Long-Term Debt	3 Months Ended
Mar. 28, 2012
Long-Term Debt [Abstract]
Long-Term Debt	Note 8. Long-Term Debt Our subsidiaries Denny's, Inc. and Denny's Realty, LLC, as of March 28, 2012, had a credit facility consisting of a $60 million senior secured revolver (with a $30 million letter of credit sublimit) and a senior secured term loan in an original principal amount of $250 million. As of March 28, 2012, we had an outstanding term loan of $187.9 million ($190.0 million less unamortized OID of $2.1 million) and outstanding letters of credit of under our revolving letter of credit facility of $24.6 million. There were no revolving loans outstanding at March 28, 2012. These balances resulted in availability of $35.4 million under the revolving facility. The weighted-average interest rate under the term loan was 5.25% as of both March 28, 2012 and December 28, 2011. A commitment fee of 0.625% was paid on the unused portion of the revolving credit facility. Interest on the credit facility was payable at per annum rates equal to LIBOR plus 375 basis points with a LIBOR floor of 1.50% for the term loan and no LIBOR floor for the revolver. The term loan was originally issued at 98.5% reflecting an original issue discount ("OID") of $3.8 million. The OID was amortized into interest expense over the life of the term loan using the effective interest rate method. The maturity date for the revolver was September 30, 2015. The maturity date for the term loan was September 30, 2016. The term loan amortized in equal quarterly installments of $625,000 with all remaining amounts due on the maturity date. Mandatory prepayments were required under certain circumstances and we had the option to make certain prepayments under the credit facility. The credit facility was guaranteed by the Company and its material subsidiaries and was secured by substantially all of the assets of the Company and its subsidiaries, including the stock of the Company's subsidiaries. The credit facility included certain financial covenants with respect to a maximum leverage ratio, a maximum lease-adjusted leverage ratio, a minimum fixed charged coverage ratio and limitations on capital expenditures. During the quarter ended March 28, 2012, we paid $8.0 million on the term loan under the credit facility (which included $7.4 million of prepayments and $0.6 million of scheduled payments) through a combination of proceeds on sales of restaurant operations to franchisees, real estate and other assets, as well as cash generated from operations. As a result of these prepayments, we recorded $0.2 million of losses on early extinguishment of debt resulting from the write-off of $0.1 million in deferred financing costs and $0.1 million in OID. These losses are included as a component of other nonoperating expense in our condensed Consolidated Statements of Income. Subsequent to the end of the quarter, we refinanced the credit facility. See Note 16. We believe that our estimated cash flows from operations for 2012, combined with our capacity for additional borrowings under our new credit facility, will enable us to meet our anticipated cash requirements and fund capital expenditures over the next twelve months.

Note 8. Long-Term Debt

Our subsidiaries Denny's, Inc. and Denny's Realty, LLC, as of March 28, 2012, had a credit facility consisting of a $60 million senior secured revolver (with a $30 million letter of credit sublimit) and a senior secured term loan in an original principal amount of $250 million. As of March 28, 2012, we had an outstanding term loan of $187.9 million ($190.0 million less unamortized OID of $2.1 million) and outstanding letters of credit of under our revolving letter of credit facility of $24.6 million. There were no revolving loans outstanding at March 28, 2012. These balances resulted in availability of $35.4 million under the revolving facility. The weighted-average interest rate under the term loan was 5.25% as of both March 28, 2012 and December 28, 2011.

A commitment fee of 0.625% was paid on the unused portion of the revolving credit facility. Interest on the credit facility was payable at per annum rates equal to LIBOR plus 375 basis points with a LIBOR floor of 1.50% for the term loan and no LIBOR floor for the revolver. The term loan was originally issued at 98.5% reflecting an original issue discount ("OID") of $3.8 million. The OID was amortized into interest expense over the life of the term loan using the effective interest rate method. The maturity date for the revolver was September 30, 2015. The maturity date for the term loan was September 30, 2016. The term loan amortized in equal quarterly installments of $625,000 with all remaining amounts due on the maturity date. Mandatory prepayments were required under certain circumstances and we had the option to make certain prepayments under the credit facility.

The credit facility was guaranteed by the Company and its material subsidiaries and was secured by substantially all of the assets of the Company and its subsidiaries, including the stock of the Company's subsidiaries. The credit facility included certain financial covenants with respect to a maximum leverage ratio, a maximum lease-adjusted leverage ratio, a minimum fixed charged coverage ratio and limitations on capital expenditures.

During the quarter ended March 28, 2012, we paid $8.0 million on the term loan under the credit facility (which included $7.4 million of prepayments and $0.6 million of scheduled payments) through a combination of proceeds on sales of restaurant operations to franchisees, real estate and other assets, as well as cash generated from operations. As a result of these prepayments, we recorded $0.2 million of losses on early extinguishment of debt resulting from the write-off of $0.1 million in deferred financing costs and $0.1 million in OID. These losses are included as a component of other nonoperating expense in our condensed Consolidated Statements of Income.

Subsequent to the end of the quarter, we refinanced the credit facility. See Note 16.

We believe that our estimated cash flows from operations for 2012, combined with our capacity for additional borrowings under our new credit facility, will enable us to meet our anticipated cash requirements and fund capital expenditures over the next twelve months.