Which Dragon founded the Japanese restaurant chain Yo! Sushi?

Simon Woodroffe founded the Japanese restaurant chain Yo! Sushi.

Woodroffe launched the first Yo! Sushi restaurant in London in 1997. The concept used a conveyor belt to move small plates of food past diners, allowing customers to choose dishes directly rather than ordering everything from a conventional menu.

The brand helped make conveyor-belt sushi familiar to a broad British audience. Its visual presentation, quick service and colour-coded pricing became important parts of the customer experience. The concept was inspired by conveyor systems Woodroffe had seen in Japan.

Woodroffe was one of the original Dragons when the BBC programme began. He later left the regular panel, but his entrepreneurial background remained strongly associated with hospitality, restaurants and design-led consumer businesses. Yo! Sushi is often written as YO! Sushi in the company’s branding.