Fiesta Restaurant (FRGI) 10-K 19 Feb 15 2014 FY Annual report Financial data

Document_and_Entity_Informatio

Document and Entity Information (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 28, 2014	Feb. 12, 2015	Jun. 29, 2014
Entity Information [Line Items]
Entity Current Reporting Status	Yes
Entity Voluntary Filers	No
Entity Well-known Seasoned Issuer	Yes
Entity Public Float			$1,211,174,744
Entity Registrant Name	FIESTA RESTAURANT GROUP, INC.
Entity Central Index Key	1534992
Current Fiscal Year End Date	-16
Entity Filer Category	Large Accelerated Filer
Document Type	10-K
Document Period End Date	28-Dec-14
Document Fiscal Year Focus	2014
Document Fiscal Period Focus	FY
Amendment Flag	FALSE
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding		26,782,996

Consolidated_Balance_Sheets

Consolidated Balance Sheets (USD $)	Dec. 28, 2014	Dec. 29, 2013
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Current assets:
Cash	$5,087	$10,978
Trade receivables	6,340	6,011
Inventories	2,719	2,564
Prepaid rent	2,894	2,500
Income tax receivable	4,974	4,497
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	3,166	3,357
Deferred income taxes	2,925	3,018
Total current assets	28,105	32,925
Property and equipment, net	191,371	144,527
Goodwill	123,484	123,484
Intangible assets, net	40	121
Deferred income taxes	11,055	12,046
Deferred financing costs, net	1,233	1,530
Other assets	2,668	4,152
Total assets	357,956	318,785
Current liabilities:
Current portion of long-term debt	61	61
Accounts payable	10,151	10,802
Accrued interest	127	118
Accrued payroll, related taxes and benefits	15,857	14,296
Accrued real estate taxes	5,044	4,505
Other liabilities	8,183	8,305
Total current liabilities	39,423	38,087
Long-term debt, net of current portion	67,264	72,324
Lease financing obligations	1,660	1,657
Deferred income--sale-leaseback of real estate	34,079	35,873
Other liabilities	15,943	12,538
Total liabilities	158,369	160,479
Commitments and contingencies (Note 14)
Stockholders' equity:
Common stock, par value $.01; authorized 100,000,000 shares, issued 26,782,945 and 26,710,111 shares, respectively, and outstanding 26,358,448 and 26,082,800 shares, respectively.	264	261
Additional paid-in capital	153,867	148,765
Retained earnings	45,456	9,280
Total stockholders' equity	199,587	158,306
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	$357,956	$318,785

Consolidated_Balance_Sheets_Pa

Consolidated Balance Sheets (Parenthetical) (USD $)	Dec. 28, 2014	Dec. 29, 2013
Common stock, par value	$0.01	$0.01
Common stock, shares authorized	100,000,000	100,000,000
Common stock, shares issued	26,782,945	26,710,111
Common stock, shares outstanding	26,358,448	26,082,800

Consolidated_Statements_of_Ope

Consolidated Statements of Operations (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, except Share data, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 28, 2014		Dec. 29, 2013		Dec. 30, 2012
Revenues:
Restaurant sales	$608,540		$548,980		$507,351
Franchise royalty revenue and fees	2,603		2,357		2,375
Total revenues	611,143		551,337		509,726
Costs and expenses:
Cost of sales	192,250		176,123		163,514
Restaurant wages and related expenses (including stock-based compensation expense of $71, $2 and $11, respectively)	155,140	[1]	143,392	[1]	136,265	[1]
Restaurant rent expense	29,645		26,849		21,595
Other restaurant operating expenses	78,921		69,021		63,813
Advertising expense	19,493		17,138		16,791
General and administrative (including stock-based compensation expense of $3,426, $2,296 and $2,025, respectively)	49,414	[2]	48,521	[2]	43,870	[2]
Depreciation and amortization	23,047		20,375		18,278
Pre-opening costs	4,061		2,767		1,673
Impairment and other lease charges	363		199		7,039
Other (income) expense	-558		-554		-92
Total operating expenses	551,776		503,831		472,746
Income from operations	59,367		47,506		36,980
Interest expense	2,228		18,043		24,424
Loss on extinguishment of debt	0		16,411		0
Income before income taxes	57,139		13,052		12,556
Provision for income taxes	20,963		3,795		4,289
Net income	$36,176		$9,257		$8,267
Basic net income per share	$1.35		$0.39		$0.35
Diluted net income per share	$1.35		$0.39		$0.35
Basic weighted average common shares outstanding	26,293,714		23,271,431		22,890,018
Diluted weighted average common shares outstanding	26,296,049		23,271,431		22,890,018
[1]	Includes stock-based compensation expense of $71, $2 and $11 for theB years endedB DecemberB 28, 2014, December 29, 2013 and DecemberB 30, 2012, respectively.
[2]	Includes stock-based compensation expense of $3,426, $2,296 and $2,025 for theB years endedB DecemberB 28, 2014, December 29, 2013 and DecemberB 30, 2012, respectively.

Consolidated_Statements_of_Ope1

Consolidated Statements of Operations (Parenthetical) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 28, 2014	Dec. 29, 2013	Dec. 30, 2012
Stock-based compensation	$3,500	$2,300	$2,000
Restaurant Wages And Related Expenses [Member]
Stock-based compensation	71	2	11
General and Administrative Expense
Stock-based compensation	$3,426	$2,296	$2,025

Consolidated_Statements_of_Cha

Consolidated Statements of Changes in Stockholders' Equity (USD $)	Total	Common Stock [Member]	Additional Paid-in Capital [Member]	Accumulated Earnings (Deficit) [Member]	Shares [Member]
In Thousands, except Share data	USD ($)	USD ($)	USD ($)	USD ($)
Stockholders' equity at Jan. 01, 2012	($4,672)	$227	$3,345	($8,244)
Shares beginning at Jan. 01, 2012					23,161,822
Capital Contributions	5,075		5,075
Stock-based compensation			1,834
Issuance of non-vested shares at spin-off					-434,397
Vesting of restricted shares					20,816
Net income	8,267			8,267
Stockholders' equity at Dec. 30, 2012	10,504	227	10,254	23
Shares ending at Dec. 30, 2012					22,748,241
Capital Contributions	96		96
Stock-based compensation			2,298
Vesting of restricted shares		3
Vesting of restricted shares					256,223
Issuance of shares	135,286	31	135,255
Issuance of shares		3,078,336			3,078,336
Vesting of restricted shares and related tax benefit	865		862
Net income	9,257			9,257
Stockholders' equity at Dec. 29, 2013	158,306	261	148,765	9,280
Shares ending at Dec. 29, 2013	26,082,800				26,082,800
Capital Contributions	-127		-127
Stock-based compensation			3,497
Vesting of restricted shares		3
Vesting of restricted shares					275,648
Vesting of restricted shares and related tax benefit	1,765		1,762
Share issuance costs	-30		-30
Net income	36,176			36,176
Stockholders' equity at Dec. 28, 2014	$199,587	$264	$153,867	$45,456
Shares ending at Dec. 28, 2014	26,358,448				26,358,448

Consolidated_Statements_of_Cas

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 28, 2014	Dec. 29, 2013	Dec. 30, 2012
Cash flows provided from operating activities:
Net income	$36,176	$9,257	$8,267
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided from operating activities:
Loss (gain) on disposals of property and equipment	-369	-208	186
Stock-based Compensation	3,497	2,298	1,834
Impairment and other lease charges	363	199	7,039
Loss on extinguishment of debt	0	16,411	0
Depreciation and amortization	23,047	20,375	18,278
Amortization of deferred financing costs	309	1,487	1,628
Amortization of deferred gains from sale-leaseback transactions	-3,671	-3,489	-2,328
Deferred income taxes	957	-178	-1,030
Other	4	5	342
Accounts receivable	-329	-77	-1,093
Accounts payable	-529	-1,817	2,398
Accrued payroll, related taxes and benefits	1,561	-423	2,565
Accrued interest	9	-6,643	-391
Accrued real estate taxes	539	1,139	169
Other liabilities - current	-122	2,677	-28
Other liabilities - long term	3,441	986	728
Income tax receivable/payable	-477	-4,423	522
Other	-300	-1,400	-1,111
Net cash provided from operating activities	64,106	36,176	37,975
Capital expenditures:
New restaurant development	-57,102	-32,610	-23,614
Restaurant remodeling	-7,588	-3,089	-8,673
Other restaurant capital expenditures	-4,975	-5,407	-6,917
Corporate and restaurant information systems	-4,414	-5,919	-1,792
Total capital expenditures	-74,079	-47,025	-40,996
Properties purchased for sale-leaseback	0	-4,438	-2,082
Proceeds from sale of other properties	1,729	1,734	2,426
Proceeds from sale-leaseback transactions	5,692	15,662	7,934
Net cash used in investing activities	-66,658	-34,067	-32,718
Cash flows from financing activities:
Senior secured second lien note redemption	0	-200,000	0
Proceeds from issuance stock, net of issuance costs		135,286	0
Proceeds from issuance stock, net of issuance costs	-30
Premium and other costs associated with debt redemption	0	-12,545	0
Excess tax benefit from vesting of restricted shares	1,765	865	0
Borrowings from (payments to) former parent, net	0	0	500
Capital contribution from former parent	0	0	2,500
Borrowings on revolving credit facility	25,000	81,000	2,100
Repayments on revolving credit facility	-30,000	-10,000	-2,100
Principal payments on capital leases	-61	-59	-59
Financing costs associated with issuance of debt	0	-1,196	-288
Settlement of lease financing obligations	0	0	-6,047
Other financing costs	-13	-15	0
Net cash used in financing activities	-3,339	-6,664	-3,394
Net increase (decrease) in cash	-5,891	-4,555	1,863
Cash, beginning of year	10,978	15,533	13,670
Cash, end of year	5,087	10,978	15,533
Supplemental disclosures:
Interest paid on long-term debt (including capitalized interest of $268 in 2014 and $600 in 2013)	1,971	23,707	18,699
Interest paid on lease financing obligations	139	137	4,207
Accruals for capital expenditures	2,889	3,009	802
Income tax payments, net	18,718	7,204	3,454
Capital lease obligations incurred	0	496	0
Non-cash reduction of lease financing obligations	0	1,377	114,165
Non-cash reduction of assets under lease financing obligations	0	965	80,419
Non-cash transfers of income tax assets and liabilities from Carrols	($127)	$96	$2,575

Consolidated_Statements_of_Cas1

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (Parenthetical) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 28, 2014	Dec. 29, 2013
Supplemental Cash Flow Information [Abstract]
Capitalized interest	$268	$600

Basis_of_Presentation

Basis of Presentation	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 28, 2014
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 December 28, 2014, the Company owned and operated 124 Pollo Tropical® restaurants, of which 107 were located in Florida, ten were located in Texas, five were located in Georgia and two were located in Tennessee, and franchised a total of 37 Pollo Tropical restaurants, 17 in Puerto Rico, one in Ecuador, one in Honduras, one in the Bahamas, two in Trinidad & Tobago, two in Venezuela, five in Panama, one in the Dominican Republic, two in Guatemala, and five on college campuses in Florida. At December 28, 2014, Fiesta also owned and operated 167 Taco Cabana® restaurants, of which 162 were located in Texas, three were located in Oklahoma and, under the Cabana Grill® logo, which is an elevated, non-24 hour format for Taco Cabana, one was located in Georgia and one was located in Florida, and franchised a total of seven Taco Cabana restaurants, including four in New Mexico 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 into an independent public company, 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, since May 7, 2012 Fiesta Restaurant Group has been an independent public company whose common stock is traded on The NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol “FRGI.”
	Basis of Consolidation. The consolidated financial statements presented herein reflect the consolidated financial position, results of operations and cash flows of Fiesta and its wholly-owned subsidiaries. These consolidated financial statements have been prepared as if the Company was in existence for all periods presented. All intercompany transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.
	Through the date of the Spin-off, these 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 consolidated financial statements reflect the historical financial position, results of operations and cash flows of Fiesta 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 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 years ended December 28, 2014, December 29, 2013 and December 30, 2012 each contained 52 weeks.
	Allocations. Through the date of the consummation 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 expense the Company would have incurred as an independent, publicly traded company for the periods presented.
	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. In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements include all adjustments necessary for a fair presentation of its results of operations.
	Use of Estimates. The preparation of the 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 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.
	Cash and Cash Equivalents. The Company considers all highly liquid investments with an original maturity of three months or less when purchased to be cash equivalents.
	Inventories. Inventories, primarily consisting of food and paper, are stated at the lower of cost (first-in, first-out) or market.
	Property and Equipment. The Company capitalizes all direct costs incurred to construct and substantially improve its restaurants. These costs are depreciated and charged to expense based upon their property classification when placed in service. Property and equipment is recorded at cost. Application development stage costs for significant internally developed software projects are capitalized and depreciated. Repair and maintenance activities are expensed as incurred. Depreciation and amortization is provided using the straight-line method over the following estimated useful lives:
	Buildings and improvements	5	to	30 years
	Equipment	3	to	7 years
	Computer hardware and software	3	to	7 years
	Assets subject to capital lease	Shorter of useful life or lease term
	Leasehold improvements, including new buildings constructed on leased land, are depreciated over the shorter of their estimated useful lives or the underlying lease term. In circumstances where an economic penalty would be presumed by the non-exercise of one or more renewal options under the lease, the Company includes those renewal option periods when determining the lease term. For significant leasehold improvements made during the latter part of the lease term, the Company amortizes those improvements over the shorter of their useful life or an extended lease term. The extended lease term would consider the exercise of renewal options if the value of the improvements would imply that an economic penalty would be incurred without the renewal of the option. Building costs incurred for new restaurants on leased land are depreciated over the lease term, which is generally a twenty-year period.
	Goodwill. Goodwill represents the excess purchase price and related costs over the value assigned to the net tangible and identifiable intangible assets acquired by Carrols from its acquisitions of Pollo Tropical in 1998 and Taco Cabana in 2000. Goodwill is not amortized but is tested for impairment at least annually as of the last day of the fiscal year.
	Long-Lived Assets. The Company assesses the recoverability of property and equipment and definite-lived intangible assets by determining whether the carrying value of these assets can be recovered over their respective remaining lives through undiscounted future operating cash flows. Impairment is reviewed whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amounts of these assets may not be fully recoverable.
	Deferred Financing Costs. Financing costs incurred in obtaining long-term debt, credit facilities and lease financing obligations are capitalized and amortized over the life of the related obligation as interest expense using the effective interest method.
	Leases.  All leases are reviewed for capital or operating classification at their inception. The majority of the Company's leases are operating leases. Many of the lease agreements contain rent holidays, rent escalation clauses and/or contingent rent provisions. Rent expense for leases that contain scheduled rent increases or rent holidays is recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term, including any option periods included in the determination of the lease term. Contingent rentals are generally based upon a percentage of sales or a percentage of sales in excess of stipulated amounts and are not considered minimum rent payments but are recognized as rent expense when incurred.
	Revenue Recognition. Revenues from the Company's owned and operated restaurants are recognized when payment is tendered at the time of sale. Franchise royalty revenues are based on a percent of gross sales and are recorded as income when earned. Franchise fees, which are associated with opening new franchised restaurants, are recognized as income when all required activities have been performed by the Company. Area development fees, which are associated with opening new franchised restaurants in a given market, are recognized as income over the term of the related agreement.
	Income Taxes. Deferred income tax assets and liabilities are based on the difference between the financial statement and tax bases of assets and liabilities as measured by the tax rates that are anticipated to be in effect when those differences reverse. The deferred tax provision generally represents the net change in deferred tax assets and liabilities during the period. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in the results of operations in the period that includes the enactment date. A valuation allowance is established when it is necessary to reduce deferred tax assets to amounts for which realization is more likely than not. The Company recognizes the tax benefit from an uncertain tax position only if it is more likely than not that the tax position will be sustained on examination by the taxing authorities, based on the technical merits of the position.
	Advertising Costs. All advertising costs are expensed as incurred.
	Cost of Sales. The Company includes the cost of food, beverage and paper, net of any discounts, in cost of sales.
	Pre-opening Costs. The Company's pre-opening costs are generally incurred beginning four to six months prior to a restaurant opening and generally include restaurant employee wages and related expenses, travel expenditures, recruiting, training, promotional costs associated with the restaurant opening and rent, including any non-cash rent expense recognized during the construction period.
	Insurance.  The Company is insured for workers' compensation, general liability and medical insurance claims under policies where it pays all claims, subject to stop-loss limitations both for individual claims and claims in the aggregate. During 2012, the Company was insured under policies covering both Carrols and the Company. During 2014 and 2013, the Company was insured under separate policies. Losses are accrued based upon estimates of the aggregate liability for claims based on the Company's experience and certain actuarial methods used to measure such estimates. The Company does not discount any of its self-insurance obligations.
	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.
	•	Revolving Credit Borrowings. The fair value of outstanding revolving credit borrowings under our senior credit facility, which is considered Level 2, is based on current LIBOR rates and at December 28, 2014, was approximately $66.0 million.
	See Note 4 for discussion of the fair value measurement of non-financial assets.
	Gift cards. The Company sells gift cards to its customers in its restaurants and through select third parties. The Company recognizes revenue from gift cards upon redemption by the customer. The gift cards have no stated expiration dates and are subject to escheatment rights in certain states. Revenues from unredeemed gift cards are not material to the Company's financial statements.
	Recent Accounting Pronouncements. In April 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued ASU 2014-08, Reporting Discontinued Operations and Disclosures of Disposals of Components of an Entity, which raises the threshold for a disposal to qualify as a discontinued operation and requires new disclosures of both discontinued operations and certain other disposals that do not meet the definition of a discontinued operation. For the Company, the guidance is effective for the interim and annual periods beginning December 29, 2014. The ASU is applied prospectively; however, early adoption is permitted for disposals (or classifications as held for sale) that have not been reported in financial statements previously issued or available for issue. The Company has early adopted this standard which did not have a material impact on the Company's financial statements.
	In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued ASU 606, Revenue Recognition - Revenue from Contracts with Customers, which amends the guidance in former ASC 605, Revenue Recognition, and provides for either a full retrospective adoption in which the standard is applied to all of the periods presented or a modified retrospective adoption in which the cumulative effect of initially applying the standard is recognized at the date of initial application. The new standard provides accounting guidance for all revenue arising from contracts with customers and affects all entities that enter into contracts to provide goods or services to their customers unless the contracts are in the scope of other US GAAP requirements. The guidance also provides a model for the measurement and recognition of gains and losses on the sale of certain nonfinancial assets, such as property and equipment, including real estate. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of the provisions of ASC 606; however, the Company expects the provisions to primarily impact certain franchise revenues and does not expect the standard to have a material effect on its financial statements. For the Company, the new standard is effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2016.

Property_and_Equipment

Property and Equipment	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 28, 2014
Property and Equipment [Abstract]
Property, Plant and Equipment Disclosure [Text Block]	Property and Equipment
	Property and equipment consisted of the following:
		December 28, 2014			December 29, 2013
	Land	$	19,455		$	15,277
	Owned buildings	14,863			13,813
	Leasehold improvements (1)	168,719			130,623
	Equipment	159,596			136,088
	Assets subject to capital leases	1,647			1,647
		364,280			297,448
	Less accumulated depreciation and amortization	(172,909		)	(152,921		)
		$	191,371		$	144,527
	(1) Leasehold improvements include the cost of new buildings constructed on leased land.
	Assets subject to capital leases primarily pertain to buildings leased for certain restaurant locations and certain office equipment and had accumulated amortization at December 28, 2014 and December 29, 2013 of $0.7 million and $0.5 million, respectively. At December 28, 2014 and December 29, 2013, land of $0.7 million and $0.7 million, respectively and owned buildings of $0.8 million and $0.8 million, respectively were subject to lease financing obligations accounted for under the lease financing method. See Note 9—Lease Financing Obligations. Accumulated depreciation pertaining to owned buildings subject to lease financing obligations at December 28, 2014 and December 29, 2013 was $0.3 million and $0.3 million, respectively.
	Depreciation and amortization expense for all property and equipment for the years ended December 28, 2014, December 29, 2013 and December 30, 2012 was $23.0 million, $20.3 million and $18.2 million, respectively.

Goodwill

Goodwill	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 28, 2014
Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]
Goodwill Disclosure [Text Block]	Goodwill
	The Company is required to review goodwill for impairment annually or more frequently when events and circumstances indicate that the carrying amount may be impaired. If the determined fair value of goodwill is less than the related carrying amount, an impairment loss is recognized. The Company performs its annual impairment assessment as of the last day of the fiscal year and has determined its reporting units to be its operating segments, Pollo Tropical and Taco Cabana.
	In performing its goodwill impairment test, the Company compared the net book values of its reporting units to their estimated fair values, the latter determined by employing a discounted cash flow analysis, which was corroborated with other value indicators where available, such as comparable company earnings multiples.
	There have been no changes in goodwill or goodwill impairment losses recorded during the year ended December 28, 2014 or the year ended December 29, 2013. Goodwill balances are summarized below:
		Pollo		Taco		Total
		Tropical		Cabana
	Balance, December 28, 2014 and December 29, 2013	$	56,307	$	67,177	$	123,484

Impairment_of_LongLived_Assets

Impairment of Long-Lived Assets and Other Lease Charges	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 28, 2014
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. In addition to considering management’s plans, known regulatory or governmental actions and damage due to acts of God (hurricanes, tornadoes, etc.), the Company considers a triggering event to have occurred related to a specific restaurant if the restaurant’s cash flows for the last twelve months are less than a minimum threshold or if consistent levels of cash flows for the remaining lease period are less than the carrying value of the restaurant’s assets. 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 year ending December 28, 2014 totaled less than $0.1 million.
	Impairment on long-lived assets for the Company’s segments and other lease charges recorded were as follows:
		Year Ended
		December 28, 2014		December 29, 2013			December 30, 2012
	Pollo Tropical	$	254	$	(116	)	$	6,035
	Taco Cabana	109		315			1,004
		$	363	$	199		$	7,039
	Impairment and other lease charges in 2014 included a $0.3 million impairment charge representing the write-down of the carrying value to fair value of certain assets as a result of a management decision to relocate a Pollo Tropical restaurant before the end of its lease term to a superior site in the same trade area and $0.1 million in impairment charges for additional assets acquired at previously impaired Taco Cabana locations.
	During the year ended December 29, 2013, the Company recorded lease charge recoveries, net of other lease charges, of $0.2 million, related to previously closed locations. The Company also recorded an impairment charge of $0.4 million related to a Taco Cabana restaurant during the year ended December 29, 2013.
	During the year ended December 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 remaining charges recorded in 2012 primarily consist of an impairment charge of $0.5 million related to a Pollo Tropical restaurant, $1.0 million related to two Taco Cabana restaurants and a recovery of $0.2 million related to a non-operating Pollo Tropical restaurant.

Other_Liabilities

Other Liabilities	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 28, 2014
Other Liabilities [Abstract]
Other Liabilities Disclosure [Text Block]	Other Liabilities
	Other liabilities, current, consisted of the following:
		December 28, 2014			December 29, 2013
	Accrued workers' compensation and general liability claims	$	3,996		$	3,484
	Sales and property taxes	1,933			1,358
	Accrued occupancy costs	508			543
	Other	1,746			2,920
		$	8,183		$	8,305
	Other liabilities, long-term, consisted of the following:
		December 28, 2014			December 29, 2013
	Accrued occupancy costs	$	12,254		$	9,973
	Accrued workers’ compensation and general liability claims	977			729
	Deferred compensation	1,102			593
	Other	1,610			1,243
		$	15,943		$	12,538
	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 $1.0 million and $1.1 million are included in long-term accrued occupancy costs above at December 28, 2014 and December 29, 2013, respectively, with the remainder in other current liabilities:
		Year Ended
		December 28, 2014			December 29, 2013
	Balance, beginning of period	$	1,439		$	2,432
	Provisions for restaurant closures	—			—
	Additional lease charges, net of (recoveries)	5			(197		)
	Payments, net	(321		)	(937		)
	Other adjustments	128			141
	Balance, end of period	$	1,251		$	1,439

Leases

Leases	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 28, 2014
Leases [Abstract]
Leases of Lessee Disclosure [Text Block]	Leases
	The Company utilizes land and buildings in its operations under various lease agreements. The Company does not consider any one of these individual leases material to the Company's operations. Initial lease terms are generally for twenty years and, in many cases, provide for renewal options and in most cases rent escalations. Certain leases require contingent rent, determined as a percentage of sales as defined by the terms of the applicable lease agreement. For most locations, the Company is obligated for occupancy related costs including payment of property taxes, insurance and utilities.
	During the years ended December 28, 2014, December 29, 2013 and December 30, 2012 the Company sold two, six and five restaurant properties in each year, respectively, in sale-leaseback transactions for net proceeds of $5.7 million, $15.7 million and $7.9 million, respectively. These leases have been classified as operating leases and generally contain a twenty-year initial term plus renewal options.
	Deferred gains on sale-leaseback transactions of $1.9 million, $4.0 million and $34.3 million were recognized during the years ended December 28, 2014, December 29, 2013, and December 30, 2012, respectively and are being amortized over the term of the related leases. The amount recognized in 2012 includes $32.1 million resulting from the qualification for sale treatment of certain sale-leaseback transactions upon the Spin-off. (See Note 9 for further discussion.) The amortization of deferred gains on sale-leaseback transactions was $3.7 million, $3.5 million and $2.3 million for the years ended December 28, 2014, December 29, 2013 and December 30, 2012, respectively.
	Minimum rent commitments due under capital and non-cancelable operating leases at December 28, 2014 were as follows:
		Capital			Operating
	2015	$	224		$	34,954
	2016	220			34,873
	2017	220			34,048
	2018	220			33,086
	2019	220			32,275
	Thereafter	1,743			252,483
	Total minimum lease payments (1)	2,847			$	421,719
	Less amount representing interest	(1,522		)
	Total obligations under capital leases	1,325
	Less current portion	(61		)
	Long-term debt under capital leases	$	1,264
	(1) Minimum operating lease payments have not been reduced by minimum sublease rentals of $5.6 million due in the future under noncancelable subleases.
	Total rent expense on operating leases, including contingent rentals, was as follows:
		Year Ended
		28-Dec-14			29-Dec-13		30-Dec-12
	Minimum rent on real property, excluding rent included in pre-opening costs	$	29,309		$	26,571	$	21,349
	Additional rent based on percentage of sales	336			278		246
	Restaurant rent expense	29,645			26,849		21,595
	Rent included in pre-opening costs	1,421			842		411
	Administrative and equipment rent	1,042			1,004		781
		$	32,108		$	28,695	$	22,787

Former_Related_Party_Transacti

Former Related Party Transactions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 28, 2014
Related Party Transactions [Abstract]
Former 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 and stock-based compensation. Allocated stock-based compensation included equity awards granted to employees of the Company as well as allocated stock-based compensation expense associated with Carrols employees that provided administrative support to the Company. The Company's allocated expenses from Carrols were $4.2 million for the year-ended December 30, 2012.
	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 transferred income tax-related assets and liabilities totaling $1.7 million to the Company. In the fourth quarter of 2012, Carrols transferred additional income tax-related assets and liabilities for periods prior to the Spin-off totaling $0.9 million related to the allocation to Fiesta of estimated 2012 net operating loss carryforwards. In 2014 and 2013, Carrols transferred additional income tax-related assets and liabilities for periods prior to the Spin-off totaling $(0.1) million and $0.1 million, respectively, to the Company. The Company recorded these non-cash transfers from Carrols as an adjustment to additional paid-in capital.
	In connection with the Spin-off, Fiesta and Carrols entered into a Transition Services Agreement ("TSA"). 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. During the year ended December 29, 2013, the Company recognized expenses of $3.0 million related to the TSA. The Company incurred costs of $3.7 million in 2012 related to the TSA. In October 2013, the Company terminated the TSA with respect to substantially all of the remaining services provided under the TSA with the exception of certain information technology services and other miscellaneous services. The Company terminated the remaining services under the TSA in December 2013.
	As of December 29, 2013, Carrols owed $0.3 million to the Company, which is included in receivables in the accompanying 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.

Longterm_Debt

Long-term Debt	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 28, 2014
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt	Long-term Debt
	Long term debt at December 28, 2014 and December 29, 2013 consisted of the following:
		December 28,			December 29,
		2014			2013
	Revolving credit facility	$	66,000		$	71,000
	Capital leases	1,325			1,385
		67,325			72,385
	Less: current portion of long-term debt	(61		)	(61		)
		$	67,264		$	72,324
	Senior Credit Facility. In December 2013, the Company terminated its former senior secured revolving credit facility, referred to as the “former senior credit facility”, and entered into a new senior secured revolving credit facility with a syndicate of lenders, which we refer to as the "senior credit facility". The senior credit facility provides for aggregate revolving credit borrowings of up to $150 million (including $15 million available for letters of credit) and matures on December 11, 2018. The senior credit facility also provides for potential incremental increases of up to $50 million to the revolving credit borrowings available under the senior credit facility. On December 28, 2014, there were $66.0 million in outstanding revolving credit borrowings under our senior credit facility.
	Borrowings under the senior credit facility bear interest at a per annum rate, at our option, equal to either (all terms as defined in the senior credit facility):
	1) the Alternate Base Rate plus the applicable margin of 0.50% to 1.50% based on our Adjusted Leverage Ratio (with a margin of 0.50% as of December 28, 2014), or
	2) the LIBOR Rate plus the applicable margin of 1.50% to 2.50% based on our Adjusted Leverage Ratio (with a margin of 1.50% at December 28, 2014).
	In addition, the senior credit facility requires the Company to pay (i) a commitment fee based on the applicable Commitment Fee margin of 0.25% to 0.45%, based on our Adjusted Leverage Ratio (with a margin of 0.25% at December 28, 2014) and the unused portion of the facility and (ii) a letter of credit fee based on the applicable LIBOR margin and the dollar amount of outstanding letters of credit.
	All obligations under the Company's senior credit facility are guaranteed by all of the Company's material domestic subsidiaries. In general, the Company's obligations under the senior credit facility and its subsidiaries’ obligations under the guarantees are secured by a first priority lien and security interest on substantially all of its assets and the assets of its material subsidiaries (including a pledge of all of the capital stock and equity interests of its material subsidiaries), other than certain specified assets, including real property owned by the Company or its subsidiaries.
	The outstanding borrowings under the Company's senior credit facility are prepayable without penalty (other than customary breakage costs). The senior credit facility requires the Company to comply with customary affirmative, negative and financial covenants, including, without limitation, those limiting the Company's and its subsidiaries’ ability to (i) incur indebtedness, (ii) incur liens, (iii) loan, advance, or make acquisitions and other investments or other commitments to construct, acquire or develop new restaurants (subject to certain exceptions), (iv) pay dividends, (v) redeem and repurchase equity interests, (vi) conduct asset and restaurant sales and other dispositions (subject to certain exceptions), (vii) conduct transactions with affiliates and (viii) change its business. In addition, the senior credit facility requires the Company to maintain certain financial ratios, including a Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio and an Adjusted Leverage Ratio (all as defined under the senior credit facility).
	The Company's senior credit facility contains customary default provisions, including without limitation, a cross default provision pursuant to which it is an event of default under this facility if there is a default under any of the Company's indebtedness having an outstanding principal amount of $5.0 million or more which results in the acceleration of such indebtedness prior to its stated maturity or is caused by a failure to pay principal when due.
	As of December 28, 2014, the Company was in compliance with the covenants under its senior credit facility. After reserving $8.8 million for letters of credit issued under the senior credit facility, $75.2 million was available for borrowing at December 28, 2014.
	Former Senior Credit Facility. The Company entered into the first lien senior secured credit facility providing for aggregate revolving credit borrowings of up to $25.0 million (including $10.0 million available for letters of credit) on August 5, 2011. The facility also provided for incremental increases of up to $5.0 million, in the aggregate, to the revolving credit borrowings available under the former senior credit facility, and matured on February 5, 2016. The former senior secured credit facility was terminated on December 11, 2013 and replaced with the new senior credit facility discussed above.
	Borrowings under the former senior credit facility bore interest at a per annum rate, at the Company’s option, of either (all terms as defined in the former senior credit facility):
	1) the Alternate Base Rate plus the applicable margin of 2.00% to 2.75% based on the Company’s Adjusted Leverage Ratio, or
	2) the LIBOR Rate plus the applicable margin of 3.00% to 3.75% based on the Company’s Adjusted Leverage Ratio.
	Repurchase of Notes. On November 12, 2013, the Company commenced a tender offer and consent solicitation for all of its outstanding $200.0 million in aggregate principal amount of 8.875% Senior Secured Second Lien Notes due 2016 (the "Notes"). The principal amount of Notes repurchased in the tender offer totaled $122.7 million. On December 11, 2013, the Company irrevocably called for redemption the remaining $77.3 million principal amount of Notes that were not validly tendered and accepted for payment in the tender offer.
	The Notes were issued on August 5, 2011 pursuant to an indenture dated as of August 5, 2011 governing such Notes. The Notes matured and were payable on August 15, 2016. Interest was payable semi-annually on February 15 and August 15. The Notes were guaranteed by all of the Company’s subsidiaries and were secured by second-priority liens on substantially all of the Company’s and its subsidiaries’ assets (including a pledge of all of the capital stock and equity interests of its material subsidiaries).
	The Company recognized a loss on extinguishment of debt of $16.4 million in the fourth quarter of 2013 related to the repurchase and redemption of the Notes. The loss on extinguishment of debt includes the write-off of $3.9 million in deferred financing costs related to the Notes and $12.5 million of debt redemption premiums, consent payments, additional interest and other fees related to the redemption of the Notes.
	At December 28, 2014, principal payments required on borrowings under the senior credit facility were $66.0 million in 2018. The weighted average interest rate on the borrowings under the senior credit facility was 1.79% and 2.25% at December 28, 2014 and December 29, 2013, respectively. Interest expense on the Company's long-term debt, excluding lease financing obligations, was $2.1 million, $17.9 million and $19.9 million for the years ended December 28, 2014, December 29, 2013, and December 30, 2012, respectively.

Lease_Financing_Obligations

Lease Financing Obligations	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 28, 2014
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 during the year ended December 30, 2012. The Company also recorded a loss of $0.1 million included in interest expense representing the net amount by which the purchase price of the restaurant properties acquired exceeded the balance of the respective lease financing obligations.
	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, ASC 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 will be 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.
	In 2013, the Company removed an additional lease financing obligation and the related property and equipment and deferred financing costs from its balance sheet and recognized a deferred gain of $0.4 million on the sale-leaseback transaction related to the expiration of a provision that previously precluded sale-leaseback accounting.
	At December 28, 2014, payments required on all lease financing obligations were as follows:
	2015	$	140
	2016	141
	2017	143
	2018	144
	2019	146
	Thereafter, through 2023	2,223
	Total minimum lease payments	2,937
	Less: Interest implicit in obligations	(1,277		)
	Total lease financing obligations	$	1,660
	The interest rate on lease financing obligations was 8.6% at December 28, 2014. Interest expense associated with lease financing obligations was $0.1 million, $0.1 million and $4.5 million for the years ended December 28, 2014, December 29, 2013, and December 30, 2012, respectively.

Income_Taxes

Income Taxes	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 28, 2014
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Income Tax Disclosure [Text Block]	Income Taxes
	The Company’s income tax provision was comprised of the following:
		Year Ended
		December 28, 2014				December 29, 2013				December 30, 2012
	Current:
	Federal	$	17,335			$	2,550			$	4,197
	Foreign	380				375				365
	State	2,291				1,048				757
		20,006				3,973				5,319
	Deferred:
	Federal	417				136				(1,405		)
	State	46				(11		)		230
		463				125				(1,175		)
	Valuation allowance	494				(303		)		145
		$	20,963			$	3,795			$	4,289
	Deferred income taxes reflect the net effects of temporary differences between the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities for financial reporting purposes and the amount used for income tax purposes. The components of deferred income tax assets and liabilities at December 28, 2014 and December 29, 2013 were as follows:
			28-Dec-14				29-Dec-13
	Current deferred income tax assets (liabilities):
	Inventory and other reserves		$	(186	)		$	(88	)
	Accrued vacation benefits		1,428				1,392
	Other accruals		1,894				1,714
	Current deferred income tax assets		3,136				3,018
	Less: Valuation allowance		(211		)		—
	Total current deferred income tax assets		2,925				3,018
	Long term deferred income tax assets (liabilities):
	Deferred income on sale-leaseback of certain real estate		12,512				13,048
	Lease financing obligations		138				126
	Property and equipment depreciation		(5,144		)		(3,423		)
	Amortization of other intangibles, net		(3,164		)		(3,136		)
	Occupancy costs		4,479				3,645
	Tax credit carryforwards		1,010				516
	Other		2,023				1,786
	Long-term net deferred income tax assets		11,854				12,562
	Less: Valuation allowance		(799		)		(516		)
	Total long-term deferred income tax assets		11,055				12,046
	Carrying value of net deferred income tax assets		$	13,980			$	15,064
	The Company establishes a valuation allowance to reduce the carrying amount of deferred income tax assets when it is more likely than not that it will not realize some portion or all of the tax benefit of its deferred tax assets. The Company evaluates whether its deferred income tax assets are probable of realization on a quarterly basis. In performing this analysis, the Company considers all available evidence including historical operating results, the estimated timing of future reversals of existing taxable temporary differences and estimated future taxable income exclusive of reversing temporary differences and carryforwards. At December 28, 2014 and December 29, 2013, the Company had a valuation allowance of $1,010 and $516 respectively, against net deferred income tax assets due to foreign income tax credit carryforwards where it was determined to be more likely than not that the deferred income tax asset amounts would not be realized. The valuation allowance increased $494 in 2014 primarily due to foreign tax credit carryforwards. The valuation allowance decreased $303 in 2013 primarily as the result of the expiration of foreign tax credits. The estimation of future taxable income for federal and state purposes and the Company's ability to realize deferred income tax assets can significantly change based on future events and operating results.
	The Company's effective tax rate was 36.7%, 29.1%, and 34.2% for the years ended December 28, 2014, December 29, 2013 and December 30, 2012, respectively. A reconciliation of the statutory federal income tax provision to the effective tax provision was as follows:
		Year Ended
		28-Dec-14				29-Dec-13				30-Dec-12
	Statutory federal income tax provision	$	19,999			$	4,568			$	4,395
	State income taxes, net of federal benefit	1,453				666				520
	Change in valuation allowance	494				(303		)		145
	Increase in deferred tax assets at Spin-off	—				—				(182		)
	Non-deductible expenses	293				334				94
	Foreign taxes	380				654				365
	Employment tax credits	(1,174		)		(1,490		)		(202		)
	Foreign tax credits	(380		)		(375		)		(365		)
	Other	(102		)		(259		)		(481		)
		$	20,963			$	3,795			$	4,289
	The Company recognizes interest and/or penalties related to uncertain tax positions in income tax expense. As of December 28, 2014 and December 29, 2013, the Company had no unrecognized tax benefits and no accrued interest related to uncertain tax positions.
	The tax years 2009-2013 remain open to examination by the taxing jurisdictions to which the Company is subject. Although it is not reasonably possible to estimate the amount by which unrecognized tax benefits may increase within the next twelve months due to uncertainties regarding the timing of any examinations, the Company does not expect unrecognized tax benefits to significantly change in the next twelve months.

Stockholders_Equity

Stockholders' Equity	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 28, 2014
Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Abstract]
Stockholders' Equity Note Disclosure [Text Block]	Stockholders' Equity
	Issuance of stock
	On November 20, 2013, the Company sold 3,078,336 shares of Fiesta's common stock in an underwritten public offering at a price of $46.00 per share (excluding underwriting discounts and commissions) pursuant to a Registration Statement on Form S-3 (Registration No. 333-192254). The aggregate net proceeds to the Company from the offering were approximately $135.3 million, reflecting gross proceeds of $141.6 million, net of underwriting fees of approximately $5.7 million and other offering costs of approximately $0.7 million. The Company used the proceeds from the offering to repurchase its outstanding Notes tendered pursuant to a tender offer, as discussed in Note 8. The Company used the remaining proceeds from the offering and $81.0 million in borrowings under its senior credit facility discussed in Note 8 to redeem the Notes not tendered in the tender offer.
	Equity 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. The aggregate number of shares of stock authorized for distribution under the Fiesta Plan is 3,300,000. As of December 28, 2014, there were 2,302,033 shares available for future grants under the Fiesta Plan.
	For the period from May 7, 2012 through December 29, 2013, the consolidated statement of operations includes expenses related to the Company's employees' and directors' participation in both the Carrols Plan and the Fiesta Plan. For the period from January 1, 2012 through the Spin-off, the 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 stock on April 26, 2012, the record date of the Spin-off, received one share of Fiesta Restaurant Group non-vested stock for every one share of Carrols non-vested stock held, with terms and conditions substantially similar to the terms and conditions applicable to the Carrols non-vested stock. In 2012, a total of 434,397 shares were converted to non-vested shares with a weighted average grant date fair value of $11.10 per share.
	During the years ended December 28, 2014, December 29,2013 and December 30, 2012, the Company granted in the aggregate 80,290, 161,546 and 369,256 non-vested restricted shares, respectively, under the Fiesta Plan to certain employees and directors, including 165,563 non-vested restricted shares granted to the Company's Chief Executive Officer on June 8, 2012. Shares granted to employees during the years ended December 28, 2014, December 29, 2013 and December 30, 2012 vest and become non-forfeitable over a four year vesting period, or for certain grants, at the end of a four year vesting period. Shares granted to directors during the years ended December 28, 2014, December 29, 2013 and December 30, 2012 generally vest and become non-forfeitable over vesting periods ranging from one to five years. The weighted average fair value at the grant date for restricted non-vested shares issued during the years ended December 28, 2014, December 29, 2013 and December 30, 2012 was $44.22, $21.35 and $14.00, respectively. The grant date fair value of each non-vested share award was determined based on the closing price of the Company's stock on the date of grant.
	During the year ended December 28, 2014, the Company granted 24,252 restricted stock units under the Fiesta Plan to certain employees. Certain of the restricted stock units vest and become non-forfeitable over a four year vesting period and certain of the restricted units vest and become non-forfeitable at the end of a four year vesting period. The weighted average fair value at grant date for the restricted stock units issued to employees during the year ended December 28, 2014 was $45.04. The grant date fair value of each restricted stock unit award was determined based on the closing price of the Company's stock on the date of grant.
	Stock-based compensation expense is measured at the grant date based on the fair value of the award and is recognized as expense over the applicable requisite service period of the award (the vesting period) using the straight-line method. Stock-based compensation expense for the years ended December 28, 2014, December 29, 2013 and December 30, 2012 was $3.5 million, $2.3 million and $2.0 million, respectively. Included in the year ended December 30, 2012 is $0.4 million of expense related to the accelerated vesting of the non-vested 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 December 28, 2014, the total unrecognized stock-based compensation expense relating to non-vested shares and restricted stock units was approximately $6.3 million and the remaining weighted average vesting period for non-vested shares and restricted stock units was 1.8 years.
	A summary of all non-vested shares and restricted stock units activity for the year ended December 28, 2014 was as follows:
		Non-Vested Shares				Restricted Stock Units
				Weighted				Weighted
				Average				Average
				Grant Date				Grant Date
		Shares		Price		Units		Price
	Non-vested at December 29, 2013	627,311		$	14.81	—		$	—
	Granted	80,290		44.22		24,252		45.04
	Vested	(275,485	)	14.5		(163	)	45.04
	Forfeited	(7,619	)	18.64		(3,306	)	45.04
	Non-vested at December 28, 2014	424,497		$	20.5	20,783		$	45.04
	The fair value of the shares vested during the years ended December 28, 2014, December 29, 2013, and December 30, 2012 was $12.8 million, $6.3 million and $0.3 million, respectively. These amounts include shares held by Fiesta and Carrols employees.

Business_Segment_Information

Business Segment Information	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 28, 2014
Segment Reporting Information
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, freshly prepared 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. The primary measures of segment profit or loss used to assess performance and allocate resources are income before taxes and Adjusted EBITDA, which is defined as earnings attributable to the applicable operating segment before interest, loss on extinguishment of debt, income taxes, depreciation and amortization, impairment and other lease charges, stock-based compensation expense and other income and expense. Although the chief operating decision maker uses 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 “Other” column includes corporate related items not allocated to reportable segments and consists primarily of corporate owned property and equipment, a current income tax receivable, miscellaneous prepaid costs, capitalized costs associated with the issuance of indebtedness, corporate cash accounts, and the loss on extinguishment of debt discussed in Note 8.
	Year Ended	Pollo Tropical			Taco Cabana			Other			Consolidated
	December 28, 2014:
	Restaurant sales	$	305,404		$	303,136		$	—		$	608,540
	Franchise revenue	2,072			531			—			2,603
	Cost of sales	100,468			91,782			—			192,250
	Restaurant wages and related expenses (1)	67,487			87,653			—			155,140
	Restaurant rent expense	12,473			17,172			—			29,645
	Other restaurant operating expenses	38,331			40,590			—			78,921
	Advertising expense	7,714			11,779			—			19,493
	General and administrative expense (2)	26,672			22,742			—			49,414
	Depreciation and amortization	11,596			11,451			—			23,047
	Pre-opening costs	3,385			676			—			4,061
	Impairment and other lease charges	254			109			—			363
	Other (income) expense	—			(558		)	—			(558		)
	Interest expense	1,035			1,193			—			2,228
	Income before taxes	38,061			19,078			—			57,139
	Capital expenditures	52,355			17,969			3,755			74,079
	December 29, 2013:
	Restaurant sales	$	257,837		$	291,143		$	—		$	548,980
	Franchise revenue	1,865			492			—			2,357
	Cost of sales	85,532			90,591			—			176,123
	Restaurant wages and related expenses (1)	57,893			85,499			—			143,392
	Restaurant rent expense	10,110			16,739			—			26,849
	Other restaurant operating expenses	30,790			38,231			—			69,021
	Advertising expense	5,726			11,412			—			17,138
	General and administrative expense (2)	24,966			23,555			—			48,521
	Depreciation and amortization	9,248			11,127			—			20,375
	Pre-opening costs	2,047			720			—			2,767
	Impairment and other lease charges	(116		)	315			—			199
	Other (income) expense	(497		)	(57		)	—			(554		)
	Interest expense	7,954			10,089			—			18,043
	Income (loss) before taxes (3)	26,049			3,414			(16,411		)	13,052
	Capital expenditures	24,996			16,609			5,420			47,025
	December 30, 2012:
	Restaurant sales	$	227,428		$	279,923		$	—		$	507,351
	Franchise revenue	1,915			460			—			2,375
	Cost of sales	75,388			88,126			—			163,514
	Restaurant wages and related expenses (1)	53,624			82,641			—			136,265
	Restaurant rent expense	7,688			13,907			—			21,595
	Other restaurant operating expenses	26,825			36,988			—			63,813
	Advertising expense	5,723			11,068			—			16,791
	General and administrative expense (2)	21,358			22,512			—			43,870
	Depreciation and amortization	8,153			10,100			25			18,278
	Pre-opening costs	1,090			583			—			1,673
	Impairment and other lease charges	6,035			1,004			—			7,039
	Other (income) expense	(92		)	—			—			(92		)
	Interest expense	10,501			13,923			—			24,424
	Income (loss) before taxes	13,051			(468		)	(27		)	12,556
	Capital expenditures	17,482			22,355			1,159			40,996
	Identifiable Assets:
	28-Dec-14	$	177,923		$	167,729		$	12,304		$	357,956
	December 29, 2013	140,797			169,367			8,621			318,785
	December 30, 2012	128,593			167,348			7,788			303,729
	(1) Includes stock-based compensation expense of $71, $2 and $11 for the years ended December 28, 2014, December 29, 2013 and December 30, 2012, respectively.
	(2) Includes stock-based compensation expense of $3,426, $2,296 and $2,025 for the years ended December 28, 2014, December 29, 2013 and December 30, 2012, respectively.
	(3) "Other" income (loss) before taxes for the year ended December 29, 2013 includes the loss on extinguishment of debt discussed in Note 8.

Net_Income_Loss_per_Share

Net Income (Loss) per Share	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 28, 2014
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.
	Diluted earnings per share reflects the potential dilution that could occur if our restricted stock units were converted into
	common shares. We compute diluted earnings per share by adjusting the basic weighted average number of common shares by
	the dilutive effect of the restricted stock units, determined using the treasury stock method.
	For 2012, in determining the weighted average number of shares outstanding for basic 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 6, 2012.
	The computation of basic and diluted net income per share is as follows:
		Year Ended
		December 28, 2014		December 29, 2013		December 30, 2012
	Basic and diluted net income per share:
	Net income	$	36,176	$	9,257	$	8,267
	Less: income allocated to participating securities	647		264		247
	Net income available to common stockholders	$	35,529	$	8,993	$	8,020
	Weighted average common shares, basic	26,293,714		23,271,431		22,890,018
	Restricted stock units	2,335		—		—
	Weighted average common shares, diluted	26,296,049		23,271,431		22,890,018
	Basic net income per common share	$	1.35	$	0.39	$	0.35
	Diluted net income per common share	$	1.35	$	0.39	$	0.35

Commitments_and_Contingencies

Commitments and Contingencies	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 28, 2014
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
Commitments and Contingencies	Commitments and Contingencies
	Lease Assignments. As of December 28, 2014, the Company has assigned five leases with lease terms expiring on various dates through 2029 to various parties. Although the Company is a not a guarantor under these leases, it remains secondarily liable as a surety for these leases. The maximum potential liability for future rental payments the Company could be required to make under these leases at December 28, 2014 was $2.7 million. The obligations under these leases will generally continue to decrease over time as the operating leases expire. The Company does not believe it is probable that it would be required to make any lease payments resulting from its secondary liability for these leases.
	Legal Matters. The Company is a party to legal proceedings incidental to the conduct of business, including the matter described below. The Company records accruals for outstanding legal matters when it believes it is probable that a loss will be incurred and the amount can be reasonably estimated. The Company evaluates, on a quarterly basis, developments in legal matters that could affect the amount of any accrual and developments that would make a loss contingency both probable and reasonably estimable. If a loss contingency is not both probable and estimable, the Company does not establish an accrued liability.
	On September 29, 2014, Daisy, Inc. ("Daisy"), an automotive repair shop in Cape Coral, Florida, filed a putative class action suit against Fiesta Restaurant Group, Inc. in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida. The suit claims that Fiesta allegedly engaged in unlawful activity in violation of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, § 227 et seq. (the "TCPA"). Daisy alleges that it received three unlawful faxes and does not identify any other purported class members. Each violation under the TCPA provides for $500 in statutory damages ($1,500 if a willful violation is shown). Plaintiff Daisy seeks statutory damages, damages for willful violations, attorneys' fees, costs and injunctive relief, and to certify a class. Neither the Complaint nor any other pleading quantifies Daisy's or the putative class' damages or provides greater specificity as to the size and nature of the purported class. While the Company is vigorously defending against any liability, there can be no assurance that it will be successful in its defense or that a negative outcome would not have a material adverse effect on the Company. The amount of any loss related to this matter cannot be reasonably estimated at this time. The Company does not have insurance coverage for this claim.
	The Company is also a party to various other 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.

Retirement_Plans_Retirement_Pl

Retirement Plans Retirement Plans	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 28, 2014
Retirement Plans [Abstract]
Compensation and Employee Benefit Plans [Text Block]	Retirement Plans
	Fiesta offers the Company's salaried employees the option to participate in the Fiesta Corporation Retirement Savings Plan (the “Retirement Plan”). The Retirement Plan includes a savings option pursuant to section 401(k) of the Internal Revenue Code in addition to a post-tax savings option. Fiesta may elect to contribute to the Retirement Plan on an annual basis. For 2014 and 2013 Fiesta's contribution, if any, is equal to 50% of the employee's contribution to a maximum Fiesta contribution of $0.5 per participating employee annually for any plan year that Fiesta participates in an employee match. Under the Retirement Plan, Fiesta contributions begin to vest after 1 year and fully vest after 5 years of service. A year of service is defined as a plan year during which an employee completes at least 1,000 hours of service. Participating employees may contribute up to 50% of their salary annually to either of the savings options, subject to other limitations. The employees have various investment options available under a trust established by the Retirement Plan. Contributions made by Fiesta to the Retirement Plan for the Company's employees were $0.2 million and $0.2 million in aggregate for the years ended December 28, 2014 and December 29, 2013, respectively.
	Fiesta also has a Deferred Compensation Plan which permits employees not eligible to participate in the Retirement Plan because they have been excluded as “highly compensated” employees (as so defined in the Retirement Plan) to voluntarily defer portions of their base salary and annual bonus. All amounts deferred by the participants earn interest at 8% per annum. There is no Company matching on any portion of the funds. At December 28, 2014 and December 29, 2013, a total of $1.1 million and $0.6 million, respectively, was deferred by the Company's employees under the Retirement Plan, including accrued interest.

Selected_Quarterly_Financial_a

Selected Quarterly Financial and Earningd Data (Unaudited) Selected Quarterly Financial and Earnings Data (Unaudited)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 29, 2013
Effect of Fourth Quarter Events [Line Items]
Quarterly Financial Information [Text Block]	Selected Quarterly Financial and Earnings Data (Unaudited)
		Year Ended December 28, 2014
		First Quarter		Second Quarter		Third Quarter		Fourth Quarter
	Revenue	$	145,436	$	154,185	$	155,298	$	156,224
	Income from operations	14,735		15,663		15,373		13,596
	Net income	8,719		9,314		9,155		8,988
	Basic net income per share	$	0.33	$	0.35	$	0.34	$	0.34
	Diluted net income per share	$	0.33	$	0.35	$	0.34	$	0.34
		Year Ended December 29, 2013
		First Quarter		Second Quarter		Third Quarter		Fourth Quarter
	Revenue	$	133,624	$	140,880	$	140,678	$	136,155
	Income from operations	11,499		12,947		12,095		10,965
	Net income (loss)	4,799		4,969		5,042		(5,553		)	(1	)
	Basic net income (loss) per share	$	0.2	$	0.21	$	0.21	$	(0.22	)
	Diluted net income (loss) per share	$	0.2	$	0.21	$	0.21	$	(0.22	)
	(1) The Company recognized a loss on extinguishment of debt of $16.4 million in the fourth quarter of 2013 (See Note 8).

Schedule_IIValuation_and_Quali

Schedule II--Valuation and Qualifying Accounts Schedule II	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 29, 2013
Valuation and Qualifying Accounts Disclosure [Line Items]
Schedule of Valuation and Qualifying Accounts Disclosure [Text Block]
		Column B		Column C					Column D		Column E
		Balance at		Charged to			Charged to				Balance
		beginning		costs and			other				at end of
	Description	of period		expenses			accounts		Deduction		period
	Year Ended December 28, 2014:
	Deferred income tax valuation allowance	$	516	$	494		$	—	$	—	$	1,010
	Year Ended December 29, 2013:
	Deferred income tax valuation allowance	819		(303		)	—		—		516
	Year Ended December 30, 2012:
	Deferred income tax valuation allowance	674		145			—		—		819

Basis_of_Presentation_Accounti

Basis of Presentation Accounting Policies (Policies)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 28, 2014
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Goodwill and Intangible Assets, Goodwill, Policy [Policy Text Block]	The Company is required to review goodwill for impairment annually or more frequently when events and circumstances indicate that the carrying amount may be impaired. If the determined fair value of goodwill is less than the related carrying amount, an impairment loss is recognized. The Company performs its annual impairment assessment as of the last day of the fiscal year and has determined its reporting units to be its operating segments, Pollo Tropical and Taco Cabana.
	In performing its goodwill impairment test, the Company compared the net book values of its reporting units to their estimated fair values, the latter determined by employing a discounted cash flow analysis, which was corroborated with other value indicators where available, such as comparable company earnings multiples.
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. In addition to considering management’s plans, known regulatory or governmental actions and damage due to acts of God (hurricanes, tornadoes, etc.), the Company considers a triggering event to have occurred related to a specific restaurant if the restaurant’s cash flows for the last twelve months are less than a minimum threshold or if consistent levels of cash flows for the remaining lease period are less than the carrying value of the restaurant’s assets. 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 year ending December 28, 2014 totaled less than $0.1 million.
Consolidation, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Basis of Consolidation. The consolidated financial statements presented herein reflect the consolidated financial position, results of operations and cash flows of Fiesta and its wholly-owned subsidiaries. These consolidated financial statements have been prepared as if the Company was in existence for all periods presented. All intercompany transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.
	Through the date of the Spin-off, these 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 consolidated financial statements reflect the historical financial position, results of operations and cash flows of Fiesta 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 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 years ended December 28, 2014, December 29, 2013 and December 30, 2012 each contained 52 weeks.
Allocations [Policy Text Block]	Allocations. Through the date of the consummation 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 expense the Company would have incurred as an independent, publicly traded company for the periods presented.
Use of Estimates, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Use of Estimates. The preparation of the 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 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.
Cash and Cash Equivalents, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Cash and Cash Equivalents. The Company considers all highly liquid investments with an original maturity of three months or less when purchased to be cash equivalents.
Inventory, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Inventories. Inventories, primarily consisting of food and paper, are stated at the lower of cost (first-in, first-out) or market.
Property, Plant and Equipment, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Property and Equipment. The Company capitalizes all direct costs incurred to construct and substantially improve its restaurants. These costs are depreciated and charged to expense based upon their property classification when placed in service. Property and equipment is recorded at cost. Application development stage costs for significant internally developed software projects are capitalized and depreciated. Repair and maintenance activities are expensed as incurred. Depreciation and amortization is provided using the straight-line method over the following estimated useful lives:
	Buildings and improvements	5	to	30 years
	Equipment	3	to	7 years
	Computer hardware and software	3	to	7 years
	Assets subject to capital lease	Shorter of useful life or lease term
	Leasehold improvements, including new buildings constructed on leased land, are depreciated over the shorter of their estimated useful lives or the underlying lease term. In circumstances where an economic penalty would be presumed by the non-exercise of one or more renewal options under the lease, the Company includes those renewal option periods when determining the lease term. For significant leasehold improvements made during the latter part of the lease term, the Company amortizes those improvements over the shorter of their useful life or an extended lease term. The extended lease term would consider the exercise of renewal options if the value of the improvements would imply that an economic penalty would be incurred without the renewal of the option. Building costs incurred for new restaurants on leased land are depreciated over the lease term, which is generally a twenty-year period.
Deferred Charges, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Deferred Financing Costs. Financing costs incurred in obtaining long-term debt, credit facilities and lease financing obligations are capitalized and amortized over the life of the related obligation as interest expense using the effective interest method.
Lease, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Leases.  All leases are reviewed for capital or operating classification at their inception. The majority of the Company's leases are operating leases. Many of the lease agreements contain rent holidays, rent escalation clauses and/or contingent rent provisions. Rent expense for leases that contain scheduled rent increases or rent holidays is recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term, including any option periods included in the determination of the lease term. Contingent rentals are generally based upon a percentage of sales or a percentage of sales in excess of stipulated amounts and are not considered minimum rent payments but are recognized as rent expense when incurred.
Revenue Recognition, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Revenue Recognition. Revenues from the Company's owned and operated restaurants are recognized when payment is tendered at the time of sale. Franchise royalty revenues are based on a percent of gross sales and are recorded as income when earned. Franchise fees, which are associated with opening new franchised restaurants, are recognized as income when all required activities have been performed by the Company. Area development fees, which are associated with opening new franchised restaurants in a given market, are recognized as income over the term of the related agreement.
Income Tax, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Income Taxes. Deferred income tax assets and liabilities are based on the difference between the financial statement and tax bases of assets and liabilities as measured by the tax rates that are anticipated to be in effect when those differences reverse. The deferred tax provision generally represents the net change in deferred tax assets and liabilities during the period. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in the results of operations in the period that includes the enactment date. A valuation allowance is established when it is necessary to reduce deferred tax assets to amounts for which realization is more likely than not. The Company recognizes the tax benefit from an uncertain tax position only if it is more likely than not that the tax position will be sustained on examination by the taxing authorities, based on the technical merits of the position.
Advertising Costs, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Advertising Costs. All advertising costs are expensed as incurred.
Cost of Sales, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Cost of Sales. The Company includes the cost of food, beverage and paper, net of any discounts, in cost of sales.
Start-up Activities, Cost Policy [Policy Text Block]	Pre-opening Costs. The Company's pre-opening costs are generally incurred beginning four to six months prior to a restaurant opening and generally include restaurant employee wages and related expenses, travel expenditures, recruiting, training, promotional costs associated with the restaurant opening and rent, including any non-cash rent expense recognized during the construction period.
Liability Reserve Estimate, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Insurance.  The Company is insured for workers' compensation, general liability and medical insurance claims under policies where it pays all claims, subject to stop-loss limitations both for individual claims and claims in the aggregate. During 2012, the Company was insured under policies covering both Carrols and the Company. During 2014 and 2013, the Company was insured under separate policies. Losses are accrued based upon estimates of the aggregate liability for claims based on the Company's experience and certain actuarial methods used to measure such estimates. The Company does not discount any of its self-insurance obligations.
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.
	•	Revolving Credit Borrowings. The fair value of outstanding revolving credit borrowings under our senior credit facility, which is considered Level 2, is based on current LIBOR rates and at December 28, 2014, was approximately $66.0 million.
	See Note 4 for discussion of the fair value measurement of non-financial assets.
Revenue Recognition, Gift Cards [Policy Text Block]	Gift cards. The Company sells gift cards to its customers in its restaurants and through select third parties. The Company recognizes revenue from gift cards upon redemption by the customer. The gift cards have no stated expiration dates and are subject to escheatment rights in certain states. Revenues from unredeemed gift cards are not material to the Company's financial statements.
New Accounting Pronouncements, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Recent Accounting Pronouncements. In April 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued ASU 2014-08, Reporting Discontinued Operations and Disclosures of Disposals of Components of an Entity, which raises the threshold for a disposal to qualify as a discontinued operation and requires new disclosures of both discontinued operations and certain other disposals that do not meet the definition of a discontinued operation. For the Company, the guidance is effective for the interim and annual periods beginning December 29, 2014. The ASU is applied prospectively; however, early adoption is permitted for disposals (or classifications as held for sale) that have not been reported in financial statements previously issued or available for issue. The Company has early adopted this standard which did not have a material impact on the Company's financial statements.
	In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued ASU 606, Revenue Recognition - Revenue from Contracts with Customers, which amends the guidance in former ASC 605, Revenue Recognition, and provides for either a full retrospective adoption in which the standard is applied to all of the periods presented or a modified retrospective adoption in which the cumulative effect of initially applying the standard is recognized at the date of initial application. The new standard provides accounting guidance for all revenue arising from contracts with customers and affects all entities that enter into contracts to provide goods or services to their customers unless the contracts are in the scope of other US GAAP requirements. The guidance also provides a model for the measurement and recognition of gains and losses on the sale of certain nonfinancial assets, such as property and equipment, including real estate. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of the provisions of ASC 606; however, the Company expects the provisions to primarily impact certain franchise revenues and does not expect the standard to have a material effect on its financial statements. For the Company, the new standard is effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2016.

Goodwill_Goodwill_Policy_Polic

Goodwill Goodwill Policy (Policies)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 28, 2014
Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]
Goodwill and Intangible Assets, Goodwill, Policy [Policy Text Block]	The Company is required to review goodwill for impairment annually or more frequently when events and circumstances indicate that the carrying amount may be impaired. If the determined fair value of goodwill is less than the related carrying amount, an impairment loss is recognized. The Company performs its annual impairment assessment as of the last day of the fiscal year and has determined its reporting units to be its operating segments, Pollo Tropical and Taco Cabana.
	In performing its goodwill impairment test, the Company compared the net book values of its reporting units to their estimated fair values, the latter determined by employing a discounted cash flow analysis, which was corroborated with other value indicators where available, such as comparable company earnings multiples.

Impairment_of_LongLived_Assets1

Impairment of Long-Lived Assets and Other Lease Charges Impairment Accounting Policy (Policies)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 28, 2014
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. In addition to considering management’s plans, known regulatory or governmental actions and damage due to acts of God (hurricanes, tornadoes, etc.), the Company considers a triggering event to have occurred related to a specific restaurant if the restaurant’s cash flows for the last twelve months are less than a minimum threshold or if consistent levels of cash flows for the remaining lease period are less than the carrying value of the restaurant’s assets. 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 year ending December 28, 2014 totaled less than $0.1 million.

Lease_Financing_Obligations_Po

Lease Financing Obligations (Policies)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 28, 2014
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.

Income_Taxes_Income_Taxes_Poli

Income Taxes Income Taxes (Policies)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 28, 2014
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Income Tax, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Income Taxes. Deferred income tax assets and liabilities are based on the difference between the financial statement and tax bases of assets and liabilities as measured by the tax rates that are anticipated to be in effect when those differences reverse. The deferred tax provision generally represents the net change in deferred tax assets and liabilities during the period. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in the results of operations in the period that includes the enactment date. A valuation allowance is established when it is necessary to reduce deferred tax assets to amounts for which realization is more likely than not. The Company recognizes the tax benefit from an uncertain tax position only if it is more likely than not that the tax position will be sustained on examination by the taxing authorities, based on the technical merits of the position.

Business_Segment_Information_B

Business Segment Information Business Segment Policy (Policies)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 28, 2014
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
Segment Reporting, Policy [Policy Text Block]	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, freshly prepared 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. The primary measures of segment profit or loss used to assess performance and allocate resources are income before taxes and Adjusted EBITDA, which is defined as earnings attributable to the applicable operating segment before interest, loss on extinguishment of debt, income taxes, depreciation and amortization, impairment and other lease charges, stock-based compensation expense and other income and expense. Although the chief operating decision maker uses 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.

Net_Income_Loss_per_Share_Poli

Net Income (Loss) per Share (Policies)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 28, 2014
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Earnings Per Share, Policy [Policy Text Block]	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.

Basis_of_Presentation_Basis_of

Basis of Presentation Basis of Presentation (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 28, 2014
Basis of Presentation [Abstract]
Property, Plant and Equipment Useful Lives [Table Text Block]	Depreciation and amortization is provided using the straight-line method over the following estimated useful lives:
	Buildings and improvements	5	to	30 years
	Equipment	3	to	7 years
	Computer hardware and software	3	to	7 years
	Assets subject to capital lease	Shorter of useful life or lease term

Property_and_Equipment_Propert

Property and Equipment Property and Equipment (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 28, 2014
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Table Text Block]	Property and equipment consisted of the following:
		December 28, 2014			December 29, 2013
	Land	$	19,455		$	15,277
	Owned buildings	14,863			13,813
	Leasehold improvements (1)	168,719			130,623
	Equipment	159,596			136,088
	Assets subject to capital leases	1,647			1,647
		364,280			297,448
	Less accumulated depreciation and amortization	(172,909		)	(152,921		)
		$	191,371		$	144,527

Goodwill_Tables

Goodwill (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 28, 2014
Goodwill [Line Items]
Schedule of Intangible Assets and Goodwill [Table Text Block]	Goodwill balances are summarized below:
		Pollo		Taco		Total
		Tropical		Cabana
	Balance, December 28, 2014 and December 29, 2013	$	56,307	$	67,177	$	123,484

Impairment_of_LongLived_Assets2

Impairment of Long-Lived Assets and Other Lease Charges Impairment by segment (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 28, 2014
Asset Impairment Charges [Abstract]
Impairment of long lived assets and other lease charge [Table Text Block]	Impairment on long-lived assets for the Company’s segments and other lease charges recorded were as follows:
		Year Ended
		December 28, 2014		December 29, 2013			December 30, 2012
	Pollo Tropical	$	254	$	(116	)	$	6,035
	Taco Cabana	109		315			1,004
		$	363	$	199		$	7,039

Other_Liabilities_Tables

Other Liabilities (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 28, 2014
Other Liabilities [Abstract]
Other Current Liabilities [Table Text Block]	Other liabilities, current, consisted of the following:
		December 28, 2014			December 29, 2013
	Accrued workers' compensation and general liability claims	$	3,996		$	3,484
	Sales and property taxes	1,933			1,358
	Accrued occupancy costs	508			543
	Other	1,746			2,920
		$	8,183		$	8,305
Other Noncurrent Liabilities [Table Text Block]	Other liabilities, long-term, consisted of the following:
		December 28, 2014			December 29, 2013
	Accrued occupancy costs	$	12,254		$	9,973
	Accrued workers’ compensation and general liability claims	977			729
	Deferred compensation	1,102			593
	Other	1,610			1,243
		$	15,943		$	12,538
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 $1.0 million and $1.1 million are included in long-term accrued occupancy costs above at December 28, 2014 and December 29, 2013, respectively, with the remainder in other current liabilities:
		Year Ended
		December 28, 2014			December 29, 2013
	Balance, beginning of period	$	1,439		$	2,432
	Provisions for restaurant closures	—			—
	Additional lease charges, net of (recoveries)	5			(197		)
	Payments, net	(321		)	(937		)
	Other adjustments	128			141
	Balance, end of period	$	1,251		$	1,439

Leases_Tables

Leases (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 28, 2014
Leases [Abstract]
Schedule of Future Minimum Rental Payments for Operating Leases [Table Text Block]	Minimum rent commitments due under capital and non-cancelable operating leases at December 28, 2014 were as follows:
		Capital			Operating
	2015	$	224		$	34,954
	2016	220			34,873
	2017	220			34,048
	2018	220			33,086
	2019	220			32,275
	Thereafter	1,743			252,483
	Total minimum lease payments (1)	2,847			$	421,719
	Less amount representing interest	(1,522		)
	Total obligations under capital leases	1,325
	Less current portion	(61		)
	Long-term debt under capital leases	$	1,264
	(1) Minimum operating lease payments have not been reduced by minimum sublease rentals of $5.6 million due in the future under noncancelable subleases.
Schedule of Rent Expense [Table Text Block]	Total rent expense on operating leases, including contingent rentals, was as follows:
		Year Ended
		28-Dec-14			29-Dec-13		30-Dec-12
	Minimum rent on real property, excluding rent included in pre-opening costs	$	29,309		$	26,571	$	21,349
	Additional rent based on percentage of sales	336			278		246
	Restaurant rent expense	29,645			26,849		21,595
	Rent included in pre-opening costs	1,421			842		411
	Administrative and equipment rent	1,042			1,004		781
		$	32,108		$	28,695	$	22,787

Longterm_Debt_Tables

Long-term Debt (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 28, 2014
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Schedule of Long-term Debt Instruments [Table Text Block]	Long term debt at December 28, 2014 and December 29, 2013 consisted of the following:
		December 28,			December 29,
		2014			2013
	Revolving credit facility	$	66,000		$	71,000
	Capital leases	1,325			1,385
		67,325			72,385
	Less: current portion of long-term debt	(61		)	(61		)
		$	67,264		$	72,324

Lease_Financing_Obligations_Ta

Lease Financing Obligations (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 28, 2014
Lease Financing Obligations [Abstract]
Future Payments on Lease Financing Obligations [Table Text Block]	At December 28, 2014, payments required on all lease financing obligations were as follows:
	2015	$	140
	2016	141
	2017	143
	2018	144
	2019	146
	Thereafter, through 2023	2,223
	Total minimum lease payments	2,937
	Less: Interest implicit in obligations	(1,277		)
	Total lease financing obligations	$	1,660

Income_Taxes_Income_Taxes_Tabl

Income Taxes Income Taxes (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 28, 2014
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:
		Year Ended
		December 28, 2014				December 29, 2013				December 30, 2012
	Current:
	Federal	$	17,335			$	2,550			$	4,197
	Foreign	380				375				365
	State	2,291				1,048				757
		20,006				3,973				5,319
	Deferred:
	Federal	417				136				(1,405		)
	State	46				(11		)		230
		463				125				(1,175		)
	Valuation allowance	494				(303		)		145
		$	20,963			$	3,795			$	4,289
Schedule of Deferred Tax Assets and Liabilities [Table Text Block]	Deferred income taxes reflect the net effects of temporary differences between the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities for financial reporting purposes and the amount used for income tax purposes. The components of deferred income tax assets and liabilities at December 28, 2014 and December 29, 2013 were as follows:
			28-Dec-14				29-Dec-13
	Current deferred income tax assets (liabilities):
	Inventory and other reserves		$	(186	)		$	(88	)
	Accrued vacation benefits		1,428				1,392
	Other accruals		1,894				1,714
	Current deferred income tax assets		3,136				3,018
	Less: Valuation allowance		(211		)		—
	Total current deferred income tax assets		2,925				3,018
	Long term deferred income tax assets (liabilities):
	Deferred income on sale-leaseback of certain real estate		12,512				13,048
	Lease financing obligations		138				126
	Property and equipment depreciation		(5,144		)		(3,423		)
	Amortization of other intangibles, net		(3,164		)		(3,136		)
	Occupancy costs		4,479				3,645
	Tax credit carryforwards		1,010				516
	Other		2,023				1,786
	Long-term net deferred income tax assets		11,854				12,562
	Less: Valuation allowance		(799		)		(516		)
	Total long-term deferred income tax assets		11,055				12,046
	Carrying value of net deferred income tax assets		$	13,980			$	15,064
Schedule of Effective Income Tax Rate Reconciliation [Table Text Block]	The Company's effective tax rate was 36.7%, 29.1%, and 34.2% for the years ended December 28, 2014, December 29, 2013 and December 30, 2012, respectively. A reconciliation of the statutory federal income tax provision to the effective tax provision was as follows:
		Year Ended
		28-Dec-14				29-Dec-13				30-Dec-12
	Statutory federal income tax provision	$	19,999			$	4,568			$	4,395
	State income taxes, net of federal benefit	1,453				666				520
	Change in valuation allowance	494				(303		)		145
	Increase in deferred tax assets at Spin-off	—				—				(182		)
	Non-deductible expenses	293				334				94
	Foreign taxes	380				654				365
	Employment tax credits	(1,174		)		(1,490		)		(202		)
	Foreign tax credits	(380		)		(375		)		(365		)
	Other	(102		)		(259		)		(481		)
		$	20,963			$	3,795			$	4,289

Stockholders_Equity_Tables

Stockholders' Equity (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 28, 2014
Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Abstract]
Schedule of Nonvested Share Activity [Table Text Block]	A summary of all non-vested shares and restricted stock units activity for the year ended December 28, 2014 was as follows:
		Non-Vested Shares				Restricted Stock Units
				Weighted				Weighted
				Average				Average
				Grant Date				Grant Date
		Shares		Price		Units		Price
	Non-vested at December 29, 2013	627,311		$	14.81	—		$	—
	Granted	80,290		44.22		24,252		45.04
	Vested	(275,485	)	14.5		(163	)	45.04
	Forfeited	(7,619	)	18.64		(3,306	)	45.04
	Non-vested at December 28, 2014	424,497		$	20.5	20,783		$	45.04

Business_Segment_InformationTa

Business Segment Information(Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 28, 2014
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Schedule of Segment Reporting Information, by Segment [Table Text Block]
	Year Ended	Pollo Tropical			Taco Cabana			Other			Consolidated
	December 28, 2014:
	Restaurant sales	$	305,404		$	303,136		$	—		$	608,540
	Franchise revenue	2,072			531			—			2,603
	Cost of sales	100,468			91,782			—			192,250
	Restaurant wages and related expenses (1)	67,487			87,653			—			155,140
	Restaurant rent expense	12,473			17,172			—			29,645
	Other restaurant operating expenses	38,331			40,590			—			78,921
	Advertising expense	7,714			11,779			—			19,493
	General and administrative expense (2)	26,672			22,742			—			49,414
	Depreciation and amortization	11,596			11,451			—			23,047
	Pre-opening costs	3,385			676			—			4,061
	Impairment and other lease charges	254			109			—			363
	Other (income) expense	—			(558		)	—			(558		)
	Interest expense	1,035			1,193			—			2,228
	Income before taxes	38,061			19,078			—			57,139
	Capital expenditures	52,355			17,969			3,755			74,079
	December 29, 2013:
	Restaurant sales	$	257,837		$	291,143		$	—		$	548,980
	Franchise revenue	1,865			492			—			2,357
	Cost of sales	85,532			90,591			—			176,123
	Restaurant wages and related expenses (1)	57,893			85,499			—			143,392
	Restaurant rent expense	10,110			16,739			—			26,849
	Other restaurant operating expenses	30,790			38,231			—			69,021
	Advertising expense	5,726			11,412			—			17,138
	General and administrative expense (2)	24,966			23,555			—			48,521
	Depreciation and amortization	9,248			11,127			—			20,375
	Pre-opening costs	2,047			720			—			2,767
	Impairment and other lease charges	(116		)	315			—			199
	Other (income) expense	(497		)	(57		)	—			(554		)
	Interest expense	7,954			10,089			—			18,043
	Income (loss) before taxes (3)	26,049			3,414			(16,411		)	13,052
	Capital expenditures	24,996			16,609			5,420			47,025
	December 30, 2012:
	Restaurant sales	$	227,428		$	279,923		$	—		$	507,351
	Franchise revenue	1,915			460			—			2,375
	Cost of sales	75,388			88,126			—			163,514
	Restaurant wages and related expenses (1)	53,624			82,641			—			136,265
	Restaurant rent expense	7,688			13,907			—			21,595
	Other restaurant operating expenses	26,825			36,988			—			63,813
	Advertising expense	5,723			11,068			—			16,791
	General and administrative expense (2)	21,358			22,512			—			43,870
	Depreciation and amortization	8,153			10,100			25			18,278
	Pre-opening costs	1,090			583			—			1,673
	Impairment and other lease charges	6,035			1,004			—			7,039
	Other (income) expense	(92		)	—			—			(92		)
	Interest expense	10,501			13,923			—			24,424
	Income (loss) before taxes	13,051			(468		)	(27		)	12,556
	Capital expenditures	17,482			22,355			1,159			40,996
	Identifiable Assets:
	28-Dec-14	$	177,923		$	167,729		$	12,304		$	357,956
	December 29, 2013	140,797			169,367			8,621			318,785
	December 30, 2012	128,593			167,348			7,788			303,729
	(1) Includes stock-based compensation expense of $71, $2 and $11 for the years ended December 28, 2014, December 29, 2013 and December 30, 2012, respectively.
	(2) Includes stock-based compensation expense of $3,426, $2,296 and $2,025 for the years ended December 28, 2014, December 29, 2013 and December 30, 2012, respectively.
	(3) "Other" income (loss) before taxes for the year ended December 29, 2013 includes the loss on extinguishment of debt discussed in Note 8.

Net_Income_Loss_per_Share_Tabl

Net Income (Loss) per Share (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 28, 2014
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Schedule of Earnings Per Share, Basic and Diluted [Table Text Block]	The computation of basic and diluted net income per share is as follows:
		Year Ended
		December 28, 2014		December 29, 2013		December 30, 2012
	Basic and diluted net income per share:
	Net income	$	36,176	$	9,257	$	8,267
	Less: income allocated to participating securities	647		264		247
	Net income available to common stockholders	$	35,529	$	8,993	$	8,020
	Weighted average common shares, basic	26,293,714		23,271,431		22,890,018
	Restricted stock units	2,335		—		—
	Weighted average common shares, diluted	26,296,049		23,271,431		22,890,018
	Basic net income per common share	$	1.35	$	0.39	$	0.35
	Diluted net income per common share	$	1.35	$	0.39	$	0.35

Selected_Quarterly_Financial_a1

Selected Quarterly Financial and Earningd Data (Unaudited) (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 29, 2013
Quarterly Financial Information Disclosure [Abstract]
Schedule of Quarterly Financial Information [Table Text Block]
		Year Ended December 28, 2014
		First Quarter		Second Quarter		Third Quarter		Fourth Quarter
	Revenue	$	145,436	$	154,185	$	155,298	$	156,224
	Income from operations	14,735		15,663		15,373		13,596
	Net income	8,719		9,314		9,155		8,988
	Basic net income per share	$	0.33	$	0.35	$	0.34	$	0.34
	Diluted net income per share	$	0.33	$	0.35	$	0.34	$	0.34
		Year Ended December 29, 2013
		First Quarter		Second Quarter		Third Quarter		Fourth Quarter
	Revenue	$	133,624	$	140,880	$	140,678	$	136,155
	Income from operations	11,499		12,947		12,095		10,965
	Net income (loss)	4,799		4,969		5,042		(5,553		)	(1	)
	Basic net income (loss) per share	$	0.2	$	0.21	$	0.21	$	(0.22	)
	Diluted net income (loss) per share	$	0.2	$	0.21	$	0.21	$	(0.22	)
	(1) The Company recognized a loss on extinguishment of debt of $16.4 million in the fourth quarter of 2013 (See Note 8).

Basis_of_Presentation_Basis_of1

Basis of Presentation Basis of Presentation Narrative (Details)	12 Months Ended			3 Months Ended
	Dec. 28, 2014	Dec. 29, 2013	Dec. 30, 2012	Jul. 01, 2012
				Rate
Entity Information [Line Items]
Weeks In Fiscal Period	52	52	52
Entity Operated Units [Member] | Pollo Tropical [Member]
Entity Information [Line Items]
Number of Restaurants	124
Entity Operated Units [Member] | Taco Cabana [Member]
Entity Information [Line Items]
Number of Restaurants	167
Entity Operated Units [Member] | FLORIDA | Pollo Tropical [Member]
Entity Information [Line Items]
Number of Restaurants	107
Entity Operated Units [Member] | FLORIDA | Taco Cabana [Member]
Entity Information [Line Items]
Number of Restaurants	1
Entity Operated Units [Member] | GEORGIA | Pollo Tropical [Member]
Entity Information [Line Items]
Number of Restaurants	5
Entity Operated Units [Member] | GEORGIA | Taco Cabana [Member]
Entity Information [Line Items]
Number of Restaurants	1
Entity Operated Units [Member] | TENNESSEE | Pollo Tropical [Member]
Entity Information [Line Items]
Number of Restaurants	2
Entity Operated Units [Member] | TEXAS | Pollo Tropical [Member]
Entity Information [Line Items]
Number of Restaurants	10
Entity Operated Units [Member] | TEXAS | Taco Cabana [Member]
Entity Information [Line Items]
Number of Restaurants	162
Entity Operated Units [Member] | OKLAHOMA | Taco Cabana [Member]
Entity Information [Line Items]
Number of Restaurants	3
Franchised Units [Member] | Pollo Tropical [Member]
Entity Information [Line Items]
Number of Restaurants	37
Franchised Units [Member] | Taco Cabana [Member]
Entity Information [Line Items]
Number of Restaurants	7
Franchised Units [Member] | FLORIDA | Pollo Tropical [Member]
Entity Information [Line Items]
Number of Restaurants	5
Franchised Units [Member] | TEXAS | Taco Cabana [Member]
Entity Information [Line Items]
Number of Restaurants	3
Franchised Units [Member] | PUERTO RICO | Pollo Tropical [Member]
Entity Information [Line Items]
Number of Restaurants	17
Franchised Units [Member] | ECUADOR | Pollo Tropical [Member]
Entity Information [Line Items]
Number of Restaurants	1
Franchised Units [Member] | HONDURAS | Pollo Tropical [Member]
Entity Information [Line Items]
Number of Restaurants	1
Franchised Units [Member] | BAHAMAS | Pollo Tropical [Member]
Entity Information [Line Items]
Number of Restaurants	1
Franchised Units [Member] | TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO | Pollo Tropical [Member]
Entity Information [Line Items]
Number of Restaurants	2
Franchised Units [Member] | VENEZUELA | Pollo Tropical [Member]
Entity Information [Line Items]
Number of Restaurants	2
Franchised Units [Member] | PANAMA | Pollo Tropical [Member]
Entity Information [Line Items]
Number of Restaurants	5
Franchised Units [Member] | DOMINICAN REPUBLIC | Pollo Tropical [Member]
Entity Information [Line Items]
Number of Restaurants	1
Franchised Units [Member] | GUATEMALA | Pollo Tropical [Member]
Entity Information [Line Items]
Number of Restaurants	2
Franchised Units [Member] | NEW MEXICO | Taco Cabana [Member]
Entity Information [Line Items]
Number of Restaurants	4
Maximum [Member]
Entity Information [Line Items]
Weeks In Fiscal Period	53
Stockholders' Equity Note, Stock Split, Conversion Ratio				23,161.80
Minimum [Member]
Entity Information [Line Items]
Weeks In Fiscal Period	52
Stockholders' Equity Note, Stock Split, Conversion Ratio				1

Basis_of_Presentation_Basis_of2

Basis of Presentation Basis of Presentation Property Disclosures (Details)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 28, 2014
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Lease Term, new restaurants	20 years
Building and Improvements [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Property, Plant and Equipment, Useful Life	5 years
Building and Improvements [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Property, Plant and Equipment, Useful Life	30 years
Equipment [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Property, Plant and Equipment, Useful Life	3 years
Equipment [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Property, Plant and Equipment, Useful Life	7 years
Computer Hardware and Software [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Property, Plant and Equipment, Useful Life	3 years
Computer Hardware and Software [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Property, Plant and Equipment, Useful Life	7 years
Assets Subject to Capital Leases [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Property, Plant and Equipment, Estimated Useful Lives	ShorterB ofB usefulB lifeB orB leaseB term

Basis_of_Presentation_Fair_Val

Basis of Presentation Fair Value Disclosures (Details) (Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member], USD $)	Dec. 28, 2014
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Fair Value Disclosure	$66

Property_and_Equipment_Propert1

Property and Equipment Property and Equipment (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 28, 2014	Dec. 29, 2013	Dec. 30, 2012
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Land	$19,455,000	$15,277,000
Owned buildings	14,863,000	13,813,000
Leasehold improvements	168,719,000	130,623,000
Equipment	159,596,000	136,088,000
Assets subject to capital leases	1,647,000	1,647,000
Property, Plant and Equipment, Gross	364,280,000	297,448,000
Less accumulated depreciation and amortization	-172,909,000	-152,921,000
Property and equipment, net	191,371,000	144,527,000
Assets subject to capital leases accumulated depreciation	700,000	500,000
Depreciation	23,000,000	20,300,000	18,200,000
Land [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Assets Subject to Lease Financing Obligations, Gross	700,000	700,000
Building [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Assets Subject to Lease Financing Obligations, Gross	800,000	800,000
Assets Subject to Lease Financing Obligations, Accumulated Depreciation	$300,000	$300,000

Goodwill_by_Segment_Details

Goodwill by Segment (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 28, 2014	Dec. 29, 2013
Goodwill [Line Items]
Goodwill, Impairment Loss	$0	$0
Goodwill	123,484,000	123,484,000
Pollo Tropical [Member]
Goodwill [Line Items]
Goodwill	56,307,000	56,307,000
Taco Cabana [Member]
Goodwill [Line Items]
Goodwill	$67,177,000	$67,177,000

Impairment_of_LongLived_Assets3

Impairment of Long-Lived Assets and Other Lease Charges Impairment Table (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 28, 2014	Dec. 29, 2013	Dec. 30, 2012
Other Liabilities Disclosure [Abstract]
Impairment and other lease charges	$363	$199	$7,039
Taco Cabana [Member]
Other Liabilities Disclosure [Abstract]
Impairment and other lease charges	109	315	1,004
Pollo Tropical [Member]
Other Liabilities Disclosure [Abstract]
Impairment and other lease charges	$254	($116)	$6,035

Impairment_of_LongLived_Assets4

Impairment of Long-Lived Assets and Other Lease Charges Impairment Narrative (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 28, 2014	Dec. 29, 2013	Dec. 30, 2012
Impairment and Other Lease Charges [Line Items]
Other Lease Charges		($200,000)
Impairment and other lease charges	363,000	199,000	7,039,000
Taco Cabana [Member]
Impairment and Other Lease Charges [Line Items]
Asset impairment charges		400,000	1,000,000
Impairment and other lease charges	109,000	315,000	1,004,000
Pollo Tropical [Member]
Impairment and Other Lease Charges [Line Items]
Impairment and other lease charges	254,000	-116,000	6,035,000
Pollo Tropical Impaired Stores, Other than New Jersey [Member] | Previously Closed [Member]
Impairment and Other Lease Charges [Line Items]
Other Lease Charges			-200,000
Pollo Tropical Impaired Stores, Other than New Jersey [Member] | Pollo Tropical [Member]
Impairment and Other Lease Charges [Line Items]
Asset impairment charges			500,000
Taco Cabana [Member] | Underperforming restaurants [Member]
Impairment and Other Lease Charges [Line Items]
Number of Restaurants			2
NEW JERSEY | Pollo Tropical [Member]
Impairment and Other Lease Charges [Line Items]
Other Lease Charges			1,500,000
Asset impairment charges			4,100,000
NEW JERSEY | Pollo Tropical [Member] | Underperforming restaurants [Member]
Impairment and Other Lease Charges [Line Items]
Number of Restaurants			5
Maximum [Member]
Impairment and Other Lease Charges [Line Items]
Level 3 assets measured at fair value	$100,000

Other_Liabilities_Details

Other Liabilities (Details) (USD $)	Dec. 28, 2014	Dec. 29, 2013
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Other current liabilities [Line Items]
Accrued workers' compensation and general liability claims	$3,996	$3,484
Sales and property taxes	1,933	1,358
Accrued occupancy costs	508	543
Other	1,746	2,920
Other Liabilities, Current	8,183	8,305
Other Liabilities [Line Items]
Accrued occupancy costs	12,254	9,973
Accrued workers' compensation and general liability costs	977	729
Deferred compensation	1,102	593
Other	1,610	1,243
Other Liabilities, Noncurrent	$15,943	$12,538

Other_Liabilities_Restructurin

Other Liabilities Restructuring Reserve (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 28, 2014	Dec. 29, 2013
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Balance, beginning of period	$1,439	$2,432
Provisions for restaurant closures	0	0
Additional lease charges, net of (recoveries)	5	-197
Payments, net	321	937
Other adjustments	128	141
Balance, end of period	1,251	1,439
Long-Term Liability [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Balance, end of period	$1,000	$1,100

Leases_Saleleaseback_transacti

Leases Sale-leaseback transactions (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 28, 2014	Dec. 29, 2013	Dec. 30, 2012
Sale Leaseback Transaction [Line Items]
Sale Leaseback Transaction, Net Proceeds	$5,692,000	$15,662,000	$7,934,000
Lease Term, new restaurants	20 years
Sale Leaseback Transaction, Deferred Gain, Current Period Transactions	1,900,000	4,000,000	34,300,000
Sale Leaseback Transaction, Current Period Gain Recognized	3,671,000	3,489,000	2,328,000
Sale-Leaseback Transactions [Member]
Sale Leaseback Transaction [Line Items]
Number of Restaurants	2	6	5
Sale Leaseback Transaction, Net Proceeds	5,700,000	15,700,000	7,900,000
Elimination of LFO Requirement During Period [Member]
Sale Leaseback Transaction [Line Items]
Sale Leaseback Transaction, Deferred Gain, Current Period Transactions		$400,000	$32,100,000

Leases_Future_Minimum_Lease_Pa

Leases Future Minimum Lease Payments(Details) (USD $)	Dec. 28, 2014		Dec. 29, 2013
Schedule of Future Minimum Rental Commitments [Line Items]
Operating Leases, Future Minimum Payments Due, Next Twelve Months	$34,954,000
Operating Leases, Future Minimum Payments, Due in Two Years	34,873,000
Operating Leases, Future Minimum Payments, Due in Three Years	34,048,000
Operating Leases, Future Minimum Payments, Due in Four Years	33,086,000
Operating Leases, Future Minimum Payments, Due in Five Years	32,275,000
Operating Leases, Future Minimum Payments, Due Thereafter	252,483,000
Operating Leases, Future Minimum Payments Due	421,719,000	[1]
Capital Leases, Future Minimum Payments Due, Next Twelve Months	224,000
Capital Leases, Future Minimum Payments Due in Two Years	220,000
Capital Leases, Future Minimum Payments Due in Three Years	220,000
Capital Leases, Future Minimum Payments Due in Four Years	220,000
Capital Leases, Future Minimum Payments Due in Five Years	220,000
Capital Leases, Future Minimum Payments Due Thereafter	1,743,000
Capital Leases, Future Minimum Payments Due	2,847,000
Capital Leases, Future Minimum Payments, Interest Included in Payments	-1,522,000
Capital Lease Obligations	1,325,000		1,385,000
Capital Lease Obligations, Current	-61,000
Capital Lease Obligations, Noncurrent	1,264,000
Operating Leases, Future Minimum Payments Due, Future Minimum Sublease Rentals	$5,600,000
[1]	(1) Minimum operating lease payments have not been reduced by minimum sublease rentals of $5.6 million due in the future under noncancelable subleases.

Leases_Rent_Expense_Details

Leases Rent Expense (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 28, 2014	Dec. 29, 2013	Dec. 30, 2012
Rent Expense [Line Items]
Restaurant rent expense	$29,645	$26,849	$21,595
Operating Leases, Rent Expense	32,108	28,695	22,787
Operating Expense [Member]
Rent Expense [Line Items]
Minimum rent on real property	29,309	26,571	21,349
Additional rent based on percentage of sales	336	278	246
Pre-opening costs [Member]
Rent Expense [Line Items]
Minimum rent on real property	1,421	842	411
General and Administrative Expense [Member]
Rent Expense [Line Items]
Minimum rent on real property	$1,042	$1,004	$781

Former_Related_Party_Transacti1

Former Related Party Transactions (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended						3 Months Ended
	Dec. 28, 2014		Dec. 29, 2013		Dec. 30, 2012		Apr. 01, 2012	Dec. 30, 2012	Jul. 01, 2012
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
General and administrative	$49,414,000	[1]	$48,521,000	[1]	$43,870,000	[1]
Proceeds from Contributions from Parent	0		0		2,500,000
Capital Contributions, non-cash	-127,000		96,000		2,575,000
Transition Services Agreement [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
General and administrative			3,000,000		3,700,000
Excess Debt Proceeds [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Proceeds from Contributions from Parent							2,500,000
Carrols Restaurant Group [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
General and administrative					4,200,000
Carrols Restaurant Group [Member] | Transfer of income tax related assets and liabilities [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Capital Contributions, non-cash	-100,000		100,000					900,000	1,700,000
Carrols Restaurant Group [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Accounts Receivable, Gross, Current			$300,000
[1]	Includes stock-based compensation expense of $3,426, $2,296 and $2,025 for theB years endedB DecemberB 28, 2014, December 29, 2013 and DecemberB 30, 2012, respectively.

Longterm_Debt_Schedule_of_Long

Long-term Debt Schedule of Long-Term Debt (Details) (USD $)	Dec. 28, 2014	Dec. 29, 2013
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Revolving Credit Facility	$66,000	$71,000
Capital leases	1,325	1,385
Long-term Debt	67,325	72,385
Current portion of long-term debt	-61	-61
Long-term debt, net of current portion	$67,264	$72,324

Longterm_Debt_Senior_Credit_Fa

Long-term Debt Senior Credit Facility (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 28, 2014	Dec. 30, 2012	Dec. 29, 2013
	Rate	Rate
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Maturity Date	11-Dec-18
Line of Credit Facility, Amount Outstanding	$66,000,000		$71,000,000
Letters of Credit Outstanding, Amount	8,800,000
Line of Credit Facility, Remaining Borrowing Capacity	75,200,000
Line of Credit Facility, Alternative Base Rate, Interest Rate Margin	0.50%
Line of Credit Facility, Libor Rate, Interest Rate Margin	1.50%
Line of Credit Facility, Unused Capacity, Commitment Fee Percentage	0.25%
Credit Facility, Cross Default Provision, Minimum Debt Principal Amount	5,000,000
Letter of Credit [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity	15,000,000	10,000,000
Revolving Credit Facility [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity	150,000,000	25,000,000
Minimum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Alternative Base Rate, Interest Rate Margin	0.50%	2.00%
Line of Credit Facility, Libor Rate, Interest Rate Margin	1.50%	3.00%
Line of Credit Facility, Unused Capacity, Commitment Fee Percentage	0.25%
Maximum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Incremental Increases	$50,000,000	5,000,000
Line of Credit Facility, Alternative Base Rate, Interest Rate Margin	1.50%	2.75%
Line of Credit Facility, Libor Rate, Interest Rate Margin	2.50%	3.75%
Line of Credit Facility, Unused Capacity, Commitment Fee Percentage	0.45%

Longterm_Debt_Long_Term_Debt_S

Long-term Debt Long Term Debt Senior Secured Second Lien Notes (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 29, 2013	Dec. 28, 2014	Dec. 29, 2013	Dec. 30, 2012
Extinguishment of Debt [Line Items]
Loss on extinguishment of debt	$16,400,000	$0	$16,411,000	$0
Premium and other costs associated with debt redemption		0	12,545,000	0
Senior Notes [Member]
Extinguishment of Debt [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage	8.88%		8.88%
Extinguishment of debt			200,000,000
Loss on extinguishment of debt			16,400,000
Write off of deferred debt issuance cost			3,900,000
Premium and other costs associated with debt redemption			12,500,000
Senior Notes [Member] | Tendered and repurchased [Member]
Extinguishment of Debt [Line Items]
Extinguishment of debt			122,700,000
Senior Notes [Member] | Called and redeemed [Member]
Extinguishment of Debt [Line Items]
Extinguishment of debt			$77,300,000

Longterm_Debt_Long_Term_Debt_O

Long-term Debt Long Term Debt Other Disclosures (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 28, 2014	Dec. 29, 2013	Dec. 30, 2012
	Rate	Rate
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt, Maturities, Repayments of Principal in Year Four	$66,000,000
Debt, Weighted Average Interest Rate	1.79%	2.25%
Interest expense	2,228,000	18,043,000	24,424,000
Long-term Debt [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest expense	$2,100,000	$17,900,000	$19,900,000

Lease_Financing_Obligations_De

Lease Financing Obligations (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 28, 2014	Dec. 29, 2013	Dec. 30, 2012
	Rate
Lease Financing Obligations [Line Items]
Lease Financing Obligations	$1,660,000	$1,657,000
Sale Leaseback Transaction, Deferred Gain, Current Period Transactions	1,900,000	4,000,000	34,300,000
Lease Expiration Date	20 years
Lease Financing Obligations, Reduction in Period	0	1,377,000	114,165,000
Interest Expense	2,228,000	18,043,000	24,424,000
Assets Subject to Lease Financing, Reduction in Period	0	965,000	80,419,000
Interest Rate, Lease Financing Obligations	8.60%
Property Purchased During Period [Member]
Lease Financing Obligations [Line Items]
Number of Restaurants			5
Lease Financing Obligations, Reduction in Period			6,000,000
Interest Expense			100,000
Elimination of LFO Requirement During Period [Member]
Lease Financing Obligations [Line Items]
Sale Leaseback Transaction, Deferred Gain, Current Period Transactions		400,000	32,100,000
Lease Financing Obligations, Reduction in Period			114,200,000
Assets Subject to Lease Financing, Reduction in Period			80,400,000
Write off of deferred debt issuance cost			1,600,000
Lease Financing Obligations [Member]
Lease Financing Obligations [Line Items]
Interest Expense	$100,000	$100,000	$4,500,000

Lease_Financing_Obligations_Fu

Lease Financing Obligations Future Payments of Lease Financing Obligations (Details) (USD $)	Dec. 28, 2014	Dec. 29, 2013
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Future Payments of Lease Financing Obligations [Abstract]
Lease Financing Obligations, Future Minimum Payments Due, Next Twelve Months	$140
Lease Financing Obligations, Future Minimum Payments Due in Two Years	141
Lease Financing Obligations, Future Minimum Payments Due in Three Years	143
Lease Financing Obligations, Future Minimum Payments Due in Four Years	144
Lease Financing Obligations, Future Minimum Payments Due in Five Years	146
Lease Financing Obligations, Future Minimum Payments Due Thereafter	2,223
Lease Financing Obligations, Future Minimum Payments Due	2,937
Lease Financing Obligations, Interest Included in Payments	-1,277
Lease Financing Obligations	$1,660	$1,657

Income_Tax_Provision_Details

Income Tax Provision (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 28, 2014	Dec. 29, 2013	Dec. 30, 2012
Income Tax Disclosures [Line Items]
Federal	$17,335	$2,550	$4,197
Foreign	380	375	365
State	2,291	1,048	757
Current	20,006	3,973	5,319
Federal	417	136	-1,405
State	46	-11	230
Deferred	463	125	-1,175
Valuation allowance	494	-303	145
Provision for income taxes	$20,963	$3,795	$4,289

Income_Taxes_Components_of_Def

Income Taxes Components of Deferred Taxes (Details) (USD $)	Dec. 28, 2014	Dec. 29, 2013
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Deferred Taxes [Line Items]
Inventory and other reserves	($186)	($88)
Accrued vacation benefits	1,428	1,392
Other accruals	1,894	1,714
Current deferred income tax assets	3,136	3,018
Less: Valuation allowance	211	0
Total current deferred income tax assets	2,925	3,018
Deferred income on sale-leaseback of certain real estate	12,512	13,048
Lease financing obligations	138	126
Property and equipment depreciation	-5,144	-3,423
Amortization of other intangibles, net	-3,164	-3,136
Occupancy costs	4,479	3,645
Tax credit carryforwards	1,010	516
Other	2,023	1,786
Long-term net deferred income tax assets	11,854	12,562
Less: Valuation allowance	799	516
Total long-term deferred income tax assets	11,055	12,046
Carrying value of net deferred income tax assets	$13,980	$15,064

Income_Taxes_Income_Tax_Rate_R

Income Taxes Income Tax Rate Reconciliation (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 28, 2014	Dec. 29, 2013	Dec. 30, 2012
Income Tax Disclosures [Abstract]
Statutory federal income tax provision	$19,999	$4,568	$4,395
State income taxes, net of federal benefit	1,453	666	520
Change in valuation allowance	494	-303	145
Increase in deferred tax assets at Spin-off	0	0	-182
Non-deductible expenses	293	334	94
Foreign taxes	380	654	365
Employment tax credits	-1,174	-1,490	-202
Foreign tax credits	-380	-375	-365
Other	-102	-259	-481
Provision for income taxes	$20,963	$3,795	$4,289

Income_Taxes_Other_Income_Tax_

Income Taxes Other Income Tax Disclosures (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 28, 2014	Dec. 29, 2013	Dec. 30, 2012
	Rate	Rate	Rate
Income Tax Disclosures [Abstract]
Change in valuation allowance	$494	($303)	$145
Valuation allowance	-1,010	-516
Effective income tax rate	36.70%	29.10%	34.20%
Unrecognized Tax Benefits	0	0
Unrecognized Tax Benefits, Income Tax Penalties and Interest Accrued	$0	$0

Stockholders_Equity_Stockholde

Stockholders' Equity Stockholders' Equity Disclosures (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Dec. 29, 2013	Jul. 01, 2012	Dec. 28, 2014	Dec. 29, 2013	Dec. 30, 2012	Nov. 20, 2013
Stockholders' Equity Disclosures [Line Items]
Share Price						$46
Proceeds from Issuance of Common Stock				$135,286,000	$0
Payments of Stock Issuance Costs			30,000
Borrowings on revolving credit facility	81,000,000		25,000,000	81,000,000	2,100,000
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Number of Shares Authorized			3,300,000
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Number of Shares Available for Grant			2,302,033
Stock Dividends, Shares		1
Stock-based Compensation			3,500,000	2,300,000	2,000,000
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Nonvested Awards, Total Compensation Cost Not yet Recognized			6,300,000
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Nonvested Awards, Total Compensation Cost Not yet Recognized, Period for Recognition			1 year 9 months
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Equity Instruments Other than Options, Vested in Period, Fair Value			12,800,000	6,300,000	300,000
Board of Directors Chairman [Member]
Stockholders' Equity Disclosures [Line Items]
Stock-based Compensation					400,000
Converted at spin-off [Member]
Stockholders' Equity Disclosures [Line Items]
Stock Issued During Period, Shares, Restricted Stock Award, Gross		434,397
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Equity Instruments Other than Options, Grants in Period, Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value		11.1
Restricted Stock [Member]
Stockholders' Equity Disclosures [Line Items]
Granted			80,290	161,546	369,256
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Award Vesting Period			4 years
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Equity Instruments Other than Options, Grants in Period, Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value			$44.22	$21.35	$14
Restricted Stock [Member] | Chief Executive Officer [Member]
Stockholders' Equity Disclosures [Line Items]
Granted		165,563
Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) [Member]
Stockholders' Equity Disclosures [Line Items]
Granted			24,252
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Award Vesting Period			4 years
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Equity Instruments Other than Options, Grants in Period, Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value			$45.04
Minimum [Member] | Director [Member]
Stockholders' Equity Disclosures [Line Items]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Award Vesting Period			1 year
Maximum [Member] | Director [Member]
Stockholders' Equity Disclosures [Line Items]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Award Vesting Period			5 years
Common Stock [Member]
Stockholders' Equity Disclosures [Line Items]
Stock Issued During Period, Shares, New Issues				3,078,336
Proceeds from Issuance of Common Stock				135,300,000
Gross Proceeds Common Stock [Member]
Stockholders' Equity Disclosures [Line Items]
Proceeds from Issuance of Common Stock				141,600,000
Underwriting fees [Member]
Stockholders' Equity Disclosures [Line Items]
Payments of Stock Issuance Costs				5,700,000
Other Expense [Member] | Common Stock [Member]
Stockholders' Equity Disclosures [Line Items]
Payments of Stock Issuance Costs				$700,000

Stockholders_Equity_Nonvested_

Stockholders' Equity Nonvested Shares Activity Table (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 28, 2014	Dec. 29, 2013	Dec. 30, 2012
Restricted Stock [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Equity Instruments Other than Options, Nonvested, Number of Shares [Roll Forward]
Non-vested shares beginning	627,311
Nonvested shares weighted average grant date price beginning	$14.81
Granted	80,290	161,546	369,256
Granted weighted average grant date prices	$44.22	$21.35	$14
Vested	-275,485
Vested weighted average grant date fair value	$14.50
Forfeited	-7,619
Forfeited weighted average grant date fair value	$18.64
Non-vested shares ending	424,497	627,311
Nonvested shares weighted average grant date price ending	$20.50	$14.81
Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Equity Instruments Other than Options, Nonvested, Number of Shares [Roll Forward]
Non-vested shares beginning	0
Nonvested shares weighted average grant date price beginning	$0
Granted	24,252
Granted weighted average grant date prices	$45.04
Vested	-163
Vested weighted average grant date fair value	$45.04
Forfeited	-3,306
Forfeited weighted average grant date fair value	$45.04
Non-vested shares ending	20,783
Nonvested shares weighted average grant date price ending	$45.04

Business_Segment_Information_B1

Business Segment Information Business Segment Details (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 28, 2014		Dec. 29, 2013		Dec. 30, 2012
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Restaurant sales	$608,540		$548,980		$507,351
Franchise royalty revenue and fees	2,603		2,357		2,375
Cost of sales	192,250		176,123		163,514
Restaurant wages and related expenses	155,140	[1]	143,392	[1]	136,265	[1]
Restaurant rent expense	29,645		26,849		21,595
Other restaurant operating expenses	78,921		69,021		63,813
Advertising expense	19,493		17,138		16,791
General and administrative	49,414	[2]	48,521	[2]	43,870	[2]
Depreciation and amortization	23,047		20,375		18,278
Pre-opening costs	4,061		2,767		1,673
Impairment and other lease charges	363		199		7,039
Other (income) expense	-558		-554		-92
Interest Expense	2,228		18,043		24,424
Income before income taxes	57,139		13,052		12,556
Total capital expenditures	74,079		47,025		40,996
Assets	357,956		318,785		303,729
Stock-based compensation	3,500		2,300		2,000
Pollo Tropical [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Restaurant sales	305,404		257,837		227,428
Franchise royalty revenue and fees	2,072		1,865		1,915
Cost of sales	100,468		85,532		75,388
Restaurant wages and related expenses	67,487		57,893		53,624
Restaurant rent expense	12,473		10,110		7,688
Other restaurant operating expenses	38,331		30,790		26,825
Advertising expense	7,714		5,726		5,723
General and administrative	26,672		24,966		21,358
Depreciation and amortization	11,596		9,248		8,153
Pre-opening costs	3,385		2,047		1,090
Impairment and other lease charges	254		-116		6,035
Other (income) expense	0		-497		92
Interest Expense	1,035		7,954		10,501
Income before income taxes	38,061		26,049		13,051
Total capital expenditures	52,355		24,996		17,482
Assets	177,923		140,797		128,593
Taco Cabana [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Restaurant sales	303,136		291,143		279,923
Franchise royalty revenue and fees	531		492		460
Cost of sales	91,782		90,591		88,126
Restaurant wages and related expenses	87,653		85,499		82,641
Restaurant rent expense	17,172		16,739		13,907
Other restaurant operating expenses	40,590		38,231		36,988
Advertising expense	11,779		11,412		11,068
General and administrative	22,742		23,555		22,512
Depreciation and amortization	11,451		11,127		10,100
Pre-opening costs	676		720		583
Impairment and other lease charges	109		315		1,004
Other (income) expense	-558		57		0
Interest Expense	1,193		10,089		13,923
Income before income taxes	19,078		3,414		-468
Total capital expenditures	17,969		16,609		22,355
Assets	167,729		169,367		167,348
Unallocated Amount to Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Restaurant sales	0		0		0
Franchise royalty revenue and fees	0		0		0
Cost of sales	0		0		0
Restaurant wages and related expenses	0		0		0
Restaurant rent expense	0		0		0
Other restaurant operating expenses	0		0		0
Advertising expense	0		0		0
General and administrative	0		0		0
Depreciation and amortization	0		0		25
Pre-opening costs	0		0		0
Impairment and other lease charges	0		0		0
Other (income) expense	0		0		0
Interest Expense	0		0		0
Income before income taxes	0		-16,411	[3]	-27
Total capital expenditures	3,755		5,420		1,159
Assets	12,304		8,621		7,788
Restaurant Wages And Related Expenses [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Stock-based compensation	71		2		11
General and Administrative Expense [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Stock-based compensation	$3,426		$2,296		$2,025
[1]	Includes stock-based compensation expense of $71, $2 and $11 for theB years endedB DecemberB 28, 2014, December 29, 2013 and DecemberB 30, 2012, respectively.
[2]	Includes stock-based compensation expense of $3,426, $2,296 and $2,025 for theB years endedB DecemberB 28, 2014, December 29, 2013 and DecemberB 30, 2012, respectively.
[3]	"Other" income (loss) before taxes for the year ended DecemberB 29, 2013 includes the loss on extinguishment of debt discussed in Note 8.

Net_Income_Loss_per_Share_Deta

Net Income (Loss) per Share (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
In Thousands, except Share data, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 28, 2014	Sep. 28, 2014	Jun. 29, 2014	Mar. 30, 2014	Dec. 29, 2013	Sep. 29, 2013	Jun. 30, 2013	Mar. 31, 2013	Dec. 28, 2014	Dec. 29, 2013	Dec. 30, 2012
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Shares distributed during the period											23,200,000
Net income	$8,988	$9,155	$9,314	$8,719	($5,553)	$5,042	$4,969	$4,799	$36,176	$9,257	$8,267
Less: income allocated to participating securities									647	264	247
Net income available to common shareholders									$35,529	$8,993	$8,020
Weighted average common shares, basic									26,293,714	23,271,431	22,890,018
Restricted stock units									2,335	0	0
Weighted average common shares, diluted									26,296,049	23,271,431	22,890,018
Basic net income per share	$0.34	$0.34	$0.35	$0.33	($0.22)	$0.21	$0.21	$0.20	$1.35	$0.39	$0.35
Diluted net income per share	$0.34	$0.34	$0.35	$0.33	($0.22)	$0.21	$0.21	$0.20	$1.35	$0.39	$0.35

Commitments_and_Contingencies_

Commitments and Contingencies Lease Assignments (Details) (USD $)	Dec. 28, 2014
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
Guarantor Obligations [Line Items]
Lease assignment maximum exposure	$2.70

Retirement_Plans_Details

Retirement Plans (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 28, 2014	Dec. 29, 2013
	Rate
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]
Defined Contribution Plan, Employer Matching Contribution, Percent	50.00%
Defined Contribution Plan, Maximum Annual Contribution Per Employee, Amount	$500
Defined Contribution Plan, Hours of Service Required	1,000
Defined Contribution Plan, Maximum Annual Contribution Per Employee, Percent	50.00%
Defined Contribution Plan, Cost Recognized	200,000	200,000
Deferred Compensation Plan, Interest Rate	8.00%
Deferred Compensation Liability, Current and Noncurrent	$1,100,000	$600,000
Minimum [Member]
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]
Defined Contribution Plan, Vesting Period for Employer Match	1 year
Maximum [Member]
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]
Defined Contribution Plan, Vesting Period for Employer Match	5 years

Selected_Quarterly_Financial_a2

Selected Quarterly Financial and Earningd Data (Unaudited) (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
In Thousands, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 28, 2014	Sep. 28, 2014	Jun. 29, 2014	Mar. 30, 2014	Dec. 29, 2013	Sep. 29, 2013	Jun. 30, 2013	Mar. 31, 2013	Dec. 28, 2014	Dec. 29, 2013	Dec. 30, 2012
Effect of Fourth Quarter Events [Line Items]
Revenue	$156,224	$155,298	$154,185	$145,436	$136,155	$140,678	$140,880	$133,624	$611,143	$551,337	$509,726
Income from operations	13,596	15,373	15,663	14,735	10,965	12,095	12,947	11,499	59,367	47,506	36,980
Net income (loss)	8,988	9,155	9,314	8,719	-5,553	5,042	4,969	4,799	36,176	9,257	8,267
Basic net income per share	$0.34	$0.34	$0.35	$0.33	($0.22)	$0.21	$0.21	$0.20	$1.35	$0.39	$0.35
Diluted net income per share	$0.34	$0.34	$0.35	$0.33	($0.22)	$0.21	$0.21	$0.20	$1.35	$0.39	$0.35
Loss on extinguishment of debt					$16,400				$0	$16,411	$0

Schedule_IIValuation_and_Quali1

Schedule II--Valuation and Qualifying Accounts (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 28, 2014	Dec. 29, 2013	Dec. 30, 2012	Dec. 28, 2014
Valuation and Qualifying Accounts Disclosure [Line Items]
Deferred Tax Assets, Valuation Allowance	$516	$819	$674	$1,010
Valuation Allowances and Reserves, Charged to Cost and Expense	-494	303	-145
Valuation Allowances and Reserves, Charged to Other Accounts	0	0	0
Valuation Allowances and Reserves, Deductions	$0	$0	$0