POCATELLO — The incandescent warm glow of the hanging light bulbs illuminates the rustic industrial décor, filled with the railroad trappings of a bygone era. Wooden hewn epoxy tables accommodate a cast of patrons who drink from perspiring ales, sours and seltzers. On one wall, a collection of black and white historical photographs, rail workers and their titans. On the other, a striking painting depicting a black steam locomotive as it rolls into a familiar-looking historical town.

Justin Arias, Peyton Kiggins and Greg and Crystal Meade are the new owners of Off the Rails and are on track to deliver an authentic brewery experience to the denizens of the Gem State. Arias spoke in depth about the closeness and history of the new crew.

“Me and Greg worked together and we’ve been friends for a long time,” he said. “So I appreciate him as a coworker, and I like his mentality as someone who I can go into business with. He’s not afraid to shy away from what needs to be said. … If you’re trying to improve, that’s always good feedback to hear.”

Arias — well known in the community for his record-setting career as Idaho State University’s quarterback — was also good friends with the previous owners, where he and Kiggins were helping out bartending and working part time while finishing school.

“Me and Peyton have been here since the beginning,” he said. “… So yeah, it’s a great relationship. I’m really glad it’s going well so far.”

As 2020 rounded the bend, the COVID-19 shutdown brought changes from within the organization, a proverbial penny on the tracks.

“After the shutdown about two weeks later is when we started taking on more of a management role and just kept going from there,” Arias said. “It was probably only a month after that I took on the GM role. And then four or five months after that started brewing.”

By January of 2022, the new transfer of ownership was complete, and in the meantime a lot of fundamental work has been done creating a fresh perspective and setting a new standard for brewing and for the organization as a whole. But like any journey on the rails, it wasn’t without its difficult terrain.

“A lot of logistics were not set up how they should be for growth … equipment wise, storage wise, process wise in the kitchen and brewing — a kind of overhaul of everything,” Arias said. “You can’t do it all at once.”

They first focused on the brewing, making sure to refine their processes: getting feedback from employees, from customers and refining at all stages, including building a water profile for each of the beers. They bought more kegs and a storage unit and ensured that training was done more effectively and at a much faster pace.

“We’re set up very well now as far as the logistics side of it and equipment,” Arias said. “… We’re looking to either move into distributing with cans or distributing with a bigger system.”

Renovations ultimately blocked off the back wall and former entrance, but will now permit for larger tanks, a canning line and additional seating for a backside patio for customers to enjoy during the summer.

The next focus was the kitchen, which Arias mentioned was “its own beast.”

“It just always needs attention,” he said. “When we first opened, food was just probably just hit or miss. It was sometimes really good; sometimes not great. That’s where we’ve developed and tried to get training up to par to where the food is always consistent. … Coming into ’23 we are buying new equipment for the kitchen making it a little more efficient.”

Among the litany of other new changes was a renewed focus on the Off the Rails phone app, which includes a delivery system for customers looking for menu items or drink selections in advance. Customers can quickly tap through and find everything “On Platform”, “Departed” and “In Transit” for their beverages. Check out and “hop on the rails” to get information on upcoming events or check out the live music calendar for performances every Friday and Saturday. The “Get Your Grub On” section features four diverse menus, including a special brunch section.

Beyond the scope of owning and operating the brewery, Off the Rails also provides late-night service, supplying food and drink to the Union Pacific Railroad workers. The workers put in their order, and hot food is served quickly to the hungry and thirsty patrons. The owners make sure that everything runs smoothly so they can always be fed in a timely manner.

When asked what Off the Rails meant to Arias, he replied:

“We’re dedicated to Old Town, we’re very involved as far as the community, and we’re here to stay,” he said. “We want to have that Old Town feel, that downtown feel. … We want to be a part of that and we’re going to keep doing everything that we can to make sure that continues to happen. We’re never just going to be complacent. And that’s kind of a commitment to our community. We want to make it the best. We want to put our best foot forward every single day. And we’ll have some off days. But we’re always going to try and fix it.”

For the time it seems, that while this brewery likes to fly a little Off the Rails, they can take solace in knowing that the collective conductors that run it will make sure it chugs along smoothly into the heart of Historic Downtown Pocatello.

Off the Rails is located at 228 S. Main St. in Pocatello and is open from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, from 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday.