YO! Sushi
A British Japanese restaurant chain best known for conveyor-belt sushi, open-kitchen service and contemporary Japanese dishes.
Last updated August 21, 2026
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Overview
YO! Sushi is a British Japanese restaurant brand founded by entrepreneur Simon Woodroffe in 1997. Its defining format is the kaiten, or conveyor-belt, restaurant: dishes are prepared in an open kitchen and circulated around the dining room so customers can select plates as they pass. The concept helped make conveyor-belt sushi more familiar to mainstream British diners while presenting Japanese food in a highly visual, informal and accessible format. The first YO! Sushi restaurant opened in Soho, London, in January 1997, followed by a second location at Harvey Nichols. The chain expanded beyond London in 2002 when it opened at Selfridges in Manchester. By 2003 it had twelve restaurants and had begun international franchising with a location in Dubai. Further franchise development included openings in Dublin and Moscow in 2007, while the United Kingdom remained the core market and London the principal concentration of restaurants. The brand’s food offer extends beyond sushi. Its menus have included sashimi, hot Japanese dishes, noodles, ramen, tempura, katsu, rice dishes, bento-style meals, desserts and drinks. Food is generally presented as small plates or individual portions, supporting the conveyor-belt format and allowing diners to combine several dishes. The company has also promoted takeaway and delivery, including a service launched from its Whiteleys Shopping Centre restaurant in 2009, and has used digital ordering technology in some restaurants. YO! Sushi has periodically emphasized menu innovation and accessibility. In 2008 it became the first catering group identified in the reference material to adopt the UK Food Standards Agency’s traffic-light nutrition-labeling system. The chain has also offered a substantial vegan selection and has run sushi-making classes. Its tofu katsu curry received the Best Vegan Curry award at the 2015 PETA Vegan Food Awards. In 2015, the Marine Conservation Society gave the chain a relatively strong seafood-sustainability assessment, although the organization noted that YO! Sushi served a broad range of seafood species. The brand expanded into the United States during the mid-2010s, including restaurants in New Jersey, Florida, New York and Massachusetts. Its first standalone American restaurant opened in Boston in 2016, followed by a Flatiron District location in Manhattan in 2017. The North American locations subsequently closed, and the company’s continuing footprint became centered on the United Kingdom and selected international franchise markets. In August 2020, YO! Sushi announced a Company Voluntary Arrangement restructuring process involving the closure of 19 restaurants and potential reductions of up to 250 jobs. This reflected the severe operating pressure affecting hospitality businesses during the COVID-19 period. The brand continued operating after the restructuring. In 2024, its parent company Snowfox changed its group identity to The Wonderfield Group, with portfolio businesses including YO! Sushi expected to be progressively aligned with the Wonderfield branding. The brand remains associated with conveyor-belt dining and contemporary Japanese food, while its ownership and group structure sit within the wider Zensho Holdings organization.
History
YO! Sushi was established in 1997 by British entrepreneur Simon Woodroffe. The first restaurant opened in Soho, London, in January of that year, introducing a visually distinctive conveyor-belt sushi format to the British restaurant market. A second site followed at Harvey Nichols, helping the concept gain visibility in an upmarket retail and dining environment. Robin Rowland became chief executive in 2000. The business then expanded beyond the capital, opening its first restaurant outside London at Selfridges in Manchester in 2002. By 2003, YO! Sushi had twelve restaurants and had started international franchising with a Dubai location. This established a pattern that continued in later years: company-operated restaurants were concentrated primarily in the United Kingdom, while international growth often relied on franchise or partner-operated sites. The brand’s restaurant model combined open-kitchen preparation with a moving conveyor belt. Sushi and cooked Japanese dishes were placed on plates and carried around the dining room, allowing customers to choose dishes directly. This format made the meal interactive and supported a broad menu of small portions. The offer developed beyond sushi to include noodles, ramen, tempura, katsu, rice dishes, desserts and plant-based food. YO! Sushi also introduced takeaway and delivery from its Whiteleys restaurant in 2009. International development continued with franchise openings in Dublin and Moscow in 2007. In April 2010, the company opened what was described as its fiftieth company-owned restaurant at Market Place in London. By June 2014, the chain had more than seventy restaurants. It later entered the United States, opening sites in New Jersey, Florida, New York and Massachusetts. The first American standalone location opened in Boston in October 2016, followed by a Manhattan restaurant in March 2017. The American operation ultimately closed all of its locations by 2018. YO! Sushi has also used the brand to promote menu transparency and dietary choice. In 2008, it adopted the Food Standards Agency traffic-light system for nutritional information. The chain has offered vegan menu items and provided sushi-making classes. Its tofu katsu curry won Best Vegan Curry at the 2015 PETA Vegan Food Awards. In the same year, a Marine Conservation Society assessment gave the restaurant a score of 4.1 out of 5 for seafood sustainability, one of the stronger results among the chains included in that survey. The hospitality downturn associated with the COVID-19 period led to a major restructuring announcement in August 2020. YO! Sushi said it would close 19 restaurants and that as many as 250 jobs could be cut under a Company Voluntary Arrangement. The brand remained in operation after the process. The ownership history has involved private-equity and wider restaurant groups; the reference material identifies Zensho Holdings as the current owner, with royalties paid to YO! Company. In 2024, the Snowfox parent organization adopted The Wonderfield Group name, creating a new group identity for YO! Sushi and other portfolio businesses. The chain’s enduring identity remains its British-origin conveyor-belt sushi format and its adaptation of contemporary Japanese food for international casual dining.
- 2024
Snowfox becomes The Wonderfield Group
[1]The parent group changed its name from Snowfox to The Wonderfield Group and indicated that portfolio brands would be progressively aligned with the new group identity.
- 2020
CVA restructuring announced
[1]The company announced a restructuring involving 19 restaurant closures and potential job reductions of up to 250 positions.
- 2016
First American standalone restaurant opens
[1]The first standalone United States restaurant opened in Boston, Massachusetts.
- 2014
Restaurant network exceeds seventy locations
[1]By June 2014, the chain had more than seventy restaurants.
- 2010
Fiftieth company-owned restaurant opens
[1]YO! Sushi opened its fiftieth company-owned restaurant at Market Place in London.
- 2009
Takeaway and delivery introduced
[1]The Whiteleys restaurant introduced takeaway and delivery, including online ordering.
- 2008
Traffic-light nutrition labeling adopted
[1]YO! Sushi adopted the Food Standards Agency traffic-light system to display nutritional information to customers.
- 2007
Franchise locations open in Dublin and Moscow
[1]The brand added franchise restaurants in Dublin and Moscow.
- 2003
International franchising begins in Dubai
[1]After reaching twelve restaurants, YO! Sushi opened its first franchise in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
- 2002
First restaurant outside London opens
[1]The chain opened its first restaurant outside London at Selfridges in Manchester.
Products and positioning
Accessible contemporary Japanese casual dining with a theatrical conveyor-belt service model.
Sushi · 1997
Conveyor-belt sushi
The signature format consists of sushi and selected cooked dishes prepared in an open kitchen and placed on plates that circulate around the dining room on a conveyor belt. Customers choose dishes directly from the belt, making the service highly visual and allowing meals to be assembled from multiple small portions.
Japanese food · 1997
Sushi and sashimi
YO! Sushi’s core menu includes prepared sushi portions and sashimi-style dishes. The range is designed for casual selection and sharing, with different plates moving through the restaurant’s kaiten service system.
Japanese food
Hot Japanese dishes
Alongside sushi, the brand serves cooked Japanese dishes such as ramen, noodles, tempura, rice dishes, katsu and curry. These items broaden the offer for diners who want a hot meal or do not prefer raw seafood.
Vegan food
Tofu katsu curry
The tofu katsu curry is a plant-based Japanese-style curry dish associated with YO! Sushi’s vegan menu. It received the Best Vegan Curry award at the 2015 PETA Vegan Food Awards.
Japanese food
Bento-style meals
Bento-style meals provide a packaged combination of Japanese dishes for dine-in, takeaway or delivery occasions. They complement the small-plate conveyor-belt model with a more structured meal format.
Marketing campaigns
- 2015Vegan menu development
United Kingdom
The chain promoted a substantial vegan offer, including 19 vegan items cited in the reference material. Its tofu katsu curry subsequently won Best Vegan Curry at the PETA Vegan Food Awards.
Outcome. The vegan offer strengthened the brand’s appeal to plant-based diners.
- 2015Seafood sustainability positioning
United Kingdom
The Marine Conservation Society assessed YO! Sushi’s seafood sourcing and gave it a 4.1 out of 5 rating, placing it among the stronger-performing restaurant chains in that survey.
Outcome. The assessment provided external support for the brand’s seafood-sustainability positioning.
- 2008Food Standards Agency traffic-light labeling
United Kingdom
YO! Sushi adopted the UK Food Standards Agency traffic-light nutrition-labeling system, displaying simplified nutritional information to help customers make menu choices.
Outcome. The brand became an early catering-group adopter of the system.
Brand decisions
2024
Align portfolio brands with The Wonderfield GroupStrategyBackground
The parent organization Snowfox adopted a new group identity following the development of its wider restaurant portfolio.
Action taken
Snowfox rebranded as The Wonderfield Group and indicated that YO! Sushi and other businesses would be phased toward the Wonderfield branding.
Aftermath
The change altered the group-level identity while YO! Sushi remained an operating restaurant brand.
2020
Restructure through a Company Voluntary ArrangementStrategyBackground
The restaurant sector faced severe disruption during the COVID-19 period, placing pressure on YO! Sushi’s estate and operating model.
Action taken
The company announced the closure of 19 restaurants and potential reductions of up to 250 jobs as part of a CVA restructuring process.
Aftermath
YO! Sushi continued operating after the restructuring, with a reduced restaurant footprint.
2016
Enter the United States with standalone restaurantsStrategyBackground
After establishing a United Kingdom and international franchise presence, YO! Sushi pursued company-operated growth in North America.
Action taken
The company opened a standalone restaurant in Boston and later expanded to Manhattan and other American locations.
Aftermath
The United States network eventually closed all of its restaurants by 2018.
2009
Add takeaway and deliveryStrategyBackground
The brand sought to extend its restaurant service beyond dine-in conveyor-belt dining.
Action taken
The Whiteleys Shopping Centre restaurant introduced takeaway and delivery, including online home-delivery ordering.
Aftermath
The move broadened YO! Sushi’s service model beyond its traditional restaurant format.
Recent events
- 2024
Snowfox parent group adopts The Wonderfield Group name[1]
Leadership change
Snowfox changed its group identity to The Wonderfield Group, with portfolio brands including YO! Sushi expected to be phased toward the Wonderfield branding.
- 2020
YO! Sushi announces restaurant closures and CVA restructuring[1]
Other
The company announced that 19 restaurants would close and that up to 250 jobs could be affected as part of a Company Voluntary Arrangement restructuring process.
- 2009
YO! Sushi launches takeaway and delivery service[1]
Other
The Whiteleys Shopping Centre restaurant introduced takeaway and delivery, including online ordering for home delivery.
Sources2 sources
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