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Income Taxes
 12 Months Ended
Dec. 27, 2025
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]  
Income Taxes Income Taxes
The provision for income taxes consists of the following (in thousands):
Fiscal Year
 202520242023
Current tax expense:
   
Federal$212,791 $292,895 $270,024 
State28,100 39,133 45,093 
Total current tax expense240,891 332,028 315,117 
Deferred tax expense (benefit):
Federal45,000 (14,264)12,000 
State16,267 (6,064)(1,941)
Total deferred tax expense (benefit)61,267 (20,328)10,059 
Total provision for income taxes$302,158 $311,700 $325,176 
Deferred income taxes reflect the net tax effects of temporary differences between the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities for financial reporting purposes and the amounts used for income tax purposes. Significant components of the deferred tax assets and liabilities are as follows (in thousands):
 December 27, 2025December 28, 2024
Tax assets:  
Inventory valuation$39,048 $36,312 
Accrued employee benefits costs23,107 19,409 
Operating lease liabilities1,006,509 875,226 
Deferred compensation15,657 14,218 
Workers' compensation insurance17,608 16,715 
Income tax credits16,179 20,230 
Amortization— 22,424 
Depreciation22,319 21,774 
Other49,706 50,133 
Total deferred tax asset1,190,133 1,076,441 
Tax liabilities: 
Operating lease right-of-use assets(956,793)(836,610)
Depreciation(237,666)(219,856)
Amortization(36,924)— 
Other(31,584)(25,467)
Total deferred tax liability(1,262,967)(1,081,933)
Net deferred tax liability
$(72,834)$(5,492)

The Company has evaluated the need for a valuation allowance for all or a portion of the deferred tax assets. The Company believes that all of the deferred tax assets will more likely than not be realized through future earnings. The Company had state tax credit carryforwards of $18.2 million and $23.3 million as of December 27, 2025 and December 28, 2024, respectively, with varying dates of expiration through 2050. The Company provided no valuation allowance as of December 27, 2025 and December 28, 2024 for state tax credit carryforwards, as the Company believes it is more likely than not that all of these credits will be utilized before their expiration dates.

A reconciliation of the provision for income taxes to the amounts computed at the federal statutory rate is as follows (in thousands):
Fiscal Year
 202520242023
U.S. federal statutory tax rate$293,631 21.0 %$296,717 21.0 %$300,804 21.0 %
State and local income taxes, net of federal income tax effects (a)
32,807 2.4 25,327 1.8 32,931 2.3 
Tax credits(19,775)(1.4)(7,268)(0.5)(6,743)(0.5)
Nontaxable or nondeductible items1,432 0.1 (4,040)(0.3)(4,956)(0.3)
Changes in unrecognized tax benefits3,343 0.2 964 0.1 3,140 0.2 
Other adjustments(9,280)(0.7)— — — — 
Total income tax expense$302,158 21.6 %$311,700 22.1 %$325,176 22.7 %

(a) For each respective fiscal year, state taxes in the following states contributed to the majority of the tax effect in this category:
2025: Tennessee, California, New York, Michigan, New Jersey, and Texas
2024: California, New York, Michigan, New Jersey, Texas, Maine, and Arizona
2023: California, New York, Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, and Kansas

The Company and its affiliates file income tax returns in the U.S. and various state and local jurisdictions. With few exceptions, the Company is no longer subject to federal, state and local income tax examinations by tax authorities for years before
2022. Various states have completed an examination of our income tax returns for 2017 through 2021 with minimal adjustments.

The total amount of unrecognized tax positions that, if recognized, would increase the effective tax rate, is $10.6 million at December 27, 2025. In addition, the Company recognizes current interest and penalties accrued related to these uncertain tax positions as interest expense, and the amount is not material to the Consolidated Statements of Income.

A reconciliation of the beginning and ending gross amount of unrecognized tax benefits (exclusive of interest and penalties) is as follows (in thousands):
Fiscal Year
 202520242023
Balance at beginning of year$9,308 $9,265 $5,362 
Additions based on tax positions related to the current year1,516 1,698 2,211 
Additions for tax positions of prior years3,016 116 2,038 
Reductions for tax positions of prior years(1,028)(1,771)(346)
Balance at end of year$12,812 $9,308 $9,265