VISIT SAN MARCOS
In San Marcos, a college town known for its steady churn of new students and new businesses, Luis Dominguez found an unexpected calling — championing local restaurants, one TikTok video at a time.
Dominguez began posting casual food reviews on his TikTok, @luistheliving, while revisiting the city he once called home as a student. At first, the audience was small — just a few hundred followers.
“I remember before I hit like 10K, I was at like 300 followers and I was recording videos,” Dominguez said. “I’m like, ‘Thanks guys, 300 followers is so crazy, like I appreciate y’all.’ And that meant a lot.”
As the views grew, so did something else. The reaction from business owners who appreciated the free exposure.
“And so, I just kept doing that,” he said. “And I realized it was like helping out small businesses. And they kept telling me like, ‘Hey, look, we’re getting some traction.’” The turning point came when customers began recognizing Dominguez in public and crediting his videos for their dining choices. After he featured a local coffee shop, staff told him they saw a surge in customers and even ran out of products.
“That’s when I realized that I had something,” Dominguez said.
Now, his routine is intentional. He visits small businesses to let owners know he’s recording and posts short, upbeat reviews to TikTok. He said he looks for places he might have overlooked during his college years.
“When I went to college here, I didn’t try anything new,” he said. “I literally just ate Chipotle, Chick-fil-A and whatever was at the university.”
These days, he makes a point to step inside restaurants attached to gas stations, family-owned storefronts and eateries serving cuisine that was unfamiliar to him.
Dominguez partnered with Visit San Marcos to help spotlight local dining options. He said many visitors and students default to national chains instead of exploring independent restaurants.
“There’s so many chains,” he said, “Probably cheaper food and better food, a lot of flavor, and it’s just like, you’re supporting the local community.”
That support has been pivotal for Rico Sims and his son, Brendon Ndlovu, owners of Brico’s Pizza, a small restaurant at the Tanger Outlets they launched after years of talking about going into business together. “When we started this, we would always sit around the house and cook,” Sims said. “We always were talking about getting a food truck or something.” One day, they found a location, met with the property representatives and quickly closed the deal.
“We jumped in the restaurant business really learning everything as we went,” Sims said. From permits and health inspections to fixing issues left by the previous tenant, the learning curve was steep.
At one point, Ndlovu said, a contractor accidentally hit a pipe before opening day. “Water burst everywhere,” he said. “It was literally like the river in here.”
The damage forced Brico’s to close for seven weeks, stalling momentum before they had fully built a customer base.
“We were starting literally from ground zero,” Ndlovu said. “Just getting our name out there, building a good reputation, building a good atmosphere for people to be comfortable in here.” They reopened with limited equipment including just one oven but relied on their confidence in the kitchen. Then Dominguez walked through their doors.
“The first time you (Dominguez) came in here,” Ndlovu said, “It was like we had a rush of people come in just because they saw your video. ... Every other person — ‘Man, we saw Luis on TikTok.’” For Brico’s, the exposure helped reset their trajectory after weeks of setbacks.
“I know there was a pizza shop here before, but nobody knew about Brico’s,” Ndlovu said. “Then Luis came, and then it went right back up.”
The boost was more than financial. It validated their decision to chase what Ndlovu called “an idea” and “a dream.”
“We’re just getting started,” he said.
As Dominguez’s following continues to grow, he said he is still figuring out what comes next. But he knows the foundation of his platform will remain the same: trying small businesses, embracing different cultures and encouraging others to step outside their routine.
“I keep finding myself coming back to San Marcos,” he said. “Just seeing the growth, I want to do something with it.”
For Sims and Ndlovu, that growth has already made a difference measured not just in sales, but in new faces walking through the door, ready to try something local.
Visit Brico’s website for menu options, location and operating hours.
