Greetings, friends!
Earlier this month, a Burger King in central London re-opened as an entirely meat-free restaurant.
I was curious, but can’t say that a ‘Cheeeze & Bakon’ burger was tempting enough for me to race to the tourist mecca that is Leicester Square to try it.
Also, why are they spelling ‘cheese’ that way!?
But it got me thinking about fast food restaurants – and how their menus have evolved over the years.
Vegan burgers may sound like an odd option for a hamburger chain, but do you know what else was a considered a crazy idea?
McDonald’s serving a fish sandwich.
The Filet-o-Fish first debuted on April 20, 1962 – and this week, I went fishing for its backstory. (Sorry, no more fish puns coming).
And I learned, McDonald’s introduced the Filet-o-Fish for a simple reason…
It’s easy to look at the success of McDonald’s and think you’d hit the jackpot if you were an early franchisee.
But, in 1961, McDonald’s franchisee Lou Groen was struggling.
Groen was running the first McDonald’s franchise in the Cincinnati, Ohio area, and things weren’t going well.
His sales were low – especially on Fridays.
“I was struggling,” Groen recalled years later.
“The crew was my wife, myself, and a man named George. I did repairs, swept floors, you name it.
“But that area was 87 percent Catholic. On Fridays we only took in about $75 a day.”
Groen’s Catholic customers didn’t eat meat on Fridays or during Lent, and he needed to find a way to improve sales at the restaurant.
He noticed that one of his competitors in town, Frisch’s Big Boy, was having a lot of success selling fish sandwiches.
Groen did his research, investigating what the Big Boy chain was doing right.
He developed a special batter, experimented with different recipes, and made the tartar sauce for his new fish sandwich.
Then he took his idea – the Filet-O-Fish – to Ray Kroc at McDonald’s headquarters.
But Kroc wasn’t convinced.
“I told Ray (Kroc) about it and he said:
“You’re always coming up here with a bunch of crap! I don’t want my stores stunk up with the smell of fish.’”
Groen did not know, but Kroc was also working on an idea for a burger alternative – the ‘Hula Burger’, consisting of a slice of pineapple and a slice of cheese on a bun.
So Kroc decided to make a wager with Groen to see which sandwich was more popular with customers.
“Ray said to me, ‘Well, Lou, I'm going to put your fish sandwich on (a menu) for a Friday. But I'm going to put my special sandwich on, too.
“Whichever sells the most, that's the one we’ll go with.’”
On April 20, 1962 (Good Friday), the Hula Burger and the Filet-O-Fish sandwiches went head-to-head in selected locations.
And it was no contest.
“I won hands down,” Groen said.
“I sold 350 fish sandwiches that day.
“Ray never did tell me how his sandwich did.”
Some sources say six Hula Burgers were sold that day.
The Filet-O-Fish was a hit.
It saved Groen’s franchise, and by 1965, became a staple on the McDonald’s menu nationwide.
Today, more than 300 million Filet-O-Fish sandwiches are sold every year.
Recent Work and Writing
Three Skills that Saved 700 People on Titanic —Did I mention that Titanic fascinates me? Yeah, I was inspired to write another story about it…
What’s The Deal with Morning Pages — It’s a daily practice that is lauded by artists and business leaders. But what’s it all about —and does it really work?
Three Oscar Moments to Talk About that Aren’t The Slap — One story from the Oscars is dominating the headlines, but here are three other moments worth celebrating.
What Do Women Really Want? — On the eve of the UK’s Mothering Sunday, I had some thoughts about what mothers, grandmothers, and women in general want — and deserve. (Better cards for Grandma, to start)
How Can I Help?
I’ll keep saying it: Communication matters.
How much?
Well, did you hear about the politicians whose Passover greetings backfired?
It’s not just words that matter — the images communicate, too.
It’s so easy to make mistakes that cost you relationships, your reputation, and your job.
And good news, friends… If you want to improve your communication (and get all the good things that come with that), I’m your gal.
So many companies could reap so benefits – from performance and culture to retention and engagement – by improving their communication.
I help clients with communication strategy, planning, and thinking.
And I do the ‘doing’, too.
I also teach people the skills to help them become better communicators and leaders through 1:1 coaching and team workshops (that are effective - and fun!).
So, if you know someone who could benefit from some help (as even the most seasoned leaders do), please get in touch and check out my website for more information.
And if you see any communication examples (the good, the bad, and the ugly) that you think are worth analyzing or sharing, please send them my way!
Stay Curious!
-Beth
The Creative Inspiration Behind The Filet-O-Fish