Guy Fieri

Guy Ramsay Fieri, born Guy Ramsay Ferry on January 22, 1968, in Columbus, Ohio, is an American restaurateur, author, and TV host. He was a co-owner of three California restaurants that have since closed, and he lends his name to eateries worldwide. Fieri is best known for hosting multiple Food Network shows, including *Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives*, which first aired in April 2007. By 2010, *The New York Times* described him as the network’s “face,” noting he introduced a “rowdy, mass-market culture” to American food television and that his prime-time programs drew more male viewers than any other shows on the channel.

Fieri grew up in Ferndale, California, in rural Humboldt County. While at Ferndale High School, he spent time as a foreign exchange student in Chantilly, France, where his passion for food and cooking took root. He later earned a Bachelor of Science in hotel management from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, in 1990.

His food career began early: in grade school, he sold pretzels from an “Awesome Pretzel” bicycle cart he built with his father, and he washed dishes to fund his trip to France. After returning, he worked at the Red Lion Inn in Eureka, California, before heading to UNLV. Post-graduation, he managed Parker’s Lighthouse in Long Beach, California, then became district manager for Louise’s Trattoria, overseeing six locations and handling recruitment and training.

In late 1996, Fieri and partner Steve Gruber opened Johnny Garlic’s, a “California Pasta Grill,” in Santa Rosa, California. Additional locations followed: Windsor in 1999, Petaluma in 2000 or 2001 (later closed), Roseville in late 2008, and Dublin in 2011. They launched Tex Wasabi’s, a barbecue-and-sushi concept, in Santa Rosa in 2003, with a second location in Arden-Arcade near Sacramento in 2007 (later rebranded as Johnny Garlic’s and then closed). Fieri’s first New York City restaurant, Guy’s American Kitchen and Bar, opened in 2012. It received a famously harsh review from *The New York Times*’ Pete Wells—called “the most scathing review in the history of the New York Times” by *Forbes*’ Larry Olmsted and likely the most widely read restaurant review ever. Fieri accused Wells of using his fame for personal prestige. Despite this, the Times Square location landed on *Restaurant Business*’s list of top 100 independent restaurants by sales for four straight years before closing at the end of 2017. In 2011, Fieri partnered with Carnival Cruise Lines to launch Guy’s Burger Joint, selling his burgers fleet-wide; by October 2017, 19 restaurants operated on Carnival ships, including Guy’s Pig & Anchor Smokehouse Brewhouse.

In April 2014, Guy Fieri’s Vegas Kitchen and Bar opened on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. The following year, Guy Fieri’s Baltimore Kitchen & Bar debuted at Baltimore’s Horseshoe Casino. In 2018, he teamed up with Planet Hollywood founder Robert Earl to open Chicken Guy!, a fast-food chicken sandwich shop at Disney Springs in Walt Disney World. In 2021, he launched Guy Fieri’s Flavortown Kitchen, a delivery-only concept.

Fieri won the second season of *The Next Food Network Star* on April 23, 2006, earning a six-episode commitment for his own show. *Guy’s Big Bite* premiered on June 25, 2006, with its last episode airing November 16, 2016. *Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives* followed in April 2007 (after a one-hour special in November 2006), where Fieri traveled the country visiting local eateries; *The New York Times* called it “not a cooking show as much as a carefully engineered reality show.” *Ultimate Recipe Showdown*, co-hosted with Marc Summers, aired from February 17, 2008, for three seasons. *Guy Off the Hook*, a studio audience show, debuted on September 14, 2008, but ended later that year due to high costs. For Thanksgiving 2008, he hosted *Guy’s Family Feast*, a live one-hour special on the *Guy Off the Hook* set. He also appeared on *Dinner: Impossible* (2007 and 2009), *Paula’s Party*, *Ace of Cakes*, and *The Best Thing I Ever Ate*. In December 2009, NBC tapped him to host the game show *Minute to Win It*, which premiered in March 2010 and ran for two seasons before NBC canceled it on May 13, 2012, citing high production costs and low ratings. In January 2012, Fieri served as a team captain alongside Rachael Ray on *Rachael vs. Guy: Celebrity Cook-Off*, which returned for a second season on January 6, 2013. His chef challenge show, *Guy’s Grocery Games*, began on October 27, 2013, featuring a three-judge panel and four cooks competing in three rounds. His series *Guy’s Family Road Trip* was also produced.