Guy Fieri | |
|---|---|
 Fieri in June 2023 | |
| Born | Guy Ramsay Ferry (1968-01-22)January 22, 1968 (age 58) Columbus, Ohio, U.S. |
| Education | University of Nevada, Las Vegas(BS) |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
| Culinary career | |
Guy Ramsay Fieri (US:/fiˈɛdi/fee-ED-ee,[6]Italian:[ˈfjɛːri];néFerry;[7] born January 22, 1968)[8][9] is an American restaurateur, author, and television presenter. He co-owned three now-defunct restaurants inCalifornia.[10] He licenses his name to restaurants in cities all over the world,[11] and is known for hosting various television series on theFood 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]
Fieri was born Guy Ramsay Ferry on January 22, 1968[8] inColumbus, Ohio,[13] the son of Penelope Anne (née Price; born 1944) and Lewis James Ferry (1942–2024).[14] Fieri grew up inFerndale in ruralHumboldt County, California. During high school, he was aforeign exchange student inChantilly, France, where he developed his interest in food and cooking.[13]
Fieri attended theUniversity of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in hotel management in 1990.[15][16]
Fieri began his association with food in grade school in Ferndale, by selling pretzels from his "Awesome Pretzel" bicycle cart at age ten (he and his father built it) and washing dishes to finance a trip toFrance to study.[17] Upon returning, he worked at the restaurant at the Red Lion Inn inEureka, California, until he went to UNLV for college.[17]
Soon after graduating from college, he worked as manager of Parker's Lighthouse, a restaurant inLong Beach, California.[12] After three years insouthern California, he became the district manager of Louise's Trattoria, managing six locations along with recruiting and training for the restaurants.
In late 1996, Fieri and business partner Steve Gruber opened Johnny Garlic's, a "California Pasta Grill" inSanta Rosa, California.[18][19] A second location opened inWindsor in 1999, a third inPetaluma in 2000 or 2001 (since closed), and a fourth inRoseville in late 2008. They developed Tex Wasabi's (barbecue and sushi) in 2003 in Santa Rosa, adding a second location inArden-Arcade nearSacramento in 2007 (which was rebranded as Johnny Garlic's and then closed). An additional Johnny Garlic's was opened inDublin, California in 2011.
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Fieri's firstNew York City restaurant, Guy's American Kitchen and Bar, opened in 2012 to brutalNew York Times coverage[20] byPete Wells that Larry Olmsted ofForbes called "the most scathing review in the history of theNew 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.[20][21] The restaurant's location in the highly traffickedTimes 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.[22] In 2011, Fieri partnered withCarnival 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.[23][24]
In April 2014, Guy Fieri's Vegas Kitchen and Bar opened on theLas Vegas Strip inParadise, Nevada.[25] In 2015, Guy Fieri's Baltimore Kitchen & Bar opened inBaltimore's Horseshoe Casino.[26] In 2018, Fieri collaborated withPlanet Hollywood founderRobert Earl to open fast-food chicken sandwich shop Chicken Guy! atDisney Springs inWalt Disney World.[27]
In 2021, Fieri opened Guy Fieri's Flavortown Kitchen, adelivery-only restaurant.[28][29]
After winning the second season ofThe Next Food Network Star[30] 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.[31]
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 withMarc 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 titledGuy's Family Feast. He used the "Guy Off the Hook" set for the special, which was broadcastlive, on November 28, 2008. He appeared on other Food Network programs includingDinner: Impossible in 2007 and 2009,Paula's Party,Ace of Cakes, andThe Best Thing I Ever Ate. In December 2009,NBC named Fieri as the host of the game showMinute to Win It, which premiered in March 2010 and aired for two seasons.[32] 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.
In January 2012, Fieri was one of the two team captains (along withRachael Ray) in the Food Network reality seriesRachael vs. Guy: Celebrity Cook-Off.[34] A second season ofRachael 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.[35] His series,Guy's Family Road Trip, was chosen as the 2017 lead-out show from season 13 ofFood 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.[36][37]
Fieri appeared in promotions for Flowmaster, a California-based auto exhaust parts manufacturer.[38] In 2008 and 2009, he was the spokesperson forT.G.I. Friday's.[39] In 2010, he appeared in a commercial forAflac named "Spicy".[40]
In 2009, Fieri began touring with theGuy Fieri Roadshow, a multi-state food tour that featured some of his fellow Food Network personalities.[41][42] He appeared in regional Food Network events like the 2012Atlantic City Food and Wine Festival[43] and the 2012 South Beach Food and Wine Festival, where he officiated at 101 gay weddings.[44] In 2015, Fieri officiated at the wedding of celebrity chefArt Smith atMiami 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.[45] Fieri officiated the weddings in honor of his late sister who was a lesbian.[46]
Fieri owns a vineyard and sells his wine under the labelHunt & Ryde, named after his sons Hunter and Ryder.[47] In response to theCOVID-19 pandemic's effect on the restaurant industry in 2020, Fieri and theNational Restaurant Association Educational Foundation teamed up to raise money for unemployed restaurant workers through newly createdRestaurant Employee Relief Fund. In less than two months over US$20 million was raised.[48][49][50][51]
Fieri is currently producing theoff-Broadway run ofThe Life and Slimes of Marc Summers, starring his friend and former Food Network co-host.[52]
In 2023, Fieri startedGuy's Flavortown Tailgate (abbreviatedGFT), an annual event in partnership withMedium Rare.[53][54] Held during the Super Bowl weekend, it offers fans a free tailgating experience featuring food, music, and festivities.[55][56][57]
Fieri co-owns Santo Tequila withSammy Hagar. In 2024, the tequila company was at the center of a large heist where 24,000 bottles of tequila (two truck loads worth $1 million) were stolen.[58]
Fieri met his wife Lori when she came into a restaurant he was managing in Long Beach, California.[23] The couple married in 1995.[9] They live inSanta Rosa with their sons, Hunter and Ryder, and their nephew, Jules.[9] Fieri's sister died in 2011 ofmetastatic melanoma, and Fieri decided to take care of the 11-year old Jules.[59] The Fieris bought a home inWest Palm Beach, Florida, in 2021.[36]
Ferry changed his surname to Fieri in memory of his paternal grandfather, Giuseppe Fieri, an Italian immigrant who hadanglicized his surname to Ferry upon arriving in the United States.[60] He collects classic American cars, including a 1971Chevrolet Chevelle, a 1968Pontiac Firebird, a 1976Jeep CJ-5, a 1969Chevrolet Impala SS, and a 1967Chevrolet C10 pickup.[13]
| Film | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2014 | I Am Evel Knievel | Himself | |
| The Interview | Himself | ||
| 2023 | 80 for Brady | Himself | [61] |
| 2025 | Happy Gilmore 2 | Maxi Starter | |
| 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[37] |
| 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[62] | |
| 2022 | Guy's All-American Road Trip | Himself | |
| 2025 | Robot Chicken: Self Discovery Special | Himself | Voice; Television Special[63] |
| Video games | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2011 | Minute to Win It | Himself | |
Fieri is the author or co-author of several cookbooks which together wereNew York Times bestsellers for a total of over 33 weeks.[64][65]
| International | |
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| National | |
| Other | |
