Local social media influencer dishes on how she’s developed a viral following one bite at a time
“Hey, Storm Chasers!”
That’s the bubbly greeting you’ll hear when you scroll onto one of Stormy Blue’s TikToks or Instagram Reels.
The 29-year-old social media influencer has amassed hundreds of thousands of followers across both platforms thanks, in part, to these followers who she affectionately refers to as “Storm Chasers.”
Blue has come a long way from her early social media posts of wine reviews and comedic skits on TikTok. The San Diego native moved to Norfolk, Virginia, in 2016 while in the Navy. Her adventurous spirit pushed her to explore Coastal Virginia, uncovering culinary gems and area attractions that some locals didn’t even know about.
“Friends that were from Virginia would always be like, ‘how do you know more places than me?’” she recalls. “I’ve always been that person to go try new stuff. I would always be the one that’s like ‘oh hey, let’s check this out,’ so when the vlogging popped off, it was like well I’m already doing this, might as well just post about it.”
Armed with her iPhone, she set out to local restaurants—not acting as a food critic but simply showing love to businesses who aren’t always in the spotlight. One of those businesses was Boss Queens Soul Café, a Norfolk restaurant that opened at the onset of the pandemic. Blue visited the restaurant in November 2020 and posted about it on TikTok, praising it as “hella legit” and the best soul food she’s had in the region at that time.
“They [Boss Queens] had lines like wrapped around the corner and they were sold out and people were posting and tagging me,” she says. “That’s when I knew like, wow, the impact of this is just insane.”
This video was one of her first viral post, leading to what’s now referred to as “the Stormy effect.” This phenomenon occurs when Blue posts about a business and her Storm Chasers visit for themselves. “The Storm Chasers are a forced to be reckoned with.” She praises her followers for supporting these businesses, solely based off her videos and recommendations.
Another beneficiary of the Stormy effect is Waters Edge Winery in Norfolk which, after experiencing Blue’s social media impact, offered to partner with her for her own sangria. Blue worked with owner Jason Witt and, through the collaboration, the winery released the Stormy Blue Pineapple Pear sangria.
“We had some meetings. We talked about flavors and different things that I’m interested in, and he [Jason] let me make it my own,” she recalls.
The Pineapple Pear sangria not only sold out at the winery, but it also won Best Overall Wine at the 2024 Hampton Wine & Spirit Expo. Earlier this year, Waters Edge released a second collaborative sangria, Stormy Blue Dragon. To celebrate the release, Blue hosted a five-course tapas tasting dinner at the winery and, of course, the Storm Chasers came out to support.
Blue’s impact continues to grow stronger. More than an influencer, she also refers to herself as a “vibes vlogger,” sharing culinary gems, local events and new businesses from across the region: “I show you an experience. I show you a good time.”
She describes her posting style as “personable,” explaining, “when I’m posting, I want people to feel like we’re friends. When people watch my videos, I want them to feel like they’re along the journey with me; like they feel like they’re at the restaurant too.”
Blue’s next vibe? She was tasked with creating The Stormy Blue Food Truck Experience at this year’s Cousinz Festival, Saturday, Aug. 30, on the grounds of Norfolk Scope. The festival, now in its second year, features headliners Jeezy, T-Pain and Lil’ Kim. Blue will be selecting six food trucks for the festival and is striving to showcase a diverse selection of culinary gems that appeal to every appetite.
“I would love to have a little bit of everything there. My idea would be to create a good mix of restaurants to actually make the experience so that, if you wanted to, you can try all six.”
Blue wants to use this as another opportunity to highlight the array of flavors that eateries in the region offer. “I do think we have a nice mix and diversity, and there are so many new restaurants popping up that I’m excited to try.”
Blue considers the region’s food scene to be underrated. And while many restaurants in Coastal Virginia don’t always get the attention they deserve, social media content creators like Blue are there to bring them center stage.
“I’m so happy that I can be a part of shining a light on the area and saying, ‘take pride in your city.’ We’re really cultivating something special.”
Follow Stormy Blue on Instagram at @_stormyblue or TikTok @stormybluee.
Photos courtesy of Stormy Blue.
Arielle Patterson
