Pronto Pup facts for kids
The Pronto Pup is a yummy snack you might find at an amusement park or a fair! It's a lot like a corn dog, but it's made with a special flour mix. You can find Pronto Pups sold by restaurants and street vendors all over the United States.
The name "Pronto Pup" comes from how fast it cooks. It was first invented in Otis, Oregon. Many people call it "the original corn dog." There's even a Pronto Pup place in Rockaway Beach, Oregon, that opened in 2016. New owners took over in 2021 and are working hard to make it a success!
The batter for a Pronto Pup is made with pancake batter. Regular corn dogs, though, use different kinds of cornbread batter. Both have cornmeal, but here's the main difference: corn dogs are usually sweet, while Pronto Pups are not!
Today, the "Pronto Pup" name means two things. It's the special kind of batter used for these first corn dogs. It's also the name shared by restaurants that use this batter, which is made by The Pronto Pup Company in Portland, Oregon. You can find Pronto Pups not just in Oregon, but also at county fairs in states like Minnesota, Nebraska, Iowa, and North and South Dakota. Some places even use a bratwurst sausage instead of a hot dog!
How the Pronto Pup Was Invented
The Pronto Pup was created in Otis, Oregon, by a husband and wife team named George and Versa Boyington. This happened in the late 1930s. The Boyingtons had a small hot dog stand in Otis where they sold hot dogs to both tourists and local people.
One Labor Day weekend in 1939, it rained a lot. George Boyington was selling snacks when the rain ruined all his hot dog buns. As he was feeding the soggy buns to the seagulls, he started thinking. He wondered if there was a way to cook the buns right when they were needed, so they wouldn't get ruined by rain.
This idea led George Boyington to invent the Pronto Pup! It was a deep-fried snack that was easy for vendors to carry and tasted great. He called it "Pronto Pup" because "pronto" means quick, and it cooked very fast. The Pronto Pup first became popular at a fountain shop in Portland, Oregon, that the Boyingtons owned. People loved it right away! In September 1941, over 15,000 Pronto Pups were eaten at a big event called the Pacific International Livestock Exposition.
Some other places in the country claim to be where the corn dog was invented. However, no one has found any claims that are older than the Boyingtons' Pronto Pup invention in Otis.
The Pronto Pup Company Expands
| Private | |
| Founded | 1962 |
| Headquarters | Portland, Oregon, U.S. |
|
Key people
|
David John Sulmonetti, President |
| Products | Batter for Pronto Pup Franchises |
| Revenue | $300,000 |
|
Number of employees
|
2 |
In 1942, the Boyingtons officially protected the Pronto Pup name. They started selling "franchises" of their carnival treat. This meant other business owners could use their name and special flour mix. Their company, later called The Pronto Pup Company, was based in Portland, Oregon. They would send their special flour mix to the people who bought franchises. The business owners would do the rest!
There was one main rule at first: Pronto Pups could only be served plain or with mustard. Ketchup was not allowed! But this rule was changed many years later.
After World War II, many soldiers who had tried Pronto Pups while serving in the Western states saw how popular they were. They realized that opening a Pronto Pup shop could be a good business idea after the war. Soon, Pronto Pup franchises started popping up all over the country, and the snack became a national hit!
Today, not many of those original Pronto Pup restaurants are still open. But you can still find Pronto Pups at many carnivals and county fairs, thanks to street vendors who have franchises.
Where to Find Pronto Pups
If you want to visit the "home of the corn dog," you can go to the "Original Pronto Pup" location in Rockaway Beach, Oregon. This spot opened in 2016. It's one of the few Pronto Pup franchises that has a permanent building. They celebrate their history by also having the World's Largest Corn Dog and the World's Only Mechanical Riding Corn Dog! You can find this Pronto Pup location right off Highway 101.
One of the biggest Pronto Pup stands in the Midwest is at the yearly Minnesota State Fair. The Karnis family owns this franchised booth. They say that "Pronto Pups make up about 55% of all hot dogs sold each year at the fair." That's a lot of Pronto Pups!
