Dynamite Facts About The Life Of Guy Fieri

Unless you've been living under a rock or never watched the Food Network, chances are you've heard of Guy Fieri. He's pretty hard to miss with his bleached tips, tattoos, backward sunglasses, and energetic personality. Over the years, he's made a name for himself on television with shows like Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives or Guy's Grocery Games and is even credited with developing unique catchphrases to describe food.

Yet, although he has a large fan base, there are others in the food industry who despise him. Want to know more about this eclectic television personality? Take a look at some lesser-known facts about the Mayor of Flavortown. Do you know what his last name was when he was born?

He Started Working In The Food Industry When He Was 10 Years Old

Taco Bell Skills Challenge 2017
Ronald Martinez/Getty Images
Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

When he was just 10 years old, with the help of his father, Fieri built, owned, and operated a bicycle-powered pretzel cart. He named it "The Awesome Pretzel" which eventually gained a reputation around his hometown of Ferndale in the Humboldt County, California.

Over the years working at his pretzel cart, and an eventual second job working as a dishwasher, Fieri saved enough money to study abroad in Chantilly, France when he was 16. Driven by his interest in the culinary arts, it was there that he developed a true passion for food.

ADVERTISEMENT

He's Not As Adventurous Of An Eater As You'd Think

ADVERTISEMENT
Not As Adventurous
Desiree Navarro/WireImage
Desiree Navarro/WireImage
ADVERTISEMENT

If you've ever seen Diner's Drive-Ins and Dives, you know that Fieri isn't always very concerned about what he's putting into his body in terms of health. He'll happily take on dishes that would give most people a heart attack.

ADVERTISEMENT

He lives by the philosophy that "You can live super healthy and get hit by a truck and others eat the pork rinds, drink, and live to 100." However, he's not open to eating anything put in front of him. According to him, "Parts that are licked, make sounds, push, filter, walk, and so on are not for me."

ADVERTISEMENT

He Got A Zero-Star Review From The New York Times

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
The New York Times
Paul Zimmerman/Getty Images for Mount Airy Casino Resort
Paul Zimmerman/Getty Images for Mount Airy Casino Resort
ADVERTISEMENT

Back in 2012, The New York Times critic, Pete Wells, gave Fieri's restaurant - Guy's American Kitchen and Bar in Manhattan a zero-star rating. Fieri took it personally and commented that "He dropped down to third grade and said every mean, vile thing that he could say and discredited himself [...] His assignment was to give me no stars. He had it already planned."

ADVERTISEMENT

Wells claimed that he's never told whether to give a restaurant a good or a bad review, although Fieri couldn't believe that was the case considering the rating that his restaurant was given.

ADVERTISEMENT

He Was Born Guy Ferry

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Ferry
Harry How/Getty Images
Harry How/Getty Images
ADVERTISEMENT

Born January 22, 1968, Guy Fieri was originally had the last name Ferry. He kept his given last name through his childhood and into his 20s. However, he took on the last name Fieri (pronounced "Fieddi") in 1995 when he married his wife, Lori.

ADVERTISEMENT

It was then that he changed both of their last names to his family's original surname, Fieri. He did this in order to honor his great-grandfather, Guiseppe Fieri. Probably a good call on Fieri's part, because it's impossible to envision him introducing himself with the last name Ferry.

ADVERTISEMENT

Melissa McCarthy Based Her Bridesmaids Character On Him

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Bridesmaids
Universal Studios
Universal Studios
ADVERTISEMENT

If you've seen Bridesmaids, you know that Melissa McCarthy's character Megan is a very in-your-face and animated person. Well, this is because she loosely based her character on Guy Fieri himself. She told Conan O'Brien that "When I first read it, the first person I thought of was Guy Fieri."

ADVERTISEMENT

She attributes wearing her sunglasses on the back of her head to be a direct rip-off of Fieri's signature style and even went so far as to try and convince the producers to let her have short and white-spiked hair.

ADVERTISEMENT

He Was Trampled By A Horse

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Trampled By A Horse
Desiree Navarro/WireImage
Desiree Navarro/WireImage
ADVERTISEMENT

At the young age of 10, Fieri was thrown by a horse and then trampled by it, causing horrific bodily damage. The accident resulted in terrible damage to his liver, including a bruised heart, nearly killing him.

ADVERTISEMENT

At the time, his parents were backpacking in Europe which forced his family's attorney to sign a court order to allow for emergency surgery. Luckily, he made a full recovery although was left with a large scar on his stomach where he was operated on.

ADVERTISEMENT

He Lives In An Amazing House That Was Once A Fixer-Upper

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
kitchen
Food Network
Food Network
ADVERTISEMENT

Fieri, his wife, Lori, and their two sons live in Santa Rosa, California. His fans know he's not afraid of hard work and that was certainly the case for this house, which was a huge fixer-upper project initially.

ADVERTISEMENT

It's far from that now, though. It's been redone in a gorgeous mix of rustic and modern features and of course, boasts an amazing kitchen with amenities like three sinks, his-and-hers refrigerators, and a flat-top griddle. For the kids, there's a dream backyard including a trampoline, pool, and basketball hoop.

ADVERTISEMENT

He Has A Degree Outside Of Food

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
GettyImages-512559712
Thaddaeus McAdams/Getty Images for SOBEWFF®
Thaddaeus McAdams/Getty Images for SOBEWFF®
ADVERTISEMENT

Before devoting his entire life to the food industry, Fieri went to college at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. There, he worked in various restaurants on the side, including one job as a flambé captain. He then graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Hotel Management in 1990, which would greatly help him in the opening and running his numerous restaurants in the future.

ADVERTISEMENT

Yet, after graduating, he wasn't ready to completely walk away from the food business and continued working in restaurants. By 1996, he had opened up his first restaurant, Johnny Garlic's, in Santa Rosa, California in 1996

ADVERTISEMENT

He Didn't Learn Food From His Parents

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
GettyImages-512605712
MIAMI BEACDylan Rives/Getty Images for SOBEWFF®
MIAMI BEACDylan Rives/Getty Images for SOBEWFF®
ADVERTISEMENT

While most chefs might attribute their love for food and cooking skills to their parents or other family members growing up, that's not the case for Fieri. Fieri describes his parents as being hippies and says they were driven towards a more healthy cuisine while he was growing up.

ADVERTISEMENT

Fieri told Food Network that "My parents were all into macrobiotic cooking and natural cooking, and my sister was a vegetarian." Fieri, on the other hand, clearly found his calling in the meat department which is obvious in his cooking style and television shows.

ADVERTISEMENT

His Son Is Following In His Footsteps

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Hunter Fieri
Cassidy Sparrow/Getty Images for TAO Group
Cassidy Sparrow/Getty Images for TAO Group
ADVERTISEMENT

Unsurprisingly, one of Fieri's son's is following in his footsteps and pursuing a career in the culinary arts and empire building business like his father. His eldest, Hunter, is currently attending the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and is enrolled in the hospitality program like his father once did.

ADVERTISEMENT

On top of that, he is also interning with Caesar's where famous chefs such as Bobby Flay, Gordon Ramsay, and Giada De Laurentiis all have renowned restaurants. He has a lot of opportunities open for him and it appears it's what he really wants to do.

ADVERTISEMENT

He Got A Star On The Hollywood Walk Of Fame

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Restaurateur Guy Fieri attends his Hollywood Walk of Fame Star Ceremony
Xinhua/Zhao Hanrong via Getty Images
Xinhua/Zhao Hanrong via Getty Images
ADVERTISEMENT

In June 2018, the inductees for the 2019 class of people getting a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame were announced, and Guy Fieri was on the list. This is a huge accomplishment for Fieri, as his name will be on the Walk of Fame along with some of media's greatest such as Walt Disney, Alfred Hitchcock, among countless others.

ADVERTISEMENT

In 2019, he attended his induction ceremony along with other stars such as Robert De Niro, Dolly Parton, and Jackie Wilson. The late celebrity chef Julia Child was also honored although she is deceased.

ADVERTISEMENT

Billionaire Steve Cohen Paid To Hang Out With Him For A Day

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Irie Weekend 2018
Jason Koerner/Getty Images
Jason Koerner/Getty Images
ADVERTISEMENT

Believe it or not, billionaire and former hedge fund manager, Steve Cohen, is a huge fan of Guy Fieri, especially his show Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives. So, he decided that he wanted to spend a day with the chef and asked his manager what the price tag would be for such a meetup.

ADVERTISEMENT

The price was set at $100,000 which is pocket change for Cohen who happily handed over the money. The two eventually met and drove around Connecticut and pretended to be on an episode of Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives. The two remain friends today.

ADVERTISEMENT

Guy Doesn't Travel In Small Groups

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Doesn't Travel In Small Groups
Food Network
Food Network
ADVERTISEMENT

When Fieri is busy touring the country in his classic American muscle cars, it's usually not just him and a camera crew. He usually brings along a rather large entourage to keep him company and to have a little fun.

ADVERTISEMENT

At times, the group is known to get a little rowdy, spending nights out on the town, only to cure their hangovers with delicious food the next day. At one point, the entire posse and camera crew almost got kicked out of a hotel after one of Guy's friends broke an elevator drunkenly jumping while it was moving.

ADVERTISEMENT

His First Attempt To Get On The Food Network Failed

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Failed First Attempt
John Parra/WireImage
John Parra/WireImage
ADVERTISEMENT

Back in 2004, Fieri tried his hand at the Food Channel with no luck. He auditioned for a show about barbecuing but he didn't convince any of the Food Network executives. Ready to admit defeat, it was actually his friends that convinced him not to give up doing something with Food Network.

ADVERTISEMENT

Luckily, he listened because he eventually scored the show he wanted and has grown to become one of the most recognizable faces on the entire network. The channel certainly wouldn't have been the same without him.

ADVERTISEMENT

He Can't Stand Eggs

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Eggs
Ethan Miller/Getty Images
Ethan Miller/Getty Images
ADVERTISEMENT

If you've seen any of Fieri's shows, especially Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives, you know that he will eat just about anything that's put in front of him. Most of the dishes he tries aren't for the faint of heart either. However, there's one particular food that he downright despises eating, and that's eggs.

ADVERTISEMENT

While he cooks with them all the time, he stays far away from them when it comes to eating them. Chefs on his show will purposefully leave out the eggs in a recipe or replace them with something else, otherwise, he'll just eat around them.

ADVERTISEMENT

Fieri Is Worth $80 Million To The Food Network

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
guy fieri laughing
John Parra/Getty Images for Bullseye Event Group
John Parra/Getty Images for Bullseye Event Group
ADVERTISEMENT

Not looking to let their prized chicken escape the coop, Food Network signed Guy Fieri to a three-year, $80 million contract extension in 2021. His nearly $30 million a year salary makes the Mayor of Flavortown, not just the highest-paid Food Network personality, but also one of the highest-paid hosts on cable television.

ADVERTISEMENT

The new contract gives Fieri a reported $50 million raise from his previous contract.

ADVERTISEMENT

He Didn't Know What A Real Diner Was

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Diner
Cindy Ord/Getty Images for SiriusXM
Cindy Ord/Getty Images for SiriusXM
ADVERTISEMENT

Ironically enough, considering he has a show called Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives, at one point, Fieri wasn't entirely sure what a true diner was. Growing up in rural Humboldt County, California, he wasn't exposed to what the rest of the country would consider a classic diner so he had his own definition.

ADVERTISEMENT

He thought that diners were the same thing as your average hamburger stand, and didn't think that diners could have large menus because that meant they couldn't do any one thing well. He eventually discovered that was far from the truth.

ADVERTISEMENT

Anthony Bourdain Made His Opinion About Fieri Very Clear

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Anthony Bourdain
Alexander Tamargo/Getty Images
Alexander Tamargo/Getty Images
ADVERTISEMENT

Anthony Bourdain was never shy about speaking what was on his mind, which was certainly the case when it came to Guy Fieri. On multiple occasions, made it very obvious that he basically didn't like anything about him.

ADVERTISEMENT

In an interview with Atlanta Magazine, he commented "The minute that you become a father, certain truths become immediately obvious to you [...] I wonder about him. He's 52 years old and still rolling around in the flame outfit."

ADVERTISEMENT

He Loves Vanity License Plates

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
2019 Stagecoach Festival - Day 1
Scott Dudelson/Getty Images for Stagecoach
Scott Dudelson/Getty Images for Stagecoach
ADVERTISEMENT

If there's one thing Guy Fieri can't get enough of, it's cars. He has a massive car collection and is quite a fan of vanity license plates. He likes to make the based off his interests of food, cars, and living life in the fast lane.

ADVERTISEMENT

Some of his most memorable plates have included FLVRTWN, FOOD FYT, CADLAQ, LIVFAST, and BLKTRFL. The majority of the cars in his collection are bright yellow and he isn't afraid to add some flames on the side to give them a pinch of style.

ADVERTISEMENT

He Has A Pet Tortoise

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
2022 South Beach Wine And Food Festival
Alexander Tamargo/Getty Images
Alexander Tamargo/Getty Images
ADVERTISEMENT

One of the newest additions to the Fieri family is their pet tortoise named Pops. He is a sulcata, which means that his species can grow to be as large as a barrel. Plenty of other celebrities own this type of tortoise including Colin Kapernick and Leonardo DiCaprio.

ADVERTISEMENT

He recently added another tortoise to the herd to keep Pops company. The tortoises live in a pen in Fieri's Santa Rosa home, but they will break out from time to time.

ADVERTISEMENT

He Doesn't Always Like The Food On Diners, Drive-Ins, And Dives

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
guy fieri holding a plate of food in the kitchen
Paul Zimmerman/Getty Images
Paul Zimmerman/Getty Images
ADVERTISEMENT

There have been hundreds of episodes of Drivers, Dine-Ins, and Dives, and there's no way that any person would like every single dish that was served to them. Fieri has admitted that he would like to give all the chefs great reviews on-screen but will try to keep it to himself if he isn't thrilled with the dish.

ADVERTISEMENT

If the chef asks him for some tips he will give them some but doesn't like to interfere with their cooking methods.

ADVERTISEMENT

His Iconic Hairdo Happened By Accident

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
guy fieri wearing a red shirt and sunglasses flipping a pan of food
Logan Fazio/FilmMagic/Getty Images
Logan Fazio/FilmMagic/Getty Images
ADVERTISEMENT

Looking at a photo of Fieri when he was younger versus his current look may put some people into shock. He never imagined how much people would comment over his signature bleach blonde, spiky hairdo, and goatee.

ADVERTISEMENT

The origin of the hairdo came when he went to his friend and hairdresser Christina Jones and told her to do whatever she wanted with his look. At first, he was horrified, but now he could never imagine looking any different.

ADVERTISEMENT

Why His Red Camaro Is Featured The Most On His Show

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
guy fieri riding in his red camaro with three cheerleaders
Ethan Miller/Getty Images
Ethan Miller/Getty Images
ADVERTISEMENT

Every episode of Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives starts with Fieri giving a summary of where he will visit all while driving his classic red 1968 Camaro. When the show debuted, Fieri used various cars, but wanted the Camaro to be his trademark after more episodes were ordered.

ADVERTISEMENT

One of the reasons why he chose the Camaro is because it's a convertible, which makes it easier for big cameras to follow him around. Also, Fieri doesn't actually drive the car. He gets pulled by a trailer and simply opens and closes the doors. This is mainly because the car is worth $100,000.

ADVERTISEMENT

How He Deals With The Haters

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
guy fieri wearing headphones and speaking into a microphone on the radio
John Lamparski/Getty Images
John Lamparski/Getty Images
ADVERTISEMENT

Anyone in the public eye will have to deal with criticism. Some celebrities let that get to them, but not Fieri. His persona and restaurants will often get made fun of for their tacky nature and that's something he is not ashamed of one bit.

ADVERTISEMENT

"If someone has a concern with what I eat, or how I dress, brother, take all that energy and go focus on something for yourself," said Fieri. He is confident about his lifestyle and personal interests, which has made him one of the top food personalities in the world.

ADVERTISEMENT

He Always Starts His Day Off With This

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
guy fieri pouring hot sauce in a bowl
Roger Kisby/Getty Images
Roger Kisby/Getty Images
ADVERTISEMENT

It's been established that Fieri will never touch liver or eggs, but there's one food item he always incorporates into his day. He tries to find a balance in his nutrition and starts of the day by having a green juice filled with fruits and vegetables made fresh in a juicer.

ADVERTISEMENT

That isn't the only drink he has everyday. Fieri also loves to indulge with an Americano, a type of coffee with espresso shots. He prefers to not eat in the morning because he often has to try a lot of dishes during the day while filming Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives.

ADVERTISEMENT

His Favorite Places To Travel

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
guy fieri standing in times square
D Dipasupil/Getty Images
D Dipasupil/Getty Images
ADVERTISEMENT

Since Fieri has his own food and travel show, he gets to scour the globe finding the best places to eat. During his down time he has a few special locations that are near and dear to his heart. He loves Florida because of the beaches, cuisine, and mix of cultures. He also likes Cuba for this same reason.

ADVERTISEMENT

He told Parade that his dream would be to live in Mexico and he even owns some property there. In the future he hopes to live on the beach, open a restaurant nearby, and cook whatever is fresh that day.

ADVERTISEMENT

The Unusual Way He Met His Wife

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
guy fieri and his wife lori
Paul Archuleta/Getty Images
Paul Archuleta/Getty Images
ADVERTISEMENT

Many couples have cute stories of how they met and the one between Fieri and his wife Lori is very interesting. When Fieri was running a restaurant in Long Beach several decades ago he was forced to fire Lori's friend from the restaurant.

ADVERTISEMENT

As he was firing her, he saw a blonde woman walk up behind his employee who yelled at Fieri not to fire her. This blonde woman was Lori and the instant that Fieri saw her he knew that she would be the love of his life. The two were married in 1995 and have two sons named Hunter and Ryder.

ADVERTISEMENT

Imitation Is The Sincerest Form Of Flattery

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
bobby moynihan dresses as guy fieri on Saturday Night Live
NBC
NBC
ADVERTISEMENT

One of the ways to tell if you've made it is if someone on Saturday Night Live is doing an impression of you. When former cast member Bobby Moynihan was on the show he would frequently do a spot-on impression of Fieri. While some celebrities despise this, Fieri couldn't have been more thrilled.

ADVERTISEMENT

He was such as fan of Moynihan's impression that it led to the two of them becoming friends.