Hosting a party or looking for something fun to do for a company outing? BarBees Bartending, founded by Jessica Bakley and Willow Sprague, offers a fun solution to this problem – cocktail classes. You and your guests can learn how to mix premium drinks for a unique party experience. The company was recently featured on “Shark Tank” and struck a deal with Daniel Lubetzky. Currently, BarBees Bartending's valuation is estimated at $1 million.
Jessica and Willow
These two friends have created a one-of-a-kind service to spice up your next gathering. The team can celebrate with you and teach classic cocktail mixology at home or virtually.
Jessica and Willow first met while they were students at Belmont University. Sprague studied international business, while Blakely studied economics and political science. The ladies hit it off because of their common interests. For one, they both wanted to find a creative outlet outside of college.
Blakely and Sprague decided to take bartending classes. Nashville has no shortage of bars, but the pair saw a gap in the market for mobile bartending services.
Founding BarBees
In 2019, Jessica and Willow registered an LLC and co-founded BarBees Bartending. As undergraduates at the time, they participated in the campus Entrepreneur in Residence (EIR) program.
The pair started out as an on-call bartending service, but pivoted to virtual cocktail classes in order to survive the pandemic. As restrictions slowly lift, their new services translate well to face-to-face classes.
Four years after its founding, the startup received an Industry Impact Award from its alma mater. This, coupled with their soaring revenue, gave them the confidence to apply for Season 15 of Shark Tank. Out of a thousand candidates, BarBees was one of the few to be recognized by the producers of “Shark Tank.”
After Shark Tank
The founders expect sales to grow significantly. The next few weeks will be tough as they may struggle to meet customer demand without compromising on service quality. The deal with Daniel should be completed within the next three to six months.
You can book a cocktail class on their website, GoBarBees.com, or book an in-person event in 10 cities: Scottsdale, Palm Springs, Washington, D.C., Tampa, Atlanta, Savannah, New York City, Philadelphia, Nash Vail and Austin. If your city is not on the list, it is still possible to strike a deal with their team. If not, you can always book a virtual course.
The company can cater for bachelorette parties, birthdays, dates and various group gatherings. They also host corporate clients for team-building events. Cost is $60-$80 per person for a 60-minute session and $70-$90 per person for a 90-minute session. If your party is larger than 20 people, the bartenders offer group rates.
BarBees Bartending has an average rating of 5 stars out of three reviews on Facebook. That's a small sample size, but given the free exposure on national television, that number will grow exponentially in the coming months. The main hurdle to overcome is trying to scale the business over the long term.
Categories: Shark Tank
Source: svlsf.edu.vn