YO! Sushi chain opens first outlet in Dubai

YO! Sushi, the London-based restaurant chain, has opened its first premises in Dubai, with four more outlets scheduled to open in the UAE in the next two years.

The first outlet has opened in BurJuman, one of the city’s leading shopping malls, and is fitted with sushi conveyor belts and quirky service that made YO! Sushi such a success in Britain.

Behind the move is the Omani national Sami Daud, managing director of YO! Sushi Emirates, who pointed out that Dubai was ready for a signature restaurant that specialises in hip, convenient dining.

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Daud said: “What YO! Sushi offers is excellent food, but with swift service. We wanted to inject some of the fun back into dining, and the restaurant is full of signature details that have seen us develop a key clientele in a very short time.

“While sushi is our specialty, we also cover the full range of Japanese-inspired food, including soup, noodles, rice dishes, as well as chicken, beef and vegetarian dishes.

“The restaurant’s location in the heart of Dubai’s downtown business and shopping district means it is perfect for working lunches, a break from retail therapy, or for dedicated food fans, who appreciate the 60 different dishes on offer on the conveyor belt every day.”

The concept has been designed around ease of use for the customer, from the ability to pick food straight off the conveyor belt, to knowledgeable staff to explain about the dishes, to the fact the plates are colour coded according to price.

The outlet also mixes dining with entertainment, with chefs in the open kitchens on hand to explain how they are preparing the food.

Dubai was earmarked as a key market by Daud, who believes that its cosmopolitan city atmosphere fits a vibrant and individual brand such as YO! Sushi.

“We are confident the concept will work well, and have already committed YO! Sushi Emirates to another four outlets in the UAE within the next two years. In the short time since our soft opening, we have seen that our customer base crosses all market segments, ages and nationalities.”

YO! Sushi has 15 outlets in the UK, including in Selfridges and Harvey Nichols department stores in London, and the Dubai opening is the first outside Britain for the chain.