In 1962, McDonald’s franchise owner Lou Groen noticed that cheeseburger sales were down on Fridays, especially in the run-up to Easter.
reason? Groen lived in Cincinnati, a heavily Catholic area, where strict Catholics avoided hamburgers and other meat products on Fridays as part of their religious beliefs.
As a business owner, Mr. Groen knew there had to be something on Friday that would appeal to this customer base.
His ingenuity led to the creation of the Filet-O-Fish Sandwich.
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“With a knack for determination and thoroughness, Mr. Groen tested a breaded whitefish sandwich to satisfy customers who refrained from eating meat on Fridays for Lent,” McDonald’s website says. “We persuaded McDonald’s to do so.”
This breaded fish sandwich became known as Filet-O-Fish.
McDonald’s says a quarter of its Filet-O-Fish sales occur during the 40 days of Lent. (Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images)
“My father epitomized Ray Kroc’s philosophy that if you put the customer first, you would be successful,” Paul Groen told McDonald’s.
The younger Groen is following in his father’s footsteps and owns multiple McDonald’s locations.
Paul Groen said that when Filet-O-Fish was created, Lou Groen was “barely making $300 a day in sales” on Fridays.
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“My father needed a fish sandwich to survive and compete with other restaurants. My father set in motion a framework of success that will benefit future generations,” he said.
While Groen was testing Filet-O-Fish, McDonald’s founder Ray Kroc came up with another meatless idea: the Hula Burger.
The Hula Burger was grilled pineapple sandwiched between buns and served with cheese.
Kroc had faith in his creation, but the public did not.
McDonald’s Filet-O-Fish Menu with French Fries for February 2024. According to McDonald’s website, Filet-O-Fish is true to its origins and is especially popular during Lent. (Fox News Digital)
The Filet-O-Fish turned out to be much more popular than the Hula Burger.
The Flaburger was discontinued in 1963.
The basic components of bread, tartar sauce, breaded fish, and half cheese have remained unchanged since its official launch.
In 1965, Filet-O-Fish was added to McDonald’s menus nationwide, becoming the first new product added to the McDonald’s chain’s original menu.
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At the time, the price of Filet-O-Fish was $0.29.
According to McDonald’s website, this was the only non-hamburger sandwich on the menu.
The basic components of bread, tartar sauce, breaded fish, and half cheese have remained unchanged since its official launch.
Filet-O-Fish turned out to be much more popular than the meatless “Hula Burger” (which didn’t last long). (St. Petersburg)
Currently, Filet-O-Fish is made from walleye pollock in the United States.
Sandwiches are eaten in many countries, but there are some regional differences.
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Unlike other fast food fish dishes that only appear during Lent, Filet-O-Fish is on McDonald’s menu all year round.
And, true to its origins, it remains especially popular during Lent, McDonald’s website says.
25% of all Filet-O-Fish sandwiches will be sold during the 40 days of Lent.
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Fox News Digital has reached out to McDonald’s for additional comment.
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