During the morning of Friday, January 09th, 2026, a beloved Jackson County Landmark/Restaurant caught fire. Local fire crews reported there were flames coming from the Frosty-ette building when they arrived on the scene.
Frosty-ette was originally built in 1958 and was operated by Carol Sparks Carrier and her family (including her brother, Don) for many years. According to “A portrait of Jackson County, Kentucky 1858 – 2008” it was the first drive-in restaurant in the county.
Roger Collins has operated the restaurant for the past 16 years. Collins told reporters that Friday morning started off like any other business day. Collins reported that he had gone to McKee earlier that morning to grab supplies to open the restaurant. He arrived back at the Frosty-ette around 10:30 AM. He reported, “When I opened the door I [saw] the stove was on fire and if I’d have had something to put it out with I could’ve put it out,” Collins said. “I seen where it was at. I just didn’t have no way to put it out. I couldn’t get in there to do nothing, so I just had to sit here and watch and wait for the fire trucks to get here,” Collins told reporters.
As the fire reached the ceiling, fire trucks were already on their way. Fire Crews knocked down the fire and temporarily shut down part of U.S. 421 while they worked the scene.
Luckily, no one was hurt. However, the fire sustained damages to the stove, the ceiling, and other parts of the building. There was also some water damages resulting from the effort to control the fire.
As the building stood scorched, Collins said the structure was still salvageable, with most of the damage caused by water, and the fire primarily impacting the roof. Still, though, the uncertainty weighed heavily on him.
Collins reported that he doesn’t have any insurance on the building. The loss of the business was a terrible blow to Collins and his family. However, there is support from generations of Jackson County residents who have memories of the beloved, iconic restaurant. (Frosty-ette is even featured on the (Jackson County billboards in McKee, KY as a county tourist destination.) Many others from outside Jackson County would travel to Sand Gap, KY, for a taste of the past at the landmark establishment.
Fundraisers are being planned to rebuild the iconic landmark restaurant.
Sand Gap Volunteer Fire Department was assisted by the McKee Volunteer Fire & Rescue Department, the Red Lick Fire Department, Madison County Fire Department, Berea Fire Department, and the Climax Fire Department.
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