Barbecue offers unlikely path to redemption
Pulled pork has given Brian Wheeler a chance to redeem his past, as well as his present
by Derrick Williams
Dakota County Tribune
Brian Wheeler, 31, owner of Baldy’s BBQ, has been so successful with his year-old Lakeville location he’s expanded to Minneapolis, opening on the University of Minnesota’s West Bank. - Photo by Rick Orndorf
Brian Wheeler’s past and present met at an unlikely crossroads in his life: a pulled pork sandwich.
It’s an interesting story, too. Teenager with a criminal history meets church and family man looking to launch a new business. The meeting took place in the Lakeville City Council chamber in the fall of last year.
Wheeler was seeking a liquor license for his new restaurant, Baldy’s BBQ.
His pulled pork sandwich is killer, he said.
But Wheeler of the present never figured his past self would be such a hindrance.
“The things I did – they weren’t good, but I was a kid,” Wheeler said. “Now, I’m a husband, a dad, a football coach.”
The license was denied in part because of his criminal history and, at the time, Wheeler, now 31, thought it was a death sentence for a business barely off the ground.
“I knew it was going to be a big challenge – a barbecue joint without beer,” he said. “I wasn’t sure what the future would hold.”
Brian Wheeler’s new restaurant in Minneapolis features the same options as his Lakeville location, including dine-in and take-out. - Phot by Rick Orndorf
Wheeler has never been afraid to tell people about his former life. In fact, he tries to use it as a way of steering kids away from the mistakes he made as a teenager.
“I don’t know if those drugs I dealt killed people, ruined lives,” he said. “I have to live with that. That’s my guilt.”
But Wheeler’s trying to make things right. In his own mind, at least.
Last year Wheeler coached football at Lakeville South High School. He also coached his 8-year-old daughter’s soccer team, and he said he’s involved in his church with his wife.
His personal life is good, Wheeler said. So is business.
“Maybe it’s some good karma. Who knows,” he said.
Against a lot of odds, Baldy’s BBQ has persevered. The restaurant, located at 11276 210th St. W. near the County Road 70 and Interstate 35 interchange in Lakeville, has made good money.
“We’re debt-free in Lakeville other than our build-out loan,” Wheeler said. “We’re profitable.”
And expanding.
“We’re beating the odds, I’d say that,” Wheeler said.
Despite studies saying 60 to 80 percent of new restaurants fail in the first year, Baldy’s turned a large enough profit for Wheeler to lease a stand-alone building in Minneapolis along the University of Minnesota’s West Bank.
Baldy’s BBQ restaurant No. 2 opened on Sept. 3.
David Siegel, executive vice president of the Minnesota Restaurant Association, said Wheeler’s success is an impressive feat.
“Any restaurant surviving and expanding in this economy is doing a great job,” Siegel said.
For the first year in 10 years, more restaurants closed than opened, Siegel said.
“There is no room for mistakes right now,” he said. “Restaurants, especially new ones, require good management to be successful – keeping costs down with suppliers, and labor, and right now, it’s hard to do everything right.”
The new restaurant is located at 1813 Riverside Ave., near the corner of Cedar and Riverside avenues, and features dine-in, take-out and delivery. The menu includes appetizers, kids items, entrees with traditional barbecue fare, and even catering – just like Lakeville.
“It’s a great location,” Wheeler said, pointing to the university’s Carlson School of Management standing less than two blocks away. “We’ll be open later, we’ll offer delivery to all the students who want barbecue instead of pizza. … This location could be bigger than Lakeville.”
And he got the restaurant for a steal, Wheeler said.
“I was down here looking for a piece of equipment for the Lakeville location and I saw a sign – for sale by owner,” Wheeler said. “So I called.”
That was in April. By July, Wheeler was negotiation a lease with the property owner.
Wheeler wouldn’t say what his rent was but admitted that Baldy’s is in the building “pretty minimally.”
“It was an old Chinese restaurant. It didn’t fail, but the owner retired. So I took it as is. Spent 211 man hours cleaning it up with some of my employees,” Wheeler said.
The key to success in Lakeville, he said, will also be the key in Minneapolis – keeping costs down.
“All those restaurants that fail – well, they all buy new stuff. New equipment, new booths, new this, new that,” he said. “I buy all those failed restaurants’ stuff for nickels on the dollar.”
If the Baldy’s Minneapolis location fails, the only thing Wheeler said he’s on the hook for is the sign out front.
“I’m the stingiest person in the world with our money. We have a goal in mind and don’t do it unless we can do it,” Wheeler said.
Wheeler is staffing the Minneapolis location with four Lakeville veterans and a group of local workers, he said.
“It’s a totally different crowd down here, but the vibe is big. People are stopping by and knocking on the door all the time,” he said. “With the U of M, Augsburg and (Fairview Riverside Hospital) all within blocks of the place, there is a lot of word-of-mouth already.”
And having left a good and memorable mark in Lakeville, Wheeler is trying to do the same thing in the big city.
“I guess I don’t care what others think about me, you know?” he said. “But now, if I can give someone down on their luck a job pulling pork, well, that’s a good thing for me. That makes me feel good.”
Siegel said independent restaurant owners like Wheeler have an opening in the market because chains have stopped opening new restaurants because of the recession.
“Combine that with being active in the community, getting good word-of-mouth, and having a good plan, and success isn’t so surprising,” Siegel said.
And after a year without alcohol sales in Lakeville, Wheeler has that now, too.
The Lakeville City Council, after seeing Wheeler and his partner, Sonny Mann, in action for a year, granted a smaller, 3.2 liquor license to Baldy’s BBQ in July.
It allows Wheeler to sell beer and wine to barbecue customers.
“Not that it matters much,” Wheeler said. “That has been a big surprise. I thought people wouldn’t want to eat at Baldy’s if we couldn’t offer beer. I was way wrong.”
Wheeler said Lakeville’s Baldy’s location is only selling 15 to 20 beers a day.
“It shows that if you’ve got good food, people will come,” Wheeler said.
For more information about Baldy’s BBQ, visit www. baldysbbqmn.com.
E-mail Derrick Williams at:
lakeville.thisweek@ecm-inc.com
As a SCORE counselor I enjoyed this article very much and have referenced it to a few clients.
Thanks,
Ken Larson