‘A very busy time’: How local businesses are preparing for Lenten season

Santa Monica Seafood workers begin their daily routines by loading up trucks to deliver seafood products to supermarkets and restaurants across New Mexico.

But during the Lenten season, their days start earlier.

By 5 a.m., the team is already hard at work ensuring that every restaurant has what it needs for Lent — 40 days of fasting, prayer and meat abstinence, save for fish, observed by many Christian denominations in preparation for Easter.

In addition to Christians and Catholics observing Lent, which takes place between March 5 and April 17, other religious groups, such as Muslims observing Ramadan, participate in similar fasting and meat abstinence practices.

More than half of New Mexico’s population identifies as Christian, about 27% of which are Catholic, according to the Pew Research Center.

“Seafood has become the primary protein source for many, driving up demand for everything from salmon to shrimp,” said Alfredo Chavez, vice president of marketing for Santa Monica Seafood, which has a facility in Albuquerque. “It’s a very busy time for us.”

Seafood processing volumes increase on average 20% during Lent, Chavez said. He said the increase starts shortly before Lent begins and “sustains” over the season.

Catholics typically practice abstinence from meat — with the exclusion of fish — as part of a long-standing tradition symbolizing penance and sacrifice. It is usually practiced on Fridays, the day Jesus was crucified.

In New Mexico, that has long meant restaurants gearing up for the 40-day season. Some of the state’s most recognizable restaurants, Blake’s Lotaburger and Garcia’s Kitchen, even shift their menus to focus on Lent-exclusive dishes.

Dan Garcia, vice president of Garcia’s Kitchen, said his restaurants are packed during Lent, in part due to the adapted menu offered Wednesday through Sunday.

“We get very busy with the Lent specials ... because sometimes those things are hard to make,” he said. “They’re a little bit labor intensive and it takes time and effort.”

All of Garcia’s locations order roughly 20-30% more fish for Lent compared to the rest of the year. And the New Mexican restaurant chain increases staffing at certain locations, Garcia said. Some locations, like the Garcia’s on Coors and Montaño, expect more foot traffic due to their proximity to Christian and Catholic churches.

On Mondays and Tuesdays, when Lenten specials aren’t going, Garcia’s has a reset so staff can clean the kitchens and order more fish. The restaurant will also offer a fried fish plate and Baja tacos daily.

“We don’t sell as many chicken fajita or beef fajita plates and some of our meat plates as much during that time,” Garcia said.

Blake’s is also preparing for the extra patronage it tends to receive during Lent. Some customers are eagerly awaiting the return of the chain’s limited-time meals, said Blake’s spokesperson Tiffany Bornmann.

Most notably, people look forward to Blake’s Lenten special: a fried fish sandwich featuring a green chile tartar sauce. The company also plans to serve a beer-battered halibut fish boat.

“Both of those have our proprietary green chile tartar sauce, which has become quite the cult classic,” Bornmann said. “I think people would love to be able to have those items regularly, but you either have to have enough sales to continue to have that item or just know that it’s coming back for a special time of year.”

For New Mexico restaurants, Lent is a chance to show patrons they can adapt to the needs of the community.

“There was a time when there weren’t lots of options to individuals who, during Lent, are obviously not utilizing or consuming meat products,” Bornmann said. “It’s just another way for us to be able to give back to the community and we just want to continue that.”