OLD FORGE, Pa. — Every Friday, it's all hands on deck at Arcaro and Genell in Old Forge.
But on Fridays during Lent, it's a whole different kind of pizza operation.
"It's been crazy all day since the second I walked in," said Amanda Krappa, Arcaro and Genell.
Christians cut meat out of their diets on Fridays during Lent making pizza the perfect option for dinner.
Trays upon trays of red and white pizza get boxed up and shipped out the door.
While managers hoped to be back open for dine-in this time around, it's still take-out only because of staffing issues related to the pandemic.
"The last two years were definitely tough for us. We lost a lot of our staff. We haven't been open in the restaurants since but we are still keeping up with all the demands even with the short staff that we have," said Krappa.
Across the street at Revello's Pizza Cafe, the pick-up line was long but the dining room area a bit more tame.
Henry Brown from Covington Township was having dinner. He came early to beat the crowds.
"I mean here they are busy all the time but it's something to do on a Friday night that hasn't been regular," said Brown.
If you're not feeling pizza, fish is another good meatless option. Workers at Mondo's in Dunmore are getting ready for quite the rush.
Steamed clams, flatbreads, fish, and chips are on the menu.
This is the first season of Lent for the business and knowing many people cut out meat on Fridays owner AJ Zangardi knew he needed to adjust.
"This is what people are looking for so we try to serve the best we can. It's great to see people coming back out again. It's been a while, a long couple years and I think it's time to start getting back out," said Zangardi.
Lent ends on April 14th.
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