How Lenten tradition led to the Filet-O-Fish

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McDonald’s franchisee Lou Groen realized in 1962 that his cheeseburger gross sales have been down on Fridays, particularly throughout the time main up to Easter.

The cause? Groen lived in Cincinnati, a closely Catholic space — and observant Catholics have been eschewing hamburgers and different meat merchandise on Fridays as a part of their religion.

Ever the enterprise govt, Groen knew there have to be one thing to lure on this buyer base on Fridays.

His ingenuity would lead to the creation of the Filet-O-Fish sandwich.

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“With determination and a knack for thoroughness, Groen convinced McDonald’s to test a breaded whitefish sandwich to help satisfy customers who abstained from eating meat on Fridays in observance of Lent,” the McDonald’s web site notes.

That breaded fish sandwich would grow to be often known as the Filet-O-Fish.

1 / 4 of all Filet-O-Fish gross sales happen throughout the 40 days of Lent, stated McDonald’s. In the U.S., the Filet-O-Fish is fabricated from Alaskan pollock. (Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images)

“My father exemplified Ray Kroc’s philosophy that you can succeed if you put the customer first,” Paul Groen advised McDonald’s.

The youthful Groen adopted in his father’s footsteps and likewise owns a number of McDonald’s areas.

At the time of the creation of the Filet-O-Fish, Lou Groen was “barely doing $300 in daily sales” on Fridays, stated Paul Groen.

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“My father needed that fish sandwich to survive and compete against other restaurants. He set in motion a framework of success that would benefit future generations,” he stated.

At the similar time Groen was testing the Filet-O-Fish, McDonald’s founder Ray Kroc had one other meatless various thought: the Hula Burger.

The Hula Burger consisted of a chunk of grilled pineapple served on a bun, with cheese.

While Kroc had religion in his creation, the public didn’t.

A McDonald’s Filet-O-Fish meal with fries in Feb. 2024. True to its origins, the Filet-O-Fish is very standard throughout Lent, in accordance to the McDonald’s web site. (Fox News Digital)

The Filet-O-Fish proved to be much more standard than the Hula Burger.

The Hula Burger was discontinued in 1963.

Its base parts – bun, tartar sauce, breaded fish and half-slice of cheese – have remained unchanged since its official launch.

In 1965, the Filet-O-Fish was added to the McDonald’s menu nationally — and have become the first new product ever added to the chain’s authentic menu.

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At the time, the Filet-O-Fish was priced at $0.29.

It was the solely non-hamburger sandwich on the menu, says the McDonald’s web site.

Its base parts – bun, tartar sauce, breaded fish and half-slice of cheese – have remained unchanged since its official launch.