Where Is Peoples Design Scooping Bowl From Shark Tank Today?
In May of 2017, Colorado-based chef and entrepreneur Tyler Peoples pitched his uniquely-designed Scooping Bowl to the sharks of the popular ABC series "Shark Tank" (per The Gazette). Produced by his startup, Peoples Design, the bowl was intended to make preparing and serving food easier by acting as a mixing bowl, colander, scoop, and even a divided chip and dip bowl (via The Colorado Springs Business Journal).
According to Peoples, the idea for the multi-purpose tool was first born when he worked as a chef at Colorado's historic Briarhurst Manor in Manitou Springs. During work hours, Peoples noticed that he often spent extra time needlessly moving substances from one container to the next. Peoples eventually left the fancy restaurant life, but he still strove to feed people, and when he began work at the Springs Rescue Mission, a homeless shelter, he found himself running into similar issues. As a result, he decided to build the first Scooping Bowl prototype in order to simplify his kitchen experience and get food out even faster.
"I wanted to be able to get everything out on my own. I came up with this bowl that [can] also be a strainer, colander, and even two bowls at once because the built-in spatula can be used to separate items like salsa and chips or fruit and yogurt. It saves time and space in the kitchen," Peoples told The Gazette. So, what did the sharks think of Peoples' clever invention?
Peoples' pitch
On "Shark Tank" Season 8, Episode 23, Tyler Peoples approached the sharks asking for a $75,000 investment for a 25% share of his company. He began his pitch by highlighting the plethora of different kitchen gadgets normally used to accomplish relatively minor tasks. As he pointed them all out one by one, it became obvious that this part of the cooking experience was ripe for innovation. After pointing out the obvious problem, Peoples turned the sharks' attention to the relative simplicity of his Scooping Bowl. It didn't take long for the sharks to show that they were impressed.
Lori Greiner made an offer of $75,000 for 33.3% equity and a promise to promote the product on QVC as well as in retail stores, but Peoples wanted to hear what the other sharks had to say. Mark Cuban was the first to bow out — he cited his phone as his reason for turning down the opportunity to invest, explaining that he relies more on delivery for his meals. Robert Herjavec then declined to invest since it wasn't up his alley, either. Daymond John decided to forgo investing as well, reasoning that the bowl isn't something likely to be used with so many other kitchen gadgets available, though he did acknowledge its functionality. Finally, Kevin O'Leary voiced that he wouldn't be investing either, but recommended that Peoples consider Greiner's offer.
Peoples initially countered Greiner's deal, suggesting the original 25% share and a $1 royalty per bowl sold but Greiner held firm. Ultimately, Peoples accepted the offer, gleefully departing "Shark Tank" with a win-win deal. So, where is Peoples Design's Scooping Bowl today?
Scooping Bowl appeared on QVC
Prior to Tyler Peoples' appearance on "Shark Tank," he had only sold about 200 Scooping Bowls in total (via Gazette Visuals). According to The Gazette, within a week of the show airing, Peoples sold 3,000 more bowls, and the initial demand for the product was so great that his website briefly went down. Additionally, Greiner fulfilled her promise to feature the bowl (ultimately renamed the "Squeebie Bowl") on QVC. It was even featured on her own website. As a result, "Squeebie Bowls" skyrocketed, and the bowl was in such high demand that orders had to be waitlisted.
However, all signs point to Peoples Design no longer producing the bowls. They are listed as unavailable on QVC, and the last dated offering of one for sale on Facebook's Squeebie Bowl Fan Club was in 2019. The Scooping Bowl site also appears to be defunct, and the last tweet from the company came in 2018. As for Peoples, he continues to utilize his entrepreneurial spirit and chef skills at Spring Rescues Mission in Colorado Springs. There, the award-winning chef helps to provide meals to those with food insecurity while acting in a mentorship role for men in the organization's recovery program.
Of course, Peoples isn't the first contestant on "Shark Tank" to leave with a solid deal and still face the harsh realities of the business world. In fact, you might be wondering what happened to other "Shark Tank" products like Henry's Humdingers and Slice of Sauce.