Lent Means Big Sales for Long John Silver’s

More than 20 million pieces of fish expected be sold in 40 days of Lent

Ash Wednesday (Feb. 10) marks the beginning of Lent for more than 66 million Catholics in the U.S. For Long John Silver’s (LJS), the country’s largest quick-service seafood restaurant chain, it kicks off the company’s busiest-selling season, historically featuring a 75 percent increase in sales on the first day of Lent alone. The company has prepared with aggressive training in more than 1,100 units across the country. In addition, Long John Silver’s is offering a seasonal promotion on a $5.99 Cod meal and a sweepstakes with three grand prize cruises.

During the Lenten season, Long John Silver’s expects to sell more than 20 million pieces of fish, enough to feed every person in New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, Philadelphia and Phoenix. Those freshly prepared meals will be served with enough tartar sauce to fill nine gasoline tank trucks. On Ash Wednesday, Long John Silver’s will serve nearly half a million hush puppies, almost twice as many as an average Wednesday.

“We begin preparing almost as soon as Lent ends,” said Long John Silver’s CEO James O’Reilly. “This year we launched a system-wide training program including a Lent playbook and held regional meetings across the country. We are committed to delivering top-quality product and friendly service even at our busiest time of the year.”

Preparation to feed this sales surge extends to the icy waters of the north Pacific Ocean where fish trawlers hauled up wild-caught Cod and Pollack at one the best-managed and most sustainable fisheries in the world. Long John Silver’s fish is fresh-caught and flash-frozen aboard the fishing boat in order to lock in the flavor. For consumers interested in clean eating, this protein is antibiotic free, hormone free, GMO free, additive free and contains no artificial color or flavors.

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