The True Meaning Behind Guy Fieri’s Flavortown Catchphrase
Guy Fieri has finally shared the meaning behind his iconic catchphrase “Flavortown.”
“It just evolved into something that now includes ‘Flavortown’ foods, sauces, and all sorts of goodies,” he explained during his appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on Wednesday, February 27.
Indeed, the host of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives has transformed “Flavortown” into a personal brand, with cookware, delivery-only restaurants, and books marketed under the catchphrase. But what exactly, or where specifically, is ‘Flavortown?’
During his time on The Late Show, Fieri elaborated on how he coined the phrase and its unusual path to popularity.
“‘Flavortown’ was this fantastical place I imagined visiting every time I experienced something incredibly delicious,” he explained. “It all started when I had this massive pizza … I held the pizza pan and said, ‘Look at this beast! It’s like the steering wheel of the bus heading to Flavortown.’ That was my only line!”
Initially, Fieri didn’t realize he had created a catchphrase until fans began shouting “Flavortown” at him when they saw him in public.
“I mentioned it a few more times, like ‘a manhole cover in Flavortown,’ and then I started getting people approaching me at airports saying, ‘Hey! Flavortown!’” he shared. “Then someone called out to me, ‘It’s the Mayor of Flavortown.’ I looked at my film crew, bewildered, and asked, ‘What’s that all about?’ The crew explained, ‘You keep saying this Flavortown thing.’ … I’m now the elected mayor, but someone has named my son ‘The Prince of Flavortown.’”
Host Stephen Colbert chimed in for clarification: “So there’s a democratically-elected mayor and a hereditary prince simultaneously? Is Flavortown part of the United Kingdom?”
“Something’s amiss,” the chef admitted.
Fieri introduced the term “Flavortown” to the world after winning the Next Food Network Star reality competition in 2006. He became an instant celebrity but revealed to Colbert that it almost never happened.
“I had to create an audition tape, and I was hesitant about doing it,” he reminisced. “I was typically the friend encouraging others to step outside their comfort zones … I had never watched a single episode of the Food Network. I cook and own restaurants, so the Food Network was never on my radar … [My friends said,] ‘You’d be fantastic on [this show].’ To me, that sounded like, ‘Yeah, go on the show and embarrass yourself! This will be hilarious.’”
At the time, Fieri was residing in California and eventually decided to audition, but he mistakenly submitted a DVD instead of the requested VHS tape. Fortunately, a Food Network executive took his DVD home, leading to his selection for Next Food Network Star.
“My audition tape is absurd,” he confessed. “I was doing everything I could to ensure no one would want to call me back for the audition!”
He leveraged his reality competition triumph into hosting nearly 200 episodes of Guy’s Big Bite and later traveled across the U.S. on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, seeking out hidden culinary gems.
The chef has established 17 different culinary brands and owns 90 restaurants worldwide, including Chicken Guy! and, of course, Downtown Flavortown.
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert airs weeknights at 11:35 p.m. ET on CBS.
