Simon Woodroffe founded the restaurant chain Yo! Sushi.
The first Yo! Sushi restaurant opened in Soho, London, in 1997. The chain became known for serving dishes on a conveyor belt, allowing customers to select plates as they passed. Its design combined Japanese food with a highly visible, informal service system that made the meal itself part of the experience.
Woodroffe's success with Yo! Sushi helped establish his reputation before he became an original Dragon on the British television programme. He later developed other concepts, including YOTEL, which applied compact, design-led ideas to hotels.
Yo! Sushi is sometimes confused with other British Japanese restaurant brands such as Wagamama, Itsu and Wasabi. Those companies have separate founders and histories. The distinctive conveyor-belt chain linked to Dragon Simon Woodroffe is Yo! Sushi.