(WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Lent is prime time for a certain type of sandwich.
Observant Catholics and Christians abstain from meat on Friday between Ash Wednesday and Easter.
As a result, Friday Fish Fries flourish across the Chicago area. This can also pose a challenge for restaurants whose backbone is beef and sausage.
Joe Buona III, owner of Berwyn-based Buona Beef, tells the WBBM Noon Business Hour that business would slow down on Fridays during Lent.
The restaurant responded by adding a pepper and egg sandwich, made from scrambled eggs and sliced bell peppers, to the menu. It’s served on a Turano roll.
While Buona Beef isn't the only restaurant in the Chicago area to sell the staple during Lent, he said it is a seasonal item.
"The majority of people in this season honor the tradition on Ash Wednesday and on Fridays in Lent. So, what we're doing is bringing it back on every Wednesday and Friday through Easter," Buona said.
He estimates a Buona Beef store sells 100 to 300 egg and pepper sandwiches every Friday during Lent. It’s available at each of the company’s 26 restaurants; a location in Valpraiso, Indiana is set to open April 12.
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