DEARBORN, Mich. (WXYZ) — The Lenten Season is underway, and fish fries and seafood dinners are in high demand across metro Detroit. But this year, you may notice they're costing a little more.
Local fish markets and restaurants are feeling the pnch, and some are passing those increases on to customers. Whether you're looking for fresh salmon, tuna or trout, you may have to pay a little bit more to get them on your plate this year.
Watch Carli's report below
The fryers are hot, and the demand for fish is even hotter. That's according to Sonny Calandra, the owner of Sonny's Fish Market in Dearborn.
"(We're) very busy. A lot more cooking than fresh fish," Calandra said. “Seems like a lot of people prefer to get it cooked.”
With Lenten Fish Fries now underway, foot traffic is picking up at the local market. Calandra says this time of year has always been good for business, ever since his father opened the shop in the 1980s.
But the price of fish today looks much different than it did back then, and even compared to last year.
“Definitely have been a slight increase in stuff," Calandra said. "As you may know, the tariffs have affected the cost of some product that I carry, but I try to eat the tariff myself and keep the prices fair for the community.”
It's also a busy season for a Detroit staple, Scotty Simpson's Fish and Chips.
Long-time employee turned owner, Harry Barber, said they're feeling the impact of higher costs, too.
“In fact, on Friday nights we have to turn the phones off around 4 o’clock, and it’s just, it’s a mad house in here," Barber said. “Obviously, getting stuff from Canada and that, prices went up on fish right away and that.”
Seafood isn't the only thing that's more pricey.
“It's the prices of beef fat that we use, it’s a blend of beef fat and vegetable oil, the paper products went up," Barber said.
Because of that, the restaurant raised prices about 10 percent last month.
“We didn’t want to raise the prices too much, but we had to raise them enough so we could make a profit," Barber.
Local customers we talked to said that the changes in prices won't stop them from coming.
“Not really," Leonard Schabath replied, when I asked him about the price increases.
"I didn't notice it," said Barb Martin.
Martin tells me she's been coming to Scotty Simpson's for nearly 40 years.
“It doesn’t matter, it wouldn’t keep me from coming," she said.
For those looking to enjoy fish this season, Calandra offers this advice.
“Cheaper isn’t always better. You get what you pay for when you’re buying fish," Calandra said. “I would just like people to know that I’m doing the best I can to keep my prices fair for them and have good, quality fish.”
