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                                                                  EXHIBIT 31.1
                                  CERTIFICATION

I, Lloyd L. Hill, certify that:
1.          I have reviewed this quarterly report on Form 10-Q of Applebee's
            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 the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in
            this 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 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  the  registrant,  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 the registrant'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 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.          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 the registrant's board of directors (or persons
            performing the equivalent function):
               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
                    the registrant'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 the
                    registrant's internal control over financial reporting.

Date:    April 27, 2005                By:   /s/ Lloyd L. Hill
                                           -------------------------------------
                                            Lloyd L. Hill
                                            *Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
                                            (principal executive officer)*
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