In a twist that could be straight out of a reality show script, “Shark Tank” star and FUBU founder, Daymond John, is now swimming in a sea of legal issues.
According to Page Six, John has filed a temporary restraining order against former contestants Al “Bubba” Baker, his wife, Sabrina Baker, and their daughter, Brittani Bo Baker. The family trio runs the mouth-watering Bubba’s Q Boneless Baby Back Ribs food truck.
They allege that John attempted to snatch control of their sizzling enterprise.
The Bakers tell a tale as juicy as their ribs. They claim they were initially offered $300,000 for a 30% stake in their company when they appeared on “Shark Tank” in 2013.
But they allege that John later revised the deal, offering $100,000 for a 35% stake and an alleged attempt to bring Rastelli Foods Group into the mix.
The Bakers also claim they’ve only seen around 4% of the $16 million in revenue, leading to suspicions that their financial cut might have been trimmed a bit too close to the bone.
John’s spokesman, Zach Rosenfield, has refuted these claims, stating that John’s actions were not a barbecue takeover but a response to the Bakers’ apparent violations of their partnership agreement.
It seems that John’s patience with the Bakers has finally been smoked out, with Rosenfield lamenting, “It is unfortunate that it has come to this.”
“Their belief that they can unwind poor business decisions through slanderous social media posts and articles will no longer be tolerated,” Rosenfield added.
One thing is sure – with accusations flying and tempers flaring, this beef could get hotter than a Texas summer.
As for the Bakers, they’re hoping to prove that you can’t just throw a small business on the barbecue and expect not to get burned.