Shark Tank investor Damon Jean is being accused of stealing from a Black family owned business, and now they are putting him on BLAST, Media Take Out has learned.
Al “Bubba” Baker, a retired NFL defensive end was running Bubba’s Q, his family’s popular barbecue restaurant in Avon, Ohio, when he came up with his own invention – boneless baby back ribs that were sold in several local supermarkets.
Al had a dream of taking his boneless ribs business nationwide, while expanding his branded line of sauces and rubs. It was slow in the beginning, and so the family decided to reach out to Damon John, from Shark Tank to help them grow their business.
BIG MISTAKE.
In September 2013, Al decided to go on Shark Tank, when Damon Jean agreed to invest in his business.
Al accepted fashion mogul Daymond John’s offer: $300,000 in return for a 30% cut of the company, as long as they could find a licensing deal with a large meat processor.
Within three years, Baker and his Bubba’s Q Boneless Baby Back Ribs were being promoted on the show and various press accounts as one of the biggest “Shark Tank” success stories, generating $16 million in revenue.
Unfortunately, Al and his family only received $659,653, barely 4% of the business’ publicized revenue.
What began as their “Shark Tank” dream, they say, “has been a nightmare”, John told the news media, Media Take Out confirmed.
Al is now accusing Damon John and some of his associates and partners — including one former contestant facing felony charges — of misleading them, trying to take over their business and depriving them of the profits from potentially lucrative partnerships.
According to the Al and his family, Damon and his representatives ceased communicating with them until last month.
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