The UK’s leading Japanese fast casual restaurant group and iconic brand YO! Sushi has appointed Vanessa Hall as its new Chief Executive. Hall was first appointed as Chief Operating Officer in September 2013 and takes over from Robin Rowland who becomes Executive Chairman.
Vanessa Hall takes over at a time of continued expansion for YO! Sushi, including 10 new UK restaurant openings anticipated in 2014. Hall joined YO! Sushi last September from M&B, one of the largest operator of restaurants, pubs and bars in the UK, where she was brand operations director overseeing their premium casual dining brands including Browns, Miller & Carter along with food led pub concepts Premium Country Dining Group and Village Pub & Kitchen. Hall was responsible for over 170 restaurants and c3000 employees. Hall has a financial background both in practice and industry, moving to operations 14 years ago.
Robin Rowland becomes Executive Chairman having been Chief Executive since 2000 when YO! Sushi comprised just four restaurants in central London. Since then, Rowland has built a management team that has grown the business in London, across the UK and internationally. The group now 1,650 team members and at total of 75 restaurants.
Strong growth and expansion opportunities
Executive Chairman, Robin Rowland, commented: “YO! Sushi is firing on all cylinders with strong growth figures and expansion opportunities on many fronts. So now is the perfect time for Vanessa to step up to leading the business on a day-to-day basis. Vanessa is hugely talented and has spent the last nine months getting under the skin of YO! Sushi. She is now well placed to lead our highly regarded management team and UK’s coolest restaurant brand at this very exciting time of expansion.”
Vanessa Hall, Chief Executive, added: “I’m delighted and proud to be asked to lead YO! Sushi at a time when its potential seems as fresh as the days when Robin started. It has been brilliant for me to use my period as COO to properly understand what makes YO! Sushi tick. With Robin and the rest of the team I have a wealth of experience to help me take the business forward into an exciting future.”
Across the world, YO! Sushi now serves 6 million customers per year and was rated the coolest restaurant brand in the UK by Morar Consulting.
The Company delivered strong growth in revenue and EBITDA last year. In the year to 30 November 2013, revenue and EBITDA grew by 13% and 15% to £71.0m and £9.2m respectively. Like-for-like sales for the year were +4.6% and at the year-end YO! Sushi had 66 restaurants in the UK and 10 overseas.