Prontoâ¯Pup is a brand of deepâÂÂfried cornmealâÂÂbattered hot dogs on a stick, similar to the corn dog, used by restaurants and streetâÂÂvendors across the United States. Named for the speed of the cooking process, the Prontoâ¯Pup was invented in Rockawayâ¯Beach, Oregon, and is marketed as âÂÂthe original corn dogâÂÂ.
Prontoâ¯Pup batter is described as less sweet than standard cornbread batters.
Today the Prontoâ¯Pup brand refers both to the original batter mix manufactured by The Pronto Pup Company of Portland, Oregon, and to the network of independent stands and franchises that use this mix and brand name.
The Prontoâ¯Pup originated in 1939, when George and Versa Boyington operated a hotâÂÂdog stand in Rockawayâ¯Beach, Oregon. During a rainy holiday weekend, the couple encountered spoiled hotâÂÂdog buns, prompting George to experiment with batterâÂÂcoating hot dogs on sticks for quicker cooking. In 1941 they opened a stand in Portland and sold thousands of units at the Pacific International Livestock Exposition.
In 1942 the Boyingtons trademarked âÂÂProntoâ¯Pupâ and began selling franchises of the treat, using a proprietary batter mix that franchisees were required to purchase. After World Warâ¯II the brand expanded across the United States, especially at fairs and carnivals. At the Minnesota State Fair, after a 1947 debut, a longâÂÂrunning Prontoâ¯Pup concession has grown into a large operation that processes tens of thousands of units per fair season.
One of the earliest franchisees was the Karnis family of Minnesota, whose Prontoâ¯Pup stand at the Minnesota State Fair remains a major vendor. The Original Prontoâ¯Pup location in Rockawayâ¯Beach, Oregon opened in 2016 to commemorate the original invention and features a large fiberglass corn dog on its roof.