News

YO!Sushi to open U.S. locations

February 1, 2012

London-based YO!Sushi signed its first U.S. franchisee in 2011 and plans to open its first two American locations this year in Washington, D.C., with leases signed for at least one additional location. The company also plans to sign two to three franchise agreements for approximately 30 units by year’s end.

“Our first American franchisee is a multi-unit multi-concept franchisee who we believe will do a great job building the YO!Sushi brand in Washington, D.C. We are pursuing opportunities with similar franchisees in markets like Miami and Boston and hope to continue growing through large multi-unit deals in major metropolitan areas across the U.S.,” said Alison Vickers, business development director.

The first U.S. YO!Sushi is expected to open in May in Washington D.C.’s Union Station.

YO!Sushi started in London in 1997 and serves sushi rolls, sashimi, Asian-inspired salads and a large variety of classic, hot Japanese dishes on color/price-coded dishes via a snaking conveyor belt. Today, YO!Sushi operates 60 company-owned restaurants in the U.K., as well as more than a dozen franchised locations in Ireland, Portugal and the Middle East.

The company has partnered with Franchise Dynamics and Baum Realty to spearhead its U.S. growth.