Guy Fieri

Guy Ramsay Fieri (US: /fiˈɛdi/,[6] Italian: [ˈfjɛːri]; Ferry;[7][8] born January 22, 1968)[8][9] is an American restaurateur, author, and an Emmy Award winning television presenter. He co-owns three restaurants in California,[10] licenses his name to restaurants in New York City and Las Vegas, Nevada,[11] and is known for hosting various television series on the Food Network. By 2010, The New York Times reported that Fieri had become the "face of the network", bringing an "element of rowdy, mass-market culture to American food television" and that his "prime-time shows attract more male viewers than any others on the network".[12]

Guy Fieri
Fieri judges a dish at the Iron Chef BBQ Competition at the Tiki Bar at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, August 18, 2008
Born
Guy Ramsay Ferry

(1968-01-22) January 22, 1968
EducationUniversity of Nevada, Las Vegas (BS)
Spouse(s)
Lori Brisson
(m. 1995)
Culinary career

Early life

Fieri was born Guy Ramsay Ferry on January 22, 1968,[8] in Columbus, Ohio,[13] the son of Penelope Anne (née Price) and Lewis James Ferry. He grew up in Ferndale in rural Humboldt County, California. During high school, he was a foreign exchange student in France, where he developed his interest in food and cooking.[13]

Career

Fieri began his association with food in grade school in Ferndale, by selling pretzels from his "Awesome Pretzel" cart and washing dishes to finance his trip to France to study.[14] On his return to the United States, he worked at the restaurant at the Red Lion Inn in Eureka, California, until he went to Las Vegas for college.[14] Fieri attended the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Hotel Management in 1990.[15][16] Soon after graduation, he went to work for Stouffer's, as manager of a Long Beach, California, restaurant called Parker's Lighthouse.[12] After three years in southern California, he became district manager of Louise's Trattoria, managing six locations along with recruiting and training for the restaurants.

A burger and chicken wings from Guy Fieri's Vegas Kitchen & Bar on the Las Vegas strip

Restaurants

In late 1996, Fieri and business partner Steve Gruber opened Johnny Garlic's, a "California Pasta Grill" in Santa Rosa, California. A second location opened in Windsor in 1999, a third in Petaluma in 2000 or 2001 (since closed), and a fourth in Roseville in late 2008. Subsequently, they developed Tex Wasabi's (barbecue and sushi) in 2003 in Santa Rosa, adding a second location in Sacramento's Arden-Arcade area in 2007 (which was rebranded as Johnny Garlic's, and then subsequently closed). An additional Johnny Garlic's was opened in Dublin, California, in 2011.

Fieri's first New York City restaurant, Guy's American Kitchen and Bar, opened in 2012 to brutal New York Times coverage by Pete Wells that Larry Olmsted of Forbes called "the most scathing review in the history of the New York Times", and "likely the most widely read restaurant review ever." Fieri, for his part, accused Wells, the nation's highest profile reviewer, of using Fieri's fame as a platform for advancing his own prestige.[17][18] The restaurant's location in the highly trafficked Times Square enabled it to appear on Restaurant Business's list of the top 100 independent restaurants as ranked by sales for four years in a row. It closed at the end of 2017.[19]

In 2011, Fieri partnered with Carnival Cruise lines to create Guy's Burger Joint to sell Fieri's burgers fleet-wide. As of October 2017, there were 19 restaurants on Carnival's cruise ships, including some serving beer-and-BBQ, Guy's Pig & Anchor Smokehouse Brewhouse.[20] [21]

In April 2014, Guy Fieri's Vegas Kitchen and Bar opened in Las Vegas.[22] In 2015, Guy Fieri's Baltimore Kitchen & Bar opened in Baltimore's Horseshoe Casino.[23] In 2018, Fieri collaborated with Planet Hollywood founder Robert Earl to open fast-food chicken sandwich shop Chicken Guy! at Disney Springs in Walt Disney World.[24]

Television

After winning the second season of The Next Food Network Star[25] on April 23, 2006, Fieri was awarded a six-episode commitment for his own cooking show on Food Network. Guy's Big Bite premiered on June 25, 2006 with the most recent episode airing on November 16, 2016.[26]

Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, his second series, premiered in April 2007 (a one-hour special aired in November 2006), with Fieri traveling the country visiting local eateries. The New York Times called the series "not a cooking show as much as a carefully engineered reality show".[12] Ultimate Recipe Showdown, co-hosted with Marc Summers, debuted on February 17, 2008, and aired for three seasons. On September 14, 2008, Guy Off the Hook debuted on Food Network. This special studio audience show aired through the end of 2008, but the extra cost of staging an audience show did not result in a ratings bump and the concept was discontinued. For Thanksgiving 2008, Fieri hosted a one-hour special titled Guy's Family Feast. He used the "Guy Off the Hook" set for the special, which was broadcast live, on November 28, 2008. Fieri appeared on other Food Network programs such as Dinner: Impossible in 2007 and 2009, Paula's Party, Ace of Cakes, and The Best Thing I Ever Ate.

In December 2009, NBC named Fieri as the host of the game show Minute to Win It, which premiered in March 2010 and aired for two seasons.[27] On May 13, 2012, NBC announced that the game show would not be renewed for a third season, citing high production costs and low ratings.

Fieri receives the key to the city of Ferndale from the Ferndale City Council at a special council meeting on November 23, 2012.[28]

In January 2012, Fieri was one of the two team captains (along with Rachael Ray) in the Food Network reality series Rachael vs. Guy: Celebrity Cook-Off.[29] A second season of Rachael vs. Guy: Celebrity Cook-Off began airing on Food Network on January 6, 2013. A chef challenge show, Guy's Grocery Games, started on October 27, 2013, on the Food Network. It features four cooks who battle through three rounds, and are judged by three judges.[30]

His latest series, Guy's Family Road Trip, was chosen as the 2017 lead-out show from season 13 of Food Network Star. It previewed on August 13 of that year.

Advertising

Fieri appeared in promotions for Flowmaster, a California-based auto exhaust parts manufacturer.[31] In 2008 and 2009, he was the spokesperson for T.G.I. Friday's.[32] In 2010, he appeared in a commercial for Aflac named "Spicy".[33]

Other projects

In 2009, Fieri began touring with the Guy Fieri Roadshow, a multi-state food tour that featured some of his fellow Food Network personalities.[34][35] He also appeared in regional Food Network events, such as the 2012 Atlantic City Food and Wine Festival[36] and the 2012 South Beach Food and Wine Festival, where he officiated at 101 gay weddings.[37]

In 2015, Fieri officiated at the wedding of celebrity chef Art Smith at Miami Beach. The wedding, which included over two dozen same-sex couples, was held to celebrate Florida's Supreme Court lifting the state ban on same-sex marriage.[38]

Fieri owns a vineyard and sells his wine under the label Hunt & Ryde, named after his sons Hunter and Ryder.[39]

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic's effect on the restaurant industry in 2020, Fieri teamed up with the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation to raise money for unemployed restaurant workers through newly created Restaurant Employee Relief Fund. In under two months over US$20 million was raised.[40][41][42][43]

Personal life

Fieri met his wife Lori when she came into a restaurant he was managing in Long Beach, California.[20] The couple married in 1995.[9] When Fieri got married, he changed his surname from Ferry to Fieri as an ode to his paternal grandfather, Giuseppe Fieri, an Italian immigrant who had Anglicized his surname to Ferry upon his arrival in the United States.[44] They live in Santa Rosa, California, with their sons, Hunter and Ryder.[9]

He collects classic American cars, including a 1971 Chevrolet Chevelle, a 1968 Pontiac Firebird, a 1976 Jeep CJ-5, a 1969 Chevrolet Impala SS, and a 1967 Chevrolet C10 pickup.[13]

Filmography

Film
Year Title Role Notes
2014 I Am Evel Knievel Himself
The Interview Himself
Television
Year Title Role Notes
2006 The Next Food Network Star Himself Contestant
Season 2
2006–2016 Guy's Big Bite Himself/host
2007 Paula's Party Himself Episode dated May 18, 2007
All-Star Holiday Dishes Himself
2007–present Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives Himself/host
2007–2009 Dear Food Network Himself/host 5 episodes
2007–2009 Dinner: Impossible Himself Season 2 episode 8: "Camp Cookoff: Robert vs. Guy"
Season 7 episode 13: "Robert and Guy's Holiday Havoc"
2008 Phineas & Ferb Pizza Guy Voice
Season 3 episode 27: "Sleepwalk Surprise/Sci-Fi Pie Fly"
2008–2010 Ultimate Recipe Showdown Himself/co-host
2009 HGTV Showdown Himself Guest consultant
Season 3 episode 4: "Clash of the Kitchens"
Garage Mahal Himself Season 1 episode 13: "Guy Fieri's Garage"
2009–2011 The Best Thing I Ever Ate Himself 16 episodes
2010 Ace of Cakes Himself Season 9 episode 1: "100 Episodes of Cake"
2010–2011 Minute to Win It Himself/host
2011 Guy Fieri's Rock 'n Road Show Himself
Bitchin' Kitchen Himself Season 2 episode 9: "Xmas Special"
Take Two with Phineas and Ferb Himself Season 2 episode 10: "Guy Fieri"
Ridiculousness Himself Season 4 episode 18: "Guy Fieri"
2011–2012 The Best Thing I Ever Made Himself 4 episodes
2012 Restaurant: Impossible Himself/Groomsman Season 4: "Wedding Impossible"
Guy Fieri's Family Reunion Himself
2012–2014 Rachael vs. Guy: Celebrity Cook-Off Himself/co-host/mentor
2013 Guy's Family Cruise Himself
2013–present Guy's Grocery Games Himself/host Executive producer
2013–2014 Rachael vs. Guy: Kids Cook-Off Himself/co-host/mentor
2015 I Get That a Lot Himself Season 1 episode 6: "Rita Ora, Guy Fieri, Kristin Chenoweth, Cody Simpson, Alex Trebek, Aaron Rodgers"
2015–2016 Guilty Pleasures Himself 4 episodes
2016 Guy & Hunter's European Vacation Himself Executive producer
2017 Guy's Family Road Trip Himself
Super Southern Eats Himself Executive producer
On Your Marc Himself Post-production
2018 Impractical Jokers Himself (Cameo) Episode: Like A Boss
Video games
Year Title Role Notes
2011 Minute to Win It Himself

Books

Fieri is the author or co-author of several cookbooks which together were New York Times bestsellers for a total of over 33 weeks.[45][46]

  • Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives: An All-American Road Trip with Recipes!. New York: William Morrow. October 2008. ISBN 978-0-06-172488-6.
  • More Diners, Drive-ins and Dives: Another Drop-Top Culinary Cruise Through America's Finest and Funkiest. New York: William Morrow. November 2009. ISBN 978-0-061894-56-5.
  • Guy Fieri Food: Cookin' It, Livin' It, Lovin' It. New York: William Morrow. May 2011. ISBN 978-0-061894-55-8.
  • Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives: The Funky Finds in Flavortown: America's Classic Joints and Killer Comfort Food. New York: William Morrow. May 2013. ISBN 978-0-062244-65-9.
  • Guy on Fire: 130 Recipes for Adventures in Outdoor Cooking. New York: William Morrow. May 2014. ISBN 978-0-062244-71-0.
  • Guy Fieri Family Food: Kitchen Tested, Home Approved. New York: William Morrow. October 2016. ISBN 978-0-062244-73-4.

See also

References

  1. Katie Baker. "Guy Fieri Battles Scathing New York Times Review by Pete Wells". The Daily Beast. Retrieved January 14, 2017.
  2. "'Times' Restaurant Critic Dishes On Guy Fieri And The Art Of Reviewing : The Salt". NPR. January 21, 2016. Retrieved January 14, 2017.
  3. Jean, Mallary (November 14, 2012). "Pete Wells explains his review of Guy Fieri's restaurant – Poynter". Poynter.org. Retrieved January 14, 2017.
  4. Hughes, Evan (November 17, 2012). "Don't Fear the Vegas Fry: Guy's American Kitchen & Bar". The New Yorker. Retrieved January 14, 2017.
  5. "Talking big flavors and big Vegas openings with Guy Fieri". Las Vegas Weekly. Retrieved January 14, 2017.
  6. First We Feast (April 27, 2017), Guy Fieri Becomes the Mayor of Spicy Wings | Hot Ones, retrieved May 30, 2018
  7. Syme, Rachel (November 10, 2009). "The Trailer Park Gourmet". The Daily Beast.
  8. "Birth Record of Guy Ramsay Ferry". Ohio Birth Index, 1908–2011. Ohio Department of Health. January 22, 1968 [File date: February 7, 1968]. Certificate Number: 1968003917. Archived from the original on April 8, 2015. Retrieved February 1, 2016 via Mooseroots.com.
  9. "Guy Fieri Biography (1968–)". Biography.com. Archived from the original on May 7, 2020. Retrieved May 12, 2020.
  10. Hartlaub, Peter (May 2, 2006). "Sonoma chef's pals kicked it up a notch for TV. Now, he's on like Donkey Kong". San Francisco Chronicle. p. E–1. Retrieved November 27, 2012.
  11. "Guy Fieri Wasn't That Impressed With the Food at Guy's American Kitchen Either, Apparently". Grubstreet.com. April 17, 2014. Retrieved January 14, 2017.
  12. Moskin, Julia (August 10, 2010) [updated August 18, 2010]. "Guy Fieri, Chef-Dude, Is in the House". The New York Times. p. D1. Retrieved November 27, 2012.
  13. Wang, K.S. (June 1, 2008). "Celebrity Drive: Food Network Celebrity Chef and car junkie Guy Fieri is a true Bow-Tie guy". Motor Trend. Retrieved November 27, 2012.
  14. Tam, Donna (August 15, 2009). "Off the hook: Food Network to premiere "Chefography" on Ferndale native Guy Fieri". Times-Standard. Eureka, California. Archived from the original on December 7, 2013. Retrieved September 8, 2013.
  15. Nyberg-Schlotzhauer, Heather (August 19, 2010). "A 'Guy' of their own at the Humboldt County Fair". Humboldt Beacon.
  16. "In The Kitchen With Guy Fieri". Alumni Profiles. Go.unlv.edu. 2012. Archived from the original on March 9, 2013. Retrieved November 27, 2012.
  17. Wells, Pete (November 14, 2012). "As Not Seen on TV Restaurant Review: Guy's American Kitchen & Bar in Times Square". Dining/reviews. New York Times. Retrieved November 26, 2011.
  18. Olmstead, Larry (December 5, 2012). "Tables Turned - Top Chefs Review Pete Wells And Other Restaurant Critics". Forbes. Retrieved January 7, 2013.
  19. Carman, Tim (December 29, 2017). "Guy Fieri is Pulling the Plug on Perhaps the Most Mocked Restaurant in America". Washington Post. Retrieved December 30, 2017.
  20. Candace Braun Davison (October 12, 2017). "The Story Of How Guy Fieri Met His Wife Will Turn Your Stone Heart To Mush". Delish. Retrieved June 4, 2019.
  21. "Carnival Sunrise Celebrates NYC Naming Ceremony". Travel Agent Central. Retrieved June 4, 2019.
  22. Martin, Bradley. "The Full Menu & Prices at Guy Fieri's Vegas Kitchen & Bar". Eater. Vox Media. Retrieved August 5, 2014.
  23. "Guy Fieri's Baltimore Kitchen + Bar". www.Caesars.com. Retrieved September 30, 2017.
  24. "About – Guy Fieri's Bold New Vision for Chicken Tenders | Chicken Guy!". Retrieved January 11, 2019.
  25. "Another Star Chef Is Born". The Early Show. CBS Broadcasting, Inc. April 26, 2006. Retrieved November 27, 2012.
  26. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0813711/episodes?season=19&ref_=tt_eps_sn_18
  27. Adalian, Josef (December 16, 2009). "NBC Finds Right Guy for Game Show". Thewrap.com. Retrieved November 27, 2012.
  28. "Special Council Packet, November 23, 2012" (PDF). Retrieved June 15, 2017.
  29. Dish, The FN (July 29, 2011). "Rachael vs. Guy Celebrity Cook-Off: New Show Premieres This Winter". Blog.foodnetwork.com. Retrieved November 27, 2012.
  30. Guy's Grocery Games: TV Listings, TV Guide, 2013
  31. "Guy Fieri on Flowmaster". Flowmaster, Inc. July 30, 2009. Retrieved September 8, 2013.
  32. "Guy Fieri: TGI Friday's commercial". YouTube. March 7, 2008. Retrieved September 8, 2013.
  33. "Aflac Duck Feels the Heat in New TV Commercial" (Press release). Aflac. August 16, 2010. Retrieved November 21, 2012.
  34. Ridley, Jim (November 20, 2009). "Win Free Tickets to the Guy Fieri Roadshow". Nashville Scene. Retrieved September 8, 2013.
  35. Stanley, John (November 10, 2009). "The Guy Fieri Road Show". Things to Do/Dining. The Arizona Republic. Retrieved November 27, 2012.
  36. "2012 AC Food & Wine Festival". Event Listing. Drink NJ Shore. March 30, 2012. Retrieved November 27, 2012.
  37. "Events". South Beach Festival. 2012. Archived from the original on February 25, 2013. Retrieved November 27, 2012.
  38. Kennedy, Kelli. "CHEF ART SMITH HOSTS MASS GAY WEDDING ON MIAMI BEACH". Associated Press. Retrieved February 24, 2015.
  39. Magary, Drew (November 13, 2015). "How Flavortown Mayor Guy Fieri Is Taking Over Wine Country". GQ. Retrieved June 7, 2018.
  40. Moreau, Jordan (May 9, 2020). "Guy Fieri Raises More Than $20 Million for Restaurant Workers Affected by Coronavirus". Variety. Retrieved December 28, 2020.
  41. Asmelash, Leah (May 10, 2020). "Guy Fieri has helped raise more than $20 million for out-of-work restaurant workers". CNN. Retrieved December 28, 2020.
  42. Lewis, Sophie (May 11, 2020). "Guy Fieri raises over $20 million for struggling restaurant workers". CBS News. Retrieved December 28, 2020.
  43. Askinasi, Rachel (May 12, 2020). "Guy Fieri has helped raise more than $22 million for unemployed restaurant workers across the US". Insider. Retrieved December 28, 2020.
  44. "11 things you didn't know about Guy Fieri". insider.com. January 21, 2020.
  45. "Books - Best Sellers - Paperback Advice & Misc". The New York Times. January 10, 2010. Retrieved July 15, 2016.
  46. "Books - Best Sellers - Hardcover Advice & Misc". The New York Times. March 7, 2011. Retrieved July 15, 2016.
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