YO! Sushi at Liverpool ONE has seen an impressive refurbishment, giving it a brand spanking new appearance which is already wowing customers.
What was once a muted, grey setting has been transformed into a chic, vibrant, Tokyo-inspired venue, offering the ideal location for delicious Japanese cuisine whilst socialising with friends.
Interior design company – Innsight Design – provided the design aspects on YO! Sushi at Liverpool ONE, working alongside main contractor John Wilkinson. The practice has experience with the YO! Sushi brand having previously worked on a YO! Sushi restaurant in the Highcross Shopping Centre, Leicester, which proved very successful.
For this refurbishment project, Innsight Design wanted to give the restaurant a Japanese theme, to add a touch of authenticity to the restaurant. Opened to the public in July, the uber-cool restaurant maintains its simple but elegant layout, with a smooth conveyor belt that transports the tasty Japanese dishes from the open kitchen direct to their customers, in addition to booths and lantern inspired lighting.
Premier Hospitality caught up with Alison Cooper, of Innsight Design, to ask a few questions with regards to the project. She commented:
“Originally, YO! Sushi wanted something a little different in terms of the design; however following the success of the Leicester branch they decided that they wanted to go ahead with the Tokyo theme at the Liverpool One site.”
Boasting large murals of the intriguing buildings situated in Tokyo, this swanky site offers a real sense of the big city, with lots of colourful décor, bright lights and trendy furniture. The murals are printed on durable wallpaper, ensuring resilience and longevity.
Meanwhile, Lightique Ltd provided the venue with eccentric lighting, some of which appears as floating Japanese lanterns during the darker hours. Lightique Ltd specialise in the manufacturing and sourcing of unique lighting for the leisure industry.
Speaking to Neil Smith, of Lightique, Premier Hospitality discovered a few things. He commented:
“We liaised with Alison from Innsight Design to find lighting that would make YO! Sushi Liverpool look great and provide the desired lighting required, all within budget.”
When asked why it was important to be involved with the project, Neil replied:
“It’s great to be able to add one of the most famous Sushi brands in the UK to our client portfolio. It’s also great fun to look for lighting for YO! Sushi because they always want something unique and different.”
Alison explained:
“YO! Sushi were keen to place a digital screen inside the venue, with the idea customers could Tweet the screen whilst sat in the restaurant with their messages appearing live on the screen. Offers are also displayed on the screen. So we integrated the screen to the back wall and it almost appears as if the messages are sat on top of the buildings – like a sign – which attract attention, drawing people inside.”
The innovative gadget that has been introduced to the site reflects the reputation that Japan holds for being at the forefront of modern technology advances; in addition to providing a way of keeping up to date with social media and social networking. The clever concept behind the digital screen means more promotion for the restaurant, and a way of uniting friends and diners.
Innsight Design carried out wall strapping which involved painting in between each band of timber strapping within the site, before coating the walls in various shades of the YO! Sushi trademark orange colour. The eye-catching colours gradually range from a deep, dark orange to a yellow-orange, reaching up to the ceiling.
The sushi restaurant is situated at the top level in Liverpool ONE, opposite the cinema – an excellent location for this site. After watching a new release at the Odeon, locals and visitors can take a very short walk to YO! Sushi to indulge in mouth-watering dishes available via the trademark conveyor belt, within a comfortable, fun and sociable setting.
Previously, customers may not necessarily have noticed the restaurant; however thanks to the introduction of a striking new sign placed in the doorway containing bright neon lettering, there is no worry of that anymore.
Alison commented:
“Due to the fact that all of the surrounding restaurants have undergone refurbishments, there was a lot of competition to live up to, so YO! Sushi wanted to update the offering too. Since the renovation, the venue now has a stunning new appearance as well as contemporary features, following the trends of technology.”
With over 80 freshly prepared Japanese inspired dishes on the menu, there is something for everybody at YO! Sushi – even those who don’t like fish! Popular hot dishes such as katsu curry, rice, noodles, gyozas and tempura along with traditional sushi, sashimi and hand rolls are all available to purchase; in addition to a selection of irresistible salads, desserts and drinks.
When asked what it meant to have worked on the project, Alison replied:
“Working with YO! Sushi is very important to us; we want to continue to work with the establishment and would love to be as successful as we have been on these two venues. We also want to push ideas forward so that every YO! Sushi is unique.”
