Alumni and Friends
Alumni Spotlight
Byron Bjorklund, owner of Short Stop Restaurant & Custom Catering 1985 graduate with a degree in Finance.
When did he take ownership
of Short Stop?
Byron's parents owned the Sauk Rapids location, and in
1984, he opened the St. Cloud location.
Byron Bjorklund, owner of Short Stop Restaurant & Custom Catering 1985 graduate with a degree in Finance.
What motivated him to
own a restaurant?
During his time at SCSU, Byron had written
a paper that evaluated businesses and what would entail owning
your own business. At the time he was working in his parents' restaurant
and decided to do the research to find out how he could go about
making this class project a reality.
How has Short Stop expanded?
In 1987, a second location
opened, and since then, they have added catering and commissary to the
business, both of which comprise 85% of business.
What has been the most difficult obstacle
to overcome?
Finding and retaining quality personnel has been
Byron's
most difficult obstacle. He has employees who have been with
him for 14-15 years, but overall he needs 40-50 people to run
the business.
What
has been his greatest accomplishment?
Having five children with
his wife Peggy is what Byron is most proud of, and he has been
successful at balancing his family life with owning a business.
If he could
give one piece of advice to students graduating from the HBS,
what would it be?
"Find something that you really love and have big dreams, but realize
you have to start small."
