New brewhouse in Garden City breaks free from corporate structure to create tasty vibe

They’ve kicked their corporate careers to the curb. Belmont Brew House owners Chris and Bob Belmont are finally running things their own way.

All decision making, from the music ― Led Zeppelin, CCR, ELO, Stevie Nicks, the Eagles, Steely Dan ― to the 43 beers on tap, the décor and full menu of pizzas, sandwiches and salads, now rests solely with the pair who previously spent years towing the company line for TGI Friday’s in Las Vegas.

“We get a lot of positive comments on our music,” said Bob, sitting comfortably on one of several couches strategically placed throughout the site that formerly housed Twisted District on Chinden Boulevard in Garden City. “People love the music we play. A lot of this music for the young people is the music their parents listened to.”

Since opening its doors March 10, the establishment has quickly positioned itself as a local gathering spot with its welcoming and independent atmosphere.

It’s all part of Belmont’s strategic plan to steer clear of corporate practices.

“We decided to become ‘un-corporate’ which is a big challenge for corporate types,” he said, smiling.

The attitude is reflected in their distinct business cards. Chris’ title is “Vanishing Beer Expert,” and Bob is listed as the “Dude in Charge.”

“Fun as hell! I ran 19 restaurants throughout California and Nevada,” he said, stroking the not-so corporate beard he “purposely” began growing out prior to his official exit from the TGI Friday’s corporate office.

“Some were in casinos and operated 24 hours a day. I’d be up early and work six-and-a-half days a week. Now I feel like I need a part-time job.”

Sharing that comfy couch, wife Chris, a longtime former TGI Friday’s training director, also had no qualms about cutting the corporate cord.

“In a corporate situation, it is very rigid,” she said. “Your marketing and your standard operating procedures are fed to you. You don’t have any input. It’s just your job to make sure everyone follows the plan.”

Not any longer. The marquee name ― Belmont ― says it all.

“We want this establishment to be more customized for the guests rather than ‘here is our service standard’ and this is just the way it is,” he said.

The personal approach was a draw for Boise resident Susanna Smith. She attended the ribbon cutting ceremony for the grand opening and has been coming back since.

“Chris and Bob are genuinely nice and truly care about people and good service,” Smith said. “That’s important, and I also love the brisket pizza and the fact that none of the food they serve is fried.”

With a lengthy history working together, their ability to see “eye to eye” on the business front is what motivated them to open the brewhouse.

“You need to have that firmness and structure on how to run a business,” Bob said. “You need compassion, understanding. You don’t come in and see people as objects that are a means to an end.

People, meaning customers and employees, are most important.”

Ironically, teaming at TGI Friday’s is where they found compassion, understanding and value in each other. But they knew the corporate office would likely not see “eye to eye” with them on their budding relationship.

“One of us had to go find another job. That way nobody got fired,” Chris said.

She opted to leave, taking a position with Sega GameWorks on the Las Vegas strip.

Eventually they made it official and married, creating a union with March 31 serving as the official wedding anniversary date, but no definitive year.

“We’ve been married a ‘while now’ is how I put it,” Chris said, laughing. “It’s just not the sort of thing we keep up with. “One of the kids tried to figure it out based on how old the dog was.”

And with TGI Friday’s filing Chapter 11 bankruptcy November 2024, it was time for the Belmonts to seek a life free of corporate ties.

Fortunately, prior to his Friday’s gig, Belmont helped manage multiple locations for Joe’s Crab Shack. He’d often make trips to the former Garden City site, each visit bringing him closer to an eventual move to southern Idaho.

“I’d come to Boise and I loved the people and I loved the town,” he said. “I thought it was magical. People were so nice.”

Thus began their search for business independence. From Caldwell to Mountain Home and Star to Kuna, it took two years to finally secure their location in Garden City.

“If there was a spot, we looked at it,” Chris said. “I thought our poor real estate agent was going to have a nervous breakdown.”

From the moment they walked through the doors of the former Twisted District, they knew they had found their spot.

“Of all the locations we looked at, this was the best one,” he said. “The neighborhood is kind of eclectic, plus all the traffic on Chinden. It’s kind of some old, some new, some revitalized. It’s a cool vibe in the neighborhood.”

The kind-of-cool vibe that matches perfectly with their nostalgic taste in music, the 43 taps, symbolic of Idaho’s position as the nation’s 43rd state, a diverse menu of their own making and a more open, lighter and brighter décor than what the previous establishment utilized.

Plus, dog lovers have access to the patio, and pooches can have an old-school Polaroid photo added to the “Hoppy Dogs” wall.

“We try to add some nice touches like mats and treats for the dogs, or blankets for those who might get chilly out on the patio,” Chris said.

“We could see great potential here,” Bob said. “Initially it had a grungy vibe to it with all the metal on the walls and the dingy lighting.”

According to their contractor, renovations would take about three weeks. However, the makeover lasted two months. But with the delay came an opportunity to fine tune the brewhouse they envisioned.

“We knew we had time to put some of who we are into the building and to just have a building that was built for us,” he said.

Improvements included re-painting what Bob called the grey “prison shower walls” to a bright white, cutting out a chunk of the long bar to create a small lounge, better lighting, lower tables, and a larger party seating area and upgraded patio.

Sheet metal that previously covered most of the walls was stripped away and replaced with reclaimed barn wood that came from Emmett.

“It warms up the place and cuts down on the echo,” Bob said. “We wanted to make it so our guests can have a conversation and still hear the music without it being overbearing.”

Another blessing in disguise turned out to be their first hire, Sean Pletcher, as their brew supervisor. After seven-plus years at Clairvoyant Brewing, Pletcher brings a wealth of brewing experience to the new Belmont operation.

“I get to curate a neat list of beers that rotate,” Pletcher said. “We get to fill in spots with beers that we find interesting and appealing to our customers. We can do this without feeling hamstrung by a distribution need.”

An attitude reflective of the independent thinking the Belmonts incorporate into a corporate-free approach running their establishment.

“There is a big difference between what we like as beers and what customers actually like and want,” Pletcher said. “They’re the ones paying the bill or tab, so for us to ignore what they want would be a disservice to both us and them.”

With so many beer selections, and a regularly changing list of brews, samples are available and encouraged.

“You can see it on someone’s face when they sample a beer and discover something good,” Bob said. “We’re soliciting feedback because we’re trying to grow the process and provide a selection of beers people want.”

“Beer should be an adventure is what he likes to tell people,” Chris said. “When you come in you should always taste a couple before you commit to a pint of any beer.”

A process to which Pletcher can raise a glass.

“Variety is key and we really try hard to put something on the board for everyone,” he said. “We have 12 IPAs and a lot of lagers and some fantastic dark beers.”

Soon, the Belmonts will begin brewing three or four beers of their own to add to the assortment of choices. The current line-up features beers brewed locally and in neighboring states, including Montana, Oregon, Washington, Wyoming and California.

No matter where the beer comes from, Chris knows success will come with connecting with people. “We want it to be organic and genuine, something that is comfortable for all of our patrons.”

“It’s really refreshing on my part to manage a business the way I have always wanted to manage a business and not the way a corporation does,” Bob said. “We both have created relationships in the corporate world with others we still talk to and are lasting. We want the same thing here.”