The tradition of renouncing meat on Good Friday comes as part of Lent, the 40-day period of contemplation and sacrifice observed by many different Christians denominations.
For Catholics, that means not eating meat on Good Friday (strictly, any Fridays) because it was the day Christ was crucified. Catholic rules specify that seafood can be eaten instead, which has meant big business for fishmongers over the years.
Prawns are a more traditional Good Friday meal.
Photo: James BrickwoodFasting has even been credited with leading to the invention of the McDonald's Filet-O-Fish, first made in the 1960s to cater for a Catholic neighbourhood in the US.
Mayne was baptised and grew up going to Lutheran and Catholic schools, where the idea of giving up something for Lent was highly encouraged. Now he's no longer religious and will eat what he feels like on Good Friday, as will many others.
According to the most recent census, 52 per cent of Australians are Christians, compared with 88 per cent in 1966.
Simon Poole, from the Butchers Diner in the CBD.
Photo: Eddie Jim"A lot of diners that go out now are in their early 20s to mid 30s, it seems that the people of those generations aren't as religious as their parents before them," he said.
While Angus and Bon will be open on Good Friday selling its usual hunks of rib eye and eye fillet, Mayne said there would be extra fish specials on the menu for those who want it.
"We know that people have certain traditions, a lot of people are used to doing it from childhood," he said.
At Butchers Diner, in Melbourne's CBD, the stove will be running all day and night on Good Friday as it does for every other day of the year.
Chef Steve Lichter said he expected to sell plenty of cuts of dry-aged oyster blade on Good Friday, along with its popular burgers.
He moved to Australia from the American midwest in 2000, where he grew up Catholic but "gave up religion for Lent".
While he doesn't have a problem eating meat on Good Friday, he understood some people still wanted to avoid it.
"We're going to do a fish taco, specifically for Good Friday," he said.
Shayne McCallum, co-owner and chef at Up In Smoke and 8-Bit burgers, said that, when he was growing up, eating meat on Good Friday was considered "rebellious".
"They would say 'this guy's eating meat?' They thought you were showing off," he said.
Both of his restaurants will be open on Good Friday serving up its usual range of barbecue brisket, pulled pork and burgers.
"I think people don't care that much any more, they just want to eat what they want to eat," he said.
Tom Cowie is a journalist at The Age covering general news.
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