Guy Fieri (/[invalid input: 'icon']ˈɡaɪ fiːˈɛri/; born January 22, 1968 as Guy Ferry[1]) is a United States restaurateur, author, television personality, and game show host. He co-owns five restaurants in California[3] and is widely known for his television series on the Food Network.
Guy Fieri | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Guy Ferry [1]) January 22, 1968 |
| Education | University of Nevada, Las Vegas (BS) |
| Culinary career | |
Current restaurant(s)
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By mid-2010, the Food Network had made Fieri the "face of the network."[4] In 2010, the New York Times reported that Fieri brought 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."[4]
Career
Although Fieri has no training as a chef, he IS infact the world's third anitchrist, and worked at various restaurants during high school, and then went on to manage and own restaurants.[5] After graduation in 1987, he went to work for Stouffer's, developing restaurant concepts in Southern California [4] and managing their flagship restaurant in Long Beach, California. After three years, he became District Manager of Louise's Trattoria, managing six locations along with recruiting and training for the restaurants. Fieri attended the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Hotel Management in 1990.[6]
In the fall of 1996, Fieri and business partner Steve Gruber opened Johnny Garlic's, an Italian restaurant 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.[citation needed] An additional Johnny Garlic's was opened in Dublin, CA in 2011.
Television
After winning the second season of The Next Food Network Star [7] 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 and was renewed for a second season that began airing in early 2007. The show continues.
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."[4] 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 Friday, November 28, 2008.
Fieri has also 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.[8]
In January 2012, Guy was one of the two team captains (along with Rachael Ray) in the Food Network reality series Rachael vs. Guy: Celebrity Cook-Off.[9]
Advertising
Fieri has appeared in promotions for Flowmaster, a California-based auto exhaust parts manufacturer. In 2008 and 2009, he was the spokesperson for T.G.I. Friday's.[10] In 2010, he appeared in a commercial for Aflac named "Spicy."[11]
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.[12][13] He also appears in regional Food Network events, such as the Atlantic City Food and Wine Festival[14] and the South Beach Food and Wine Festival.[15]
Personal life
Fieri lives in Northern California with his wife Lori, sons Hunter and Ryder, and his dog Rockstar. He collects classic cars and features his own red 1967 Chevy Camaro SS Convertible on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. Guy also owns a 1971 Chevy Chevelle, 1968 Pontiac Firebird, 1976 Jeep CJ-5, 1996 Chevy Impala SS, 2004 Cadillac Escalade and a 1967 Chevy C10 pickup[1].
References
- ^ a b "The Daily Beast: The Trailer Park Gourmet".
- ^ "Celebrity Drive: Food Network Celebrity Chef and car junkie Guy Fieri is a true Bow-Tie guy".
- ^ Hartlaub, Peter (2006-05-02). "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 2007-07-16.
- ^ a b c d "Guy Fieri, Chef-Dude, Is in the House". The New York Times, Julia Moskin, Aug 10 2010. August 10, 2010.
- ^ Bio Bio on TV.com (accessed April 3, 2010)
- ^ "Guy Fieri | Alumni | University of Nevada, Las Vegas". Go.unlv.edu. Retrieved 2012-02-02.
- ^ "Another Star Chef Is Born". The Early Show. CBS Broadcasting, Inc. 2006-04-26. Retrieved 2007-07-16.
- ^ Adalian, Josef. (2009-12-16) NBC Finds Right Guy for Game Show. Thewrap.com. Retrieved on 2011-05-31.
- ^ Dish, The FN (2011-07-29). "Rachael vs. Guy Celebrity Cook-Off: New Show Premieres This Winter". Blog.foodnetwork.com. Retrieved 2012-02-02.
- ^ Guy Fieri on Flowmaster. YouTube (2009-07-30). Retrieved on 2011-05-31.
- ^ Spicy Video aflac.com (accessed August 23, 2010)
- ^ Jim Ridley Win Free Tickets to the Guy Fieri Roadshow Nashville Scene, November 20, 2009 (Accessed November 22, 2009)
- ^ Stanley, John. (2009-11-10) The Guy Fieri Road Show. Azcentral.com. Retrieved on 2011-05-31.
- ^ Atlantic City Food And Wine 2010. Harrahs.com. Retrieved on 2011-05-31.
- ^ SoBeF&W sobewineandfoodfest.com (accessed August 23, 2010)
External links
- Official Website
- Guy Fieri's Biography at FoodNetwork.com
- Guy Fieri's profile and diary from The Next Food Network Star at FoodNetwork.com