ELSMERE, Ky. — Pat Hahn comes here every Friday during Lent. Sitting at the Knights of Columbus fish fry in Elsmere, Hahn smiles and waves. The 86-year-old loves fish, but she loves her family more.
“Here comes the rest of my family,” Hahn said. “It means a lot to have your whole family together, and there’s a lot to say about tradition.”
A tradition that, in some cases, is going away.
“We know that some fish fries have closed due to cost,” said Tim McHugh, who directs the fish fry at St. Agnes.
This year, McHugh raised the price of its fish sandwich by a dollar. The shrimp tacos went up, too. Because even though it might sound corny, he never wants to imagine a world without fish fries.
WATCH: We're breaking down how costs are impacting local fish fries
“It was a tough decision,” McHugh said of raising the prices. “We didn’t take it lightly.”
To truly offset the inflation, which came because of a cod shortage and rising egg prices, they would’ve needed to increase prices even more. But McHugh said the community stepped up with more donations to keep the prices relatively stable.
“It’s part of who we are here in the Midwest,” McHugh said. “Yes, it's part of Lent. It’s part of our faith. But it’s also just bringing people together.”
People like Pat Hahn, her husband Paul, and the rest of their family.
“It’s kind of become a tradition for the whole community,” Hahn said. “This inflation i0s scary for all of us, but it's not going to keep us from getting our fish sandwiches.”
She laughs. And then with her family sitting next to her, she orders the fish platter.
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