The Food Network Show Guy Fieri Refused — Multiple Times — Before Triple D

Guy Fieri is known for many things. There's his cooking knowledge, of course, as well as his signature spikes and laid-back Nor-Cal demeanor. But in terms of his career, the biggest standout is really his iconic Food Network show "Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives." 

The show, known by fans as "Triple D," started all the way back in 2006 with a one-off pilot special that led to a full series launch the following year. It took Fieri, then just a budding star and local restaurateur, a little while to find his groove with the show, but with more than 45 seasons and counting under his belt, it's safe to say it's been a success story so far. 

However, it turns out that Fieri was originally offered a very different show before "Triple D" popped up. The chef spoke about the topic on an episode of "In Depth with Graham Bensinger," where he said that the Food Network actually called him about a kitchen appliance review show about six months before "Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives" was pitched. He agreed to the idea at first, but in the end, something didn't feel right about the whole thing. 

Fieri flew to New York to have a meeting about the gadget pilot, and ended up trying out a few items that would have been featured on the show, like smart kitchen appliances, a special motor blender for margaritas, and a ball that you kick around to make ice cream. But Fieri told Bensinger that it "all went downhill" from there. He said, "I'm not a gadgety chef. I don't have eight gadgets to do one job. I have a knife, cutting board, and a pair of tongs. That's about all I need."

Fieri turned down the show, and seeing as his only other Food Network gig at the time was a 3 a.m. Sunday slot for his small cooking show, "Guy's Big Bite," saying no to the execs was a pretty big deal. Before "Triple D," Fieri was really only known for winning the "Next Food Network Star" in 2006, for which he was awarded "Guy's Big Bite."

His experience with food had started with a pretzel snack cart he opened at just 10 years old, and he spent time studying in France and at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. But as for stardom, that was still yet to come at this point in time. Fieri was told that he was throwing his career away, but he remained steadfast in his decision. And it's a good thing, because six months later, the call about "Triple D" came. "We have one more shot for you," Fieri says he was told. "You go around to mom and pop restaurants and just see what they make and talk about it."

He loved the idea, calling it "the perfect fit." To date, Fieri has visited over 1,700 restaurants with the show, which often leads to a lot of business for the small town locations, like this Ohio Mexican restaurant and this Pittsburgh diner known for its hotcakes. It's because of the reaction his visits cause that Fieri keeps going with the show, which he told Bensinger can be a bit of a grind nearly two decades on.

Life on the road is tough, but Fieri loves to help other business owners. This is probably because, on top of his TV duties, Fieri currently runs 17 eateries across the country. His empire, operated under the name Knuckle Sandwich LLC, also includes a 175-location virtual brand called Flavortown Kitchen, 80-plus scratch kitchen restaurant concepts, and a tequila company. 

There are also multiple cookbooks, as well as a number of Emmy nominations and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. But none of it could have happened without "Triple D" — or if Fieri had really enjoyed kicking that ice cream ball around.