Simon Woodroffe's journey from troubled youth to sushi empire founder reads like a business thriller. Expelled from boarding school at 17 and later arrested on drug charges, Woodroffe drifted through his twenties and thirties in the music industry, working as a roadie and stage designer before nearly going broke as a single parent in his mid-forties.

His breakthrough came over lunch in Berkeley Square when a television producer suggested he create a conveyor belt sushi bar in London. In 1997, aged 45, Woodroffe launched Yo! Sushi with a single outlet on Poland Street. The business grew rapidly, and he sold a 65% stake in 2003 for £2 million, eventually exiting with a £10 million payment plus a 1% royalty agreement. The chain has since been sold three times, most recently in 2023 to Zensho, one of Japan's largest food companies, for £621 million.

Woodroffe's path to success was paved with calculated risks and lucky breaks. He funded the early days by leveraging his west London flat and savings of £200,000, securing additional backing through a UK government loan guarantee scheme. The timing proved fortuitous - Poland Street transformed from a backwater to the center of Cool Britannia and Britpop just as Yo! Sushi opened, cementing its place in London's dining scene.