“Shark Tank” is known for helping entrepreneurs get the word out about their products. The business owners can pitch their brand to a team of investors, and the investors have a chance to offer money in exchange for a percentage of the company, a royalty, or something else. Even if the entrepreneur walks away without a deal, the TV appearance often gives the brand plenty of traction.
In season 8, LuLu Bang sauces definitely went out with a bang on the show. Sisters Jorrae and Kelly Beard developed their own barbecue sauce, which they then pitched to the sharks; they requested $150,000 in exchange for a 10% stake in their business. However, hearing the women had only done $45,000 in sales in three months at Walmart stopped the sharks in their tracks. Ultimately, none of them bit (per Shark Tank Blog).
Interestingly, an argument among the sharks ensued after the women left the tank, with Kevin O’Leary saying the sharks should have been more honest with the ladies and that their brand wouldn’t take off. Though LuLu Bang heated up the shark tank, where are the two women and their sauce company today?
Despite Kevin O’Leary saying Lulu Bang would never be a large online business, the women’s barbecue sauce brand is still alive and well online, six years after they appeared on the show (per Shark Tank Recap). It appears the brand has had a slight name change, as it’s now referred to as Joyce’s LuLu Bang. It’s available in four varieties: Asian Persuasion, Bourbon Marinade, It’s Just Hot!, and BBQ Fusion. The sauce is available in packs of two for $10, or four jars (one of each flavor) for $20.
It looks like Joyce’s LuLu Bang has expanded beyond its original 170 Walmart stores. According to the website, the products are also now available in local ShopRites around the Philadelphia area. The sauces can be found in three Pennsylvania ShopRites as well as five New Jersey ShopRites. It’s unclear how much the company does in sales, but it’s a good sign that other stores have picked up their sauces since the women appeared on “Shark Tank.”
Jorrae and Kelly Beard seem to have a second business venture in the works now that they’ve had their brush with fame. The women also run a catering business, which, per their website, starts at $16 per person and offers options like southern fried chicken, beef brisket, and their well-known LuLu Bang Wangs (wings), which were also included in their presentation on “Shark Tank.”
Oddly, it looks like LuLu Bang’s social media profiles have become inactive. The brand hasn’t posted to its Facebook or Instagram since 2019, which makes it hard to tell if they’re still doing catering orders. Ultimately, based on the addition of five new ShopRite stores, it seems the women are still in business at least in terms of selling their sauces.
Though the sharks didn’t fully believe in Jorrae and Kelly’s idea, the two have shown that six years later, their product can still be sold online and has grown into even more stores.
About Author
