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Simon Woodroffe

Simon Woodroffe
OBE
Woodroffe in 2012
Born (1952-02-14) 14 February 1952 (age 72)
Oxford, Oxfordshire, England
EducationMarlborough College
Occupation(s)Entrepreneur, motivational speaker
Known forYO! Sushi
YOTEL
Dragons' Den
FamilyPatrick Woodroffe (brother)

Simon Woodroffe OBE (born 14 February 1952[1]) is a British entrepreneur and business speaker, known as the founder of YO! Sushi and YOTEL. He appeared as an investor on the first series of BBC's Dragons' Den.

Woodroffe's first YO! Sushi restaurant, opened in 1997, introduced conveyor belt sushi to the UK market and included technology such as automated drink delivery systems, tableside call buttons, and self-heating plates.[2]

Woodroffe was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2006 for his contributions to the hospitality industry.

Early life and education

Woodroffe was born in Oxford to a military family; his father served as a brigadier in the British Army.[3][4] He grew up with his younger brother Patrick (born 1954) in Essex, where the family resided in a farmhouse. Woodroffe attended Marlborough College but left at age 16 with only two O-levels.[3]

Career

After leaving school, Woodroffe started his career as a theatre stagehand.[5] In the 1960s, he became a road crew and stage designer for artists such as Rod Stewart, The Moody Blues and Jethro Tull.[5][6] Woodroffe subsequently spent several years in the television industry, initially selling rights to rock and pop concerts and later producing programs on extreme sports.[5]

YO! Sushi

Woodroffe founded YO! Sushi in 1997, financing it through extended supplier payment terms rather than traditional start-up capital.[6] Initially perceived as supported by major brands such as Honda and Sony, their contributions were later clarified as minimal sponsorship.[7]

In 2003, Woodroffe sold a controlling stake in YO! Sushi for £10 million to Primary Capital, while retaining a 22% share.[8][4] He later divested his remaining shares but maintained a 1% perpetual royalty agreement on gross sales.[4] In 2023, the brand was sold to Zensho Holdings for £494 million.[9]

YOTEL and YO! Company

Woodroffe established the YOTEL brand in 2007, introducing compact hotel rooms modeled after first-class airline cabins.[10] The chain began operations at London's Gatwick and Heathrow airports before expanding internationally. By 2016, YOTEL operated over 1,000 rooms across three countries.[10]

Through YO! Company, Woodroffe later diversified into property development with YO! Home. He also established YO! Foundation for his charitable activities.[10]

Prison reform advocacy

Woodroffe has supported prison reform by promoting vocational training and entrepreneurship programs for inmates.[11] He has collaborated with organizations such as Make Justice Work, which is focused on reducing reoffending rates and has publicly advocated for policies that prioritize rehabilitation and skill-building within the prison system.[12]

Awards

References

  1. ^ "The Andrew Davidson Interview Im a celebrity get me a deal". The Times. London. 13 August 2006. Archived from the original on 22 May 2008.
  2. ^ "Yo! History". Archived from the original on 12 May 2006. Retrieved 14 May 2006.
  3. ^ a b Ryle, Sarah (30 January 2005). "Yo! man who's done his time". The Observer. ISSN 0029-7712.
  4. ^ a b c Anstead, Mark (12 December 2008). "Simon Woodroffe, the founder of Yo! Sushi has most of his £1.6m pension in cash". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 5 May 2013.
  5. ^ a b c Smale, Will (25 June 2014). "Simon Woodroffe: The Yo! Sushi boss who beat depression". BBC News.
  6. ^ a b Yedroudj, Latifa (21 May 2020). ""Successful people don't go around succeeding all day, they fail" Says Founder of YO! Sushi, Simon Woodroffe". Elite Business Magazine.
  7. ^ "Business television show: Celebrity entrepreneurs on what it takes to succeed". Archived from the original (Videoaccessdate=2009-10-06) on 29 September 2009.
  8. ^ Wllis, Ian (4 March 2008). "Simon Woodroffe | Growing Business". www.growingbusiness.co.uk. Archived from the original on 30 January 2013.
  9. ^ Walsh, Dominic (13 June 2023). "Y0! Sushi owner bought by Zensho for $621m". www.thetimes.com.
  10. ^ a b c Dunsby, Megan (26 July 2016). "Who is Dragons' Den's Simon Woodroffe OBE?". Startups.co.uk.
  11. ^ Gatens, Katie (26 October 2024). "I started Yo! Sushi after leaving jail. Here's how I'd fix prisons". www.thetimes.com.
  12. ^ Woodroffe, Simon (9 February 2012). "The importance of rehabilitation - by Simon Woodroffe OBE". Make Justice Work.
  13. ^ "Simon Woodroffe". yo.co.uk.
  14. ^ "News in brief - Legal network launched; Diet gain for Propaganda; Needle recruits; Entrepreneur awards | TheBusinessDesk.com". Yorkshire. 23 February 2009.
  15. ^ Mesure, Susie (17 June 2006). "Simon Woodroffe: 'The great lesson in life is to spend your time doing". The Independent.
Quelle: Https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon_Woodroffe