YatharthThe Origin
Shelly later had a word with McLean, and he revealed an interesting fact during their conversation. It wasn’t the first time the manager had left a note for someone. He had been doing this for more than a year and a half now. He also made it clear that the idea was not originated by him or anyone at Original Joe’s. Apparently, he had heard of some bar that did the same thing and was highly influenced by the concept, to the point where he himself initiated one.
A Conscious Business Owner
It would be right to say that Jay is a conscious business owner as he identified a problem and served a solution for it as well. “I thought to myself that operating a restaurant in a rural type area like Sherwood Park where transit or say public transport is minimal and a lot of people drive and travel via personal cars, I just thought it was the perfect match,” McLean said.
Haters Gonna Hate
Though all the attention one receives on the internet is not always positive. A lot of people questioned his intent and accused him of having ulterior motives. While the majority of people who commented on Shelly’s post were appreciative, there was also a segment that begged to differ. Some cynics thought it was nothing but a smart business maneuver played by McLean in order to advertise his restaurant. Shelly made sure to address the negativity in a follow-up post.
Setting Things Straight
A post that racked up as much as 20,000 likes there were also people who went on to criticize the restaurant as well as Shelly and called it a marketing stunt. To which Shelly replied, “Jay, is a nice guy, truly only doing what he considers to be right. I can’t help but pity the thinking of those people who are coming up with baseless allegations, accusing him of using the situation as an advertising tool. He’s been doing it for over a year now, without expecting anything in return. He is a genuine guy.”
Thank In Person
Not only did Shelly posted the details of her experience with Original Joe’s restaurant. She took the opportunity to meet the owner and thank him in person for his selfless motive. She returned the next morning and also stated that she will be making more trips to this place in the near future. Shelly’s husband also acknowledged the great cause initiated by the restaurant and thanked them for the same.
Restaurant’s Reply
Whosoever handles the online accounts at Original Joe’s must have been super busy replying to all the love they had received in the face of different comments and texts. It didn’t take the restaurant long to respond to the viral note on their official Facebook page. “Crazy how one act of kindness can go viral. We at Sherwood Park Original Joe’s just want everyone to make it home safe. Thank you for not drinking and driving!” the restaurant replied.