Guy Fieri, host of “Diners Drive-Ins, & Dives”, celebrity chef personality, and devourer of the best burgers, is one of the most recognizable figures in the world of casual dining. From his delightful vocabulary of slang and catchphrases to his food industry heroics during the pandemic, Fieri feels like the fun uncle of the Food Network. However, not everyone is delighted with the Mayor of Flavortown, especially his home community of Sonoma County, California (via GQ).
The tension came from Fieri’s new wine enterprises. Although there’s sweet inspiration behind the winery’s name (it’s named after his sons), locals failed to see the sweetness with constant expansions disrupting the community. A new tasting room was to be built after Fieri’s team agreed to 76 zoning conditions, but more than 100 Sonomans still showed up to protest at the hearing. Worries over noise, drunk driving, safety, and the overall welfare of those living near a ritzy Fieri-fied tasting room meant all was not well in Flavortown. Ultimately, the tasting room was a no-go.
Guy Fieri’s wine business is not his only problem
The protests against the plans for the tasting room proved to be too much, and the proposal was denied, largely due to fear regarding the kind of people who would flood the town to try Guy Fieri’s Hunt & Ryde wine. Considering the controversial things people forget about Fieri, it might not be a surprise his neighbors were concerned about his expansion in their community.
It’s not just the residents of Sonoma County that have beef with Fieri, however. Among the many forgotten failures of Fieri are failed restaurants, scathing reviews, and a long-standing feud with Anthony Bourdain. In the end, the lack of a tasting room didn’t seem to harm Fieri’s wine business that much: There are new bottles still being made, and reviews on Wine Enthusiast are positive. Fieri appears to still be the Mayor of Flavortown, even if his neighbors don’t like living next to it…