Frostyette Reopens After Fire, Restoring Community Landmark

After more than five months of closure, Frostyette has officially reopened, welcoming customers back after a devastating fire forced the longtime restaurant to shut down earlier this year.

The Jackson County staple, originally built in 1958, reopened for the first time since Jan. 9, the day a fire severely damaged the building and changed the course of the business for co-owner Roger Collins and his wife.
Collins said the fire began that Friday morning while he was in McKee gathering supplies to open the restaurant. When he returned, he found the stove engulfed in flames, which had already spread to the ceiling.

Emergency responders quickly arrived on the scene. Sgt. Shelby Bryant of the Sand Gap Volunteer Fire Department said she encountered heavy smoke upon arrival and soon realized the fire had burned into the roof. The structure posed additional challenges due to multiple layers of roofing added over the years, Bryant said.

Firefighters from several agencies—including the Sand Gap Volunteer Fire Department, Jackson County EMS, Climax Fire Department, Red Lick Fire Department and Madison County Fire Department—worked for four to five hours to extinguish the blaze.

No injuries were reported, but the building sustained extensive damage to its interior and roof, along with significant water damage. Collins said the repairs required a complete renovation of the restaurant.
In the months following the fire, employees and members of the community came together to help rebuild Frostyette. Collins described the process as continuous and demanding, with new challenges appearing daily, but said the effort paid off as the restaurant was able to reopen in time for the summer season.

Collins expressed gratitude for the overwhelming support from the community, noting that too many people contributed to thank individually. Customers were quick to return on reopening day. Danny Abner, a longtime patron, was the restaurant’s first customer. Abner said he has been visiting Frostyette since childhood and now shares the experience with his children and extended family.

Within the first hour of reopening, staff were already filling several orders, even as work continues to fully restore operations. For Collins, the reopening represents more than a return to business. He said the hard work and long days were worth it, emphasizing that making customers happy remains the restaurant’s top priority. Collins and his wife have operated Frostyette for 16 years.