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Guy Fieri

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Guy Fieri
Fieri in 2011
Born
Guy Ramsay Ferry

(1968-01-22) January 22, 1968 (age 56)
Columbus, Ohio, U.S.
EducationUniversity of Nevada, Las Vegas (BS)
Spouse
Lori Brisson
​
(m. 1995)​
Children2
Culinary career
Current restaurant(s)
Television show(s)

Guy Ramsay Fieri (US: /fiˈɛdi/,[6] Italian: [ˈfjɛːri]; né Ferry;[7][8] born January 22, 1968)[8][9] is an American restaurateur, author, and an Emmy Award winning television presenter. He co-owned three now defunct restaurants in California.[10] He licenses his name to restaurants in cities all over the world,[11] and is known for hosting various television series on the Food Network. In 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]

Early life and education

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. Guy grew up in Ferndale in rural Humboldt County, California. During high school, he was a foreign exchange student in Chantilly, France, where he developed his interest in food and cooking.[13]

Guy Fieri attended the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in hotel management in 1990.[14][15]

Career

Fieri began his association with food in grade school in Ferndale, by selling pretzels from his "Awesome Pretzel" bicycle cart at age 10 (he and his father built it) and washing dishes to finance a trip to France to study.[16] Upon returning, he worked at the restaurant at the Red Lion Inn in Eureka, California, until he went to UNLV for college.[16]

Soon after graduating from college, he worked as manager of Parker's Lighthouse, a Stouffer's restaurant in Long Beach, California.[12] After three years in southern California, he became the 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

In 2013, Fieri received a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Special Class Special for the Food Network special Guy Fieri's Family Reunion.[citation needed]

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. 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 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[17] 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 creating 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]

Interior of a "Chicken Guy" restaurant in Miami, 2023

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]

In 2021, Fieri opened Guy Fieri's Flavortown Kitchen, a delivery-only restaurant.[25][26]

Television

After winning the second season of The Next Food Network Star[27] 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.[28]

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. The special studio audience show aired through the end of 2008, but the extra cost of staging an audience show did not pan out 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. He appeared on other Food Network programs including 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.[29] 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[30]

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.[31] 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 a three judge panel and four cooks battling through three rounds of competition.[32] His 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.

In May 2021, Fieri signed a three-year contract with Food Network worth an estimated $80 million.[33][34]

Guy Fieri in 2022

Advertising

Fieri appeared in promotions for Flowmaster, a California-based auto exhaust parts manufacturer.[35] In 2008 and 2009, he was the spokesperson for T.G.I. Friday's.[36] In 2010, he appeared in a commercial for Aflac named "Spicy".[37]

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.[38][39] He appeared in regional Food Network events like the 2012 Atlantic City Food and Wine Festival[40] and the 2012 South Beach Food and Wine Festival, where he officiated at 101 gay weddings.[41] In 2015, Fieri officiated at the wedding of celebrity chef Art Smith at Miami Beach. The wedding, which included 101 same-sex couples, was held to celebrate Florida's Supreme Court lifting the state ban on same-sex marriage.[42] Fieri officiated the weddings in honor of his late sister who was a lesbian.[43]

Fieri owns a vineyard and sells his wine under the label Hunt & Ryde, named after his sons Hunter and Ryder.[44] In response to the COVID-19 pandemic's effect on the restaurant industry in 2020, Fieri and the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation teamed up to raise money for unemployed restaurant workers through newly created Restaurant Employee Relief Fund. In less than two months over US$20 million was raised.[45][46][47][48]

Fieri is currently producing the off-Broadway run of The Life and Slimes of Marc Summers, starring his friend and former Food Network co-host.[49]

Personal life

Image of Fieri at Viking Soul Food in Portland, Oregon, 2022

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] They live in Santa Rosa with their sons, Hunter and Ryder, and their nephew, Jules.[9] Fieri's sister died in 2011 of metastatic melanoma, and Fieri decided to take care of the 11-year old Jules.[50] The Fieris bought a home in West Palm Beach, Florida in 2021.[33]

Ferry changed his surname to Fieri in memory of his paternal grandfather, Giuseppe Fieri, an Italian immigrant who had anglicized his surname to Ferry upon arriving in the United States.[51] 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
2023 80 for Brady [52]
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 and 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
2017–present Guy's Ranch Kitchen Himself
2018 Impractical Jokers Himself (Cameo) Episode: Like A Boss
2020–2024 Tournament of Champions Himself
2021 Guy's Restaurant Reboot Himself Livestreamed special[34]
2021–2024 The Great North Himself Season 2 episode 9: "From Dusk till Dawn Adventure"
Season 3 episode 6: "Blood Actually Adventure"
Season 4 episode 1 "Bad Speecher Adventure"
2022 Guy's Chance of a Lifetime Himself[53]
2022 Guy's All-American Road Trip Himself
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.[54][55]

  • 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 (November 16, 2012). "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. April 16, 2014. 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. ^ a b c "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. ^ a b c "Guy Fieri Biography (1968–)". Biography.com. Archived from the original on May 7, 2020. Retrieved May 12, 2020.
  10. ^ ESPINOZA, MARTIN (September 30, 2019). "Tex Wasabi's, founded by Guy Fieri, closes after nearly 20 years in Santa Rosa". The Press Democrat. Retrieved March 23, 2023.
  11. ^ Fieri, Guy. "FLAVORTOWN HOT SPOTS". guyfieri.com. Retrieved March 23, 2023.
  12. ^ a b c 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. ^ a b c 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. ^ Nyberg-Schlotzhauer, Heather (August 19, 2010). "A 'Guy' of their own at the Humboldt County Fair". Humboldt Beacon. Archived from the original on November 6, 2013. Retrieved May 4, 2014.
  15. ^ "In The Kitchen With Guy Fieri". Alumni Profiles. Go.unlv.edu. 2012. Archived from the original on March 9, 2013. Retrieved November 27, 2012.
  16. ^ a b 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.
  17. ^ a b 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. ^ a b 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. May 24, 2019. Retrieved June 4, 2019.
  22. ^ Martin, Bradley (April 21, 2014). "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. ^ Pomranz, Mike (February 12, 2021). "Guy Fieri Quietly Launched a Nationwide Delivery-Only Comfort Food Joint". Food & Wine.
  26. ^ Carman, Tim (February 22, 2021). "Seattle now has one of the U.S.'s 100 new Guy Fieri's Flavortown Kitchen virtual restaurants. Does this help or hurt local restaurateurs?". The Seattle Times.
  27. ^ "Another Star Chef Is Born". The Early Show. CBS Broadcasting, Inc. April 26, 2006. Retrieved November 27, 2012.
  28. ^ "Guy's Big Bite (TV Series 2006– ) - IMDb". IMDb.
  29. ^ Adalian, Josef (December 16, 2009). "NBC Finds Right Guy for Game Show". Thewrap.com. Retrieved November 27, 2012.
  30. ^ "Special Council Packet, November 23, 2012" (PDF). Retrieved June 15, 2017.[permanent dead link]
  31. ^ Dish, The FN (July 29, 2011). "Rachael vs. Guy Celebrity Cook-Off: New Show Premieres This Winter". Blog.foodnetwork.com. Retrieved November 27, 2012.
  32. ^ "Guy's Grocery Games". TVGuide.com. Retrieved May 14, 2023.
  33. ^ a b Calderone, Ana (May 27, 2021). "Guy Fieri Bought a House in Florida After Signing Estimated $80 Million Food Network Deal". People. Retrieved October 12, 2021.
  34. ^ a b Fox, Michelle (May 26, 2021). "Guy Fieri is on a mission to help save restaurants hit by pandemic". CNBC. Retrieved October 12, 2021.
  35. ^ "Guy Fieri on Flowmaster". Flowmaster, Inc. July 30, 2009. Retrieved September 8, 2013.
  36. ^ "Guy Fieri: TGI Friday's commercial". YouTube. March 7, 2008. Retrieved September 8, 2013.
  37. ^ "Aflac Duck Feels the Heat in New TV Commercial" (Press release). Aflac. August 16, 2010. Retrieved November 21, 2012.
  38. ^ Ridley, Jim (November 20, 2009). "Win Free Tickets to the Guy Fieri Roadshow". Nashville Scene. Retrieved September 8, 2013.
  39. ^ Stanley, John (November 10, 2009). "The Guy Fieri Road Show". Things to Do/Dining. The Arizona Republic. Retrieved November 27, 2012.
  40. ^ "2012 AC Food & Wine Festival". Event Listing. Drink NJ Shore. March 30, 2012. Retrieved November 27, 2012.
  41. ^ "Events". South Beach Festival. 2012. Archived from the original on February 25, 2013. Retrieved November 27, 2012.
  42. ^ "Guy Fieri Officiates at 101 Gay Weddings". Time.
  43. ^ Nunn, Christina (May 24, 2020). "Guy Fieri Officiated 101 Gay Weddings as Tribute to His Sister".
  44. ^ Magary, Drew (November 13, 2015). "How Flavortown Mayor Guy Fieri Is Taking Over Wine Country". GQ. Retrieved June 7, 2018.
  45. ^ Moreau, Jordan (May 9, 2020). "Guy Fieri Raises More Than $20 Million for Restaurant Workers Affected by Coronavirus". Variety. Retrieved December 28, 2020.
  46. ^ 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.
  47. ^ Lewis, Sophie (May 11, 2020). "Guy Fieri raises over $20 million for struggling restaurant workers". CBS News. Retrieved December 28, 2020.
  48. ^ 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.
  49. ^ Russo, Gillian (December 6, 2023). "'The Life and Slimes of Marc Summers' to debut off Broadway". New York Theatre Guide. Retrieved February 27, 2024.
  50. ^ Gallup, Kate Hagan (August 29, 2021). "The Beautiful Reason Guy Fieri Was Brought To Tears Before Getting This Special New Tattoo". Mashed.com.
  51. ^ "11 things you didn't know about Guy Fieri". insider.com. January 21, 2020.
  52. ^ Galuppo, Mia (June 23, 2022). "Billy Porter, Guy Fieri Join Tom Brady Comedy 80 for Brady (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved June 23, 2022.
  53. ^ "Guy's Chance of a Lifetime". AV Club. May 26, 2021. Retrieved December 21, 2022.
  54. ^ "Books - Best Sellers - Paperback Advice & Misc". The New York Times. January 10, 2010. Retrieved July 15, 2016.
  55. ^ "Books - Best Sellers - Hardcover Advice & Misc". The New York Times. March 7, 2011. Retrieved July 15, 2016.
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