**Exhibit 31.1**

 

I, George R. Chapdelaine,certify that:

 

1.      I have reviewed this reporton Form 10-Q of Boston Restaurant Associates, Inc.;

 

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

 

3.     Based on my knowledge, the financial informationincluded in this report, and the financial statements on which the financialinformation is based, fairly present in all material respects the financialcondition, results of operations, changes in net assets, and cash flows (if thefinancial statements are required to include a statement of cash flows) of theregistrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;

 

4.     The registrant’s other certifying officers and Iare responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls andprocedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e))  [omitted] for the registrant and have:

 

(a)   Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, orcaused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under oursupervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant,including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others withinthose entities, particularly during the period in which this report is beingprepared;

 

(b)   [omitted]

 

(c)   Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’sdisclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusionsabout the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of theend of the period covered by this report; and

 

(d)   Disclosed in this report any change in theregistrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during theregistrant’s most recent fiscal quarter (the registrant’s fourth fiscal quarterin the case of an annual report) that has materially affected or is reasonablylikely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financialreporting; and

 

5.     The registrant’s other certifying officers and Ihave disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control overfinancial reporting, to the registrant’s auditors and the audit committee ofthe registrant’s board of directors (or persons performing the equivalentfunctions):

 

(a)   All significant deficiencies and material weaknessesin the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which arereasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant’s ability to record,process, summarize, and report financial information; and

 

(b)   Any fraud, whether or not material, that involvesmanagement or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant’sinternal control over financial reporting.

 

 
| Date:  December 3, 2003 |   | /s/ George R. Chapdelaine            |   |
|------------------------------|--------|--------------------------------------|--------|
|                         |   | George R. Chapdelaine, President and |
|                         |   | Chief Executive Officer              |

 

----