Fiesta Restaurant (FRGI) 10-Q 6 Nov 17 2017 Q3 Quarterly report Financial data

Document and Entity Information

Document and Entity Information - shares	9 Months Ended
	Oct. 01, 2017	Nov. 01, 2017
Document And Entity Information [Abstract]
Entity Registrant Name	FIESTA RESTAURANT GROUP, INC.
Entity Central Index Key	1,534,992
Current Fiscal Year End Date	--12-31
Entity Filer Category	Large Accelerated Filer
Document Type	10-Q
Document Period End Date	Oct. 1, 2017
Document Fiscal Year Focus	2,017
Document Fiscal Period Focus	Q3
Amendment Flag	false
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding		27,087,094

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Oct. 01, 2017	Jan. 01, 2017
Current assets:
Cash	$ 4,244	$ 4,196
Trade receivables	8,864	8,771
Inventories	2,552	2,865
Prepaid rent	3,335	3,575
Income tax receivable	3,689	3,304
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	8,534	4,231
Total current assets	31,218	26,942
Property and equipment, net	227,686	270,920
Goodwill	123,484	123,484
Deferred income taxes	31,263	14,377
Other assets	4,146	5,842
Total assets	417,797	441,565
Current liabilities:
Current portion of long-term debt	96	89
Accounts payable	19,126	16,165
Accrued payroll, related taxes and benefits	11,535	12,275
Accrued real estate taxes	6,881	6,924
Other liabilities	21,116	11,316
Total current liabilities	58,754	46,769
Long-term debt, net of current portion	62,350	71,423
Lease financing obligations	0	1,664
Deferred income—sale-leaseback of real estate	24,365	27,165
Other liabilities	30,836	30,369
Total liabilities	176,305	177,390
Commitments and contingencies
Stockholders' equity:
Common stock, par value $.01; authorized 100,000,000 shares, issued 27,087,447 and 26,884,992 shares, respectively, and outstanding 26,846,809 and 26,755,640 shares, respectively.	268	267
Additional paid-in capital	166,044	163,204
Retained earnings	75,180	100,704
Total stockholders' equity	241,492	264,175
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	$ 417,797	$ 441,565

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE3

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (Parenthetical) - $ / shares	Oct. 01, 2017	Jan. 01, 2017
Statement of Financial Position [Abstract]
Common stock, par value (usd per share)	$ 0.01	$ 0.01
Common stock, shares authorized	100,000,000	100,000,000
Common stock, shares issued	27,087,447	26,884,992
Common stock, shares outstanding	26,846,809	26,755,640

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMEN

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Oct. 01, 2017	Oct. 02, 2016	Oct. 01, 2017	Oct. 02, 2016
Revenues:
Restaurant sales	$ 158,100	$ 181,592	$ 505,082	$ 538,366
Franchise royalty revenues and fees	591	664	1,840	2,099
Total revenues	158,691	182,256	506,922	540,465
Costs and expenses:
Cost of sales	49,151	54,726	150,827	163,383
Restaurant wages and related expenses (including stock-based compensation expense of $9, $35, $44 and $111, respectively)	44,649	47,503	139,050	139,536
Restaurant rent expense	9,104	9,488	27,881	27,522
Other restaurant operating expenses	24,856	25,715	73,560	72,366
Advertising expense	5,885	7,506	17,716	21,507
General and administrative (including stock-based compensation expense of $938, $330, $2,723 and $2,523, respectively)	12,065	14,520	47,213	42,621
Depreciation and amortization	8,483	9,513	26,265	26,474
Pre-opening costs	544	1,509	1,878	4,707
Impairment and other lease charges	15,905	18,513	59,081	18,607
Other expense (income), net	461	0	1,259	(238)
Total operating expenses	171,103	188,993	544,730	516,485
Income (loss) from operations	(12,412)	(6,737)	(37,808)	23,980
Interest expense	672	542	1,910	1,635
Income (loss) before income taxes	(13,084)	(7,279)	(39,718)	22,345
Provision for (benefit from) income taxes	(4,827)	(2,748)	(14,241)	8,065
Net income (loss)	$ (8,257)	$ (4,531)	$ (25,477)	$ 14,280
Basic net income (loss) per share (usd per share)	$ (0.31)	$ (0.17)	$ (0.95)	$ 0.53
Diluted net income (loss) per share (usd per share)	$ (0.31)	$ (0.17)	$ (0.95)	$ 0.53
Basic weighted average common shares outstanding	26,845,568	26,716,219	26,811,610	26,658,739
Diluted weighted average common shares outstanding	26,845,568	26,716,219	26,811,610	26,665,091

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEME5

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS (Parenthetical) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Oct. 01, 2017	Oct. 02, 2016	Oct. 01, 2017	Oct. 02, 2016
Stock-based compensation	$ 900	$ 400	$ 2,800	$ 2,600
Restaurant Wages And Related Expenses
Stock-based compensation	9	35	44	111
General and Administrative Expense
Stock-based compensation	$ 938	$ 330	$ 2,723	$ 2,523

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEME6

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Total	Common Stock	Additional Paid-In Capital	Retained Earnings
Beginning balance at Jan. 03, 2016	$ 243,982	$ 266	$ 159,724	$ 83,992
Beginning shares at Jan. 03, 2016	26,571,602
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity
Stock-based compensation	$ 2,634		2,634
Vesting of restricted shares (in shares)	174,410
Vesting of restricted shares	$ 0	1	(1)
Tax deficiency from stock-based compensation	(9)		(9)
Net income (loss)	$ 14,280			14,280
Ending shares at Oct. 02, 2016	26,746,012
Ending balance at Oct. 02, 2016	$ 260,887	267	162,348	98,272
Beginning balance at Jan. 01, 2017	$ 264,175	267	163,204	100,704
Beginning shares at Jan. 01, 2017	26,755,640
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity
Stock-based compensation	$ 2,767		2,767
Vesting of restricted shares (in shares)	91,169
Vesting of restricted shares	$ 1	1
Cumulative effect of adopting a new accounting standard (Note 1)	26		73	(47)
Net income (loss)	$ (25,477)			(25,477)
Ending shares at Oct. 01, 2017	26,846,809
Ending balance at Oct. 01, 2017	$ 241,492	$ 268	$ 166,044	$ 75,180

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEME7

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS - USD ($) $ in Thousands	9 Months Ended
	Oct. 01, 2017	Oct. 02, 2016
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income (loss)	$ (25,477)	$ 14,280
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided from operating activities:
Loss on disposals of property and equipment	1,020	178
Stock-based compensation	2,767	2,634
Impairment and other lease charges	59,081	18,607
Depreciation and amortization	26,265	26,474
Amortization of deferred financing costs	231	232
Amortization of deferred gains from sale-leaseback transactions	(2,703)	(2,687)
Deferred income taxes	(16,886)	(6,761)
Changes in other operating assets and liabilities	3,355	13,400
Net cash provided from operating activities	47,653	66,357
Capital expenditures:
New restaurant development	(23,994)	(52,828)
Restaurant remodeling	(2,280)	(956)
Other restaurant capital expenditures	(7,650)	(4,625)
Corporate and restaurant information systems	(4,615)	(4,634)
Total capital expenditures	(38,539)	(63,043)
Properties purchased for sale-leaseback	0	(2,663)
Proceeds from disposals of other properties	0	226
Proceeds from sale-leaseback transactions	0	3,642
Net cash used in investing activities	(38,539)	(61,838)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Excess tax benefit from vesting of restricted shares	0	211
Borrowings on revolving credit facility	7,000	14,400
Repayments on revolving credit facility	(16,000)	(19,500)
Principal payments on capital leases	(66)	(49)
Net cash used in financing activities	(9,066)	(4,938)
Net increase (decrease) in cash	48	(419)
Cash, beginning of period	4,196	5,281
Cash, end of period	4,244	4,862
Supplemental disclosures:
Interest paid on long-term debt	1,756	1,393
Interest paid on lease financing obligations	83	106
Accruals for capital expenditures	7,950	9,591
Income tax payments, net	3,003	9,540
Non-cash reduction of lease financing obligations	1,664	0
Non-cash reduction of assets under lease financing obligations	$ 1,193	$ 0

Basis of Presentation

Basis of Presentation	9 Months Ended
	Oct. 01, 2017
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, 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 October 1, 2017 , the Company owned and operated 149 Pollo Tropical ® restaurants and 168 Taco Cabana ® restaurants. The Pollo Tropical restaurants included 136 located in Florida and 13 located in Georgia. The Taco Cabana restaurants included 167 located in Texas and one located in Oklahoma. At October 1, 2017 , the Company franchised a total of 32 Pollo Tropical restaurants and seven Taco Cabana restaurants. The franchised Pollo Tropical restaurants included 17 in Puerto Rico, one in the Bahamas, two in Guyana, one in Venezuela, four in Panama, one in Honduras, and six on college campuses and at a hospital in Florida. The franchised Taco Cabana restaurants included five in New Mexico and two on college campuses in Texas. Basis of Consolidation. The unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements presented herein reflect the consolidated financial position, results of operations and cash flows of Fiesta and its wholly-owned subsidiaries. All intercompany transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. Fiscal Year . The Company uses a 52 - 53 week fiscal year ending on the Sunday closest to December 31. The fiscal year ended January 1, 2017 contained 52 weeks. The three and nine months ended October 1, 2017 and October 2, 2016 each contained thirteen and thirty-nine weeks, respectively. The fiscal year ending December 31, 2017 will contain 52 weeks. Basis of Presentation. The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements for the three and nine months ended October 1, 2017 and October 2, 2016 have been prepared without an audit pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and do not include certain information and footnotes required by U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles ("GAAP") for complete financial statements. In the opinion of management, all normal and recurring adjustments considered necessary for a fair presentation of such financial statements have been included. The results of operations for the three and nine months ended October 1, 2017 and October 2, 2016 are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the full year. These unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto for the year ended January 1, 2017 included in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 1, 2017 . The January 1, 2017 balance sheet data is derived from those audited financial statements. 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 at the measurement date under current market conditions. 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 the Company's senior credit facility, which is considered Level 2, is based on current LIBOR rates. The fair value and carrying value of the Company's senior credit facility were approximately $60.9 million at October 1, 2017 and $69.9 million at January 1, 2017 . 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 when events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amounts of these assets may not be fully recoverable. See Note 3. Use of Estimates . The preparation of the condensed consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and the 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: 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. Guidance Adopted in 2017. In March 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued ASU No. 2016-09, Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting (Topic 718), to simplify various aspects of the accounting and presentation of share-based payments, including the income tax effects of awards and forfeiture assumptions. In the first quarter of 2017, the Company prospectively adopted the amendments in this guidance that relate to the classification of excess tax benefits or tax benefit deficiencies from share-based payment arrangements in the statement of cash flows and income statement. Excess tax benefits from share-based payment arrangements result from share-based compensation windfall deductions in excess of compensation costs for financial reporting purposes and tax benefit deficiencies result from share-based compensation deduction shortfalls. During the nine months ended October 1, 2017 , the Company recognized $0.2 million of tax benefit deficiencies, which pursuant to the adopted guidance increased income tax expense and decreased net income by $0.2 million . Effective January 2, 2017, the Company elected to change its accounting policy to recognize forfeitures as they occur. The new forfeiture policy election was adopted using a modified retrospective approach with a $0.1 million

Prepaid Expenses and Other Curr

Prepaid Expenses and Other Current Assets	9 Months Ended
	Oct. 01, 2017
Deferred Costs, Capitalized, Prepaid, and Other Assets Disclosure [Abstract]
Prepaid Expenses and Other Current Assets	Prepaid Expenses and Other Current Assets Prepaid expenses and other current assets, consist of the following: October 1, 2017 January 1, 2017 Prepaid contract expenses $ 3,455 $ 2,089 Assets held for sale (1) 2,705 — Other 2,374 2,142 $ 8,534 $ 4,231 (1)

Impairment of Long-Lived Assets

Impairment of Long-Lived Assets and Other Lease Charges	9 Months Ended
	Oct. 01, 2017
Asset Impairment Charges [Abstract]
Impairment of Long-Lived Assets and Other Lease Charges	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. There is uncertainty in the projected undiscounted future cash flows used in the Company's impairment review analysis. If actual performance does not achieve the projections, the Company may recognize impairment charges in future periods, and such charges could be material. 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. There is uncertainty in the estimates of future lease costs and sublease recoveries. Actual costs and sublease recoveries could vary significantly from the estimated amounts and result in additional lease charges or recoveries, and such amounts could be material. A summary of impairment on long-lived assets and other lease charges recorded by segment is as follows: Three Months Ended Nine Months Ended October 1, 2017 October 2, 2016 October 1, 2017 October 2, 2016 Pollo Tropical $ 13,729 $ 18,390 $ 56,336 $ 18,390 Taco Cabana 2,176 123 2,745 217 $ 15,905 $ 18,513 $ 59,081 $ 18,607 On April 24, 2017, the Company announced a Strategic Renewal Plan (the "Plan") to drive long-term shareholder value creation that included the closure of 30 Company-owned Pollo Tropical restaurants outside its core Florida markets. The Company closed all Pollo Tropical locations in Dallas-Fort Worth and Austin, Texas, and Nashville, Tennessee during the second quarter of 2017. In September 2017, due to the ongoing uncertainty created in south Texas by Hurricane Harvey, limited awareness of the Pollo Tropical brand and overhead costs needed to operate the small remaining Pollo Tropical restaurant base in Texas, the Company closed the six remaining Company-owned Pollo Tropical restaurants in south Texas. These restaurants included two restaurants in Houston, Texas that were not re-opened after Hurricane Harvey and four restaurants in San Antonio, Texas. The Company continues to own and operate 13 Pollo Tropical restaurants located in Atlanta, Georgia. Up to three Pollo Tropical restaurants that closed in April 2017 and one Pollo Tropical restaurant that closed in September 2017 may be rebranded as Taco Cabana restaurants. In July 2017, the Company closed four Company-owned Taco Cabana restaurants in Texas. In the first quarter of 2017, the Company recognized impairment charges of $32.0 million with respect to the 30 closed Pollo Tropical restaurants, seven of which were impaired in 2016, as well as an additional impairment charge related to previously closed Pollo Tropical restaurants primarily as a result of the decision not to convert a location to a Taco Cabana restaurant. In the first quarter of 2017, the Company also recognized impairment charges of $0.3 million with respect to three Company-owned Taco Cabana restaurants that it continues to operate. In the second quarter of 2017, the Company recognized other lease charges, net of recoveries, of $6.7 million , primarily related to Pollo Tropical restaurants that were closed during the quarter. In addition, the Company recognized impairment charges of $3.8 million related to three closed Pollo Tropical restaurants as a result of the decision not to convert the locations to Taco Cabana restaurants and $0.2 million with respect to four Taco Cabana restaurants that were closed in July 2017. In the third quarter of 2017, the Company recognized impairment charges of $15.6 million with respect to the six Company-owned Pollo Tropical restaurants that closed in September 2017 and six additional Company-owned Pollo Tropical restaurants that it continues to operate, including five in Georgia and one in Florida. In addition, the Company recognized a net reduction to other lease charges, net of recoveries, of $1.9 million related to previously closed Company-owned Pollo Tropical restaurants as a result of lease terminations, assignments and other adjustments to estimates of future lease costs, partially offset by lease charges related to Company-owned Pollo Tropical restaurants closed in September 2017. In the third quarter of 2017, the Company also recognized impairment charges of $0.9 million primarily related to two Company-owned Taco Cabana restaurants that it continues to operate, and $1.3 million in other lease charges related to the closure of four Company-owned Taco Cabana restaurants in July 2017. Impairment and other lease charges for the nine months ended October 1, 2017 for Pollo Tropical consist of impairment charges of $51.3 million and other lease charges, net of recoveries, of $5.0 million . Impairment and other lease charges for the nine months ended October 1, 2017 for Taco Cabana consist of impairment charges of $1.4 million and other lease charges, net of recoveries, of $1.3 million . Impairment and other lease charges for the three and nine months ended October 2, 2016 consist of impairment charges of $18.5 million related to sixteen Company-owned Pollo Tropical restaurants that were subsequently closed in the fourth quarter of 2016 and second quarter of 2017 and one Company-owned Taco Cabana restaurant that was subsequently closed in the third quarter of 2017. Impairment and other lease charges for the nine months ended October 2, 2016 also included other lease charges of $0.1 million related to previously closed Company-owned Taco Cabana restaurants. The Company determined the fair value of restaurant equipment, for those restaurants reviewed for impairment, based on current economic conditions, the Company’s history of using these assets in the operation of its business and the Company's expectation of how a market participant would value the assets. In addition, for those restaurants reviewed for impairment where the company owns the land and building, the Company utilized third-party information such as a broker quoted value to determine the fair value of the property. The Company also utilized discounted future cash flows to determine the fair value of assets for certain leased restaurants with positive discounted projected future cash flows. These fair value asset measurements rely on significant unobservable inputs and are considered Level 3 in the fair value hierarchy. The Level 3 assets measured at fair value associated with impairment charges recorded during the nine months ended October 1, 2017 and October 2, 2016 totaled $13.5 million and $8.6 million , respectively, which primarily consist of leasehold improvements related to Pollo Tropical restaurants that may be rebranded as Taco Cabana restaurants and the estimated fair value of owned properties. The Company owns four of the Pollo Tropical restaurants that were closed in the second and third quarters of 2017. Three of these properties are available for sale and the Company intends to lease the other property. Two of these restaurants with a total carrying value of $2.7 million at October 1, 2017

Other Liabilities

Other Liabilities	9 Months Ended
	Oct. 01, 2017
Other Liabilities Disclosure [Abstract]
Other Liabilities	Other Liabilities Other liabilities, current, consist of the following: October 1, 2017 January 1, 2017 Accrued workers' compensation and general liability claims $ 6,796 $ 4,838 Sales and property taxes 2,134 1,844 Accrued occupancy costs 7,296 2,161 Other 4,890 2,473 $ 21,116 $ 11,316 Other liabilities, long-term, consist of the following: October 1, 2017 January 1, 2017 Accrued occupancy costs $ 21,551 $ 20,172 Deferred compensation 992 2,027 Accrued workers’ compensation and general liability claims 4,028 4,030 Other 4,265 4,140 $ 30,836 $ 30,369 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-restaurant reserve, of which $ 6.0 million and $ 3.1 million are included in long-term accrued occupancy costs at October 1, 2017 and January 1, 2017 , respectively, with the remainder in current accrued occupancy costs. Nine Months Ended October 1, 2017 Year Ended January 1, 2017 Balance, beginning of period $ 4,912 $ 1,832 Provisions for restaurant closures 7,857 3,093 Additional lease charges, net of (recoveries) (1,616 ) (237 ) Payments, net (3,526 ) (806 ) Other adjustments (1) 5,507 1,030 Balance, end of period $ 13,134 $ 4,912

Stock-Based Compensation

Stock-Based Compensation	9 Months Ended
	Oct. 01, 2017
Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Abstract]
Stock-Based Compensation	Stock-Based Compensation During the nine months ended October 1, 2017 and October 2, 2016 , the Company granted certain employees 182,522 and 50,087 non-vested restricted shares, respectively, under the Fiesta Restaurant Group, Inc. 2012 Stock Incentive Plan (the "Fiesta Plan"). These shares generally vest and become non-forfeitable over a four year vesting period. The weighted average fair value at grant date for these non-vested shares issued during the nine months ended October 1, 2017 and October 2, 2016 was $20.75 and $35.25 , respectively. During the nine months ended October 1, 2017 , the Company granted new non-employee directors 8,927 non-vested restricted shares, under the Fiesta Plan. These shares vest and become non-forfeitable over a five year vesting period. The weighted average fair value at grant date for these non-vested shares was $22.41 . During the nine months ended October 1, 2017 and October 2, 2016 , the Company granted non-employee directors 29,669 and 14,081 non-vested restricted shares, respectively, under the Fiesta Plan. The weighted average fair value at the grant date for restricted non-vested shares issued to directors during the nine months ended October 1, 2017 and October 2, 2016 was $20.90 and $33.39 , respectively. These shares vest and become non-forfeitable over a one year vesting period. During the nine months ended October 1, 2017 and October 2, 2016 , the Company granted certain employees 11,745 and 5,762 restricted stock units, respectively, under the Fiesta Plan. The restricted stock units granted during the nine months ended October 1, 2017 and October 2, 2016 vest and become non-forfeitable at the end of a four year vesting period. The weighted average fair value at grant date for these restricted stock units issued to employees during the nine months ended October 1, 2017 and October 2, 2016 was $20.75 and $35.25 , respectively. Also during the nine months ended October 1, 2017 , the Company granted 92,171 restricted stock units under the Fiesta Plan to certain employees subject to continued service requirements and market performance conditions: • The Company granted its Chief Executive Officer 72,290 restricted stock units, which vest in four tranches over a four year vesting period subject to continued service and attainment of specified share prices of the Company's Common Stock during 20 consecutive trading days at any point during each year. Each tranche vests by the end of a one year period if the specified target stock price condition for that year is met. If the specified target stock price condition for any tranche is not met for the year, the cumulative unearned units will be rolled over to subsequent tranches on a pro rata basis. The number of shares into which these restricted stock units convert ranges from no shares, if the service and market performance conditions are not met, to 72,290 shares, if the service and market performance conditions are met in the fourth year. The weighted average fair value at grant date for these restricted stock units was $12.90 . • The Company granted certain executives 19,881 restricted stock units which vest in three tranches over a three year vesting period subject to continued service and attainment of specified share price of the Company's Common Stock. The number of shares into which these restricted stock units convert ranges from no shares, if the service and market performance conditions are not met, to 19,881 shares, if the service and market performance conditions are met in the third year. During the nine months ended October 2, 2016 , the Company granted 33,691 non-vested restricted shares and 33,691 restricted stock units, respectively, under the Fiesta Plan to certain employees subject to performance conditions. The non-vested restricted shares vest and become non-forfeitable over a four year vesting period subject to the attainment of financial performance conditions. The restricted stock units vest and become non-forfeitable at the end of a three year vesting period. The number of shares into which the restricted stock units convert is based on the attainment of certain financial performance conditions and for the restricted stock units granted during the nine months ended October 2, 2016 , ranges from no shares, if the minimum financial performance condition is not met, to 67,382 shares, if the maximum performance condition is met. The weighted average fair value at grant date for both restricted non-vested shares and restricted stock units subject to financial performance conditions granted during the nine months ended October 2, 2016 was $35.25 . Stock-based compensation expense for the three and nine months ended October 1, 2017 was $0.9 million and $2.8 million , respectively, and for the three and nine months ended October 2, 2016 was $0.4 million and $2.6 million , respectively. At October 1, 2017 , the total unrecognized stock-based compensation expense related to non-vested restricted shares and restricted stock units was approximately $ 5.8 million . At October 1, 2017 , the remaining weighted average vesting period for non-vested restricted shares was 2.8 years and restricted stock units was 1.7 years. A summary of all non-vested restricted shares and restricted stock units activity for the nine months ended October 1, 2017 is as follows: Non-Vested Shares Restricted Stock Units Shares Weighted Units Weighted Outstanding at January 1, 2017 129,352 $ 37.94 51,445 $ 46.59 Granted 221,118 20.84 103,916 13.10 Vested/Released (89,739 ) 29.99 (1,430 ) 51.51 Forfeited (20,093 ) 32.16 (8,647 ) 35.43 Outstanding at October 1, 2017 240,638 $ 24.82 145,284 $ 23.25

Business Segment Information

Business Segment Information	9 Months Ended
	Oct. 01, 2017
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
Business Segment Information	Business Segment Information The Company is engaged in the fast-casual restaurant industry, with two restaurant concepts (each of which is an operating segment): Pollo Tropical and Taco Cabana. Pollo Tropical restaurants offer a wide variety of freshly prepared tropical inspired food while our Taco Cabana restaurants offer a broad selection of freshly prepared Mexican inspired food. Each segment's accounting policies are the same as those described in the summary of significant accounting policies in Note 1 to the Company's audited financial statements contained in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 1, 2017 . Prior to the second quarter of 2017, the primary measures of segment profit or loss used to assess performance and allocate resources were income (loss) before taxes and an Adjusted EBITDA measure, which was defined as earnings attributable to the applicable operating segment before interest, income taxes, depreciation and amortization, impairment and other lease charges, stock-based compensation expense and other income and expense. In 2017, the Company’s Board of Directors appointed a new Chief Executive Officer who initiated the Plan and uses an Adjusted EBITDA measure for the purpose of assessing performance and allocating resources to segments. The new Adjusted EBITDA measure used by the chief operating decision maker includes adjustments for significant items that management believes are related to strategic changes and/or are not related to the ongoing operation of the Company’s restaurants. Beginning in the second quarter of 2017, the primary measure of segment profit or loss used by the chief operating decision maker to assess performance and allocate resources is Adjusted EBITDA, which is now defined as earnings attributable to the applicable operating segments before interest expense, income taxes, depreciation and amortization, impairment and other lease charges, stock-compensation expense, other expense (income), net, and certain significant items for each segment that management believes are related to strategic changes and/or are not related to the ongoing operation of the Company's restaurants as set forth in the reconciliation table below. The Company has included the presentation of Adjusted EBITDA for all periods presented. The “Other” column includes corporate-related items not allocated to reportable segments and consists primarily of corporate-owned property and equipment, miscellaneous prepaid costs, capitalized costs associated with the issuance of indebtedness, corporate cash accounts, a current income tax receivable, and advisory fees related to a previously proposed and terminated separation transaction. Three Months Ended Pollo Tropical Taco Cabana Other Consolidated October 1, 2017: Restaurant sales $ 87,888 $ 70,212 $ — $ 158,100 Franchise revenue 396 195 — 591 Cost of sales 28,527 20,624 — 49,151 Restaurant wages and related expenses 21,208 23,441 — 44,649 Restaurant rent expense 4,655 4,449 — 9,104 Other restaurant operating expenses 13,034 11,822 — 24,856 Advertising expense 4,980 905 — 5,885 General and administrative expense 6,655 5,410 — 12,065 Adjusted EBITDA 9,396 3,776 — 13,172 Depreciation and amortization 5,187 3,296 — 8,483 Capital expenditures 6,302 5,471 613 12,386 October 2, 2016: Restaurant sales $ 103,353 $ 78,239 $ — $ 181,592 Franchise revenue 474 190 — 664 Cost of sales 32,565 22,161 — 54,726 Restaurant wages and related expenses 24,383 23,120 — 47,503 Restaurant rent expense 5,059 4,429 — 9,488 Other restaurant operating expenses 14,361 11,354 — 25,715 Advertising expense 5,026 2,480 — 7,506 General and administrative expense 9,091 5,355 74 14,520 Adjusted EBITDA 13,782 9,762 — 23,544 Depreciation and amortization 6,337 3,176 — 9,513 Capital expenditures 18,146 2,791 (132 ) 20,805 Nine Months Ended Pollo Tropical Taco Cabana Other Consolidated October 1, 2017: Restaurant sales $ 281,572 $ 223,510 $ — $ 505,082 Franchise revenue 1,272 568 — 1,840 Cost of sales 87,430 63,397 — 150,827 Restaurant wages and related expenses 66,945 72,105 — 139,050 Restaurant rent expense 14,502 13,379 — 27,881 Other restaurant operating expenses 39,353 34,207 — 73,560 Advertising expense 11,316 6,400 — 17,716 General and administrative expense 26,331 20,882 — 47,213 Adjusted EBITDA 41,257 17,252 — 58,509 Depreciation and amortization 16,705 9,560 — 26,265 Capital expenditures 23,208 13,487 1,844 38,539 October 2, 2016: Restaurant sales $ 304,138 $ 234,228 $ — $ 538,366 Franchise revenue 1,559 540 — 2,099 Cost of sales 96,435 66,948 — 163,383 Restaurant wages and related expenses 71,259 68,277 — 139,536 Restaurant rent expense 14,528 12,994 — 27,522 Other restaurant operating expenses 40,654 31,712 — 72,366 Advertising expense 12,473 9,034 — 21,507 General and administrative expense 25,619 16,180 822 42,621 Adjusted EBITDA 43,832 30,530 — 74,362 Depreciation and amortization 17,043 9,431 — 26,474 Capital expenditures 52,713 8,058 2,272 63,043 Identifiable Assets: October 1, 2017 $ 234,433 $ 166,368 $ 16,996 $ 417,797 January 1, 2017 263,868 165,195 12,502 441,565 A reconciliation of consolidated net income (loss) to Adjusted EBITDA follows: Three Months Ended Pollo Tropical Taco Cabana Other Consolidated October 1, 2017: Net income (loss) $ (8,257 ) Provision for (benefit from) income taxes (4,827 ) Income (loss) before taxes $ (10,816 ) $ (2,268 ) $ — $ (13,084 ) Add: Non-general and administrative expense adjustments: Depreciation and amortization 5,187 3,296 — 8,483 Impairment and other lease charges 13,729 2,176 — 15,905 Interest expense 329 343 — 672 Other expense (income), net 566 (105 ) — 461 Stock-based compensation expense in restaurant wages (4 ) 13 — 9 Total Non-general and administrative expense adjustments 19,807 5,723 — 25,530 General and administrative expense adjustments: Stock-based compensation expense 587 351 — 938 Board and shareholder matter costs (89 ) (66 ) — (155 ) Write-off of site development costs 8 — — 8 Plan restructuring costs and retention bonuses 51 36 — 87 Office restructuring and relocation costs (152 ) — — (152 ) Total General and administrative expense adjustments 405 321 — 726 Adjusted EBITDA: $ 9,396 $ 3,776 $ — $ 13,172 October 2, 2016: Net income (loss) $ (4,531 ) Provision for (benefit from) income taxes (2,748 ) Income (loss) before taxes $ (13,070 ) $ 5,865 $ (74 ) $ (7,279 ) Add: Non-general and administrative expense adjustments: Depreciation and amortization 6,337 3,176 — 9,513 Impairment and other lease charges 18,390 123 — 18,513 Interest expense 229 313 — 542 Stock-based compensation expense in restaurant wages 18 17 — 35 Total Non-general and administrative expense adjustments 24,974 3,629 — 28,603 General and administrative expense adjustments: Stock-based compensation expense 183 147 — 330 Board and shareholder matter costs 119 89 74 282 Write-off of site development costs 549 32 — 581 Office restructuring and relocation costs 193 — — 193 Legal settlements and related costs 834 — — 834 Total General and administrative expense adjustments 1,878 268 74 2,220 Adjusted EBITDA: $ 13,782 $ 9,762 $ — $ 23,544 Nine Months Ended Pollo Tropical Taco Cabana Other Consolidated October 1, 2017: Net income (loss) $ (25,477 ) Provision for (benefit from) income taxes (14,241 ) Income (loss) before taxes $ (39,414 ) $ (304 ) $ — $ (39,718 ) Add: Non-general and administrative expense adjustments: Depreciation and amortization 16,705 9,560 — 26,265 Impairment and other lease charges 56,336 2,745 — 59,081 Interest expense 873 1,037 — 1,910 Other expense (income), net 1,454 (195 ) — 1,259 Stock-based compensation expense in restaurant wages (4 ) 48 — 44 Unused pre-production costs in advertising expense 322 88 — 410 Total Non-general and administrative expense adjustments 75,686 13,283 — 88,969 General and administrative expense adjustments: Stock-based compensation expense 1,542 1,181 — 2,723 Terminated capital project 484 365 — 849 Board and shareholder matter costs 2,136 1,612 — 3,748 Write-off of site development costs 170 292 — 462 Plan restructuring costs and retention bonuses 1,278 823 — 2,101 Office restructuring and relocation costs (152 ) — — (152 ) Legal settlements and related costs (473 ) — — (473 ) Total General and administrative expense adjustments 4,985 4,273 — 9,258 Adjusted EBITDA: $ 41,257 $ 17,252 $ — $ 58,509 October 2, 2016: Net income (loss) $ 14,280 Provision for (benefit from) income taxes 8,065 Income (loss) before taxes $ 4,235 $ 18,932 $ (822 ) $ 22,345 Add: Non-general and administrative expense adjustments: Depreciation and amortization 17,043 9,431 — 26,474 Impairment and other lease charges 18,390 217 — 18,607 Interest expense 708 927 — 1,635 Other expense (income), net (12 ) (226 ) — (238 ) Stock-based compensation expense in restaurant wages 56 55 — 111 Total Non-general and administrative expense adjustments 36,185 10,404 — 46,589 General and administrative expense adjustments: Stock-based compensation expense 1,408 1,115 — 2,523 Board and shareholder matter costs 119 89 822 1,030 Write-off of site development costs 796 81 — 877 Office restructuring and relocation costs 539 — — 539 Legal settlements and related costs 550 (91 ) — 459 Total General and administrative expense adjustments 3,412 1,194 822 5,428 Adjusted EBITDA: $ 43,832 $ 30,530 $ — $ 74,362

Net Income (Loss) per Share

Net Income (Loss) per Share	9 Months Ended
	Oct. 01, 2017
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Net Income (Loss) per Share	Net Income (Loss) per Share The Company computes basic net income (loss) per share by dividing net income (loss) 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 is computed by dividing undistributed earnings allocated to common stockholders 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 to be converted into common shares. Restricted stock units with performance conditions are only included in the diluted earnings per share calculation to the extent that performance conditions have been met at the measurement date. 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 the three and nine months ended October 1, 2017 and for the three months ended October 2, 2016 , all restricted stock units outstanding were excluded from the computation of diluted earnings per share because to do so would have been antidilutive as a result of the net loss in these periods. Weighted average outstanding restricted stock units totaling 11,489 shares for the nine months ended October 2, 2016 were not included in the computation of diluted earnings per share because to do so would have been antidilutive. The computation of basic and diluted net income (loss) per share is as follows: Three Months Ended Nine Months Ended October 1, 2017 October 2, 2016 October 1, 2017 October 2, 2016 Basic and diluted net income (loss) per share: Net income (loss) $ (8,257 ) $ (4,531 ) $ (25,477 ) $ 14,280 Less: income allocated to participating securities — — — (138 ) Net income (loss) available to common shareholders $ (8,257 ) $ (4,531 ) $ (25,477 ) $ 14,142 Weighted average common shares, basic 26,845,568 26,716,219 26,811,610 26,658,739 Restricted stock units — — — 6,352 Weighted average common shares, diluted 26,845,568 26,716,219 26,811,610 26,665,091 Basic net income (loss) per share $ (0.31 ) $ (0.17 ) $ (0.95 ) $ 0.53 Diluted net income (loss) per share $ (0.31 ) $ (0.17 ) $ (0.95 ) $ 0.53

Commitments and Contingencies

Commitments and Contingencies	9 Months Ended
	Oct. 01, 2017
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
Commitments and Contingencies	Commitments and Contingencies Lease Assignments . Taco Cabana has assigned three leases to various parties on properties where it no longer operates restaurants with lease terms expiring on various dates through 2029. The assignees are responsible for making the payments required by the leases. The Company is a guarantor under one of the leases, and it remains secondarily liable as a surety with respect to two of the leases. In the third quarter of 2017, Pollo Tropical assigned one lease to a third party on a property where it no longer operates with a lease term expiring in 2033. The assignee is responsible for making the payments required by the lease. The Company is a guarantor under the lease. The maximum potential liability for future rental payments that the Company could be required to make under these leases at October 1, 2017 was $4.1 million . The Company could also be obligated to pay property taxes and other lease related costs. 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 will be ultimately responsible for the obligations under 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 November 24, 2015, Pollo Tropical received a legal demand letter alleging that assistant managers were misclassified as exempt from overtime wages under the Fair Labor Standards Act. On September 30, 2016, prior to any suit being filed, Pollo Tropical reached a settlement with seven named individuals and a proposed collective action class that will allow current and former assistant managers to receive notice and opt-in to the settlement. Pollo Tropical denies any liability or unlawful conduct. The Company has recorded a charge of $0.8 million to cover the estimated costs related to the settlement, including estimated payments to individuals that opt-in to the settlement, premium payments to named individuals, attorneys’ fees for the individuals' counsel, and related settlement administration costs. The charge does not include legal fees incurred by Pollo Tropical in defending the action. The settlement, which is subject to approval by an arbitrator and a judicial body, will result in dismissal with prejudice for the named individuals and all individuals that opt-in to the settlement. 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. Contingency Related to Insurance Recoveries . During the third quarter of 2017, Texas and Florida were struck by Hurricanes Harvey and Irma (the "Hurricanes"). 43 Taco Cabana and two Pollo Tropical Company-owned restaurants in the Houston metropolitan area and all 149 Pollo Tropical Company-owned restaurants in Florida and the Atlanta metropolitan area were closed and affected by the Hurricanes to varying degrees (e.g. property preparation and damages, inventory losses, payment of hourly employees while restaurants were closed, lost business related to temporary closures, limited menu and modified hours of operations). Other Texas markets where the Company operates Company-owned restaurants including San Antonio were also affected by Hurricane Harvey, but to a lesser degree. All of the restaurants that were closed have re-opened except for one Taco Cabana restaurant and two Pollo Tropical restaurants that remain closed in Houston. The Company maintains comprehensive insurance coverage on all of its restaurants including property, flood and business interruption and is in the process of assessing the extent of damage and loss, and expected insurance proceeds. In the third quarter of 2017, the Company recorded expected insurance proceeds of $0.2 million

Recent Accounting Pronouncement

Recent Accounting Pronouncements	9 Months Ended
	Oct. 01, 2017
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Recent Accounting Pronouncements	Recent Accounting Pronouncements In May 2014, and in subsequent updates, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606), which amends the guidance in former Topic 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 non-financial assets, such as property and equipment, including real estate. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of the provisions of Topic 606; however, the Company does not believe the standard will impact its recognition of revenue from Company-owned restaurants or its recognition of franchise royalty revenues, which are based on a percent of gross sales. The Company expects the provisions to primarily impact franchise and development fees as well as gift card programs and does not expect the standard to have a material effect on its financial statements. The Company does not plan to early adopt the standard and plans to use the modified retrospective approach to adopt the standard. For the Company, the new standard is effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017.

Basis of Presentation (Policies

Basis of Presentation (Policies)	9 Months Ended
	Oct. 01, 2017
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Basis of Consolidation	Basis of Consolidation. The unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements presented herein reflect the consolidated financial position, results of operations and cash flows of Fiesta and its wholly-owned subsidiaries. All intercompany transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.
Fiscal Year	Fiscal Year . The Company uses a 52 - 53 week fiscal year ending on the Sunday closest to December 31. The fiscal year ended January 1, 2017 contained 52 weeks. The three and nine months ended October 1, 2017 and October 2, 2016 each contained thirteen and thirty-nine weeks, respectively. The fiscal year ending December 31, 2017 will contain 52
Basis of Presentation	Basis of Presentation. The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements for the three and nine months ended October 1, 2017 and October 2, 2016 have been prepared without an audit pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and do not include certain information and footnotes required by U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles ("GAAP") for complete financial statements. In the opinion of management, all normal and recurring adjustments considered necessary for a fair presentation of such financial statements have been included. The results of operations for the three and nine months ended October 1, 2017 and October 2, 2016 are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the full year. These unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto for the year ended January 1, 2017 included in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 1, 2017 . The January 1, 2017
Fair Value of Financial Instruments	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 at the measurement date under current market conditions. 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.
Long-Lived Assets	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 when events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amounts of these assets may not be fully recoverable. See Note 3.
Use of Estimates	Use of Estimates . The preparation of the condensed consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and the 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: accrued occupancy costs,
Recent Accounting Pronouncements	Guidance Adopted in 2017. In March 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued ASU No. 2016-09, Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting (Topic 718), to simplify various aspects of the accounting and presentation of share-based payments, including the income tax effects of awards and forfeiture assumptions. In the first quarter of 2017, the Company prospectively adopted the amendments in this guidance that relate to the classification of excess tax benefits or tax benefit deficiencies from share-based payment arrangements in the statement of cash flows and income statement. Excess tax benefits from share-based payment arrangements result from share-based compensation windfall deductions in excess of compensation costs for financial reporting purposes and tax benefit deficiencies result from share-based compensation deduction shortfalls. During the nine months ended October 1, 2017 , the Company recognized $0.2 million of tax benefit deficiencies, which pursuant to the adopted guidance increased income tax expense and decreased net income by $0.2 million . Effective January 2, 2017, the Company elected to change its accounting policy to recognize forfeitures as they occur. The new forfeiture policy election was adopted using a modified retrospective approach with a $0.1 million In May 2014, and in subsequent updates, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606), which amends the guidance in former Topic 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 non-financial assets, such as property and equipment, including real estate. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of the provisions of Topic 606; however, the Company does not believe the standard will impact its recognition of revenue from Company-owned restaurants or its recognition of franchise royalty revenues, which are based on a percent of gross sales. The Company expects the provisions to primarily impact franchise and development fees as well as gift card programs and does not expect the standard to have a material effect on its financial statements. The Company does not plan to early adopt the standard and plans to use the modified retrospective approach to adopt the standard. For the Company, the new standard is effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017.
Segment Reporting	Each segment's accounting policies are the same as those described in the summary of significant accounting policies in Note 1 to the Company's audited financial statements contained in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 1, 2017 . Prior to the second quarter of 2017, the primary measures of segment profit or loss used to assess performance and allocate resources were income (loss) before taxes and an Adjusted EBITDA measure, which was defined as earnings attributable to the applicable operating segment before interest, income taxes, depreciation and amortization, impairment and other lease charges, stock-based compensation expense and other income and expense.
Net Income per Share	The Company computes basic net income (loss) per share by dividing net income (loss) 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 is computed by dividing undistributed earnings allocated to common stockholders 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 to be converted into common shares. Restricted stock units with performance conditions are only included in the diluted earnings per share calculation to the extent that performance conditions have been met at the measurement date. 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.

Prepaid Expenses and Other Cu18

Prepaid Expenses and Other Current Assets (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Oct. 01, 2017
Deferred Costs, Capitalized, Prepaid, and Other Assets Disclosure [Abstract]
Prepaid Expenses and Other Current Assets	Prepaid expenses and other current assets, consist of the following: October 1, 2017 January 1, 2017 Prepaid contract expenses $ 3,455 $ 2,089 Assets held for sale (1) 2,705 — Other 2,374 2,142 $ 8,534 $ 4,231 (1)

Impairment of Long-Lived Asse19

Impairment of Long-Lived Assets and Other Lease Charges (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Oct. 01, 2017
Asset Impairment Charges [Abstract]
Summary of Impairment on Long-Lived Assets and Other Lease Charges by Segment	A summary of impairment on long-lived assets and other lease charges recorded by segment is as follows: Three Months Ended Nine Months Ended October 1, 2017 October 2, 2016 October 1, 2017 October 2, 2016 Pollo Tropical $ 13,729 $ 18,390 $ 56,336 $ 18,390 Taco Cabana 2,176 123 2,745 217 $ 15,905 $ 18,513 $ 59,081 $ 18,607

Other Liabilities (Tables)

Other Liabilities (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Oct. 01, 2017
Other Liabilities Disclosure [Abstract]
Other Liabilities, Current	Other liabilities, current, consist of the following: October 1, 2017 January 1, 2017 Accrued workers' compensation and general liability claims $ 6,796 $ 4,838 Sales and property taxes 2,134 1,844 Accrued occupancy costs 7,296 2,161 Other 4,890 2,473 $ 21,116 $ 11,316
Other Liabilities, Long-term	Other liabilities, long-term, consist of the following: October 1, 2017 January 1, 2017 Accrued occupancy costs $ 21,551 $ 20,172 Deferred compensation 992 2,027 Accrued workers’ compensation and general liability claims 4,028 4,030 Other 4,265 4,140 $ 30,836 $ 30,369
Activity in the Closed-Store Reserve	The following table presents the activity in the closed-restaurant reserve, of which $ 6.0 million and $ 3.1 million are included in long-term accrued occupancy costs at October 1, 2017 and January 1, 2017 , respectively, with the remainder in current accrued occupancy costs. Nine Months Ended October 1, 2017 Year Ended January 1, 2017 Balance, beginning of period $ 4,912 $ 1,832 Provisions for restaurant closures 7,857 3,093 Additional lease charges, net of (recoveries) (1,616 ) (237 ) Payments, net (3,526 ) (806 ) Other adjustments (1) 5,507 1,030 Balance, end of period $ 13,134 $ 4,912

Stock-Based Compensation (Table

Stock-Based Compensation (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Oct. 01, 2017
Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Abstract]
Schedule of Non-vested Restricted Shares Activity	A summary of all non-vested restricted shares and restricted stock units activity for the nine months ended October 1, 2017 is as follows: Non-Vested Shares Restricted Stock Units Shares Weighted Units Weighted Outstanding at January 1, 2017 129,352 $ 37.94 51,445 $ 46.59 Granted 221,118 20.84 103,916 13.10 Vested/Released (89,739 ) 29.99 (1,430 ) 51.51 Forfeited (20,093 ) 32.16 (8,647 ) 35.43 Outstanding at October 1, 2017 240,638 $ 24.82 145,284 $ 23.25
Schedule of Restricted Stock Units Activity	A summary of all non-vested restricted shares and restricted stock units activity for the nine months ended October 1, 2017 is as follows: Non-Vested Shares Restricted Stock Units Shares Weighted Units Weighted Outstanding at January 1, 2017 129,352 $ 37.94 51,445 $ 46.59 Granted 221,118 20.84 103,916 13.10 Vested/Released (89,739 ) 29.99 (1,430 ) 51.51 Forfeited (20,093 ) 32.16 (8,647 ) 35.43 Outstanding at October 1, 2017 240,638 $ 24.82 145,284 $ 23.25

Business Segment Information (T

Business Segment Information (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Oct. 01, 2017
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
Schedule of Segment Reporting Information, by Segment	Three Months Ended Pollo Tropical Taco Cabana Other Consolidated October 1, 2017: Restaurant sales $ 87,888 $ 70,212 $ — $ 158,100 Franchise revenue 396 195 — 591 Cost of sales 28,527 20,624 — 49,151 Restaurant wages and related expenses 21,208 23,441 — 44,649 Restaurant rent expense 4,655 4,449 — 9,104 Other restaurant operating expenses 13,034 11,822 — 24,856 Advertising expense 4,980 905 — 5,885 General and administrative expense 6,655 5,410 — 12,065 Adjusted EBITDA 9,396 3,776 — 13,172 Depreciation and amortization 5,187 3,296 — 8,483 Capital expenditures 6,302 5,471 613 12,386 October 2, 2016: Restaurant sales $ 103,353 $ 78,239 $ — $ 181,592 Franchise revenue 474 190 — 664 Cost of sales 32,565 22,161 — 54,726 Restaurant wages and related expenses 24,383 23,120 — 47,503 Restaurant rent expense 5,059 4,429 — 9,488 Other restaurant operating expenses 14,361 11,354 — 25,715 Advertising expense 5,026 2,480 — 7,506 General and administrative expense 9,091 5,355 74 14,520 Adjusted EBITDA 13,782 9,762 — 23,544 Depreciation and amortization 6,337 3,176 — 9,513 Capital expenditures 18,146 2,791 (132 ) 20,805 Nine Months Ended Pollo Tropical Taco Cabana Other Consolidated October 1, 2017: Restaurant sales $ 281,572 $ 223,510 $ — $ 505,082 Franchise revenue 1,272 568 — 1,840 Cost of sales 87,430 63,397 — 150,827 Restaurant wages and related expenses 66,945 72,105 — 139,050 Restaurant rent expense 14,502 13,379 — 27,881 Other restaurant operating expenses 39,353 34,207 — 73,560 Advertising expense 11,316 6,400 — 17,716 General and administrative expense 26,331 20,882 — 47,213 Adjusted EBITDA 41,257 17,252 — 58,509 Depreciation and amortization 16,705 9,560 — 26,265 Capital expenditures 23,208 13,487 1,844 38,539 October 2, 2016: Restaurant sales $ 304,138 $ 234,228 $ — $ 538,366 Franchise revenue 1,559 540 — 2,099 Cost of sales 96,435 66,948 — 163,383 Restaurant wages and related expenses 71,259 68,277 — 139,536 Restaurant rent expense 14,528 12,994 — 27,522 Other restaurant operating expenses 40,654 31,712 — 72,366 Advertising expense 12,473 9,034 — 21,507 General and administrative expense 25,619 16,180 822 42,621 Adjusted EBITDA 43,832 30,530 — 74,362 Depreciation and amortization 17,043 9,431 — 26,474 Capital expenditures 52,713 8,058 2,272 63,043 Identifiable Assets: October 1, 2017 $ 234,433 $ 166,368 $ 16,996 $ 417,797 January 1, 2017 263,868 165,195 12,502 441,565
Reconciliation of Consolidated Net Income (Loss) to Adjusted EBITDA	A reconciliation of consolidated net income (loss) to Adjusted EBITDA follows: Three Months Ended Pollo Tropical Taco Cabana Other Consolidated October 1, 2017: Net income (loss) $ (8,257 ) Provision for (benefit from) income taxes (4,827 ) Income (loss) before taxes $ (10,816 ) $ (2,268 ) $ — $ (13,084 ) Add: Non-general and administrative expense adjustments: Depreciation and amortization 5,187 3,296 — 8,483 Impairment and other lease charges 13,729 2,176 — 15,905 Interest expense 329 343 — 672 Other expense (income), net 566 (105 ) — 461 Stock-based compensation expense in restaurant wages (4 ) 13 — 9 Total Non-general and administrative expense adjustments 19,807 5,723 — 25,530 General and administrative expense adjustments: Stock-based compensation expense 587 351 — 938 Board and shareholder matter costs (89 ) (66 ) — (155 ) Write-off of site development costs 8 — — 8 Plan restructuring costs and retention bonuses 51 36 — 87 Office restructuring and relocation costs (152 ) — — (152 ) Total General and administrative expense adjustments 405 321 — 726 Adjusted EBITDA: $ 9,396 $ 3,776 $ — $ 13,172 October 2, 2016: Net income (loss) $ (4,531 ) Provision for (benefit from) income taxes (2,748 ) Income (loss) before taxes $ (13,070 ) $ 5,865 $ (74 ) $ (7,279 ) Add: Non-general and administrative expense adjustments: Depreciation and amortization 6,337 3,176 — 9,513 Impairment and other lease charges 18,390 123 — 18,513 Interest expense 229 313 — 542 Stock-based compensation expense in restaurant wages 18 17 — 35 Total Non-general and administrative expense adjustments 24,974 3,629 — 28,603 General and administrative expense adjustments: Stock-based compensation expense 183 147 — 330 Board and shareholder matter costs 119 89 74 282 Write-off of site development costs 549 32 — 581 Office restructuring and relocation costs 193 — — 193 Legal settlements and related costs 834 — — 834 Total General and administrative expense adjustments 1,878 268 74 2,220 Adjusted EBITDA: $ 13,782 $ 9,762 $ — $ 23,544 Nine Months Ended Pollo Tropical Taco Cabana Other Consolidated October 1, 2017: Net income (loss) $ (25,477 ) Provision for (benefit from) income taxes (14,241 ) Income (loss) before taxes $ (39,414 ) $ (304 ) $ — $ (39,718 ) Add: Non-general and administrative expense adjustments: Depreciation and amortization 16,705 9,560 — 26,265 Impairment and other lease charges 56,336 2,745 — 59,081 Interest expense 873 1,037 — 1,910 Other expense (income), net 1,454 (195 ) — 1,259 Stock-based compensation expense in restaurant wages (4 ) 48 — 44 Unused pre-production costs in advertising expense 322 88 — 410 Total Non-general and administrative expense adjustments 75,686 13,283 — 88,969 General and administrative expense adjustments: Stock-based compensation expense 1,542 1,181 — 2,723 Terminated capital project 484 365 — 849 Board and shareholder matter costs 2,136 1,612 — 3,748 Write-off of site development costs 170 292 — 462 Plan restructuring costs and retention bonuses 1,278 823 — 2,101 Office restructuring and relocation costs (152 ) — — (152 ) Legal settlements and related costs (473 ) — — (473 ) Total General and administrative expense adjustments 4,985 4,273 — 9,258 Adjusted EBITDA: $ 41,257 $ 17,252 $ — $ 58,509 October 2, 2016: Net income (loss) $ 14,280 Provision for (benefit from) income taxes 8,065 Income (loss) before taxes $ 4,235 $ 18,932 $ (822 ) $ 22,345 Add: Non-general and administrative expense adjustments: Depreciation and amortization 17,043 9,431 — 26,474 Impairment and other lease charges 18,390 217 — 18,607 Interest expense 708 927 — 1,635 Other expense (income), net (12 ) (226 ) — (238 ) Stock-based compensation expense in restaurant wages 56 55 — 111 Total Non-general and administrative expense adjustments 36,185 10,404 — 46,589 General and administrative expense adjustments: Stock-based compensation expense 1,408 1,115 — 2,523 Board and shareholder matter costs 119 89 822 1,030 Write-off of site development costs 796 81 — 877 Office restructuring and relocation costs 539 — — 539 Legal settlements and related costs 550 (91 ) — 459 Total General and administrative expense adjustments 3,412 1,194 822 5,428 Adjusted EBITDA: $ 43,832 $ 30,530 $ — $ 74,362

Net Income (Loss) per Share (Ta

Net Income (Loss) per Share (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Oct. 01, 2017
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Schedule of Earnings Per Share	The computation of basic and diluted net income (loss) per share is as follows: Three Months Ended Nine Months Ended October 1, 2017 October 2, 2016 October 1, 2017 October 2, 2016 Basic and diluted net income (loss) per share: Net income (loss) $ (8,257 ) $ (4,531 ) $ (25,477 ) $ 14,280 Less: income allocated to participating securities — — — (138 ) Net income (loss) available to common shareholders $ (8,257 ) $ (4,531 ) $ (25,477 ) $ 14,142 Weighted average common shares, basic 26,845,568 26,716,219 26,811,610 26,658,739 Restricted stock units — — — 6,352 Weighted average common shares, diluted 26,845,568 26,716,219 26,811,610 26,665,091 Basic net income (loss) per share $ (0.31 ) $ (0.17 ) $ (0.95 ) $ 0.53 Diluted net income (loss) per share $ (0.31 ) $ (0.17 ) $ (0.95 ) $ 0.53

Basis of Presentation - Narrati

Basis of Presentation - Narrative (Details) - restaurant	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Oct. 01, 2017	Oct. 02, 2016	Oct. 01, 2017	Oct. 02, 2016	Dec. 31, 2017	Jan. 01, 2017	Apr. 24, 2017
Entity Information [Line Items]
Fiscal period duration	91 days	91 days	273 days	273 days		364 days
Forecast
Entity Information [Line Items]
Fiscal period duration					364 days
Minimum | Forecast
Entity Information [Line Items]
Fiscal period duration					364 days
Maximum | Forecast
Entity Information [Line Items]
Fiscal period duration					371 days
Pollo Tropical | Georgia
Entity Information [Line Items]
Number of restaurants							13
Entity Operated Units | Pollo Tropical
Entity Information [Line Items]
Number of restaurants	149		149
Entity Operated Units | Pollo Tropical | Florida
Entity Information [Line Items]
Number of restaurants	136		136
Entity Operated Units | Pollo Tropical | Georgia
Entity Information [Line Items]
Number of restaurants	13		13
Entity Operated Units | Taco Cabana
Entity Information [Line Items]
Number of restaurants	168		168
Entity Operated Units | Taco Cabana | Texas
Entity Information [Line Items]
Number of restaurants	167		167
Entity Operated Units | Taco Cabana | Oklahoma
Entity Information [Line Items]
Number of restaurants	1		1
Franchised Units | Pollo Tropical
Entity Information [Line Items]
Number of restaurants	32		32
Franchised Units | Pollo Tropical | Florida
Entity Information [Line Items]
Number of restaurants	6		6
Franchised Units | Pollo Tropical | Puerto Rico
Entity Information [Line Items]
Number of restaurants	17		17
Franchised Units | Pollo Tropical | Bahamas
Entity Information [Line Items]
Number of restaurants	1		1
Franchised Units | Pollo Tropical | Guyana
Entity Information [Line Items]
Number of restaurants	2		2
Franchised Units | Pollo Tropical | Venezuela
Entity Information [Line Items]
Number of restaurants	1		1
Franchised Units | Pollo Tropical | Panama
Entity Information [Line Items]
Number of restaurants	4		4
Franchised Units | Pollo Tropical | Honduras
Entity Information [Line Items]
Number of restaurants	1		1
Franchised Units | Taco Cabana
Entity Information [Line Items]
Number of restaurants	7		7
Franchised Units | Taco Cabana | Texas
Entity Information [Line Items]
Number of restaurants	2		2
Franchised Units | Taco Cabana | New Mexico
Entity Information [Line Items]
Number of restaurants	5		5

Basis of Presentation - Fair Va

Basis of Presentation - Fair Value Disclosures (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Oct. 01, 2017	Jan. 01, 2017
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Carrying value of senior credit facility	$ 60.9	$ 69.9
Level 2
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Fair value of senior credit facility	$ 60.9	$ 69.9

Basis of Presentation - Guidanc

Basis of Presentation - Guidance Adopted in 2017 (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
	Apr. 02, 2017	Oct. 01, 2017
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Cumulative-effect adjustment to beginning retained earnings		$ 26
ASU 2016-09
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Tax deficiencies from share-based compensation		200
Effect of adopting new guidance to net income		$ 200
Cumulative-effect adjustment to beginning retained earnings	$ 100

Prepaid Expenses and Other Cu27

Prepaid Expenses and Other Current Assets (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Oct. 01, 2017	Jan. 01, 2017
Deferred Costs, Capitalized, Prepaid, and Other Assets Disclosure [Abstract]
Prepaid contract expenses	$ 3,455	$ 2,089
Assets held for sale	2,705	0
Other	2,374	2,142
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	$ 8,534	$ 4,231

Impairment of Long-Lived Asse28

Impairment of Long-Lived Assets and Other Lease Charges - Summary by Segment (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Oct. 01, 2017	Oct. 02, 2016	Oct. 01, 2017	Oct. 02, 2016
Impairment and Other Lease Charges [Line Items]
Impairment and other lease charges	$ 15,905	$ 18,513	$ 59,081	$ 18,607
Pollo Tropical
Impairment and Other Lease Charges [Line Items]
Impairment and other lease charges	13,729	18,390	56,336	18,390
Taco Cabana
Impairment and Other Lease Charges [Line Items]
Impairment and other lease charges	$ 2,176	$ 123	$ 2,745	$ 217

Impairment of Long-Lived Asse29

Impairment of Long-Lived Assets and Other Lease Charges - Narrative (Details) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended				9 Months Ended
	Oct. 01, 2017USD ($)restaurant	Jul. 02, 2017USD ($)restaurant	Apr. 02, 2017USD ($)restaurant	Oct. 02, 2016USD ($)restaurant	Oct. 01, 2017USD ($)restaurant	Oct. 02, 2016USD ($)restaurant	Jul. 30, 2017restaurant	Apr. 24, 2017restaurant	Jan. 01, 2017restaurant
Impairment and Other Lease Charges [Line Items]
Asset impairment charges | $				$ 18.5		$ 18.5
Lease charges | $		$ 6.7				0.1
Number of owned closed restaurants available for lease	1				1
Carrying value of assets held for sale | $	$ 2.7				$ 2.7
Level 3
Impairment and Other Lease Charges [Line Items]
Assets measured at fair value associated with impairment charges | $	$ 13.5			$ 8.6	$ 13.5	$ 8.6
Restaurants, Brand Conversion | Maximum
Impairment and Other Lease Charges [Line Items]
Number of restaurants	1				1			3
Pollo Tropical
Impairment and Other Lease Charges [Line Items]
Asset impairment charges | $	$ 15.6	$ 3.8	$ 32		$ 51.3
Lease charges | $	$ (1.9)				$ 5
Number of owned closed restaurants					4
Number of closed restaurants held for sale	3				3
Number of closed restaurants held for sale classified as current assets	2				2
Pollo Tropical | Restaurants, Open
Impairment and Other Lease Charges [Line Items]
Number of restaurants	6			16	6	16			7
Pollo Tropical | Restaurants, Closed
Impairment and Other Lease Charges [Line Items]
Number of restaurants								30
Number of closed restaurants no longer considered for brand conversion		3	1
Pollo Tropical | South Texas | Restaurants, Closed
Impairment and Other Lease Charges [Line Items]
Number of restaurants	6				6
Pollo Tropical | Houston | Restaurants, Closed
Impairment and Other Lease Charges [Line Items]
Number of restaurants	2				2
Pollo Tropical | San Antonio | Restaurants, Closed
Impairment and Other Lease Charges [Line Items]
Number of restaurants	4				4
Pollo Tropical | Georgia
Impairment and Other Lease Charges [Line Items]
Number of restaurants								13
Pollo Tropical | Georgia | Restaurants, Open
Impairment and Other Lease Charges [Line Items]
Number of restaurants	5				5
Pollo Tropical | Florida | Restaurants, Open
Impairment and Other Lease Charges [Line Items]
Number of restaurants	1				1
Taco Cabana
Impairment and Other Lease Charges [Line Items]
Asset impairment charges | $	$ 0.9	$ 0.2	$ 0.3		$ 1.4
Lease charges | $	$ 1.3				$ 1.3
Taco Cabana | Restaurants, Open
Impairment and Other Lease Charges [Line Items]
Number of restaurants	2		3	1	2	1
Taco Cabana | Restaurants, Closed
Impairment and Other Lease Charges [Line Items]
Number of restaurants							4

Other Liabilities - Current (De

Other Liabilities - Current (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Oct. 01, 2017	Jan. 01, 2017
Other Liabilities Disclosure [Abstract]
Accrued workers' compensation and general liability claims	$ 6,796	$ 4,838
Sales and property taxes	2,134	1,844
Accrued occupancy costs	7,296	2,161
Other	4,890	2,473
Other liabilities, current	$ 21,116	$ 11,316

Other Liabilities - Long-term (

Other Liabilities - Long-term (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Oct. 01, 2017	Jan. 01, 2017
Other Liabilities Disclosure [Abstract]
Accrued occupancy costs	$ 21,551	$ 20,172
Deferred compensation	992	2,027
Accrued workers’ compensation and general liability claims	4,028	4,030
Other	4,265	4,140
Other liabilities, long-term	$ 30,836	$ 30,369

Other Liabilities - Narrative (

Other Liabilities - Narrative (Details) - Closed Stores - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Oct. 01, 2017	Jan. 01, 2017	Jan. 03, 2016
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Closed-store reserve	$ 13,134	$ 4,912	$ 1,832
Other Liabilities, Long-Term
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Closed-store reserve	$ 6,000	$ 3,100

Other Liabilities - Restructuri

Other Liabilities - Restructuring Reserve (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Jul. 02, 2017	Oct. 01, 2017	Oct. 02, 2016	Jan. 01, 2017
Activity in the Closed-Store Reserve
Provisions for restaurant closures	$ 6,700		$ 100
Closed Stores
Activity in the Closed-Store Reserve
Balance, beginning of period		$ 4,912	$ 1,832	$ 1,832
Provisions for restaurant closures		7,857		3,093
Additional lease charges, net of (recoveries)		(1,616)		(237)
Payments, net		(3,526)		(806)
Other adjustments		5,507		1,030
Balance, end of period		$ 13,134		$ 4,912

Stock-Based Compensation - Narr

Stock-Based Compensation - Narrative (Details) $ / shares in Units, $ in Millions	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Oct. 01, 2017USD ($)tranche	Oct. 02, 2016USD ($)	Oct. 01, 2017USD ($)daytranche$ / sharesshares	Oct. 02, 2016USD ($)$ / sharesshares
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Stock-based compensation | $	$ 0.9	$ 0.4	$ 2.8	$ 2.6
Unrecognized stock-based compensation expense | $	$ 5.8		$ 5.8
Nonvested Restricted Shares
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Shares granted in period			221,118
Weighted average grant date fair value, grants in period (usd per share) | $ / shares			$ 20.84
Share-based compensation cost not yet recognized, period for recognition			2 years 9 months 18 days
Nonvested Restricted Shares | Management
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Shares granted in period			182,522	50,087
Vesting period			4 years
Weighted average grant date fair value, grants in period (usd per share) | $ / shares			$ 20.75	$ 35.25
Nonvested Restricted Shares | Director | Non-Employee Directors Grant, 5-Yr Vesting
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Shares granted in period			8,927
Vesting period			5 years
Weighted average grant date fair value, grants in period (usd per share) | $ / shares			$ 22.41
Nonvested Restricted Shares | Director | Non-Employee Directors Grant, 1-Yr Vesting
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Shares granted in period			29,669	14,081
Vesting period			1 year
Weighted average grant date fair value, grants in period (usd per share) | $ / shares			$ 20.90	$ 33.39
Restricted Stock Units
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Shares granted in period			103,916
Weighted average grant date fair value, grants in period (usd per share) | $ / shares			$ 13.10
Share-based compensation cost not yet recognized, period for recognition			1 year 8 months 12 days
Restricted Stock Units | Management
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Shares granted in period			11,745	5,762
Vesting period			4 years
Weighted average grant date fair value, grants in period (usd per share) | $ / shares			$ 20.75	$ 35.25
Market Performance-Based Restricted Stock Units (RSUs)
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Shares granted in period			92,171
Market Performance-Based Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) | Chief Executive Officer
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Shares granted in period			72,290
Vesting period			4 years
Weighted average grant date fair value, grants in period (usd per share) | $ / shares			$ 12.90
Number of tranches | tranche	4		4
Threshold consecutive trading days | day			20
Market Performance-Based Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) | Chief Executive Officer | Minimum
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Shares to be issued at end of performance period			0
Market Performance-Based Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) | Chief Executive Officer | Maximum
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Shares to be issued at end of performance period			72,290
Market Performance-Based Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) | Executive Officer
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Shares granted in period			19,881
Vesting period			3 years
Number of tranches | tranche	3		3
Market Performance-Based Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) | Executive Officer | Minimum
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Shares to be issued at end of performance period			0
Market Performance-Based Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) | Executive Officer | Maximum
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Shares to be issued at end of performance period			19,881
Performance-Based Restricted Stock
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Shares granted in period				33,691
Vesting period				4 years
Weighted average grant date fair value, grants in period (usd per share) | $ / shares				$ 35.25
Performance-Based Restricted Stock Units (RSUs)
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Shares granted in period				33,691
Vesting period				3 years
Weighted average grant date fair value, grants in period (usd per share) | $ / shares				$ 35.25
Performance-Based Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) | Minimum
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Shares to be issued at end of performance period				0
Performance-Based Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) | Maximum
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Shares to be issued at end of performance period				67,382

Stock-Based Compensation - Non-

Stock-Based Compensation - Non-vested Restricted Shares and Restricted Stock Units Activity (Details)	9 Months Ended
	Oct. 01, 2017$ / sharesshares
Non-Vested Shares
Non-vested Restricted Shares and Restricted Stock Units
Outstanding at beginning of period (in shares) | shares	129,352
Granted (in shares) | shares	221,118
Vested/Released (in shares) | shares	(89,739)
Forfeited (in shares) | shares	(20,093)
Outstanding at end of period (in shares) | shares	240,638
Weighted Average Grant Date Price
Outstanding at beginning of period (usd per share) | $ / shares	$ 37.94
Granted (usd per share) | $ / shares	20.84
Vested/Released (usd per share) | $ / shares	29.99
Forfeited (usd per share) | $ / shares	32.16
Outstanding at end of period (usd per share) | $ / shares	$ 24.82
Restricted Stock Units
Non-vested Restricted Shares and Restricted Stock Units
Outstanding at beginning of period (in shares) | shares	51,445
Granted (in shares) | shares	103,916
Vested/Released (in shares) | shares	(1,430)
Forfeited (in shares) | shares	(8,647)
Outstanding at end of period (in shares) | shares	145,284
Weighted Average Grant Date Price
Outstanding at beginning of period (usd per share) | $ / shares	$ 46.59
Granted (usd per share) | $ / shares	13.10
Vested/Released (usd per share) | $ / shares	51.51
Forfeited (usd per share) | $ / shares	35.43
Outstanding at end of period (usd per share) | $ / shares	$ 23.25

Business Segment Information -

Business Segment Information - Segment Reporting Information, by Segment (Details) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Oct. 01, 2017USD ($)	Oct. 02, 2016USD ($)	Oct. 01, 2017USD ($)segment	Oct. 02, 2016USD ($)	Jan. 01, 2017USD ($)
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
Number of operating segments | segment			2
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Restaurant sales	$ 158,100	$ 181,592	$ 505,082	$ 538,366
Franchise revenue	591	664	1,840	2,099
Cost of sales	49,151	54,726	150,827	163,383
Restaurant wages and related expenses	44,649	47,503	139,050	139,536
Restaurant rent expense	9,104	9,488	27,881	27,522
Other restaurant operating expenses	24,856	25,715	73,560	72,366
Advertising expense	5,885	7,506	17,716	21,507
General and administrative expense	12,065	14,520	47,213	42,621
Adjusted EBITDA	13,172	23,544	58,509	74,362
Depreciation and amortization	8,483	9,513	26,265	26,474
Capital expenditures	12,386	20,805	38,539	63,043
Identifiable assets	417,797		417,797		$ 441,565
Operating Segments | Pollo Tropical
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Restaurant sales	87,888	103,353	281,572	304,138
Franchise revenue	396	474	1,272	1,559
Cost of sales	28,527	32,565	87,430	96,435
Restaurant wages and related expenses	21,208	24,383	66,945	71,259
Restaurant rent expense	4,655	5,059	14,502	14,528
Other restaurant operating expenses	13,034	14,361	39,353	40,654
Advertising expense	4,980	5,026	11,316	12,473
General and administrative expense	6,655	9,091	26,331	25,619
Adjusted EBITDA	9,396	13,782	41,257	43,832
Depreciation and amortization	5,187	6,337	16,705	17,043
Capital expenditures	6,302	18,146	23,208	52,713
Identifiable assets	234,433		234,433		263,868
Operating Segments | Taco Cabana
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Restaurant sales	70,212	78,239	223,510	234,228
Franchise revenue	195	190	568	540
Cost of sales	20,624	22,161	63,397	66,948
Restaurant wages and related expenses	23,441	23,120	72,105	68,277
Restaurant rent expense	4,449	4,429	13,379	12,994
Other restaurant operating expenses	11,822	11,354	34,207	31,712
Advertising expense	905	2,480	6,400	9,034
General and administrative expense	5,410	5,355	20,882	16,180
Adjusted EBITDA	3,776	9,762	17,252	30,530
Depreciation and amortization	3,296	3,176	9,560	9,431
Capital expenditures	5,471	2,791	13,487	8,058
Identifiable assets	166,368		166,368		165,195
Other
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Restaurant sales	0	0	0	0
Franchise revenue	0	0	0	0
Cost of sales	0	0	0	0
Restaurant wages and related expenses	0	0	0	0
Restaurant rent expense	0	0	0	0
Other restaurant operating expenses	0	0	0	0
Advertising expense	0	0	0	0
General and administrative expense	0	74	0	822
Adjusted EBITDA	0	0	0	0
Depreciation and amortization	0	0	0	0
Capital expenditures	613	$ (132)	1,844	$ 2,272
Identifiable assets	$ 16,996		$ 16,996		$ 12,502

Business Segment Information 37

Business Segment Information - Reconciliation of Consolidated Net Income (Loss) to Adjusted EBITDA (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Oct. 01, 2017	Oct. 02, 2016	Oct. 01, 2017	Oct. 02, 2016
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net income (loss)	$ (8,257)	$ (4,531)	$ (25,477)	$ 14,280
Provision for (benefit from) income taxes	(4,827)	(2,748)	(14,241)	8,065
Income (loss) before income taxes	(13,084)	(7,279)	(39,718)	22,345
Non-general and administrative expense adjustments:
Depreciation and amortization	8,483	9,513	26,265	26,474
Impairment and other lease charges	15,905	18,513	59,081	18,607
Interest expense	672	542	1,910	1,635
Other expense (income), net	461	0	1,259	(238)
Stock-based compensation expense in restaurant wages	900	400	2,800	2,600
Unused pre-production costs in advertising expense			410
Total Non-general and administrative expense adjustments	25,530	28,603	88,969	46,589
General and administrative expense adjustments:
Stock-based compensation expense	900	400	2,800	2,600
Terminated capital project			849
Board and shareholder matter costs	(155)	282	3,748	1,030
Write-off of site development costs	8	581	462	877
Restructuring, relocation and retention costs	(152)	193	(152)	539
Legal settlements and related costs		834	(473)	459
Total General and administrative expense adjustments	726	2,220	9,258	5,428
Adjusted EBITDA	13,172	23,544	58,509	74,362
Renewal Plan
General and administrative expense adjustments:
Restructuring, relocation and retention costs	87		2,101
Restaurant Wages And Related Expenses
Non-general and administrative expense adjustments:
Stock-based compensation expense in restaurant wages	9	35	44	111
General and administrative expense adjustments:
Stock-based compensation expense	9	35	44	111
General and Administrative Expense
Non-general and administrative expense adjustments:
Stock-based compensation expense in restaurant wages	938	330	2,723	2,523
General and administrative expense adjustments:
Stock-based compensation expense	938	330	2,723	2,523
Pollo Tropical
Non-general and administrative expense adjustments:
Impairment and other lease charges	13,729	18,390	56,336	18,390
Taco Cabana
Non-general and administrative expense adjustments:
Impairment and other lease charges	2,176	123	2,745	217
Operating Segments | Pollo Tropical
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Income (loss) before income taxes	(10,816)	(13,070)	(39,414)	4,235
Non-general and administrative expense adjustments:
Depreciation and amortization	5,187	6,337	16,705	17,043
Impairment and other lease charges	13,729	18,390	56,336	18,390
Interest expense	329	229	873	708
Other expense (income), net	566		1,454	(12)
Unused pre-production costs in advertising expense			322
Total Non-general and administrative expense adjustments	19,807	24,974	75,686	36,185
General and administrative expense adjustments:
Terminated capital project			484
Board and shareholder matter costs	(89)	119	2,136	119
Write-off of site development costs	8	549	170	796
Restructuring, relocation and retention costs	(152)	193	(152)	539
Legal settlements and related costs		834	(473)	550
Total General and administrative expense adjustments	405	1,878	4,985	3,412
Adjusted EBITDA	9,396	13,782	41,257	43,832
Operating Segments | Pollo Tropical | Renewal Plan
General and administrative expense adjustments:
Restructuring, relocation and retention costs	51		1,278
Operating Segments | Pollo Tropical | Restaurant Wages And Related Expenses
Non-general and administrative expense adjustments:
Stock-based compensation expense in restaurant wages	(4)	18	(4)	56
General and administrative expense adjustments:
Stock-based compensation expense	(4)	18	(4)	56
Operating Segments | Pollo Tropical | General and Administrative Expense
Non-general and administrative expense adjustments:
Stock-based compensation expense in restaurant wages	587	183	1,542	1,408
General and administrative expense adjustments:
Stock-based compensation expense	587	183	1,542	1,408
Operating Segments | Taco Cabana
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Income (loss) before income taxes	(2,268)	5,865	(304)	18,932
Non-general and administrative expense adjustments:
Depreciation and amortization	3,296	3,176	9,560	9,431
Impairment and other lease charges	2,176	123	2,745	217
Interest expense	343	313	1,037	927
Other expense (income), net	(105)		(195)	(226)
Unused pre-production costs in advertising expense			88
Total Non-general and administrative expense adjustments	5,723	3,629	13,283	10,404
General and administrative expense adjustments:
Terminated capital project			365
Board and shareholder matter costs	(66)	89	1,612	89
Write-off of site development costs	0	32	292	81
Restructuring, relocation and retention costs	0	0	0	0
Legal settlements and related costs		0	0	(91)
Total General and administrative expense adjustments	321	268	4,273	1,194
Adjusted EBITDA	3,776	9,762	17,252	30,530
Operating Segments | Taco Cabana | Renewal Plan
General and administrative expense adjustments:
Restructuring, relocation and retention costs	36		823
Operating Segments | Taco Cabana | Restaurant Wages And Related Expenses
Non-general and administrative expense adjustments:
Stock-based compensation expense in restaurant wages	13	17	48	55
General and administrative expense adjustments:
Stock-based compensation expense	13	17	48	55
Operating Segments | Taco Cabana | General and Administrative Expense
Non-general and administrative expense adjustments:
Stock-based compensation expense in restaurant wages	351	147	1,181	1,115
General and administrative expense adjustments:
Stock-based compensation expense	351	147	1,181	1,115
Other
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Income (loss) before income taxes	0	(74)	0	(822)
Non-general and administrative expense adjustments:
Depreciation and amortization	0	0	0	0
Impairment and other lease charges	0	0	0	0
Interest expense	0	0	0	0
Other expense (income), net	0		0	0
Unused pre-production costs in advertising expense			0
Total Non-general and administrative expense adjustments	0	0	0	0
General and administrative expense adjustments:
Terminated capital project			0
Board and shareholder matter costs	0	74	0	822
Write-off of site development costs	0	0	0	0
Restructuring, relocation and retention costs	0	0	0	0
Legal settlements and related costs		0	0	0
Total General and administrative expense adjustments	0	74	0	822
Adjusted EBITDA	0	0	0	0
Other | Renewal Plan
General and administrative expense adjustments:
Restructuring, relocation and retention costs	0		0
Other | Restaurant Wages And Related Expenses
Non-general and administrative expense adjustments:
Stock-based compensation expense in restaurant wages	0	0	0	0
General and administrative expense adjustments:
Stock-based compensation expense	0	0	0	0
Other | General and Administrative Expense
Non-general and administrative expense adjustments:
Stock-based compensation expense in restaurant wages	0	0	0	0
General and administrative expense adjustments:
Stock-based compensation expense	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0

Net Income (Loss) per Share - N

Net Income (Loss) per Share - Narrative (Details)	9 Months Ended
	Oct. 02, 2016shares	Oct. 01, 2017
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Nonvested restricted shares right to receive dividends, per share ratio to common shares		1
Restricted Stock Units
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Weighted average antidilutive securities excluded from computation of diluted earnings per share (in shares)	11,489

Net Income (Loss) per Share - C

Net Income (Loss) per Share - Computation of Basic and Diluted Net Income per Share (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Oct. 01, 2017	Oct. 02, 2016	Oct. 01, 2017	Oct. 02, 2016
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Net income (loss)	$ (8,257)	$ (4,531)	$ (25,477)	$ 14,280
Less: income allocated to participating securities	0	0	0	(138)
Net income (loss) available to common shareholders	$ (8,257)	$ (4,531)	$ (25,477)	$ 14,142
Weighted average common shares, basic	26,845,568	26,716,219	26,811,610	26,658,739
Restricted stock units (in shares)	0	0	0	6,352
Weighted average common shares, diluted	26,845,568	26,716,219	26,811,610	26,665,091
Basic net income (loss) per share (usd per share)	$ (0.31)	$ (0.17)	$ (0.95)	$ 0.53
Diluted net income (loss) per share (usd per share)	$ (0.31)	$ (0.17)	$ (0.95)	$ 0.53

Commitments and Contingencies -

Commitments and Contingencies - Lease Assignments (Details) $ in Millions	Oct. 01, 2017USD ($)restaurant
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Maximum potential liability for future rental payments | $	$ 4.1
Taco Cabana
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of leases assigned	3
Pollo Tropical
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of leases assigned	1

Commitments and Contingencies41

Commitments and Contingencies - Legal Matters (Details) - Fair Labor Standards Act Legal Demand Letter $ in Millions	Sep. 30, 2016USD ($)plaintiff
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of named individuals related to settlement | plaintiff	7
Recorded charge to cover estimated costs related to settlement | $	$ 0.8

Commitments and Contingencies42

Commitments and Contingencies - Contingency Related to Insurance Recoveries (Details) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
	Oct. 01, 2017USD ($)restaurant	Jul. 30, 2017restaurant	Apr. 24, 2017restaurant
Expected Insurance Proceeds
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Recorded expected insurance proceeds | $	$ 0.2
Pollo Tropical | Restaurants, Closed
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of restaurants permanently closed			30
Pollo Tropical | Restaurants, Closed | Houston
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of restaurants permanently closed	2
Pollo Tropical | Loss from the Hurricanes | Houston
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of restaurants affected by the hurricanes	2
Pollo Tropical | Loss from the Hurricanes | Florida And Atlanta
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of restaurants affected by the hurricanes	149
Taco Cabana | Restaurants, Closed
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of restaurants permanently closed		4
Taco Cabana | Loss from the Hurricanes
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of restaurants on extended closure	1
Taco Cabana | Loss from the Hurricanes | Houston
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of restaurants affected by the hurricanes	43