Bar Bees Cocktail Class - Shark Tank Update

Best friends Jess Blakley and Willow Sprague turned their shared passion for mixology and entrepreneurial spirit into BarBees Cocktail Class, a mobile cocktail education business that brings professional bartending expertise directly to customers' chosen locations for unforgettable group experiences. Starting in 2019 as an event bartending company in Nashville, Tennessee, these dynamic entrepreneurs recognized that people craved not just great drinks but the knowledge and skills to create cocktails themselves, leading them to pivot toward interactive education that combines entertainment with practical mixology training.

Their innovative business model eliminates the barriers that prevent people from learning proper cocktail techniques by providing everything except the alcohol and venue - professional instructors arrive with all necessary tools, mixers, garnishes, and expertise to guide groups through creating signature cocktails like their popular Rosemary Honey Paloma and Strawberry Old Fashioned. The service caters perfectly to bachelorette parties, birthday celebrations, corporate team-building events, and any gathering where people want to bond over learning new skills while enjoying delicious results.

Their growth trajectory demonstrates the power of adapting to challenges, as they successfully transitioned to virtual classes during the 2020 pandemic, then expanded back to in-person experiences across multiple cities while building a team of 25 professional instructors who bring both technical expertise and engaging personalities to every event.

Daniel Lubetzky immediately recognized the scalability and systematic nature of BarBees' business model, offering $75,000 for 20% equity while emphasizing his existing infrastructure that could accelerate their expansion plans across the country. The partnership proved strategically brilliant as Daniel's systems and business expertise enabled the company to achieve their immediate goals of developing an automated booking platform, enhancing instructor onboarding processes, and expanding into new markets more efficiently than they could have managed independently.

We found that the Shark Tank exposure and Daniel's guidance have transformed BarBees from a regional operation serving seven cities into a nationwide phenomenon now operating in ten cities with virtual classes available globally, demonstrating how the right investor partnership can unlock exponential growth potential. The company's impressive revenue progression from $19,000 (2019) to $38,000 (2020) to $76,000 (2021) to nearly $190,000 (2022) with projections exceeding $400,000 during filming year showcased their ability to scale systematically while maintaining quality service delivery.

Since the show, BarBees has successfully implemented online booking capabilities that allow customers anywhere in the world to book virtual cocktail classes, while their expanded instructor network ensures consistent, professional experiences whether delivered in person or through digital platforms, proving that combining educational content with social experiences creates sustainable business opportunities in the growing experiential economy.