Custard Stand Food Products, makers of Custard Stand Hot Dog Chili and Custard Stand Chili Soup with Beef and Beans, is scheduled to appear in an episode of ABC’s “Shark Tank” on Sunday, Feb. 21, at 10 p.m. (Eastern time).
Dee and Angie Cowger, owners of Custard Stand Food Products, were invited to pitch a business proposition to the “Sharks” for the seventh season of the reality show. The Cowgers appeared in front of Sharks Mark Cuban, Daymond John, Kevin O’Leary, Lori Greiner and Robert Herjavec with the hopes of striking a deal and forming a partnership.
The Cowgers can’t reveal the outcome of their Shark Tank experience, but they say the preparation and the pitch session were priceless.
“We can’t talk about how we did on the show, or if we gained a new business partner or not. We’re not going to spoil the surprises for the audience,” Angie Cowger says. “People will have to tune in and watch the episode for themselves.”
Each year tens of thousands of businesses apply to be on the show; this year more than 45,000 entrepreneurs applied. The Cowgers submitted their application on the show’s website nearly a year ago.
Custard Stand Food Products is based in Webster Springs, West Virginia, along with The Custard Stand restaurant on Main Street. Other cities in West Virginia with The Custard Stand restaurants are Danville, Elkins, Flatwoods, Mannington and Oak Hill.
The Custard Stand’s history
The Cowgers opened The Custard Stand in 1991 as a take-out dairy bar in Webster Springs. They used a century-old family recipe as the chili for the hotdogs. Customers kept asking where they could buy Custard Stand Hot Dog Chili. They asked so many times that, in 2003, the Cowgers converted the three-bay car wash behind the Webster Springs restaurant into a USDA-approved production facility and opened a second business, Custard Stand Food Products.
Custard Stand Hot Dog Chili is available at Kroger, Walmart, Sam’s Club, IGA as well as smaller chains and independent grocery stores in more than 15 states. It can be ordered at CustardStand.com and shipped in two days to most of the U.S. for a flat-rate fee.
Custard Stand Hot Dog Chili is served by West Virginia University and Glenville (West Virginia) State College at football, basketball and baseball games. The hot dog chili can be found topping hot dogs, fries and more at restaurants and convenience stores across the U.S.
The second restaurant, The Custard Stand-Flatwoods, opened in early 2009 in Flatwoods, West Virginia. Since 2010, franchise owners in the state have opened The Custard Stand restaurants in Danville, Elkins, Mannington and Oak Hill.
In 2010, The Cowgers introduced Custard Stand Chili Soup with Beef and Beans, a more traditional bowl chili with tomatoes and kidney beans. It is available at The Custard Stand restaurants and online.
