Joe’s Funnel Cakes is coming back for another summer at the Montgomery County Fair.

This time, the summer of 2025 will be a memorable one for the family-owned business.

Joe’s Funnel Cakes will be at the fair for the 40th year this summer. The fair is scheduled for July 14-19.

Since it started in 1985, Joe’s Funnel Cakes has been getting plenty of compliments about its products. When the business was working at the Bikes, Wings and Warriors event in Montgomery City on June 21, one patron said it serves the best funnel cakes in the state of Missouri.

“It’s always good to hear, especially in Montgomery County,” owner Jon Elfrink said. “They’ve known us for 40 years. It’s weird that even when I’m not in Montgomery, the surrounding counties and so forth, it’s always great to hear it’s the best funnel cake I ever had. I always love the new ones who never had one. It’s always nice to see that smile on their face after they take a bite.”

Jon Elfrink took over the business in 2022 after his older brother, Joe Elfrink, retired. Joe’s Funnel Cakes started when Joe, his sister Chris Aston and brother-in-law John Aston bought a concession trailer from a man in Arkansas.

“Joe started it in 1985,” Jon said. “Of course, I helped him when I first started out, too. He was at the fair for I don’t know how many years. When he wasn’t doing it, our sister and her husband took over and did it with the Shriners. When that ended, Joe got back into the fair. Three years ago, I bought Joe out. So somebody in our family has been making funnel cakes at the fair for 40 years.”

When the business began in 1985, funnel cakes cost $1.75. Now, they’re between $8-10. They are sprinkled with powdered sugar and are served in chocolate, caramel and cinnamon toppings.

“We’re proud of our mix,” Joe said. “There are a lot of mixes out there. But we had this from day one.”

Jon, who lives in New Florence, said there’s a simple formula in making a good funnel cake.

“It’s the consistency of the batter and the heat of the fryer,” he said. I think we mastered that.”

Jon said he’s looking forward to serving the customers funnel cakes for another summer at the fair.

“In the heyday of that fair in the 1990s, it was always something because they had the top entertainment,” Jon said. “Now, they don’t have that. But the fair has made leaps and bounds about recovering. I think the fair is a wonderful fair. It’s always been good to us and I’m very happy to be back.”