He’s a lifelong Raiders fan and UNLV graduate, so of course Guy Fieri is freaking out as Allegiant Stadium hosts the first Super Bowl in Las Vegas. You would be, too, if you were planning one of the biggest tailgate parties of all time on the Las Vegas Strip with a sponsorship by Pepsi, 25 pop-up restaurants and entertainment from country singer Dustin Lynch and Wynn Nightlife resident DJ Diplo.
“Do you know how many Super Bowls I watched in Vegas, from Vegas, going to casinos and sportsbooks, watching the game on the jumbotron at Caesars? To think this is all coming to reality at the same time? I’m out of my mind,” Fieri says. “And then I get to throw a party on top of it. If I didn’t have this relationship with Caesars Entertainment, I don’t think we would have gotten the parking lot behind the Linq. It’s just been like a perfect storm coming together, and 15,000 people are going to get a rockin’ party with awesome entertainment, booze and food. I’m doing this Vegas-style.”
What doesn’t he do Vegas-style? He’s curated a lineup of local eateries to participate in the big game bash, including Forte, Naked City Pizza, Fat Choy and Letty’s. And did we mention that general admission is free? It’s a lot to take in; no wonder Fieri is pumped, and happy to share his excitement with the Weekly.
You’ve probably been thinking about the day the Super Bowl comes to Las Vegas since the first talk of the Raiders moving here.
You know you’re going to build a big stadium, and you know you’re not getting it built unless you get some promise from the NFL that in three or four years, you’re gonna get the Super Bowl, which is what should happen. Vegas is going to get the NBA, and you just got the A’s. And amen. It’s the Entertainment Capital of the World, it’s the greatest place to come to. I think it’s awesome what’s getting ready to happen. When I pulled off the tailgate last year for the first time in Arizona, everyone looked at me crazy and said there’s no way you’re going to do this event for 10,000 people and do it for free. I said we’re absolutely gonna do that. And how many people are coming to Vegas for the Super Bowl? There’s not enough tickets to the game. I want to give people that experience because I love the Super Bowl. Even though my team, the Raiders are not there this year—maybe next year—I want everybody to have that energy, to feel what it’s like, and when you’re doing it in Vegas, you have to make that sensation a little bigger.
How special has it been for you to have this new Raiders experience in Las Vegas? Your concession restaurant at Allegiant Stadium is right across from the team’s Hall of Fame display.
You won’t find anybody that has a concession at that stadium that has more pride, passion and enthusiasm than me. When I’m there for a game, be it in the seats or in the suites, I always make a beeline to go to the restaurant, see all our team members, give high fives and take pictures, the whole deal. It creates a little chaos to do it, but I’m just so proud. I told [team owner] Mark Davis back in the day, please, please just make sure when we go to Vegas, I get a concession. I don’t care if it’s a hot dog stand. When you’re a Raider, it’s a different energy, a way of life. You have good years and bad years and we’ve been through so many things, but we’re super proud to host and I think people are going to love the stadium.
How much fun did you have curating the local restaurants to participate in the tailgate?
This is my baby. I plan this the whole year ‘round. We’ve got a partnership with Medium Rare and they’re just gangsters; they put on big parties all around the country all year long, and we had the same vision for what we’re trying to achieve. So, we have ten restaurants that were on Triple D [Diners, Drive-ins & Dives] from Las Vegas coming in, and we have this passport ticket you can get to get a sampling of each one. And we have a cool VIP experience where chefs Antonia Lofaso and Aaron May are doing the food. And if you’re a Cash App holder, you get this VIP ticket for $165, and there’s nothing in Vegas where you can get in and have free drinks and free food from 10:30 until 3:30 for that price.
Your restaurant brands have been growing so fast lately. Do you have any new concepts in mind for Vegas?
We’re getting ready to do a big one in Columbus [Ohio] and if it does what I think it will, we can turn around and bring it to Vegas. We just opened Flavortown Sports Kitchen at [Horseshoe Las Vegas] and Chicken Guy at Caesars [Palace], and we’ll have another Chicken Guy at another Caesars hotel. I’ve got all kinds of things up my sleeve, but from idea to acceptance to delivery is a couple years. That’s not how people think it happens, they thing you just come up with it and open up tomorrow. We really take our time to do it right and build these things out beautifully. But if you want to experience all of our Vegas restaurants, they’re all going to be at the tailgate.
GUY’S FLAVORTOWN TAILGATE February 11, 10:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m., free admission w/various VIP ticket packages. Just east of the Linq Promenade, guysflavortowntailgate.com.
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