LUZERNE COUNTY, Pa. — You don't have to wait until Friday for fish this Lent.
Patrick Kern says it's a simple recipe that's kept Lum's Fernbrook Inn in Dallas Township, his family's business, alive for nearly 60 years.
"Serve good food and give good service."
But that's not to say it isn't hard work. The support from the community makes it easier.
"The rush of the busy night, to see the business excelling, it's great," said Chef Patricia Sprague.
There's been no shortage of those busy nights recently. Sprague has been cooking up steak and seafood here for 25 years. During Lent, the focus is on the fish.
"Our fish and chip special with homemade sauces, and our clams, which are brought in fresh daily."
Although Friday is the traditional meatless day during Lent, people are getting their seafood fix at a discount throughout the week too.
"We're probably seeing a 30 to 40 percent volume increase," Kern said. "People are coming in for our fish special even during the week, but Friday is definitely a killer night, very busy."
The co-owner says the pandemic-era trend of supporting small, family businesses hasn't gone away.
"You saw that during COVID, a lot of people, a lot of comments online, talking about, 'I'm not going to go to a chain, I'm going to support local businesses and try to keep them running and alive,'" Kern said.
There are still plenty of meaty options for those not observing Lent.
The seafood specials are available every day except Monday and Saturday.
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