Raleigh seafood truck owner rejected by 'Shark Tank,' now he has global fans: 'Amazing'
RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- Isaac Horton walked into the "Shark Tank" with his pitch memorized, his food ready, and a decade of hustle behind him. He walked out without a deal. His episode never made it to air. And somehow, none of that stopped what came next.
Horton, founder of Oak City Fish & Chips, appeared before the show's panel of investors to pitch his vision of turning his Raleigh-based seafood food truck into a nationwide franchise network. The sharks liked his food. They liked his numbers. But in the end, they passed -- wary of a franchise-only model without a brick-and-mortar anchor.
"Everyone's dream in the business community is to get on 'Shark Tank' -- to get on the big stage before experienced, seasoned entrepreneurs, billionaires, and hundred-millionaires and pitch your concept," Horton said.
The pitch delivered results by any measure other than a check. At the NC State Fair, Oak City Fish & Chips brought in $220,000 over 11 days. A single day at the Dreamville Festival generated $40,000. The sharks were enthusiastic about the food itself, with one telling Horton he had never tasted shrimp that good.
Despite the warm reception, all five sharks declined to invest. Horton said he had hoped to pitch Barbara Corcoran, the panel's real estate mogul and small business champion, but she was absent that day.
"Barbara, we are still waiting on you to call us. I want you, Barbara," Horton said.
The disappointment deepened when weeks stretched into months, and the episode never appeared on ABC. Horton had been cut from the season entirely.
"I got cut," he said. "To put it simply, yeah."
Then came Horton's Oak City miracle. Sony Pictures Television, which produces "Shark Tank," posted the unaired episode to YouTube. Views climbed into the hundreds of thousands. Franchise inquiry forms on the Oak City Fish & Chips website began filling with submissions from across the country -- and beyond.
"People from around the world began filling out the 'we want a franchise' form on the oakcityfishandchips.com website," Horton said. "It's been amazing."
More than a year after taping, Oak City Fish & Chips is moving forward with franchise expansion. The company plans to announce its first round of franchisees this summer.
