Yo! Sushi have confirmed plans to shut 19 sites and cut up to 250 jobs in a bid to protect their long-term future.

We've put together everything you need to know about the changes.

How many branches does Yo! Sushi have?

The restaurant chain has 59 restaurants and 10 concessions across the UK.

Why are certain branches closing?

The company announced the cuts as part of a Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA) restructuring process.

It said that sites earmarked for closure are “no longer financially viable” and have unsustainable rental costs in the current trading environment.

Which Yo! Sushi branches are closing?

The following branches are set to close:

  • Bournemouth
  • Brent Cross
  • Canterbury
  • Chelmsford
  • Derby
  • Edinburgh Airport
  • Finchley Road
  • Fulham Broadway
  • Gatwick Airport
  • Glasgow Fort
  • Harrogate
  • Harvey Nichols, London
  • Richmond, London
  • Russell Square
  • Southbank
  • Victoria Station
  • Waterloo Station
  • Westfield White City
  • Whiteley Village

The group shut its sites temporarily in the face of the pandemic in March, before starting to reopen sites last month with a new model in place to deliver food to customers in line with safety regulations.

Meals at its restaurants are now sent directly to customers on belts with a traffic light system after its previous conveyor belt model was thwarted by new safety guidelines.

It said changes to its operations are “delivering significant cost savings” and have been “well received by guests”.

What will happen to the sites that have reopened?

Yo! said its reopened sites will continue as normal during the CVA process, while its Manchester Arndale, Birmingham Grand Central and Meadowhall will reopen with the new format in the coming weeks.

Here is a full list:

The branches now open include:

  • Ashford
  • Cheshire Oaks
  • Guildford
  • Leeds Trinity
  • Liverpool ONE
  • Newcastle Grainger Street
  • Southbank Centre Festival Hall
  • Belfast
  • Bristol Cabot Circus
  • Cheltenham
  • Birmingham Selfridges
  • London Selfridges
  • Manchester Trafford Selfridges
  • Heathrow T2
  • Glasgow Central
  • Glasgow Silverburn
  • Glasgow Braehead
  • Cardiff
  • Gateshead MetroCentre
  • Nottingham
  • Edinburgh Princes St

Here's when and where more branches will reopen:

  • August 22 - Sheffield Meadowhall
  • August 24 - Manchester Arndale
  • August 29 - Birmingham Grand Central


Which branches have opened for table service only?

  • Westfield Stratford
  • Exeter
  • Bromley
  • Windsor
  • Bluewater
  • Kingston
  • Worcester
  • Brighton
  • High Wycombe
  • Bristol Cribbs Causeway
  • Milton Keynes
  • Plymouth
  • Watford
  • Leamington Spa

What have Yo! Sushi said?

Richard Hodgson, chief executive officer of the chain, said: “Like the rest of the sector, we need to take decisive action to adapt to the lasting changes that the Covid pandemic has brought about.

“While we have already taken measures to reduce costs, rents remain an issue. In the current climate, it’s just not viable for us to keep any sites that no longer perform.

“While it’s been a very difficult decision to make and I am very sorry that it will mean losing many of our team members, a CVA has become an essential measure to secure our business for the future, and enable us to protect as many jobs as possible.”

What about the 52 Yo! Sushi kiosks in Tesco stores?

The company also runs 52 kiosks in Tesco stores but said these will be unaffected by the CVA proposal.