The Bang Shack: Here's What Happened After Appearing On Shark Tank

When Jason Hadley had a child at age 15, he was determined to provide the best life possible for his son. But what many folks would consider an incredible hardship, Hadley credits as a positive turning point. This pushed him to explore careers that would help him take care of his family, and he soon discovered he had a knack for sales, from furniture to cars.

In his off-time, Hadley also created a dip he would bring to social events. This wasn't just your standard 3-ingredient onion dip. People who tried it raved about the savory concoction made with chicken, cheese, spinach, and secret ingredients that gave it a bang. After hearing how much folks loved his culinary achievement, Hadley thought of marketing it to the masses and dubbed his fledgling business The Bang Shack.

Hadley started slow, managing a booth at a local farmers market and selling his trademark mixture out of slow cookers. His focus at the time was on gaining brand recognition, yet his dream was to one day have big-name stores stocking the cheesy chicken dip on shelves.

The Bang Shack began selling the dip at another farmers market, but growth was slow. Hadley knew he needed a commercial kitchen if he wanted to truly scale the company. That required capital, so he set out to appear on ABC's "Shark Tank" to hopefully secure the funds that would get him into a proper kitchen and, perhaps, gain a partner who had business expertise to share.

Hadley walked onto "Shark Tank" all smiles and stated that he was seeking $80,000 for a 20% stake in The Bang Shack. He then proceeded to tell the venture capitalists what was in his signature dip, as well as introducing them to a vegetarian version (made with zucchini instead of chicken) and a vegan option that utilized a cheese made from cashews. The Bang Shack founder highlighted the versatility of his product, pointing out that it tasted great on pasta, vegetables, and burritos, exclaiming, "I even put it on my omelet!" (via Hulu).

The flavor impressed all the sharks, while some gave kudos to Hadley for his exceptionally charismatic pitch. While they all appreciated the $53,000 he made in a year at just one farmers market, their attitudes soured after Hadley revealed that he hoped to sell the dip in stores ... but didn't have a packaged product with him. He explained that he did have packaging, but that didn't fly with Mark Cuban, who shot back, "But you didn't bring it here."

Without any of the infrastructure needed to grow the company immediately, sharks started dropping out fast. Cuban and Daymond John were the first to go, with Lori Greiner and Kevin O'Leary quick to follow. That left only Robert Herjavec, but he, too, thought that some work needed to be done before the business was investable. Like the founder of KidsLuv on their appearance on "Shark Tank," Hadley walked away without a deal. Still, he wasn't throwing in the towel, stating after the show, "The Bang Shack train is not stopping."

True to his word, Hadley kept The Bang Shack train rolling. After the episode aired, he was approached by various entities offering advice and sometimes making bids to get his appetizing dip into stores. He started selling the product locally via his website while continuing to work the farmers markets. Hadley also communicated with big-name retailers like Amazon and Whole Foods, attempting to set up deals with them.

Scaling the business as best he could, the momentum accelerated when he received a grant from the Hollywood Community Redevelopment Agency, which allowed him to open a restaurant location in Hollywood, Florida. The cheesy chicken dip and menu items like Loaded Bang Fries, Shrimp Bang Pasta, and even a Bang Omelet quickly earned the company rave reviews. The establishment currently has a 4.8 out of 5-star rating on Yelp, with customers praising the food, prices, and Hadley's magnetic personality.

Selling folks a tasty product they enjoyed with a side of charisma seemed to be a winning combination. The Bang Shack even began hosting special events, like Game Day specials, Veterans Day discounts, and UFC fights without a cover charge. However, despite the aura of success that The Bang Shack was radiating, the numbers must not have been adding up behind the scenes.

Folks wanting to try The Bang Shack dip for themselves are in for disappointing news. Despite glowing reviews pouring in regularly, Yelp now indicates that the brick-and-mortar location has closed. The website is no longer functional, and the company's social media accounts haven't had any new posts for years. One post on TikTok from 2023 is proof that The Bang Shack has, unfortunately, gone out of business, just like the falafel street wrap company TaDah that achieved modest success after appearing on "Shark Tank."

In the TikTok video, Hadley expressed his gratitude to all the loyal fans and patrons over the years, telling them that he was hosting one last hurrah before closing the business. He declared that this was not a sad occasion, but a happy one. Although Hadley had put his heart and soul into The Bang Shack, he said that he was excited to start the next chapter of his journey. He didn't specify what that was exactly, but with his level of magnetism and astounding proficiency at sales, it is hard to think it wouldn't be successful.

According to his LinkedIn profile, Hadley now works for a business called Filter Kings, which makes customized air filters for HVAC systems. Unsurprisingly, he is the director of sales at the company. When he appeared on "Shark Tank," Lori Greiner said Hadley "could sell anything" (per Hulu) before eliminating herself as a potential investor. With such a stark pivot from selling cheesy chicken dip to air filters, it appears she was right all along.

As the last shark standing before Hadley left the show without a deal, Robert Herjavec told him, "There is a transition between being a salesperson and being a business guy." While Herjavec said he had full confidence that Hadley would eventually figure out the business side of things, as of yet it seems that faith hasn't been fulfilled. Whether Hadley's entrepreneurial ventures are behind him is anyone's guess, but were he to go down that road once again, his energetic, charismatic demeanor and the knowledge he gained from operating The Bang Shack would surely be a boon to whatever he sets his mind to.