A replica of the tribute to Lou Groen displayed on the wall of the McDonald’s franchise at 5425 West North Bend Road in Cincinnati, where he created the Filet-O-Fish sandwich. (Credit: Erica Shadoin.)
Article by John Lavenburg, Crux
Summary
The Filet-O-Fish sandwich, created in 1962 by Lou Groen, was originally developed to cater to the Catholic community in Cincinnati, which avoided eating meat on Fridays during Lent. Groen, struggling to keep his McDonald’s franchise afloat, noticed that local Catholics were going to a nearby restaurant for fish sandwiches, so he decided to introduce his own. After initial resistance from McDonald’s executives, a competition between Groen’s fish sandwich and Ray Kroc’s “hula burger” led to the fish sandwich becoming a permanent item on the menu. The Filet-O-Fish became a huge success, with its recipe evolving over time but still remaining a beloved staple today.
Read John Lavenburg’s full article here.