Hungover customer inundated with good karma after helping struggling fish and chip shop

Colin Ross offered free oil change, distance learning scholarship after review of Whitbie’s in Lethbridge

Image | Colin Ross fish and chips Alberta

Caption: Laid-off oilpatch worker Colin Ross: 'I had a guy offer to give me my own show on the radio so, you know, I've had some people passing the karma buck my way.' (Colin Ross/Facebook)

Some pretty sweet opportunities have opened up for Colin Ross, the hungover customer who used social media to save an Alberta fish and chip shop that had fallen on tough times.
He's the guy responsible for the glowing Facebook review(external link) of Whitbie's Fish & Chips on Aug. 21 that went drew thousands of new customers through the door of the little Lethbridge, Alta., establishment.
But Ross's good deed is not just benefiting the business.
"I've been offered a few different things. Some karma things, like Toyota offered me an oil change and I had a guy offer to give me my own show on the radio so, you know, I've had some people passing the karma buck my way."

Image | Whitbie's Fish & Chips

Caption: All the attention has brought customers in from all over Alberta and Montana. (Colin Ross/Facebook)

The laid off oilpatch worker was also given free passes to a local trampoline park and was sent a direct message on Facebook from the Edinburgh Business School(external link) of Heriot-Watt University in Scotland.
"I saw your story ... And I think you deserve a scholarship," wrote Craig Knowles, the Toronto-based regional director of the program.
"I would be happy to get you going on our distance learning MBA program if you are interested."
Ross said he's received messages from more than 2,000 strangers — "just really people blown away about how small of a deed went so far, and it's really restored their faith in humankind."
One message even made him cry.
"Like I had a guy who had post-traumatic stress disorder from the military message me, and he said how many of his friends had killed themselves, and he said it was the first time he'd smiled in a long time."

So much tartar sauce

It's been almost two weeks Whitbie's Fish & Chips stepped into the limelight. Since then, the shop's owner, John McMillan, has been working overtime to keep up with demand.
All the attention has brought customers in from all over Alberta and Montana. He figures he's feeding more than 3,000 people a week, which equates to about 150 litres of tartar sauce.
"I'm not complaining," said McMillan. "It's been awesome."

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