Fans have taken to social media to express their disappointment.
A popular restaurant chain with over 500 sites across the UK has unexpectedly closed two of its branches this week, leaving customers shocked.
Yo! Sushi, known for pioneering the conveyor belt sushi experience in Britain more than two decades ago, has seen several closures since the beginning of the year.
The latest include the Manchester Arndale Centre outlet, which had been serving customers for 15 years, and Glasgow’s West George Street location — the final Yo! restaurant in the city centre, now marked as ‘permanently closed’. Disappointed diners have flocked to social media to express their dismay.
One TikToker in Glasgow shared footage of a notice displayed in the darkened restaurant window stating ‘We are now closed’, accompanied by a QR code directing customers to their nearest alternative branch. The company’s website confirms the permanent closure, reports the Express.
Fans flooded the comments section with broken-hearted emojis, with many people questioning why the decision was made.
A few weeks ago Edinburgh’s Princes Street Yo! Sushi also ceased trading, leaving just two standalone restaurants operating across the whole of Scotland – at Braehead shopping centre in Glasgow and Aberdeen’s Union Square.
The closures follow the permanent shutdown of the Manchester Arndale site this week, which had been amongst Yo! Sushi’s longest-serving locations at 15 years old. A representative for the Arndale has confirmed that a fresh restaurant brand will soon occupy the vacant spot, stating: “All retail destinations see changes in their occupier line-ups and we can confirm that Yo Sushi has closed at Manchester Arndale.”
They added: “However thanks to the strong demand we receive from international and national restaurant brands, we will be announcing a new arrival for this space very soon.”
This development means Manchester city centre is now without any Yo! restaurant locations. For those whose local branch has closed, you can still buy Yo! products at various kiosks appearing in Tesco branches nationwide.
The business has been prioritising these smaller-format openings in response to changing shopping habits following the pandemic.
Yo! Sushi was launched in London during 1997 by entrepreneur Simon Woodroffe, who drew inspiration from Japan’s conveyor belt sushi dining concept. He recalled that initially ‘nobody turned’ up during the opening week in Soho, but by the following weekend, there were ‘queues down the block’.
The Mirror has contacted Yo! Sushi for comment.
