The South Jersey native behind Topsail Steamer tested her chum buckets among the sharks.
Danielle Mahon, founder of the takeout seafood chain, went on "Shark Tank" in hopes of securing an investment in her company. Topsail Steamer, which has four Jersey Shore shops, sells steam pots filled with seafood to be heated up at home and enjoyed family-style. The episode runs at 8 p.m. Friday on ABC.
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On "Shark Tank," entrepreneurs pitch ideas to four business tycoons, seeking investments in their companies in exchange for equity or portions of sales. The investors, called "sharks," either agree to the proposed deal, pass or strike a new one. Mahon went on the show to ask for cash for technology to help Topsail Steamer grow, the Inquirer reported.
Topsail Steamer offers nine varieties of prepapared pots that combine seafood like shrimp, crab and clams with sausage, vegetables and spices. The instructions call for adding water or beer and then heating the bucket on the stove. Then, it's time to dig in – and people get to keep the pot. The pots range in price from $139 to $249.
Mahon, 55, who grew up in Marlton and Tabernacle, New Jersey, opened the first Topsail Steamer shop in North Carolina. She has since opened locations in Ocean City, Long Beach Island, Sea Isle City and Wildwood. The company has 10 locations in five states and also ships pots nationwide on Goldbelly.
Mahon got 90 seconds to pitch her company, but told the Inquirer that she was in the "tank" with the sharks for about 45 minutes. During that time, she served the chain's Wrightsville Bay Bucket, which includes snow crab, sea scallops, shrimp, clams, andouille sausage, kielbasa, sweet corn, red potatoes and onion, plus some extra lobster.
Since the episode hasn't aired, Mahon can't share whether she got a deal, but said there was some enthusiasm from the judges. "I can say that they were all really excited by the product," she said.
The episode also features pitches on fried chicken-shaped ice cream, a backyard golf game and a magnetic storage solution for skis and snowboards. Todd Graves, the CEO of fast food chicken chain Raising Canes, appears as a guest judge.