Personal Accounts

The Catholic Friday Lenten Fish Fry tradition continued during the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic but not on the church campus. Instead, St. Raymond Fish Fry committee members recruited five local restaurants to cook and serve the fish and pizza to patrons and then donate a portion of the proceeds to the church, according to Joe Irick, owner of Station 34 at 34 S. Main Street.

“Last year St. Raymond’s had asked if Station 34 would provide cheese pizzas for their Fish Fry as an alternative for those who do not consume fish,” he recalled. “Then, this year we mutually discussed putting on the Fish Fry at the restaurant and donating a portion of the proceeds back to the church since the Archdiocese of Chicago had said parishes could not do their traditional Fish Fry.”  

“I asked other restaurant owners in downtown Mount Prospect to participate, too, because with the number of parishioners St. Raymond’s has, there was absolutely no way I could handle that many additional patrons on top of our usual busy Friday night business,” Irick continued.  “You see, St. Raymond reported that they served between 450 and 650 people on each Fish Fry Friday, which they held every other week during the Lenten season.”

“Chris Boznelos of Mrs. P & Me was the first to hop in with us and we’re very glad he did, to help shoulder the load! In fact, I’ve heard that they are even doing a fish fry on Thursday nights, too. I also alerted the Downtown Merchants Association of this to see if they could help reach out to other restaurant owners, as well, and a few more hopped in with their assistance.”

The other participating restaurants included Canta Napoli Pizzeria and Ristorante, Jameson’s Charhouse and Mr. Beef and Pizza.  

Interestingly, prior to this, Station 34 did not have fish on their menu. But Irick said that they have now expanded their Lenten season menu to include Alaskan cod.

“It’s been great!  The St. Raymond members/supporters are incredible,” he continued. “Theoretically, it would be nice if this encourages more people to stop in and try Station 34. But right now, I’m just happy to be a part of such a strong tradition that I still remember fondly from my childhood.”  

“St. Raymond de Penafort hopes to return to offering their traditional Fish Fry events in Lent of 2022 as it is such a sought-after community event,” said Sharon Moeykens, Engagement Director. “The parish is extremely grateful that in such a time of uncertainty, these five Mount Prospect restaurants have rallied together to creatively serve a parish and its community during Fridays in Lent this year. We hope to continue strong relationships with restaurants in the area for future events.”

The Station 34 Pizza Pub, 34 S. Main St. (southwest across the street from Village Hall), offered family pizza meal kits to customers locked up during the various COVID-19 stay-at-home orders. They were the brainchild and invention of Station 34 owner Joe Irick who had actually started working on the idea before the pandemic hit.

“I wanted to bring home from the restaurant a fun activity for my kids,” Irick recalled. “So, I started to experiment to find the perfect recipe for a dough ball that would work well in a regular oven. When the pandemic hit, it just made sense to make these kits available for everyone to buy so that they could have a fun experience while stuck at home. It was also another way to bring in revenue while the restaurant was closed for dining.”

“So, we added them to our menu and promoted them on local Facebook groups. Quickly, customers started to promote the product to their friends, and it became popular, so I created a separate website for more direct marketing of the Pizza Meal Kits, and it continues to grow to this day,” he explained.

“Customers love that they have a fun activity to do at home and that the pizza was truly the same quality as restaurant-style pizza. They’ve been a hit!” Irick added.

At the beginning of the pandemic when many were afraid to make a trip to the grocery store, Station 34 even offered delivery of produce, meats, cheeses and toilet paper via their website. They also partnered with Capannari’s Ice Cream to deliver their ever-so-popular pints during the winter months when their storefront is closed. Station 34 has also expanded on the food kits idea and now offers hamburger kits (during grilling season) and taco kits, too. They can all be purchased at station34pizzapub.com.

Prior to the explosion of COVID-19 on the scene in March 2020, Mae Wilton ran a Parents Time Out business for young families.

“Our whole business model relies on getting parents out of the house and meeting new people through our events,” Wilton explained. “Our prime customer base consists of families with kids ages 0-12, but all are welcome to attend our events.”

“When the pandemic first hit, we struggled to find new event ideas, while also struggling with our new normal in our own home,” she recalled.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic “we have been running sanity socials, which are virtual events for parents to connect with one another. They run at 8:30 pm every Thursday and are free to join. We have also tried to run one event every month that is family-friendly.”

For instance, they held a socially distant Santa event that was a huge hit and also ran a free “Noon Year’s Eve” event. Families signed on to join a virtual book reading and balloon drop countdown at noon.

They have also run virtual pizza making and hair styling classes/events.

“While everyone is very excited to be able to have in-person events soon, they seem to enjoy the options we have provided during this time,” Wilton concluded.