Why The Founder Of McDonald's Refused To Sign Off On The Original Filet-O-Fish

Ray Kroc may have had a monumental impact on the American food landscape, but if it were up to him, the Filet-O-Fish may never have been sold by McDonald's. Kroc may have been a keen businessman, but many of the biggest menu innovations came from people around him. The McDonald brothers who developed the original menu and streamlined operations, and another local owner in Ohio dreamed up the Filet-O-Fish sandwich — even though Kroc himself wasn't thrilled about the potential smell.

Lou Groen owned a McDonald's outside of Cincinnati, and, in 1961, he had a problem. The area was nearly 90% Catholic at the time, and before the reforms of the Second Vatican council in the mid-1960s, Catholics were required to abstain from meat on all Fridays — not just during Lent as is now the standard. This was obviously a big problem for someone selling burgers. So, when Groen noted that a nearby Big Boy location was doing big business by selling fish sandwiches, he developed one of his own and brought it to Kroc.

However, despite his enthusiasm, Kroc's initial response wasn't quite what Groen hoped. According to his memoir, "Grinding It Out: The Making of McDonald's," Kroc was less than thrilled about the idea. "I don't care if the Pope himself comes to Cincinnati," he explained. "He can eat hamburgers like everybody else. We are not going to stink up our restaurants with any of your d**ned fish."

However, to Kroc's credit, he was willing to listen to others. Two other McDonald's executives saw the potential in Groen's idea and persuaded Kroc to give it a chance. So, Kroc came up with a competition. He had been developing a new meatless sandwich called "The Hula," which was made with two slices of grilled pineapple and a slice of cheese. Kroc told Groen that they would sell both sandwiches alongside each other as a test, and whichever sold more would become a national item.

On Good Friday in 1962, The Hula and Filet-O-Fish went head-to-head, and the restaurant sold 350 fish sandwiches in total. As for The Hula? Only six. In the end, Kroc kept his word, and the Filet-O-Fish went nationwide. In fact, when it became official in 1965, it was the first new item added to the original McDonald's menu, predating any chicken items or the Quarter Pounder and Big Mac. The fish sandwich became successful far beyond even Groen's wildest dreams.

In just the first month, the Filet-O-Fish was ordered over 2,300 times. It has gone on to become one the iconic staples of the McDonald's menu, popular year-round. While McDonald's reports that about 25% of the Filet-O-Fish sandwiches sales come during Lent, when Catholics are still expected to abstain from meat on Fridays. However, it may never have happened if Ray Kroc had been just a little more stubborn with his hatred for the smell of fish.