Cozy Dog Drive In

Overview

Cozy Dog Drive In in Springfield, Illinois, traces its history to one of the earliest versions of the corn dog. The story began in 1941, when Ed Waldmire Jr. encountered a wiener baked in cornbread while traveling through Muskogee, Oklahoma. He later described the idea to fellow Knox College student Don Strand, whose father worked in the bakery business.

Several years later, while Waldmire was stationed at Amarillo Airfield, Strand developed a batter that would stick to a hot dog during deep frying. The two experimented using cocktail forks as sticks and sold the result at a USO kitchen and the airfield PX under the name “crusty curs.” After Waldmire left the military in 1946, the name was changed to Cozy Dogs.

Cozy Dogs were officially introduced at the Lake Springfield Beach House on June 16, 1946, and appeared at the Illinois State Fair later that year. The business eventually moved to Route 66 on South Sixth Street in 1949. In 1996, Cozy Dog Drive In relocated to its present site, where the Waldmire family continues the tradition.

Quick Facts

Status

Open

Address

2935 So. Sixth Street, Springfield, IL 62703

Postal code

62703