The business founded by Simon Woodroffe before he appeared on Dragons' Den was Yo! Sushi.
Woodroffe founded Yo! Sushi in 1997, introducing a conveyor-belt dining concept to the British restaurant market. The format allowed customers to select dishes as they passed by, making the service model part of the brand's appeal.
He later became one of the original investors on Dragons' Den. His restaurant background meant that he could assess food concepts, hospitality operations and customer-facing business models from direct experience.
Yo! Sushi is sometimes confused with other British casual-dining brands such as Wagamama, Itsu and Wasabi. Those companies are separate businesses with different founders and histories, even though they operate in overlapping food and restaurant markets.