Barbees Bartending Net Worth Shark Tank Update

We all love a good celebration, whether it’s a bachelorette party, bridal shower, or any special occasion. These events bring people together to create lasting memories, and no party is complete without the perfect drinks and engaging conversation. However, many people struggle with cocktail-making skills and often lack the charm to keep the party atmosphere vibrant and lively. Without knowing how to mix cocktails or maintain a party vibe, even the most festive gathering can feel a bit flat.

Jess Blakley and Willow Sprague, the owners of Barbees Bartending, have the perfect solution for all party lovers. Their business is a mobile cocktail class company. A customer can book a class with the company where an instructor comes to the specified location to lead a class and highlight how to shake their cocktail. Basically, they make cocktail making easier and more fun for the customers, to give life to their party.

The owners came on Shark Tank to request $75K in exchange for 10% of their company. They also presented the sharks with their most popular Barbee cocktails including the Rosemary Honey Paloma and Strawberry Old Fashioned to impress them through their taste buds. Let’s see if they got the deal or not. 

Barbees Bartending Net Worth Shark Tank Update

Jess and Willow were looking for an investment of $75K in exchange for 10% equity in the company. At the time of the episode, they valued their company at $750K. Jess and Willow successfully secured a deal with Daniel Lubetzky for an investment of $75K for 20% equity in the company. The investment adjusted the company’s net worth to around $375K. After the show was aired, BarBees Bartending experienced a good boost in exposure. As per my rough estimate, the current net worth of BarBees Bartending in 2024 is around $1.6 million.

Shark(s) name	Offer & Demand	Counteroffer	Accepted?
Kevin O’Leary	Out	N\A	N\A
Mark Cuban	Out	N\A	N\A
Lori Greiner	Out	N\A	N\A
Barbara Corcoran	Out	N\A	N\A
Daniel Lubetzky	$75K for 10% equity	$75K for 20% equity	Yes

The Owners’ Backstory

Jess related that they both met at Belmont University in Nashville and they started the business when she was still in school. It was basically Willow’s idea to join a bartending school and then they started their career in it. Afterward, they shifted to the business of making cocktails and helping groups to make their party more successful.

Initial Pitch

The owners came on the show to seek $75K for a 10% equity stake. Their company provides instructors for party lovers to help them make cocktails and to get the conversation going. They launched their company in 2019 as an event bartending company in Nashville before COVID.

Queries about the Product

Kevin asked the first question about their profession. They both highlighted that they are bartenders. Their company now has a team of 25 bartenders.

The shark also inquired about their sales. Willow replied that in 2019 their sales were $19K. In 2020, they moved into virtual classes and made about $38K. Afterward, as the COVID ended in 2022, they shifted into in-person classes and made $76K. As they expanded to four new cities last year, thus they made $190K in sales.

Mr. Wonderful was also curious to know about their projected sales for this year. Jess pointed out that they are projecting to make around $400K in sales for this year. They are now in seven cities in total. Additionally, their top two demographics are bachelorette and corporate parties.

The guest shark, Daniel, wanted to know about the percentage contribution from each demographic. Willow replied that 52% of contributors are the bachelorette and 26% come from the corporate side.

Lori was interested to know the reason behind getting a shark on their side. She highlighted that they want help in the expansion of their business and their marketing.

Moreover, they want to expand $20K on automated booking platforms and $20K on enhanced onboarding. For the remaining amount, they want to invest in the expansion of the business, as it takes $5K to move to every city for the first six months.

Shark’s Response and Final Decision

Cuban was the first shark to drop the deal as he thought their business would come to a halt after moving to different cities and thus have very low scalability.

Daymond even liked their idea but he didn’t want to invest in the industry. Thus, backed out of the deal too.

Next, Mr. Wonderful passed the deal as well because he is already running a wine business.

Daniel then offered them $75K for 20% of their company.

Lori backed off of the deal too as she thought that the guest shark had already given them a better offer.

The girls then counter-offered to Daniel $75K for a 15% equity stake. The shark readily rejected it and made it clear that he would move to 25% if they didn’t decide quickly.

They then counter-offered him for the second time and pitched a deal of $115K for 20% of their company. He didn’t like it either.

Finally, the girls accepted Daniels’s offer of $75K for a 20% equity stake and left the show with a deal on their hands.

Product’s Availability

Since their appearance on the show, the company has started growing significantly. They are now available in ten cities and offer classes nationwide. Their website shows they have expanded into online bookings too, making it possible to offer virtual classes worldwide. It seems Daniel has already played a key role in helping Willow and Jess achieve some of their early business goals. For more information or to book a class, the BarBees website is functional.

Conclusion

Since appearing on Shark Tank, BarBees Bartending has expanded its business to ten cities, offering both in-person and virtual cocktail classes. With the help of Daniel, who invested $75K for a 20% equity stake, the company has grown significantly and continues to help party lovers multiply their celebrations with fun, interactive cocktail-making experiences.