‘Shark Tank’ review: Mistobox, Mee-Ma’s Gumbo, Squirrel Boss, Vermont Butcher Block & Board

Do you like variety? Then this week’s “Shark Tank” certainly has it. We have something from the world of food (two things, in fact), from the kitchen, and even the bird care industry (with a pretty shocking twist to boot). We didn’t have a chance to do a preview this week, and thanks to that, we are really going into this with a totally fresh view.

Want to know more about the individual products? As always, just be sure to click on some of the links below to check out their websites.

MistoBox – This is a coffee subscription service, just for people who love all sorts of coffee, and want to change things up from time to time when it comes to the type of beverage that they receive at their doorstep. Ultimately, we have to say that we’re pretty big fans of this idea (since we are coffee junkies ourselves). If you’re a coffee drinker, then you probably are not going to stop drinking. Plus, it’s nice to switch things up from time to time so that your brain does not get used to a certain type as routine.

On paper, the two founders here had almost everything going for them, including a really fantastic knowledge of their brand metrics. The only thing that they was an issue was that their business was still in the early stages. Ultimately, they went with Mark Cuban over Kevin O’Leary because of his knowledge of the web even though they gave up more equity to have it happen.

Squirrel Boss – This guy was a little over-the-top, no? The idea of a bird feeder that shocks squirrels is completely ridiculous, and while it may be a better alternative to shooting a squirrel, aren’t there a number of other bird feeders out there designed in part to keep squirrels out that doesn’t involve shock therapy? This whole presentation just felt a little sadistic, and while the guy had ridiculous amounts of passion, that’s about the only good thing we can say.

Vermont Butcher Block & Board – We give the guy running this company some serious credit, mostly because he found a way to take what is a very boring product (in wooden bowls, spoons, and cutting boards), and turn it into something that at least has a little bit of story behind it. The issue here is really just with the product itself more than anything else. There’s nothing proprietary about it, and no shark wanted to give $400,000 for something that will create little buzz.

Mee-Ma’s Louisiana Gumbo Brick – Now for a product that has almost it all. The idea of a gumbo base that helps make the popular food easy to make is a cool idea. We really love gumbo, and we would really love this product since we have no idea how to make it.

The only real problem with the product is that it faces the same exact challenge as any other in the food industry. The margins are terrible compared to other industries, and the risk is high. We’re happy that there was a deal made with Kevin O’Leary and Lori Greiner, but we did not necessarily love how this boiled down to a sob story at the end with talk about her being homeless. We hate it when the “Shark Tank” gets emotional as we’ve said it before, and we’ll surely say it again.

What was your favorite product on “Shark Tank” this week? If you want to check out some more highlights from this season, be sure to visit the link here.

Photo: ABC