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'World's Best Corn Dog' comes to Kaysville

(Source: Russ Relyea) People form a line to get their hands on a specialty at The Word's Best Corndog tent.
(Source: Russ Relyea) People form a line to get their hands on a specialty at the World’s Best Corndogs tent.

Kaysville resident Russ Relyea has been on a corn-dog roller coaster ever since he waited in line for an hour and 10 minutes for a corn dog at a county fair while living in Wilson, N.D.

“I took one bite of these corn dogs and thought, ‘Game over.'”

After attending the fair, Relyea was on a mission. He said he wanted to find the recipe for the corn dog that would match the one he had eaten. He searched every recipe outlet he could think of, and every time he found a new one, he tried it out to no avail and continued his search.

“At night I tried every recipe I could find, but none of them came close,” he said.

On July 3, 2012, the woman from the corn dog stand at the fair called Relyea and disclosed the recipe for the corn dogs, giving him one instruction: “Do good things.”

“That moment changed my life,” Relyea said. On July 5, he sold his first corn dog from his home driveway in Wilson.

Ever since that moment, Relyea has been making and selling corn dogs wherever he can, from the sides of highways and store parking lots to fairs and sporting events. During the winter of 2012, he prepared to set up a more permanent corn dog stand for 2013.

The World’s Best Corndogs stand had its struggles, like any new business. After a run-in with the health department and city officials, but also with the help of both, Relyea was back on his feet and ready to go for the new season.

“The first day we were open, we had a line about an hour long,” Relyea said. “I had two little fryers cranking out six corn dogs at a time.”

It wasn’t long after that first week of incredibly long lines that Relyea knew he had to upgrade. A couple new fryers later, he never had anyone wait more than 10 minutes.

“I hated standing in line, and I hate seeing people standing in line,” Relyea said.

Nathan Alexander, a recruiter for the Moyes College of Education, praised the corn dogs after trying them.

“I thought it was very tasty,” he said, “nice and crunchy, and a little sweeter than most typical corn dogs.”

Dave Hale, a Weber State University alumnus, said the corn dogs were the best he had ever eaten.

“In my travels, I’ve eaten plenty of corn dogs,” Hale said, “from Baltimore to Sacramento, but this behemoth on a stick takes the top prize. They start with a 12-inch beef frank and plenty of batter. If you want to experience a real corn dog, take the drive to Kaysville and bring a hungry belly.”

Relyea said he would never have guessed his simple dream would turn out so successful.

“It boggles my imagination,” he said. “I could not be more grateful for it. I’ve met the coolest people who have become great friends.”

Relyea said he wanted to bring back that little piece of childhood at local county fairs: eating deep-fried foods, waiting in lines and leaving with smiles.

“There is just something about having a food stand and coming and chilling,” Relyea said. “There is nothing I love more. I have the best job in the world. It doesn’t feel like I’m working because I’m having so much fun.”

Relyea’s said his dream is to be a vendor at MLB and NFL stadiums across the country, but for now he plans on expanding from one stand to five next summer. He said he hopes to have locations in Logan, Ogden, Salt Lake City and Provo so Wildcats and various Utahns can look for World’s Best Corndogs a little closer to home.

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