Yoder’s Red Barn Opens New Building Today, Declares Summer Officially Back in Ashland
ASHLAND — Forget the calendar. Forget the weather. Forget the fact that Ohio apparently went from 80 degrees to 50 degrees overnight just to keep everyone humble.
Summer officially returned to Ashland at 4 p.m. today when Yoder’s Red Barn Ice Cream opened the doors to its brand-new building at 428 Parkside Drive.
And yes, for anyone wondering, the banana split has survived the move.
After months of waiting, dreaming, and what can only be described as banana-split withdrawals, the day finally arrived. Yoder’s Red Barn Ice Cream is back, bigger than ever, with a new building, more space, more comfort, more flavors on the way, and plenty of familiar smiles ready to welcome customers back.
Owner Harley Yoder said the new building is a major step forward from the old setup, which operated for years out of what he described as a two-car garage-style ice cream stand.
The new Red Barn now includes its own restrooms, air conditioning, improved work space, upgraded equipment, and room to grow. In other words, the employees no longer have to melt before the ice cream does.
“Our goal is to work in comfort instead of sweating to death every year,” Yoder said.
The new building is expected to be a long-term investment for the family and the community. Yoder said the project cost came closer to a half-million dollars than he originally hoped, but the goal was to create something that would last for years for their children, family, employees, and customers.
Opening day comes with plenty of ice cream, though not quite the full lineup just yet. Yoder said the shop had planned for 64 flavors, but some did not arrive as expected from suppliers. Still, a large selection is available, and more flavors are expected soon.
Food items will also be limited at first while the business waits for final work involving gas service, the grill, and fryers. For opening day, customers can still expect items such as shredded chicken, pulled pork, nachos and cheese, hot dogs, coneys, and sloppy joe sandwiches. The full food menu is expected to expand once everything is fully up and running.
And if you are asking whether a 50-degree day is still ice cream weather, Harley had the only correct answer.
“Any day is a good day for ice cream,” he said. “It’s not snowing, so that’s a blessing.”
Amanda Yoder said the family is excited to finally share the new building with the community after more than six months away.
“It looks amazing and we are so excited to see everybody,” she said.
The new Red Barn is not just about bigger scoops and more flavors. It is about creating a place where families, friends, teenagers, and neighbors can gather, catch up, and make memories.
Yoder thanked the community for helping the business grow over the years and said the family is still “half in shock” that they were able to pull off the project.
“We’re very thankful for the community for supporting us all these years,” Yoder said. “Hopefully this will be a place where many families and friends can come and hang out, get ice cream and socialize.”
He also gave credit to his wife, Amanda, for the countless hours she spent helping design the building and bring the idea to life.
Looking ahead, the new space opens the door for more seasonal treats, expanded food options, more ice cream creations, and possibly items such as apple dumplings.
But for many loyal customers, one question mattered most.
The banana split is still there.
And after months of waiting, that alone may be enough to make a grown adult consider this a public health emergency narrowly avoided.
Yoder’s Red Barn Ice Cream officially reopened today at 4 p.m., bringing back a beloved Ashland favorite with a bigger barn, bigger dreams, and plenty of scoops ready for summer
