Thereasa Black made waves on national television by presenting her date-sweetened chocolate brand, Bon AppéSweet, on ABC’s “Shark Tank.” Her goal was to encourage viewers across the country to reevaluate their opinions about dessert.
Black shared her personal journey, which caught the Sharks’ attention.
She recounted her experience as a Navy officer, describing the heart-wrenching moment when she was deployed just a week before her daughter’s second birthday, all while balancing law school and motherhood.
“At the time, I was a single mom, and so I had to leave her with my cousin. I literally cried every single day that I was deployed,” Black told the Sharks, according to The Baynet.
So, she started Bon AppéSweet as a promise to her daughter that she would “never deploy away from her again.”
The Leonardtown businesswoman, a Southern Maryland native, started her pitch seeking a $75,000 investment for a 10% stake in her brand. She immediately focused on what she believes is the core problem with the chocolate industry—sugar.
“There’s a little choco-holic living inside of us all,” Black told the Sharks, emphasizing the growing worries among consumers regarding added sugars, sugar alcohols, and artificial ingredients.
To leverage this, her business offers rich, dairy-free, organic chocolate crafted solely from plant-based ingredients and sweetened exclusively with dates, meaning no added sugars, no sugar alcohols, and no stevia.
Black showed off the variety of her brand with flavours like pumpkin spice and “better-than-milk chocolate.” She explained that her desserts offer all the indulgence of traditional chocolate without the guilt, thanks to the antioxidants and nutrients found in dates.
After the chocolate tasting, Black concluded the negotiation by accepting a combined offer from two Sharks, Robert Herjavec and Rashaun Williams, $75,000 for 10% equity in her company, along with an extra $100,000 for another 10%, providing her with both financial support and strategic advice to grow her business.
Black agreed to the offer from both Sharks. One shark remarked, “You’re one of the most impressive entrepreneurs that has ever walked through those doors.”
“I will be your biggest customer,” another Shark declared, while another added, “That was so impressive. And your daughter will be so proud.”
She explained the significance of the nod she received from the sharks, saying, “When I got pregnant with Isabella, I was a single mom. People told me to drop out of law school. They told me that I couldn’t achieve anything. And the fact that I came here today, and the Sharks were all impressed with what I’ve done so far, that shows her that she can do anything that she wants. You don’t let anybody else create your limitations. The sky is always gonna be the limit.”
Bon AppéSweet’s national recognition is a major milestone for the business, which started as a passion project in St. Mary’s County. The brand is now distributed nationwide, including in 376 Walmart stores and Whole Foods. The owner also credits her partnership with Amazon Selling Partners as a key factor in the company’s growth.
“I was talking to my friend last night, and he was just like ‘you look like you were shocked’, and I was like ‘I was!’, I honestly couldn’t believe it. My mind was blown,” Black said on an interview with ABC27 News. “Even last night when I was watching it, I started crying again, like I started tearing up.”
Black said that after her deal with Herjavec and Williams, the most important things to do next are to focus on getting noticed and expanding the business.
“Having the growth that you get from direct-to-consumer sales should actually help us grow a little faster, and getting out samples,” Black added. “Everyone who ever tries Bon AppéSweet reacts the same way the Sharks did.”
Black currently has two chocolate product lines, which are Bon AppéSweet and Beyond Milk Chocolate. The Bon AppéSweet line is available at Walmart and the Beyond Milk Chocolate line can be found at Whole Foods.
After her appearance on Shark Tank, Black reports a significant increase in sales. She remarked, “We have so many orders right now, and my team is just like ‘Oh my God’. So we are trying to come up with methods, like okay, this is how we are going to do this. So yeah, it is crazy!”
Individually, investor Williams from Shark Tank shared his thoughts on the moment in an Instagram post saying, “One of the best things about being on @sharktankabc is seeing the reactions of founders after you help them make their dreams come true.
In the venture world, we rarely see tears and hug entrepreneurs after committing to invest. This show really has brought the personal side of investing in the forefront for me! @eatbonappesweet. Virtual hugs to everyone raising money and pursuing their dreams.”
