Petition wants to rename Columbus, Ohio to 'Flavortown' after native son Guy Fieri

After the mayor of Columbus, Ohio, announced last week that the city was removing the large statue of Christopher Columbus that stands in front of city hall, some want to do more and rename the city.

How does Flavortown, Ohio, sound?

More than 26,000 have signed a Change.org petition to change the name of Columbus to Flavortown, in honor of celebrity chef Guy Fieri, who was born there.

“Why not rename the city Flavortown? The new name is twofold. For one, 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, ‘cheflebrity’ Guy Fieri was born in Columbus, so naming the city in honor of him (he’s such a good dude, really) would be superior to its current nomenclature,” Change.org petition creator Tyler Woodbridge said in describing the petition.

Fieri hasn’t commented on the possible renaming. Though he was born there, his family moved to the northern California town of Ferndale when he was a baby, according to the Columbus Dispatch.

Fieri, 52, has filmed more than 400 episodes of his popular Food Network show “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.”

Columbus Mayor Andrew J. Ginther said Thursday that the Christopher Columbus statue will be removed as soon as possible and placed in storage.