Ruby Tuesday Appoints Steven Becker and Matthew Drapkin to the Board of Directors

In connection with the appointment of Messrs. Becker and Drapkin to the Board of Ruby Tuesday, Becker Drapkin has agreed to withdraw its separate nomination of Mr. Becker, Mr. Drapkin, and Michael Brodsky to the Board of Directors and to vote in favor of each of the Board’s nominees for election at the 2011 Annual Meeting of Shareholders.

“We appreciate the hard work Sandy and the Board put forth to reach a fair and expeditious settlement. We believe that Ruby Tuesday has a unique set of valuable assets and we look forward to working with Sandy, his team, and the Board to deliver shareholder value”

The Company will increase the size of its Board from eight to nine members with the appointment of Messrs. Becker and Drapkin, and the vacancy of one Board seat. Current Board member R. Brad Martin has retired from the Company’s Board of Directors effective June 30, 2011. “I would like to express our gratitude to Brad for his commitment to our Board over the last three years, including his contributions which have helped shape many of our current strategies,” said Founder, Chairman, and CEO Sandy Beall.

Beall also added, “Steve, Matt, and I recently met in person, and have subsequently worked quickly and cordially to reach a win/win scenario which we believe is in the best interests of our shareholders. I am pleased to welcome both Steve and Matt to our Board of Directors and look forward to their future contributions to Ruby Tuesday as we continue to make progress on our strategic plans to create long-term value for our shareholders. Steve’s and Matt’s appointment to the Board will further enhance the quality of our corporate governance, in addition to bringing potential new ideas to the table given their previous Board experiences.”

"We appreciate the hard work Sandy and the Board put forth to reach a fair and expeditious settlement. We believe that Ruby Tuesday has a unique set of valuable assets and we look forward to working with Sandy, his team, and the Board to deliver shareholder value,” said Mr. Becker.

Mr. Becker has served as Managing Partner and Founder of Becker Drapkin since 2004. Prior to founding Becker Drapkin, Mr. Becker was a Partner at Special Situations Funds, a New York-based asset manager. Previous to this position, Mr. Becker worked at Bankers Trust Securities in distressed debt and leveraged equities research. Mr. Becker holds a B.A. from Middlebury College and a J.D. from the University of Florida.

Mr. Drapkin has been a Partner at Becker Drapkin since 2009. Prior to joining Becker Drapkin, Mr. Drapkin served as head of research, special situations, and private equity for New York-based hedge fund ENSO Capital. He also previously served as Senior Vice President, Corporate Development for the private investment firm MacAndrews & Forbes. Mr. Drapkin holds a B.A. in American History from Princeton University, an M.B.A. in Finance from Columbia University School of Business, and a J.D. from Columbia University School of Law.

Ruby Tuesday, Inc. has Company-owned and/or franchise Ruby Tuesday brand restaurants in 46 states, the District of Columbia, 15 foreign countries, and Guam. As of March 1, 2011, the Company owned and operated 742 Ruby Tuesday restaurants, while domestic and international franchisees (including Hawaii and Guam) operated 56 and 57 restaurants, respectively. Ruby Tuesday, Inc. is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (Symbol: RT).

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