The 1970s Chain Everyone Remembers For Its Fried Fair Food Has 3 Locations Left

The moment you sense the intoxicating aroma of a corn dog at a fair, you're making a beeline to the nearest vendor — in fact, you may have been anticipating the first delicious bite of a corn dog for days before attending the fair. In the 1970s, one family dared to dream: What if that magical snack experience didn't have to be a once-a-year-or-so occasion? When Corn Dog 7 opened in 1978, it brought fried fair food to malls and everyday life.

Sadly, Corn Dog 7 is one of the mall food court chains that quietly vanished over time. Dozens of locations have dwindled down to just three. There are two in Laurel, Mississippi and one in Houma, Louisiana. One of those Laurel locations is cause for cheer, though: It opened in the summer of 2025. It is also a standalone spot, while the other two locations are in malls. Corn Dog 7 is a mall food court chain we wish would come back, and while we may not see that wish granted, it's exciting to see this decades-old chain open a brand new location, the first in a long time. 

Happily, Corn Dog 7 has stayed in the family. Co-founder Betty McKinney was on-site for the 2025 Laurel location opening. Her husband and son, L Ray and Stephen McKinney, respectively, started the chain with Bill Clark, adding the "7" to refer to the number of people in the McKinney family.

As told in a Wonders YouTube video, Corn Dog 7 brought the joy of the fair to the mall in the late 1970s and 1980s, but struggled as people looked to make healthier choices. Plenty of people still feel nostalgia for those happy mall memories, though. On a Reddit thread asking who remembers Corn Dog 7, fans chime in from Texas to Illinois to West Virginia, recollecting the delicious dogs and other menu items like the fries.

When Tasting Table ranked 21 classic fair foods worst to best, we awarded corn dogs the No. 1 spot, so we understand the McKinney family's mission to center a chain around the sweet yet savory treat. But Corn Dog 7 wanted to share the fried fair food love in general. While the corn dog is arguably the most iconic fair food, other things are decadent on a stick — take Corn Dog 7's cheese on a stick, which is exactly what it sounds like: a block of American cheese that gets ooey-gooey when fried in crisp, buttery batter. 

At the three Corn Dog 7 locations, you can also get fries and funnel cake, mini corn dogs, and all kinds of combos, and at select locations, fried Snickers bars and onion rings. If you miss Corn Dog 7 from your past mall days, you can recreate the magic at home. The chain sells its renowned batter you need to make your own tasty corn dogs.