What Happened To Bertello From Shark Tank?
If you're looking to make homemade pizza that's just as good as the take-out from the pizza joint in your hometown, you've probably looked into purchasing your own pizza oven. Perhaps you've even considered the Bertello Outdoor Pizza Oven (originally the Napoli Pizza Oven), which appeared on Season 11, Episode 15 of the hit TV show "Shark Tank."
Brothers Andy and Eric Bert presented their outdoor pizza oven to the Sharks, noting that despite its small size (only slightly bigger than a 12-inch pizza), it can be powered by gas, charcoal, or wood; can reach temperatures of 900 degrees Fahrenheit; and can cook a pizza in under 90 seconds (via Shark Tank Blog). Eric Bert, a structural engineer, came up with the idea after enjoying delicious New York pizza. "Living in New York, I ate next-level pizza. All of the best pizzas were done in wood-fired pizza ovens. A light bulb went off. I thought, 'What if we can make a gas and wood-fired pizza that would be small and portable?'" Eric told Woodbury Magazine.
What went down on Shark Tank?
Before appearing on the show, the Berts raised a considerable sum to start their company with a Kickstarter campaign. They then decided to pitch to the Sharks, hoping to make their product the No. 1 low-priced outdoor pizza oven on the market (via Shark Tank Blog).
So what happened when the Bert brothers had their big moment in front of the Sharks? There was pizza, there were laughs, and most importantly, there was investment. Initially, the two went on the show asking the Sharks for a $120,000 investment for 10% equity in their business. They told the Sharks the oven sold for around $250, and they were doing most of their sales on Amazon. After they presented the product, the Berts treated the Sharks to some pizza and let Kevin O'Leary try his hand at making a pie. Barbara Corcoran made an offer, but the deal eventually went to O'Leary, who committed to investing $120,000 for 25% equity.
Eric Bert told Woodbury Magazine that being on the show and getting O'Leary's investment was a "really surreal moment."
Where is Bertello now?
In an update, Andy and Eric Bert said that Bertello did $75,000 in sales in one day after the "Shark Tank" episode featuring the portable pizza oven aired. However, life (and therefore marketing strategies) changed when the country was sent into lockdown three days later due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The brothers shifted online sales, and things skyrocketed from there. "The decision to make the digital pivot saved our business," Andy Bert says in the update. The business expanded sales to QVC, and as of 2022, Bertello had brought in $6.3 million in sales.
The Berts have been so successful they've begun offering advice to other "Shark Tank" hopefuls. "My advice for any entrepreneur starting out would be A: you got to love the product you're developing and trying to sell; B: there's always going to be bumps in the road, and you just have to ride those bumps out. Stay positive, work hard, and the more success you're going to have," they said.