Bubba’s-Q BBQ Update | Shark Tank Season 5
Retired pro-football player and barbeque restaurant owner Al “Bubba” Baker and his daughter Brittani Bo Baker, formed a company that debones fully cooked baby back ribs using a secret technique, then sells the ribs in stores. Will he earn a smokin’ deal on
Shark Tank Bubba’s-Q BBQ Update
- Entrepreneurs: Al “Bubba” Baker, Brittani Bo Baker
- Business: Deboned baby back ribs
- Ask: $300,000 in exchange for 15%
- Result: $300,000 in exchange for 30%
- Sharks: Daymond John
Bubba and his daughter Brittani brought their de-boned baby back rib steaks, to the tank. Bubba shared that his wife Sabrina didn’t like to eat ribs because they were too messy, Bubba invented a baby-back rib deboning method that earned him a rare food patent. Bubba’s-Q BBQ ribs are boneless, but the taste holds up, even in the microwave.
When Kevin O’Leary asked Bubba if there was anything proprietary about the deboning method, Bubba produced his two patents; one for the product and one for the process. Kevin asked if that meant Bubba was the only person who could produce boneless ribs, and Bubba clarified that it meant no one else could make a fully-cooked rib with either one or more bones removed from it. Robert Herjavec asked how he got the bones out, but Bubba wouldn’t spill the beans, saying it took him twenty years to figure out.
Bubba told the sharks that the company’s year-to-date sales were $154,000, and the product was selling in about 48 stores. The sharks looked a little surprised at the low numbers.
Kevin told Bubba that he was an investor in a restaurant chain with over 450 locations; ribs were a top-seller in the chain. Kevin offered $300,000, contingent on getting one of the large U.S. meat processors to license his process patent, with Kevin taking 49% equity.
The sharks complimented Kevin on a smart deal. Daymond John called it “brilliant” and said he was going to offer the same deal, but rather than 49%, he would cut the equity to just 30%.
Robert warned Bubba about giving away so much of his company, then ultimately dropped out. Barbara Corcoran, on the other hand, said the offers by the other sharks were better than anything she could bring to the deal, so she was out. Mark Cuban said Bubba needed to fatten the hog a bit more before he would be ready to take a bite, so he was out.
That left Daymond and Kevin with their patent licensing offers, and Bubba chose to go with Daymond’s deal of $300,000 for 30% equity. What happened next for the company? Keep reading our Bubba’s-Q BBQ update to find out!
We have great news to share in our Bubba’s-Q BBQ update. We’re happy to report that since making the deal with Daymond, the company has gone from making $154,000 in sales to earning well over $16 million. They’ve scored deals with Carl’s Jr., Hardees, and other restaurants, and are available on the Bubba’s-Q BBQ website.
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Would you like to learn about the other companies featured on Season 5 Episode 11? Follow the links below for our other company updates from the episode.
For even more on companies and products, be sure to stop by our Season 5 Products Page!
Jennifer is an avid Shark Tank fan that has been watching the show for years. She serves as Senior Editor at Shark Tank Recap and ensures that all our information is accurate and that our posts are up to date. Her favorite Shark Tank products are Le-Glue and Ring!