Guy Fieri Doesn't Eat at T.G.I. Friday's
Images from Guy Fieri's T.G.I. Friday's commercial.
A recent conversation between T.G.I. Friday's spokesman Guy Fieri and a TMZ cameraman:
TMZ: “I thought you only eat at Friday’s.”
Fieri: “No, I’m a Food Network chef, man, so I just do commercials for Friday’s. You know how it is.”
TMZ: “You like Friday’s?”
Fieri: “It’s a good gig.”
TMZ: “Good there?”
Fieri: “They back up one of my shows, called Ultimate Recipe Showdown.”
[via Food Network Addict]
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16 Comments:
In all fairness, I don't either.
lawofmurphy at 4:04PM on 11/18/08
also in all fairness to guy fieri, he doesn't say he doesn't eat there, he says he doesn't ONLY eat there.
sloppy at 4:19PM on 11/18/08
food network addict has all the dirt on the celebrities that matter (ie chefs LOL)! I visit often...*blush*
hungrychristel at 4:40PM on 11/18/08
But to add analysis to the fairness, he did say he *just* does commercials for them. The hypocrisy with "chefs"/TV food personalities shilling for chain restaurants is a little gross. Why they do it is beyond my comprehension. Is it really just the cash? Then damn! Ask the Food Network for a raise.
JustNancy at 4:44PM on 11/18/08
FoodTV is to food as MTV is to music, I guess. I just went to Mr. Fieri's website and there was no food at all, just tee shirts and pictures of the guy. I don't get it.
outsidecounsel at 4:50PM on 11/18/08
I'm adding this so folks don't get the wrong idea;
...to me, they're the only celebrities that matter.
hungrychristel at 4:53PM on 11/18/08
it's a business, no biggie.
more power to the guy.
foodinmouth at 4:54PM on 11/18/08
blah.
friday's, fieri, tmz, off the hook.
just blah.
intheyearofthepig at 5:17PM on 11/18/08
@outsidecounsel: you mean apart from the link on his front page that reads "FOOD" and links to websites for his restaurants, right?
I've wondered whether the TGI Fridays promo spots are actually a part of Fieri's Food Network contract since the chain and the network clearly collaborate on the Ultimate Recipe Showdown show. I think its fairly laudable that he was honest. People do know how it is though they often like to feign horror that there are commercials and that people get paid to make them.
I suppose in the interests of full disclosure I should not that I'm a fan of Diner's, Drive Ins and Dives though not really of Guy's Big Bite.
ccbweb at 5:48PM on 11/18/08
TMZ is really following Guy around? I mean, TMZ is low, but I'm just confused.
Laurel E at 6:04PM on 11/18/08
I mean, do we expect celebrity chefs to only eat at their own restaurants? Who cares where he eats?
Phil W. at 7:12PM on 11/18/08
I'm sure Booby Flay doesn't actually drink the crappy Gallo wines that they pay him to endorse.
jboylan at 8:01PM on 11/18/08
Fieri is a TOOL.
Curlz at 9:54PM on 11/18/08
Gallo makes inexpensive wine, not crappy wine.
Look at any chain restaurant commercial on the Food Network.There are none that I would consider eating at, and I doubt that many chefs would either (pure speculation on my part). TGIF, Red Lobster, Taco Bell, Olive Garden? Especially Olive Garden. Friends take me there because I'm Italian American, and they're surprised when I tell them that no Italian I know would eat that crap. The whole idea of "all you can eat bread sticks" is an anathema.
Don Luis at 6:18AM on 11/19/08
... This is disappointing seeing as that he tops Swayze on my "people to meet" list.
TaylorShocks at 9:44AM on 11/19/08
to me, this is a non-issue -- of course he doesn't ONLY eat at Friday's, & it's not as though he was like, "I don't eat that garbage." considering the types of food that Fieri is associated with, both on his cooking show & on Diners, Drive-Ins, & Dives, it's not as though Friday's is a huge step downward. (sure, chains are frustrating in their ubiquity & ability to squeeze out independent businesses, but mozzarella sticks aren't haute cuisine no matter where you eat them.)
& the Ultimate Recipe Showdown is a pretty cool concept for a show, including the Friday's tie-in. in many parts of the country, Friday's is one of the few sit-down restaurants with "atmosphere," & the last time I went to one, the most interesting items on the menu were contributions from contest winners. if Fieri's association with Friday's is helping Americans experiment a bit more with their food choices, it's not a bad thing.
courtguerra at 10:15AM on 11/19/08