Press Release

ST. LOUIS (March 6, 2009) – St. Patrick’s Day is just around the corner, and it’s time to break out the green. Build-A-Bear Workshop® is doing just that by offering lots o’ lucky new furry friends starting at just $10 and products to help Guests celebrate all things Irish. The fun also continues online with Build-A-Bearville offering a variety of fun St. Patrick’s Day themed activities.

NEW for St. Patrick’s Day this year is Beary Limited® edition Happy Go Lucky Frog for only $16. No need to travel to Ireland to kiss the Blarney Stone, Guests can visit their local Build-A-Bear Workshop store to kiss this prince of a frog with two shamrocks on his cheeks and festive kelly green fur. Guests can even give this new furry friend the gift of gab by adding a $3 Frog Sound. Guests will leap into a brand new friendship with this enchanting Collectifriend® that is sure to become a favorite good luck charm.

Build-A-Bear Workshop is parading a variety of fun fashions for all lads and lasses looking to accessorize their furry friends. Bears are sure to feel lucky when they are decked out in green with a teddy bear size raglan style tee sporting a Feelin' Green frog design for $6. The Beary Lucky Dress for $12 features a green and yellow shamrock print with white accents and a matching bow, perfect for dancing Irish jigs. The Leprechaun Costume for $15 prepares furry friends to hunt for treasured pots o’ gold at the end of the rainbow.

Once the bears are dressed in emerald, Guests looking to send a message of “Happy St. Patrick’s Day” to someone lucky can Say It With Sound! ® by adding a Build-A-Sound® message to any furry friend for only $8. Additional St. Patrick’s Day product from Build-A-Bear Workshop® can be found at www.buildabear.com.

Guests of the Build-A-Bear Workshop virtual world, buildabearville.com®, will see shamrocks and four-leaf clovers decorating the town and can hunt for hidden pots of gold throughout the world. Beginning on March 5, the Build-A-Bearville Store Fur All Seasons features St. Patrick’s Day décor, including a shamrock table, a pot of gold, a poster of Ireland and more. On March 17, Bearemy™, the Build-A-Bear Workshop huggable mascot, will be handing out an exclusive St. Patrick’s Day virtual gift to pass on the luck of the Irish to all. Parental permission may be required for Buildabearville.com. Visit Buildabearville.com for details.

About Build-A-Bearville
Build-A-Bear Workshop is the first company with both real-world stores and a virtual world experience. In buildabearville.com, citizens are able to create a unique character, decorate their own Cub Condo home, participate in games and quests and learn about giving back to the community. Membership to the site is free and does not expire. Today over 7 million citizens are registered at buildabearville.com. Build-A-Bear Workshop encourages parent and Guest involvement in its Buildabearville.com online community. The Company formed a Parent Advisory Panel in 1997 when the Company opened its first Build-A-Bear Workshop store. The Panel – a parent group that from time to time is asked to review and give input on products, services and online features – has been a source of important input for the Build-A-Bearville.

About Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc
Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc., is the leading and only global company that offers an interactive make-your-own stuffed animal retail-entertainment experience. Founded in 1997, the company currently operates more than 400 Build-A-Bear Workshop stores worldwide, including company-owned stores in the United States, Puerto Rico, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and France, and franchise stores in Europe, Asia, Australia and Africa. In 2007, the interactive experience was enhanced - all the way to CyBEAR space - with the launch of buildabearville.com®, the company’s virtual world stuffed with fun. Build-A-Bear Workshop (NYSE: BBW) posted total revenue of $468 million in fiscal 2008. For more information, call 888.560.BEAR (2327) or visit the company’s award-winning Web site at www.buildabear.com.

TRADEMARKS
We would like to thank you for your interest in covering our business. As you write your story, we would ask that you use our 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 our well-known trade name and our registered trademark of Build-A-Bear Retail Management, Inc. Build-A-Bear Workshop should only be used in capital letters to refer to our products and services and should not be used as a verb.

Contact:
Jill Saunders
314-423-8000, ext. 5293
314-422-4523(cell)
jills@buildabear.com

Shannon Lammert
314-423-8000 ext. 5379
314-556-3852 (cell)
shannonl@buildabear.com