Entrepreneurs often leave the Shark Tank without a nibble, but the Sharks rarely regret passing on potential business investments—unless its Chef Big Shake.
Shawn Davis didn’t woo any investors when he pitched his shrimp burger idea on Shark Tank, a reality competition series for would-be entrepreneurs, in 2011. Even though Davis went how empty handed, he still went on to become one of the show’s most successful contestants.
The publicity from his Shark Tank show attracted plenty of offers and was able to partner up with an investor that grew his business from $30,000 in sales to over $5 million in just one year.
Instead of selling to grocery stores like he planned, Delish reports that Davis used the money to open up a restaurant in Nashville called Big Shake’s Hot Chicken & Fish. He’s already talking about franchises, too.
To this day, Davis keeps in touch with Mark Cuban, owner of the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks and Daymond John, founder and CEO of FUBU, even though they didn’t make him an offer. Cuban admitted on Good Morning America that not investing in Davis’ shrimp burgers is one of the bigger regrets he has from the show.
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