“During Lent, we see 25 percent to 40 percent increases in our weekly unit volumes,” Charles St. Clair, chief marketing officer at Long John Silver’s (LJS), told SeafoodSource. Plus, the consumer awareness that LJS generates from its Lent promotions help boost the chain’s sales throughout the year, St. Clair said.
Many years during Lent, LJS simply highlights seafood products that it already carries. However, this year, the restaurant operator is looking to grow sales further with a limited-time offer of Norway Lobster Bites. Lobster Bites have not been featured on LJS’s menu since 2009, when the company featured Langostino Lobster Bites.
“We didn’t have enough supply to keep it on the menu. However, there is an adequate supply of Norway lobster, a wild product caught off the coast of Ireland. It is heavily used in restaurants in Europe, but not a lot in the U.S.,” St. Clair said.
Meanwhile, a non-seafood restaurant chain, Tropical Smoothie Café, began offering Fish Mojo Tacos with grilled tilapia on 24 February, accompanied by its first national TV ad. As a result, restaurant chain executives expect the limited-time offer to produce more sales than last year, when it launched Fish Tropical Tacos, also using grilled tilapia.
“We experienced a 16 percent increase in [overall] food sales versus the prior year,” Mike Rotondo, CEO of Tropical Smoothie Café, told SeafoodSource. “We saw tacos as an opportunity to satisfy consumer demand for great-tasting, better-for-you food choices during a time of year when people were thinking about eating better due to New Year’s resolutions.”
Taco John’s also brought back its Fish Tacos for a limited time, while Del Taco is featuring a Crispy Shrimp Taco and Crispy Shrimp Burrito for Lent. The sandwich chains are getting on board Lent promotions too: Subway is offering a Spicy Tuna sub in select markets and Quiznos is carrying a Lobster & Seafood Salad Sub and a Lobster & Seafood Salad.
Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s brought back their Charbroiled Atlantic Cod Fish Sandwich for a limited time, and Arby’s is featuring its Reel Big Fillet Sandwich during Lent. Smartly, Arby’s partnered with the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI) to promote its wild-caught Alaska Pollock sandwich. Arby’s is featuring the ASMI logo in TV advertising, print collateral/direct mail and in-store merchandising materials for Reel Big Fillet.
Meanwhile, King & Prince Seafood is offering a rebate for restaurant operators who buy the supplier’s foodservice products during Lent. “We see a unique chance for operators to turn occasional seafood diners into long-term seafood lovers,” said Mike Tigani, director of marketing at King & Prince Seafood.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Although Germany’s tuna imports have declined, Vietnam’s tuna exports to the market continue to show positive signs. Notably, export value recovered strongly in Q3/2026, and German import data also show Vietnamese products strengthening their position amid competition among suppliers.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Seafood exports are holding double-digit growth, but the opportunities are not spread evenly across product groups and markets. As businesses draw up their plans for 2027, Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026 (VSS2026) offers a chance to look ahead together: what to sell, where to sell it, and how to prepare for growth in the coming years.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) With less than two weeks to go, the Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026 (VSS 2026) will officially take place in Can Tho. Under the theme “Seafood Market Outlook 2027–2029 – Opportunities and Potential for Double-Digit Export Growth,” the Summit is organized by VASEP at a time when seafood businesses are facing rapid market shifts, changing buyer demand, trade policy changes and growing competitive pressure all at once.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On October 28, 2026, the China Fisheries & Seafood Expo opened in Qingdao, China. The expo takes place over three days from October 28 to 30, 2026. This is a prestigious specialized seafood exhibition organized annually by Sea Fare Exposition Inc.
(vasep.com.vn) In the first nine months of 2026, Vietnam’s tilapia exports to the CPTPP bloc reached $7 million, marking a 51% year-on-year increase. The bloc rstands as the fourth-largest market for Vietnamese tilapia, trailing Brazil, the US, and Saudi Arabia.
(vasep.com.vn) VASEP has officially announced the program for Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026 (VSS 2026), featuring five in-depth sessions covering industry outlooks, trade barriers, buyer demand, the domestic market, and solutions to improve productivity and reduce costs across the seafood value chain.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s shrimp exports reached US$3.7 billion in the first nine months of 2026, up 11% year on year. Although growth has been supported by China and several markets within the CPTPP, momentum is slowing as exports to the United States and the European Union decline. Tariff pressures, international competition, and raw material challenges are creating significant hurdles for exporters in the final months of the year.
(vasep.com.vn) Markets are changing faster, buyer requirements are becoming more demanding, and trade barriers are growing increasingly complex. In this environment, seafood businesses need more than an understanding of current market conditions. They need a longer-term perspective to answer a critical question: Where will growth opportunities come from in 2027–2029, and what should businesses do now to prepare? This is one of the key reasons why VASEP is organizing Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026.
(vasep.com.vn) In the first eight months of 2026, Vietnam’s pangasius exports to the Middle East reached US$113 million, up 7% year on year from the same period in 2025. Growth has become more pronounced in recent months. In August alone, exports to the region totaled US$20 million, an increase of 24%. This indicates that demand for Vietnamese pangasius in the Middle East is gradually recovering after a slowdown in March, although the pace of recovery varies across markets.
(vasep.com.vn) China’s shrimp imports continued to grow strongly in 2026, while Vietnam’s shrimp exports to the market also recorded notable growth. However, behind these positive figures lie two distinct trends: Chinese consumption is growing more slowly than imports, and lobster accounts for a substantial share of Vietnam’s shrimp exports to China, making its product mix significantly different from those of Ecuador and India. Exporters therefore need to assess each segment carefully to understand the opportunities and risks.
VASEP - HIỆP HỘI CHẾ BIẾN VÀ XUẤT KHẨU THỦY SẢN VIỆT NAM
Chịu trách nhiệm: Ông Nguyễn Hoài Nam - Phó Tổng thư ký Hiệp hội
Đơn vị vận hành trang tin điện tử: Trung tâm VASEP.PRO
Trưởng Ban Biên tập: Bà Phùng Thị Kim Thu
Giấy phép hoạt động Trang thông tin điện tử tổng hợp số 138/GP-TTĐT, ngày 01/10/2013 của Bộ Thông tin và Truyền thông
Tel: (+84 24) 3.7715055 – (ext.203); email: kimthu@vasep.com.vn
Trụ sở: Số 7 đường Nguyễn Quý Cảnh, Phường An Phú, Quận 2, Tp.Hồ Chí Minh
Tel: (+84) 28.628.10430 - Fax: (+84) 28.628.10437 - Email: vasephcm@vasep.com.vn
VPĐD: số 10, Nguyễn Công Hoan, Ngọc Khánh, Ba Đình, Hà Nội
Tel: (+84 24) 3.7715055 - Fax: (+84 24) 37715084 - Email: vasephn@vasep.com.vn