Former Dragons' Den investor Simon Woodroffe founded the restaurant chain Yo! Sushi. He launched the business in London in 1997, introducing a conveyor-belt dining concept to a wider British audience.
Yo! Sushi restaurants became known for serving dishes on a moving conveyor belt, allowing customers to select plates as they passed. The format helped make sushi more approachable in the UK and gave the chain a distinctive visual identity.
Woodroffe later became a Dragon on the UK television programme, bringing experience as an entrepreneur and hospitality operator to the panel. His wider business career also included the creation of the Yo! brand, which expanded beyond the original sushi restaurants.
Yo! Sushi is often confused with other British casual Japanese chains, including Wagamama, Itsu and Wasabi. Those are separate businesses with different founders and histories.