<SUBMISSION>
<ACCESSION-NUMBER>0001157523-09-006978
<TYPE>8-K
<PUBLIC-DOCUMENT-COUNT>2
<PERIOD>20091019
<ITEMS>5.02
<ITEMS>9.01
<FILING-DATE>20091019
<DATE-OF-FILING-DATE-CHANGE>20091019
<FILER>
<COMPANY-DATA>
<CONFORMED-NAME>BENIHANA INC
<CIK>0000935226
<ASSIGNED-SIC>5812
<IRS-NUMBER>650538630
<STATE-OF-INCORPORATION>DE
<FISCAL-YEAR-END>0330
</COMPANY-DATA>
<FILING-VALUES>
<FORM-TYPE>8-K
<ACT>34
<FILE-NUMBER>000-26396
<FILM-NUMBER>091126171
</FILING-VALUES>
<BUSINESS-ADDRESS>
<STREET1>8685 NW 53RD TERRACE
<CITY>MIAMI
<STATE>FL
<ZIP>33166
<PHONE>3055930770
</BUSINESS-ADDRESS>
<MAIL-ADDRESS>
<STREET1>8685 NW 53RD TERRACE
<CITY>MIAMI
<STATE>FL
<ZIP>33166
</MAIL-ADDRESS>
</FILER>
<DOCUMENT>
<TYPE>8-K
<SEQUENCE>1
<FILENAME>a6076886.htm
<DESCRIPTION>BENIHANA INC. 8-K
<TEXT>
<html>
  <head>
    <title></title>
<!--Copyright 2009 Business Wire, a Berkshire Hathaway company.-->
<!--All rights reserved www.businesswire.com-->
  </head>
  <body style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 10pt">
    <p style="text-align: center">
      <font style="font-size: 12pt"><b>UNITED STATES</b></font><font style="font-size: 12pt"><br style="font-size: 12pt"></font><font style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Times New Roman"><b>SECURITIES
      AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION</b></font><font style="font-size: 12pt"><br style="font-size: 12pt"></font><font style="font-size: 12pt"><b>Washington,
      D.C. &#160;20549</b></font><br><br><br><font style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Times New Roman"><b>FORM
      8-K</b></font><br><br><br><font style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Times New Roman"><b>CURRENT
      REPORT</b></font><br><br><br><font style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Times New Roman"><b>Pursuant
      to Section 13 or 15(d) of the</b></font><br><font style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Times New Roman"><b>Securities
      Exchange Act of 1934</b></font><br><br>
    </p>
    <div style="text-align:left">
    <table cellspacing="0" style="width: 100%; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 10pt; margin-bottom: 10.0px">
      <tr>
        <td style="padding-left: 0.0px; text-align: center; width: 60%; padding-bottom: 2.0px" valign="top">
          <p style="margin-top: 0px; font-family: Times New Roman; margin-bottom: 0px; font-size: 10pt">
            Date of report (date of earliest event reported):
          </p>
        </td>
        <td style="padding-left: 0.0px; text-align: center; width: 40%; border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt" valign="top">
          <p style="margin-top: 0px; font-family: Times New Roman; margin-bottom: 0px; font-size: 10pt">
            <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman"><b>October
            19, 2009</b></font>
          </p>
        </td>
      </tr>
    </table>
    </div>
    <p style="text-align: center">

    </p>
    <div style="text-align:left">
    <table cellspacing="0" style="width: 100%; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 10pt; margin-bottom: 10.0px">
      <tr>
        <td style="padding-left: 0.0px; text-align: center; border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt" valign="top">
          <p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px">
            <font style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Times New Roman"><b>BENIHANA
            INC.</b></font>
          </p>
        </td>
      </tr>
      <tr>
        <td style="padding-left: 0.0px; text-align: center" valign="top">
          <p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px">
            (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
          </p>
        </td>
      </tr>
    </table>
    </div>
    <p style="text-align: center">

    </p>
    <div style="text-align:left">
    <table cellspacing="0" style="width: 100%; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 10pt; margin-bottom: 10.0px">
      <tr>
        <td style="padding-left: 0.0px; text-align: center; width: 30%; border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt" valign="bottom">
          <p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px">
            <b>Delaware</b>
          </p>
        </td>
        <td style="width: 5%">
          &#160;
        </td>
        <td style="padding-right: 0.0px; padding-left: 0.0px; text-align: center; width: 30%; border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; white-space: nowrap" valign="bottom">
          <p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px">
            <b>0-26396</b>
          </p>
        </td>
        <td style="width: 5%">
          &#160;
        </td>
        <td style="padding-right: 0.0px; padding-left: 0.0px; text-align: center; width: 30%; border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; white-space: nowrap" valign="bottom">
          <p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px">
            <b>65-0538630</b>
          </p>
        </td>
      </tr>
      <tr>
        <td style="padding-left: 0.0px; text-align: center; width: 30%" valign="bottom">
          <p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px">
            (State or other jurisdiction
          </p>
          <p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px">
            of incorporation)
          </p>
        </td>
        <td style="width: 5%">

        </td>
        <td style="padding-left: 0.0px; text-align: center; width: 30%" valign="bottom">
          <p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px">
            (Commission
          </p>
          <p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px">
            File Number)
          </p>
        </td>
        <td style="width: 5%">

        </td>
        <td style="padding-left: 0.0px; text-align: center; width: 30%" valign="bottom">
          <p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px">
            (I.R.S. Employer
          </p>
          <p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px">
            Identification No.)
          </p>
        </td>
      </tr>
    </table>
    </div>
    <p>

    </p>
    <div style="text-align:left">
    <table cellspacing="0" style="width: 100%; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 10pt; margin-bottom: 10.0px">
      <tr>
        <td style="padding-left: 0.0px; text-align: center; width: 67%; border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt" valign="bottom">
          <p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px">
            <b>8685 Northwest 53rd Terrace, Miami, Florida</b>
          </p>
        </td>
        <td style="padding-right: 0.0px; padding-left: 0.0px; text-align: center; width: 33%; border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; white-space: nowrap" valign="bottom">
          <p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px">
            <b>33166</b>
          </p>
        </td>
      </tr>
      <tr>
        <td style="padding-left: 0.0px; text-align: center; width: 67%" valign="bottom">
          <p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px">
            <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman">(Address
            of principal executive offices)</font>
          </p>
        </td>
        <td style="padding-left: 0.0px; text-align: center; width: 33%" valign="bottom">
          <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman">(Zip
          Code)</font>
        </td>
      </tr>
    </table>
    </div>
    <div style="text-align:left">
    <table cellspacing="0" style="width: 100%; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 10pt; margin-bottom: 10.0px">
      <tr>
        <td style="padding-left: 0.0px; text-align: center; width: 60%; padding-bottom: 2.0px" valign="top">
          <p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px">
            Registrant&#8217;s telephone number, including area code:
          </p>
        </td>
        <td style="padding-right: 0.0px; padding-left: 0.0px; text-align: center; width: 40%; border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; white-space: nowrap" valign="top">
          <p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px">
            <b>(305) 593-0770</b>
          </p>
        </td>
      </tr>
    </table>
    </div>
    <div style="text-align:left">
    <table cellspacing="0" style="width: 100%; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 10pt; margin-bottom: 10.0px">
      <tr>
        <td style="padding-left: 0.0px; text-align: center; border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt" valign="top">
          <p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px">
            <b>None</b>
          </p>
        </td>
      </tr>
      <tr>
        <td style="padding-left: 0.0px; text-align: center" valign="top">
          <p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px">
            Former name or former address, if changed since last report
          </p>
        </td>
      </tr>
    </table>
    </div>
    <p>
      <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman">Check the
      appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to
      simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any
      of the following provisions </font>(see General Instruction A.2. below):
    </p>
    <p style="text-indent: 30.0px; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 10pt">
      <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial Unicode MS">&#8414;</font>
      <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman">Written
      communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR
      230.425)</font>
    </p>
    <p style="text-indent: 30.0px; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 10pt">
      <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial Unicode MS">&#8414;</font>
      <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman">Soliciting
      material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR
      240.14a-12)</font>
    </p>
    <p style="text-indent: 30.0px; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 10pt">
      <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial Unicode MS">&#8414;</font>
      <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman">Pre-commencement
      communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR
      240.14d-2(b))</font>
    </p>
    <p style="text-indent: 30.0px; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 10pt">
      <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial Unicode MS">&#8414;</font>
      <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman">Pre-commencement
      communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR
      240.13e-4(c))</font>
    </p>
    <div style="width: 100%; text-indent: 0pt; margin-right: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0pt">
      <div>
        <div style="text-align: left">

        </div>
      </div>
      <div style="page-break-after: always">
        <div style="text-align: center">

        </div>
        <div style="text-align: center">
          <hr style="color: black; height: 1.5pt">

        </div>
      </div>
      <div>
        <div style="text-align: right">

        </div>
      </div>
    </div>
    <p>

    </p>
    <p>
      <b>Item 5.02&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of
      Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of
      Certain Officers</b>
    </p>
    <p style="text-indent: 30.0px; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 10pt">
      On October 19, 2009, the Company announced that it had hired Christopher
      P. Ames as Chief Operating Officer of the Company.&#160;&#160;Mr. Ames, age 46, a
      consultant to the restaurant industry, was Vice President and Chief
      Operating Officer of Cosi, Inc. from December 2006 to August 2008 and
      Executive Vice President of the Patina Group from October 2005 to
      December 2006.&#160;&#160;Prior thereto, Mr. Ames served as Vice President of
      Operations with Elephant Bar Restaurant in Los Angeles, California from
      June 2004 to August 2005 and Vice President of Operations with
      California Pizza Kitchen from January 1992 to March 2004.&#160;&#160;Since July
      2009, Mr. Ames has provided consulting services to the Company, for
      which the Company paid him fees totaling approximately $62,500.&#160;&#160;The
      Company will employ Mr. Ames on an &#8220;at will&#8221; basis at an annual base
      salary of $250,000.&#160;&#160;In addition, Mr. Ames<b> </b>will be
      eligible to participate in the benefits programs which the Company
      generally makes available to its senior executives.
    </p>
    <p style="text-indent: 30.0px; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 10pt">
      Juan C. Garcia will continue on a full-time basis as the Company&#8217;s
      President and Chief Administrative Officer.
    </p>
    <p>
      <b>Item 9.01&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;Financial Statements and Exhibits</b>
    </p>
    <p>
      (d) Exhibits:
    </p>
    <p>

    </p>
    <div style="text-align:left">
    <table cellspacing="0" style="width: 100%; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 10pt; margin-bottom: 10.0px">
      <tr>
        <td style="padding-left: 0.0px; text-align: center; width: 15%" valign="top">
          <p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px">
            <b>Exhibit</b>
          </p>
          <p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px">
            <u><b>Number</b></u>
          </p>
        </td>
        <td style="padding-left: 0.0px; text-align: left; width: 3%" valign="top">
          &#160;
        </td>
        <td style="padding-left: 0.0px; text-align: left; width: 82%" valign="bottom">
          <p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px">
            <u><b>Exhibit</b></u>
          </p>
        </td>
      </tr>
      <tr>
        <td style="padding-right: 0.0px; padding-left: 0.0px; text-align: center; width: 15%; white-space: nowrap" valign="top">
          99.1
        </td>
        <td style="width: 3%">

        </td>
        <td style="padding-left: 0.0px; text-align: left; width: 82%" valign="top">
          Press Release of Benihana Inc. dated October 19, 2009
        </td>
      </tr>
    </table>
    </div>
    <p>
      <br>

    </p>
    <p style="text-align: center">
      <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman"><b>SIGNATURES</b></font>
    </p>
    <p style="text-align: left; text-indent: 30.0px">
      <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman">Pursuant to
      the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, the
      registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
      undersigned thereunto duly authorized.</font>
    </p>
    <p style="text-indent: 60.0px; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 10pt">

    </p>
    <div style="text-align:left">
    <table cellspacing="0" style="width: 100%; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 10pt; margin-bottom: 10.0px">
      <tr>
        <td style="width: 7%">

        </td>
        <td style="width: 48%">

        </td>
        <td style="padding-left: 0.0px; text-align: left; width: 45%" valign="top">
          <p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px">
            <b>BENIHANA INC.</b>
          </p>
        </td>
      </tr>
      <tr>
        <td style="width: 7%">

        </td>
        <td style="width: 48%">

        </td>
        <td style="padding-left: 0.0px; text-align: left; width: 45%" valign="top">
          &#160;
        </td>
      </tr>
      <tr>
        <td style="padding-left: 0.0px; text-align: left; width: 7%" valign="top">
          <p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px">
            Dated:
          </p>
        </td>
        <td style="padding-left: 0.0px; text-align: left; width: 48%" valign="top">
          October 19, 2009
        </td>
        <td style="padding-left: 0.0px; text-align: left; width: 45%" valign="top">
          <p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px">
            By: <u>/s/ Jose I. Ortega</u>
          </p>
        </td>
      </tr>
      <tr>
        <td style="width: 7%">

        </td>
        <td style="width: 48%">

        </td>
        <td style="padding-left: 0.0px; text-align: left; width: 45%" valign="top">
          <p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px">
            Jose I. Ortega
          </p>
        </td>
      </tr>
      <tr>
        <td style="width: 7%">

        </td>
        <td style="width: 48%">

        </td>
        <td style="padding-left: 0.0px; text-align: left; width: 45%" valign="top">
          <p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px">
            Vice President &#8211; Finance and Chief Financial Officer
          </p>
        </td>
      </tr>
    </table>
    </div>
    <p>

    </p>
    <div style="width: 100%; text-indent: 0pt; margin-right: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0pt">
      <div>
        <div style="text-align: left">

        </div>
      </div>
      <div style="page-break-after: always">
        <div style="text-align: center">

        </div>
        <div style="text-align: center">
          <hr style="color: black; height: 1.5pt">

        </div>
      </div>
      <div>
        <div style="text-align: right">

        </div>
      </div>
    </div>
    <p>

    </p>
    <p style="text-align: center">
      <b>EXHIBIT INDEX</b>
    </p>
    <div style="text-align:left">
    <table cellspacing="0" style="width: 100%; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 10pt; margin-bottom: 10.0px">
      <tr>
        <td style="padding-left: 0.0px; text-align: center; width: 15%" valign="top">
          <p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px">
            <b>Exhibit</b>
          </p>
          <p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px">
            <u><b>Number</b></u>
          </p>
        </td>
        <td style="padding-left: 0.0px; text-align: left; width: 3%" valign="top">
          &#160;
        </td>
        <td style="padding-left: 0.0px; text-align: left; width: 82%" valign="bottom">
          <p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px">
            <u><b>Exhibit</b></u>
          </p>
        </td>
      </tr>
      <tr>
        <td style="padding-right: 0.0px; padding-left: 0.0px; text-align: center; width: 15%; white-space: nowrap" valign="top">
          99.1
        </td>
        <td style="width: 3%">

        </td>
        <td style="padding-left: 0.0px; text-align: left; width: 82%" valign="top">
          Press Release of Benihana Inc. dated October 19, 2009
        </td>
      </tr>
    </table>
    </div>
    <p>

    </p>
    <p>

    </p>
  </body>
</html>
<!--<!DOCTYPE html
     PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN"
     "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd">-->
</TEXT>
</DOCUMENT>
<DOCUMENT>
<TYPE>EX-99.1
<SEQUENCE>2
<FILENAME>a6076886ex99-1.htm
<DESCRIPTION>EXHIBIT 99.1
<TEXT>
<html>
  <head>
    <title></title>
<!--Copyright 2009 Business Wire, a Berkshire Hathaway company.-->
<!--All rights reserved www.businesswire.com-->
  </head>
  <body style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 8pt">
    <p style="text-align: right">
      <b>Exhibit 99.1</b>
    </p>
    <p style="text-align: center">
      <font style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Times New Roman"><b>Benihana
      Inc. Names Christopher P. Ames as Chief Operating Officer</b></font>
    </p>
    <p>
      MIAMI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--October 19, 2009--Benihana Inc. (NASDAQ: BNHNA;
      BNHN), operator of the nation&#8217;s largest chain of Japanese theme and
      sushi restaurants, announced today that Christopher P. Ames has been
      named Chief Operating Officer, effective immediately. Juan C. Garcia
      will continue as President and will now serve as Chief Administrative
      Officer.
    </p>
    <p>
      Mr. Ames has served as an industry consultant to Benihana Inc. since
      July 2009, and brings more than 25 years of restaurant operations
      experience to the Company. Prior to that, he held the position of Chief
      Operating Officer of Cosi, Inc. (NASDAQ: COSI), and had previously
      served in other senior operating positions at The Patina
      Group/Restaurant Associates, Elephant Bar Restaurants Inc., and
      California Pizza Kitchen, Inc. (NASDAQ: CPKI).
    </p>
    <p>
      Richard C. Stockinger, Chief Executive Officer, said, &#8220;With our
      increased focus on operations, included the recently implemented
      Benihana Renewal Program, we view Chris&#8217; leadership and extensive
      operations experience as a valuable asset to the Company. Chris and Juan
      will both report directly to me as they assume their new roles, and I
      look forward to the continued contributions they will make to our
      organization.&#8221;
    </p>
    <p>
      <b>About Benihana</b>
    </p>
    <p>
      Benihana Inc. (Nasdaq: BNHNA - News) (Nasdaq: BNHN - News) operates 98
      restaurants nationwide, including 64 Benihana Teppanyaki restaurants,
      nine Haru sushi restaurants, and 25 RA Sushi Bar restaurants. Under
      development at present is one Benihana Teppanyaki restaurant. In
      addition, 22 franchised Benihana Teppanyaki restaurants are operating in
      the U.S., Latin America and the Caribbean.
    </p>
    <p>
      To learn more about the Company and its three Japanese theme and sushi
      restaurant concepts, please view the corporate video at <u>www.benihana.com/about/video</u>.
    </p>
    <p>

    </p>
    <p>

    </p>
    <p>
      CONTACT:<br>ICR<br>Raphael Gross or Tom Ryan, 203-682-8200
    </p>
  </body>
</html>
</TEXT>
</DOCUMENT>
</SUBMISSION>
