10 Things You Never Knew About Guy Fieri

Guy Fieri has become synonymous with The Food Network over the past 15 years. The American chef, restaurateur, cookbook author, and longtime Emmy Award-winning TV host has several programs bearing his namesake on the network, including Guy’s Grocery Games, Guy’s Ranch Kitchen, Guy’s Family Road Trip, and more, and that doesn’t even include his flagship series Diners Drive-Ins and Dives, which has been on the air since 2007.

In addition to hosting The Food Network’s Tournament of Champions in 2021, Fieri recently reopened Flavortown U.S.A., the supermarket that serves as the setting for Guy’s Grocery Games which was shut down in 2020 due to the global pandemic.

10 Birth Name

While the Italian surname Fieri has become one of Guy’s primary calling cards, he was given a different moniker at birth (according to birth record). Born Guy Ramsay Ferry in 1968, he kept the last name until he got married in 1995.

Once he got hitched to his wife Lori, Guy decided to change his name to Fieri to honor his grandfather, Guiseppe Fieri, who changed his name to Ferry upon arrival in the U.S. (per Insider). Aptly, the name Fieri translates to “proud” in Italian.

9 California Kid

Considering his fiery blonde locks and laid-back vibe, one might assume Fieri hails from sunny Miami, Florida. This is not the case. Born in Columbus, Ohio, Fieri was raised in the Northern California town of Ferndale in Humboldt County (per Motortrend).

As an adult, Fieri made nearby Santa Rosa, California the place he calls home. In addition to raising his own family in the area, Fieri opened his first restaurant in Santa Rosa, California Pasta Grill, along with his business partner Steve Gruber.

8 Awesome Pretzels

According to Motortrend and The Times-Standard, Fieri developed his interest in the culinary arts after studying abroad in France in high school. As a way to finance his foreign exchange program, Fieri started his own food business called the Awesome Pretzel Cart.

In addition to operating his Awesome Pretzel food cart, Fieri began washing dishes to help pay for his trip. When he returned from France, Fieri began saving up for college by working at The Red Lion Inn in Eureka, California.

7 UNLV Grad

After fostering talent for cooking and a love for working in restaurants, Fieri saved up enough money to attend the University of Las Vegas, where he graduated in 1990 after four years with a Bachelor of Science degree in Hotel Management (per Alumni Profiles).

Almost 25 years after graduating from UNLV, Fieri repaid the city of Las Vegas by licensing his namesake for the restaurant “Guy’s Vegas Kitchen & Bar” in the LINQ Hotel + Experience, according to vegaseater.com. In 2021, Fieri continues to be a proud ambassador of Sin City.

6 Second Food Network Star Winner

Fans may not know that Guy Fieri rose to prominence as a TV personality after winning the sophomore season of The Food Network Star in 2006, a reality competition series that awards winners a chance to host their own cooking show.

Fieri won the competition at age 38, besting seven chefs in the process and defeating runner-up and fellow California chef, Reggie Southerland. As a reward, Fieri hosted his first show called Guy’s Big Bite, which premiered two months later in June of 2006. While several past Food Network Star winners still contribute to the network, Fieri is by far the most successful.

5 Restaurants

In addition to his home state, Fieri has restaurants all over the world, including locations in Cancun and Dubai. While he has more of an ownership stake in some than others, Fieri reportedly has his fingerprint in roughly 60 eateries.

While 60 restaurants are too many to list, Fieri’s eight primary brands consist of Guy Fieri’s Kitchen & Bar, Guy Fieri’s El Burro Borracho, Guy Fieri’s Chophouse, Guy’s Bar-B-Que Joint, Guy’s Smokehouse, Guy’s Pig & Anchor, Chicken Guy!, Guy’s Sammich Joint, and Guy’s Burger Joint (per eater.com).

4 Car Collection

Fans of Fieri’s flagship program Diner, Drive-Ins, and Dives knows that the host always tours the country in a cherry red 1967 Camaro SS Convertible. However, fans may not be aware of Fieri’s off-screen American muscle car collection.

According to Motortrend, Fieri’s collection of fast and expensive hotrods include a 1967 Chevy C10 pickup truck, a 1968 Pontiac Firebird, a 1969 Chevrolet Impala SS, a 1971 Chevrolet Chevelle, and a 1976 Jeep CJ-5. According to dexerto.com, Fieri also owns the red Camaro seen on DDD, as well as a 1996 Chevy Impala, a CSX Cobra, a Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder, an Aston Martin DB9, a 2007 Chevy Corvette, and a 2011 Camaro.

3 Owns Vineyard & Wine Brand

According to GQ, Fieri owns a vineyard in Napa Valley, California where he lets his pet tortoise named Pops roam free and eat all the dog poop its heart desires. Fieri even has his own brand of wine he named after his first two sons.

Fieri’s wine label is called Hunt and Ryde, named after his sons Hunter and Ryder, both of who appear on his various TV shows. Hunt and Ryde offers seasonal varietals, including Pinot Noir, a blended Cabernet, Zinfandel, and more priced from $45-$75 per bottle.

2 COVID-19 Philanthropy

Following the massive hit the food industry took in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Fieri partnered with the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation to give back to his culinary brethren in the most charitable way.

The fundraising effort was designed to assist unemployed restaurant employees who went out of work when the pandemic forced a global lockdown. In under two months, according to Variety, Fieri spearheaded an effort that resulted in more than $20 million raised on behalf of the cause.

1 Officiated Art Smith’s Wedding

According to eater.com, as a way to celebrate Florida’s Supreme Court ruling that lifted the ban on same-sex marriage in 2015, Fieri officiated fellow celebrity chef Art Smith’s wedding to painter Jesus Salgueiro at Miami Beach. More than 25 same-sex couples were in attendance.

The occasion isn’t the first time Fieri officiated a wedding. According to sobewineandfoodfest.com, Fieri also officiated 101 gay weddings at the 2012 South Beach Food and Wine Festival in Miami.