With a show like Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives sitting at a total of 419 episodes and 42 seasons (and still going!), you may be wondering when and how did a series such as this get its start. Clearly, it hasn’t lost popularity over the years and there hasn’t been a lack of diners, drive-ins, and dives to explore throughout North America.
You might be surprised to know that the many qualities that make the show as beloved as it is weren’t actually things that were planned. Of course, all the best things happen naturally!
How Did Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives Get Its Start?
To understand how Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives got its start on Food Network, we must first look into the start of Guy Fieri’s Food Network experience. In 2004, Guy Fieri was busy working on his restaurant chain but it wasn’t long before he decided to audition for the show Next Food Network Star.
After he premiered on the second season of that show in 2006 and won the competition, he then got a show of his own called Guy’s Big Bite. During that time, a producer half-heartedly pitched the idea for Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives, which got the opportunity for a pilot episode starring Guy Fieri.
While Guy didn’t know much about diners, he didn’t let that stop him from giving the most energy while filming the first episode. He gave off a great impression with the way he handled the show’s subject, which was definitely testing the waters, and gave the producer a great visual idea of just what Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives could turn into.
When Did Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives First Air?
After a several-day shooting of the pilot, which initially started as a simple one-shot hour-long special, it actually aired on November 6, 2006. However, since the show took a bigger turn than expected, it then led to much more.
The pilot episode featured their very first restaurant visit, which was the Bayway Diner in Linden, New Jersey. This small diner was soon swept into a wave of popularity after the show aired, causing more demand for the delicious food featured on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives.
Following the success of the pilot episode, Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives officially aired the full start of its show on April 23, 2007. Every episode after then featured a different theme and Guy Fieri would visit several restaurants to try their home-style recipes.
Though it may not seem like it when you’re watching the show, it actually takes a few months of preparation to feature a restaurant on an episode. From having to close the restaurant down for a couple of days for filming to getting certain shots done before the actual arrival of Guy Fieri, it’s a commitment. But that commitment gives way to great popularity and traffic for each restaurant that’s featured.
An Unplanned Masterpiece
Producers and Food Network alike will definitely tell you that what Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives became is not what anyone could have predicted. Thanks to Guy Fieri’s characteristic portrayal and positive attitude, as well as a certain vision that was created for the show, this long-running fan-favorite series is one that will have an impact on restaurants for years to come.
It already has! Ever since a fateful little pilot filmed in New Jersey, Food Network’s Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives has featured several delicious restaurants that the world might not have known about otherwise.