Whatever Happened To Honey Bunchies From Shark Tank?

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Honey Bunchies appeared on Season 14, Episode 20 of "Shark Tank," where Kendra Bennett pitched a handmade gourmet honey bar based on a family recipe. The snack bar contained simple ingredients like 42% honey, nuts, and sunflower kernels which was created by her father, Ed Payne, a Vietnam War veteran. At the time of its pitch, the company was still family-owned and operated in Longmont, Colorado. Kendra was on a mission to make Honey Bunchies (now called Bon Bee Honey) one of your favorite snacks on-the-go.

It seemed as though the product was high-quality and the presentation was nice, but is that ever enough when you venture into the tank? If you've watched the show, you know contestants are standing in front of a tough crowd as the sharks break down every aspect of the product or service on offer. People better bring their A-game and be ready for the barrage of questions that are coming their way, particularly regarding the financial breakdown of everything. 

Since the episode aired, Honey Bunchies has undergone a rebrand and expanded into national retailers. Even though Bennett left without securing a deal, the "Shark Tank" appearance served as a major publicity boost, helping the brand grow its customer base and broaden its reach. Here's what happened during and after the pitch, whether the business is still active, and what the future holds for the company and its founders.

One of the best and strongest parts of Kendra Bennett's pitch on "Shark Tank" was the origin story. She explained how her father had reverse-engineered a snack her mother used to make and turned it into a family business. The bar was handmade in small batches and emphasized clean, all-natural ingredients with pure, unfiltered honey as the primary component. The Sharks liked the product's simplicity and taste, but they brought up a lot of concerns during the negotiation portion.

Bennett asked for $200,000 in exchange for 10% of the company, valuing Honey Bunchies at $2 million. Even though the Sharks complimented the snack's flavor and presentation, they expressed skepticism about the brand's ability to compete in a market that had no shortage of similar products to the one she wanted to launch. I mean, you've got Kellanova, General Mills Inc., and my personal favorite Nature's Valley, which has a pretty killer Oats and Honey bar already out there. They also noted that those more well-known brands had far more extensive distribution and marketing budgets. Kevin O'Leary pointed out that snack bars are notoriously difficult to scale due to shelf space competition. Mark Cuban questioned the business model and growth projections.

No Sharks made an offer, but she got a lot of eyes on her product despite not getting the investment she came for. The product was unique because of its backstory, its limited ingredient list, and its handmade process, which resonated with many viewers. The moment the segment aired, the company began seeing increased attention from both potential customers and retailers.

The brand leaned into the momentum it had achieved, maintaining direct communication with customers through its website and social media channels. In April 2023, the company rebranded as Bon Bee Honey. According to the official site and interviews with the founders, this was a strategic decision to position the brand for long-term growth. The new name maintained the original concept's charm while allowing for broader product lines in the future. Despite the name change, the original Honey Bunchies bars — now Bon Bee Honey Bars — remained unchanged.

The company also scaled up its distribution. Bon Bee Honey Bars are now stocked in over 1,200 retail locations across the United States, including Whole Foods, Kroger, 7-Eleven, and numerous independent stores. It's also added more formats and flavors, including variety packs and four-packs of its Peanut Pecan and Coconut Almond bars.

The team behind Bon Bee Honey has stayed consistent. The company remains family-owned and operated, with Kendra continuing in a leadership role. Production still happens in Longmont, Colorado and the brand has retained its original values of small-batch production and clean ingredients.

Yes, Bon Bee Honey is still very much in business and growing steadily. The company is managing to scale its distribution and branding efforts across the United States. Since rebranding from Honey Bunchies to Bon Bee Honey, the company has focused on expanding both its retail presence and its direct-to-consumer operations. Customers have responded positively, with reviews on its website consistently highlight taste, quality, and transparency.

One key to Bon Bee Honey's continued success appears to be maintaining a balance between growth and staying true to its values. Rather than chasing rapid expansion or overly diversifying its product line, Bon Bee Honey focuses on consistent quality and customer satisfaction. Its hero discount program — offering savings to veterans, healthcare workers, teachers, and first responders — has also helped build goodwill and loyalty within key communities.

Unlike some companies that pivot wildly post-"Shark Tank" in an attempt to scale, Bon Bee has taken a deliberate, grounded approach. This has allowed the company to avoid some of the pitfalls other startups face after receiving a burst of attention. Today, it's not only surviving but thriving, without having to compromise on what made its product appealing in the first place.

Bon Bee Honey is looking ahead with a clear strategy. The company plans to continue expanding its product availability in retail chains while enhancing its online shopping experience. This works out great since millennials are still shopping online but Gen Z seems to be ditching the devices to shop in store. Recent updates on the company's socials suggest they're getting into more Whole Foods stores, doing more and more demos in various locations around the country, and just continually getting better as an organization.

Thankfully, Kendra Bennett and her team are still going strong, regularly engaging with customers on social media, sharing behind-the-scenes content, and promoting their growing retail presence. It's pretty cool that "Shark Tank" was a stepping stone, but it didn't define them in the end. It's one of those companies that gained a lot from the exposure but continued on to obtain success through grit and grind.

I say kudos to them, as the company appears to be moving onward and upward. Though we love a good "Shark Tank" success story, Bon Bee Honey has shown you don't necessarily need a shark in your corner to thrive, as long as the product is strong, the story is genuine, and the execution is consistent.