Benihana Inc. Announces Plans for New RA Sushi Restaurants in California and Illinois.

MIAMI -- Benihana Inc. (NASDAQ:BNHNA and BNHN), operator of the nation's largest chain of Japanese theme restaurants, announced today it has signed lease agreements to open new RA Sushi restaurants in Glenview, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, and Tustin, California, near Newport Beach.

RA Sushi is a fast-growing chain, built around a vibrant restaurant concept and offers popular priced sushi and other Asian menu items. Acquired three years ago, RA Sushi now operates eight units and has five others under active development, including the two announced today. The Glenview and Tustin restaurants are expected to open in the spring and winter of 2006, respectively.

"The RA Sushi restaurant concept is exceptionally popular and is becoming a strong brand for Benihana," said Joel A. Schwartz, Benihana President and CEO. "The new RA Sushi restaurants we are announcing are in highly desirable locations that are in existing RA Sushi markets. This will enable us to benefit from RA Sushi's emerging brand identification, plus economies in marketing and promotion and efficiencies in labor and management. Our plans call for accelerating the chain's expansion."

RA Sushi restaurants currently are located in San Diego, California; Las Vegas, Nevada; Chicago, Illinois; and five in Arizona, one in each of Tucson, Tempe, Ahwahtukee and two in Scottsdale. Its website is www.rasushi.com.

The cost of the new RA Sushi restaurants was not disclosed.

About Benihana

Benihana, now in its 41st year and operator of the nation's largest chain of Japanese and sushi theme restaurants, currently operates 72 restaurants nationwide, including 56 Benihana teppanyaki restaurants, seven Haru sushi restaurants, eight RA Sushi Bar Restaurants and one Doraku restaurant. Under development at present are seven restaurants - two Benihana teppanyaki restaurants and five RA Sushi restaurants. In addition, a total of 21 franchised Benihana teppanyaki restaurants are now open or under development in the U.S. and Latin America.

Statements in this press release concerning the Company's business outlook or future economic performance, anticipated profitability, revenues, expenses or other financial items, together with other statements that are not historical facts, are "forward-looking statements" as that term is defined under Federal Securities Laws. "Forward-looking statements" are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those stated in such statements. Such risks, uncertainties and factors include, but are not limited to, changes in customers' tastes and preferences, acceptance of the Company's concepts in new locations, obtaining qualified personnel, industry cyclicality, fluctuations in customer demand, the seasonal nature of the business, fluctuations of commodities costs, the ability to complete construction of new units in a timely manner, obtaining governmental permits on a reasonably timely basis, the outcome of litigation including the litigation commenced by Benihana of Tokyo, Inc. and general economic conditions, as well as other risks detailed in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company disclaims any obligations to update any forward-looking statement as a result of developments occurring after the date of this press release, including the litigation commenced by Benihana of Tokyo, Inc.