Press Release

Guests are encouraged to visit the Build-A-Bear Workshop and friends 2b made stores at Mall of America® to make a bear and doll for free to be donated to beary worthy causes!

WHO: Guests of Build-A-Bear Workshop and friends 2B made®

WHAT: As a way to reach out to children suffering from Hurricane Katrina, on Friday, September 16 and Saturday, September 17, Build-A-Bear Workshop invites Guests to visit the store at Mall of America and make a bear for free to be donated to children in need. Hope For The City will be helping distribute the bears to children who have been displaced from their homes.

In addition, friends 2B made will be holding an It's Hip 2 Help event at each of their five stores around the country in conjunction with Childhood Cancer Awareness month.The first 300 Guests to visit the friends 2B made store on Saturday, September 17 at Mall of America are invited to participate in It's Hip 2 Help™ and make a free doll to donate to children with cancer in the Minneapolis area.

WHERE: Build-A-Bear Workshop and friends 2B made stores
Mall of America 172 E. Broadway Bloomington, MN 55425

WHEN: Stuffed with Hugs event at Build-A-Bear Workshop® Friday and Saturday, September 16 &17
It's Hip 2 Help event at friends 2B made®

WHY: Build-A-Bear Workshop and friends 2B made are committed to improving communities and impacting lives through meaningful philanthropic programs that support causes for children, families and animals.

Build-A-Bear Workshop is thrilled to have opened a friends 2B made store in Minneapolis and to offer Guests two unique entertainment retailers right next door to one another.

INTERVIEW OPPORTUNITIES:

• Maxine Clark, Founder and Chief Executive Bear of Build-A-Bear Workshop (by phone)
• friends 2B made representative

About friends 2B made
friends 2B made is the newest concept launch from Build-A-Bear Workshop, the entertainment mall-based retail leader. The new doll product line offers Guests not only the chance to create their very own fashionable friends but also gives them the opportunity to discover a special personality for their very own doll! Throughout this interactive process, Guests have the opportunity to create an emotional bond with their doll and have fun choosing from hip fashions and accessories. With sparkly eyes, manicured toes, super hair and most importantly a friendship to last a lifetime, these dolls are the most wonderful friends a girl could ever wish for! Each outfit comes with 2 free charms, one for her and one for her new doll, enhancing their collectibility and stylish fun! With this new line of products, the brand continues to offer the highest quality merchandise, marketing and customer service that the Build-A-Bear Workshop brand established in 1997. The merchandise is also value priced with dolls at $12, accessories ranging from $2-$5 and complete outfits from $8-$15. friends 2B made won the Chain Store Age 2004 Retail Store of the Year Design Competition-First Prize: Exterior-In-Line Store Category.

About Build-A-Bear Workshop
Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc. (NYSE: BBW), with fiscal 2004 total revenue of $302 million, is the only national company that offers Guests an interactive make-your-own-stuffed animal retail-entertainment experience. The first store opened in St. Louis in 1997; the company currently operates over 190 stores in the United States and Canada. With the opening of its store in Sheffield, England, in the fall of 2003 and the addition of international stores in Japan, Denmark, Australia, South Korea and France, Build-A-Bear Workshop has become the global leader in the teddy bear business. In November 2004, the companyopened two friends 2B made® stores, the newest concept based on the doll-making experience. For more information about the company and its products, call 888.560.BEAR (2327) or visit the company's award-winning web site at www.buildabear.com.

About Mall of America
Mall of America is the nation's largest retail and entertainment complex. The 4.2 million square foot complex is home to more than 520 world-class shops; Camp Snoopy, the nation's largest indoor family theme park; Underwater Adventures Aquarium, a 1.2 million gallon walk-though aquarium; IKEA, the world's leading home furnishings retailer; a 14-screen movie theater and more. The Mall opened in August of 1992 and is located in Bloomington, Minn., just minutes from downtown Minneapolis and St. Paul. For more information visit www.mallofamerica.com.

Contact: Jennifer Mansell
314.423.8000 Ext. 5402
414.801.1146 cell
jenniferm@buildabear.com

Anna Lewicki
952.883.8805
952.240.9304 cell
alewicki@simon.com