Simon Woodroffe founded YO! Sushi, YOTEL, and YO! everything else.
From a spell in a young offender institution to owning his own island, these pages contain the stories of Simon’s life, and the lessons he learned on that rocky road.
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After dropping out of school and becoming a rock’n’roll roadie, Simon managed to open the first YO! Sushi in February 1997 with money that he didn’t have, under the banner headline, “World’s Largest Conveyor Belt Sushi Bar”. Now it has over 70 outlets around the world and more than 400 kiosks in supermarkets.
Not content to rest on his laurels, Simon looked for a “second hit record”, and attained global success all over again when he founded YOTEL, bringing capsule rooms and affordable luxury to the Western hotel scene.
Although no longer a shareholder or director, Simon still earns a royalty from every penny spent in both operations.
Simon continues a life fascinated by the mechanics of business, investing in others and constantly working on new ideas – even at 71. From public speaking, media appearances and time as an original Dragon on Dragon’s Den, Simon has always looked to help the new generation of entrepreneurs – which we hope includes you.
You can find more insights from Simon on all his social media, and the full story of his rock’n’roll life will be released soon in his autobiography, ‘YO! MAN’.
Good fortune? The fact is, the more that you practice, the harder you sweat, the luckier you get.
Felix Dennis
