The Old-School Corn Dog Stand That Vanished From Mall Food Courts

There was a time when malls seemed like the center of American life. They were meccas of consumerism, as bright and gaudy as they were irresistible. In the 1980s, a pop star named Tiffany performed in malls, and this was seen as a savvy business move: malls were where teenagers lived their lives at that time. Nowadays, of course, malls aren't what they once were. Even before the pandemic, they were in rough shape thanks to the advent of online shopping. Even the malls that are still around have changed, with all sorts of different stores fading away: no more Borders, no more Tower Records, and no more Corn Dog 7.

What's Corn Dog 7? Well, it's a store that was once a mainstay of mall food courts. As the name implies, it sells corn dogs, which were invented in the Pacific Northwest, as well as other food that one can find at a state fair: funnel cake, french fries, fried Snickers bars, things of that nature. Founded in 1978, Corn Dog 7 appeared just in time to capitalize upon the mall boom of the 1980s, and for a time, all was well. Maybe it wasn't as nationally famous as Wienerschnitzel or Hot Dog on a Stick (Corn Dog 7 was mostly found in the South) but it was keeping up.

Of course, nothing lasts forever, not even something as delicious and wholesome as a corn dog stand. The locations gradually winnowed down over the years, not a sudden collapse but a steady decline, as the mall continued to fade from prominence in American life. Right now, there are only three Corn Dog 7 locations remaining, with two in Mississippi and one in Louisiana. On a long enough timeframe, this will happen to just about every chain — at some point, it will probably come for Wienerschnitzel and Hot Dog on a Stick, too, although Wienerschnitzel's collab with Walmart suggests that won't happen anytime soon – but it's still sad to see.

Not all hope is lost, however. Do you remember when we said there were only three Corn Dog 7s left? Well, until very recently, there were only two. But there was evidently sufficient demand for another location to open in 2025 in Laurel, Mississippi, in a different part of town from the previously existing one. Could this be the start of a miraculous turnaround for this old mall staple? It remains to be seen — but we sure hope it is.