BUFFALO, N.Y. — We all know it's fish fry season, but with public official after public official telling us not to attend large gatherings amid concerns over the coronavirus, how are we suppose to get our fish fry fix?
"The community does depend on us to provide their Lenten fish fry and we want to make sure that's available to them," said Scott Kapperman, the principal at St. Amelia's school on Eggert Road.
Earlier Friday they canceled the dinner portion of their annual fish fry and instead went with a takeout-only system. This adjustment to their fish fry plans is based on a recommendation from the Buffalo Catholic Diocese.
"We're going to strictly take out," Kapperman said. "We're not sure what the numbers are going to be obviously with everyone being more careful about where they go and what they do. It will be interesting to see if we get our normal 200-300 people for fish fry's we usually get."
That guidance was issued to all parishes that have a fish fry this weekend. And while St. Amelia's doesn't rely on their fish fry as a fundraising effort, "Obviously we have to consider what would happen if we had a very very low turnout. We can't run a fish fry at a significant loss for just a few people "
Other institutions around Western New York are also adjusting. 2 On Your Side reached out to several fire halls Friday afternoon to get a sense of what they're planning.
None were able to talk to us on the record, but the Wilson Fire Company did say on social media that they have reduced seating capacity in the fire hall and have adjusted their takeout process.
So for now, it appears institutions are adjusting accordingly for Western New York to get their fish fry fix amid growing concerns over the coronavirus.
Don't forget to check out the WGRZ Fish Fry map to find your nearest fish fry or to check out something new.