How McDonald's Filet-O-Fish was invented

The Filet-O-Fish was created in 1962 by Cincinnati franchisee Lou Groen to serve Catholic customers who abstained from meat during Lent. The sandwich pairs a breaded whitefish patty with tartar sauce and half a slice of cheese on a bun. McDonald's founder Ray Kroc initially resisted adding fish, citing concerns about smell and a more complicated cooking process, and he proposed the Hula Burger — a grilled pineapple slice topped with cheese.

Groen and Kroc agreed to a sales contest on Good Friday in 1962: the Filet-O-Fish sold 350 sandwiches while the Hula Burger sold six. After a limited release in 1963 it became the first permanent new menu item, priced at $0.29. It remained the chain's only non-hamburger entrée until the McChicken in 1980 and chicken nuggets in 1983, and it has become a global staple with about 300 million sold each year; only a quarter of annual sales occur during Easter.

United States, Cincinnati

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