Which Dragon was the founder of the YO! restaurant brand before appearing on Dragons' Den?

Simon Woodroffe was the founder of the YO! restaurant brand before appearing on Dragons' Den.

Woodroffe created YO! Sushi, a restaurant concept known for serving dishes on a conveyor belt that passes customers. The format made sushi more visible and approachable to a broad British audience while giving the restaurant a distinctive self-service presentation. The wider YO! brand later expanded beyond its original restaurant identity.

Woodroffe joined the first group of Dragons when the British programme launched in 2005. His experience was especially associated with hospitality, branding and creating memorable customer experiences. He later left the regular panel, so he is not the same person as the long-serving Peter Jones or later investors such as Theo Paphitis.

The brand is generally written as YO!, while the restaurant itself is commonly referred to as YO! Sushi. That punctuation and naming distinction does not change the identity of its founder: Simon Woodroffe.