Consumer >> CEO Interviews >> April 11, 2005
PHILIP J. HICKEY JR. is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of RARE
Hospitality International, Inc., an Atlanta-based restaurant company
whose concepts include LongHorn Steakhouse, Bugaboo Creek Steak House
and The Capital Grille. As a 33-year veteran of the industry, he has
experienced the restaurant business from many perspectives. He has been
an entrepreneur, single restaurant owner-operator, has co-founded a
restaurant company and taken it public, has grown a concept from six
units to 50 units and has led RARE Hospitality since 1997. Over the last
three years RARE Hospitality has been recognized for its achievements:
Atlanta Journal-Constitution's 'Georgia's 100 Best in Business'' RARE
ranked seventh; Forbes magazine's '200 Best Small Companies in America';
and BusinessWeek's 'Hot Growth Companies.' RARE has more than tripled in
volume to over $680 million in annual sales, more than tripled net
earnings and added more than 125 restaurants since 1997. In October
2002, Mr. Hickey was named 'Restaurateur of the Year' by the Georgia
Hospitality and Travel Association. He received a Bachelor's degree in
Hotel and 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 Program at Georgia State University, as well as the Board of
Directors of the Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau. He is a
founding Board member of the YMCA Community Action Project, an active
member of the Young Presidents' Organization, and serves on the Board of
Counselors at the Jimmy Carter Center in Atlanta. Profile
company and a picture of the things you are doing at the present time.
Mr. Hickey: The company began in 1981 with the opening
