Meet Ashley Rodriguez of First Date LA

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashley Rodriguez.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Ashley. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I started First Date LA on May 2017 because I found myself going on many failed first tinder dates. jk! However, I did find myself furiously scrolling through Yelp with dates, friends, a family looking for new places to discover and talk about. I was always out and about, so I was always looking for something new to do. (I’m definitely an extrovert). So, I decided to make an Instagram and website dedicated to giving people ideas on where to go on dates. I started with hikes, coffee houses and activities until I realized that people usually go out to eat! My page turned into a Foodie page. I think to go on food dates are very important on a first date because you can observe someone’s mannerisms, culture and most importantly you can bond over a shared like. Fun Fact: I’ve always wondered if women or men need more help planning dates and to my surprise 50% of my following are male and 50% are females. We all need help!

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
It’s been tough. There has been judgment, weight gain and I couldn’t afford to keep up with content when I was changing careers because of time and money. Funny story: I was single when I first started, so people thought I went on a first date with someone new, every time I posted and it gave me a bad rep. (I never even showed my face!)

We’d love to hear more about your business.
I focus on bringing exposure to restaurants in Los Angeles and its surrounding cities. I blog about food but I give people a reason to bring a significant other to eat or think outside of the box. No movie dates allowed! Haha

What were you like growing up?
Very extroverted. I love meeting new people, would carry my camera around and would be the first one to find a new social media. My idea of getting to know people when I was younger was to take them on a ride from Los Angeles to San Diego to try a Lucha Libre California Burrito (because I saw it on Man Vs Food) and make them talk to me about themselves for 1.5 hours and visa versa. (Or, my other go to was Millions of Milk Shakes in West Hollywood – they had celebrities make milkshakes and would sell them to the public – NOW CLOSED =[)

Contact Info:

• Website: firstdatela.com
• Phone: 562-396-6259
• Email: ashley@firstdatela.com
• Instagram: firstdatela
• Facebook: facebook.com/firstdatela
• Twitter: ashcashftw

Getting in touch: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.