Here's What Happened To Handy Pan After Shark Tank
On June 26, 2018, Adam Chaudry and Josh Conway started a Kickstarter campaign to raise $40,000. They described themselves as two friends who started by writing their idea for a pan and strainer combination on a napkin. "It's hard to imagine that all the hard work of the concept, engineering, marketing, sourcing, and distribution of this idea has culminated with us bringing you the one and only Handy Pan," Chaudry wrote. Unfortunately, they only raised $9,277. Still, they managed to develop their product and listed Priority Designs as the development group that helped them manufacture the Handy Pan.
The two appeared on "Shark Tank" in Season 13, Episode 21, hoping to get a Shark to invest in their product. With the push of a button, the strainer pops out on the side, allowing the cook to drain liquids such as water or grease. The point, they said, was that you didn't need to use a lid, strainer, spoon, or any other secondary tool that could cause a mess. Fans of the show remember this episode because of the small amount Chaudry and Conway wanted for investment and Lori Greiner's reaction to the company.
What happened to Handy Pan on Shark Tank?
Chaudry and Conway asked for an unbelievably low $10,000 for 20%. Stunned, the Sharks called it a first."Basically, the valuation is that we wanted to come in here with a number that doesn't stand in the way of a deal," Chaudry explained. Chaudry and Conway also admitted that they'd only had $7,955.61 in sales in the three years since they started selling the pans.
When the Sharks grilled them about their low sales, Chaudry and Conway told them that they both have had other full-time jobs — Conway in office technologies and, more recently, real estate, and Chaudry as a lawyer and part-time server and bartender. They also told Mark Cuban that, in terms of marketing, they'd only spent $553 on Facebook ads and hadn't even tried to get the Handy Pan on Amazon.
Greiner interrupted the discussion as Mark Cuban and Robert Herjavec argued about whether the two should've been working harder to get sales. "Wait, Wait. You want to know something? I don't even care about all of this," Greiner exclaimed. "You ask for $10,000 for 20%? I'll give it to you! I have nothing to lose." And with that, they made a deal with Greiner. After hugging Greiner, Conway said in the post-show interview, "We came here [and] Lori was exactly who we wanted. We thought we had a good valuation to make it a no-brainer."
Handy Pan After Shark Tank
Handy Pan had trouble keeping the item in stock on its webpage after the "Shark Tank" appearance, with potential customers filling its Facebook comments section with frustration at the lack of availability. "Guess I should have just bought it! SOLD out already... Please let us know when back in stock!" wrote one person. "Just saw on 'Shark Tank.' Went to order and all sold out!! Well done guys!!!!" exclaimed another. Luckily, by December 1, 2022, Handy Pan posted that the item was back in stock for the holidays.
There's no info about whether the deal with Greiner fell through. Still, it's notable that after getting criticized for not selling the Handy Pan beyond its website, the pan still hasn't expanded to Amazon — or anywhere else. Chaudry and Conway also talked about having a patent for a pot version of the Handy Pan called Handy Pot, but that hasn't come to fruition.
Is Handy Pan still in business?
Handy Pan is still in business, but it doesn't appear much has changed from when Conway and Chaudry appeared on the show. The two put their focus and effort into their jobs as a lawyer and a realtor, with Handy Pan remaining essentially a hobby. The only pan offered on the website comes in red, which customers have expressed disappointment with. "Make other colors! Not everyone likes red!" wrote one annoyed follower on its Facebook page. The price also skyrocketed from $29.99 to $49.99. For those looking for a deal, Handy Pan currently offers a promotion of $50 off — if you purchase 10 pans.
Handy Pan's Facebook page has 1.2K likes and followers and is rarely updated. The company has only made two posts since the episode aired in April 2022, and the page was last updated on December 1, 2022. The business has no other social media presence. However, Josh Conway's Facebook page page is updated regularly with info about his real estate business, and Adam Chaudry's page is mostly private.
What's next for Handy Pan and its founders?
Currently, Adam Chaudry's LinkedIn Page lists his occupation as an attorney for the Beckage Firm, a position he started earlier this year. He also has himself listed as self-employed through his own business, Chaudry Law, LLC, and as CEO of Chaudway Enterprises and Handy Pan. His most recent posts are related only to the Beckage Firm, with no mention of Handy Pan or the "Shark Tank" appearance. Josh Conway's LinkedIn is similar. However, it doesn't mention his involvement with Handy Pan at all, just listing his position as a realtor for Generations Realty.
Since Handy Pan's social media presence is almost nonexistent, and neither Chaudry nor Conway has spoken much about the business, it's difficult to say what's next for the company — if anything. For now, its only product is the red strainer pan, which is available to buy on its website.