Idaho Falls Bubba's gone; Dad's Barbecue coming

Closed since April, the old Bubba's will be reopening under a new name.

There’s a sign in front of the old Bubba’s on First Street that says Dad’s Barbecue is coming soon. While we run down that information, here's what we've been able to learn about Bubba's.

Brian Miller, who owned the business with his wife, Casey, said they closed the restaurant after the lease expired April 30. They had tried to negotiate a lower payment with the landlord, but couldn’t reach an agreement, he said. The two live in Washington, D.C., and were having someone run the restaurant for them.

Bubba’s had been in the log building at the corner of First Street and Northgate Mile since 1998. It was damaged in a fire in 2002.

Casey Miller is the daughter of Jim “Bubba” Shiver, who opened the original Bubba’s in Jackson, Wyo. In addition to the restaurant there, there is another Bubba’s in Cody, Wyo.

Miller said they wanted a lower lease payment because they had seen diminished traffic on Northgate Mile and a shift toward 17th Street. “It’s sad, but we really didn’t have any choice other than to pull out,” he said.