Pork Barrel BBQ Update | Shark Tank Season 1

Frustrated by wasteful government spending, Brett Thompson and Heath Hall decided to take action. They turned unproductive “pork barrel” funds into a successful BBQ sauce and spice rub business. Their initial sales in local butcher shops were promising. This success led them to seek an investment for national expansion through major grocery chains. In our Pork Barrel BBQ Sauce update and pitch recap, let’s take a look at which shark showed interest in making a deal.

If you’re short on time, here’s a quick overview of what happened to Pork Barrel BBQ Sauce after Shark Tank.

Brett and Heath entered Shark Tank Season 1, seeking $50,000 for 10% equity for their Pork Barrel BBQ Sauce. Ultimately, they landed a deal with Barbara Corcoran for $50,000 for 50% equity.

In terms of a Pork Barrel BBQ Sauce update, the company has become one of the most successful deals from Season 1, expanding to over 6,000 stores nationwide, with lifetime sales of around $15 million.

Shark	Result
Barbara Corcoran	Accepted offer of $50,000 for 50% equity
Kevin O’Leary	No offer
Kevin Harrington	No offer
Daymond John	No offer
Robert Herjavec	No offer

Shark Tank Pork Barrel BBQ Pitch

• Entrepreneurs: Brett Thompson and Heath Hall
• Business: BBQ sauce and spice rub
• Ask: $50,000 for 10% equity
• Result: $50,000 for 50% equity
• Shark: Barbara Corcoran

Brett and Heath kicked off their pitch to the sharks with an irresistible proposition: to bring the taste of authentic American barbecue to homes nationwide.

They need an investment as they aim to scale their business and satisfy the growing demand for high-quality, flavorful barbecue products.

Pork Barrel BBQ Sauce uses all-natural herbs and spices and is made without preservatives. They passed out samples and impressed the sharks.

Brett goes on to explain how they have managed to leverage their product from inception to branding, marketing, and sales of their barbecue and spice rubs.

When the topic of sales came up, the guys explained that they were pre-sale and had just won second place in a National BBQ battle in Washington, D.C.

They project that sales would reach $4.1 million in revenue by the year’s end, with a profit of $1 million.

Brett explained to the sharks that the products cost around $2 to produce, with a 50% profit.

Robert Herjavec believes that Pork Barrel Barbecue lacks the brand recognition to secure the distribution channels it needs to grow into a national seller. He’s out.

Kevin Harrington said it was too risky to invest, so he exited the negotiations.

Daymond John is concerned about competition, and he dropped out as well.

Kevin O’Leary said the business was in an early stage of development, so he’s out.

Barbara Corcoran is willing to give them the $50,000, but she wants 50% of the company. 

The entrepreneurs counter with 40%, but Barbara says No. After giving it some thought, the pair accepted her original offer.

Keep reading our Pork Barrel BBQ Sauce update to find out what happened next for Brett and Heath.

Shark Tank Pork Barrel BBQ Sauce Update

Our Pork Barrel BBQ Sauce update research found that the deal with Barbara Cocoran closed, and the business has become one of the most successful deals from Season 1.

The company has grown to over $10 million in sales and millions in annual revenue. Their products are available on the Pork Barrel BBQ Sauce website and Amazon.

Pork Barrel BBQ Sauce has been featured in multiple Shark Tank updates, including Seasons 2 and 3, during which the entrepreneurs revealed the opening of several new restaurants.

During their Season 6 update, they revealed that they had reached $15 million in lifetime revenue sales and were in over 6,000 stores, with an additional 3,000 stores in the pipeline.

They also revealed that Sam’s Club alone accounted for $2 million in orders.

Our research on the Pork Barrel BBQ Sauce update found that the company expanded its product line with Bacon Jerky in June 2016.

At the time of writing, Pork Barrel BBQ Sauce has grown to $4 million in annual revenue.

You can visit the Pork Barrel website to learn more about their products.

We are calling this Pork Barrel BBQ Sauce update a success.

Would you like to learn about the other companies featured in Season 1, Episode 6? Follow the links below for our other company updates from the episode.

• Element Bars Update
• The Fizz Update
• Underease Underwear Update
• Kalyx Technologies Update

Before you go, check out our Shark Tank Season 1 page for more updates