BubbaLu’s new owners, Ginger and Jeff Bastin, have done many things in their careers but haven’t run a restaurant…until now. Jeff is a retired aerospace engineer who fixed jets all over the world. From Boeing 787’s, to Embraer and Bombardier regional jets, Jeff has worked on all of them.
Ginger has a Master’s Degree from OU in Health and Human Services and previously worked in the medical field managing the busiest OB/GYN clinic in Wichita, KS.
Their love for Hot Springs started over 8 years ago when they purchased a vacation home after just one visit. Jeff was born in Mountain Home, Arkansas and enjoyed his summers on Bull Shoals Lake. He has always appreciated the Ozarks, lakes and the pure beauty Arkansas has to offer.
Ginger grew up on a Kansas farm that produced not only corn and soybeans but also has a cattle company with over 1,000 head of steers at all times. She knows a lot about quality grade A beef.
After many visits to Hot Springs and BubbaLu’s 75 plus times, Ginger and Jeff decided to make a permanent move to Arkansas and buy the restaurant. Even though they are new to the industry, they know a lot about making people happy.
When asking Jeff about this new endeavor, his thoughts are as follows: “People say running a restaurant is a lot of work and stressful. Try fixing a jet that has 300+ lives on board. Now that’s stressful!” Agreed.
Ginger and Jeff are huge supporters of downtown Hot Springs and couldn’t be more pleased to own a part of history. When you get a chance, stop in at 408 Central Avenue, and say hello! Open daily 11am – 4pm, Friday and Saturday until 11pm. To place your order, call 501-321-0101.
