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# Exhibit 31.1

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

I, Philip J. Hickey, Jr., certify that:

1. I have reviewed this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q of RARE Hospitality International, Inc.;
2. Based on my knowledge, this quarterly 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 quarterly report;
3. Based on my knowledge,
    the financial statements, and other financial information included in this quarterly 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 quarterly 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-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial
    reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the registrant and we have:

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 the registrant, including its
consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities,
particularly during the period in which this quarterly report is being prepared;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;Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant's disclosure controls and procedures and presented in
        this quarterly report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and
        procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this quarterly report based on such evaluation; andDisclosed in this quarterly report any change in the registrants
internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the
registrants most recent fiscal quarter (the registrants fourth
fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that has materially affected, or
is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrants internal
control over financial reporting; and
5. 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 the registrant, including its
consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities,
particularly during the period in which this quarterly report is being prepared;
6. 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;
7. Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant's disclosure controls and procedures and presented in
        this quarterly report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and
        procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this quarterly report based on such evaluation; and
8. Disclosed in this quarterly report any change in the registrants
internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the
registrants most recent fiscal quarter (the registrants fourth
fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that has materially affected, or
is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrants internal
control over financial reporting; and
9. The registrants other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on
our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the
registrants auditors and the audit committee of registrants board of
directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):

All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or
operation of internal controls over financial reporting which are reasonably
likely to adversely affect the registrants ability to record, process,
summarize and report financial information; andAny fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other
employees who have a significant role in the registrants internal control
over financial reporting.
10. All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or
operation of internal controls over financial reporting which are reasonably
likely to adversely affect the registrants ability to record, process,
summarize and report financial information; and
11. Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other
employees who have a significant role in the registrants internal control
over financial reporting.

`November 11, 2003                   /s/ PHILIP J. HICKEY, JR.
                                    -------------------------
                                    Philip J. Hickey, Jr.
                                    Chairman of the Board and
                                    Chief Executive Officer`