Press Release

Interactive, Entertainment Retailer Opens at Mayfair Shopping Centre with Grand Opening Cele-bear-ation

Build-A-Bear Workshop® (NYSE: BBW), Where Best Friends Are Made® — the only global company that offers an interactive make-your-own stuffed animal retail-entertainment experience — is opening its beary first location in Victoria at Mayfair Shopping Centre on Friday, April 27, 2007.

Founded in 1997, Build-A-Bear Workshop is one of North America's most celebrated retailers for its interactive concept that invites Guests of all ages to make their own customized stuffed animals. The company has more than 300 stores worldwide, including 13 in Canada, and is now opening its 14th Canadian location at Victoria's Mayfair Shopping Centre.

"Building on the success of our existing stores in Canada, we are looking forward to spreading teddy bear hugs in British Columbia's capital city,” said Maxine Clark, Build-A-Bear Workshop founder and chief executive bear.

The Grand Opening Cele-bear-ations at Mayfair Shopping Centre will kick-off on Friday, April 27 with a beary special ribbon cutting ceremony lead by Bearemy®, Build-A-Bear Workshop mascot and the ambassador of bear hugs; Mayor Alan Lowe and more than 25 children from Sangster Elementary School who will help make bears to be donated to the Vancouver Island Health Authority — a non-profit organization that provides health care to approximately 700,000 people through a network of hospitals, clinics, centres, health units, and residential facilities. On Saturday, April 28, Build-A-Bear Workshop is inviting the first 200 Guests to participate in “Hugs for Kids” to make a free bear that will be donated to the Vancouver Island Health Authority.

Where Best Friends Are Made®
Build-A-Bear Workshop® is founded on the premise that nearly everyone, regardless of age, has a special fondness for stuffed animals. At Build-A-Bear Workshop stores, Guests choose their furry friend to make, stuff it just right, and add personality with hundreds of outfits and accessories. The company is also known for the memorable heart ceremony that takes place during the bear-making process. This station allows Guests to choose a red satin heart – a Build-A-Bear Workshop trademark - make a special wish and place it inside their stuffed animal. A wide variety of inventive bear-sized merchandise is also available, including hundreds of coordinating outfits, shoes and boots, officially licensed sports uniforms, and many fashion accessories. There are even miniature pets and pet accessories to complete the pawfect bear family. Build-A-Bear Workshop stuffed animals range in price from $15 to $36.

Maxine Clark created Build-A-Bear Workshop based on her keen intuition and business savvy. A recognized retail innovator, she spent 20 years with The May Department Stores and then went on to lead Payless ShoeSource achieving the position of number one seller in the world of children's licensed footwear. Ms. Clark understands what families want in a shopping experience, and the store is her response to happy memories of shopping as a child.

“I have always enjoyed window shopping and store displays. Even from a young age it was exciting for me to see all of the beautiful displays in the malls,” says Clark. “At Build-A-Bear Workshop we try to recreate that fun and excitement for Guests of all ages. We enjoy sharing their experience and seeing them smile, and look forward to spreading teddy bear smiles across Canada!”

Build-A-Bear Workshop in the Community
A fundamental principle of Build-A-Bear Workshop is giving back to causes that support children, families and animals. A number of the Build-A-Bear Workshop animals provide Guests the opportunity to support these causes by having a portion of the proceeds of their purchase donated to Canadian charities.

Through a unique partnership with the World Wildlife Fund Canada, Build-A-Bear Workshop offers a series of WWF-Canada co-branded plush animals with a portion of the proceeds supporting efforts to protect endangered animals and their habitats. The Bearemy's Kennel Pals® line of plush products raises funds to support local animal shelters and helps animals in crisis situations. Children's literacy is supported through Read Teddy™. Champ, a Champion Fur Kids, supports health and wellness needs of children and their families.

About Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc.
Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc. is the only global company that offers an interactive make-your-own stuffed animal retail-entertainment experience. Founded in St. Louis in 1997, the company currently operates more than 300 stores in the United States, Ireland and the United Kingdom and 14 stores in Canada including four in the Greater Toronto Area, one in Dartmouth, Ottawa, London, Kitchener-Waterloo, Edmonton, Calgary, Winnipeg, Victoria and two in the Greater Vancouver Regional District. The addition of franchise stores in Europe, Asia and Australia make Build-A-Bear Workshop the leader in interactive retail. In November 2004, the company expanded the make-your-own concept from stuffed animals to dolls with the opening of its first friends 2B made® stores, where Guests can make their own doll friends. Build-A-Bear Workshop (NYSE: BBW) posted total revenue of $437 million in fiscal 2006. For more information, call 1-888-560-BEAR (2327) or visit the company's award-winning Web sites at www.buildabear.com and www.friends2bmade.com.

For more information or to arrange an interview with a Build-A-Bear Workshop spokesperson, please contact Penelope Savoie or Anne Adamson at Strategic Objectives Inc. Tel: (416) 366-7735; Fax: (416) 366-2295; Email: psavoie@strategicobjectives.com.

TRADEMARKS
As you write your story, we would ask that you use the full Name: Build-A-Bear Workshop® and that when referencing the process of making stuffed animals, you use the word “make” not “build.”

Build-A-Bear Workshop is the trade name and the registered trademark of Build-A-Bear Retail Management, Inc. Build-A-Bear Workshop® should only be used in capital letters to refer to its products and services and should not be used as a verb.