McDonald's fans stunned by religious backstory of Filet-O-Fish

2023-04-26

McDonald’s fans left stunned after realising surprising religious backstory behind the Filet-O-Fish

The item was developed by Lou Green in 1962 to combat declining sales
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McDonald’s fans have been left stunned after learning why the fast food chain’s Filet-O-Fish burger was originally created.

In 1962, Lou Greon – who owned a franchise in Cincinnati, Ohio – decided he needed to add a new item to the menu after sales declined by 70 per cent.

As his restaurant was based in a predominately Catholic area of the city, the businessman noticed that his restaurant was especially quiet on Fridays.

This is because some branches of the Christian church avoid eating meat on this particular day of the week.

Speaking to The List Show in 2015, Lou’s son Paul explained how business was booming for their competitor Frisch’s Big Boy – which had a fish sandwich on the menu.

Pictured: McDonald’s Filet-o-Fish burger. The sandwich was created by franchise owner Lou Greon in 1962 to combat declining sales

Determined to draw customers back into his branch, Lou developed his own fried fish patty and tartar sauce – which he put in the classic McDonald’s bun and added a slice of American cheese.

But while Lou’s Filet-O-Fish proved to be an instant hit with his customers, the founder of McDonald’s Ray Kroc wasn’t sold on the idea.

In his 1977 memoir Grinding It Out: The Making of McDonalds, the businessman said he didn’t like Lou’s burger as it had been ‘born of desperation’.

What’s more, Lou’s son Paul said Ray also assumed that the smell of the Filet-O-Fish would put customers off coming into the restaurants.

He said in his television interview: ‘[Ray’s] words were, “I’m not going to put fish in my restaurants and stink them up!”‘

However, the businessman was eventually won over when Lou’s fish sandwich outsold his own meat-free burger on the first Friday of Lent in 1963.

That year, Ray introduced the Hula Burger to stores across the US – which consisted of a slice of grilled pineapple and cheese in between a plain bun.

According to Paul, Lou sold 350 Filet-o-Fish burgers on that Friday – while only six customers bought Hula burgers.

The fast food chain has been serving Filet-o-Fish burgers for over 50 years and Lou’s son Paul says they’re still especially popular on Good Fridays

In recent years, the McDonald’s fans have shared their surprise over learning the back-story to the burger on Twitter

Off the back of this success, Ray and Lou predicted that Fridays would become as successful sales days as Saturdays and Sundays.

Over 50 years since the Filet-o-Fish was created, Paul – who also works for McDonald’s – says the burger continues to be as popular now.

He added: ‘It’s a very successful sandwich in its own right throughout the year but on Lent and on Fridays especially, it’s very much so.’

In recent years, the McDonald’s fans have shared their surprise over learning the back-story to the popular menu item.

‘Grateful for all the pioneers in the industry,’ one gushed.

Another added: ‘When I was a kid, we went every Friday for a Filet-O-Fish at McDonald’s.

‘We weren’t religious, it’s just what everyone did.’

Meanwhile, a third said: ‘I’m not religious but I have to have my Filet-o-Fish on Good Friday!’

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