Where Is Bee Sweet Lemonade From Shark Tank Today?
Today, Me & the Bees Lemonade (formerly known as Bee Sweet Lemonade) is arguably one of the most known lemonade brands in grocery stores. After appearing on "Shark Tank," the company achieved success in retailers like Target and Whole Foods. It's hard to believe the brand was founded by Mikaila Ulmer, who was just 9 years old when she pitched in front of the Sharks.
Entrepreneurship has always come naturally to Mikaila. Growing up, she and her brother, Jacob, ran a lemonade stand. At 4-and-a-half years old, she entered a young entrepreneur contest. Mikaila started her business, Bee Sweet Lemonade, at a very young age after being stung by two bees.
After the ordeal, she became fascinated with bees, leading her to create her own version of lemonade inspired by her great-grandmother's recipe for a minty, honey-sweetened drink. Bee Sweet Lemonade is also infused with flaxseed. As part of the business, portions of the proceeds are donated to organizations dedicated to helping and saving bees.
Bee Sweet Lemonade blossomed out of Austin, Texas. As the business continued to grow, Mikaila headed to "Shark Tank" to get assistance in expanding her company, which led to an $11 million deal with Whole Foods. Today, a press release claims the business has nearly 6,000 "points of distribution."
Bee Sweet Lemonade landed a sweet deal
Bee Sweet Lemonade appeared on Season 6, Episode 23 of "Shark Tank," seeking $60,000 for a 10% stake in the company. At the time of the pitch, the business sold four flavors: original mint, half-and-half, tea and lemonade, and prickly pear.
The then-9-year-old entrepreneur passed out samples of the lemonade for the Sharks to try. Mark Cuban and Daymond John seemed impressed with the lemon concoction. Mikaila Ulmer's dad, Theo, explained Bee Sweet Lemonade has been in business for nearly six years. At the time of the pitch, the business had made $25,000 in sales that year. The drinks retailed for between $2.75 and $3.00 and cost $1.50 to make.
While the special flaxseed recipe remains a secret between Mikaila and her business partners, at the time, Theo touted that he and his wife had over 40 years of marketing and finance experience. The lemonades were sold in over 30 Whole Foods across four cities, and at the time of the pitch, Bee Sweet Lemonade was in negotiations to expand further into the southwest region. With the $60,000, Mikaila said she planned to increase production and expand the brand.
Kevin O'Leary was the first to drop out, followed by Robert Herjavec, Cuban, and Lori Greiner. With John being the only Shark left standing, he offered $60,000 for a 25% ownership of the company — contingent on his east coast convenience store distributors getting the lemonades, which Mikaila accepted.
Bee Sweet Lemonade blossomed into Me & the Bees
After securing a deal on "Shark Tank," Bee Sweet Lemonade — now known as Me & the Bees Lemonade — kept busy as a bee. Shortly after appearing on the show, Me & the Bees Lemonade secured the aforementioned $11-million deal with Whole Foods. In a 2020 "Shark Tank" update, a 16-year-old Mikaila Ulmer reflected back on her time on "Shark Tank," saying the company had made over $3 million in sales.
In a 2021 interview with CNBC, Ulmer explained before appearing on the show, Me & the Bees Lemonade was a small business run entirely by her family. Now, there is a marketing and sales team. Me and the Bees has sold 2 million bottles of lemonade, and the company continued to soar well into 2023. Today, the business is in nearly 6,000 spots in 40 states, including Publix, Target, and H-E-B, in addition to Costco and Kroger.
As a young entrepreneur, Ulmer herself had accomplished a lot, meeting then-President Barack Obama, receiving the Eleanor Roosevelt Val-Kill Medal, and publishing a book called "Bee Fearless, Dream Like a Kid" in 2020. Ulmer has spoken at events sharing her stories about being a social entrepreneur and devoting her time to helping save bees. Ulmer is also the founder of Healthy Hive Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to raising awareness about the importance of bees.