In 1962, McDonald's franchisee Lou Groen created the Filet-O-Fish sandwich to attract customers who abstained from eating meat on Fridays due to their faith, especially during Lent. The sandwich became a popular item and remains on the menu year-round, with 25% of sales occurring during Lent.
Key Points
Lou Groen's creation of the Filet-O-Fish to attract Catholic customers during Lent
Filet-O-Fish became more popular than the Hula Burger
Filet-O-Fish remains a year-round menu item and is especially popular during Lent
Pros
Innovative solution to cater to a specific customer base
Became a successful and popular menu item
Cons
Competing meatless alternative, the Hula Burger, was not successful