YO! sushi kiosks

About YO! sushi kiosks

YO! is recognised as one of the most successful sushi restaurant Japanese food brands in the UK.

The flagship YO! outlet was met with fantastic success in 1997 and it soon expanded right across the UK, increasing its presence to 53 company-owned restaurants and a further 19 franchise locations in France, the Netherlands, Norway, Denmark, Turkey, Dubai and Australia.

In 2017, YO! merged with Snowfox and Bento, who hold the #2 market position in the US, and #1 in Canada, respectively.

There are now hundreds of YO! sushi kiosks and Panku street food kiosks located in Tesco and Asda supermarkets up and down the country - all of which are being franchised. There’s bound to be several operating in and around your home town, or just a short distance away.

You can choose to be a single kiosk owner/operator or you can invest in multiple kiosk locations, the choice is yours.

Founded in 1997 YO! sushi kiosks were inspired by Japanese street food combined with the “kaiten” sushi trend, otherwise known as conveyor belt sushi, in which freshly prepared sushi dishes were passed around on a belt, allowing diners to select their own dishes.

The first YO! Sushi restaurant was established in London, influencing the way restaurants serve food, as well as popularising Japanese cuisine.

The brand has now expanded across the globe, with more than 70 restaurants across 10 countries, and has a distinctive and recognisable brand identity which combines Japanese youth culture, bright, colourful designs, and fresh tasting dishes inspired by Japanese cuisine.

How does the YO! franchise model work?

YO! is already the UK’s number one sushi brand, with 52 famous high street restaurants, but the business is constantly looking for new ways to reach their customers, which is why it created YO! sushi retail kiosks.

The YO! kiosks serve restaurant quality sushi and Japanese street food inside Asda and Tesco stores across the UK.

Owning one or more YO! sushi kiosk franchises could be an exciting opportunity for anyone keen to start a high impact and ambitious business in the food and drink industry.

There are 341 YO! kiosks in Tesco stores across mainland UK, and the Snowfox Group has plans to open up at least 19 more locations in 2024 which will also be franchised.

The opportunity:
This is a pre-packaged, ready-to-serve business opportunity which offers you:

• A tried and tested concept with proven revenue
• A huge pool of already loyal and happy customers
• Guaranteed business from day one
• Excellent growth potential
• No outfitting costs, no equipment fees, no expensive leases
• Low start-up fees with fantastic earning potential
• Exceptional training and support from the best in the industry

What type of franchisee is YO! looking for?

YO! is looking for franchisees who will either, act as single kiosk owner/operators themselves, or who would like to own and operate multiple kiosk locations. The business needs people with the energy and passion that comes from a direct personal investment in the brand to really shine through to customers.

Existing franchisees come from a huge range of backgrounds, and YO! embraces people from all walks of life. You don’t have to have any experience in retail, or the food and beverage industry; although it would be a bonus, suitable franchisees without this background can still receive the relevant training to help them develop the skills needed. Potential franchise owners should also have a strong interest in Japanese cuisine.

Previous management and leadership experience, and the ability to demonstrate strong business acumen, and the skills required to lead and motivate a busy team are also seen as desirable attributes.

Training and support

You’ll receive a comprehensive training programme designed to equip you with the skills and knowledge to make your new business a success.

The training takes place over the course of two to three weeks (depending on your experience) in advance of you taking on your new kiosk. You’ll also have one-week academy training from the very best in the organisation, followed by one to two-weeks of practical training in a kiosk near to your location.

Financial information

The cost of investing in a YO! sushi kiosk in Tesco is obviously variable depending on the current sales of that kiosk. YO! will discuss the exact cost with you when you contact them about the location you have in mind, but you can expect to pay from:

Did you know?

YO! sushi kiosks is eligible for funding support!

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• £20,000 plus VAT for a kiosk turning over up to £3,000 per week.
• £25,000 plus VAT for a kiosk turning over between £3,000 and £4,000 per week.
• £30,000 plus VAT for a kiosk turning over between £4,000 and £5,000 per week.

There are some established kiosks achieving a turnover of more than £5,000 per week and they will be priced accordingly; all the brand-new openings are £35,000 exc. VAT

As an established offering, your kiosk will not require any further costs. No investment is necessary to lease and outfit your premises, or to buy equipment. Everything is already there, just waiting for you.

Why invest in a YO! kiosk franchise?

Most new businesses, even ones backed by a proven franchise model like YO!, can take months, or even years, to build their reputation and start seeing a return on their investment. However, with a YO! sushi kiosk franchise, you’ll be able to take on the existing customer base right from day one and enjoy an immediate revenue stream, as well as plenty of potential for growth.

With a YO! kiosk franchise, you won’t need to start up, but you’ll have plenty of opportunities to build up.

YO! is the first-choice sushi provider for millions around the world, it now also offers a range of licensed products in more than 1500 UK supermarkets, with the YO! name synonymous with fantastic quality and delicious fresh food. Inspired by the brand’s love of Japanese food culture, the business has embraced innovative technologies you may have seen for yourself, including digital menus and even robot bussers.

As the brand’s success continued to grow, YO! embarked on an ambitious new journey to embrace global food culture by merging with overseas partners who shared its brand vision and business style. In 2017, YO! merged with Snowfox and Bento, which holds the #2 market position in the US, and #1 in Canada, respectively.

In 2018, YO! launched an exclusive partnership with Tesco to operate YO! kiosks in a number of supermarket locations. With the huge scale of success experienced by these kiosks, and their counterparts in North America, the business accelerated this expansion to include hundreds of Tesco locations, and also made a similar deal with Asda, operating as “Panku”. As of 2021, YO! came together with Bento and Snowfox to form the Snowfox Group, cementing its global position as a leading, multi-channel Japanese food business that exists to create better food for everyone, the Japanese way.

The YO! team is very proud of everything they’ve achieved with the new partners, aiming to prove that they are stronger together when they share the same goals and values. But really this is still just the beginning.

What locations is YO! looking to target?

There are hundreds of YO! and Panku kiosks located in Tesco and Asda supermarkets up and down the country all of which are being franchised, so there is bound to be several operating in and around your home town, or just a short distance away.

You can choose to be a single kiosk owner/operator or invest in multiple kiosk locations.

Before reading any further you need to be aware that these are now the only areas available:

• Humberside
• Cheshire
• Inverness
• Merseyside
• Newcastle & North East (Tyne & Wear, Teesside)
• Aberdeen
• South Wales
• Dundee
• Cornwall
• Perth
• Falkirk
• Wirral
• Fife
• Elgin
• Staffordshire

If you’re interested in taking on one or more YO! or Panku kiosks, contact the business now and the team will let you know what options are still available in your local area.

This is an opportunity to take on a high-profile business which is already making money. YO! anticipate the kiosks will be snapped up quickly, so don’t wait if you want to get in on the action.

You can check the immediately available established and new YO! sushi kiosk locations here and the immediate availability of the Panku street food kiosks here.

(Please note, these lists are not all the sites available as there are now many more kiosk locations for sale, up and down the UK, other than the sold out areas.)

What are the franchise terms of agreement and renewal?

The franchisee will sign a 3-year franchise agreement with the option to renew.