Food Network Stars With Restaurants

Food Network stars take advantage of their fame in a few ways. The culinary celebrities will start a line of cookware, teach classes on MasterClass.com, or begin selling recipes out of ghost kitchens. But one of the most popular money-making strategies has got to be starting a restaurant.

These celebrity-owned restaurants tend to follow a few obvious steps. Stars will open eateries in Las Vegas or put their name in front of the title (see: Paula Deen's Family Kitchen or Guy Fieri's Tequila Cocina). Then, there are more sensible patterns, such as constructing a menu out of recipes previously made on their respective cooking shows. The point is, usually these stars' restaurants tend to be a little cliché. Plus, the novelty of seeing a Food Network-inspired business doesn't seem to be growing with age. As we all know, the glory days of this cooking channel are long gone.

To make matters worse, many of the restaurants owned by former Food Network stars are now closed. Some of that has to do with the up and down nature of the hospitality industry in general. Another wave of closures happened during the #MeToo movement (which is why you won't see Mario Batali on this list). Then there is COVID-19, which took out a significant chunk of these restaurants in its devastation to the hospitality industry in general. Even so, there are a few Food Network stars who've held onto their restaurants. Read on to find out who is still open for business.

Everyone knows the icon's signature look (bleached blonde hair, goatee, sunglasses, and all) but they may not know Guy Fieri's origins. Fieri got his start by winning the second season of "Food Network Star," the prize for which was his own show. "Guy's Big Bite" was the first of many Food Network shows that Fieri would go on to host, including "Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives" and "Guy's Grocery Games." Along the way, Fieri has been building a restaurant empire.

According to Fieri's website, the celebrity owns around 80 restaurants. Those restaurants are divided into around 15 different chains located worldwide. According to Wide Open Eats, Fieri's first restaurant was Johnny Garlic's (which is now closed), but the largest chain is Guy's Burger Joint, which has around 34 locations — including 27 on Carnival Cruise ships. You'll also find Guy's Pig and Anchor, another chain, on those cruise ships. Then there's a handful of Latin restaurant concepts, such as Guy Fieri's Taco Joint, Guy Fieri's El Burro Borracho, and Guy Fieri's Tequila Cocina.

Of course, given the greasy spoon-type joints Guy Fieri is known to visit on his television shows, it only makes sense that Fieri would operate several barbecue chains. As for those, there is Guy Fieri's Smokehouse, Guy Fieri's Chophouse, and Guy's Bar-Be-Cue Joint. Similar comfort food chains operated by Fieri include Guy's Sammich Joint, Guy Fieri's Pizza Parlor, and Chicken Guy!. If that wasn't enough, Fieri recently launched Flavortown Kitchen, a delivery-only restaurant with 175 ghost kitchens.

Bobby Flay famously dropped out of high school to pursue his cooking career. That probably gave him an edge as an early competitor on the Food Network show "Iron Chef America." But the first television show that Flay appeared on — and also hosted — was "Grillin' & Chillin," which premiered on the Food Network in 1996. Following that, Flay hosted shows "Hot Off the Grill," "Boy Meets Grill," "Beat Bobby Flay," "Food Network Star," and "Brunch @ Bobby's." Throughout his Food Network career and later on, Flay has been opening restaurants.

The first restaurant Flay launched was Mesa Grill NYC, which opened its doors in 1991 and closed in 2013, per Eater. Before it shuttered once and for all, it was an upscale restaurant that served Southwestern-style food. Flay later replaced Mesa Grill NYC with a Las Vegas location. But Mesa Grill Vegas also closed up shop in 2021. Other restaurants opened by Flay which are no longer open include Bar Americain Mohegan Sun, Bar Americain NYC, and BOLO, as stated by the celebrity chef's website.

As of 2022, Flay owns and operates two different restaurant concepts. There is Amalfi, a Mediterranean restaurant with a location at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas. There is also Bobby's Burgers, a fast food chain with locations at Caesar's Palace, Harrah's, and Paris in Las Vegas. Additionally, there is a Bobby's Burgers location inside Yankee Stadium.

Emeril Lagasse began opening restaurants long before becoming a Food Network star. Emeril's, an eatery with a New Orleans-inspired menu, opened its doors in 1990. It is still operating today. Next, the classically-trained chef opened NOLA in 1992. Per Eater, before the spot temporarily closed due to the pandemic, NOLA was known for serving Southern, Creole, and Acadian food. These establishments opened up before Lagasse ever joined the Food Network.

In 1993, Lagasse hosted his first Food Network show, "How to Boil Water." Then, he landed "Emeril & Friends." However, as Biography recounted, the show "Essence of Emeril" was what changed everything. Thanks to the hit series, Lagasse became known for his enthusiastic personality and tendency for punctuating his lessons with exclamations of "BAM!" and "Kick it up a notch!" — turns of phrase that would become fixtures of the pop culture lexicon. Lagasse would go on to host additional shows, becoming a food television star and expanding his restaurant portfolio along the way.

According to his website, Lagasse has opened nearly two dozen restaurants throughout his career. In addition to Emeril's, there is the American restaurant Meril, also in New Orleans. Then there's his seafood restaurant Emeril's Coastal in Miramar Beach, Delmonico Steakhouse in Las Vegas, Emeril's Chophouse in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and more. Those are just some of the ones that are still open. Compared to other Food Network stars, Lagasse has kept quite a few businesses open since becoming famous.

Giada De Laurentiis is a Food Network star known for her Italian cooking skills. She got her start on the Food Network as host of "Everyday Italian," which premiered in 2003. The show continued airing until 2011, and all the while, De Laurentiis added even more shows to her repertoire. Per the celebrity chef's website, De Laurentiis hosted "Giada at Home" and "Giada Entertains," plus some other series both with and without her first name in the title. While her television career was flourishing, De Laurentiis began opening restaurants.

De Laurentiis' first is an Italian restaurant simply named Giada. According to the Food Network, it opened for business in 2014. Giada is still operating today at its location in Las Vegas. The cuisine is said to be Italian with a Californian twist. Then there's Pronto by Giada, a fast-casual restaurant concept opened by the Food Network star in 2018, per Eater. Like Giada, Pronto by Giada also serves Italian food with a California flair. 

De Laurentiis also attempted to open a third restaurant, GDL Italian, in Baltimore. We think you can probably guess what type of food GDL served. It opened after Pronto by Giada, that same year, in 2018, per USA Today. Sadly, her restaurant didn't make it. GDL Italian succumbed to impacts of the coronavirus pandemic. Giada and Pronto by Giada both temporarily closed, but eventually, the two Vegas eateries were able to bounce back, and reopen.

Alex Guarnaschelli's name (and face) are somewhat synonymous with the Food Network. The former chef is well known for being a judge on competitive cooking shows like "Chopped," "Iron Chef America," "Guy's Grocery Games," and more. In addition to judging, Guarnaschelli has hosted series like "Supermarket Stakeout." Before doing any of that, though, Guarnaschelli was trained as a chef. She even worked in restaurants like Paris' Guy Savoy, a restaurant with three Michelin stars. Her experience eventually brought her into a role in helming a restaurant.

Guarnaschelli has only one eatery associated with her name: Butter. The food media celebrity has been the Executive Chef of the New York City fine-dining institution since the restaurant opened in 2002. As Executive Chef, Guarnaschelli helps to design the seasonal menus of Butter (a.k.a. Butter Midtown).

Butter is known for dishes that change along with farmer's market offerings. But Guarnaschelli's restaurant is also famous for being on the "Gossip Girl" television show — multiple times. Per Thrillist, the original location of Butter was in Manhattan's NoHo neighborhood. Since the restaurant moved to the Midtown area in 2013, what you see on "Gossip Girl" might not be what you get today. However, visitors to Guarnaschelli's restaurant in 2022 can still get their hands on Butter's iconic menu item: Parker House rolls served with butter. If that's not your thing, Butter's menu is filled with plenty of other classically American dishes. 

Ree Drummond is known for hosting "The Pioneer Woman," a show that's been on Food Network since 2011. Each episode, viewers watch her cook from the rustic setting of her Oklahoma ranch. Her cuisine of choice tends to be any and all comfort food. Along with the show, Drummond's blog is well-known. In 2010, Forbes named Drummond one of the top "Web Celebrities of the Year," thanks to her website's traffic of around 22 million views per month at that time. Drummond's internet and TV success soon allowed her to open her own physical space, for fans to taste her recipes IRL.

The Pioneer Woman Mercantile, located in Pawhuska, Oklahoma (the same town as Drummond's family ranch), opened in 2016. "The Merc," as it's called, is a trifecta: a store, a bakery, and an eatery. The restaurant part is fast-food style. You'll either get grab-and-go options or have a quick bite at casual seating areas. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are available and all of the menus are stacked with Drummond's recipes. One especially popular item is "Ree's Homemade Cinnamon Rolls," which are available on the breakfast menu.

At the bakery, Ree's cinnamon rolls are also available for purchase, as well as goodies like pies, muffins, biscuits, and more. The store part is full of Pioneer Woman-branded souvenirs, obviously. If you are in Oklahoma and want to visit, expect to wait. Country Living reported in 2017 that the store gets an average of 6,000 visitors per day.

Before several scandals (and lawsuits) alleging racist behavior, Paula Deen was a Food Network legend. Deen showcased her Southern recipes — and obsession with butter — on shows like "Paula's Home Cooking" and "Paula's Best Dishes" for over a decade on television. The Food Network introduced her to the world as an indulgent food celebrity, but her career as a restaurant owner began even earlier. Some of those businesses are still open.

The Lady & Sons is a Savannah, Georgia restaurant owned by Deen and her family. The eatery opened at its current location in 1996, per Britannica. Today, the restaurant has lunch and dinner menus full of Southern comfort foods, like fried green tomatoes, catfish, fried chicken, candied yams, and more. Diners can also experience family-style seating and free refills on any food item while visiting The Lady & Sons.

Deen's scandals led her to close restaurants. The chef closed Uncle Bubba's Seafood and Oyster House in 2014, according to Eater. Earlier that year, a former manager had accused Deen of using racist slurs (which she later admitted to doing). But one closure didn't deter her from opening new restaurants. Since the scandals — and the closing of Uncle Bubba's — Deen launched two restaurant chains: Paula Deen's Creek House and Paula Deen's Family Kitchen. In 2019, two locations closed, per ABC. But as of 2022, seven locations are open.

Michael Symon is a celebrity chef known for starring on Food Network shows "Burgers, Brew & 'Que," "All-Star Academy," and "Iron Chef America." His cooking style is informed by his Mediterranean and Eastern European lineage — according to the Food Network, his family has ties to Greece and Sicily — as well as his hometown of Cleveland, Ohio, per Symon's website. As the television channel notes, Symon has been running restaurants for over two decades.

Symon has three restaurant concepts open as of April 2022. Angeline at Borgata, a restaurant located inside the Atlantic City casino and spa, is one. Per Eater, it's an Italian restaurant named after Symon's mother, Angel. Angeline has a menu full of red-sauce specials like baked ziti and eggplant parmesan. 

Along with Angeline, Symon owns Mabel's BBQ. The more casual American restaurant has locations in both Cleveland and Las Vegas. Sara's, a secretive supper club-style restaurant located inside of Mabel's BBQ Las Vegas has been temporarily shuttered since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, according to Sara's Instagram. A handful of other restaurants owned by Symon, like Roast and B Spot Burgers, closed permanently. Bar Symon, a chain of pubs located within a few American airports remain open. Per Symon's website, "Michael Symon delivers a menu of hearty comfort food for travelers to enjoy in a vibrant tap house setting."

You've probably seen Duff Goldman on "Ace of Cakes," the reality-style Food Network show that showcased Goldman's real Baltimore business Charm City Cakes. Goldman has also appeared on other Food Network shows, such as "Holiday Baking Championship," "Buddy v. Duff," "Kids Baking Championship," "Spring Baking Championship," "Cake Masters," and "Duff til Dawn."

As a baker, he doesn't own restaurants. However, he still owns and operates the original Charm City Cakes location in Maryland. Visitors to the shop can order all sorts of prepared treats, such as cupcakes and jar cakes, from Charm City's retail shop. But that's only a small part of the business.

The main part is the custom cakes. The elaborate, colorful, life-like cakes made by Duff's team have led them to great heights. Per the website, Charm City Cakes was even commissioned to produce a dessert for Obama's inauguration. Customers today can still purchase one of these cakes. Clicking through the business' custom cake gallery, you'll find realistic desserts that Charm City has made in the past. There's anything from The Dude from "The Big Lebowski" to a box of crayons to elegant wedding towers. More interested in doing it yourself? Charm City Cakes also now offers cake-making classes for children and adults.

Yes, former *NSYNC band member Joey Fatone is a Food Network star. Don't forget that he has hosted the food competition show "Rewrapped" since 2014. The junk food-inspired program involves contestants competing to remake iconic snack foods on Food Network. It could be part of what inspired Fatone to make his own business centered around hot dogs.

Fatone opened the first location of Fat One's (an obvious play on his surname) in 2016. The hot dog business began as a food stand inside of an Orlando, Florida mall. Later on, Fatone also opened a Fat One's food truck. The business must be booming because Fat One's has over 15,000 followers on Instagram, where it calls itself a "NY-inspired food truck."

According to the hot dog business' menu, Fat One's serves several different dogs. There's the "Fat One," a classic with mustard, ketchup, relish, and onions. There's the "Baritone" (obviously a nod to his time in *NSYNC), a dog that's packed with beef chili, beer cheese, and diced white onions. There's the "Classic New Yorker" with Sabrett onion sauce and Brooklyn Flats, a side which is described by the website as a potato-based food that's somewhere between a French fry and a chip.

Wolfgang Puck is famously the owner of the Los Angeles dining institution Spago. But he's possibly just as well known as a food media celebrity who has appeared on numerous television shows, including Food Network ones. The Austrian-American chef hosted the "Wolfgang Puck's Cooking Class" around 2005. The show only lasted two seasons, but it was one of a handful of Food Network gigs Puck had, in addition to spots on "Food Network Star" and a few different "Iron Chef" shows.

Puck was opening restaurants long before his arrival on the Food Network in the early 2000s. According to his website, Puck opened his first restaurant, Spago, in 1982. It became known for its influential role in developing California cuisine, through iconic dishes like smoked salmon and caviar pizza. To this day, Puck's pizzas are often said to be one of the most defining meals of LA's food culture, per Los Angeles Magazine.

After Spago, Pucks' restaurant empire grew and remains today. Eateries that are still operating are Los Angeles' Chinois (or Chinois on Main), an Asian-Fusion restaurant. Then there's Cafe at the End of the Universe, a casual spot inside LA's Griffith Observatory. Puck also owns III, a Houston restaurant with a New American menu. There are multiple locations of Spago, CUT, Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill, and Wolfgang Puck Kitchen + Bar, located worldwide. Even more restaurants owned by Puck include The Kitchen & The Kitchen Counter, Ospero, Merois, and Lupo.

Masaharu Morimoto is a Food Network star known for being one of the "Iron Chefs" on the original Japanese show and the American version, Food Network version, "Iron Chef America." He has also appeared on "Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations." The Japanese chef's television career began in 1998, according to his website. Morimoto opened restaurants both before and after first appearing on the Food Network. Like other Food Network stars with their restaurants, Morimoto's eateries tend to have a connection to his unique cooking style showcased on television. The channel described his cuisine as having Japanese colors, French presentations, Chinese spices, and Italian ingredients.

With experience as Executive Chef of Nobu under his belt, Morimoto opened up an upscale sushi restaurant of his own. The first Morimoto restaurant, located in Philadelphia, is still open today. It was nominated in 2002 for the James Beard Foundation's "Best New Restaurant" award. Morimoto opened up another restaurant named after him, except in New York, that also won a James Beard award for "Outstanding Restaurant Design." But it's now permanently closed.

Other Morimoto restaurants, in Napa, Hawaii, Mumbai, Mexico City, and Tokyo, remain open. But that's not all, as the chef has kept even more international eateries afloat throughout the worldwide pandemic. There are others in Qatar, Miami, New York, Los Angeles, and other cities. As of 2022, Morimoto operates around 20 restaurants, most of them being fine dining places. It's no wonder the chef's net worth is estimated to be $18 million.

Aarón Sánchez is known for appearing on "Chopped After Hours," "Best. Ever," "Heat Seekers," "Chopped," and "Chopped Junior." He's also been a judge on Fox's "MasterChef" and other shows. Sánchez, who is Mexican and known for his Latin-inspired recipes, has one restaurant, located in New Orleans.

Sánchez's restaurant is called Johnny Sánchez, named after its two founders: Aarón Sánchez and co-founder John Besh, who later left the partnership after sexual harassment allegations were brought forth against his Besh Restaurant Group, per Eater. Over the years, Sánchez and Besh opened several restaurants together, but Johnny Sánchez is the only one left standing in 2022. Besh is no longer affiliated with it.

USA Today named Johnny Sánchez one of the ten best restaurants in New Orleans. The culinary blog Gayot described the interior design (somewhat unenthusiastically), saying "Chic, contemporary décor relies on multi-colored wooden chairs, eye-catching chandeliers and a mural depicting Mexican culture that fills one full wall." The blog also said prices were higher than anticipated. Luckily, per the menu at Sánchez's restaurant, you can expect happy hour discounts. For regular food offerings, there are Mexican dishes like queso fundido, chicken flautas, enchiladas, fajitas, tacos, and more.

Tyler Florence is a star of the Food Network. He's been on quite a few of the channel's shows, like "The Great Food Truck Race," "Tyler's Ultimate," "America's Best Cook," "Food 911," "Food Court Wars," and "How to Boil Water." In addition to all those shows, Florence worked in several acclaimed restaurants, such as New York City's Cafeteria, per Food Network. Florence later opened several of his own eateries over the years. The two left standing are Wayfare Tavern and Miller & Lux, both in San Francisco, according to the chef's Instagram.

Of his two remaining restaurants, Wayfare Tavern was his first, opening in 2014, per Eater. It's inspired by the Bay Area culinary scene around the year 1900, before the San Francisco Earthquake and Great Fire of 1906, as the restaurant explains. As such, the menu is mostly American food, with dishes like mac and cheese, caesar salad, deviled eggs, fried chicken, burgers, steaks, and more. There's also a raw bar and Victorian-era cocktails. The Infatuation recommends it, calling the Wayfare Tavern an excellent special occasion comfort-food spot.

Florence's other joint, Miller & Lux, opened in September 2021. It's located inside the San Francisco sports arena the Chase Center, per the restaurant's website. Like Wayfare Tavern, Florence's other eatery is inspired by history, specifically the immigrants Henry Miller and Charles Lux, a.k.a. the "Cattle Kings of California." Miller & Lux is (fittingly) an American steakhouse.

Donatella Arpaia is a television host known for starring in the Food Network shows "Iron Chef America," 'The Next Iron Chef," "All-Star Academy," "Food Network Challenge," and more. According to her website, the television host is the daughter of a first-generation Italian immigrant. It comes as no surprise, then, that Arpaia's cooking is filled with red-sauce recipes. Throughout her career, Arpaia has been opening restaurants that showcase her Italian roots.

As of Spring 2022, Arpaia owns and operates one restaurant concept: Prova Pizzabar. It's a fast food chain with two locations in New York City. One Prova Pizzabar is located inside the transportation hub Grand Central Terminal, one is part of the Moxy Hotel's Times Square location, per her website. Both have food offerings inspired by Neapolitan and New York pizza styles. Online, Prova Pizzabar has some lofty claims, saying, "Using the highest water content, longest proofing process and most authentic Italian ingredients, ours is the lightest, most digestible and purely-delicious pizza you'll ever eat."

On the menu, there's more than just pizza. Arpaia's restaurants also serve appetizers like Caprese salad, garlic knots, and "famous meatballs." As one of the dishes that Arpaia is most known for, you should take advantage. The recipe is inspired by a dish that the chef's mother would make — and they're good. As cooking blog Chewing the Fat says, "Mama Arpaia's meatballs are flawless. They are pillows of ground beef..." Don't miss the opportunity to try them at Prova Pizzabar.

You may know Eddie Jackson as a former NFL player, but he's also a literal "Food Network Star." He won Season 11 of the television show "Food Network Star," which aired in 2015. As is customary for winning, Jackson got his own series. He launched "BBQ Blitz," and then went on to host "Kids BBQ Games." The professional athlete-turned-chef would go on to appear on episodes of "Guy's Grocery Games," and host "Christmas Cookie Challenge." He currently owns and operates one restaurant concept: Rosehill Beer Garden.

Jackson's beer garden is located in Cypress, Texas, near Houston. It opened to the public in 2018, per Community Impact. According to the website, Rosehill Beer Garden features an outdoor space for enjoying brews, as well as a large food truck park. The park holds eight food trucks at a time. If you go, don't expect the same thing every time. Food trucks at Rosehill Beer Garden are chosen on a rotating basis.

An Instagram post from 2022 gives an example of the wide array of cuisines covered by the food trucks, during any given rotation. There is a fried chicken truck, a crawfish truck, and a pizza truck, all appearing at the same time. Jackson's beer garden even hosted a former winner of "The Great Food Truck Race." This is a fitting partnership, as that's a Food Network show.

Robert Irvine is famous for several different Food Network shows, including "Restaurant: Impossible," "All-Star Academy," and "Restaurant Express." As a guy known for appearing on shows where he fixes up restaurants, it's not surprising that he still owns a few. The English-born chef is in charge of two restaurant concepts, in addition to his health foods company FitCrunch, per Food Network.

One of Irvine's restaurants is Fresh Kitchen by Robert Irvine, an eatery located inside the Pentagon. "I believe one of the greatest things I can do with my success is to give back to those in need of a little guidance, or to those who make sacrifices that enable us to enjoy our freedom," reads the mission statement on the restaurant's website. The chef has a personal connection to those who serve in the military: Robert Irvine enlisted in the UK's Royal Navy at age 15. If you aren't a Pentagon employee, it's unlikely that you'll be able to dine at the Robert Irvine Fresh Kitchen. But in case you were wondering about the menu, it's focused on healthy breakfast and lunch dishes.

An easier option for the public to access is Robert Irvine's Public House, a restaurant located inside the Tropicana Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. According to the casino, it's notably a huge dining space, with 9,000 square feet and room to seat 275 people (at most). It's supposedly inspired by pubs. The menu is a hodgepodge of everything from fish and chips to pastrami sandwiches.

Chris Cosentino is a culinary celebrity known for several food shows. On the Food Network, he's been a part of "Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations," "Next Iron Chef," and "Chef vs. City," according to Cosentino's website. Outside of the Food Network, but still within the food media world, he won "Top Chef Masters" and later returned to the show as a judge. As for cooking style, it tends to be focused on Italian cuisine and meat. He's known for nose-to-tail and offal recipes utilizing all the parts of the animal (especially the organs). Even though, as he once told Men's Journal, there are a lot of challenges that come with balancing food television with restaurant ownership, Cosentino still maintains two restaurants.

First, there is Acacia House, a farm-to-table restaurant located in Napa Valley, California. Given the location, there's an emphasis on wine along with a menu designed by Cosentino, who is the chef. Per the restaurant's website, Acacia House has breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert menus. The food ranges from Mexican dishes like chilaquiles, to Californian staples like avocado toast, to Italian dishes like cacio e pepe, and more. Throughout all the menus, there's an emphasis on healthy, plant-based dishes.

Cosentino also owns and operates Rosalie, an Italian restaurant located in Houston. According to Rosalie's website, it's named after Cosentino's great-grandmother, an Italian immigrant. The menus consist of Italian-American comfort food dishes, with a slightly more refined preparation and presentation, which you can see on Rosalie's Instagram.

Celebrity chef Geoffrey Zakarian is a Food Network star if there ever was one. He's played a central role in some of the channel's most popular shows, like "Chopped" and "Iron Chef America." Additionally, Zakarian has starred on "Big Restaurant Bet," "The Kitchen," "The Next Iron Chef: Super Chefs," "Chopped Junior," "Chopped After Hours," and "Cooks vs. Cons." According to Zakarian's website, he is a restaurant consultant for a few different businesses. He opened a few as well.

Per Eater, Zakarian launched The Lamb's Club in Manhattan's Chatwal Hotel in 2010, but during the COVID-19 pandemic, he parted ways with the establishment, which served modern American cuisine. The same year service started at The Lamb's Club, he opened The National Bar & Dining Rooms in New York City's Benjamin Hotel, but as of this writing, the location is temporarily closed due to the pandemic. Zakarian also opened a The National location in Dubai.