Press Release                            405 Lancaster Avenue
                                   Greer, South Carolina 29650
                                                (864) 879-1000


Contact:  Fred T. Grant, Jr.            For Immediate Release
          Senior Vice President - Finance    December 17, 2003


                RYAN'S FAMILY STEAK HOUSES, INC.
               ANNOUNCES THE PLANNED PHASE-OUT OF
               ITS FLORIDA FRANCHISE RELATIONSHIP


   GREER,  SOUTH  CAROLINA - - Ryan's Family Steak  Houses,  Inc.
(NASDAQ:RYAN;   together  with  its  subsidiaries   referred   to
hereafter as "Ryan's") today announced that Ryan's and  its  sole
franchisee,  Family  Steak Houses of Florida, Inc.  (NASDAQ:RYFL;
referred  to hereafter as "FSH"), have mutually agreed  to  amend
their  franchise agreement so that (1) over the next  18  months,
FSH  will either sell, close or convert to a non-affiliated brand
its  current 18 Ryan's Family Steakhouse restaurants and (2)  the
existing  franchise relationship will be terminated by  no  later
than June 30, 2005.  Ryan's will continue to receive royalty fees
on  those  restaurants  operated as a  Ryan's  Family  Steakhouse
through the termination date of the franchise agreement.

   Commenting  on the amendment, Charlie Way, President  and  CEO
of  Ryan's,  said, "FSH has been a Ryan's franchisee since  1987.
This  amendment  represents an orderly  and  mutually  beneficial
phase-out of this relationship, and we wish their management  the
best  as they continue on their own as a separate and independent
brand.

   "We  are  also  excited  about the  opportunity  to  grow  our
Company-owned Ryan's restaurants in Florida.  We already  operate
restaurants in Florida's Panhandle region, so we know that people
in  the  state really appreciate good food at reasonable  prices.
We are looking for sites in Florida for potential Ryan's and plan
to  accelerate  our  restaurant development  there  in  the  near
future."

   Forward-Looking  Information:  In  accordance  with  the  safe
harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act
of  1995, the Company cautions that the statements in this  press
release  that are forward-looking involve risks and uncertainties
that may impact the Company's actual results of operations.   For
a  more  thorough  discussion of these risks,  uncertainties  and
other  factors,  please refer to the Company's Annual  Report  on
Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 1, 2003.