Host of numerous culinary television programs and founder of a restaurant empire comprising around 250 establishments belonging to various chains with different concepts around the world. Guy Fieri is an incredibly successful entrepreneur, in 2019, he even received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Born in 1968 as Guy Ferry, he was raised in Ohio, United States. Already passionate about food at the age of ten, he sold pretzels from a three-wheeled bicycle cart, "The Awesome Pretzel Cart," which he built with his father. After six years as a street vendor and dishwasher in various restaurants, Guy had saved enough money to study abroad, specifically in Chantilly, France. There he encountered international cuisine and further strengthened his passion for food. Returning home, he decided to attend the University of Nevada, where he earned a degree in hotel management.
He made his professional debut managing the main restaurant of "Stouffer's," an American brand of frozen meals under the Nestlé group, in Long Beach, California. After three years, he moved to the restaurant chain "Louise's Trattoria," where he served as district manager until '96, overseeing six restaurants and handling hiring and staff training. During this period, he also married his partner, Lori, with whom he later had two children. Later, along with his business partner Steve Gruber, he opened an Italian restaurant, "Johnny Garlic's," in Sonoma County, followed by two more locations opened in '99 and 2008. Due to the success of the first restaurant concept, the two partners conceived "Tex Wasabi's," which offers barbecue and sushi, the first opened in 2003 and the second in 2007.
In 2006, Guy won the television program "Next Food Network Star," a triumph that marked the beginning of a prolific television career. Also, an Emmy Award-winning host, Guy continues to participate in various shows, including "Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives," "Guy's Grocery Games," "Tournament of Champions," and "Guy's Ranch." Driven by a desire to use his fame for the greater good, he was accompanied by the Navy in the Persian Gulf in 2007 to cook and entertain the stationed troops.
In the meantime, he has continually expanded his restaurant empire, adding locations of existing concepts around the world and founding chains like "Knuckle Sandwich" and later "Flavortown Kitchen," which boasts as many as 175 locations globally, from Las Vegas to Atlantic City, and even to Colombia, Costa Rica, and luxurious Dubai. In total, Guy's establishments number around 250, all of which also offer various types of merchandise, from water bottles to kitchen aprons and t-shirts. As if that weren't enough, he also collaborated with rock legend Sammy Hagar to create the brand Santo Tequila.
Guy served as President of the Redwood Empire Restaurant Association for three terms and is a board member of the Educational Foundation of the California Restaurant Association. His restaurants continue to attract crowds, and his TV shows earn Emmy nominations. In 2019, capping off an extraordinary career, Guy received the honor of a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, an accolade few chefs can boast.
Cover Photo: @DavidYallen
