Simon Woodroffe created Yo! Sushi before joining Dragon's Den.
Woodroffe founded Yo! Sushi in 1997, introducing a conveyor-belt dining model to the United Kingdom. Customers could select dishes as they passed by, combining a theatrical restaurant experience with a distinctive way of serving sushi.
He became one of the original Dragons when the British programme launched in 2005. His background was unusual compared with investors known mainly for large corporate portfolios: he was strongly associated with creative hospitality concepts and brand-led businesses.
Yo! Sushi is often confused with other Japanese-inspired British restaurant chains, but it is the company specifically founded by Woodroffe. The name uses “Yo!” as part of the brand, not as a reference to the television programme itself.