Guy’s restaurant was supposed to open April 2020 at the popular casino in Durant, Oklahoma. That proved to be the wrong time to open a restaurant anywhere in the world. The hiring process for the American Kitchen + Bar is happening now, and so far, no exact date for the opening is scheduled, but it should be soon. The new restaurant will seat 275 people. The Choctaw Casinos & Resorts website advertises its menu and atmosphere now:
Welcome to “FLAVORTOWN” — population: you
The Emmy-award winning chef, restaurateur, author, and TV personality, Guy Fieri, brings some of his favorite dishes to Choctaw Casino & Resort — Durant with Guy Fieri’s American Kitchen + Bar.
Chow-down some amazing appetizers, then grab a Big Bite Burger or Signature Sandwich.
Really hungry? Sink your teeth into some “Big Eats” like pasta, BBQ Ribs, salmon, and steak.
Then, get your drink on with a selection of craft beer or one of Guy’s famous cocktails.
So, order up, kick back, and enjoy a night of food, fun, and friends at Guy’s.
Guy is No Stranger to Texas and Oklahoma
Guy featured 74 diners, drive-ins, and dives on his hit Food Network show of the same name in Texas, and eight in Oklahoma. He has opened over 60 restaurants around the world. In 2012, Guy and his team won the American Royal 33rd Annual World Series of Barbecue® championship contest and the Houston Livestock & Rodeo World Championship Bar-B-Que Contest. The Barbeque Hall of Fame also inducted Guy in 2012.
Guy exclaimed, “I’ve shot Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives in Oklahoma and all over Texas and let me tell you, this part of the country knows good food. In Durant, you've got some good folks looking for real deal, scratch-made food, great cocktails, and a big-time party, and the Choctaw Casino & Resort brings the heat!" this year when discussing the opening of his new restaurant. Ninety-five miles from Durant in the DFW metroplex, Guy operates Maple and Motor in Dallas, Smashburger at DFW Airport, and Guy Fieri's Taco Joint at Texas Live in Arlington, Texas. Guy currently operates Bamboo Noodle Bar and Mason Jar Bar at the casino in Durant.
How Did Guy Become So Famous?
Fox Business reported that Guy Fieri earned 8 million dollars in 2012. Guy began life in 1968 as Guy Ramsey Ferry. His grandfather, Guiseppe Fieri, changed the Italian spelling of the family name from Fieri to Ferry when he immigrated to the U.S. Guy changed his back to Fieri. When Guy was ten years old, he and his father crafted a three-wheeled cart and named it “The Awesome Pretzel”. Guy sold soft pretzels and washed dishes for six years. He earned enough money to study as an exchange student in Chantilly, France. He fell in love with cuisine and the lifestyle that goes with it in France. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in hospitality management from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
Guy’s first restaurant, Johnny Garlic’s, opened in Santa Rosa, California, in 1996. Guy found his way to fame on Food Network when he sent a videotape to its reality show, The Next Food Network Star, in 2005 with over 1,000 contestants. He won in 2006 and hosted his first show on Food Network, Guy’s Big Bite, and also debuted Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives, that year.
But Really, How Popular is Guy Fieri?
In his audition tape for The Next Food Network Star, he said, “I like to live big, laugh hard, and cook wild”. Guy’s in-your-face personality, stuck-up hair, tattoos, and bowling shirts makes some people love him and other people not care for his style. Even though they only surveyed 3,000 people, the Daily Meal reported their survey results as:
2.1%: I've never seen the show, but something about Guy Fieri just turns me off.
7%: I caught an episode once and had to turn it off after five minutes. He annoys me to no end and the food he promotes is gross and unhealthy.
9%: I catch an occasional episode, but have no opinion of Guy one way or the other.
12.4% Guy Fieri ruined Food Network, promotes an unhealthy lifestyle, and his restaurants are atrocious. The world would be a better place if he were no longer a celebrity.
15.1%: I love him! I Never miss an episode of Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives, and love his style. His restaurants are great, too!
54.3% I Like Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives because it's cool to learn about all these funky restaurants. Guy is a good host, but I'm not obsessed with him.
YouGov, a cultural, commercial, and political think tank kind of engaging website that gathers public opionion data showed Guy’s popularity scale with these results: 30% of Baby Boomers, 35% of Millennials, and 26% of Generation Xers had a positive opinion of Guy Fieri.
How Good Is the Food at Guy’s Restaurants?
I checked out the reviews on Guy’s Taco Joint at Texas Live in Arlington on Yelp, and the majority of them were pretty bad with a few good ones sprinkled in them. At Guy’s Maple and Motor burger place, reviews ranged from great to okay. The reviews of Guy Fieri’s Vegas Kitchen in Las Vegas, Nevada, were great. Next, I surfed over to TripAdvisor where the review results echoed Yelp’s. The Bamboo Noodle Bar had good reviews on Yelp and Trip Advisor. A majority of reviews mentioned that the prices were a little high.
What’s New at the Choctaw Casino & Resort in Durant?
Since the Choctaw Casino & Resort in Durant has shaped up to become a world-class entertainment center, the American Kitchen + Bar will probably mirror Guy’s Vegas quality. The Choctaw Casino & Resort is expanding in 2021 with 1,000 hotel rooms which will bring the total to 1,600 rooms. The resort is adding another pool, a lazy river, more dining in addition to their 12 eateries, retail space, and a parking garage. The gaming floor will also grow larger. The Choctaw Tribe is investing $500 million dollars in their expansion which will add 1,000 jobs to Bryan County, Oklahoma.
