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Benihana Inc. Updates Development Activity

MIAMI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 8, 2008--Benihana Inc. (NASDAQ: BNHNA; BNHN), operator of the nation's largest chain of Japanese theme and sushi restaurants, today updated development activity for its Benihana teppanyaki and RA Sushi restaurant concepts.

Benihana Teppanyaki

• The Benihana teppanyaki restaurant in Dallas, TX reopened on
  March 14, 2008. It had closed on January 14, 2008 for
  remodeling.
  
• The Benihana teppanyaki restaurant in Houston, TX reopened on
  May 2, 2008. It had closed on January 7, 2008 for remodeling.
  
• The Company began construction of a new Benihana teppanyaki
  restaurant in Dearborn, MI adjacent to the existing location.
  The current Dearborn restaurant is still in operation and will
  be torn down upon the completion of the new restaurant.
  
• The Benihana teppanyaki restaurant in Memphis, TN closed on
  February 22, 2008 following a fire at that location. The
  Company is in the process of rebuilding this unit.

There are currently eight additional Benihana teppanyaki restaurants under development in Coral Springs, FL; Orlando, FL; Chicago, IL; Westwood, MA; Meadowlands, NJ; Columbus, OH; Plymouth Meeting, PA; and. Plano, TX.

RA Sushi

• The RA Sushi restaurant in Plano, TX opened on March 24, 2008.
  The restaurant is located in The Shops at Legacy, a retail
  shopping center situated in the heart of Legacy Business Park,
  which is home to over 20 corporations and employs more than
  50,000 people.
  
• The RA Sushi restaurant in Pembroke Pines, FL opened on May 5,
  2008. The restaurant is located in The Shops at Pembroke
  Gardens, an upscale 400,000 square foot lifestyle center off
  Interstate 75 and Pines Boulevard.

There are currently seven additional RA Sushi restaurants under development in Chino Hills, CA; Huntington Beach, CA; Orlando, FL; South Miami, FL; Leawood, KS; Westwood, MA; and Houston, TX.

"We continue to make progress in our development of new Benihana and RA Sushi locations across the country, and have already completed 17 renovations of older teppanyaki units, with the entire remodeling program projected to be completed by January 2009. We look forward to providing unit growth projections for fiscal 2009 on our fiscal fourth quarter 2008 conference call, which will be held in June," stated Joel A. Schwartz, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.

About Benihana

Benihana Inc. (NASDAQ: BNHNA; BNHN) operates 88 restaurants nationwide, including 60 Benihana teppanyaki restaurants, nine Haru sushi restaurants, and nineteen RA Sushi Bar restaurants. Under development at present are fifteen restaurants - eight Benihana teppanyaki restaurants and seven RA Sushi restaurants. In addition, 18 franchised Benihana teppanyaki restaurants are operating in the U.S., Latin America and the Caribbean.

To learn more about the Company and its three Japanese theme and sushi restaurant concepts, please view the corporate video at www.benihana.com/company_profile.asp


SOURCE: Benihana Inc.

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