Beloved Jackson County Landmark Restaurant “Frosty-ette” WILL REOPEN!

Significant progress is being made in repairing a beloved Jackson County Landmark/Restaurant that burned on the morning of January 09th, 2026. 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. The building belongs to Lannie Carrier and family. Roger Collins has operated the restaurant for the past 16 years.

Carrier also owns the lot adjacent to the Frostyette, which contained an old garage built by his Grandfather in the 1940’s. Price Venable operated the garage for a long time, but the business has been vacant, and the building has become dilapidated. Carrier decided to demolish the old garage to create more parking space for the Frostyette. This helps alleviate vehicle congestion and safety issues associated with the restaurant’s proximity to US HWY 421 during high-traffic periods when the restaurant is booming with customers. Tourists and local organizations, such as the Jackson County Off-Roaders Association, consider Frostyette a destination location in Jackson County.

Carrier and Collins have been sharing the expense of the repair with help from some very generous benefactors. The exact date of the reopening remains uncertain. However, it will be sooner than later!

History of the Fire
On the morning of Friday, January 09th, 2026, local fire crews reported that flames were coming from the Frosty-ette building when they arrived on the scene.

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 didn’t have any insurance on the building. The loss of the business was a terrible blow to Collins and his family. However, there has been 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 travel to Sand Gap, KY, for a taste of the past at the landmark establishment.

Fundraisers were planned to rebuild the iconic landmark restaurant. Several people have donated time and materials. A list of these will be available at the time of the official reopening!