Western Pennsylvania fish fries' supply chain issues vary

Three years after the start of the pandemic that upended supply chains around the world, some local fish fries still are grappling with inventory while others are reporting no problems getting their menu items.

On Monday, Land & Sea in Monroeville was packed with cod waiting to be delivered to more than 60 fish fries in addition to many restaurants and bars. Those shelves won’t stay filled for long, according to Land & Sea general manager Anthony Moorhead.

“In addition to the fish fries, during Lent, pretty much every restaurant and bar features a fish sandwich,” Moorhead said.

It’s the second-busiest time of the year for the business, Moorhead said. The holiday season, from Thanksgiving to the New Year, is the first.

There haven’t been any supply chain issues this year, unlike in recent years, Moorhead said.

For fish fries, cod is the most popular. Most of it comes from the North Atlantic, Moorhead said.

Land & Sea will sell 150,000 pounds of fresh and frozen cod during Lent, in addition to other types of seafood.

Related

• 2023 fish fries in Alle-Kiski Valley
• Lenten fish fries offered in the North Allegheny area

Land & Sea delivers most of the products for the fish fries, though customers also can pick up what they need.

After not having a fish fry last year, Divine Redeemer Parish will host a fish fry during Lent in the St. James School cafeteria in Sewickley, said Father Brian Noel, the church’s pastor.

“We took last year off so we are glad to be back in operation, not only for the revenue … but also to build up community again,” Noel said.

Divine Redeemer gets its fish from Nappie’s Food Service in Oakdale. The church sells Norwegian cod and Atlantic salmon every Friday during Lent, but not on Ash Wednesday or Good Friday.

As with any supplier, Noel said it is very important to have a good working relationship. He said the fish fry is one of the church’s biggest money-makers.

“Nappies really helped us out during the pandemic and worked with us to liquidate much of our non-foodstuff supplies, which were left unused,” Noel said. “We put a lot of trust in Nappies for our fish. The brands we are buying through Nappies are very consistent in quality and portion size.”

At St. Bruno Parish in South Greensburg, “We go through probably 2,500 to 3,000 pounds of fish a year,” said parishioner Karen Lynch, who runs the fish fry with her husband, John.

The Lynches have been running the St. Bruno fish fry for about 28 years, aided by about 25 to 35 volunteers each week.

Volunteers usually would start preparing for fish season about six weeks in advance, Lynch said.

“This year, we had to really get on it,” Lynch said.

She started calling their fish supplier, Laurel Hill Provision in Greensburg, the first week of January.

“The supply chain issue has unfortunately not let up. We’re at the mercy of what they’re able to get, and they’re at the mercy of what their suppliers can get for them,” Lynch said. “This is the first year we have to say that some quantities may be limited on our menus, because (Laurel Hill) can’t guarantee that they’ll have what we need every week.

“We expected that in 2021 and ‘22, but I really didn’t expect that still in ‘23,” Lynch said. “It seems like the supply line is still really fragile, unfortunately.”

A representative of Laurel Hill declined to comment.

Prior to the 2020 pandemic shutdown in the midst of fish fry season, St. Bruno offered eat-in and takeout options. In 2021, they switched to takeout-only.

This year, the parish is back to offering eat-in and takeout meals.

“We’re going full-steam ahead. I’m tired of the phrase ‘return to normal,’ but we’re trying to get back to the basics of what we’re used to,” Lynch said.

One of Land & Sea’s customers is Highland Hose Company in Tarentum. Highland Hose president Robert Stoebener said they’ve developed a good working relationship, which is essential to running a smooth fish fry.

“Land & Sea is wonderful to work with,” Stoebener said. “We have developed a rapport with them. They get us whatever we need.”

Having access to inventory is important because the fish fry is the biggest fundraiser for the organization, Stoebener said.

The quality of the product is first and foremost, he added, because, if it’s good, people will come back.

“The money we raise helps us be able to do things to keep the community safe,” Stoebener said. “It also helps us with any expenses for day-to-day operations.”

Another local fish fry supplier is Wholey’s in Pittsburgh’s Strip District, which makes weekly deliveries to “plenty” of fish fries, according to co-owner Dan Wholey.

He said Wholey’s hasn’t experienced any supply chain issues this Lenten season.

“Fish fries are fundraisers for all of those places, and it’s a beautiful thing to see,” Wholey said. “They make really good fish sandwiches. These fish fries are an opportunity to gather with friends and neighbors for a good meal.”

Our Lady of Grace Parish in Hempfield has a great working relationship with its fish supplier, Performance Foodservice of Mt. Pleasant (formerly Reinhart Foods), according to Fred Francese, longtime general manager of its Lenten fish fry.

“We buy the best product that we can,” Francese said. “They give us everything we need, they come on time and, if we need more, they bring us more.”

Representatives of Performance did not respond to requests for comment.

Each week during Lent, the parish serves about 700 meals, Francese said. That amounts to about 500 pounds of fried, breaded cod fillets and about 200 pounds of baked cod fillets, served each week by about 30 to 35 volunteers.

Since the pandemic, the parish has dispensed with its eat-in option, offering what Francese termed a “very, very efficient” drive-thru ordering and pickup process.

“By the time you order, pay and drive around, your food is waiting for you,” he said. “We use the Chick-fil-A model, except it’s fish. We go for quality and efficiency.”

Francese estimates sales have dropped between 15% and 20% since the parish has been offering takeout-only meals – but the profit margin is up.

“I think it’s because we have less on the menu. We don’t offer a bazillion things anymore,” he said.

Since the pandemic, people have become much more accustomed to takeout dining, Francese said. Still, there’s a contingent that misses dining in.

“Some people are disappointed, mainly for the social aspect,” he said. “They like to eat their dinner and then sit and visit. That’s part of our ministry – greeting people, getting to know them and hoping to draw them to Christ.”

They are considering reopening the dining room next year if they can drum up enough volunteers.

“After the pandemic, a lot of our volunteers didn’t come back,” Francese said.