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

I, Lloyd L. Hill,  certify  that:
1.  I have reviewed this annual report on Form 10-K of Applebee's International,
    Inc.;

2.  Based on my  knowledge,  this  annual  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 annual report;

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

4.  The  registrant's  other  certifying  officer  and  I  are  responsible  for
    establishing and maintaining  disclosure controls and procedures (as defined
    in Exchange Act Rules 13a-14 and 15d-14) for the registrant and we have:

    a)   designed  such  disclosure  controls  and  procedures  to  ensure  that
         material  information   relating  to  the  registrant,   including  its
         consolidated  subsidiaries,  is made known to us by others within those
         entities, particularly during the period in which this annual report is
         being prepared;

    b)   evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant's disclosure controls and
         procedures as of a date within 90 days prior to the filing date of this
         annual report (the "Evaluation Date"); and

    c)   presented in this annual report our conclusions about the effectiveness
         of the disclosure controls and procedures based on our evaluation as of
         the Evaluation Date;

5.  The registrant's other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on our
    most recent evaluation, to the registrant's auditors and the audit committee
    of  registrant's  board of directors (or persons  performing  the equivalent
    function):

    a)   all  significant  deficiencies  in the design or  operation of internal
         controls  which  could  adversely  affect the  registrant's  ability to
         record,   process,   summarize  and  report  financial  data  and  have
         identified  for the  registrant's  auditors any material  weaknesses in
         internal controls; and

    b)   any fraud,  whether or not material,  that involves management or other
         employees  who have a  significant  role in the  registrant's  internal
         controls; and

6.  The  registrant's  other  certifying  officer and I have  indicated  in this
    annual  report  whether or not there were  significant  changes in  internal
    controls  or in other  factors  that  could  significantly  affect  internal
    controls subsequent to the date of our most recent evaluation, including any
    corrective  actions  with regard to  significant  deficiencies  and material
    weaknesses.

Date:    March 8, 2004                 By:  /s/    Lloyd L. Hill
         ----------------------             ------------------------------------
                                            Lloyd L. Hill
                                            Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
                                            (principal executive officer)