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You Never Knew 'Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives' Rules Restaurants Must Follow

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Having an interesting backstory is a must.

The tale behind a restaurant intrigues producers and Fieri. For selection, the presenter stated Food Network Magazine that a venue must have "food, story, and character".

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Don't be shy on the phone.

After all, that's the first step in getting cast! "I was not familiar at all," Niki Stavrou, owner of Victor's 1959 Cafe in Minneapolis told Twin City Business magazine of DDD. "They were interested in featuring us, possibly.

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Getting Fieri's approval is a must.

The production team compiles all of their research and puts it into a list of options about two months before filming starts—then the host makes the final decision about where to go.

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Having a unique menu helps too.

With so many restaurants clamoring for a spot on the show, many wonder what it takes to catch Fieri's eye. "Guy will spot a unique ingredient or a way of preparing a dish that's different and chooses that,"

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Homestyle cooking is also a must.

The show loves spots that cook from scratch. Painstaking barbecue methods and secret family recipes have been known to entice Fieri as well.

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Multiple places are filmed at once.

Page told Heavy Table that circa 2009 the show shot at seven restaurants in every city they visited.

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Restaurants have to close while filming.

The show typically films for two days, although some establishments have said they were closed for as long as four days. During this time, the crew captures B-roll and films the cooking segments with Fieri.

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Don't use his catchphrases.

The best on-screen interactions are with chefs who can serve up witty banter right along with Fieri. But mind his catchphrases, like "Flavortown" or "funkalicious." Those are for the host!

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