Faribault woman runs Pronto Pups stand as cherished memory with late husband

Beautiful story.

With her, Heise brings the history of the Pronto Pup.

“In 1941, Pronto Pup flour invented the first hotdog dipped in batter and deep friend,” she said. “The main ingredient is wheat and rice, and you had to buy a franchise to get that flour.”

But Heise said some people didn’t want to buy the flour because it was expensive.

“That’s where the corn dog came from,” she said. “It came later, which is made from corn meal — sandy, gritty, icky.”

Heise said Pronto Pup batter is “sweeter and better.”

“You can go to all these [corn dog] stands and they could all be different, but you can go from New York to Washington and a Pronto Pup will always be the same,” she said. “It’s like Coke or Pepsi. It’s a guarded recipe.”

And don’t get caught calling the Pronto Pup a corn dog around Heise.

“Oh, it’s not good,” she said. “I’ll tell them the whole story.”

Heise said even her employees face consequences for calling the Pronto Pup a corn dog.