Where Is Joe's Gourmet Fish Fry From Shark Tank Today?

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Great breading mixes may be marketed toward specific proteins like fish, but are actually good on any meat or vegetable one can fry. Such is the ethos behind Joe's Gourmet Fish Fry, a breading mix bursting with authentic Southern flavor, which appeared on Season 9, episode 16 of ABC's "Shark Tank."

Founder Joe Dowell, Jr. is a former industrial worker who found a passion for food while serving tables in New Orleans. He eventually opened several restaurants in the Crescent City, and even met his future wife Maranda at one. In 2005, Hurricane Katrina destroyed his Louisiana home and businesses, with the exception of two fryers he had in storage.

Joe took his fryers and hit the road, settling in Atlanta but selling fresh fried food at concerts and festivals all over the U.S. When customers began lining up with Tupperware to take Joe's food home, Maranda had the transformative idea to sell the breading mix so customers could fry up Joe's recipes at home. After a short time in this business, the Dowells sought a big investment to help keep up with rapidly growing demand. Enter the Sharks.

The Dowells hit center stage on a January 2018 episode of "Shark Tank," seeking a $150,000 investment in exchange for a 15% stake in Joe's Gourmet Fish Fry. According to Maranda, they had already sold $409,000 worth of product and inked deals with major retailers like Walmart, Kroger, and Publix.

Toward the end of their sales pitch, Maranda told the Sharks that "over the years, we have one simple truth. When people try it, oh, they gon' buy it!" Nailing the batter is essential to making homemade fried fish pub-worthy, and nail it the Dowells did. All five Sharks loved the versatile sample platter of fried shrimp, chicken, zucchini, halibut, and scallops. But not everyone was on board to buy it.

Kevin O'Leary quickly bowed out, believing that the business was overvalued at $1,000,000. Similarly, Robert Herjavec declined to make an offer for fear that it would be too low. Lori Greiner and Mark Cuban both loved the product, but didn't think it was a good fit for their portfolios. But Daymond John, who appreciated the hustle it took to sell on a street corner, offered $150,000 for a 25% stake in the company. After a brief attempt to sell him on 18%, the Dowells accepted John's proposal.

Though it appears that their deal with Daymond John ultimately didn't happen, Joe's Gourmet Fish Fry still experienced a massive jump in sales and publicity after "Shark Tank." Eight months after their appearance, the Dowells' products were in more than 2,500 grocery stores nationwide and online sales had increased by 500%. This fulfilled their post-'Shark Tank" goal of making their breading as easily accessible as possible so that customers can cook restaurant-worthy fried fish at home, just like a chef.

The Dowells pushed their fry mix further with an appearance on ABC's "Good Morning America," where they launched a gluten-free version of the breading. In 2019, the business got another huge boost with the Dowells' charismatic appearance on home shopping mainstay QVC. 

Echoing Dowell's lost restaurants in New Orleans, Joe's Gourmet embarked upon a franchising plan in 2021, offering entrepreneurs the chance to open their own Joe's Gourmet Fish and Chicken outlets at participating Walmarts. Two franchise locations opened in Georgia, first in Lithia Springs and then in College Park.

Joe's Gourmet is still in business, though it appears to have scaled back somewhat. Unfortunately for any expansion goals, both Joe's Gourmet restaurants are now closed, and there don't appear to be any new ones. The fry mix is also out of stock at both Amazon and Walmart, the nation's two largest retailers. But it's not all bad news.

The classic fry mix is still available on Joe's Gourmet's website, though the gluten-free variety is not listed (Gluten-free eaters may consider frying with almond flour, which works for chicken and fish). The website also shows widespread in-store availability of its products, especially east of the Mississippi River. And Joe's Gourmet's Instagram account suggests that Dowell can still be found serving fresh, delicious fried food at events throughout the Southeast U.S.

In the meantime, Maranda Dowell co-founded a new business, Genesis Development Partners, which assists large retailers in selecting, acquiring, and developing prime real estate for new stores. But both of the Dowells still list Joe's Gourmet as current employment on their LinkedIn pages, hinting that their future is still in fried food.

Episodes of "Shark Tank" are available for purchase on Prime Video.