EXHIBIT 31.1

                  CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO SECTION 302 OF THE
                           SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002

I, Eric S. Langan, certify that:

1.   I have reviewed this annual report on Form 10-KSB of Rick's Cabaret
     International, Inc.;

2.   Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of
     a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the
     statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements
     were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this
     report;

3.   Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial
     information included in this report, fairly present in all material
     respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of
     Rick's Cabaret International, Inc. as of, and for, the periods presented in
     this report;

4.   Rick's Cabaret International, Inc.'s other certifying officer(s) and I are
     responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and
     procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) for
     Rick's Cabaret International, Inc. and have:

     (a) Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such
     disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to
     ensure that material information relating to Rick's Cabaret International,
     Inc., including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by
     others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this
     report is being prepared;

     (b) Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such
     internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our
     supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of
     financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for
     external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting
     principles;

     (c) Evaluated the effectiveness of Rick's Cabaret International, Inc.'s
     disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our
     conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and
     procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on
     such evaluation; and

     (d) Disclosed in this report any change in Rick's Cabaret International,
     Inc.'s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during
     Rick's Cabaret International, Inc.'s most recent fiscal year that has
     materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, Rick's
     Cabaret International, Inc.'s internal control over financial reporting;
     and

5.   Rick's Cabaret International, Inc.'s other certifying officer(s) and I have
     disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over
     financial reporting, to Rick's Cabaret International, Inc.'s independent
     registered public accounting firm and the audit committee of Rick's Cabaret
     International, Inc.'s board of directors (or persons performing the
     equivalent functions):


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     (a) All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or
     operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably
     likely to adversely affect Rick's Cabaret International, Inc.'s ability to
     record, process, summarize and report financial information; and

     (b) Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other
     employees who have a significant role in Rick's Cabaret International,
     Inc.'s internal control over financial reporting.

Date: December 30, 2004                         By:  /s/ Eric S. Langan
                                                     ------------------
                                                Eric S. Langan
                                                Chief Executive Officer


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