Guy Fieri Gives Heartfelt Explanation on Why He Still Films Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives

By now, you know Guy Fieri as a pop culture icon. Though the chef has been in the limelight for the better part of two decades thanks to a whole host of cooking shows, the expansion of Twitter and social media in the digital age has given Fieri as much clout as one can get. Even though most would consider him one of the most famous celebrity chefs of our time, the Food Network host is still very much loyal to his roots — continuing to film his beloved Diners, Drive-Ins, or Dives show some 13 years later.

In a recent interview with CBS News, the chef says the show is something he still remains passionate about a decade and a half later because of the people he meets throughout the show. “A lot of these mom-and-pop joints are the fabric of the community,” Fieri told the outlet. “You know, these are places the kids got jobs, these are places where you got engaged, these are places where you had your great memories, these are places that you went and got a gift certificate as a donation to your kid’s soccer team.”

Throughout the thirteen years and 411 episodes released Fieri and his production crew have visited approximately 1,300 mom and pop restaurants throughout the world. While the series itself primarily focuses on food joints in the United States, some episodes have taken also taken place overseas in places like Cuba, England, and Italy.

Just recently, the celebrity chef took to his Twitter account for a big revelation — the Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives team has officially filmed at least one episode of all 50 states. The last state the series had yet to film in was South Dakota.

Most recently, Fieri has championed the fundraising efforts for the Restaurant Employee Relief Fund in an attempt to give back to restaurant workers affected by the pandemic.

“I started sending out personal video messages to all the CEOs that had any connection to the restaurant association: Pepsi, Coke, Cargill, Keurig, Dr. Pepper, you name it,” Fieri added. “I’m standing right here and I’m doing it. My wife, my kids are sitting here having dinner and they’re like, ‘You’re really losin’ it.’”

“And so anyhow, the next morning we have a conference call. And they said, ‘Pepsi just sent us a million bucks.’ I’m not kiddin’ ya, I had to pull over to the side of the road!”