Greece bakery owner competes on new Food Network show hosted by Guy Fieri

When Phillip and Stephanie Tomasso purchased Something Delicious Bake Shop in Greece, New York, the bakery came with an unexpected bonus.

The bakery's founder, Mina Rivazfar-Hoyt, had participated in Food Network competition shows, so the bakery's email address regularly received casting calls for other productions on the Food Network.

Stephanie Tomasso, who had a home-based cake business for 10 years prior to purchasing the bakery, wasn't interested in any of the baking shows.

But then they received an email that piqued Phillip Tomasso's interest. Called "Guy’s Chance of a Lifetime," the show is a Guy Fieri-hosted reality show in which contestants compete for the chance to open a Chicken Guy! franchise — (the form that prize takes was not disclosed).

"One thing led to another and somehow I got on there," Phillip Tomasso said. He is one of seven contestants who will appear on the show, which will air on both Food Network and Discovery+.

Tomasso, 28, works as a 911 police dispatcher. He and Stephanie are foster parents, and are expecting their first biological child soon.

Phillip Tomasso has had entrepreneurial ventures dating back to childhood lemonade stands and reselling baseball cards. He also has owned a pizza restaurant and rental properties. “I’m always working on something," he said. "There’s always something new coming out.”

Chicken Guy! focuses on chicken tenders, hand-pounded from fresh chicken and paired with a wide selection of sauces. It debuted at Disney World in 2018, and currently has seven locations.

Over the course of six hour-long episodes, the candidates had to prove that they could successfully lead every aspect of the food business, including food, marketing and front of house hospitality.

“We rolled cameras around the clock on 'Guy’s Chance of a Lifetime' documenting every aspect of this unprecedented, grueling, 24/7 job interview," Courtney White, President, Food Network and Streaming Food Content, Discovery Inc., said in a press release. "To win, these applicants study through the night, then rise at dawn to apply their new skills on the real-life restaurant line with Guy assessing their every move."

The premier will welcome the contestants to “Chicken Guy! University." Fieri will teach them how to make every item on the menu, and then surprise them by opening the doors to customers during a lunch rush. It will air on Discovery+ on Dec. 26, and on Food Network on Jan. 2.

Guy Fieri won the second season of "The Next Food Network Star" in 2006. He stars in several Food Network shows, including "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives."

Tracy Schuhmacher is food and drink reporter and a storytelling coach for the USA Today Network's Storytellers Project. Email her at TracyS@Gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter or Instagram as @RahChaChow. Thanks to our subscribers for supporting local journalism.

This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Phillip Tomasso competes on Food Network show hosted by Guy Fieri