Most Memphians have eaten a Pronto Pup before, but what some Memphians might not know is that the festival food has been a Bluff City favorite for 77 years. 

The tale of the local Pronto Pup begins in 1947 at the Mid-South Fair.

A barber and beauty shop owner named Bemis Atkins had heard of a hot dog treat he thought would be a hit in the South.

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The hot-dog-on-a-stick was dipped in a batter and fried until golden brown. Bemis called his version a “Pronto Pup,” and the rest is history.

Today, Pronto Pups is run by third-generation owners, and siblings, Danny Andreini Jr. and Lisa Warren. 

Their father, Danny Andreini Sr., married Bemis Atkins’ daughter, Sharon, and loved the business as much as the Atkins family. He and Sharon ran the company and helped grow it until his death last year. 

The company currently operates 22 food trailers and stands and sells their specialty fare at festivals and events across the Mid-South. Locals love Pronto Pups so much that the Andreinis have even started getting requests to serve them as a late-night snack at weddings.

And, at events such as the Delta Fair & Music Festival, Pronto Pups are the No. 1 selling food item.

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“Every fair has its ‘thing,’” said Mark Lovell, the director of the Delta Fair. “Here in Memphis, it’s the Pronto Pup.”

Pronto Pups trailers sell only one thing: Pronto Pups. Customers can choose between the regular size or the foot-long (which Andreini Jr. thinks was introduced in the late 1980s at the former Liberty Bowl Stadium).

The only other decision a customer has to make is to add yellow mustard or not.

Ketchup is not an option.

“No way,” said Andreini Jr. “That’s illegal.”

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While there are also corn dogs on the market, Andreini Jr. thinks Pronto Pups’ batter makes them different and better than their competitors. 

While every Andreini is sworn to secrecy about the batter’s exact ingredients, Andreini Jr. did share that it is wheat-based. He explained that a corn dog is made with a cornmeal batter that is sweeter and fluffier, which he thinks isn’t a great ratio of batter to hot dog.

The Andreini family also pride themselves on how quickly they can serve their customers.

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“We have been doing this a long time,” said Andreini Jr. “We know how to work a crowd so you don’t have to stand in line too long.”

September is the company’s biggest month of the year. The company’s biggest single sales day of the year is the Cooper-Young Festival; the biggest sales event is the 10-day Delta Fair.

And here’s a foodie twist to the Pronto Pups tale you might not expect.

The barber and beauty shop that Adkins once ran is now home to the Cooper-Young restaurant The Beauty Shop, and the family still owns the building at 966 Cooper St.