GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – Duane Abrahamson and his wife are part of the afternoon crowd at the first fish fry Friday of lent at Mama D’s in Freedom.
They’ve never left a fish fry as unhappy customers, but they understand that restaurant owners are facing some difficulties come Fridays.
“We enjoy perch which sometimes is harder to get I guess,” said Abrahamson.
“We were told we couldn’t get perch and now we were told that we can’t get whitefish. We can get perch but its a type that I don’t want to serve. It’s a cheaper perch and I’d rather keep it domestic,” said Donna Wall, Owner of Mama D’s.
There’s a cheaper variety of perch that comes from Europe but customers want fish from the USA, which is taking a long time to get.
Wall says she won’t change her high quality standard, no matter the price.
“They did have it before and they did notice a difference so yeah I just don’t want to take that chance because I don’t want to have that rep of having bad fish,” said Wall.
Owner of Blue Harbor Fish and Seafood in Green Bay, Mike Parkinson, also doesn’t want that reputation.
He says the business is battling severe shortages and price increases.
“What does that mean for our Wisconsin Friday night fish fry?” asked Fox 11.
“We’re trying to help restaurants hold their prices, restaurants are trying to hold their price for their fish fry. We can’t do it, not anymore no. It’s way too hard,” said Parkinson.
Parkinson says last year, a pound of COD would sell for $3.75 to a customer, now it’s $8.
He says shipping sometimes costs 40 cents per pound.
“Walleye has doubled in price in the last 8 months. Perch is $16, $17 a pound wholesale,” said Parkinson.
Parkinson and Wall say they don’t see a resolution in sight, but they’re trying the best they can to keep customers like the Abrahamson’s, full and happy every Friday.
“They all do a really good job, the quality is good,” said Abrahamson.
Wall says she’s come up with some new dish ideas to accommodate the crowds amid the supply issues.
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