

Lease Financing Obligations [Member]

Lease Financing Obligations [Member]

Minimum [Member]

Maximum [Member]

Lease Financing Obligations [Member]

Lease Financing Obligations [Member]

Rate

Rate

Lease Financing Obligations [Line Items]

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Lease financing obligations

$3,035,000

'

$3,035,000

'

$3,029,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Lease expiration date

'

'

'20 years

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Number of restaurants purchased

'

'

'

'

'

5

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Lease financing obligations, reduction in period

'

'

0

114,165,000

'

6,000,000

114,200,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Restaurant properties, sold in sale-leaseback transaction

'

'

'

'

4

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Interest expense

4,457,000

5,036,000

14,475,000

19,334,000

'

'

'

'

100,000

100,000

200,000

4,400,000

'

'

Sale leaseback transaction, deferred gain, net

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

32,100,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

Assets subject to lease financing, reduction in period

'

'

0

80,419,000

'

'

80,400,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Write off of deferred debt Issuance cost

'

'

'

'

'

'

$1,600,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Debt Instrument, Interest Rate at Period End

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

8.60%

8.80%

Income_Taxes_Details

Income Taxes (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 29, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 29, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012
			Rate	Rate
Current	$2,539	$683	$7,222	$4,565
Deferred	57	1,543	34	-1,221
Provision for income taxes	2,596	2,226	7,256	3,344
Effective income tax rate	'	'	36.50%	39.30%
Discrete tax adjustments	-200	25	-200	-200
Work Opportunity Tax Credit [Member]	'	'	'	'
Discrete tax adjustments	'	'	($600)	'

Stockbased_Compensation_Stockb1

Stock-based Compensation Stock-based Compensation (Details) (Narrative) (USD $)	3 Months Ended				9 Months Ended
	Sep. 29, 2013	Jun. 30, 2013	Mar. 31, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 29, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]	'	'	'	'	'	'
Stock dividends, shares	'	'	'	'	'	1
Restricted shares, award vesting period	'	'1 year	'4 years	'	'	'
Stock-based compensation	$700,000	'	'	$400,000	$1,700,000	$1,600,000
Nonvested awards, total compensation cost not yet recognized	6,600,000	'	'	'	6,600,000	'
Nonvested awards, total compensation cost not yet recognized, period for recognition	'	'	'	'	'2 years 4 months 0 days	'
Restricted shares, grants in period, weighted average grant date fair value	'	$35.36	$20.54	'	$21.35	'
Restricted shares, grants in period	'	8,843	152,703	'	161,546	'
Board of Directors Chairman [Member]	'	'	'	'	'	'
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]	'	'	'	'	'	'
Stock-based compensation	'	'	'	'	'	$400,000

Stockbased_Compensation_Stockb2

Stock-based Compensation Stock-based Compensation (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2013	Mar. 31, 2013	Sep. 29, 2013
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Equity Instruments Other than Options, Nonvested, Number of Shares [Roll Forward]	'	'	'
Restricted shares, nonvested, number, December 30, 2012	'	766,196	766,196
Restricted shares, nonvested, weighted average grant date fair value, December 30, 2012	'	$12.49	$12.49
Restricted shares, grants in period	8,843	152,703	161,546
Restricted shares, grants in period, weighted average grant date fair value	$35.36	$20.54	$21.35
Restricted shares, vested in period	'	'	-251,676
Restricted shares, vested in period, weighted average grant date fair value	'	'	$12.07
Restricted shares, forfeited	'	'	-32,000
Restricted shares, forfeitures, weighted average grant date fair value	'	'	$12.98
Restricted shares, nonvested, number, September 29, 2013	'	'	644,066
Restricted shares, nonvested, weighted average grant date fair value, September 29, 2013	'	'	$14.85

Business_Segment_Information_B1

Business Segment Information Business Segment Details (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended				9 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 29, 2013		Sep. 30, 2012		Sep. 29, 2013		Sep. 30, 2012		Dec. 30, 2012
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]	'		'		'		'		'
Restaurant sales	$140,069		$127,648		$413,435		$381,422		'
Franchise revenue	609		525		1,747		1,726		'
Cost of sales	45,162		41,021		132,891		123,106		'
Restaurant wages and related expenses	36,979	[1]	33,860	[1]	107,914	[1]	101,821	[1]	'
Restaurant rent expense	6,853		6,224		19,699		15,421		'
Other restaurant operating expenses	18,283		16,529		51,786		48,119		'
Advertising expense	4,271		3,757		13,275		11,923		'
General and administrative expense	11,685	[2]	11,198	[2]	35,895	[2]	32,800	[2]	'
Depreciation and amortization	5,129		4,486		15,117		13,703		'
Pre-opening costs	590		232		2,379		1,056		'
Impairment and other lease charges	-312		-45		239		6,816		'
Interest expense	4,457		5,036		14,475		19,334		'
Income before income taxes	7,638		5,875		22,066		9,049		'
Total capital expenditures	11,022		11,446		38,791		28,870		'
Assets	313,262		'		313,262		'		303,729
Stock-based compensation	700		400		1,700		1,600		'
Pollo Tropical [Member]	'		'		'		'		'
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]	'		'		'		'		'
Restaurant sales	65,994		57,354		192,372		171,327		'
Franchise revenue	484		430		1,380		1,481		'
Cost of sales	21,960		18,998		63,803		56,895		'
Restaurant wages and related expenses	14,966	[1]	13,254	[1]	43,466	[1]	39,745	[1]	'
Restaurant rent expense	2,625		2,298		7,220		5,386		'
Other restaurant operating expenses	8,236		6,893		22,849		20,234		'
Advertising expense	1,710		1,846		4,432		3,963		'
General and administrative expense	6,106	[2]	5,550	[2]	18,573	[2]	15,852	[2]	'
Depreciation and amortization	2,367		2,008		6,780		6,191		'
Pre-opening costs	476		48		1,706		735		'
Impairment and other lease charges	-37		94		-99		5,931		'
Interest expense	1,937		2,274		6,436		8,249		'
Income before income taxes	6,132		4,523		19,083		9,626		'
Total capital expenditures	6,832		4,149		21,527		13,409		'
Assets	139,505		'		139,505		'		128,593
Taco Cabana [Member]	'		'		'		'		'
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]	'		'		'		'		'
Restaurant sales	74,075		70,294		221,063		210,095		'
Franchise revenue	125		95		367		245		'
Cost of sales	23,202		22,023		69,088		66,211		'
Restaurant wages and related expenses	22,013	[1]	20,606	[1]	64,448	[1]	62,076	[1]	'
Restaurant rent expense	4,228		3,926		12,479		10,035		'
Other restaurant operating expenses	10,047		9,636		28,937		27,885		'
Advertising expense	2,561		1,911		8,843		7,960		'
General and administrative expense	5,579	[2]	5,648	[2]	17,322	[2]	16,948	[2]	'
Depreciation and amortization	2,762		2,473		8,337		7,507		'
Pre-opening costs	114		184		673		321		'
Impairment and other lease charges	-275		-139		338		885		'
Interest expense	2,520		2,762		8,039		11,085		'
Income before income taxes	1,506		1,357		2,983		-572		'
Total capital expenditures	2,892		7,045		13,985		15,034		'
Assets	162,393		'		162,393		'		167,348
Other [Member]	'		'		'		'		'
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]	'		'		'		'		'
Restaurant sales	0		0		0		0		'
Franchise revenue	0		0		0		0		'
Cost of sales	0		0		0		0		'
Restaurant wages and related expenses	0		0		0		0		'
Restaurant rent expense	0		0		0		0		'
Other restaurant operating expenses	0		0		0		0		'
Advertising expense	0		0		0		0		'
General and administrative expense	0		0		0		0		'
Depreciation and amortization	0		5		0		5		'
Pre-opening costs	0		0		0		0		'
Impairment and other lease charges	0		0		0		0		'
Interest expense	0		0		0		0		'
Income before income taxes	0		-5		0		-5		'
Total capital expenditures	1,298		252		3,279		427		'
Assets	11,364		'		11,364		'		7,788
Restaurant Wages And Related Expenses [Member]	'		'		'		'		'
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]	'		'		'		'		'
Stock-based compensation	1		1		2		9		'
General and Administrative Expense [Member]	'		'		'		'		'
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]	'		'		'		'		'
Stock-based compensation	$657		$379		$1,677		$1,594		'
[1]	(1) Includes stock-based compensation expense of $1 and $2 for the three and nine months ended SeptemberB 29, 2013, respectively, and $1 and $9 for the three and nine months ended SeptemberB 30, 2012, respectively.
[2]	(2) Includes stock-based compensation expense of $657 and $1,677 for the three and nine months ended SeptemberB 29, 2013, respectively, and $379 and $1,594 for the three and nine months ended SeptemberB 30, 2012, respectively.

Net_Income_per_Share_Details

Net Income per Share (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
In Thousands, except Share data, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 29, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 29, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012
Earnings Per Share, Basic, by Common Class, Including Two Class Method [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Net income	$5,042	$3,649	$14,810	$5,705
Less: income allocated to participating securities	-140	-82	-451	-96
Net income available to common shareholders	$4,902	$3,567	$14,359	$5,609
Basic and diluted weighted average common shares outstanding	22,986,615	22,747,044	22,921,233	22,937,270
Basic and diluted net income per share	$0.21	$0.16	$0.63	$0.25
Shares distributed during the period	'	'	'	23,200,000