Fireside chat with Simon Woodroffe OBE, YO! Sushi

Simon Woodroffe OBE is one of Britain’s most recognisable entrepreneurs. Founder of YO! Sushi, YOTEL, and the YO! Company, he has built some of the most distinctive hospitality brands of the last three decades.  

An original BBC Dragon, best known for popularising conveyor belt sushi in Britain, Simon has spent much of his career turning unusual ideas into iconic brands people remember.  

Join us as Simon shares stories, lessons, and hard-earned insights from his new book YO! Man, a brutally honest memoir of a lifetime spent starting, building, and backing ideas that others didn’t always immediately understand. 

Simon’s entrepreneurial journey has never been a tale of straight-line success. Before YO! Sushi he worked in theatre, rock shows, and television, creating stage designs for major artists and international concerts. When opening the first YO! Sushi in Soho in 1997, he had no track record in restaurants, had borrowed against his house, and signed the lease before all the funding was in place. 

What followed was one of the UK’s most distinctive restaurant success stories. Navigating bankruptcy scares, difficult partnerships, celebrity relationships, YO! Sushi grew from a single site into an international brand, while Simon went on to develop the wider YO! Company and launch YOTEL, applying the same instinct for originality, design, and customer experience to a completely different market.  
 
In this fireside chat, Simon will reflect on what he has learned about risk, failure, reinvention, uncompromising belief, and what it takes to build something original that lasts. 

The Conversation 

Simon’s story raises questions that will resonate with any entrepreneur: 

How do you build something original when the market doesn’t know what it wants? 

What does it take to think bigger without losing sight of the details? 

How do you balance creativity with commercial discipline? 

Why do people, culture, and “great brains” matter so much when an idea begins to grow? 

What does experience teach you about confidence, judgement, and making big decisions? 

When is enough enough, and how do you define success beyond growth? 

What You’ll Take Away 

A remarkable storyteller, Simon will offer a rare insight into the thinking behind one of the UK’s most distinctive entrepreneurs. Sharing tales and lessons from an entrepreneurial journey spent building memorable brands, backing unusual ideas, and learning from success and failure, you will have the chance to reflect on your own approach to growth, leadership, creativity, and success. 

You’ll also receive a signed copy of Simon’s hugely entertaining new memoir. 

The Small Print

This event is exclusively for entrepreneurial members and will be held under Chatham House Rules, encouraging open and honest discussion.

To help us ensure you have a great experience, please let us know in advance if you have any dietary or accessibility requirements. If you need to cancel or amend your booking, we kindly ask that you notify us as soon as possible.

Please be aware that your name, job title and company may be shared with our Forum partners and event attendees for event‑related purposes. Should you wish to remove yourself from any delegate lists please let us know.