Celebrity chef Guy Fieri to visit Ohio for opening of first Columbus restaurant

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Guy Fieri, the celebrity chef whose inaugural Flavortown Festival was set for Columbus then canceled, is coming to Ohio to celebrate the opening of his new restaurant.

The Ohio-born restaurateur's new Italian concept named "Guy Fieri's Trattoria" will open on June 2 inside Scioto Downs at 6000 S. High St., the casino announced on Wednesday. While it's unclear if Fieri will be greeting guests on opening day, the celebrity chef will be on site on May 30 for a private ribbon-cutting ceremony.

"It's a true homecoming to bring my latest concept to the area," said Fieri in a release. "Being from an Italian family, classic Italian American fare has always been a part of my life and I’m stoked to bring those real deal flavors to Scioto Downs."

The trattoria is set to feature "an old-school Italian feel polished with textured glass screens, rustic wood finishes, an open pizza & pasta prep station and gallery walls," the spokesperson said. An application filed by Dublin-based Pepper Construction states the restaurant's plans call for interior demolition, build out and all new finishes within the casino.

Menu offerings will include Italian staples such as primetime meatballs, pasta fagioli, chicken parmigiana and 68-layer homemade lasagna. The space will include two main dining areas, a private dining room and a lounge-like bar.

The opening of Trattoria could've coincided with the inaugural Flavortown Festival, a weekend-long Columbus event spearheaded by Fieri, but the festival was canceled earlier this year due to "unforeseen circumstances." The event was scheduled for June 1 and 2 at The Lawn at CAS with rock band Greta Van Fleet and country star Kane Brown as the festival's headline performers.

"Due to unforeseen circumstances, Guy Fieri’s Flavortown Fest, initially planned for June 1-2 in Columbus, Oh, has been canceled," a spokesperson said in a statement to NBC4 at the time. "Thank you to all our Flavortown Fest fans for understanding and your support along this journey."

The spokesperson said organizers were issuing full refunds to everyone who purchased passes.

The festival promised a fusion of food and funk, embodying Fieri’s dynamic personality and charitable ethos. Along with the Mayor of Flavortown himself, the festival would have featured eats and experiences from some of Guy’s favorite Triple D restaurants from the Columbus area and around the country while offering the ultimate experience for foodies.

Fieri's restaurant group is home to 17 "Flavortown Hot Spot" concepts, including a taco joint, sandwich shop, pizza parlor, chophouse and a smokehouse. Born in Columbus in 1968, Fieri briefly operated a ghost kitchen concept named Flavortown Kitchen in Ohio's capital city that closed in 2023.