Guy Fieri Makes His Entrance
 

The Daily Sun reported that Guy Fieri of triple D fame is going to open a restaurant down at Lake Sumter Landing next to Barnes and Noble.

I predict people will have to enter a lottery in order just to get a seat in the place.

I predict because Fieri has entered the market, competition is going to heat up and other prominent restaurants are going to be drawn to The Villages.

I predict that we have one poster who will reason out loud whether the cheap skate residents will pay Fieri's prices:D

Lottery YES
Better restaurants YES
Let's hope fire is very hot for competition
There is already complaining about not paying his high prices. So Done

How exciting for us. Even though it will probably be a licensing deal (see Guy Fieri - Wikipedia) he has a reputation to protect so the restaurant should be presenting food at a rather high level. I certainly will be someone on line (or buying that "lottery ticket") to get a seat at his table.

Thanks for sharing this wonderful news.

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Addendum
After reading further posts, as well as some online articles, it sounds like I shouldn't get my hopes up that this will be anything special. But I can hope.

Guy
 

So, now we know the location is Whisky John's. I wonder if the Whisky John's operators are merely buying into the franchise, or if this a wholly new offering. After all, the news report says the turn-around on the site will take a relatively brief time.

As for this new choice attracting more restaurants to TV, I'll be happy if the competition just spurs the current ones to improve -- the country clubs in particular.

One of my favorite reviews of all time;

Restaurant Review: Guy’s American Kitchen & Bar in Times Square - The New York Times

New owners. Honest John's people are out of the picture. The staff was offered jobs if they wanted to wait. The girl we had Thursday was a single mom and needed to look elsewhere. Hope this does open up other options!

Sadly, the NY City location of his is failing. Here's hoping. I find him to be very swift.

That review is about 5 years old. I expect (hope) things have improved. We'll find out in about a month.

I suspect Guy gets a licensing fee and his corporation does the policing. If he shows up it will be because the group that licensed his brand will pay him an appearance fee. I suspect the only thing he knows (or cares) about what goes on here is what he gets from his business development group. We would love to think that he does all the decision making and research by himself but it's not likely.

Let's hope that Fieri has input into the menu and the menu resembles some of what we see on Drive-in Diners and Dives. For some of us given the large portions offered on Triple D we could go there order lunch and take home dinner and perhaps a later snack:D

Guy Fieri’s American Kitchen - American (New) - 1905 Hotel Plaza Blvd., Disney World, Orlando, FL - Restaurant Reviews - Yelp

Here are some more recent reviews from the Orlando location.

"It’s funny that Fieri, who has now licensed his name to everything from sugary barbecue sauces to brownie-themed K-cups, is now asking fans to “be realistic.” By saying he’s just the chef who writes recipes and has no command over the actual cooks in the kitchen — the ones presumably responsible for all that bad food — Fieri’s adding a rare, party-pooper note to his perpetually festive enterprise. It’s kind of strange." (grub-street review/interview)

While I wish any new venture to success..... Let's keep things in perspective that this is not exactly the Holy Grail of restaurants and I, for one, am not getting my hopes up...
It is not likely a poorly rated tourist chain restaurant, akin to an overpriced Chili's, is going to change the dining landscape of The Villages. If New York City and Orlando get such poor reviews, with their bottomless labors pools and resources, how do you think it will do here?
The truth is, this venture will be the same management, cooks, servers, bartenders, food, and service as we have always had, now with an inflated price tag because the owners are paying The Villages rent rates AND a celebrity endorsement. Like Guy said in the above interview, he just writes and sells the recipes and sells his name.. Not involved in executing the dishes and service to success...

More will be revealed

It was Honest John's. There is a new owner. The new owner has been involved somewhat with Honest John's and is friends with the previous owners. This will be a licensing agreement with Guy.
Some staff is staying, but there will be some new management.
They'll be doing some slight remodeling, they will set up the kitchen so it's effective for the new menu and, of course, will be spending time with training.
They say hopefully 2 - 3 weeks, but that we'll just have to wait & see.

Seems that location in Lake Sumter Landing has been the site of at least two different restaurants. Not sure that on a regular basis the restaurant would generate normal "eat out" traffic, but might be a special occasion go to place. The Villages might do well with more restaurants like Pollo Tropical and Boston Market that for some strange reason are not in immediate surrounding areas.

I will send Boston Market an e-mail about why there are not in the Villages' area. Rotisserie Chicken & Local Catering - Boston Market

Contact Us - Boston Market

finally some good food coming to the Villages

Bring back "TGIF" The place was always busy. The food was good. Why did they bail? Probably the fees they had to play.

Looking at his other locations' menus the prices look not much higher than Honest John's were. We'll see. But if they want to bring another celebrity restaurant here, I'd go for a Bobby Flay restaurant. Probably higher priced, but definitely worth it. Occasionally.

And what is is the business going to do between the "occasionally". That might have been what happened to Honest Johns.

The word "occasionally" is not a good word when talking about going to a restaurant. That's why high end restaurants, such as Capital Grille, would never make it here.
Also, a lot of high end restaurants count on people with expense accounts.

I wouldn't expect too much. This guy is more of a celebrity than a chef and its not like he's going to be in the kitchen cooking for you. These kind of things are usually the product of the celebrity being paid a bunch of money for the use of his name, a personal appearance or two and not much else.

Most people that find themselves in this kind of position are there more of a result of their ability to promote themselves and speak well than for actual culinary skills.

Geeezz based on some of these critiques I am already depressed and Guy hasn't even shown up yet.:D Gotta stop now Triple D's on television and I want to see what I am missing

Same mgt, different billboard= failure

Thank God I can take that restaurant off my list and it didn't even cost me a dime:D

I wonder what the menu might be? Will it be 2-3 pound burgers piled high with the kitchen sink as seen on most of his shows? I really don't eat that much at one sitting anymore so probably wouldn't support that type of restaurant. As far as Honest Johns goes my experiences have been disasters. Waiting and waiting and waiting for a table. They told me to come back in 45 min. I did, then still waited another 45 min to be seated next to the bar separated from my guests in order to finally eat. While waiting others coming in and being seated right away being told they had reservations but when I called they said they don't take them. Hostess just kept saying these people won't get up and leave, they just sit there and sit there. It was as I said a disaster and haven't been back since. No wonder they have been weeded out.

We loved Honest John's. We went quite often.
You can go online and look at menus for Guy's American Kitchen and Bar. There are a few of them and the menus vary. The menu will be more like the one in Mt. Pocono at the Mount Airy Casino. There will be some differences. Here is the standard menu.
http://www.mountairycasino.com/wp-co...FieriMenu2.pdf

Guy is not going to be in the kitchen, like Emeril, Mario, Michael, Paula and others. They do a drive by in some of their restaurants, and some actually spend time there. There is not enough time in the day for them to be in all restaurants. We have met some chefs by accident while in one of their restaurants but just pure luck

I hope you're right. How do you know this stuff?

Been to his restaurant in the Chester, PA casino. Fair food and a very high price

I think I will stay with Square One. Best burger and grass fed, organic. Delicious. Love the whole team there.

I am friends with those in the know.

I always enjoy your informative posts.

you know Guy Fieri:D

I wish, LOL ;)

Any updates Bonnie?

Not yet. I was in St. Maarten for 3 weeks. Hopefully soon there will be something.

Thank you. Getting hungry waiting ;)

I agree TGIF was about the only restaurant I liked in Sumter landing.

Review
 

I read the same revue and they said that the food was somewhere between poor and awful. He said that he working on it! If it ain't good he won't be here very long.

Please bring back TGIF! They were the best restaurant ever and they couldn't make it work.