HOME / NEWS / HUMAN INTEREST

Guy Fieri who raised over $21.5M did more for jobless restaurant staff than Congress, says Dan Price: 'Best dude'

Fieri set up the fund on March 27 as businesses across the US were starting to get impacted by the pandemic-related closures. None perhaps as greatly affected as the restaurant industry

Guy Fieri has raised more than $21.5 million in seven weeks to help unemployed restaurant workers with his Restaurant Employee Relief Fund - an effort which was touted on Twitter as his name began trending on the platform on Sunday, December 6. Fieri set up the fund on March 27, as businesses across the US were starting to get impacted by the devastating effects of coronavirus pandemic-related closures. None perhaps as greatly affected as the restaurant industry. Most of the donations were covered by companies like Moët Hennessy USA, PepsiCo, and Uber Eats, after Fieri made a personal plea to them. Their sponsorship has ended up collectively helping roughly 43,000 people to receive $500 grants, according to Bloomberg.

The self-appointed mayor of Flavortown has also produced a documentary, Restaurant Hustle 2020, focusing on the challenges the industry continues to face which airs on the Food Network in December. Fieri’s Flavortown Kitchen also plans to open a delivery-only chain in almost 200 locations, including Los Angeles and Minneapolis.

Dan Price, the CEO of the online credit card processing company Gravity Payments, who gained national recognition after he raised his company's minimum wage to $70,000, by slashing his wage from $1.1 million to $70,000, retweeted the news of Fieri, adding, "Guy Fieri has raised $21.5 million for unemployed restaurant workers, which means Guy Fieri has done more for unemployed restaurant workers than Congress has in the last 8 months."

Others soon chimed in with reactions. "I was lucky enough to receive one of those grants. Im so thankful for people like him," one of them wrote, while another said, "I’m never going to tear into Fieri ever again. He seems like a good guy trying to have a good time." A third remarked, "This guy is guiding my national food trip and I’m so proud of what he has done for those without @GuyFieri rocks!!" One more commented, "The free promotion for small businesses is a great point. How many times have you seen something on Triple D and been like 'ooo I wanna go there'."

Another remarked, "He's been amazing for service workers" One more tweeted, "You can say whatever you want about flavortown, but the man helps others." The next added, "Good for him doing the real work to help the people in his industry." One commenter said, "All Guy does is be one of the best dudes in food television and show he's an amazing human. #Givethemanahunch."

We previously reported back in May that Fieri donated $20 million to restaurant workers who were out of jobs as the coronavirus lockdown plagued every business on the planet. On a TMZ Live chat, Fieri shared how he managed to quickly raise $20 million for the Restaurant Employee Relief Fund launched by his partners, the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation. At the time, he joined the leagues of celebrities like Arnold Schwarzenegger, Ryan Reynolds and Gwyneth Paltrow, in awarding over 40,000 grants worth $500 each to the workers suffering amidst the ongoing pandemic.