General (Details 1) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
Mar. 28, 2019	Mar. 29, 2018
Beginning Balance	$ 490,119	$ 445,124
Exercise of stock options	454	929
Purchase of treasury stock	(428)	(453)
Savings and profit-sharing contribution	1,181	1,130
Reissuance of treasury stock	47	49
Issuance of non-vested stock	0	0
Share-based compensation	777	596
Reissuance of treasury stock-acquisition	109,197
Other	(109)
Conversions of Class B Common Stock	0	0
Distributions to noncontrolling interest	(60)	(19)
Comprehensive income (loss)	1,497	9,776
Ending Balance	597,859	450,494
Accounting Standards Update 2016-01 [Member]
Reclassification to Unappropriated Retained Earnings		0
Accounting Standards Update 2018-02 [Member]
Reclassification to Unappropriated Retained Earnings		0
Accounting Standards Update 2014-09 [Member]
Reclassification to Unappropriated Retained Earnings		(2,568)
Capital in Excess of Par [Member]
Beginning Balance	63,830	61,452
Exercise of stock options	(78)	(62)
Purchase of treasury stock	0	0
Savings and profit-sharing contribution	810	651
Reissuance of treasury stock	31	26
Issuance of non-vested stock	(127)	(108)
Share-based compensation	777	596
Reissuance of treasury stock-acquisition	77,960
Other	(109)
Conversions of Class B Common Stock	0	0
Distributions to noncontrolling interest	0	0
Comprehensive income (loss)	0	0
Ending Balance	143,094	62,555
Capital in Excess of Par [Member] \| Accounting Standards Update 2016-01 [Member]
Reclassification to Unappropriated Retained Earnings		0
Capital in Excess of Par [Member] \| Accounting Standards Update 2018-02 [Member]
Reclassification to Unappropriated Retained Earnings		0
Capital in Excess of Par [Member] \| Accounting Standards Update 2014-09 [Member]
Reclassification to Unappropriated Retained Earnings		0
Retained Earnings [Member]
Beginning Balance	439,178	403,206
Exercise of stock options	0	0
Purchase of treasury stock	0	0
Savings and profit-sharing contribution	0	0
Reissuance of treasury stock	0	0
Issuance of non-vested stock	0	0
Share-based compensation	0	0
Reissuance of treasury stock-acquisition	0
Other	0
Conversions of Class B Common Stock	0	0
Distributions to noncontrolling interest	0	0
Comprehensive income (loss)	1,860	9,821
Ending Balance	436,222	407,952
Retained Earnings [Member] \| Accounting Standards Update 2016-01 [Member]
Reclassification to Unappropriated Retained Earnings		(11)
Retained Earnings [Member] \| Accounting Standards Update 2018-02 [Member]
Reclassification to Unappropriated Retained Earnings		1,574
Retained Earnings [Member] \| Accounting Standards Update 2014-09 [Member]
Reclassification to Unappropriated Retained Earnings		(2,568)
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Member]
Beginning Balance	(6,758)	(7,425)
Exercise of stock options	0	0
Purchase of treasury stock	0	0
Savings and profit-sharing contribution	0	0
Reissuance of treasury stock	0	0
Issuance of non-vested stock	0	0
Share-based compensation	0	0
Reissuance of treasury stock-acquisition	0
Other	0
Conversions of Class B Common Stock	0	0
Distributions to noncontrolling interest	0	0
Comprehensive income (loss)	(297)	(30)
Ending Balance	(7,055)	(9,018)
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Member] \| Accounting Standards Update 2016-01 [Member]
Reclassification to Unappropriated Retained Earnings		11
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Member] \| Accounting Standards Update 2018-02 [Member]
Reclassification to Unappropriated Retained Earnings		(1,574)
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Member] \| Accounting Standards Update 2014-09 [Member]
Reclassification to Unappropriated Retained Earnings		0
Treasury Stock [Member]
Beginning Balance	(37,431)	(43,399)
Exercise of stock options	532	991
Purchase of treasury stock	(428)	(453)
Savings and profit-sharing contribution	371	479
Reissuance of treasury stock	16	23
Issuance of non-vested stock	127	108
Share-based compensation	0
Reissuance of treasury stock-acquisition	31,237
Other	0
Conversions of Class B Common Stock	0	0
Distributions to noncontrolling interest	0	0
Comprehensive income (loss)	0	0
Ending Balance	(5,576)	(42,251)
Treasury Stock [Member] \| Accounting Standards Update 2016-01 [Member]
Reclassification to Unappropriated Retained Earnings		0
Treasury Stock [Member] \| Accounting Standards Update 2018-02 [Member]
Reclassification to Unappropriated Retained Earnings		0
Treasury Stock [Member] \| Accounting Standards Update 2014-09 [Member]
Reclassification to Unappropriated Retained Earnings		0
Shareholders' Equity Attributable to The Marcus Corporation [Member]
Beginning Balance	490,009	445,024
Exercise of stock options	454	929
Purchase of treasury stock	(428)	(453)
Savings and profit-sharing contribution	1,181	1,130
Reissuance of treasury stock	47	49
Issuance of non-vested stock	0	0
Share-based compensation	777	596
Reissuance of treasury stock-acquisition	109,197
Other	(109)
Conversions of Class B Common Stock	0	0
Distributions to noncontrolling interest	0	0
Comprehensive income (loss)	1,563	9,791
Ending Balance	597,875	450,428
Shareholders' Equity Attributable to The Marcus Corporation [Member] \| Accounting Standards Update 2016-01 [Member]
Reclassification to Unappropriated Retained Earnings		0
Shareholders' Equity Attributable to The Marcus Corporation [Member] \| Accounting Standards Update 2018-02 [Member]
Reclassification to Unappropriated Retained Earnings		0
Shareholders' Equity Attributable to The Marcus Corporation [Member] \| Accounting Standards Update 2014-09 [Member]
Reclassification to Unappropriated Retained Earnings		(2,568)
Non- controlling Interests [Member]
Beginning Balance	110	100
Exercise of stock options	0	0
Purchase of treasury stock	0	0
Savings and profit-sharing contribution	0	0
Reissuance of treasury stock	0	0
Issuance of non-vested stock	0	0
Share-based compensation	0	0
Reissuance of treasury stock-acquisition	0
Other	0
Conversions of Class B Common Stock	0	0
Distributions to noncontrolling interest	(60)	(19)
Comprehensive income (loss)	(66)	(15)
Ending Balance	(16)	66
Non- controlling Interests [Member] \| Accounting Standards Update 2016-01 [Member]
Reclassification to Unappropriated Retained Earnings		0
Non- controlling Interests [Member] \| Accounting Standards Update 2018-02 [Member]
Reclassification to Unappropriated Retained Earnings		0
Non- controlling Interests [Member] \| Accounting Standards Update 2014-09 [Member]
Reclassification to Unappropriated Retained Earnings		0
Common Stock [Member]
Beginning Balance	22,843	22,656
Cash dividends:	(3,633)	(2,907)
Exercise of stock options	0	0
Purchase of treasury stock	0	0
Savings and profit-sharing contribution	0	0
Reissuance of treasury stock	0	0
Issuance of non-vested stock	0	0
Share-based compensation	0	0
Reissuance of treasury stock-acquisition	0
Other	0
Conversions of Class B Common Stock	411	8
Distributions to noncontrolling interest	0	0
Comprehensive income (loss)	0	0
Ending Balance	23,254	22,664
Common Stock [Member] \| Accounting Standards Update 2016-01 [Member]
Reclassification to Unappropriated Retained Earnings		0
Common Stock [Member] \| Accounting Standards Update 2018-02 [Member]
Reclassification to Unappropriated Retained Earnings		0
Common Stock [Member] \| Accounting Standards Update 2014-09 [Member]
Reclassification to Unappropriated Retained Earnings		0
Common Stock [Member] \| Retained Earnings [Member]
Cash dividends:	(3,633)	(2,907)
Common Stock [Member] \| Shareholders' Equity Attributable to The Marcus Corporation [Member]
Cash dividends:	(3,633)	(2,907)
Common Class B [Member]
Beginning Balance	8,347	8,534
Cash dividends:	(1,183)	(1,163)
Exercise of stock options	0	0
Purchase of treasury stock	0	0
Savings and profit-sharing contribution	0	0
Reissuance of treasury stock	0	0
Issuance of non-vested stock	0	0
Share-based compensation	0	0
Reissuance of treasury stock-acquisition	0
Other	0
Conversions of Class B Common Stock	(411)	(8)
Distributions to noncontrolling interest	0	0
Comprehensive income (loss)	0	0
Ending Balance	7,936	8,526
Common Class B [Member] \| Accounting Standards Update 2016-01 [Member]
Reclassification to Unappropriated Retained Earnings		0
Common Class B [Member] \| Accounting Standards Update 2018-02 [Member]
Reclassification to Unappropriated Retained Earnings		0
Common Class B [Member] \| Accounting Standards Update 2014-09 [Member]
Reclassification to Unappropriated Retained Earnings		0
Common Class B [Member] \| Retained Earnings [Member]
Cash dividends:	(1,183)	(1,163)
Common Class B [Member] \| Shareholders' Equity Attributable to The Marcus Corporation [Member]
Cash dividends:	$ (1,183)	$ (1,163)

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