Bubbles Ice Cream Parlor: The Inside Scoop
For nearly a quarter century, on warm summer evenings, the children of Michigan City have asked a critical question:
“Can we go to Bubbles?”
For some, it means a towering waffle cone after a baseball game. For others, it’s a reward after report cards, a stop after dinner, or a family tradition that never needed a reason to justify.
Today, Bubbles Ice Cream Parlor has become something larger than the treats it serves. It has become a place woven into the memories of generations of Michigan City families.
And remarkably, it all started with an empty lot.
I Want My Ice Cream!
Located at 115 W. Coolspring Avenue, Bubbles first opened its doors in April 2004, though the idea began taking shape several years earlier.
At the time, locals Tim and Kim Martin noticed something missing.
“There was nowhere to go get a real scoop of ice cream,” their son Zachary Martin explained. “Chain franchises didn’t deliver the feeling of being inside a real ice cream shop like you would have had in your memory at the time.”
What began as a conversation beside a backyard swimming pool soon became a game-plan.
As Zachary traveled throughout the Midwest playing AAU basketball in the early 2000s, his parents used every opportunity to study successful mom-and-pop ice cream shops. They paid attention to what worked, what didn’t, and what kind of experience they wanted to create back home in Michigan City.
Kim Martin eventually developed a business plan so detailed that it earned recognition through the NextLevel entrepreneurship program, winning awards for both its vision and execution.
The concept was simple, build the kind of ice cream parlor people remembered from their childhood.
Custom Flavor
Unlike many local businesses that occupy historic buildings, Bubbles was built entirely from the ground up with a clear vision.
The corner lot at Coolspring and Wabash had sat vacant for decades. Tim and Kim worked across the street at Carlson’s Drive-In as teenagers, slowly realizing the lot’s potential in its location at one of Michigan City’s busiest intersections.
The building itself was intentionally designed to stand out.
Its distinctive periwinkle-blue color scheme was selected to catch the attention of passing motorists, while the layout was designed to create an inviting environment for families.
More than twenty years later, that building on the corner has become one of the city’s most recognizable businesses. The kind locals can identify just from its shape.
A Half-Melted Opinion
Today, it might be difficult to imagine the Coolspring corner without Bubbles.
But in the beginning, plenty of people weren’t convinced it would work.
“The level of disbelief was incredible,” Zachary said. “Local bankers, business executives, common citizens — many doubted the concept altogether.”
The early years tested the family’s resolve.
Some days, sales totaled less than ten dollars.
Tim and Kim had never owned a business before. They came from humble backgrounds and were building something entirely new through determination, research, and a great deal of faith.
“There was a lot of planning and a lot of prayers,” Zachary said.
But slowly, through consistency and commitment to the business, word spread.
Families began to return. Traditions formed. Sales grew.
And eventually, the ice cream shop that many thought would struggle to survive became one of Michigan City’s most beloved local businesses.
The Experience Matters
Take a trip to Bubbles today and the business feels intentional.
Checkerboard floors. Neon lights. Vintage-style seating. An authentic 1947 Bastian-Blessing soda fountain that has been carefully restored.
The atmosphere is intentionally nostalgic, not outdated. Impeccably clean, not sterile.
It’s a place designed to make people smile.
“At Bubbles, you’re treated like you’ve been coming for years even if it’s your first time,” Zachary said.
Over the years, the business has evolved alongside its customers. What began as a cash-only ice cream shop without a drive-thru has expanded to offer dairy-free options, additional menu items, and conveniences that reflect changing customer expectations.
The goal has never been to remain frozen in time. It’s been to preserve what people love while continuing to improve the experience.
A Family Business in Every Sense
At the beginning of 2026, Bubbles entered a new chapter.
Following the passing of his mother, Kim, in 2025 and the retirement of his father, Tim, Zachary and his wife Natalie assumed leadership of the business.
Today, Bubbles stands a second-generation family business still operated under the Martin name.
For Zachary, the accomplishment he’s most proud of isn’t the million scoops, the awards, or the recognition hanging on the walls.
It’s what his parents built.
“Easily, for me, it’s my parents,” he said. “They climbed a steep hill to make this dream into a reality.”
For more than two decades, Bubbles has employed local high school and college students, helping provide first jobs and valuable experience to countless young people throughout the region.
More Than a Cone
Ask Zachary who Bubbles is for and the answer comes quickly.
“Ice cream is for everyone… you just have to find the flavor that refreshes your soul and brings a smile back to your face.”
Families remain the shop’s largest customer base, but locals and visitors alike continue to make Bubbles a destination.
Some come for their favorite flavor.
Others come for the reminder of a time-passed.
The bubble machine outside is often enough for kids.
What keeps them returning, however, is the feeling.
The genuine welcome at the counter. An employee remembering your order. The value placed on spending time together.
“We know what it takes to spend hard-earned dollars in our community,” Zachary said. “We’re forever thankful for those who choose to spend time with us.”
Building Tomorrow’s Traditions
Perhaps the most remarkable thing about Bubbles is that an entire generation has now grown up with it.
Children who once arrived clutching a parent’s hand now bring their own children through the doors.
Looking ahead, Zachary hopes the next generation will build traditions of their own.
New families with new celebrations. New reasons to stop by after dinner on a summer evening.
After more than twenty years, Bubbles has seen flavors come and go, but proved that certain things, like old-fashioned kindness, quality, and hospitality never really go out of style.
Disclaimer: Businesses featured through the “It’s A City Thing” initiative are featured at the discretion of the City of Michigan City for storytelling, tourism, and community engagement purposes. Inclusion does not constitute an endorsement, recommendation, or guarantee by the City of Michigan City, its officials, employees, or affiliates. No business paid, compensated, or otherwise provided consideration in exchange for participation or inclusion in this feature.