Opening Day With the Fletchers: the State Fair's Iconic Corny Dog Family in Action

Aaron and Amber Fletcher are busy. It’s late afternoon on Opening Day of the State Fair of Texas, and the sibling co-owners of Fletcher’s Original Corny Dogs are making the rounds, chatting with content creators and taking pictures with Mr. Corny, Fletcher’s anthropomorphized corny dog mascot, who is hosting a social media influencer food crawl event at the Corny Cafe on the Midway.

Brand promotion events like this are par for the course for Aaron, Amber and the rest of the Fletcher family, including their mother GG, uncle Bill, his son W.C., his wife Rebecca, their daughter Emma and more, during the fair's 24-day run. Earlier in the day, Amber showed former “The Bachelor” contestant Matt James around the cafe while sharing corny dog history of the company as he sampled his first Fletcher’s Corny Dog.

Everything looks polished and effortless on TV, TikTok, Instagram and elsewhere. The corny dogs are fresh and golden brown, the mustard is bright yellow and smiles abound. But a lot of work goes on behind the scenes to make that happen. The Fletchers take their iconic fair staple seriously and meticulously check the quality of their products to ensure every bite lives up to their grandfather’s standards. It's made their product a fair favorite since 1942.

“We’re walking the park, checking the stands, talking with the managers, getting everyone trained on how to do the batter, customer service,” Amber says. “There are a hundred different things going on that could go wrong, so we've got multiple family members on site. We've got my brother Aaron, who is out here checking the stands. We've got fourth-generation [Fletchers] out here checking the stands. We just want that quality on Day One, and it's very important. In full force, we're out making sure the corny dogs are the ones you remember.”

Fletcher’s operates seven stands on the fairgrounds and sells more than 500,000 corny dogs annually during the fair. It requires a significant effort to get things ready for Opening Day. The family is involved in everything from ordering enough cornmeal mix from Shawnee Milling Company in Shawnee, Oklahoma, and hot dogs from Syracuse Sausage in Ponder, Texas, to overseeing the building of the stands.

“We begin in early August,” Amber says. “We have a team that has been working with us for decades, and they start setting up. We have a permanent location and then we have a retro concession trailer, but the other five have to be assembled every year. It takes about six to seven weeks for it to be assembled. They have to bring in everything from electric to plumbing to setting up the physical stands, getting the signage, getting the product delivered, which we have about the week of [Opening Day] because we get everything fresh delivered to us from Shawnee Mill and Syracuse Sausage.”
They also hire an army to staff the stands, dip the dogs and work the fryers. That brings its share of complications. Every year, 70 to 80 percent of Fletcher’s employees are new. That means they need extensive training because everything is handmade. Training happens fast, but it takes time for new employees to learn the proper ratios, temperatures and processes. A lot of training is still taking place on Opening Day. Aaron says it’s a trial by fire.

“It's not easy at all,” Aaron says. “My dad used to always say, ‘Corny dogs are simple, but they're not easy.’”

The oil must be 365 degrees. The water for the “temperamental " batter must be ice-cold to ensure proper consistency. If over- or under-mixed, it can change the texture and flavor of the batter. Doing things the Fletcher way is paramount. Because of the high turnover year-to-year, the returning employees hold a place of special reverence because of their knowledge and experience.

“That's extremely important because if we didn't have that, we wouldn't be able to train the new staff,” Aaron says. “All of our managers have been with us for many, many years. Gwen, who's over at stand one, she's been, I believe, 40 years with us. So, having people that keep returning year after year, that's probably one of the most important things, honestly.”

Once the fair opens, the Fletchers have their eyes on everything. They inspect every stand, talk with their managers, check inventory and account for minor details such as whether the condiment carts need refilling or cleaning. They sample corny dogs daily for quality control. Amber even stays on the fairgrounds in an RV every weekend. During the food crawl event, Amber and Aaron sampled the lemonade to make sure it tasted right. Most importantly, they watch to see if the customers are happy.

“We are constantly checking the temperature of the oil, the batter, making sure that there's enough product out, if there's lines or if there's no lines,” Amber says. “We don't like to have a lot of product out because we believe in everything being as fresh as possible. I don't think we last 82 years by having cold corny dogs.”

The meticulous attention to detail to ensure customer satisfaction is why corny dogs are as beloved as Big Tex. Many fairgoers' first stop is the Fletcher’s stand in Big Tex Circle to get a picture with their corny dog and the legendary 55-foot-tall cowboy. Their popularity has allowed Fletcher’s to expand the brand in recent years.

In 2019, they opened their first food truck, taking the business from a three-month operation to year-round. It allowed Fletcher’s to become a permanent fixture at Klyde Warren Park in Downtown Dallas. They debuted the Dallas Hot Birg Dog in 2021 and brought it back this year. They also ventured beyond corny dogs. After sponsoring Martin House Brewing’s Glizzy Fest for several years, the two companies decided to collaborate on a mustard-flavored beer.

“I joked with them that we can't do ketchup, but mustard is good,” Amber says. “And so last year we did the Fletcher's Mustard Beer, and this summer we did it again.” Fletcher’s also partnered with another family-owned business, Lubbock-based Paddle Tramps, to create a line of ornaments.

“We've sold ornaments in the Go Texan building for about eight years now,” says Alex Abraham of Paddle Tramps. “Obviously, [Fletcher’s] is the most iconic brand at the fair. Amber and I got to be friends, so we talked about it during the summer and figured out a way to make it happen. We're excited about it. It's everybody's favorite part of the fair, we feel like, so it's a great way to take a bit of the magic home.”

Even as they expand the brand into other ventures and offer seven different corny dogs — original, jalapeno and cheese, Bird Dog, Veggie Dog, Cheesy Pup, Make Mine Texan and Dallas Hot Bird Dog — the Fletchers know it’s the classic corny dog and the nostalgia it elicits that keeps people coming back. The Original remains their best seller, and it’s not even close.

“One of our customers said she loves to come out to the fair and try the new fun, crazy things, but she said, ‘I love that I can always count on Fletcher's,’” Amber says.  Sentiments like that drive Aaron, Amber and the rest of the family to press on through the controlled chaos and long days at the fair. The diligence, early morning TV hits, celebrity encounters, influencer events and mustard beer all build upon the tradition their grandfather began in 1942.

“It's been a family business, three generations going into four on my cousin's side, and that was what my dad was always about,” Aaron says. “He always made sure that the family was the most important thing in it, and that's what we're here for. That's why we've never sold out or anything like that because we know how important it is to the customer.”

Aaron, Amber and this generation of Fletchers understand that it’s their job to continue the family business and legacy for another 82 years. It’s demanding work, but they believe they can do it by serving the best cony dogs possible, paying homage to those who came before them and having a good time doing it.

“For me, it's a way to remember and honor my dad, who was such an important person in my life and this business, this company,” Amber says. “The tradition was so important to him, and I feel like I just want to honor him by also taking great care of something that meant so much to him. It's also the most fun job I've ever had in my life. I've only had a couple of other jobs, but this one's by far the most fun.”