Guy Fieri

Early life and education

Fieri was born Guy Ramsay Ferry on January 22, 1968 the son of Penelope Anne (née Price; born 1944) and Lewis James Ferry (1942–2024). Fieri 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.

Fieri attended the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in hotel management in 1990.

Career

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 to France to study. Upon returning, he worked at the restaurant at the Red Lion Inn in Eureka, California, until he went to UNLV for college.

Soon after graduating from college, he worked as manager of Parker's Lighthouse, a restaurant in Long Beach, California. 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.

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 Arden-Arcade near Sacramento 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 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. 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. 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.

In April 2014, Guy Fieri's Vegas Kitchen and Bar opened on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. In 2015, Guy Fieri's Baltimore Kitchen & Bar opened in Baltimore's Horseshoe Casino. 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.

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

Television

After winning the second season of The Next Food Network Star 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.

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". 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. 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 with Rachael Ray) in the Food Network reality series Rachael vs. Guy: Celebrity Cook-Off. 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. 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.

Advertising

Fieri 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. In 2010, he appeared in a commercial for Aflac named "Spicy".

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.{{cite web

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

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.

In 2023, Fieri started Guy's Flavortown Tailgate (abbreviated GFT), an annual event in partnership with Medium Rare. Held during the Super Bowl weekend, it offers fans a free tailgating experience featuring food, music, and festivities.

Fieri co-owns Santo Tequila with Sammy 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.

Personal life

Fieri met his wife Lori when she came into a restaurant he was managing in Long Beach, California. The couple married in 1995. The Fieris bought a home in West Palm Beach, Florida, in 2021.

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. 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.

Filmography

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.

References

References

1. Katie Baker. (November 16, 2012). "Guy Fieri Battles Scathing New York Times Review by Pete Wells". The Daily Beast.
2. (January 21, 2016). "'Times' Restaurant Critic Dishes On Guy Fieri And The Art Of Reviewing : The Salt". NPR.
3. Jean, Mallary. (November 14, 2012). "Pete Wells explains his review of Guy Fieri's restaurant – Poynter". Poynter.org.
4. Hughes, Evan. (November 17, 2012). "Don't Fear the Vegas Fry: Guy's American Kitchen & Bar".
5. (April 16, 2014). "Talking big flavors and big Vegas openings with Guy Fieri". Las Vegas Weekly.
6. First We Feast. (April 27, 2017). "Guy Fieri Becomes the Mayor of Spicy Wings {{!}} Hot Ones".
7. Syme, Rachel. (November 10, 2009). "The Trailer Park Gourmet". [[The Daily Beast]].
8. (January 22, 1968). "Birth Record of Guy Ramsay Ferry". Ohio Department of Health.
9. "Guy Fieri Biography (1968–)". [[Biography.com]].
10. (September 30, 2019). "Tex Wasabi's, founded by Guy Fieri, closes after nearly 20 years in Santa Rosa".
11. "FLAVORTOWN HOT SPOTS".
12. Moskin, Julia. (August 10, 2010). "Guy Fieri, Chef-Dude, Is in the House". [[The New York Times]].
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]].
14. (February 20, 2024). "Jim Ferry: 1942-2024".
15. Nyberg-Schlotzhauer, Heather. (August 19, 2010). "A 'Guy' of their own at the Humboldt County Fair". Humboldt Beacon.
16. (2012). "In The Kitchen With Guy Fieri". Go.unlv.edu.
17. Tam, Donna. (August 15, 2009). "Off the hook: Food Network to premiere "Chefography" on Ferndale native Guy Fieri". [[Times-Standard]].
18. Anderson, Mark. (April 10, 2013). "Guy Fieri's Tex Wasabi's changing to other brand, Johnny Garlic's".
19. HAUGHTON, BYNATALIE. (2007-04-22). "Guy Fieri hits the 'dives' worth the drive".
20. Wells, Pete. (November 14, 2012). "As Not Seen on TV Restaurant Review: Guy's American Kitchen & Bar in Times Square". New York Times.
21. Olmstead, Larry. (December 5, 2012). "Tables Turned - Top Chefs Review Pete Wells And Other Restaurant Critics". [[Forbes]].
22. Carman, Tim. (December 29, 2017). "Guy Fieri is Pulling the Plug on Perhaps the Most Mocked Restaurant in America". [[Washington Post]].
23. Candace Braun Davison. (October 12, 2017). "The Story Of How Guy Fieri Met His Wife Will Turn Your Stone Heart To Mush".
24. (May 24, 2019). "Carnival Sunrise Celebrates NYC Naming Ceremony".
25. (April 21, 2014). "The Full Menu & Prices at Guy Fieri's Vegas Kitchen & Bar". Vox Media.
26. "Guy Fieri's Baltimore Kitchen + Bar".
27. "About – Guy Fieri's Bold New Vision for Chicken Tenders {{!}} Chicken Guy!".
28. Pomranz, Mike. (February 12, 2021). "Guy Fieri Quietly Launched a Nationwide Delivery-Only Comfort Food Joint". [[Food & Wine]].
29. 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.
30. (April 26, 2006). "Another Star Chef Is Born". CBS Broadcasting, Inc..
31. "Guy's Big Bite (TV Series 2006– ) - IMDb".
32. Adalian, Josef. (December 16, 2009). "NBC Finds Right Guy for Game Show". Thewrap.com.
33. (October 2017). "Special Council Packet, November 23, 2012".
34. Dish, The FN. (July 29, 2011). "Rachael vs. Guy Celebrity Cook-Off: New Show Premieres This Winter". Blog.foodnetwork.com.
35. "Guy's Grocery Games".
36. (July 30, 2009). "Guy Fieri on Flowmaster". Flowmaster, Inc..
37. (March 7, 2008). "Guy Fieri: TGI Friday's commercial". YouTube.
38. (August 16, 2010). "Aflac Duck Feels the Heat in New TV Commercial". Aflac.
39. Ridley, Jim. (November 20, 2009). "Win Free Tickets to the Guy Fieri Roadshow". Nashville Scene.
40. (March 30, 2012). "2012 AC Food & Wine Festival". Drink NJ Shore.
41. (2012). "Events". South Beach Festival.
42. "Guy Fieri Officiates at 101 Gay Weddings".
43. (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.
45. (May 9, 2020). "Guy Fieri Raises More Than $20 Million for Restaurant Workers Affected by Coronavirus". Variety.
46. (May 10, 2020). "Guy Fieri has helped raise more than $20 million for out-of-work restaurant workers". CNN.
47. (May 11, 2020). "Guy Fieri raises over $20 million for struggling restaurant workers". CBS News.
48. (May 12, 2020). "Guy Fieri has helped raise more than $22 million for unemployed restaurant workers across the US". Insider.
49. Russo, Gillian. (December 6, 2023). "'The Life and Slimes of Marc Summers' to debut off Broadway".
50. (2024-02-08). "Bright lights and big parties: Super Bowl 2024 arrives in Las Vegas".
51. Strout, Paige. (2024-02-03). "Learn How to Make Guy Fieri's Next-Level Trash Can Nachos Recipe".
52. Konstantinides, Anneta. "I went to Super Bowl parties hosted by Shaq, Gronk, and Guy Fieri, and they couldn't have been more different".
53. (December 12, 2023). "Guy Fieri teams up with Pepsi for Super Bowl 'Flavortown Tailgate' party, says it 'is a dream come true'".
54. Irwin, Heather. (2023-01-31). "Guy Fieri Brings Super Bowl Tailgate Party to Arizona".
55. (2025-10-08). "Guy Fieri reveals new details into the criminals who stole $1M of his tequila".
56. Gallup, Kate Hagan. (August 29, 2021). "The Beautiful Reason Guy Fieri Was Brought To Tears Before Getting This Special New Tattoo".
57. Calderone, Ana. (May 27, 2021). "Guy Fieri Bought a House in Florida After Signing Estimated $80 Million Food Network Deal".
58. (January 21, 2020). "11 things you didn't know about Guy Fieri". insider.com.
59. (June 23, 2022). "Billy Porter, Guy Fieri Join Tom Brady Comedy ''80 for Brady'' (Exclusive)".
60. Fox, Michelle. (May 26, 2021). "Guy Fieri is on a mission to help save restaurants hit by pandemic". CNBC.
61. (May 26, 2021). "Guy's Chance of a Lifetime". AV Club.
62. Harris, Raquel 'Rocky'. (July 20, 2025). "Where to Watch 'Robot Chicken: Self-Discovery Special'".
63. (January 10, 2010). "Books - Best Sellers - Paperback Advice & Misc.". [[The New York Times]].
64. (March 7, 2011). "Books - Best Sellers - Hardcover Advice & Misc.". [[The New York Times]].