According to the Telegraph newspaper, Yo! Sushi is about to be sold for around £80m.
The paper said that a buyout, led by current chairman Robin Rowland and funded by private equity firm Mayfair Equity Partners, will be announced tomorrow.
The chain of more than 70 Japanese restaurants was founded in 1997 by Simon Woodroffe, one of the original panel on Dragons' Den. It is currently owned by Quilvest.
Mayfair Equity Partners was founded earlier this year by Daniel Sasaki, who previously led Lloyds Banking Group’s LDC and oversaw deals including the acquisition and float of drinks brand Fever Tree.