Guy Fieri's Restaurant Reboot Presented by LendingTree Attracts Over 4 Million Viewers

José Andrés, Shaquille O'Neal, Marcus Samuelsson, Rob Gronkowski, Cat Cora, Buddy Valastro, Old Dominion, Diplo, and More Joined to Celebrate Local Restaurants; Guy Awarded Over $300,000 Live to Existing and Aspiring Restaurateurs

Guy Fieri, chef, restaurateur, and Emmy Award-winning TV host, has wrapped the inaugural Guy's Restaurant Reboot Presented by LendingTree, one of the largest culinary events of all time attracting more than four million viewers in tandem with an incredible group of celebrities and partners. The live-stream simulcasted across Guy's social channels including Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Twitch, and LiveXLive. 

The event provided guidance and inspiration to the next generation of restaurant owners as well as $300,000 in bottom-line financial support via the "Help Rebuild Restaurants Grant." Created in partnership between Guy Fieri, The National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation, and California Restaurant Foundation, the grants were distributed to 11 winners live on the show and generously funded by the event's founding partners: LendingTree, Pepsi, SpotOn, AT&T, Grubhub, Cascade, Dawn, Twisted Tea Hard Iced Tea, Conagra, Thermomix®, and Thomasville. Bar Rescue star Jon Taffer also donated an additional $20,000 to support the cause. 

Guy's Restaurant Reboot Show Segments:

  • Behind The Counter Conversations Presented by SpotOn
  • Off The Hook Celebrity Creations Presented by Pepsi 
  • Superstar Musical Performances by Old Dominion and Diplo
  • Remembering Roots Presented by LendingTree
  • #BetterwithPepsi Presented by Pepsi
  • Unlimited Connections Presented by AT&T Business 
  • Wash it Up Presented by Dawn & Cascade
  • We Serve Restaurants Delivered by Grubhub 
  • Ready, Set, Eat! Presented by Gardein, Birds Eye and Duncan Hines
  • Twisted Tea-Mates Presented by Twisted Tea Hard Iced Tea
  • Cookidoo® Presented by Thermomix

Help Rebuild Restaurants Grant Recipients & Scholarship Winners:

  • LendingTree generously donated two grants to Charmaine Royal, an aspiring restaurateur majoring in culinary arts at Drexel University, and Avonte Hartsfield, owner of Rollin Roots food truck, a vegan-based concept with a "pay what you can" program in San Diego, California. Visit LendingTree.com/reboot for more information on how it can help support your small business.
  • SpotOn: Margalara Safi, owner of Maya Halal Taqueria, a Mexican taqueria with Middle Eastern influences located in Oakland, California.
  • Pepsi: Jamie Warrick, University of Holy Cross senior who dreams of opening a food incubation hub for small businesses to help manage their food business.
  • AT&T Business: Amanda Lacher and Julia Li, co-owners of PorchBox, serving nourishing and fresh American-Comfort food in every box located in Laguna Hills, California.
  • Dawn & Cascade: Jennifer Le & Reynard Ledord, co-owners of Lêberry Bakery & Donut, a plant- based bakery in Pasadena, California.
  • Grubhub: Matthew Delaney, California State Polytechnic University-Pomona student majoring in restaurant management with dreams of becoming a franchise owner.
  • Twisted Tea: Gustavo Tonella, owner of Doggos Gus Mexican Hotdogs, a Mexican-inspired hot dog stand in San Diego, California.
  • Conagra: Valerie Contreras, a University of Central Florida student with plans of opening a café that will feature local artists and open mic nights. 
  • Thermomix: Kimberly Cabrera, a Johnson & Wales student pursuing Pastry Arts with a dream of owning her own bakery.
  • Thomasville: Dawn Rose, mother of seven attending California Baptist University with dreams of owning her restaurant.  

"Very stoked and honored to receive this opportunity from Guy Fieri and LendingTree. I am excited to put forth the funds to expand into a brick-and-mortar restaurant location, and also use some funds to retain staff members during these times. This is a definite stepping stone to reaching my lifelong goal of owning a thriving restaurant and I can't express how grateful I am to Guy and LendingTree for their generosity," said Avonte Hartsfield, Rollin Roots.   

During Off The Hook Celebrity Creations Presented by Pepsi, some of the world's biggest celebrities partnered with Pepsi to drive support for local restaurants in their hometowns. These celebs created "Off The Hook" menu items with their favorite local eateries, celebrating bold flavors and showcasing how each meal goes #BetterwithPepsi. Pepsi is giving fans at home a chance to try these celeb namesake dishes which will be available at each restaurant and exclusively via Grubhub delivery from June 12-27 with a Pepsi. 

  • Shaquille O'Neal's SHAQtacular Burger at Park Tavern, Atlanta, Georgia
  • Rob Gronkowski's GRONKalo Chicken and Waffle at Datz, Tampa, Florida
  • Wale's Naija Chili Cheese Burger and Fries at Ben's Chili Bowl, Washington, D.C.
  • Adriana Lima's Brazilian Fish Stew at Monty's, Miami, Florida
  • Kane Brown's Nashville Hot Royale at Party Fowl, Nashville, Tennessee

Use code OFFTHEHOOK on Grubhub for 20% off the Off The Hook Celebrity Creations in participating cities June 12-27, 2021.

During Behind The Counter Conversations Presented by SpotOn, Guy hosted roundtable discussions with culinary icons including José Andrés, Marcus Samuelsson, Cat Cora, Jon Taffer, Buddy Valastro, Alex Guarnaschelli, Robert Irvine, and Matthew Kenney. Throughout these conversations, Guy and guests discussed the changing world of restaurants and how to overcome upcoming obstacles, and provided their own stories and commentary. To further show its support for small to midsize businesses, SpotOn is offering $500 off its Restaurant POS. 

Medium Rare 

Focused at the intersection of Sports & Entertainment, Medium Rare partners with athletes, celebrities, and brands to build iconic media properties. Medium Rare is the creator and producer of Webby Award-winning brands including: The SHAQ Bowl, Shaq's Fun House, Daymond John Presents Black Entrepreneurs Day, The Sports Illustrated Awards, Guy Fieri's Restaurant Reboot, Gronk Beach, SHAQ vs GRONK, and more. Medium Rare was founded by Joe Silberzweig and Adam Richman, who were recently named to the Forbes 30U30 list and Pollstar's Next Gen Impact list.

Contact
Amanda Brocato 
Amanda@RMG-PR.com
512.743.3941

Source: Medium Rare