Note 7 - Debt Obligations (Details Textual)		1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended			12 Months Ended
Note 7 - Debt Obligations (Details Textual)	Aug. 13, 2014 USD ($)	Dec. 28, 2015 USD ($)	Sep. 26, 2016 USD ($)	Jun. 27, 2016 USD ($)	Dec. 28, 2015 USD ($)	Jan. 02, 2017 USD ($)	Dec. 28, 2015 USD ($)	Dec. 29, 2014 USD ($)
Repayments of Long-term Debt						$ 12,852,000	$ 36,100,000	$ 46,775,000
Write off of Deferred Debt Issuance Cost			$ 200,000	$ 100,000	$ 1,000,000	300,000
Term Loan 2014 [Member]
Repayments of Long-term Debt		$ 35,000,000				11,500,000
Write off of Deferred Debt Issuance Cost		600,000				161,000,000
Write off of Deferred Debt Discount		$ 400,000				$ 105,000,000
Term Loan 2014 [Member]
Debt Instrument, Face Amount	$ 165,000,000
Debt Discount Percentage of Par	98.50%
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage						8.00%
Credit Agreement 2014 [Member]
LIBOR Floor	1.00%
Credit Agreement 2014 [Member] \| January 1, 2019 to Maturity Date [Member]
Maximum Capital Expenditure						$ 58,600,000
Credit Agreement 2014 [Member] \| Closing Date Through December 29, 2014 [Member]
Maximum Capital Expenditure						29,500,000
Credit Agreement 2014 [Member] \| Fiscal 2015 [Member]
Maximum Capital Expenditure						45,500,000
Credit Agreement 2014 [Member] \| Fiscal 2016 [Member]
Maximum Capital Expenditure						45,800,000
Credit Agreement 2014 [Member] \| Fiscal 2017 [Member]
Maximum Capital Expenditure						52,500,000
Credit Agreement 2014 [Member] \| Fiscal 2018 [Member]
Maximum Capital Expenditure						$ 53,700,000
Credit Agreement 2014 [Member] \| Maximum [Member] \| Through December 29, 2014 [Member]
Debt Instrument Leverage Ratio						5.75
Credit Agreement 2014 [Member] \| Maximum [Member] \| December 30, 2014 to June 29, 2015 [Member]
Debt Instrument Leverage Ratio						5.5
Credit Agreement 2014 [Member] \| Maximum [Member] \| June 30, 2015 to December 28, 2015 [Member]
Debt Instrument Leverage Ratio						5.25
Credit Agreement 2014 [Member] \| Maximum [Member] \| December 29, 2015 to March 28, 2016 [Member]
Debt Instrument Leverage Ratio						5
Credit Agreement 2014 [Member] \| Maximum [Member] \| March 29, 2016 to June 27, 2016 [Member]
Debt Instrument Leverage Ratio						4.75
Debt Instrument, Covenant, Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio						2.5
Credit Agreement 2014 [Member] \| Maximum [Member] \| June 28, 2016 to September 26, 2016 [Member]
Debt Instrument Leverage Ratio						4.25
Credit Agreement 2014 [Member] \| Maximum [Member] \| September 27, 2016 to April 3, 2017 [Member]
Debt Instrument Leverage Ratio						4
Credit Agreement 2014 [Member] \| Maximum [Member] \| April 4, 2017 to October 2, 2017 [Member]
Debt Instrument Leverage Ratio						3.75
Credit Agreement 2014 [Member] \| Maximum [Member] \| October 3, 2017 to April 2, 2018 [Member]
Debt Instrument Leverage Ratio						3.5
Credit Agreement 2014 [Member] \| Maximum [Member] \| April 3, 2018 to December 31, 2018 [Member]
Debt Instrument Leverage Ratio						3.25
Debt Instrument, Covenant, Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio						3.5
Credit Agreement 2014 [Member] \| Maximum [Member] \| January 1, 2019 to Maturity Date [Member]
Debt Instrument Leverage Ratio						3
Debt Instrument, Covenant, Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio						3.75
Credit Agreement 2014 [Member] \| Maximum [Member] \| Period through June 29, 2015 [Member]
Debt Instrument, Covenant, Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio						2
Credit Agreement 2014 [Member] \| Maximum [Member] \| June 30, 2015 to March 28, 2016 [Member]
Debt Instrument, Covenant, Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio						2.25
Credit Agreement 2014 [Member] \| Maximum [Member] \| June 28, 2016 to January 2, 2017 [Member]
Debt Instrument, Covenant, Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio						2.75
Credit Agreement 2014 [Member] \| Maximum [Member] \| January 3, 2017 to July 3, 2017 [Member]
Debt Instrument, Covenant, Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio						3
Credit Agreement 2014 [Member] \| Maximum [Member] \| July 4, 2017 to April 2, 2018 [Member]
Debt Instrument, Covenant, Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio						3.25
Credit Agreement 2014 [Member] \| London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) [Member]
Debt Instrument, Basis Spread on Variable Rate	7.00%
Credit Agreement 2014 [Member] \| Base Rate [Member]
Debt Instrument, Basis Spread on Variable Rate	6.00%
Revolving Credit Facility 2014 [Member]
Line of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity	$ 30,000,000
Line of Credit Facility, Commitment Fee Percentage						0.50%
Term Loan 2014 [Member]
Debt Instrument, Periodic Payment, Principal	$ 412,500					$ 294,886
Repayments of Long-term Debt						46,500,000
Debt Instrument, Maturity Date	Feb. 13, 2019
New Revolving Credit Facility, Expiring April 2018 [Member]
Letters of Credit Outstanding, Amount						10,100,000
Line of Credit Facility, Remaining Borrowing Capacity						$ 13,900,000
Revolving Credit Facility [Member]
Debt Instrument, Maturity Date	Feb. 13, 2019

Ignite Restaurant Group, Inc. 10-K