Whatever Happened To Alice's Table After Shark Tank?
It's hard enough for entrepreneurs to convince the investing panel of ABC's "Shark Tank" that their new and inventive product is worth the time, money, and effort needed to have it become a successful retail item. What's even harder to sell to these carnivores is a concept, meaning, a business model that doesn't offer a specific, tangible product. That's exactly what Alice Lewis attempted to do when she walked onto the stage of the show, back in Season 9.
The business Lewis was trying to have the Sharks invest in is Alice's Table, a company that allows women everywhere to teach other women how to properly construct flower arrangements for any type of event. For a price, Alice's Table will send you the materials and knowledge on how to get hired (or teach others) to be a floral decorator. In comparison, the concept mirrors similar companies that do the same sort of teaching for products, such as make-up or Tupperware. However, Lewis' idea for flower arrangements, to the Sharks, was a unique one.
Lewis stepped onto the "Shark Tank" stage, asking for $250,000 in exchange for 6.5% ownership of her company. To demonstrate how the business works, she brought the Sharks up onto the hotspot, giving them directions on how to properly put together a flower arrangement. The concept was good enough to spark interest and eventually, moguls Mark Cuban and Sarah Blakely joined forces to invest that asked-for dollar amount for 10% of the business. Lewis agreed and they were off and running. So, whatever happened to Alice's Table?
Alice's Table now offers more than before
It's an unfortunate fact that many of the entrepreneurs that bravely present their business plan, or new product, in front of the panel on "Shark Tank," never go further than striking a deal on the show. However, for Alice Lewis and her business, Alice's Table, both her and the Sharks saw growth and profits, post-deal. Shortly after the show aired, Lewis (via SharkTankBlog), brought in over 70 new hosts, fully booking up her schedule. Soon after, the business became part of the 800-Flowers brand, bringing Alice's Table to new customers and new heights.
Up until 2020, Alice's Table — which Mark Cuban referred to Vanity Fair as one of the best pitches on the show — continued to rise, until the world was hit with the COVID-19 pandemic. Much like other companies around the globe, Lewis needed to shift her business model for Alice's Table to match the changes the consumer world was experiencing, at the time. Luckily for Lewis, this type of side-stepping proved to be successful, as well.
When you take a look at Alice's Table website, it's clear that it still lives under the 800-Flowers brand. Due to the pandemic, the company shifted to online workshops in order to offer the same services remotely. Featured on KRON4's "Live! In The Bay," Lewis explained that Alice's Table has expanded the workshops from just flowers to also offering informative classes on how to arrange gourmet food platters and even pasta making.