Where Is Y'all Sweet Tea From Shark Tank Today?

Before "Shark Tank" viewers ever saw Darien Craig and Brandon Echols step onto the soundstage, they were already steeped in sweet tea and childhood friendship. The two had grown up together in Hayden, Alabama, bonded by summer afternoons, driveways, and gallons of home-brewed tea. Craig started with just $300 and a bootleg brewing setup — a scrappy response to getting fired that wound up laying the foundation for Y'all Sweet Tea.

In the beginning, their sweet tea traveled in the back of a truck and got poured from mayo jars. They spent their first few years crisscrossing Alabama with coolers of tea and jars packed in the back, setting up shop anywhere that allowed a tent and a folding table. But as much as they loved the festivals and fairs, the grind didn't scale. So in 2020, they got to work on something more permanent — a proprietary blend of black tea, slick new branding, and a direct-to-consumer setup that could go beyond county lines.

By April 2021, the relaunch was live: Southern-style sweet tea in gallon-sized bags, ready to brew at home. Influencers helped push the product into new hands, and their social media strategy leaned hard on Southern charm — especially when a grandma figure named Mama Sue became one of their biggest faces. By the time they reached "Shark Tank" in 2024, Y'all Sweet Tea wasn't just a feel-good business. It was a full-on retail contender — the type of gift grandmas wouldn't need convincing to love.

Y'all wasn't the first tea brand to hit the Tank — fans of "Shark Tank" might remember Snarky Tea – but when Darien Craig and Brandon Echols walked in, they weren't just asking for a check; they were pitching momentum. At the time of their pitch, Y'all was stocked in over 600 stores and had already crossed $4 million in sales — not bad for a tea brand that didn't even exist five years earlier. But the real jaw-dropper came from their first flavored release. The debut of Georgia Peach tea bags triggered a buying frenzy: 10,000 units sold out in just over half an hour, with six figures in sales racked up before most customers had even checked out.

The founders came in asking for $500,000 in exchange for 5%, but the offers got layered fast. Guest investor Rashaun Williams led with a straight $500,000 for 10%, pointing to his experience with exits and scalability. Kevin O'Leary followed with a higher equity split — a shared $500,000 for 20% alongside Williams — while Lori Greiner responded with her own joint offer at 15%. Even O'Leary adjusted his terms mid-pitch to stay competitive.

In the end, Craig and Echols shook hands with Williams and Greiner, choosing a 15% split that gave them a mix of retail expertise and growth-focused investment backing. "It couldn't have been a better deal," Echols said after the taping. With two seasoned Sharks on board and the brand's sales already boiling over, the spotlight was only getting hotter.

The exposure from "Shark Tank" didn't just raise eyebrows — it cleared shelves. Following the episode, Y'all Sweet Tea's website saw a flood of orders, with several tea blends quickly marked "sold out." The site stayed active with new drops and flavor rotations, as customers scrambled to get their hands on the brand's growing lineup of Southern-style teas.

The company leaned even harder into social media, pairing influencer cameos with clips of sweet tea being brewed the proper Southern way — steeped, sweetened, and served by the gallon. One popular video even features Southern cook Brenda Gantt walking viewers through the process, right from her kitchen — no lemon in sight, just the way traditional sweet tea should be made. Meanwhile, Shark Tank's own Lori Greiner called it "Seriously the #1 Tea in the Land!!" in a repost that still lives on their feed.

Whether fans were sipping it by the gallon or scrolling through the comments, Y'all Sweet Tea had officially stirred the pot — and people were thirsty for more.

Yes — Y'all Sweet Tea is still in business. The company continues to expand its product line, strengthen its social presence, and bring in new fans from well beyond its Southern roots. While tea is still the star, its site now hosts a full-blown collection of seasonings — from Texas Street Taco to Bama Burger. That expansion hasn't slowed the brand down.

Still, not every fan has embraced the broader direction. Reddit threads have questioned whether the company is prioritizing shelf-filler over substance. One commenter called the unsweetened blends misleading — "But to call it Sweet Tea when it's unsweetened makes absolutely no sense" – and argued that fans didn't show up for ranch powder; they came for a gallon of nostalgia.

Even so, Y'all Sweet Tea seems content to chart its own course. The product lineup might be evolving, but the core of the brand — high-energy marketing, strong Southern identity, and unapologetically sweet roots — remains intact.

Y'all Sweet Tea isn't slowing down anytime soon. The company continues to ride its "Shark Tank" momentum with a focus on growth — both online and in stores. The brand has officially landed a spot on Walmart's website, where listings have already sold out — and according to its store locator, it's also landed on shelves at physical retailers across several states. Its regional retail presence remains strong, and limited-edition flavors like Juicy Watermelon Whirl keep fans coming back for more.

Behind the scenes, co-founders Darien Craig and Brandon Echols still appear to be leading the charge. Their focus remains steady: scale smart, build brand recognition, and keep delivering that "true Southern sweet tea" experience. Their story — from a $300 gamble to a multimillion-dollar business — remains a key part of their appeal, especially on social media, where loyal customers keep the buzz brewing.

Whether Y'all ends up on shelves nationwide or continues carving out its niche, one thing's clear: The tea might be sweet, but the growth strategy isn't soft.