A popular chain has shut its Swindon restaurant less than three years after it launched in the town.

Yo! Sushi opened a new branch at the McArthurGlen Designer Outlet on August 9, 2021, bringing with it a conveyor belt of dishes, a cocktail bar, and a Japanese mochi ice cream cart.

But on the weekend of June 15 and 16, the food destination closed for good, leaving locals with seemingly no warning. 

The only indication anyone had that this might happen was afterwards, with people turning up to eat there only to find a sign that said: "This restaurant has now permanently closed. We are sorry for the inconvenience."

The closure was so sudden, that the company was still active on the food app TooGoodToGo and one member of the public, James Head, was successfully able to order food to collect, only to arrive and discover it was not open. 

The Yo! Swindon page on the company's website now lists it as 'permanently closed'. 

Photos taken on June 25 show that the McArthur Glen Designer Outlet Centre has wasted no time in removing the restaurant's branding from the store and covering it in placeholder graphics. 

The restaurant's departure from Swindon leaves the town with only one place to sample the food that Yo! offers - the Tesco Extra on Ocotal Way - which has a kiosk. 

(Image: Newsquest)

News of Yo! Sushi closing at Swindon was met with dismay from locals, with members of the public commenting on Facebook. 

But reviews of the business made in the last few months perhaps point to why it was shut, with people citing lack of service and the cost of food as reasons why they were disappointed with their meal.

One person wrote: "The food is quite good, but there wasn't that great a selection going around on the belt. Many of the same dishes - it seems to be a limited selection put out.

"Price is quite high too."

(Image: Newsquest)

Another added: "Food okay, shop decorations are nice but service is disappointing!"

Yo! currently has over 500 sites across the UK, including supermarket concessions. 

Last year Yo!’s parent company was sold to Japanese food giant Zensho Holdings for $621m (£500m).

In its last published accounts, it reported a revenue boost of 53.8% in the year ended 27 November 2022.