Fish Fry Prices Soar as Supplies Dwindle

Lenten fish fry season brings higher costs for Pittsburgh-area food suppliers and customers

Published on Feb. 20, 2026

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

As the Lenten fish fry season kicks off in the Pittsburgh region, food suppliers are warning that the price of cod and other popular seafood items has skyrocketed in recent years due to factors like the Russian war limiting global supplies and increased demand from places like Greenland and Canada. Local fish fry organizers say they have no choice but to pass these higher costs on to customers.

Why it matters

Fish fries are a beloved tradition in many Pittsburgh-area communities, especially during the Lenten season. However, the rising costs of key ingredients like cod threaten to price some families out of participating in this cultural ritual, potentially impacting local churches, community centers, and small businesses that rely on fish fry fundraisers.

The details

Nappie's Food Service, the Pittsburgh area's largest independent family-owned food distributor, says it has been buying up truckloads of fish in preparation for the busy Lenten fish fry season. But the company's partner Nick Napoleone and buyer Danny Johnston note that the price of cod, a staple of regional fish fries, has "skyrocketed" in the last couple of years. They attribute this to supply chain disruptions caused by the ongoing Russian war, which has limited the availability of frozen sea fish from that region. As a result, more of the cod supply is now coming from places like Greenland and Canada, driving up costs.

  • The Lenten fish fry season begins on Ash Wednesday, February 26, 2026.
  • Nappie's Food Service has been purchasing fish for the past few months in anticipation of the upcoming fish fry season.

The players

Nappie's Food Service

The Pittsburgh area's largest independent family-owned food distributor, supplying seafood and other products to churches, community centers, and businesses for Lenten fish fries.

Nick Napoleone

Partner at Nappie's Food Service.

Danny Johnston

Buyer at Nappie's Food Service.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“Cod is definitely the big thing in our region. The big thing going on with it right now is the price of it, it's just kind of skyrocketed the last couple of years because of the Russian war going on, and that's where a lot of the frozen sea fish, which is kind of where the higher-end stuff is fished out of. So, with that kind of limiting what's available, there's places like Greenland and Canadian waters, they're getting a lot more of the cod now, and there's just a lot less to go around.”

— Danny Johnston, Buyer, Nappie's Food Service (cbsnews.com)

“Fish is definitely more expensive this year. It just depends. It's a commodity item so when you think about fish, we buy fish from all over the world. Whether it's Greenland, Iceland, the Arctic, the Pacific, the Atlantic, it just depends.”

— Nick Napoleone, Partner, Nappie's Food Service (cbsnews.com)

What’s next

Local fish fry organizers will need to determine how much to raise prices to cover the increased costs of seafood supplies, while balancing affordability for community members.

The takeaway

The rising costs of key ingredients like cod threaten to price some families out of participating in the beloved Lenten fish fry tradition in the Pittsburgh region, highlighting the vulnerability of local cultural rituals to global economic forces.