With a staff of producers based in the Twin Cities, the local region took on a disproportionate role in the life of the series, which has featured eateries from Hawaii to Italy since debuting in 2007. It’s produced by Plymouth-based Page Productions, helmed by David Page, who approached Food Network with the idea for the show. The DDD special enjoys strong ratings and receives a series commitment from the network. Northern California restaurateur Fieri-with a shock of bleached-blond hair, tattoos and ever-present shorts-wins Food Network’s Next Food Network Star TV competition and gets to host a special for the network, Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives in 2006. It’s one of the more extraordinary stories in the history of big media and small business. It can be as long as a year until a DDD segment airs after taping, but it’s always at least several months wondering if all the effort will pay off. “I estimated about $12,000 in overall expense,” says Thoma. “I think it cost us nearly $15,000 in wasted product and costs associated with cleaning” his specialized fish processing area after the shoot. “I was reluctant,” says Eric Goerdt, owner of Northern Waters Smokehaus in Duluth. Some use food with high ingredient costs and rapid spoilage. Though many operators say the shoots cost them little more than some wasted food and inconvenienced customers, many of the restaurants DDD profiles are by their nature all-day operations, open seven days a week. Still, the shoot is not without its strains. They’re super-serious about it being authentic.” He is focused on it being as spontaneous as possible. “Guy doesn’t like to meet people before the taping. They vetted us very carefully.” She says she had no interaction with Fieri until the shoot. “They are really focused on scratch cooking,” says Kim. Then they decided what to feature.”Ĭoncerns about the show’s values are quickly dashed. “He wanted to try everything on the menu, just about. “I think we cooked every item on the menu three times with Guy,” says Ted Casper, co-owner of Casper and Run- yon’s Nook in St. On day two Fieri arrives, usually for half the day. The DDD crew shows up on day one to set up lighting and shoot the food shots, “b-roll” and other miscellany. “We were closed for four days,” says Thoma, whose operation at the 1029 Bar in Minneapolis was profiled. Early in the show’s run, crews worked around customers and operations, but more recently restaurateurs have been asked to close. Though some were wary of the show, when it came time to shoot, the skepticism faded. Then “we spent 12 hours on the phone” with the producers. She says a member of the production staff stumbled into the restaurant and decided it might make a good subject. (Fieri declined an interview with TCB.) “We heard the stories,” says Trish Appleby, co-owner of Donatelli’s in White Bear Lake, “so you never take it for granted.” There are tales, possibly apocryphal, of Fieri arriving at a shoot and not liking the look or cleanliness of a restaurant and simply walking out. Other restaurateurs talk of sending producers their recipes, photos of prepared dishes, all with zero promises made. Her husband and business partner, Conrad Leifur, “told me I was nuts” to pass up the opportunity. “I was concerned about the filming, that it might cost us a fair amount of business those days,” says Kim. The rather insular chef and restaurant community isn’t always convinced they want or need national exposure. So I did two or three phone interviews and eventually they sent a producer out in person.” “I was not familiar at all,” says Niki Stavrou, owners of Victor’s 1959 Café in Minneapolis, “I didn’t even have cable.” Stavrou says a producer called to say “they were interested in featuring us, possibly. Most of the ones TCB spoke to either were unaware of the show at the time it approached them or had a skeptical view of it as a result of Fieri’s campy style and the production’s kitschy quality. Though DDD is always among Food Network’s top-rated programs, the network doesn’t seem to be appointment viewing for restaurateurs. Typically a DDD appearance begins with a phone call from the show’s production company. Notable: Featured in one of the DDD books. Long Term: Annual growth every year since ’08. Notable: “When the show reruns, there’s always a bump.” Notable: The four-day shoot cost $12,000 in lost revenue food expense. Notable: The one local DDD profile that Guy Fieri did not tape in person. Notable: Every time the rerun airs, a man from Ohio calls and asks for a menu to be mailed to him. Long Term: Annual sales bumps, no plateau Notable: Jump-started its mail-order business. Notable: “It saved us from going out of business.” Notable: The first local restaurant to be profiled on DDD. Notable: “The show really made us look at ourselves a bit and tighten our operations.” Short Term: Single-digit change in revenue Notable: The 69-seat bar had to add a podium and host to deal with the crowds.
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