There will still be fish and chips on Good Friday, but it will be different

As Good Friday approaches, somerestaurateurs in St. John's are adapting to the challenges of serving up a traditional meal of fish and chips amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Rod Forward, who owns the Big R restaurant on Blackmarsh Road,said under normal circumstanceshis business prepares for Good Friday orders a few days in advance. Customers also generally place orders up to a week in advance.

Forward said business was down last month, but things have picked up recently.

"The last couple of weeks in March, it affected us. We were down probably, approximately 22 per cent for March," he said. "But so far, we are actually in the last week, for April, we are actually up."

The same can be said aboutLeo's Restaurant on Freshwater Road a community staple during Good Friday.

Melissa Pittman, who runs the kitchen, told CBC Radio's On The Go business has been booming since the pandemic struck.

"We have been busier, for sure," said Pittman, granddaughter of Leo Pittman, whoopened the restaurant's doors in the '60s.

Both restaurants are trying new things this year underpublic health restrictions to wardoff the spread of COVID-19.

The Big R is giving a discount on delivery and also placing orders outside the building for takeout customers, said Forward.

Pittman said Leo's has placed a table in front of its doors for pickup orders andis also doing contact-free delivery.

Forward and Pittman said supplies are in good order for now.

Forward said his restaurant stocked up well ahead of time, at the first sight of the global pandemic rearing its head in Newfoundland and Labrador.

"I actually thought that the ferries would stop running. So I increased stock [in] early March. Other than potatoes I have an abundance of supply in my freezers," he said.

"I have enough fish to supply me until mid-summer if need be."

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