Which former Dragon on the UK Dragon's Den panel founded the Yo! Sushi restaurant chain?

Simon Woodroffe, a former Dragon on the UK Dragon's Den panel, founded the Yo! Sushi restaurant chain.

Woodroffe opened the first Yo! Sushi restaurant in Soho, London, in 1997. The concept used conveyor belts to carry small dishes past diners, allowing customers to select food as it passed. The theatrical service model helped make sushi more approachable to a wider British audience.

Woodroffe was one of the original Dragons when the BBC series launched in 2005. He remained on the panel for the first series before leaving the programme. His business career also included the YOTEL hotel concept, which was designed around compact, technology-focused rooms.

The restaurant name is written “YO!” in the brand, while the television programme is styled “Dragon's Den” in the UK. Woodroffe is therefore distinct from Peter Jones, Theo Paphitis, and Richard Farleigh, who were separate investors on the programme.