“Guy Fieri has raised $21.5 million forunemployed restaurant workers, which means Guy Fieri has done more for unemployed restaurant workers than Congress has in the last 8 months,” tweeted Gravity Payments CEO Dan Price.
“Who would’ve thought that as 2020 comes to an end, we’d be praising Dolly Parton &Guy Fierifor doing what the government couldn’t or wouldn’t…” country singer Joanie Reb similarly tweeted, referring to Parton’s financial donations for a COVID vaccine.
“God Bless #GuyFieri!” Van Hipp of American Defense International also said. “He’s already raised $21.5M for unemployed restaurant workers and stands w/our Mom & Pop shops to keep them open. He walks the walk and knows that #smallbusiness is the engine of America & the backbone of the free enterprise system.”
Even comedian and actor Patton Oswalt got in on the praise by tweeting, “Just your occasional reminder that @GuyFieri is aridiculously good humanwho walks it like he talks it.”
Fieri will also explore the impact this year has left on restaurant workers in a new documentary set to be released this month. Co-directed by Fieri and Frank Maston,Restaurant Hustle 2020: All On the Linepreviously screened at the virtual DOC NYC film festival ahead of its television debut on the Food Network. The movie specifically highlights the hardships and challenges faced by chefs Maneet Chauhan, Antonia Lofaso, Marcus Samuelsson, and Christian Petroni.
“I’ve traveled coast to coast visiting thousands of restaurants across the country onDiners, Drive-Ins, and Dives, and after all the time on the road, it’s clear that restaurants are the heart and soul of their communities,” Fieri said of the movie. “When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the impact on the restaurant industry was immediate.Restaurant Hustle 2020: All On the Lineprovides a real and intimate first-hand look into the lives of four top restaurateurs as they navigate through it all.”
Fieri’s reputation for helping others also made the headlines in Ohio over the summer. In relation to controversy over a Christopher Columbus statue in the city, a petition was launched torename Columbus, Ohio as Flavortown, as Fieri was born in Columbus. It was possibly created in jest, but as of this writing, over 130,000 people have added their names to the petition.
“Why not rename the city Flavortown?” the petition asks. “The new name is twofold. For one, it honors Central Ohio’s proud heritage as a culinary crossroads and one of the nation’s largest test markets for the food industry. Secondly, cheflebrity Guy Fieri was born in Columbus, so naming the city in honor of him (he’s such a good dude, really) would be superior to its current nomenclature.”
Restaurant Hustle 2020: All On the Linewill premiere on the Food Network on Sunday, Dec. 27 at 9/8c. Some details of this story come to us fromNewsweek, and you can check out the petition to rename Columbus as Flavortown atChange.org.
