During Jim McCoy’s first shift, in 1963, as the owner of McConnell’s Fine Ice Creams, he had one 15-cent transaction — a single-scoop cone.

His day would start at 6 a.m. when McCoy would arrive at the original shop on State and Mission streets and make the ice cream. He would stay until the counters were cleaned and the floors were mopped, and close shop at 11 p.m.

After nearly 50 years at the McConnell’s helm, McCoy says he is leaving it in good hands.

“It’s bittersweet,” he said. “We had wonderful buyers. The reason I picked them is that they are very interested in taking the brand forward and are very dedicated to the brand.”

Two families, Michael Palmer and Eva Ein and Barry and Kira Fay, teamed up to purchase McConnell’s for an undisclosed amount about a month ago. They are taking over the offices and manufacturing plant, at 835 E. Canon Perdido St. and 815 E. Canon Perdido St., respectively; the scoop shop at Mission and De la Vina streets and the one in Ventura are owned separately, according to Barry Fay.

“Every product has a narrative, and one of the most wonderful things about this brand is that the narrative is embedded in the history of Santa Barbara,” Palmer said. “It’s about shepherding that narrative forward and exposing to people throughout California what makes McConnell’s great — part of that is this great town we live in. It’s apart of the Santa Barbara experience.”

Fay has lived in Santa Barbara for 20 years and spent many of those years as the president of a distribution company headquartered locally. It was there that he met Palmer, who was one of his customers.

Palmer, who grew up in Southern California, spent the past decade handling brand and business communications for an industry-leading brand communications company in Los Angeles. Ein is the founder and co-owner of Stella Mare’s Restaurant in Montecito and the newly opened Le Café Stella in Santa Barbara.

Palmer remembers going to McConnell’s when he was a kid.

“As I got older we took our kids there. It’s the generational and family-owned thing that the brand and product represented to us,” he said. “So when (McConnell’s) came on the block, it seemed like a foregone conclusion. There’s such a love for this brand in Santa Barbara that we can meet our personal goals as well as shepherd this legacy and brand further.”

Although the owners wouldn’t be specific in terms of their plans to expand the brand, “everything is on the table,” Palmer said.

“I’ve never heard a negative word about our product, and I would like the brand to grow,” McCoy said.

While manufacturing a product in Santa Barbara can be challenging, Fay said the owners are hoping to enjoy the community’s continued support.

“In terms of Santa Barbara, the fact is it’s a perfect blend for what this area stands for. Our product is the best and it’s all natural,” said Fay, adding that people want to know where their food comes from, where it’s made and what’s in it. “Businesses like to do business with other local companies because they understand what it takes to be here. It’s not all about the lowest price, it’s about quality and service.”

McConnell’s ice cream is made with all-natural ingredients and is sold in 250 California supermarkets in pint containers. It’s also sold to food-service customers in bulk.

McCoy purchased the business from the McConnell family in 1963 and is most proud of “taking it from nothing up into the seven figures,” he said. “I hope it serves them as well as it did me.”

— Noozhawk business writer Alex Kacik can be reached at akacik@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.