Bizarre Things Restaurants Must Follow To Appear On Diners, Drive-Ins, & Dives
Guy Fieri has been traveling the country in his shiny red Camaro visiting countless Diners, Drive-Ins, & Dives for nearly 20 years.
Producers are normally the ones who scout out places to be featured on Diners, Drive-Ins, & Dives. But there are no rules that say you or your customers can’t submit your eatery to Food Network.
There are a list of rules that restaurants need to follow in order to be featured on this mega hit show.
I’m going to give you suggestions I found online on how your eatery can entice Guy Fieri, Food Network producers, and the folks that work magic behind the scenes so you can have your shot at 15 minutes of fame.
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Submit your restaurant online at the Food Network Site.
You, along with your customers are allowed to make suggestions. All you have to do, is email [email protected] and include your contact information.
How to shine in the eyes of the Food Network Producers?
You must make sure to give them all the reasons why YOUR restaurant stands out. Everyone has a backstory. For Instance, your restaurant features recipes from your ancestors, or you found these unique recipes behind a wall during a renovation. Maybe you worked on Wall Street and changed gears to fulfill a lifelong dream. Maybe your restaurant was a converted house that was once haunted.
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Be prepared to be heavily interrogated by producers.
These people don’t mess around! They conduct several rounds of interviews before deciding if you make the cut. Be PREPARED to be grilled. Also, you need to submit your recipes in advance of filming.
Your restaurant MUST have Guy Fieri’s approval.
The producers do all the leg work and compile a list of places they feel deserve a shot. A few months before filming, the producers submit their list to Guy Fieri and he chooses the places he wants to visit. He has the final say in who gets on the show.
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Months of preparation go into each episode. Once you’re chosen, they work with the owners to build a storyline on how you’re going to be presented.
No money will exchange hands.
You cannot offer Food Network money, nor will you be paid to have your restaurant on the show.
Expect to wait a long time before you hear back.
The lag time between interviews and acceptance on the show can be months. Once they finally contact you, you may only have a week to prepare. Also, it could be as long as a year before your episode airs.
Cook everything from scratch.
Restaurants that are known to do that are more likely to be featured on the show.
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Be Prepared to close your restaurant for a couple of days.
Typically a Triple D shoot lasts two days.
You must foot the bill for your ingredients.
You are NOT reimbursed for the ingredients used while filming your segment. According to Yahoo, Some restaurants have said they calculated spending as much as $12,000 to $15,000 in total expenses.
You have to follow a script.
Because the story arc is formed before cameras roll, there’s a specific script you follow. Guy is known to improvise and say things off-the-cuff to make the show fun.
Customers are invited to be on set during the filming.
If you’re a good customer, or perhaps the customer who recommended the eatery, more than likely you’ll be invited to film. Customers are chosen, so there are no random customers involved. Don’t expect all customers to sit down and chat with Guy, that’s decided beforehand.
Guy Hates liver and eggs!
Do not under any circumstances create dishes with these items.
Does Guy really like your food?
How do fans decode whether Guy really digs your grub? If he takes a second bite, your food is definitely on point.
Be prepared for the Triple D Effect.
(Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
There will be an onslaught of new customers after your restaurant is featured on the show. People from all over the country will be lined up to check you out. You’ll probably have to order extra inventory. It’s possible your place will develop a cult following which is a huge revenue generator.
Stay the course.
The onslaught of customers may last a few months, or perhaps several years. Do not do anything drastically different if you were already a successful establishment. You can add a few new things to the menu, but don’t take any items off the menu that were featured on the show. People want to try them. Don’t forget re-runs. I’ve seen the episodes repeated for years.
. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images for Vegas Uncork’d by Bon Appetit)
