Hunter Fieri was only 10 years old when Guy Fieri was a winning contestant on Food Network Star. While the self-proclaimed "Kulinary Gangsta" has skyrocketed his net worth and social media presence since then, his son Hunter seems to be following in his dad's footsteps mostly because of his talent in the kitchen. Let's take a look at Guy Fieri's son and if he's the next Guy Fieri in the food industry.
?Beginnings
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Guy's son Hunter grew up around food and his dad in the kitchen. You don't just become Guy Fieri overnight. A personality like his had been brewing long before he became a household name and Hunter got a front seat to it all in Guy's ranch kitchen. "My dad taught me at a very young age how to use a knife, he had me cooking at 5 years old, cutting onions for him," Hunter told the New York Post. "When I was in third or fourth grade [Dad] tells me, 'I'm done getting up and making you breakfast at 6 a.m. before school. You're going to get up now, I'm going to teach you how to make breakfast,'" he added.
After graduation from high school, the foodie (minus his brother Ryder Fieri) travelled the world with his celebrity chef dad. Food Network followed along for the series Guy & Hunter's European Vacation, while Hunter and Guy spent quality time eating their way through Europe and learning about food. Hardly strangers to the road, Guy's family was also part of Guy's Family Road Trip and Guy's Family Cruise during his time on Food Network.
Career
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When it came time to go off to college, Hunter Fieri kept the essence of his father near. He attended his father's alma mater at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Though Hunter had big plans for post-grad, they were squashed when the pandemic hit.
Instead, Hunter has joined his Dad on his adventures, appearing on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives, as well as Guy's Grocery Games. "I always wanted to be on TV with him. When I was a kid .?.?. I was camera shy," Hunter said. "I felt comfortable with 'Triple D' because I knew all the crew, I knew so many of the restaurants."
Future
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Hunter plans to continue being best friends with his dad while they film their new seasons from their home in Santa Rosa. Although Guy has all the connections, Hunter doesn't plan to use them. He made it this far on his own, working his way up alongside restaurant workers. He almost even worked with Gordon Ramsay. "The Gordon opportunity — that was Hunter talking to Gordon. I don't call any buddies for favors," Guy told Delish. With Gordon on the line, maybe Bobby Flay is next!
Last year, Hunter Fieri went off on his own to do a solo project for the first time, traveling to a North Dakota farm to film a short documentary on how ZENB creates their yellow pea pasta. Although he was nervous at first, he took his father's advice to "just be himself" and successfully filmed the 12-minute documentary. As he told PEOPLE, "It's my first time really going out there by myself and believing in something and getting after it."
Despite feeling hesitant, he used the lessons he's learned from a lifetime of observing his dad and experiencing the worlds of food and media through his father's career. As he told PEOPLE, "I just took what I learned from my dad and from his manager and from all the friends and mentors that've helped me along the way. And I just remembered what I was taught and I put everything I had forward."
Watch the short documentary showcasing his talent below!
We can only guess where Hunter Fieri's passions will take him next. As he says in his LinkedIn profile, "I have a passion for cooking and restaurants. I love every aspect in the food industry and have some necessary skills, knowledge, and experience." Based on this and his continued involvement with his Dad's food-based career, there's a good chance that the young Fieri will continue down the path of his father, but choosing his own way to go about it.
Guy and Lori Fieri's 'Prince of Flavortown' might even own restaurants someday. If Guy is the flavor king of the Flavortown horizon, it's only right that Hunter Fieri be the dubbed the prince. Name a better father-son duo. We'll wait.
