Pronto Pup
Pronto Pup is an
Pronto Pups are made with a type of
Today, the Pronto Pup brand reflects both the specific type of
Inventing the Pronto Pup
The Pronto Pup was invented in Rockaway Beach, Oregon, by husband-and-wife team George and Versa Boyington in the late 1930s.[3] The Boyingtons ran a small hot dog stand in Rockaway Beach, selling them to tourists and locals.
While vending concessions in Rockaway Beach, George Boyington hit a breaking point over
From there, George Boyington developed the Pronto Pup, a
Expansion
 |
| Company type | 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 |
| Website | prontopup.net |
The Boyingtons trademarked the Pronto Pup name in 1942, and began selling franchises of the carnival treat. Their company, later called The Pronto Pup Company headquartered in Portland, Oregon, would ship the franchisees the proprietary flour mix, but the rest was up to the business owners. There was only one rule: Pronto Pups could only be served plain or with mustard, but no ketchup. However, this rule was relaxed several decades later.
Following World War II, servicemen who had sampled and helped build the immense popularity of Pronto Pups while stationed throughout the Western states, realized the possibilities in Pronto Pup shops for their own post-war business. Franchises sprung up from coast to coast and Pronto Pups become a national sensation.
Very few of these original Pronto Pup franchise restaurants exist today, but Pronto Pups can still be found at many carnivals and county fairs courtesy of franchise street vendors.
Franchises
Those who wish to visit the "home of the corn dog" can visit the Original Pronto Pup location in Rockaway Beach, Oregon. Founded in 2016 and as one of the few brick-and-mortar Pronto Pup franchises, they built upon Rockaway Beach's historical significance by adding the World's Largest Corn Dog and the World's Only Mechanical Riding Corn Dog to their Highway 101 location.[4]
One of the largest in the Midwest is the franchised Pronto Pup booth at the annual Minnesota State Fair[2] owned by the Karnis family.[5] "Pronto Pups make up roughly 55% of hot dogs sold each year at the fair."[6]
References
- ^ Gary Gamble, Former Cook County Commissioner (4 September 2020). "From Political Parades to Pronto Pups". Cook County News Herald. Cook County News Herald.
- ^ a b c Mumford, Tracy (2 September 2016). "Definitive Guide to Pronto Pup Corn Dogs". MPR News. Minnesota Public Radio. Retrieved 29 September 2021.
- ^ a b "Our History". Pronto Pup. The Pronto Pup Company. Retrieved 29 September 2021.
- ^ "Home of the World's Largest Corn Dog & Only Mechanical Riding Corn Dog". The Original Pronto Pup. Pronto Pup. Retrieved 29 September 2021.
- ^ "Pronto Pup or corn dog? Loyalists take sides at Minnesota State Fair". Star Tribune. Archived from the original on 2017-08-29. Retrieved 2023-10-28.
- ^ "Corn dog vs. Pronto Pup: Why are Minnesotans so loyal to only one or the other?". Star Tribune. Archived from the original on 2020-08-24. Retrieved 2023-10-28.
