Why Almost Every Fast Food Chain Serves Up Fried Fish For Lent

Once all the Valentine's Day goodies at Dunkin' and other chain establishments have run their course, fried fish menu options seem to dominate the fast food marketing space. That's no coincidence, as another significant day for the Christian community is right around the corner: Ash Wednesday. This marks the commencement of Lent, a 40-day period dedicated to developing a deeper relationship with God before Easter Sunday. Catholics and some other Christian denominations focus on prayer and charity during this time as well as sacrifice in the form of fasting. Generally, this means opting for fish instead of other meats when enjoying a meal. But why would fast food chains cater to a religious holiday?

In short, it's all about greenbacks. With the number of people in the United States identifying as Catholic hovering around 20%, failing to offer a considerable portion of the population something they can eat during Lent amounts to a boatload of lost revenue. However, this seasonal shift also grants fast food restaurants a lucrative opportunity.

After all, it's not just Catholics who relish a fried fish menu option on occasion. Plenty of people from all walks of life like to try out the limited-time offers that fast food restaurants advertise. This temporary change offers customers a chance to be adventurous and take a break from their usual go-to order — and if it also happens to keep folks who observe Lent coming through the doors, it's a win-win.

In 1962, Lou Groen was struggling to keep his McDonald's franchise in Cincinnati afloat. One significant challenge he faced was retaining customers during Lent. A large portion of the surrounding community was Catholic, meaning many of his usual patrons were abstaining from beef. As a result, he needed something that would entice folks to keep patronizing his business. He solved the problem when he created the first-ever augmentation to McDonald's original menu: the golden brown Filet-O-Fish sandwich.

While the newly minted menu item initially had to compete with a sandwich dubbed the Hula Burger (a slice of pineapple on bread) to become a permanent McDonald's fixture, it quickly proved more popular. Today, the Golden Arches sells around 300 million fried fish sandwiches annually, with a staggering amount of those sales occurring during Lent — around 25%, to be precise.

It's said that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and if that's true McDonald's should be honored. After seeing the Filet-O-Fish exceed expectations, other fast food restaurants began following suit. Mickey D's longtime burger rival, Burger King, now sells a crispy fish sandwich year-round called the Big Fish. Culver's also gets in on the seafood action, offering customers a North Atlantic Cod dinner or sandwich 365 days a year.

Other fast food restaurants often run fish promotions seasonally to tempt folks limiting their meat consumption. Currently, Carl's Jr. is featuring a Redhook Beer-Battered Fish Sandwich combo, while Arby's is cooking up Crispy Fish Sandwiches and a King's Hawaiian Fish Deluxe. Sometimes it only takes 20% of the population to have an impact on the food industry.