Almost seven years after opening The Bluestem at I-90 and Highway 75, chef Skyler Hoiland is adding lunch to the schedule, thanks to a new general manager on staff.
Ken Dixon of Luverne took over the business side of the restaurant July 2 after several decades in the restaurant industry. He most recently served as general manager of Chuck E. Cheese in Sioux Falls.
Bluestem will begin the 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. weekday lunch service Monday.
Dixon walked into the restaurant 15 months ago inquiring about a part-time cook position, as he explored opening another business in Luverne.
“I love to cook,” he said. “But I am more of a numbers guy.”
As Hoiland and Dixon discussed restaurant trends and philosophies, they found the chef and the “numbers guy” would make a good team.
Dixon recently married Luverne native Deb Hamann, who wanted to return home to be closer to her parents, Milo and Betty.
Dixon was tiring of corporate restaurant management and was thinking of starting his own business.
And so, “the stars aligned just right,” Dixon said about his job at The Bluestem.
‘I’m only one person … I need to start delegating’
When the previous manager stepped away several years ago in order to spend more time with his young family, Hoiland assumed the general manager duties along with continuing to be the head chef.
Since then, The Bluestem expanded into catering and now employs 42 part- and full-time employees.
Lately, Hoiland said he’s been feeling the same pull toward spending more time with his almost 4-year-old daughter.
“I am realizing I am only one person,” Hoiland said. “After seven years I need to start delegating a little bit.”
Jessie Vande Hoef of Luverne oversees and manages the catering business, located in its own building on East Main Street.
Hoiland, 29, said he’s now excited to return to his true passion of cooking and experimenting with new flavors.
“Change is good, it keeps things more fresh and also keeps my kitchen crew excited about new items,” he said.
Dixon understands Hoiland’s need to be more creative in the kitchen while balancing family and business demands.
“That’s one of the ways we relate,” he said. “I see me in him at his age.”
With two grown daughters and a grandson, Dixon knows it takes time to operate a business in a small town.
“We want people to talk about Luverne,” Dixon said. “If a car stops here, it is good for all of us. We want their experience to be inviting, good quality and good service.”
Keeping it fresh
Already Dixon has extended Hoiland’s standards by greeting all customers as they enter the building, and having staff recognize first-time customers or those who want to try something new.
“I want people to open their pallets to different tastes,” Hoiland said. “Keeping it fresh gets people to come back again.”
Lunch will take the restaurant’s focus on good service and quality food to a local crowd concerned about time.
Menu items feature quick and easy fare such as $10 sandwiches and hamburgers, plus a $12 buffet that changes daily. Prices include tax and a drink.
A Bluestem lunch should be a good experience that can be completed in about 30 minutes, according to Hoiland and Dixon who spent weeks asking customers what they desire in a lunch.
“If we do anything new, we have to nail it,” Hoiland said.
The restaurant bar opens at 4 p.m. serving drinks and appetizers with supper service starting at 5 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays.