British Sushi chain benefits from dynamic thinking, Lean management

A recession is no time to expect rapid business growth. While the global downturn has since passed, its impact is far from gone. But one thing that savvy business owners have learned from the past few years is the importance of Lean management, operational efficiency and continuous improvement. By focusing on these strategies, businesses can boost their bottom line and thrive, even in an adverse marketplace.

Consider international restaurant YO! Sushi, for example. The U.K.-based food chain has been around for 15 years but opened an average of 10 stores per year during the recession.

But how? While the company helped pioneer the Japanese “kaiten” (conveyor belt) method of delivering sushi to customers, it also employed a number of Lean management strategies. Agility and dynamic thinking have also helped the company sustain growth.

“A big part of this strategy involves senior executives visiting Japan every year 'to look for new ideas about design, about what’s cool in Tokyo,'” the Telegraph reports, citing an interview with YO! Sushi's U.K. IT manager, Billy Waters. “Crucially, these must be ideas that will translate to the British market.”

Currently, the sushi giant has plans to expand into Ireland, Norway, Portugal, the Middle East and, imminently, the U.S.