Parker's BBQ taking over Old Station brewery location

Old Station Brewing Co. had been a mainstay on First Street for the past four years. However, the brewery's time has come to an end as it was bought out by Parker's BBQ Pit, which has traditionally been a food trailer. With the purchase of the property, Steve Parker said, he looks forward to expanding his business. 

"The opportunity came up and we decided to go ahead and jump on it," Parker said. "Our barbecue business had been growing for a couple of years as a food trailer so we thought we'd take an opportunity to transition to a brick-and-mortar."

Parker's BBQ is still a ways away before opening to the public. In that time, Parker will focus on renovating the back of the building to build the commercial kitchen and get it up to fire code. There will be minimal renovations to the dining room. 

Parker's BBQ will be a full-service restaurant. They will only serve dinner when it initially opens but eventually expand to serving both lunch and dinner. While the brewery will be gone, there will still be beer on tap. 

As Parker's BBQ transitions from a food truck into a brick and mortar, it will be bringing its menus with it. At the restaurant, diners will be able to continue enjoying Parker's specialty dishes such as its pulled pork, piggy bags, skinny bags and smoked mac and cheese. The menu will be expanded with several new additions but Parker did not want to reveal them before opening. As Parker shifts his focus to the new restaurant, he believes there is a strong possibility the food truck will still run during the spring and summer. 

Parker said he thinks the restaurant will differentiate itself by offering locals more options. Along with being the only barbecue pit in town, Parker's BBQ will be open on Sundays. 

Parker bought the property from Steve Neiffer, who opened Old Station Brewing four years ago. Neiffer decided to sell the property because he thought it was a good opportunity for him and the Havre community to get a new restaurant. While the COVID-19 pandemic had hurt the business, Neiffer said, it had recovered and had been doing well before he sold the property to Parker. 

As he moves on from Old Station Brewing, Neiffer will focus on his other business, Bergren Transmission and Auto Care. Looking back on his time running the brewery, he said, he was happy to give locals a place to socialize with music, games and entertainment. 

"I think it was a really good and positive experience. I got to meet a lot of people that I became friends with," Neiffer said. "I think we really tried to provide the community with a nice place to meet and socialize in a friendly environment."