<SEC-DOCUMENT>0000950138-17-000406.txt : 20170512
<SEC-HEADER>0000950138-17-000406.hdr.sgml : 20170512
<ACCEPTANCE-DATETIME>20170512161713
ACCESSION NUMBER:		0000950138-17-000406
CONFORMED SUBMISSION TYPE:	4
PUBLIC DOCUMENT COUNT:		1
CONFORMED PERIOD OF REPORT:	20170511
FILED AS OF DATE:		20170512
DATE AS OF CHANGE:		20170512

ISSUER:		

	COMPANY DATA:	
		COMPANY CONFORMED NAME:			BUILD A BEAR WORKSHOP INC
		CENTRAL INDEX KEY:			0001113809
		STANDARD INDUSTRIAL CLASSIFICATION:	RETAIL-HOBBY, TOY & GAME SHOPS [5945]
		IRS NUMBER:				431883836
		STATE OF INCORPORATION:			DE
		FISCAL YEAR END:			0102

	BUSINESS ADDRESS:	
		STREET 1:		1954 INNERBELT BUSINESS CENTRE DRIVE
		CITY:			ST LOUIS
		STATE:			MO
		ZIP:			63114
		BUSINESS PHONE:		314-423-8000

	MAIL ADDRESS:	
		STREET 1:		1954 INNERBELT BUSINESS CENTRE DRIVE
		CITY:			ST LOUIS
		STATE:			MO
		ZIP:			63114

REPORTING-OWNER:	

	OWNER DATA:	
		COMPANY CONFORMED NAME:			Peterson Coleman H
		CENTRAL INDEX KEY:			0001290759

	FILING VALUES:
		FORM TYPE:		4
		SEC ACT:		1934 Act
		SEC FILE NUMBER:	001-32320
		FILM NUMBER:		17838857

	MAIL ADDRESS:	
		STREET 1:		615 J.B. HUNT CORPORATE DRIVE
		CITY:			LOWELL
		STATE:			AR
		ZIP:			72745
</SEC-HEADER>
<DOCUMENT>
<TYPE>4
<SEQUENCE>1
<FILENAME>edgar.xml
<DESCRIPTION>PRIMARY DOCUMENT
<TEXT>
<XML>
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>

    <schemaVersion>X0306</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2017-05-11</periodOfReport>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0001113809</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>BUILD A BEAR WORKSHOP INC</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>BBW</issuerTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001290759</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>Peterson Coleman H</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>C/O BUILD-A-BEAR WORKSHOP, INC.</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>1954 INNERBELT BUSINESS CENTER</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>ST. LOUIS</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>MO</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>63114</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>1</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <nonDerivativeTable>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2017-05-11</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>A</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>8879</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F1"/>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <footnoteId id="F2"/>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>A</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>116751</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F3"/>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value></value>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
    </nonDerivativeTable>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">Grant to reporting person of 8,879 shares of restricted stock.  The shares will vest on May 11, 2018.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F2">Price is not applicable to grants of restricted stock.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F3">After giving effect to the transactions reported in this Form 4, Mr. Peterson directly owns 107,872 shares of common stock and 8,879 shares of restricted stock of Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc.  5,847 restricted shares vested on May 12, 2017, a day after the above reported transaction.  For purposes of this footnote, we have included these 5,847 shares as common stock instead of restricted, making this footnote accurate as of the date of filing.</footnote>
    </footnotes>

    <remarks></remarks>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>/s/ Eric Fencl, as Attorney-in-Fact for Coleman H. Peterson</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2017-05-12</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>
</XML>
</TEXT>
</DOCUMENT>
</SEC-DOCUMENT>
