Simon and YO! in the media
/ 14.10.2025
How Simon Woodroffe Built Yo! Sushi and Changed UK Dining Forever…
Simon speaks to Alex Chisnall of “Screw It Just Do It”. If you’ve ever questioned whether to take the leap on your idea, this episode proves that vision backed by persistence can build an empire.
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/ 2.7.2025
Simon Woodroffe: ‘I think AI is going to bring enormous wealth into the world…
In this episode of Small Business Snippets, Anna Jordan meets Simon Woodroffe, former Dragon and founder of YO! Sushi.
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/ 6.6.2025
Simon Woodroffe OBE, Founder of YO! Sushi, YOTEL, and the YO! Company shares his success story…
XpertHost Hospitality Leadership Series.
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/ 6.6.2025
Interview with YO! Sushi founder Simon Woodroffe: on grit, growth and getting it done.
Simon talks to The Kollective (KIOI).
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YO! Man: How Simon Woodroffe broke the rules, built a brand, and got rich.
Simon talks to The Truant.
Read the article here
/ 27.5.2025
Founder of YO! Sushi, Simon Woodroffe OBE
The Modern Tuition Podcast by Joseph Lyons.
In this thought-provoking episode of The Modern Tuition Podcast, we’re joined by Simon Woodroffe OBE — entrepreneur, original Dragon’s Den Dragon, and Founder of YO! Company, famous for YO! Sushi and YOTEL. Simon is a true maverick in business and life, bursting at the seams with ideas to reinvent industries.
Listen to the podcast here
A Conversation with Simon Woodroffe OBE, Founder of Yo! Sushi, YOTEL & the YO! Company.
Simon talks to Dr Vikas Shah.
Read the article here
/ 18.2.2025
What does it take to turn adversity into opportunity?
Simon talks to Andy Coulson on the Crisis What Crisis? Podcast.
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/ 22.11.2024
YOTEL debuts in Japan
YOTEL Tokyo Ginza opens in Japan’s capital in December, marking the brand’s continued expansion into Asia.
YOTEL was created by YO! founder Simon Woodroffe OBE who took inspiration from the experience of first-class travel and translated that into small but beautifully designed hotel rooms.
Read the article here
/ 27.10.2024
YO! For prison reform
“I started Yo! Sushi after leaving jail. Here’s how I’d fix prisons.”
Simon Woodroffe says prison officers should have the same status as teachers and learnt from his own experience that most inmates need treatment not punishment.
Read the article here
/ 13.06.2024
YO! Sushi owner sold to Japanese food giant in £500m deal
The business behind restaurant chain Yo! Sushi has been bought by one of Japan’s biggest food companies in a deal worth almost half a billion pounds.
Read the article here
/ 24.10.2024
Simon on Micah McLean Talks
Micah McLean Talks returns with leading Entrepreneur Simon Woodroffe OBE. In this interview we discuss his life story, Dragons Den and founding one of the most influential restaurants in Britain and across the world YO! Sushi.
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/ 10.2.2025
Lost in your career
I was “lost in the wilderness” and 45 years old when I opened YO! Sushi. I was running out of money, and I felt as if I was on the edge of leaving it too late.
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It was 2047, what a journey I’ve had, I’d soon be 95…
– the wonders of fitness, a happy relationship and modern science I reflected.
I was sitting in YO! Sushi in Neom, the newly built city in Saudi Arabia where we had previously built a YOTEL, having lunch and celebrating 50 years of YO!
/ 7.2.2025
Get outside your front door
If you are brave, and get outside your front door into the world, interesting things have a chance of happening.
Watch on InstagramNo one promised any of us a rose garden.
When I understood that I stopped complaining.
Leaving a young person’s prison at the age of 19, I was a lost boy, and randomly coming across an advert for a stage manager of an early London fringe theatre, I held up my hand and got the job…
Read the post here/ 2.12.2024
Problems just go away
In my experience 90% of problems require no action at all.
The other 10%? That’s another story…
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People ask me “How do I know when I am ready to start a business?”
I say “When you get rid of your TV, unsubscribe from social media, cancel your holidays and put everything you have on the line for your venture.”
Read the post here/ 12.2.2025
Dreams of more money will only get you so far
…and won’t sustain you through the 16 to 18 hour working day of an entrepreneur. It’s got to be something you love and want to do extremely well.
Watch on Instagram/ 1.11.2024
I was 45 years old when I opened YO!
…and I was running out of money and it felt as if I was on the edge of leaving it too late.
Watch on Instagram/ 7.11.2024
/ 14.11.2024
Mr Uehara gave me the idea for YO! Sushi
…when he said to me, “What you should do Simon is a conveyor belt sushi bar with girls in black PVC miniskirts.”
We dropped the miniskirts idea, but we did open a conveyor belt sushi bar…
Watch on Instagram/ 20.11.2024
How to deal with the inner voices that say you will fail.
When you’re really committed, that’s powerful!
Watch on Instagram/ 22.11.2024
It’s never good to brag
…but there was this one time that I hope you will excuse me for.
Watch on Instagram/ 6.12.2024
Unless you want to be a pilot or surgeon
…don’t be afraid to start out as an amateur.
Watch on Instagram/ 10.12.2024
I nearly fell off my chair
I heard a besuited older gentleman, an outgoing Director General of that conservative organisation say the following words on stage…
Read the post hereI had no money left for marketing and we were living on a wing and a prayer
…which really means other people’s goodwill and credit.
Read the post hereI was loud – no excuses, no remorse, no apology.
At times it was useful; even angry loud has its place as it gets things done.
Read the post hereGo to university or not?
Well, if there is something that you long for or need to learn (and I include brain surgeons in that category, as well as lawyers and accountants) then yes, absolutely go to university.
Read the post hereCAN I? Standing for Constant And Never-ending Innovation.
…this is my formula for keeping brands and businesses alive and relevant in our changing world.
Read the post hereI didn’t open the first YO! until I was 45 after ventures in Rock ‘n Roll concerts, Extreme Sports, Music, TV, and even Car launch shows
It sounds glamorous and occasionally was, for the most part, but it was a struggle and never made me any real money.
Read the post here
/ 29.9.2024
Shed Talks Episode 22
Simon Woodroffe. OBE is an original Dragon on Dagon’s Den and founder of the Yo Sushi restaurant chain.
Listen here/ 19.9.2024
Simon Woodroffe’s Lifejackets
…Mountaineering, Sailing, Spinal Tap, The Crown, Clarkson on the Farm, Touching the Void, Action, Meditation, Ian Dury, Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway
Listen here