Noodle and Sushi Entrepreneurs Rejoice! The Japanese Food Revolution is here…

March 07, 2011

Image and Recipe Source Via Blue Apron (here)

Recently the SushiSushi team spotted and article that inspired us greatly; it was about Simon Woodroffe, and if you’re going to call yourself a sushi fan you should probably know his name.

Woodroffe is that man who bought us the infamous conveyer belt sushi chain Yo! Sushi, a restaurant that many of us adore. Yo! Wasn’t the first conveyer sushi bar in the UK, but I think it’s safe to say Woodroffe is the man responsible for sushi’s current popularity in the UK.

How many of you tried your first sushi in Woodroffe’s restaurants? Would it surprise you to know Yo! didn’t begin as an instant success?

It’s true, when Yo! Sushi was first started Simon Woodroffe was a man down on his luck; he had recently endured a divorse and was battling through a bout of depression which impacted his ability to attend a regular job with any success. When a friend of his convinced him to open a sushi restaurant, he fell in love with the idea and set about convincing the banks to give him the capital he needed.

Yo! Sushi Interiors

However, when Yo! opened its first store in Soho in 1997 it had a quiet start. Londoners were apprehensive of this new food – it was raw fish after all, and much unlike anything else on the market at the time.

Luckily, as soon as people got a taste for sushi in all its glory people flocked to the new stylish Soho restaurant!

But it wasn’t all smooth sailing from there; Simon opened further stores in Yo!’s expansion, but they proved less successful. It wasn’t until he started to relinquish a bit of control to experienced business development professionals that the brand really took off.

And aren’t you glad it did?

Now there are plenty of sushi and Japanese restaurants all over the UK, as we’ve developed a real love of the cuisine.

Have you ever thought of becoming a Japanese restaurant entrepreneur? There’s no time like the present! Why not follow the dream, all you need to get started is one of our sushi kits, and with a little progress you could even advance and buy a professional sushi machine!

It’s not just sushi bars that are becoming successful either, have you seen our three favourite London noodle bars?

1. Bonedaddies Ramen – With an eclectic mix of 1950s rocker and Japanese décor, this is a ramen bar with a unique flair. Nearly every item on the menu includes their signature sumptuous chicken bone broth, and there’s even a late night cocktail, snack and ramen menu!
2. Tonkotsu – Tonkotsu is another Soho ramen bar (you’d think it was just Japanese food in Soho!) they serve up great big bowls of luscious ramen, along with tasty sides like gyoza and pumpkin korokke.
3. Ittenbari – Simple and homely, Ittenbari just serves up great ramen quickly and serves it up to you piping hot. An extremely tempting treat after a night of too much sake.

Are you the next noodle entrepreneur? Don’t forget we sell wholesale too!

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