UNITED STATES
                SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

                      Washington, D.C. 20549

                             FORM 8-A

         FOR REGISTRATION OF CERTAIN CLASSES OF SECURITIES
             PURSUANT TO SECTION 12(b) or (g) OF THE
                  SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934


                    Piccadilly Cafeterias, Inc.
            (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

              Louisiana                                  72-0604977
(State of incorporation or organization)       (I.R.S.  Employer Identification
                                                            Number)


     3232 Sherwood Forest Boulevard                         70816
       Baton Rouge, Louisiana                             (Zip Code)
(Address of principal executive offices)


 SECURITIES TO BE REGISTERED PURSUANT TO SECTION 12(B) OF THE ACT:

     Title of each class                        Name of each exchange
     TO BE SO REGISTERED                ON WHICH EACH CLASS IS TO BE REGISTERED

Preferred Stock Purchase Rights              New York Stock Exchange


     If this Form relates to the registration of a class of debt securities
and  is  effective  upon  filing  pursuant to General Instruction A.(c)(1),
please check the following box.  

     If this Form relates to the registration of a class of debt securities
and  is  to  become effective simultaneous  with  the  effectiveness  of  a
concurrent registration statement under the Securities Act of 1933 pursuant
to General Instruction A.(c)(2), please check the following box.  


 SECURITIES TO BE REGISTERED PURSUANT TO SECTION 12(G) OF THE ACT:


                               None




ITEM 1.  DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES TO BE REGISTERED

     On November  2, 1998, the Board of Directors of Piccadilly Cafeterias,
Inc., a Louisiana corporation  (the  "Company")  declared a dividend of one
preferred stock purchase right (a "Right") for each  outstanding  share  of
common  stock,  no  par  value  (the  "Common Stock"), of the Company.  The
dividend  is  payable on November 6, 1998  to  shareholders  of  record  on
November 2, 1998  (the  "Record Date").  Each Right entitles the registered
holder to purchase from the  Company one one-hundredth of a share of Series
A Participating Cumulative Preferred  Stock,  no  par value (the "Preferred
Stock"),  of the Company at a price of $51.00 per one  one-hundredth  of  a
share of Preferred  Stock  (the  "Purchase  Price"), subject to adjustment.
The description and terms of the Rights are set forth in a Rights Agreement
dated as of November 2, 1998 (the "Rights Agreement")  between  the Company
and Wachovia Bank, N.A., as Rights Agent (the "Rights Agent").

     Subject  to certain exceptions, until the earlier to occur of  (i)  10
days following  a  public announcement that a person or group of affiliated
or associated persons  (an  "Acquiring  Person"),  have acquired beneficial
ownership  of  15%  or  more of the outstanding Common Stock,  or  (ii)  10
business days (or such later  date  as  may  be determined by action of the
Board of Directors prior to such time as any person  or group of affiliated
persons  becomes  an  Acquiring Person) following the commencement  of,  or
announcement of an intention  to make, a tender offer or exchange offer the
consummation of which would result  in the beneficial ownership by a person
or group of 15% or more of the outstanding  Common  Stock  (the  earlier of
such  dates  being  called  the  "Distribution  Date"), the Rights will  be
evidenced, with respect to any of the Common Stock certificates outstanding
as of the Record Date, by such Common Stock certificate,  with  a copy of a
Summary of Rights attached thereto.

     The  Rights  Agreement provides that, until the Distribution Date  (or
earlier redemption  or  expiration  of  the  Rights),  the  Rights  will be
transferred  with  and  only with the Common Stock.  Until the Distribution
Date (or earlier redemption  or expiration of the Rights), new Common Stock
certificates issued after the  Record Date upon transfer or new issuance of
Common Stock will contain a notation  incorporating the Rights Agreement by
reference.   Until  the  Distribution  Date   (or   earlier  redemption  or
expiration of the Rights), the surrender for transfer  of  any certificates
for  Common  Stock  outstanding  as  of the Record Date, even without  such
notation or a copy of the Summary of Rights  being  attached  thereto, will
also constitute the transfer of the Rights associated with the Common Stock
represented  by  such  certificate.   As soon as practicable following  the
Distribution  Date, separate certificates  evidencing  the  Rights  ("Right
Certificates")  will  be mailed to holders of record of the Common Stock as
of the close of business  on  the Distribution Date and such separate Right
Certificates alone will evidence the Rights.

     The  Rights are not exercisable  until  the  Distribution  Date.   The
Rights will  expire  on   November  2,  2008 (the "Final Expiration Date"),
unless  the Final Expiration Date is extended  or  unless  the  Rights  are
earlier redeemed  or  exchanged  by the Company, in each case, as described
below.

     The Purchase Price payable, and  the  number  of  shares  of Preferred
Stock or other securities or property issuable, upon exercise of the Rights
are subject to adjustment from time to time to prevent dilution  (i) in the
event   of   a   stock  dividend  on,  or  a  subdivision,  combination  or
reclassification of, the Preferred Stock, (ii) upon the grant to holders of
the Preferred Stock  of  certain  rights  or  warrants  to subscribe for or
purchase  Preferred  Stock  at  a  price,  or  securities convertible  into
Preferred Stock with a conversion price, less than  the then-current market
price of the Preferred Stock or (iii) upon the distribution  to  holders of
the  Preferred  Stock  of  evidences  of  indebtedness or assets (excluding
regular periodic cash dividends paid out of  earnings  or retained earnings
or  dividends  payable  in  shares  of Preferred Stock) or of  subscription
rights or warrants (other than those referred to above).

     The number of outstanding Rights  and the number of one one-hundredths
of a share of Preferred Stock issuable upon exercise of each Right are also
subject to adjustment in the event of a  stock split of the Common Stock or
a stock dividend on the Common Stock payable  in  shares of Common Stock or
subdivisions, consolidations or combinations of the Common Stock occurring,
in any such case, prior to the Distribution Date.

     With certain exceptions, no adjustment in the  Purchase  Price will be
required until cumulative adjustments require an adjustment of  at least 1%
in  such Purchase Price.  No fractional shares of Preferred Stock  will  be
issued  (other  than  fractions  which  are  integral multiples of one one-
hundredth of a share of Preferred Stock, which  may, at the election of the
Company,  be  evidenced by depository receipts) and  in  lieu  thereof,  an
adjustment in cash  will be made based on the market price of the Preferred
Stock on the last trading day prior to the date of exercise.

     Preferred Stock  purchasable  upon  exercise of the Rights will not be
redeemable.  Each share of Preferred Stock  will  be  entitled to a minimum
preferential quarterly dividend payment of $1.00 but will be entitled to an
aggregate dividend of 100 times the dividend declared per  share  of Common
Stock.   In  the  event  of liquidation, the holders of the Preferred Stock
will be entitled to a minimum preferential liquidation payment of $0.01 per
share but will be entitled to an aggregate payment of 100 times the payment
made per share of Common Stock.   Each  share  of Preferred Stock will have
100 votes, voting together with the Common Stock.  Finally, in the event of
any merger, consolidation or other transaction in  which  Common  Stock  is
exchanged,  each  share  of Preferred Stock will be entitled to receive 100
times the amount received  per  share  of  Common  Stock.  These rights are
protected by customary antidilution provisions.

     Because of the nature of the Preferred Stock's  dividend,  liquidation
and  voting  rights,  the  value  of  the  one one-hundredth of a share  of
Preferred Stock purchasable upon exercise of  each Right should approximate
the value of one share of Common Stock.

     At  any time after any person or group becomes  an  Acquiring  Person,
each holder  of  a  Right (other than the Acquiring Person) will thereafter
have the right to exercise  the  Right  to  purchase,  in lieu of Preferred
Stock, Common Stock having a market value, at the time such person or group
became an Acquiring Person, equal to two times the Purchase  Price  of  the
Right.

     In  the  event  that  the  Company  is  acquired  in a merger or other
business combination transaction or 50% or more of its consolidated  assets
or  earning  power are sold after a person or group has become an Acquiring
Person, proper provision will be made so that each holder of a Right (other
than the Acquiring  Person) will thereafter have the right to receive, upon
the exercise thereof  at the then-current Purchase Price of the Right, that
number of shares of common stock of the acquiring company which at the time
of such transaction will  have  a  market  value  of two times the Purchase
Price of the Right.  In the event that any person or group of affiliated or
associated persons becomes an Acquiring Person, proper  provision  shall be
made  so that each holder of a Right, other than Rights beneficially  owned
by the  Acquiring  Person  (which will thereafter be void), will thereafter
have the right to receive upon  exercise  that  number  of shares of Common
Stock having a market value at the time of such occurrence of two times the
Purchase Price of the Right.

     At any time after any person or group becomes an Acquiring  Person and
prior  to  the  acquisition  by such person or group of 50% or more of  the
outstanding  Common Stock, the  Board  of  Directors  of  the  Company  may
exchange the Rights  (other than Rights owned by such person or group which
will have become void),  in  whole  or in part, at an exchange ratio of one
share of Common Stock, or one one-hundredth  of a share of Preferred Stock,
per Right (subject to adjustment).

     At  any  time  prior  to  the  acquisition by a  person  or  group  of
affiliated or associated persons of beneficial  ownership of 15% or more of
the outstanding Common Stock, the Board of Directors  of  the  Company  may
redeem  the  Rights in whole, but not in part, at a price of $.01 per Right
(the "Redemption  Price").   The  redemption  of  the  Rights  may  be made
effective at such time, on such basis and with such conditions as the Board
of  Directors  in its sole discretion may establish.  Immediately upon  any
redemption of the  Rights,  the right to exercise the Rights will terminate
and  the  only right of the holders  of  Rights  will  be  to  receive  the
Redemption Price.

     The terms  of  the  Rights may be amended by the Board of Directors of
the Company without the consent  of the holders of the Rights, including an
amendment to lower the thresholds  described  above,  except  that from and
after such time as any person or group of affiliated or associated  persons
becomes  an  Acquiring  Person,  no such amendment may adversely affect the
interests of the holders of the Rights.

     Until a Right is exercised, the  holder thereof, as such, will have no
rights as a shareholder of the Company,  including, without limitation, the
right to vote or to receive dividends.

     As of November 2, 1998 there were 10,528,368  shares  of  Common Stock
issued  and outstanding.  As long as the Rights are attached to the  Common
Stock, the Company will issue one Right with each new share of Common Stock
so that all such shares will have Rights attached.

     The  Rights Agreement and the press release announcing the declaration
of the Rights  are  attached hereto as exhibits and are incorporated herein
by reference.  The foregoing  description of the Rights is qualified in its
entirety by reference to such exhibits.

ITEM 2.  EXHIBITS

     1.   Rights  Agreement,  dated   as   of  November  2,  1998,  between
          Piccadilly Cafeterias, Inc. and Wachovia  Bank,  N.A.,  as Rights
          Agent.

     2.   Form  of  Articles of Amendment to the Articles of Incorporation,
          included in Exhibit A to the Rights Agreement.

     3.   Forms  of  Rights   Certificate,   Assignment,  and  Election  to
          Purchase, included in Exhibit B to the Rights Agreement.

     4.   Summary Description of the Shareholder  Rights  Plan, included in
          Exhibit C to the Rights Agreement.

     5.   Press release dated November 2, 1998.


                             SIGNATURE

     Pursuant to the requirements of Section 12 of the Securities  Exchange
Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this registration statement  to
be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.

                                   PICCADILLY CAFETERIAS, INC.


                                   By:   /s/ Ronald A. LaBorde
                                   Name:  Ronald A. LaBorde
                                   Title:   President  and  Chief Executive
                                            Officer


Dated:  November 19, 1998




                           EXHIBIT INDEX


EXHIBIT NO.                   DESCRIPTION

    1.        Rights  Agreement,  dated  as  of  November 2, 1998,  between
              Piccadilly  Cafeterias,  Inc.  and Wachovia  Bank,  N.A.,  as
              Rights Agent.

    2.        Form   of   Articles  of  Amendment  to   the   Articles   of
              Incorporation, included in Exhibit A to the Rights Agreement.

    3.        Forms of Rights  Certificate,  Assignment,  and  Election  to
              Purchase, included in Exhibit B to the Rights Agreement.

    4.        Summary  Description of the Shareholder Rights Plan, included
              in Exhibit C to the Rights Agreement.

    5.        Press release dated November 2, 1998.