Guy Fieri: Serving Philanthropy with a Side of Santo

Years ago, I remember watching the Food Network and seeing this man with bleached blonde hair pulling up to the most unpretentious restaurants around the country.

Just regular spots that offered amazing food behind the curtains—the kind of dishes that made you hungry just watching: towering burgers, golden fried chicken, and comfort foods served up with heart.

Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives felt like a celebration of the kind of food and people I knew: hardworking, humble, and full of flavor.

At the time, I didn’t know much about him—just that he had a big personality and loved showcasing the hidden gems of the food world.

As the years went by, Guy Fieri seemed to be everywhere. He had new shows, partnerships with cruise lines, and more ventures popping up.

More power to him! As for me, I’d still catch him every now and then on an episode of Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives, but that was about it.

Then 2020 hit, and everything went to shit.

COVID-19 shut down restaurants across the country almost overnight.

I was working at a restaurant in South Carolina when it all went down.

Suddenly, like millions of others in F&B, I was out of work.

No one knew when—or even if—we’d go back.

It wasn’t just our jobs at risk; every day, we were hearing about more lives lost to this thing, making it feel like the entire world was falling apart.

For those of us in the food and beverage industry, it was like sippin’ on straight chlorine.

The world around us felt toxic, and there were no clear answers for what came next.

People seemed more upset that they couldn’t go out to eat than the fact that we couldn’t even afford to eat.

But just when it felt like no one was paying attention to the struggles of people in our industry,

I heard about Guy Fieri again.

A friend mentioned that he had started a fund for food and beverage workers, so with all the free time I had at the moment, I looked into it.

Sure enough, I found out he had launched the Restaurant Employee Relief Fund (RERF).

He even personally called CEOs from companies like PepsiCo, Coca-Cola, Uber Eats, and Procter & Gamble to convince them to support the cause—and they delivered. Even calling out Jeff Bezos for not donating. 

Together, they raised over $21.5 million, distributing $500 grants to more than 43,000 restaurant workers across the United States.

Simply put, it was just amazing. It made me see Guy in a whole new light.

In addition to his work with RERF, I can’t help but notice Guy’s frequent involvement in charity events on Instagram.

Whether he’s hosting a fundraiser or supporting a local cause, it’s clear that giving back is a big part of who he is.

His philanthropic efforts extend far beyond RERF, including his work through the Guy Fieri Foundation, which focuses on uplifting communities through education and support.

Guy has also been a hands-on force during disasters.

In 2018, he teamed up with other chefs and organizations to serve Thanksgiving dinner to over 15,000 survivors and first responders of the Camp Fire in Northern California—a true testament to his commitment to helping those in need.

Not one to slow down, in 2019, Guy partnered with rock legend Sammy Hagar to expand the Santo Spirits brand.

While Sammy had introduced Santo Mezquila back in 2017,

Guy brought his culinary expertise and larger-than-life personality to the venture, helping launch Santo Tequila Blanco—a 100% additive-free tequila crafted from Blue Weber agave in Jalisco, Mexico.

Guy and Sammy’s collaboration is rooted in their shared love for bold, authentic flavors—and their vision has turned Santo into what it simply is: really good tequila.

With so much going on—from his impact on the food and beverage industry to his ventures in tequila—I had the chance to ask Guy some questions.

Here’s what he had to say:

Interview with Guy Fieri

How did a TV chef and a rockstar come together for the Santo Tequila project?

“The coolest part is that we became buddies through tequila, but it was only many years later that we actually partnered up.

As the story goes, back in the day, my restaurant Johnny Garlic’s sold more Cabo Wabo than anyone else in Nor Cal, so I won the chance to hang out with Sammy at one of his shows.

We became fast friends, and cut to ten years or so later, he gives the call—he wanted to join forces with Santo. He didn’t need to ask twice.”

Santo Tequila is known for being additive-free. Can you tell us why this was important to you and how it impacts the flavor and quality of the tequila?

“I’ll be honest, when we started tasting our blanco, I had never even heard the term ‘additive free.’

But I knew what I liked and what was resonating with me in the juice that I was tasting.

It was full-on agave and no BS. And of course, with Sammy being the OG,

I was paying attention to what he was liking and was pleasantly surprised that our palates were aligned.

As it turned out, we both dig the real deal—clean, pure agave, unadulterated by additives.

The fact that it’s become a ‘thing’ is just really cool because we believe in the old-school ways of making tequila, and it’s great to see the industry and the consumer taking notice.”

What sets Santo Mezquila apart from other tequilas on the market?

“For one, there’s not another one out there!

Mezcal has a lot of great qualities to it, but it can be alienating to some with the heavy smoke.

It’s great in cocktails, but it often takes some blending with tequila or some other spirit to strike a balance.

So, for us, creating a perfectly balanced blend of mezcal and blue weber agave tequila made a lot of sense.

And I think the proof is in the bottle. Give it a try, and you’ll see!”

Congratulations on your son’s high school graduation! As a fellow parent of a high schooler, I can relate—I still find myself acting as my son’s personal Uber driver. How do you balance being a busy TV personality, chef, and dad? Any advice for managing all these roles?

“Thanks, yes, we’re happy to be past the Uber stage of parenting, that’s for sure.

Good luck to ya! But the truth is, it’s not about managing the family with everything else.

It’s family first, and then the rest sorts itself out.

Of course, I’m busy and spend chunks of time on the road, etc., but there’s a trade-off, and we get to experience a lot of crazy adventures together that make it all worthwhile.

It can definitely be a challenge at times, but when you’ve got your priorities right, it just kind of works.

But yes, my wife and boys have obviously been pretty flexible in putting up with me all of these years—I know that!”

If you could do a shot of Santo with anyone from history, who would it be?

“My grandfather, Louis, and my great-grandfather, Giuseppe, on my dad’s side. I never got to meet them.”

Guy Fieri isn’t just building Flavortown—he’s building bridges.

Whether it’s through his tequila, his family values, or his unwavering support for the food and beverage industry, he shows that sometimes the biggest impact comes from staying grounded.

Maybe that’s the real recipe for success.