Petition to Rename Columbus, Ohio to 'Flavortown' in Honor of Guy Fieri Gets Thousands of Signatures

The petition has accumulated over 28,000 signatures so far

Photo: Dan Hallman/Invision/AP/REX/Shutterstock

Ever want to take a trip to Flavortown? Well, this change.org petition is hoping to get enough signatures to rename Columbus, Ohio to Guy Fieri's signature catchphrase in honor of the celebrity chef, who is originally from the city.

The petition, started by Tyler Woodbridge, is in response to the backlash against the city's public statues of Christopher Columbus. Columbus' mayor, Andrew J. Ginther announced that the statue in front of city hall will be removed in the coming weeks following the worldwide protests over George Floyd's death.

“For many people in our community, the statue represents patriarchy, oppression and divisiveness. That does not represent our great city, and we will no longer live in the shadow of our ugly past,” Ginther told Fox News. “Now is the right time to replace this statue with artwork that demonstrates our enduring fight to end racism and celebrate the themes of diversity and inclusion.”

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Woodbridge wants to take things a step further and completely rename the city. "Columbus is an amazing city, but one whose name is tarnished by the very name itself," he wrote in the petition. "Its namesake, Christopher Columbus, is in The Bad Place because of all his raping, slave trading, and genocide. That's not exactly a proud legacy."

The name change to Flavortown has two reasons, Woodbridge says in the petition. First, "it honors Central Ohio's proud heritage as a culinary crossroads and one of the nation's largest test markets for the food industry." Secondly, Guy Fieri just so happens to be from Columbus. "Naming the city in honor of him (he's such a good dude, really) would be superior to its current nomenclature," Woodbridge explains.

So far, over 28,000 people have signed the petition, and Woodbridge hopes this petition will spark a change that will be brought before the city council. "let's get the ball rolling for a more flavorful tomorrow," he wrote.