Exhibit 99.2

   Benihana Inc. Appoints Jose I. Ortega as Chief Financial Officer;
    Michael Burris to Remain with the Company as Vice President of
                          Investor Relations

    MIAMI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 24, 2006--Benihana Inc. (NASDAQ:
BNHNA and BNHN), operator of the nation's largest chain of Japanese
theme and sushi restaurants, today announced the appointment of Jose
I. Ortega as the Company's Vice President of Finance and Chief
Financial Officer effective on September 1, 2006. Mr. Ortega had
previously served as the Company's Controller. Mr. Ortega will succeed
Michael Burris, who will assume the role of Vice President of Investor
Relations.
    In the year since Mr. Ortega joined the Company, he has led the
budgeting, financial reporting and Sarbanes-Oxley compliance areas as
well as the implementation of the new POS system and cash management
system. Mr. Ortega was formerly the director of financial reporting at
Burger King Corporation.
    "We are excited to welcome Jose to his new leadership role within
the Benihana family and look forward to benefiting from his well
established credentials and experience. As we continue to aggressively
grow our concept nationwide, we are gratified to be strengthening our
senior management team with such a worthy individual, and wish him the
very best in his new position," said Joel A. Schwartz, President and
CEO.
    Michael Burris commented, "I am very proud of my contributions to
the current success of Benihana during my 11-year affiliation with
the Company. My new role at Benihana, as Vice President of Investor
Relations will enable me to serve the Company's investors while
allowing me to devote more time to Goodwill Industries of South
Florida as a member of its board of directors, as well as to teach
corporate finance at Florida International University's School of
Hospitality and Tourism."

    About Benihana

    Benihana Inc. (NASDAQ:BNHNA and BNHN), now in its
41st year, operates 75 restaurants nationwide, including 57 Benihana
teppanyaki restaurants, seven Haru sushi restaurants, and eleven RA
Sushi Bar restaurants. Under development at present are ten
restaurants - three Benihana teppanyaki restaurants, one Haru
restaurant, and six RA Sushi restaurants. In addition, eleven
franchised Benihana teppanyaki restaurants are now open in the U.S.
and seven in Latin America and the Caribbean, while another two are
under development.

    CONTACT: Benihana Inc.
             Joel A. Schwartz or Michael R. Burris, 305-593-0770
             or
             Integrated Corporate Relations:
             Tom Ryan/Raphael Gross, 203-682-8200