Latest news with #ChickenGuy
Entrepreneur
18-07-2025
- Business
- Entrepreneur
Guy Fieri Shares His Customer Service Success Secret
On every episode of How Success Happens, I get to talk to awesome people and find out how they do what they do. This week, I sat down with the living embodiment of the word "awesome": Guy Fieri. I flew to Las Vegas to meet up with the Mayor of Flavortown himself at Customer Contact Week, a massive gathering of business and tech leaders showcasing the latest solutions, tools, and strategies for seamless customer operations across a variety of industries. Related: Martha Stewart Shares the Tree She Most Identifies With and How It Shapes Her Business Mindset We sat down with a bottle of his Santo Tequila and a container of tenders from his Las Vegas Chicken Guy! outpost and chatted about how the restaurateur, entrepreneur, TV star, and philanthropist got to where he is today. And importantly, how he is using his unique position to support restaurant industry workers, as well as first responders, law enforcement, and the military through his Guy Fieri Foundation. Listen to our entire conversation here or watch the video above. Below are some highlights of our chat, which have been edited for length and clarity. Subscribe to How Success Happens: Apple | Spotify | YouTube What does the word "success" mean to you? How has that definition changed over time? I think the word success for me means impact — having the energy and the connections and the empowerment to make really big things happen. My wife asked me what I'm going to do when I retire, what's gonna be the end game? And I said, it'll all be philanthropy. I was down at my house in Mexico for a week's vacation, and a little restaurant on the beach had burned down. No insurance, the place was just destroyed. There was another restaurant in town that was closed on Tuesdays, so I went to the restaurant owner and said, "Hey, can I borrow your restaurant on Tuesday?" I grabbed my friend, and we did a pop-up in that spot. And in this little fishing village in Mexico, they raised $15,000 in one night for the owner and his displaced workers. That's what success is. Since we're here during Customer Contact Week, can you share your best to entrepreneurs about leveling up the customer experience? One of my favorite books is Dale Carnegie's How to Win Friends and Influence People. I think people miss one of the points of the book, which is that you need to understand that everybody sees the world from their own perspective. The first thing I teach any of my team members is that when they are dealing with a guest who is having a negative experience, remember it's not personal. You didn't screw up the steak. You didn't make the table reservation late. But that does not relieve you of the responsibility to engage that guest. What is the first thing anybody wants to hear when something goes wrong? I am so sorry. That's very frustrating, and I am here to try to remedy this the best I can. Offer them a seat at the bar, get them something to drink. Engage. People tend to shut down and get defensive in those situations. We feel attacked. But you need to give your customers consideration and treat them as you would want to be treated. That is transformative. Related: Bar Rescue's Jon Taffer Shares the Small Business Practice That Drives Him Nuts We're talking here on Friday the 13th Eve. Are you superstitious? I'm not superstitious. But I'm very spiritual, though. I never believed in the afterlife or any of that kinda stuff, but when my little sister passed away, I started to get these feelings. I needed to talk to her. I went to a medium, and it was crazy, so many people from my past were showing up. There's no way anybody could make this up. Someone could study you for 10 years, and there's no way they can say the things to you that are being said. I asked if my sister was going to show up, and the medium said, "She's been here the whole time." And I said, "Why isn't she talking to me?" She said, "Oh, your sister says she talks to you every day." We were raising my nephew; he was 10 when she passed away, and she said she was with us the whole time. And that just connected everything for me. Here's my theory: a baby in a bassinet can't talk or understand us, but there's some connection that happens when we lean in. It's there. So I wonder if we are the baby in the bassinet, and there is some higher power that we connect with, even if we can't speak or understand. Listen to the rest of the conversation here. About How Success Happens Each episode of How Success Happens shares the inspiring, entertaining, and unexpected journeys that influential leaders in business, the arts, and sports traveled on their way to becoming household names. It's a reminder that behind every big-time career, there is a person who persisted in the face of self-doubt, failure, and anything else that got thrown in their way. Subscribe now on Apple, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts.
Yahoo
03-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Guy Fieri reality show winner sues over alleged breach of contract
The winner of Guy Fieri's 2022 game show Guy's Chance of a Lifetime is suing the Food Network star's company over an alleged breach of contract. Kevin Cooper won the chance to open his own brach of Fieri's Chicken Guy! franchise in his hometown of Philadelphia. The restaurant opened in February 2024 and closed around a year later. NBC News reports that Cooper filed a lawsuit in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania last week alleging that the company, Chicken Guy, failed to deliver on its promises. Fieri was not directly named in the lawsuit, though his company and that of his business partner were, according to the publication. In the series, which aired over six episodes between late 2021 and early 2022, Fieri told contestants that the winner would receive a franchise with a "full restaurant build out." Cooper's lawsuit alleged that the chicken franchise failed to deliver a promised $100,000 first year salary and did not cover more than $68,000 worth of expenses. He claimed he had to take out a personal loan of $13,500 to cover costs. Cooper is requesting full payment of the promised salary and reimbursement of the expenses. The Independent has approached Fieri for comment. In an interview at the time the show launched, Fieri said the series was not 'your every day, run-of-the-mill competition show.' Fieri, the creator of a string of hit Food Network shows like Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives and Guy's Grocery Games, explained that the latest project would not have any eliminations or 'meaningless cook-offs each week.' Instead, he continued, Guy's Chance of a Lifetime is 'a real-deal job interview for a life-changing opportunity' to become a franchise owner of Fieri chain Chicken Guy!. Unlike other cooking competitions, Fieri explained, Guy's Chance of a Lifetime would be a holistic assessment of the seven applicants' ability to run a restaurant successfully. Chicken Guy! launched in 2021, with 19 locations currently across the U.S. Fieri said in 2023 that he plans to 'die broke' and leave his children money only if they get 'two degrees.' He told Fox News that he won't leave his sons an inheritance unless they finish their schooling. The celebrity chef explained that he wanted to teach his children the same work ethic his father had instilled in him from a young age. 'I've told them the same thing my dad told me. My dad says, 'When I die, you can expect that I'm going to die broke, and you're going to be paying for the funeral,'' Fieri told the outlet. 'And I told my boys, 'None of this that we've been… that I've been building are you going to get unless you come and take it from me.''
NBC News
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- NBC News
Guy Fieri reality show winner files lawsuit alleging breach of contract over Chicken Guy! franchise
A man who was promised the "chance of a lifetime" from Guy Fieri filed a lawsuit against the celebrity chef, alleging that the Food Network star's company failed to live up to the offer he gave to the winner of his reality show. Kevin Cooper won "Guy's Chance of a Lifetime" in 2022, a reality competition show that promised the winner their franchise of Fieri's Chicken Guy! restaurant chain. Cooper, however, alleges Fieri's company breached a contract in a complaint filed last week in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. Fieri is not personally a defendant in the lawsuit, but his company, Chicken Guy, as well as the company of his business partner. A representative for Fieri did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The "King of Flavortown" told contestants in the show's finale that one of them would earn the key to the franchise with a "full restaurant build out." Fieri also promised other perks, including a first year's salary and start-up capital. Cooper's franchise opened in February 2024 and closed roughly a year later. The lawsuit alleges that the two companies behind the chicken brand failed to provide the promised $100,000 salary and failed to cover more than $68,000 worth of expenses related to the franchise. The contest winner alleges that he had to take out a personal loan of $13,500 to cover some of the cost due to Fieri's delay, according to the lawsuit. Cooper's lawsuit requests full payment of the promised salary and reimbursement of the expenses. "Guy's Chance of a Lifetime" originally aired on Food Network in late 2021 and early 2022, with only six episodes. In the finale, Fieri announces Cooper as the first-place winner but promises to waive franchise fees for all the other contestants if they choose to open up a Chicken Guy! location of their own. Fieri told Cooper that he showed "so much strength" throughout the competition and promised to open Cooper's franchise in Cooper's hometown of Philadelphia. Cooper was in tears after winning the grand prize. "This is crazy right now, I can't even believe it," Cooper said. "But I really came here and fought the hardest fight I could possibly fight. And I'm just happy, I'm grateful, and I'm thankful. And I'm just lost for words."
Daily Mail
01-07-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Guy Fieri faces lawsuit from Food Network reality show winner over failed restaurant
Celebrity chef Guy Fieri is facing a lawsuit over a failed restaurant that launched as a result of one of his reality shows. The 57-year-old chef launched Food Network's Guy's Chance of a Lifetime in early January 2022, where seven chefs were pitted against each other for a chance to run their own Chicken Guy franchise, one of Fieri's brands. Kevin Cooper, a chef from Philadelphia, was named the winner, with his winner's package also set to include a $100,000 guaranteed salary for the first year, along with a waived franchise fee, $10,000 set aside for any legal expenses plus assistance with the build-out space and operational expenses that exceeded revenue in the first year. Cooper's Chicken Guy franchise did open at the King of Prussia Mall outside Philadelphia back in early February 2024, just before Fieri spoke out about a 30 pound weight loss, though it closed just over a year later in late February 2025. While no reason was given for the closing, Philly Mag reports that Cooper filed a lawsuit against Fieri's company's Chicken Guy LLC and Earl Enterprises LLC. Daily Mail has reached out to multiple reps for Fieri for comment and have not immediately heard back at this time. Kevin Cooper (left), a chef from Philadelphia, was named the winner, with his winner's package also set to include a $100,000 guaranteed salary for the first year, along with a waived franchise fee, $10,000 set aside for any legal expenses plus assistance with the build-out space and operational expenses that exceeded revenue in the first year The lawsuit alleges that Fieri never provided that guaranteed $100,000 salary, despite requesting it numerous times. The filing adds that he also never provided operational expenses that exceeded the shop's revenue, as promised. Those expenses totaled $69,000, with $39,000 of that for Pennsylvania sales taxes alone, according to the lawsuit. The lawsuit is seeking the $100,000 salary and expenses that were promised after winning the reality series. While Cooper hasn't directly spoken about the lawsuit, he did post a cryptic video Sunday on Instagram, where he speaks about how 'quiet' he's been on social media lately. 'I know y'all have noticed I've been a little quiet lately, not just on social media, but in general,' Cooper began. 'However, there are some blessings in the quiet, right? There were some moments where I didn't even want to speak my truth, because the version of the God that was handed down by my ancestors, wasn't the version that I came to know in my quiet space,' he admitted. 'So for a long time I held back, because I didn't want to become just another black man pushing the blame because I was done dirty,' he added. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Kevin Cooper (@chefsteek) 'I also realized that I didn't want my life wrapped in a faith that was once used to enslave my peoples,' he added. 'But by the grace of the true and living God, I didn't just heal, I forgave. I came to know the Christ before those chains. I came to know the Christ who walked across Africa before those boats came,' he said, adding Jesus was the one who 'broke chains, not the one who binded people to them.' He concluded, 'I ain't mad, I ain't angry, and I ain't even trying to make anybody look bad, man. I'm just here to let y'all know that I am completely free and now I've got something to say, so y'all stay tuned. Peace.'
New York Post
29-04-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Dwayne Johnson had chicken guy follow him on 'SNL': Mikey Day
Where Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson goes, the 'chicken guy' follows. 'Saturday Night Live' star Mikey Day exclusively told The Post that the wrestler-turned-movie star, 52, had plenty of protein on hand when he hosted the sketch comedy series. 'This is more amusing than surprising. I figured Dwayne Johnson would have an intense diet and stuff to maintain his ridiculously shredded physique,' Day, 45, said while promoting his new campaign with Dollar Car Rental. Advertisement 11 Dwayne Johnson hosting 'SNL' on May 20, 2017. NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images 11 Mikey Day, Colin Jost on 'SNL' on March 8, 2025. Will Heath/NBC via Getty Images 'But when he hosted, I saw Dwayne's 'Chicken Guy,'' the comedian recalled. 'Which, distilled down to a basic description, is a dude who follows Dwayne around with this industrial case of chicken and occasionally approaches Dwayne and says. 'Hey Dwayne, sorry to interrupt but it's time to eat chicken.'' Advertisement Johnson, a member of the Five-Timers Club on 'SNL,' hosted the show in 2000, 2002, 2009, 2015 and 2017. The 'Black Adam' star has spoken before about his high-protein diet. He told Men's Health in 2022 that he eats the same six meals a day, starting with his breakfast that includes 'eggs, a meat like bison, a complex carb like oatmeal, and fruit, usually either papaya or blueberries.' 11 Dwayne Johnson with Beck Bennett on the set of 'SNL' in May 2017. NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images 11 Dwayne Johnson during his opening monologue on 'SNL' on May 20, 2017. NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images Advertisement At 10 a.m., he has his second meal that consists of complex carbs like rice, chicken breast, and greens. For dinner, Johnson indulges on protein such as chicken, fish, chicken or steak with a complex carbs dish like sweet potatoes and greens. In total, his diet is mostly 40 to 45 percent protein — and that includes daily protein shakes. 11 Dwayne Johnson at the 82nd Annual Golden Globe Awards on January 5, 2025. Getty Images Day joined the 'SNL' as a writer in 2013 and transitioned to a cast member in 2016, meaning he crossed paths with Johnson the last two times he hosted the show. Advertisement In the 30-second 'The Dollar Common Sensei' ad, Day plays the 'Common Sensei' whose mission it is to defeat travel nonsense and encourage renters to get the best deals by booking at 11 Mikey Day in the Dollar Car Rental commercial. 11 Mikey Day in an ad for Dollar Car Rental. Day told The Post that of all his cast members, he'd most like to do a Dollar Car Rental commercial with Kenan Thompson. 'I know the shoot would be fun as he just makes me laugh,' Day said of Thompson, 45. 'Even if he's just standing there saying nothing, I'm laughing.' The car rental agency accepted one of his pitches when they shot the commercial at TWA Hotel at JFK Airport in New York. 11 Mikey Day starring in a Dollar Car Rental commercial. Charles Roussel for Dollar Car Rental 'In the spot where I play the intense dog dad talking to my dog, I pitched the line, 'I tell everyone at work you're my human son. Which is pretty weird for a rental car commercial. But they were into it which made me happy,' he shared. 'They weren't scared of getting weird so they're my kind of people.' Advertisement 11 Mikey Day in the Dollar Car Rental ad. Charles Roussel for Dollar Car Rental Following the news that the UK is launching its own 'SNL' series, Day told The Post he expects great things from the all-British cast. 'British comedy/comedians have been so influential to comedy as a whole, so I think it's great. I'm curious what the show will be like,' he said. 'Sometimes British humor's a little more subtle so maybe it will be a little less loud than its American counterpart?' 11 Mikey Day attends SNL50: The Anniversary Special in February. WireImage Advertisement Day also said that one of the wildest, unscripted moments he's witnessed on the show was 'Heidi [Gardner] breaking character when she turned around and saw me as Butt-Head,' referring to the 2024 'Beavis and Butt-Head' sketch starring Ryan Gosling. 11 Mikey Day, Michael Longfellow, Jon Hamm on 'SNL' on April 12, 2025. Will Heath/NBC via Getty Images Some of Day's other most memorable sketches include 'Spelling Bee' with Will Forte, 'Haunted Elevator' with Tom Hanks, 'Washington's Dream' with Nate Bargatze, and 'Lord Gaga' with Colin Jost on 'Weekend Update.' After over 10 years of working on the show, Day told The Post he's more focused on the present rather than the future of his career. Advertisement 'The show has trained me to not think beyond the week in front of me,' he said. 'So right now all I'm thinking about are ideas for [next episode's guest] Quinta Brunson.'
