Guy Fieri is encouraging people to tip generously at local restaurants to honor late celeb chef Carl Ruiz

Food Network star Guy Fieri wants you to tip big today, in honor of his late friend Carl Ruiz.

Ruiz, who served as a judge on Fieri’s show Guy’s Grocery Games and appeared on other network series, died on Sept. 21, 2019, of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, or a hardening of the arteries. The celebrity chef, known for his New York City eatery La Cubana, was 44.

Food pros Carl Ruiz and Guy Fieri were good friends. (Photo: Twitter)
Food pros Carl Ruiz and Guy Fieri were good friends. (Photo: Twitter)

One year later, Fieri turned to his followers and asked them to patronize their local restaurants and tip generously, like Ruiz was known to do, at a time when they really need it. “He was a big fan of the industry. Always taking care of his brothers and sisters in the biz, so that's what I’d like you to do,” Fieri said.

He called Ruiz “one of the greatest chefs, one of my best friends and one of the funniest people I’ve ever met in my life.”

Fieri explained that Sept. 21, 2020 was a day of what he termed “Ruizing,” and he shared an amusing video demonstrating how to do it, set to a slightly tweaked version of Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’,” which was, of course, called “Don’t Stop Ruizing.” Ruiz’s loved ones asked that anyone remembering him this way used the #dontstopruizing hashtag on their receipt, then share a snapshot of their generosity on social media, with @chefcarlruiz tagged.

When Ruiz died last year, Fieri noted Ruiz had been a great friend to him and his family.

He also described what he appreciated most about him. “His ability to make me laugh and smile under any circumstances was only outshined by his talent as a chef.”

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