Image: YO! Sushi operates 12 restaurants overseas

UK-based restaurant chain YO! Sushi will open its first US restaurant in June 2012 at Union Station, Washington DC. The new eatery is opening under a franchise deal, in line with the group's global expansion strategy.

Franchisees Richard Pawlowski and Darren Wightman have signed a 10-site development deal and have a pipeline of locations lined up. They expect to open a minimum two locations by the end of 2012 in the Washington DC area.

Alison Vickers, YO! Sushi's business development director, said: "The Washington restaurant is the first of many, as we are in discussions with several experienced multi-unit franchisees in casual dining to take us to other large metropolitan areas including Chicago, Boston and Miami."

Pawlowski already runs 36 casual dining concepts as a franchisee with three US brands - Cosi, a soup and sandwich concept, Qdoba Mexican and Bugaboo Creek steakhouse. Wightman is a former executive chef for the YO! Sushi brand in the UK.

The first international YO! Sushi opened in September 2003 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The company now has 12 franchised overseas restaurants and is targeting the Middle East, US and key transport hubs internationally.