Our History

Bubba’s Ice Cream was opened by Clarence “Bubba” Barker at 2626 North Main Street in Danville, Va in the Spring 1959.  He brought the first soft serve ice cream to Danville and the “Upside Down Banana Split” was born!  They initially served ice cream out of the street-front building and lived in the building behind Bubba’s in the parking lot.  He and his wife, Lucille, ran the business til 1978.  Bubba’s niece, Judy Thornton and her husband, Darrell, ran the business from 1979-2008.  Judy’s son, Steve (Bubba’s great nephew) ran the business from 2009-2015.  In the Spring of 2016, the business was purchased by John Arnone, who currently owns and manages the business.  In need of a bigger and more efficient building, Bubba’s was relocated to its current location, 2455 Franklin Turnpike, in the Spring of 2023 where it is currently operating.