Today we’d like to introduce you to Dominique Damerjian.
Dominique, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Dine with Dom was never something I had planned. I am actually a pharmacist. I graduated from Saint Joseph’s University: Philadelphia College of Pharmacy in May of 2023. I worked at Walgreens for over five and a half years from my third year of college and continued there after I graduated. In December of 2024, I left Walgreens with a goal of starting a career in Big Pharma. I started applying to jobs in all different areas of the pharmaceutical industry including sales, medical affairs, pharmacovigilance, market access, and more. After many months of applying and networking, I had applied to over 250 jobs and could not get a single interview. My prior experience in retail pharmacy was not the experience the pharma industry was looking for. The entire process of applying to jobs became very discouraging.
In October of 2025, I went into Philly to pick up 2 cheesesteaks from the most viral place in the city, Backyard Cravings. Sal Burgese, the creator, makes cheesesteaks right in his backyard. It took me months to get the cheesesteak because you have to sign up right when Sal drops the link on Instagram. I drove in by myself to pick them up. I met Sal on a street corner and he told me a little bit about his story. I got in my car and ate the cheesesteak right there while it was fresh. I thought to myself, I should record me eating the cheesesteak and post it to my personal Instagram account so everyone knows I got the most exclusive cheesesteak in the world. I posted a five minute video of me eating it in the car, completely unedited. The video did not blow up, but my cousin, Jessica, called me and said “Why don’t you start a food account? You live to eat and will go anywhere to get the best food.” I responded by saying I was not big on social media and did not know how to edit. At the end of the day, these were all excuses. Jessica called me out and said “You don’t have a job, you don’t have an excuse.” I had no response because I knew she was right. She came up with the name Dine with Dom, and we created the account on November 3rd, 2025,
Two and a half weeks into making videos, a video blew up. I did a review at a hidden gem in Cherry Hill, NJ called Ammon’s Mediterranean Market. I had around 600 followers at the time (all friends and family mostly). A couple days after posting that video I had almost 6,000. The video has gained over 700,000 views on Instagram and was my breakout review. After that, it was a ripple effect. Every video I posted was getting more views and I kept gaining more and more followers. Before I knew it, restaurants were reaching out to me and asking me to come in. I started doing reviews like a full-time job.
I continued to network to get a job in pharma. The same day Dine with Dom was created, I sent a text to a local Moorestownian I was put into contact with from a mutual friend who said they knew some people in the pharma industry. This contact ended up knowing someone at the company I am currently at and helped me get my first interview. The interview process went on for months and I ultimately got the job in April of 2026 as a pharma sales rep in South Jersey. I now do both my influencing and my sales job. It has been a challenge to manage both, but I feel so blessed and grateful to have both of these opportunities come into my life right when I needed them to.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The whole reason Dine with Dom even started was because of my struggles to get a job in the pharmaceutical industry. Without those struggles, my cousin would not have even suggested starting a social media account. Through those obstacles in my career change, came something that is so special and unique. I would not change my path or the challenges I’ve experienced for the world.
My experience on social media has been very positive, but like any other influencer, I have seen the kind of backlash people face on social platforms. My content is very authentic and genuine and I am 100% myself. I tell everyone I act exactly how I would if there were no phone in front of me. I have always been excited over good food and I am loud and enthusiastic. That kind of energy is not for everybody, and some people make that clear in the comments. They say things like “be quiet”, “too loud”, “shut up”, it goes on and on. I have never let any of those comments or people affect me. I understand that it just comes with the territory of being an influencer. The positive feedback and support that I have received has drastically outweighed the negative comments. I cannot express enough gratitude for the people that have supported me along the way and continue to do so. It means the world to me.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am going to focus on my career as an influencer for this question and the Dine with Dom brand. Dine with Dom started as a food account where I went to different restaurants and tried different foods all across the tri-state area. I live in New Jersey, but have done reviews in NYC, PA, MA, and FL. I have gone to restaurants that are well known for being some of the best in the area and have gone to places that are not talked about as much – which I like to refer to as “hidden gems”. Hidden gems are where I have found most of my success and have seen the most views, engagement, and feedback.
There are so many food reviewers out there on social media. What sets me apart from others, is me. At first, I thought people were watching my content because of the food I was showcasing and the places I was going. I soon realized that some may have been watching strictly for the food, but most were watching because of me. I am 100% my authentic self on social media. I have never tried to be something I’m not. I am outside the norm. My content is different because it is authentic. People are becoming the same on social media. Everyone who starts to make content tries to be like the others who have blown up or have a large following. Instead of trying to be like other influencers, I chose to be myself. I am energetic, enthusiastic, loud and proud. I say silly things and have food all over my face. It is my true self that I share with others and I think people appreciate that. My goal is to expand my brand beyond food and become a lifestyle brand to bring people deeper into my every day life. I have posted workout videos, day-in-the-life videos, videos of my brother’s wrestling tournaments, and more. My favorite video was the “About Me GRWM”. I summed up as much of my life as I could into 3 minutes and the feedback I got was incredible. People really resonated with my story and related to the struggles I have faced. I want to continue to make personal content such as that and build my brand to reach even more audiences.
What I am most proud of so far in the Dine with Dom journey is how I have helped support small businesses. I have met so many great business owners who have put their heart and souls into their food and what they are producing. I have seen the effects of promoting them on social media and how it can change their business. If you had told me a year ago that I would be making this kind of impact on small businesses, I would have never believed it. The relationships, friendships, and connections I have formed with owners and families is something I hold very dear to my heart. They are relationships that will last a lifetime and I could not be more grateful for that.
Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
Dine with Dom is a result of many things. I like to say Dine with Dom is 1% me and 99% everyone else. There are so many people in my life who have helped make Dine with Dom what it is today. First, my cousin, Jessica, who came up with the idea. Without her pushing me to do it, it would have never existed. My mom is my videographer and is with me at every review. My brothers are a big part of my love for eating out and trying new places. It is something we always did as a family and loved doing together. I try to include them in as many reviews as I can. My close friend, Arianna, told me in the beginning I needed to start posting on Facebook and is the reason I have a large following on there now as well. My cousin, Brittany, came up with the tagline “Pharm to Table”. A little play on my pharmaceutical background. That is now used in many articles written about me and has opened so many conversations with others who have offered me support in the pharma industry. Even the Moorestown community has supported me wholeheartedly throughout my journey as a content creator and as a pharmacist.
I give all the credit to God. I was raised with a strong faith in my religion. We grew up going to church every Sunday and praying every night before bed. My faith and trust in God has led me down my path of success. He has placed everything I have right in my lap. Dine with Dom could not have come at a better time during a period of struggle where I could not find a job. He gave me the opportunity to build a foundation for Dine with Dom and let it grow organically over a few months. Then, he brought a pharma job opportunity into my life that allows me to have an autonomous, flexible schedule where I can balance both my content creation and my pharma career. My faith and trust in Him has given me the confidence to be myself on camera. I never worry about what others think or how others may perceive me because I trust that I am a product of The Lord and he made me exactly who I am supposed to be. I am so grateful for Him and for the people in my life who have always believed in me.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dinewithdom_?rpxt=N2VxNDk4ZzN3ZHpp&utm_source=qr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dominique.damerjian.7?
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dominique-damerjian-855196231/
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@dinewithdom?si=R9m6TQpQ5asRJMnR
- Other: https://linktr.ee/dinewithdom_
