Bumbling Bee Shark Tank Update – Shark Tank Season 12
The Bumbling Bee offers vegan junk food options with bold flavors. It appeared on Shark Tank Season 12 and walked away with no deal.
Mother/daughter team Cassandra and India Ayala hope for a feeding frenzy when they pitch The Bumbling Bee, their vegan junk food restaurants and food trucks, in Shark Tank Season 12 Episode 22.
Check out other Shark Tank Season 12 Episodes.
About The Bumbling Bee
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Business Name | The Bumbling Bee |
| Founder | Cassandra and India Ayala |
| Industry | Food & Beverage |
| Product | Vegan junk food restaurants and food trucks |
| Investment Asked | $150,000 for 10% equity |
| Deal Status | No Deal |
| Valuation | $1.5 million (pre-deal) |
Cassandra started the business with her daughters India, Lexi, and Olivia when the real estate market crashed. In 2011, they opened the Bumbling Bee as a food truck. They went vegan because Lexi and Olivia are vegans. India is a classically trained chef. Together they worked the truck at various op up locations in Virginia Beach.
In September 2019, they opened a brick-and-mortar restaurant called The Bumbling Bee Vegan Junk Food & Burger Bar in Virginia Beach. In January 2020, they opened a Boulder, CO, brick-and-mortar restaurant and food truck.
Little did they know that the COVID-19 pandemic would shake up their business plans. They did manage to stay afloat offering take-out service – something that isn’t much of a stretch for food truck operators.
The ladies say they “deal weeds,” and they have a quirky, irreverent list of menu items. Consider the Mother Clucker, a crispy Southern fried-chicken sandwich made with Gardein, a soy, wheat, and pea-based protein “chicken.” They also serve ridiculously rich milkshakes, vegan burgers, chili, hot dogs, and more.
Rumor has it they also offer a rotating “secret menu,” which you may want to ask about should you patronize one of their locations. They’re likely looking for a Shark to help them fuel more expansion.
Bumbling Bee Shark Tank Recap
Cassandra and India enter the Shark Tank seeking $150,000 for 10% of their business. The Sharks like the food samples and the sales numbers: $340,000 for 2020.
Did Bumbling Bee Get a Deal on Shark Tank?
Ultimately, no Sharks invest because their products aren’t proprietary, and the duo leaves the Tank with no deal.
Bumbling Bee Shark Tank Update
The Shark Tank Blog constantly provides updates and follow-ups about entrepreneurs who have appeared on the Shark Tank TV show.
Despite the setbacks wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic, the company’s two locations remain open, as do the accompanying food trucks. As of July 2021, the business has $1 million in annual revenue. The company was closed in 2024 due to challenging circumstances and is out of business.
Posts about Bumbling Bee on Shark Tank Blog
The Bumbling Bee – Vegan Junk Food
Where Can You Buy It?
The Bumbling Bee is out of business, and its products are not available for purchase.
Quick Summary
- The Bumbling Bee started as a food truck in 2011 and expanded to two brick-and-mortar locations serving vegan junk food.
- The menu includes unique items like the “Mother Clucker” sandwich made with Gardein and a variety of indulgent vegan milkshakes and burgers.
- Despite challenges during the pandemic, the business grew to $1 million in annual revenue by 2021 with continued operations in both locations and food trucks.
Curious to know about more products from this episode? Check out other businesses that participated alongside Bumbling Bee.
