At Poke House, we’re all about fresh flavors, sustainability, and fostering a strong community. One of the ways we bring these values to life is by collaborating with local influencers who share our mission. Whether it’s showcasing our latest menu innovations, promoting sustainable practices, or highlighting local businesses, influencers play a key role in our journey.

What We Look for in Influencers

We don’t just partner with anyone—we work with influencers who align with our core values, including:

Supporting marine conservation organizations’
Practicing and advocating for sustainability
Uplifting other local businesses
Fostering a sense of community

These values are the foundation of everything we do, and we love working with people who share the same passion.

Meet John Montoya and Joann Ha

John and Joann are local influencers who we had the pleasure of working with in our past marketing campaigns. They are amazing individuals who share the same values as we do here at Poke House. We asked them a few questions to get more insight into their lives as influencers:

What is your name and where are you from?

John: My name is John Montoya and I am from San Francisco California mission district!

Joann: Joann! I am from San Jose, California.

How old are you?

John: I am 32 years old set to be 33 this year!

Joann: I am 22 years old.

What got you interested in making content?

John: I had always been someone who took photos and videos of my food. I’d post them on Yelp, but one day I said why not post it for myself and on Instagram. So I made my own page and been posting ever since!

Joann: I love going out to eat and I love documenting it through taking pictures!

When did you start making content?

John: I made my first post about 2017, just posting pictures from locally owned shops!

Joann: During covid!!!

What do you look for when trying new places to eat?

John: I mostly look for mom and pop shops. Local gems that maybe they have a language barrier and don’t know how to navigate social media, but have delicious food and a story to tell.

Joann: Menu items, quality, and the service!

What do you like to do outside of creating content?

John: Outside of creating content I love to work out, play with my dog and spend time with my friends.

Joann: I love trying new food, hanging out with friends, and running!

What is your favorite thing about being a content creator?

John: My favorite thing about being a content creator is the people I’ve met, and the families I’ve helped. I’m not huge creator by any means, but I love making even a small impact on a families restaurant and meeting them and hearing their stories.

Joann: Being creative! I love editing and personalizing everything to my liking.

Are you a full-time content creator or do you balance content creation with another job?

John: I have a 9-5 job too, I work at a hospital in the kitchen. It’s not glamorous but it allows me to do the content creation on the side and not have to rely on it for income.

Joann: Content creating is what I do for fun!

What do you love about Poke House?

John: I always loved poke house freshness and welcoming atmosphere. From the first time I went back in 2019 in Palo Alto, to today it’s always in rotation!

Joann: I’ve been a fan for a long time! I love the sauces and house salmon bowl! So good and it always hit the spot!

What is your go to order at Poke House?

John: My go to order is 3 protein, double salmon, spicy tuna, always a yes to the crab scoop, all the veggies and shakers and a mild creamy mayo with a unagi sauce!

Joann: House salmon!

What advice would you give to someone who is looking to be a content creator?

John: My biggest advice is to be yourself, let your personality shine through your videos. Your niche is your step in the door, but your personality is what people ultimately fall in love with and at some point you’ll find out you can post yourself doing anything and the audience will watch because they care about you.

Joann: Never stop posting and do it because you like it :)

Where do you see yourself 5 years from now with content creation?

John: Obviously doing this for a job would be my ideal situation, but I’m trying to navigate a way to make it my job without having to charge small local businesses. I love what I do and if I can find a balance in making it work I’ll be happy with that!

Joann: I would love to continue to post on instagram, possibly more on tiktok! It’s always fun to connect and meet new people through social media!

Where can readers find you? (social media links, youtube channel, website, etc.)

John: Readers can find me across all platforms @_wheresthefoodat and John Montoya on YouTube!

Joann: Can find me on instagram @_foodieshots_

Why We Love Working with Influencers

Here at Poke House, we are on a mission to build a community. We collaborate with influencers both big and small because we believe follower count is not the only thing that matters. What matters the most is if you align with our values! Whether you have 1,000 or 100,000 followers, if you love Poke House and share our values, we’d love to collaborate with you!

🔥 Exclusive Perks: Our influencers get early access to new menu items, receive special unreleased apparel and products, and have a direct voice in our company’s growth.

💬 Real Feedback: Partnering with influencers allows us to see what our customers love and where we can improve. Your insights help shape the future of Poke House!

Want to Work with Us?

If you're an influencer who loves fresh, sustainable food and wants to collaborate, send us a message on Instagram at @poke.house or email marketing@poke.house! Let’s build something delicious together!