Yo! Sushi add magic to motivate staff
Bosses at the Yo! Sushi restaurant chain are using the medium of magic to inspire staff and encourage customer engagement ahead of a major expansion drive.
The business was founded by entrepreneur Simon Woodroffe and underwent a venture-backed management buyout in 2003 led by current chief executive Robin Rowland. In recent years it has grown to 60 restaurants including a number of international franchises and plans are in place to double that number in the next few years.
To underpin this growth, bosses decided to look at ways to convey best practice to staff – and came up with a magic-infused programme called "Wow!", which demonstrates the relationship between delivering magic tricks and putting on great customer service.
According to management at Yo! Sushi, the idea will encourage employees to think creatively and will teach them how to "wow" customers.
Speaking to People Management magazine, Suresh Banarse, head of people at Yo! Sushi, said: “As we have expanded out of London over the past two or three years, we've had the problems that you have with any expanding business when it comes to geography or remoteness.
“We were very busy for two or three years expanding our restaurants. The message about the brand and what engages our people was there but it wasn’t consistent. As we grow in future we want to be more joined up.”
Staff were asked to create a magic trick using items found in the restaurant, such as crockery and chopsticks. The best 300 "acts" – a quarter of all employees – will spend three days at the Magic Circle with board members.
Research carried out by the group found that nine in ten staff were "proud to work with Yo!". Banarse said this proved that the bar was being raised.