EXHIBIT 10.1

# FIRST AMENDMENT OF
EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT

THIS
FIRST AMENDMENT, made and entered into as of the 27th day of October, 2004, by and between
RARE HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT, INC., a Delaware corporation (hereinafter referred to as the
Company), and PHILIP J. HICKEY, JR., a resident of the State of Georgia
(hereinafter referred to as the Executive);

WITNESSETH:

WHEREAS,
the Company and Executive entered into that certain Employment Agreement, dated as of
April 28, 2003 (the Original Agreement); and

WHEREAS,
the Original Agreement requires the Company and Executive to renew the Original Agreement
on or before October 27, 2004 in order for the term of the Original Agreement to continue
past the Expiration Date (as defined in the Original Agreement); and

WHEREAS,
the Company and Executive intend to renew the Original Agreement on the terms and
conditions set forth in this First Amendment;

NOW,
THEREFORE, for and in consideration of the sum of One Dollar ($1.00) in hand paid by the
Company to Executive, the receipt and sufficiency of which is hereby acknowledged, and the
mutual covenants and obligations contained herein, the Company and Executive hereby agree
as follows:

1.       
          Section 1.1 of the Original Agreement shall be deleted in its entirety and
          replaced with the following new Section 1.1:

| | 1.1.       
               Employment Term. The employment term of this Agreement shall commence on
               the date hereof (the Commencement Date) and shall continue until and
               end on April 27, 2006 (the Expiration Date), unless terminated prior
               thereto in accordance with Section 3 hereof. Unless renewed by mutual agreement
               of the Company and Executive, as expressed in writing signed by both parties on
               or before October 27, 2005 (the Notice Date), this Agreement shall
               terminate on the Expiration Date with no renewal or extension; provided,
               however, that in the event the Company chooses not to renew the Agreement, the
               Executive will be entitled to receive the compensation under Section 2.1 owed to
               Executive but unpaid for performance rendered under this Agreement as of the
               Expiration Date, and the Company will be obligated to continue to pay Executive
               his Base Compensation (as defined below) as of the Expiration Date, for a period
               of twelve (12) months after the Expiration Date, and for such additional period
               of time beyond twelve (12) months, if any, equal to the period of time between
               the Notice Date and the date on which the Company provides Executive with
               written notice of non-renewal. Such payments of salary shall be made as and when
               salary would otherwise be payable to senior officers of the Company. The period
               from the Commencement Date until the employment term expires or is terminated by
               the Company or Executive is hereinafter referred to as the Employment
               Term.
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2.       
          Section 2.1 of the Original Agreement shall be deleted in its entirety and
          replaced with the following new Section 2.1:

| | 2.1
Base Compensation. For all the services rendered by Executive hereunder, the
Company shall pay Executive an annual salary at the rate of Six Hundred Thousand and
00/100 Dollars ($600,000) for each full year of the Employment Term, plus such additional
amounts, if any, as may be approved by the Company (Base Compensation),
payable in installments at such times as the Company customarily pays its other senior
officers (but in any event no less often than monthly). The Company agrees that the
Executives salary will be reviewed at least annually to determine if an increase is
appropriate, which increase shall be in the sole discretion of the Company.
Executives salary shall be prorated for any partial year during which this Agreement
remains in effect.
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3.       
          Section 2.2 of the Original Agreement shall be deleted in its entirety and
          replaced with the following new Section 2.2:

| | 2.2
Bonus Awards. In addition to the Base Compensation during the Employment Term,
Executive shall be eligible for a bonus potential of not less than One Hundred percent
(100%) of his Base Compensation. The actual bonus shall be determined and paid in
accordance with the bonus program for executives of the Company, as approved by the
Company from time to time. Unless otherwise set forth in this Agreement, Executive must be
employed by the Company on the date the bonus is paid to executive employees generally in
order to be entitled to a bonus for that year.
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4.       
          Section 19 of the Original Agreement shall be deleted in its entirety and
          replaced with the following new Section 19:

| | 19.       
               Entire Agreement. This Agreement, together the First Amendment thereof,
               and Exhibit A hereto, which is incorporated herein by this reference,
               constitutes the entire Agreement between the parties hereto with regard to
               Executives employment by the Company and there are no agreements,
               understandings, specific restrictions, warranties or representations, written or
               oral, relating to said subject matter between the parties other than those set
               forth herein or herein provided for. Without limiting the foregoing, this
               Agreement replaces and supercedes the First Agreement, which is hereby
               terminated and of no further force and effect.
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5.       
          Exhibit A of the Original Agreement shall be deleted in its entirety and
          replaced with the new Exhibit A attached hereto and incorporated herein
          by reference.

6.       
          Except as otherwise set forth herein, the Original Agreement shall remain
          unchanged and in full force and effect.

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IN
WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this First Amendment as of the date
first above written.

RARE HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT, INC.
                           
By:    _______________________________ 
                                      
President
                           
EXECUTIVE
                           
_________________
                           
PHILIP J. HICKEY, JR.

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# EXHIBIT A

Executive and the Company agree that,
for purposes of this Agreement, the Restricted Area shall constitute the area
within fifteen (15) miles of RAREs restaurants in the following cities:

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|Alabama:             
Arizona:             
Connecticut:         
Delaware:            
District of Columbia:
Florida:             
                     
                     
                     
Georgia:             
                     
                     
                     
Illinois:            
Indiana:             
Kansas:              
Kentucky:            
Maine:               
Maryland:            
Massachusetts:       
                     
                     
Michigan:            
Minnesota:           
Missouri:            
                     
Nevada:              
New Hampshire:       
New Jersey:          
New York:            
North Carolina:      
                     
Ohio:                
                     
                     
Pennsylvania:        
Rhode Island:        
South Carolina:      
Tennessee:           
Texas:               
Virginia:            
West Virginia: | Auburn, Daphne, Dothan, Hoover, Huntsville, Mobile, Montgomery, Prattville
      Phoenix
      Manchester
      Newark
      Washington, D.C.
      Altamonte Springs, Boynton Beach, Brandon, Coral Springs, Daytona Beach, Davie, Delray Beach, Destin,
      Fleming Island, Ft. Lauderdale, Ft. Myers, Hollywood, Jacksonville Beach, Jacksonville, Jensen Beach,
      Kissimmee, Lake Mary, Largo, Merritt Island, Miami, Naples, Ocala, Orlando, Pembroke Pines, Port Richey,
      Sarasota, St. Augustine, St. Petersburg, Tallahassee, Tampa, West Palm Beach, Winter Haven, Palm Harbor
      Albany, Alpharetta, Athens, Atlanta, Augusta, Austell, Buford, Canton, Cartersville, College Park,
      Columbus, Conyers, Cumming, Dalton, Dawsonville, Douglasville, Duluth, Gainesville, Hiram, Jonesboro,
      Kennesaw, Lawrenceville, Lithonia, McDonough, Macon, Marietta, Morrow, Newnan, Peachtree City, Rome,
      Roswell, Savannah, Snellville, Statesboro, Tifton, Tucker, Valdosta, Warner Robins, Woodstock
      Chicago, Fairview Heights
      Avon, Carmel, Evansville, Indianapolis
      Leawood, Lawrence, Speedway, Topeka
      Bowling Green, Cold Springs, Florence, Lexington, Louisville, Frankfort
      Augusta, Bangor, South Portland
      Baltimore, Bowie, Columbia, Frederick, Gaithersburg, Germantown, Hagerstown, Waldorf
      Boston, Braintree, Brockton, Burlington, Chestnut Hill, Dedham, Framingham, Franklin, Haverhill,
      Loeminster, Marlboro, Methuen, Milbury, Milford, North Attleboro, Peabody, Plymouth, Raynham, Seekonk,
      Shrewbury, Watertown, West Springfield
      Auburn Hills, Troy, Westland
      Minneapolis
      Ballwin, Belton, Chesterfield, Florissant, Independence, Jefferson City, Kansas City, Lee's Summit,
      O'Fallon, St. Peters, St. Louis Mills, Sunset Hills
      Las Vegas
      Concord, Manchester, Nashua, Newington
      Howell, Mt. Olive, North Brunswick, Parsippany, Piscataway, Rochelle Park, Woodbridge
      Albany, New York (Manhattan), Poughkeepsie, Rochester
      Burlington, Charlotte, Concord, Gastonia, Greensboro, Greenville, Hickory, High Point, Huntersville,
      Pineville, Winston-Salem, Wilmington
      Beaver Creek, Boardman, Cincinnati, Columbus, Cuyahoga Falls, Dublin, Eastgate, Fairview Park, Gahanna,
      Independence, Maumee, Medina, Mentor, Moraine, North Canton, Pickerington, Solon, Springdale,
      St. Clairsville, Strongsville, Wooster, West Chester
      Bensalem, Erie, Exton, Lancaster, Norristown, Philadelphia, Whitman Square
      Providence, Warwick
      Anderson, Columbia, Greenville, Hilton Head, Mt. Pleasant, Myrtle Beach, Rock Hill, Spartanburg
      Chattanooga, Clarksville, Hermitage, Jackson, Madison, Nashville
      Dallas, Houston
      Dulles, McLean, Chantilly
      Charleston

Executive acknowledges and agrees
that the geographical area described above is the area in which Executive will initially
perform his services for the Company, and that the area in which such services are
performed is intended to expand or contract as the locations of RAREs restaurants
(the Consolidated Group) increase or decrease. Executive and the Company agree
that as the geographical area in which the Consolidated Group operates expands or
contracts, the parties agree to amend the list of cities described on this Exhibit
A from time to time, or delete cities in which there is no longer a member of the
Consolidated Group to include each additional city in which there is a member of the
Consolidated Group. Executive agrees to execute one or more amendments hereto upon the
request of the Company from time to time in order to confirm such amended list.