You remember the episode. It was Season 8, and the air in the Tank got thick—fast. Two sisters from West Philly, Kelly and Jorrae Beard, walked in with enough energy to power a small city. They weren't just selling sauce; they were selling a legacy. They called it Lulu Bang, a name that honors both their late mother, Joyce, and their brother, Michael, whose nickname was Lulu Bang.
Honestly, it’s one of those pitches that sticks in your brain because it felt so... real. No over-rehearsed corporate speak. Just "We Bang EveryTHANG."
But then the numbers hit the table, and the mood shifted. Fast.
The Lulu Bang Shark Tank Pitch: A Masterclass in Tension
Kelly and Jorrae were looking for $150,000 for 10% of their business. On the surface, things looked great. They were already in 170 Walmart stores. Most entrepreneurs would kill for that kind of shelf space before even meeting a Shark.
Then came the "but."
They had only done about $45,000 in sales over three months at those Walmarts. In the world of big-box retail, that's what we call "low velocity." Basically, the bottles weren't flying off the shelves. They were trickling. Kevin O'Leary, never one to sugarcoat things, pointed out that $150,000 wouldn't even scratch the surface of the marketing budget needed to survive in the "blood-drenched" sauce aisle.
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The Sharks started dropping like flies. Robert Herjavec didn't like the packaging—he thought it looked like soy sauce, which is a fair point when you're trying to sell a BBQ marinade. Lori Greiner thought the market was too crowded. Mark Cuban? He just didn't see the path to a massive exit.
Then the doors closed, and the real show started.
The Fight That Wouldn't End
If you’ve seen the clip on YouTube, you know the "explosive fight" the title cards always talk about. After the Beard sisters left the room, Kevin O'Leary went on a tear. He accused the other Sharks of being too "nice" and giving the sisters false hope. He called the business "born in hell" because of the competition.
Mark Cuban and Lori Greiner snapped back. They argued that every business is hard and that Kevin was being unnecessarily discouraging. It was a rare moment where the Sharks stopped talking about the product and started debating the very soul of entrepreneurship.
Did Lulu Bang Go Out of Business?
Short answer: No.
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Long answer: They did exactly what scrappy entrepreneurs do—they pivoted, grinded, and stayed alive.
After the show aired in October 2016, the "Shark Tank effect" hit them like a freight train. They did $60,000 in sales in just three days. That’s more than they’d done in the previous three months at Walmart. It gave them the breathing room to fix some of the issues the Sharks pointed out.
You've gotta respect the hustle. They transitioned from those heavy, expensive-to-ship glass jars to plastic bottles. This was a direct response to the Sharks' concerns about shipping costs and breakage. It made the product much more viable for online sales, which had been a major weak point during their pitch.
Where is Lulu Bang in 2026?
It's been roughly a decade since they filmed that episode. While they aren't a multi-billion-dollar conglomerate like Sweet Baby Ray’s, Joyce’s Lulu Bang is still a fixture in the Mid-Atlantic region.
- Retail Presence: You can still find their sauces in select Walmart locations across Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, and New York. They also expanded into ShopRite and Cousins Supermarkets.
- The Product Line: They’ve stuck to their core favorites: Asian Persuasion, BBQ Fusion, Bourbon Marinade, and It's Just Hot!.
- The Catering Side: The sisters never let go of their culinary roots. Their catering business, Joyce's Soulful Cuisine, remains active in Philadelphia, serving up their famous "Lulu Bang Wangs."
Revenue-wise, estimates place them in the $1 million to $2 million annual range. In the eyes of a Shark, that might be "small," but in the real world? That’s a successful, sustainable family business that survived the brutal 90% failure rate of food startups.
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Why Kevin O'Leary Was Kinda Right (And Kinda Wrong)
Kevin wasn't wrong about the industry being a nightmare. The sauce aisle is where dreams go to die. Between slotting fees (the "rent" you pay for shelf space) and the marketing spend required to get someone to pick your bottle over a brand they've used for twenty years, the math is terrifying.
But he was wrong about the Beard sisters. He thought they would disappear. He underestimated the power of a brand built on a deep, personal story. People don't just buy Lulu Bang because it tastes good (though Robert and Lori both gave it a thumbs up); they buy it because they want to support two sisters who are keeping their brother's memory alive.
Actionable Takeaways for Your Own Business
If you’re looking at Lulu Bang as a case study for your own venture, here’s what you should actually do:
- Fix the packaging before you scale. Robert’s critique of the "soy sauce look" was a branding 101 error. If your product is BBQ sauce, it needs to look like BBQ sauce from ten feet away.
- Focus on "Velocity," not just "Doors." Being in 170 Walmarts sounds impressive, but if you're only selling two bottles a week per store, you're at risk of being kicked out. Focus on winning one store at a time before going national.
- Use the "Effect" to Pivot. The Beard sisters used their post-show surge to change their packaging and shipping model. They didn't just sit on the cash; they fixed the structural flaws in the business.
- Embrace the "Small" Win. You don't need a Shark deal to have a profitable company. Lulu Bang proves that a $1.5 million business you own 100% of is often better than a $10 million business where you've sold your soul to investors.
If you’re in the Philly area, go find a bottle. It’s a reminder that even if you don't get a deal in the Tank, you can still "bang everythang" on your own terms.
To get started with your own retail journey, look into regional "Open Call" events similar to the one Walmart hosts annually. These are often the "secret door" that Lulu Bang used to bypass traditional gatekeepers.