TV show host and chef Guy Fieri arrived in Laramie this week to film a new episode of his popular Food Network show Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives at local restaurants, and students went wild at the chance to meet the so-called “Mayor of Flavortown”.
In the show, Fieri travels across the country to feature different restaurants. The show has visited over1,275 restaurants in over 400 cities since it first aired in 2007, according to the official Diners, Drive-ins and Dives website.
“Host Guy Fieri takes a cross-country road trip to visit some of America’s classic ‘greasy spoon’ restaurants — diners, drive-ins and dives — that have been doing it right for decades,” Food Network says on its website.
UW students gathered in downtown Laramie to get a glimpse of Fieri and his famous red camaro, which was parked in town with license plates featuring his iconic phrase: Flavortown.
Although it is unconfirmed which restaurants will be featured in Diners, Drive-ins and Dives, Fieri filmed outside of Born in a Barn and around other restaurants in the area.
“It was definitely a surreal experience. I kind of couldn’t believe it was actually him at first,” senior Ally Lytle said.
Once it was confirmed that Fieri was in Laramie, a crowd began to gather. Lytle also said she was in one of the outro shots with Fieri.
“It was so cool getting to see him in our small town,” freshman Josie Thomason said. “It was something that took me by surprise for sure.”
“It’s all right here, right now, on Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives!” Fieri exclaimed with the crowd in a video he posted on Twitter on Nov. 30.
Fieri also posted photos on his Instagram account featuring an unnamed kitchen and a photo of himself posing with crew members outside of the Sweet Melissa cafe on 1st street.
“I didn’t get to actually meet him, but just from his interactions with the crowd as a whole, you can tell he’s just a really wholesome guy who cares about his fan base,” Lytle said. “His crew was also super nice and made us feel super appreciated for supporting the show.”
Restaurants often skyrocket in popularity after being featured on Triple D, as the show is often referred to.
“I think having Laramie restaurants on the show will be huge for the Laramie community,” Lytle said. “I’ve been to restaurants he’s featured in Jackson and just because he’s visited, they have grown in popularity.”
“It’s already such a big talk for this town and I think it won’t die down anytime soon,” Thomason said.
For students like Thomason, Guy Fieri is a household name. “I used to watch it all the time with my dad,” Thomason said.
Lytle said that while she was not a huge fan of the show, her best friend got her into the culture and made her excited about Guy Fieri being in Laramie.
Guy Fieri’s visit comes as Laramie wraps up its small business week and prepares for the holiday season.
Learn more about small businesses in downtown Laramie, including restaurants, at the Visit Laramie Website: https://www.visitlaramie.org/
