EXHIBIT 99.1

                  BENIHANA INC. ANNOUNCES SALE OF SUSHI DORAKU

MIAMI, FLORIDA, April 21, 2006 -- Benihana Inc. (NASDAQ: BNHNA and BNHN),
operator of the nation's largest chain of Japanese themed and sushi restaurants,
today announced its agreement to sell the Company's Sushi Doraku restaurant,
located in Miami Beach, to Mr. Kevin Aoki for a total purchase price of
$536,000.

Aoki will also resign from his position as Director of Marketing. He will remain
as a member of Benihana Inc.'s Board of Directors but will not participate in
deliberations in which potential conflicts of interest could arise.

"The sale of our non-core Sushi Doraku restaurant allows us to concentrate our
full energies on our Benihana teppanyaki, RA Sushi and Haru concepts, which we
have long considered our primary growth vehicles. We will surely miss his
contributions to our brand-building efforts and we wish him much success in
developing the Sushi Doraku concept and our Benihana brand worldwide," said Joel
A. Schwartz, President and CEO.

"I will continue my devotion to the brand through my affiliation with Benihana
of Tokyo, which operates or franchises Benihana restaurants in Asia, Europe,
Canada, Australia and Mexico." said Kevin Aoki. "My lifelong commitment to
promoting the unique qualities of the teppanyaki concept is unwavering, and in
fact, part of my family. I am also pleased to be tapping my own entrepreneurial
spirit, and intend to devote a significant amount of my time to expanding Sushi
Doraku, which I believe has attractive prospects both in its current market and
beyond".

As part of the agreement to sell Sushi Doraku, Mr. Kevin Aoki will remit
$512,000 in cash prior to or at closing, and the remaining $24,000 in twelve
equal monthly installments. In addition, the agreement provides that Mr. Kevin
Aoki will be prohibited from opening any new restaurants within a seven-mile
radius of the Company's current restaurant locations in Miami-Dade County,
Florida and provides for certain other covenants not to compete.

ABOUT BENIHANA
Benihana Inc. (NASDAQ:BNHNA and BNHN), now in its 41st year, operates 74
restaurants nationwide, including 56 Benihana teppanyaki restaurants, seven Haru
sushi restaurants, and ten RA Sushi Bar Restaurants. Under development at
present are ten restaurants - three Benihana teppanyaki restaurants, one Haru
restaurant six RA Sushi restaurants. In addition, twelve franchised Benihana
teppanyaki restaurants are now open in the U.S. and nine in Latin America and
the Caribbean, while another two are under development.

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