A TV chef has fallen victim to an internet parody that took advantage of the fact he failed to secure the domain name for his restaurant.
Guy Fieri, a personality on the Food Network, runs a prominent eatery called Guy Fieri’s American Kitchen & Bar in Times Square, New York City, but the official website for the establishment is registered to GuysAmerican.com.
As a result, it was discovered that the name GuysAmericanKitchenandBar.com had not been taken by the company, so it was purchased by IT programmer Bryan Mytko, who used it to poke fun at the real restaurant.
In a tweet, Mr. Mytko drew attention to the oversight, stating: “Guy Fieri didn’t register his restaurant’s domain name, so I picked it up. I think this new menu looks great.”
Visitors to the fake site are presented with a parody menu, which is identical in format and design to what can be found on the genuine website. However, a closer look reveals some unusual items, such as the Panamania, described by the parody site as “a deep-fried snake with a picture of David Lee Roth stapled to it and a sparkler in each eye”.
The site should serve as a warning to any business about the importance of using domain name management to protect the brand reputation of an enterprise.
Although the takeover of Fieri’s restaurant name appears to have humorous intent, such activities could be used for more malicious purposes that could be seriously harmful to a business.
Therefore, the incident should be viewed as a reminder that firms need to consider all potential combinations when planning their online domain name strategy to avoid falling victim to this.
Fieri is a familiar face on the Food Network and is known for shows such as Diners, Drive-ins and Dives, but his restaurant venture became notorious after it received a scathing review from the New York Times.
Reviewer Pete Wells’ take on the establishment, written as a series of rhetorical questions, mocked the eatery for its overenthusiastic, adjective-filled menu and was widely shared online.