YO! Sushi puts London flagship on the market

The casual dining chain, which operates around 70 restaurants, is marketing the 1,956 sq ft site on Restaurant Property with an annual rent of £178,000.
YO! launched the 70-cover restaurant, which is still trading, in summer 2017 with its updated branding and format.
In the last two years the company has sought growth opportunities away from sit-down restaurants, launching a kiosk partnership with Tesco and buying Waitrose sushi supplier Taiko Foods for an undisclosed sum in 2018.
YO! also acquired Canadian brand Bento Sushi in 2017 for £59.2m, creating one of the world’s largest sushi companies outside Japan.
BigHospitality’s sister site MCA reported in March that YO! was seeking to dispose of six regional restaurants, with its sites in Bath, Aberdeen and Oxford having already closed.
The company is to launch its first restaurant without its signature conveyor belt, in the London’s Westfield shopping centre, this summer as part of an ‘experiential strategy’ to broaden its appeal.