Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc.

Greetings and welcome to the Build-A-Bear Workshop first quarter 2026 earnings conference call. At this time, all participants are in a listen-only mode. A question and answer session will follow the formal presentation. If anyone should require operator assistance, please press star zero on your telephone keypad. As a reminder, this conference is being recorded. It is now my pleasure to introduce Gary Schneider from Build-A-Bear Investor Relations. Please go ahead.

Thank you. Good morning, everyone, and welcome to Build-A-Bear's first quarter 2026 earnings conference call. With us today are Sharon John, Build-A-Bear's chief executive officer, Chris Hurt, our chief operating officer and CEO elect, and Voynta Dorovich, our chief financial officer. During this call, we'll refer to forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially. Please refer to our Forms 10-K and 10-Q, including the risk factor section. We undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statement. During this call, we will present both GAAP and non-GAAP financial measures. A reconciliation of non-GAAP to GAAP measures is included in today's earnings press release, which is distributed and available to the public through our investor relations website. And now, I'll turn the call over to Sharon.

Thank you, Gary, and good morning, everyone. I appreciate you joining us today for Build-A-Bear's first quarter fiscal 2026 earnings call. Before reviewing the business, as I'm nearing in on my last day as CEO of Build-A-Bear on June 11th, I wanted to briefly reiterate what a privilege it's been to serve this beloved company for 13 years. Build-A-Bear is an exceptional organization envisioned by an inspiring founder, nurtured by a remarkable team of people who care deeply about the brand, working at our headquarters in the US and the UK, as well as our warehouses and retail locations around the world. It is supported by amazing partners across scores of functional areas from factories to fulfillment. I've gotten to know many of these individuals over the years and, like them, have been moved by the indelible, memorable impact Build-A-Bear can have on people of all ages around the globe. Needless to say, this has been incredibly rewarding to have navigated the company through multiple challenges with this great team. and to have been an integral part of its successful strategy, brand expansion and revenue growth, and particularly over the last few years, the shareholder value that has been created since taking the position. One of the most important decisions, however, was to bring Chris Hurt on board as the COO in 2015. Over the past 11 years, Chris has proven his dedication to this company, as well as his resilience and ability to to drive the business forward. As such, both the board and I believe he is ready to take the helm of Build-A-Bear and that he will continue to be a trusted partner to this outstanding leadership team and the company at large, just as he was during his leadership of our largest business division, Global Retail Operations, during a period of significant profit improvement and later, while driving our global location expansion, as well as more recently, with his oversight and process reinvention of our product and brand go-to-market strategy. With this successful track record, I have confidence that the company will be in excellent hands as he builds on our success while also taking the company to new heights and look forward to staying appropriately engaged from my continued role as a member of the Build-A-Bear Board of Directors. With that, I would like to formally congratulate Chris as he takes the helm, and I am enthusiastically looking forward to this next chapter.