Where Is Bubba's Q Boneless Ribs From Shark Tank Today?
It's no secret that professional football players work up quite an appetite on the field. Take Al "Bubba" Baker, for instance, a former NFL player who enjoyed an illustrious football career up to his final season in 1990 (per his website's about us page). Post-retirement, Baker took inspiration from his uncle (affectionately nicknamed Daddy Jr.), owner of Jenkins Quality Barbeque. This establishment is renowned all over the country for its amazing barbecue preparations and served as the basis for Baker's own restaurant Bubba's Q.
Using recipes meticulously developed by Daddy Jr. and the rest of Baker's family over the years, Bubba's Q was quite a success in its home base of Cleveland. Additionally, Baker also exhibited an entrepreneurial spirit with his creation of dry rubs and sauces to imbue home-cooked barbecue dishes with the unbelievable flavors found in his establishment. Baker recognized that he indeed had something very special, which led to his appearance on ABC's "Shark Tank" to see if he could advance his new career to the next level.
The patented process impressed the Shark Tank crew
Al "Bubba" Baker appeared before the Sharks to pitch his product on "Shark Tank" Season 5, Episode 11 (via YouTube). Baker and his daughter Brittani were touting boneless baby back ribs, which the former football star developed out of his wife's aversion toward "messy ribs." Baker's goal during the appearance was to secure a $300,000 investment for 15% equity in his enterprise.
While the hosts obviously enjoyed Baker's tasty boneless ribs, his proprietary process proved to be the real selling point. Baker explained to the Sharks that he holds not one, but two patents for his ribs. The first is for the process used to remove the bones, and the second is for the boneless ribs themselves. Upon hearing this, Kevin "Mr. Wonderful" O'Leary proclaimed that it was the first time a person on the show had a patented food product.
Accordingly, O'Leary offered Baker $300,000 for a 49% share of the company, a deal that would be contingent on Baker also licensing his patent to O'Leary. Shark Daymond John countered this with an offer of $300,000 for a 30% share, dubbing O'Leary a "greedy savage." Ultimately, Baker accepted John's offer, and a deal was made.
A rocky road with a happy ending
In the years after his appearance on "Shark Tank," Al "Bubba" Baker experienced a roller coaster of wins and losses. His partnership with Daymond John turned out to be a remarkable success, per CNBC. Just three years after the deal was struck, Bubba's Q earned a whopping $16 million in profits. Much of the success was attributed to a deal with CKE Restaurants, which ordered 1 million pounds of Baker's patented boneless ribs for use in fast-casual chains Carl's Jr. and Hardee's.
Unfortunately, Baker has also experienced setbacks in his business. According to WKYC, his Cleveland restaurant was forced to shutter in 2019. Although the reason for the closure was not made public, it seemed to be a clear and obvious hit to his previously unrivaled success. Of course, part of what makes a great businessperson is how that individual responds to adversity and defeat. Only three years later, the business reemerged as a food truck that features delectable dishes like pulled pork and brisket.
The football star and entrepreneur stated that his lifelong success was "proof that if you live your life with integrity, you work hard — good things happen to you."