
Success Story
No Restaurant Experience No Problem for Scott Widor at Blue Line Sports Bar & Grill
Before Scott Widor went into the restaurant business, he did his homework. Thoroughly.
"I'd been in the wireless industry for 26 years and needed to relocate for my job. But I didn't want to uproot my family. We'd built a great life in St. Cloud. So, I started looking at my other options. I'd always wanted to do my own thing and this was my chance."
Blue Line Sports Bar & Grill | |
Owner | Scott Widor |
Location | Sartell and St. Cloud, Minnesota |
Year Founded | 2006; 2012 |
Concept | Casual Dining |
Seats | 179; 150-180 |
Annual Sales | N/A |
Average Per-Person Check | N/A |
Website |
www.bluelinebar.com/ |
Scott went to work, researching opportunities with his business partner at the time.
"We probably looked at 8-10 different industries. We built a complete business plan for each one, so we could weigh the pros and cons."
Scott signed up for RestaurantOwner.com during his research phase. Once he combed through the resources, he knew opening a restaurant was the direction he wanted to go.
"RestaurantOwner.com made it possible for a guy with no experience to get started in the restaurant business. It's the best resource I could have. Even when we opened our second location and I knew what to do, I pulled all the related spreadsheets. They were incredibly helpful and I was able to hand them off to my GM."
Six years after he opened his first location in Sartell, Scott opened a second Blue Line in St. Cloud. With 12,000 square feet to run, Scott noticed the labor costs creeping up.

"I provided specific KPIs (key performance indicators) to each location so my managers could track the weekly labor cost. The target was 28% and our St. Cloud location was hitting it consistently. But Sartell was hovering around 34%."
Scott turned to RestaurantOwner.com for a solution. When he found the labor budgeting template, he knew it was exactly what he needed. After customizing it to Blue Line's needs, including projected daily revenues, he handed it over to his kitchen managers and front of house GMs.
"Part of my job is getting my people to care about the business. But before they can care, they need to understand how it works and the connection to their pay. Once they see how the numbers tie together, the light comes on."
Now that his managers could compare the projected daily revenues against scheduled hours, they were able to schedule from a position of data-driven insights, instead of relying on their gut.
"The labor budgeting tool forced my team to pay attention to the numbers. Instead of being surprised by the weekly report, they can see how a certain schedule would result in a 40% labor cost. It empowers them to become partners in developing systems that keep the business running efficiently."

Within two months of implementing the new labor scheduling procedure, Blue Line saw a 5% decrease in labor costs. And the benefits extend beyond the numbers.
"My team is more in tune with the business and financial side of things, instead of coming at their role from a strictly operational standpoint. We're having more productive conversations. They're paying attention, thinking critically and looking at numbers beyond the labor costs."
Case in point: Blue Line's inventory levels have improved as team members become more diligent in marking down the costs of inventory transfers. The newfound awareness has even started a friendly banter between the two locations, as each strives to hit their target numbers.
"I think a big part of why Blue Line has succeeded is because I didn't grow up in or have experience in the business. I had to rely on my sales and management background and come at the restaurant from a business angle. Now thanks to RestaurantOwner.com, we've had our best net quarter ever."