Consumer >> CEO Interviews >> April 14, 2002

Philip Hickey Jr. – Rare Hospitality International Inc (rare)

PHILIP J. HICKEY, JR. is the Chairman and CEO of RARE Hospitality International, Inc. As a 30-year veteran of the industry, he has experienced the restaurant business from many perspectives. Mr. Hickey has been an Entrepreneur, single restaurant Owner-Operator; has co- founded a restaurant company and taken it public; rescued a distressed private restaurant company and within three years sold at a fourfold increase in valuation; and has helped lead the growth of a company to $500 million+ in annual sales. He received a Bachelor's degree in Hotel & Restaurant Management from Michigan State University and has served as an Adjunct Professor at the Massey Business School at Belmont University. He currently serves on the Board of Advisors for the Hospitality Programs at Michigan State University and Georgia State University. Mr. Hickey is a founding board member of the YMCA Community Action Project, an active member of the Young President's Organization, and serves on the Board of Counselors at the Jimmy Carter Center in Atlanta. Profile
TWST: Would you begin with a brief historical sketch of the company and

give us a picture of what you're doing now?

Mr. Hickey: RARE Hospitality International just celebrated its 20th year

in