Instagram account San Jose Foos has become more than just a source of entertainment for the city – from comedic relief to features on small businesses, its Instagram has amassed 118,000 followers since December 2019.
Founder Anthony Gomez, hailing from Whittier, California, initially created the widely popular account to share memes about San Jose.
“The username was the first thing I typed in when I made the Instagram account. I think [my family and friends] joked about it because they were like, ‘You’re not even from San Jose,’ I’ve only been living here for five years now,” Gomez said.
Despite not being born and raised in San Jose, Gomez said he strives to make a significant impact on the city and its people.
He said The Sourdough Eatery on 848 N. First Street is one of his favorite sandwich shops. After posting it on San Jose Foos, the shop went viral.
Gomez said he realized the Instagram account could have a positive effect when he began to spotlight local businesses that deserved more recognition.
“To this day, they don't charge me for a sandwich. They are super happy and they always tell me how much they can pay me. But I don't want money for it,” he said.
Advertising junior Tatiana Rivas, who’s from Southern California, said she followed San Jose Foos for the eccentric content that's unique to the city.
“Besides the comedy side of the account, I really enjoy how it [creates] a lot of exposure in San Jose.” Rivas said. “For instance, I didn’t know about new restaurants and events in the area and have considered going because of the account.”
Gomez hosted the San Jose Toy Drive at Oak Grove High School on Dec. 10, 2022, where each family was given a maximum of three toys.
Gomez said he’s most proud of how San Jose Foos started out as a joke, but became something that is able to impact the community positively.
“The first year, we gave out about 5,000 toys. This last December, we gave out about 15,000 toys.” he said. “Just being able to give all those kids toys and being able to spread joy like that throughout the world…there's a couple of significant moments, but I'm going to say one of the bigger ones is the toy drives.”
Outside of San Jose Foos, Gomez is a full-time creator who specializes in social media, video editing and photography.
His current project, Good Cult, is a partnership with his colleague, who goes by Cola.
Good Cult is meant to bring people together and provide experiences. The project expresses creativity through many forms like making unique clothing and accessories, according to its website,
“We met when [Gomez] was live streaming a protest on San Jose Foos and his phone was going to die and the stream was going to end,” Cola said. “I was nearby and had a portable charger so I went over and brought it to him."
On Oct. 30, 2022, Gomez and Cola sold out a Halloween costume party at Blanco Urban, a venue located in San Pedro Square.
“600 to 800 people came out. We've been able to do big things like these events together. You know, it isn't just me, it isn't just [Cola],” Gomez said. “It's a joint effort for sure. There's also about 20 or 30 people [on the team]. It takes a cult.”
The duo now has their own studio in Downtown San Jose with shelves filled of Good Cult’s hoodies, tees and hats.
“I was trying to develop a brand and I had gone through a few different iterations of a clothing brand idea. They all were unsuccessful,” Cola said. “[Good Cult] went silent for a few years and then me and [Gomez] got back to work and brought it back to life.”
Gomez said if anyone is interested in creating a page like his, you should come up with a plan.
“Figure out what you want to post, what your niche is, and then go from there. You just need action and consistency.” he said. “[When] you get your first like, don't be bummed because another account has a million likes. Be glad that you got your single like and just keep going from there.”
