Product Update
Is Bubba’s QBBQ Still in Business? (2026 Update)
What happened to Bubba’s QBBQ after Shark Tank? Its on-air pitch and the latest reported consumer availability.
Current consumer ordering for Bubba's QBBQ is unconfirmed. Al 'Bubba' Baker's boneless ribs did reach customers and a national restaurant partnership after Shark Tank. The later record includes a disrupted online store and litigation that continued into 2026.
The family’s Shark Tank pitch
Al Baker and his daughter Brittani Bo Baker presented the boneless baby back ribs on December 6, 2013, in Season 5, Episode 11. This site's pitch record lists an ask of $300,000 for 15% and an accepted on-air agreement with Daymond John for $300,000 and 30%.
The product was a rack of ribs with the bones removed, offering rib meat that could also become a sandwich filling. It was developed from the Bakers' barbecue business in Avon, Ohio.
CKE, April 2017 brand and product account
The ribs became a national burger ingredient
CKE's April 14, 2017 announcement named Bubba's-Q Boneless Ribs as the exclusive rib supplier for the new Carl's Jr. and Hardee's Baby Back Rib Burger. The launch was set for April 26 at participating locations nationwide. Baker described the earlier expansion into online orders and shipping in the same announcement.
An April 2017 CBS report put sales at $16 million, up from $154,000 before the show.
CKE, April 14, 2017 release · CBS, April 2017
What the court record says
A July 21, 2023 federal court opinion records that the product website had been redirected to a page telling customers the ribs were unavailable. It granted Daymond John and DF Ventures a permanent injunction after finding the Bakers had breached a 2019 settlement's non-disparagement agreement. This was a dispute over public statements, rather than an order to stop making ribs.
In a separate case, a March 26, 2026 opinion dismissed Al and Brittani Baker's complaint without prejudice. The court found they lacked standing to bring the patent claims and declined jurisdiction over the state-law claims. It expressly did not decide the merits of their allegations.
Federal court opinion, July 21, 2023 · Federal court opinion, March 26, 2026
Bubba’s QBBQ net worth in 2026
No supported current business valuation is available. The $16 million sales report belongs to 2017; it is not a measure of the brand's value today.
What to check before buying ribs
Match the seller's brand and product description to the ribs you want. A listing for boneless ribs from another producer is not automatically an order from the Bakers' original store. For a frozen shipment, check pack weight, delivery area, shipping charges and the seller's storage and reheating instructions before planning a meal around it.
Recorded pitch result
Recorded on-air deal
- $300,000 recorded amount
- 30% equity
- With Daymond John
These are the recorded on-air terms. The pitch fields do not confirm completed funding; a company update may report later closing, changed terms or a deal that fell through.
Bubba’s QBBQ: current availability
Current consumer ordering for the original Bubba’s QBBQ brand is unconfirmed.
See the full Bubba’s QBBQ pitch breakdown and reported terms →
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