It is strange how a small gesture can go a long way, especially in our digital age where pretty much anything can go viral in a matter of hours. For some it means little, but others lives can be drastically changed by something as simple as a post on Facebook – just ask 70-year-old restaurant owner John McMillan.
Colin Ross, 31, recently visited John’s restaurant Whitbie’s Fish & Chips in Lethbridge, Canada for a bite to eat. The restaurant is as traditional British fish and chip shop, as well as offering other favourites from the UK and Europe.
He noticed that owner John was the only person in the entire place, as well as just how neat and tidy the restaurant was. Asking how business was going, he was saddened to here that John was struggling to attract customers, and that things were so bad that he couldn’t even afford to pay himself.
Ross decided to help in the best way he can, by trying a spot of advertising on social media to try and attract some customers through the doors. What was seemingly a kind gesture turned out to be something a lot bigger for John, as not long after Whitbie’s had 400 customers, growing to 500 that Friday.
The ‘advert’ was a simple Facebook post, but after garnering more than 8,000 shares it would go viral in the local area, leading to hundreds of new customers flocking for a bite to eat. John admits it’s the busiest it’s ever been in the seven years of owning Whitebie’s, which he described in an interview as his greatest dream.
Here is Colin’s post in full:
Today I’ve been the first-time visitor of Whitbie’s Fish & Chips, where there was only one 70-year-old gentleman, the owner of the place. I asked him how was business, and he said he couldn’t even pay himself at the end of the day. That really bothered me. I want people to do well, especially that 70-year-old man who has put in his time. The owner was a real classy guy, so I ask everyone in Lethbridge to share this post and support that hardworking gentleman, he really deserves it.’
