Increased cost of supplies appears on local fish fry menus
The first week of March marks the beginning of a beloved annual tradition, but this year, you may have to shell out a few extra bucks before biting into your Lenten fish fry sandwich.
鈥淲e鈥檝e definitely raised prices to reflect the fish going up,鈥� said Barry Nelson, financial secretary of St. Ann鈥檚 Knights of Columbus. 鈥淲e made one check on fish and found out that it was going up $2 a pound. We raised all our prices across the board.鈥�
The Knights of Columbus鈥檚 annual fundraiser, which makes up about one-third of the general budget, benefits the organization, and funds are allocated as needed to the four churches that make up St. Matthias Parish in Greene County.
鈥淟ast year, we were canceled all across the board,鈥� said Nelson. 鈥淭alking to people around town, they are looking forward to it.鈥�
Nelson hopes customers won鈥檛 be put off by increased menu prices, especially since St. Matthias Parish isn鈥檛 the only local organization upping the cost of a fish fry dinner. Skyrocketing inflation has increased costs of everything from fish and shrimp to take-out containers, and supply chain issues make some staples hard to come by.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 know about French fries,鈥� said Nelson. 鈥淚鈥檓 not sure.鈥�
Because fish fries are many churches鈥� largest fundraiser, prices this year are being raised to meet parish needs.
鈥淔ather told me, if we鈥檙e going to try to make any money, we should raise (the fish sandwich) to $12,鈥� said Mary Lazor, who spearheads the annual fish fry at Immaculate Conception in Connellsville.
鈥淟ast year, we made a couple thousand dollars. If I pay my bills, I鈥檓 happy,鈥� Lazor said, noting the fish fry and nut roll sales on Palm Sunday and Thanksgiving are the church鈥檚 biggest fundraisers. 鈥淕od always provides. We didn鈥檛 go in the hole.鈥�
Neither did St. Oscar Romero parish, which includes Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal and St. Patrick鈥檚 churches in Washington County.
鈥淪t. Patrick鈥檚 鈥� quite frankly, they had their best season ever鈥� last year, said Lou Daddea, who helps organize the parish fish fries.
But, like St. Ann鈥檚 and Immaculate Conception, the parish is reworking its menu.
鈥淲e鈥檝e seen costs increase as we prepare for this year. We鈥檒l have to adjust our menu a bit, in terms of prices to the customer,鈥� Daddea said. 鈥淏ut I will say 鈥� we are also pushing harder this year on sponsorships. If we can offset some of the costs with a sponsorship, then we won鈥檛 have to change too much on the menu.鈥�
Daddea said St. Oscar Romero is unique in offering lobster rolls and crab cakes, two pricey items he wants to continue serving customers. He鈥檚 hoping the parish can lock in a few more sponsors before March.
The Smock Volunteer Fire Department in Fayette County doesn鈥檛 have sponsors for its fish fry, but assistant Chief Neil Kelly said this year鈥檚 fundraiser, which begins Ash Wednesday, should be business as usual.
鈥淲e鈥檙e always concerned with what鈥檙e you gonna do. We can鈥檛 afford to not have it,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t doesn鈥檛 do that well but it makes a little bit of money. The community enjoys it, so we keep doing it.鈥�
Kelly is hopeful for a good turnout this year, considering folks are eager to return to some sense of normalcy.
鈥淲e appreciate everybody鈥檚 business in the past, everybody鈥檚 support through the pandemic,鈥� he said.
While Smock VFD is offering its staples 鈥� fish sandwiches and sides 鈥� the Charleroi Fire Department in Washington County is serving up Lenten fish fries with a saucy twist.
鈥淲e鈥檝e always done a pizza night for events like the Super Bowl,鈥� said Capt. Matt Prentice. 鈥淭here鈥檚 just so many fish fries around the area, we鈥檙e trying to change it up and we鈥檙e going to do pizza sales on Fridays through Lent. We鈥檝e done random pizza nights throughout the year, but this is the first time we鈥檙e doing pizza all through Lent.鈥�
Prentice said the department will offer plain, pepperoni and white pizzas.
鈥淚t鈥檚 that real thick pizza that you cut in squares,鈥� Prentice said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 really good.鈥�
The Richhill Volunteer Fire Department in Greene County is sticking with its traditional Lenten fish fry, but chief Dave Pohill isn鈥檛 yet sure what prices will look like this year.
鈥淲e haven鈥檛 even gotten that far,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e trying to get vendors to come in and meet with us.鈥�
Pohill said the department hosts a number of fundraisers each year, and though he expects a slight increase in fish fry menu prices this year, he鈥檚 hoping the increase won鈥檛 be substantial.
Before increased prices posed a problem to fish fries, local organizations had to get creative with meal distribution during the pandemic.
鈥淟ast year was the first year we had an online ordering system,鈥� said Daddea. 鈥淭hat really enabled us to do the business that we did. We鈥檙e going to use that again this year.鈥�
Daddea said technology has afforded volunteer-run fish fries like those at St. Patrick鈥檚 and Miraculous Medal to handle the volume of orders placed each Friday in Lent. He also noted that St. Patrick鈥檚 will again be take-out only.
鈥淟ast year, when we were doing this, it was pre-vaccine so there was a need for social distancing,鈥� he said.
Most other fish fries transitioned to take-out only during the pandemic, but this year, they鈥檙e reopening cafeterias for dine-in eating.
While Immaculate Conception will welcome guests inside, folks are encouraged to enjoy dinner at home.
鈥淪ome of the older women (are) in their 80s. The one lady鈥檚 in her 90s,鈥� said Lazor. 鈥淚 would feel so guilty if one of those ladies got sick.鈥�
While organizations around Washington, Greene and Fayette counties work to finalize menus and prices, all are looking forward to a successful fundraising season.
鈥淲e never really know what to expect the past two years,鈥� said Daddea. 鈥淭his year I鈥檓 kind of excited for it to be closer to normal, just because people are back out at restaurants, people are back to church.鈥�
Added Lazor: 鈥淚 just hope people come and support us. We鈥檒l do our best.鈥�