Sharks Take A Bite: Leonardtown’s Bon AppéSweet Lands Two Deals On Shark Tank

LEONARDTOWN, Md. — Leonardtown entrepreneur Thereasa Black stepped into the national spotlight Tuesday night, pitching her date-sweetened chocolate company Bon AppéSweet on ABC’s “Shark Tank” and inviting viewers across the country to rethink what dessert can be.

Opening her pitch, Black introduced herself as a Southern Maryland native seeking $75,000 in exchange for 10% of her company, then quickly zeroed in on what she called a growing problem in the chocolate industry — sugar.

“There’s a little choco-holic living inside of us all,” Black told the Sharks, highlighting consumers’ increasing concern over added sugars, sugar alcohols and artificial ingredients. Her company offers rich, dairy-free, organic chocolate made entirely with plant-based ingredients and sweetened exclusively with dates, resulting in zero added sugar, zero sugar alcohols and no stevia.

Black showcased her product’s versatility with flavors like pumpkin spice and “better-than-milk chocolate,” explaining that her chocolate delivers indulgence without guilt while providing antioxidants and nutrients from dates. You can view her pitch to the Sharks below!

But it wasn’t just the chocolate that impressed the Sharks. Black’s personal story resonated deeply. She recounted her time as a Navy officer and how, while attending law school and raising her young daughter, she was deployed one week before her daughter’s second birthday.

“At the time, I was a single mom, and so I had to leave her with my cousin. I literally cried every single day that I was deployed,” Black told the Sharks.

She started Bon AppéSweet as a promise to her daughter that she would “never deploy away from her again.”

The Sharks were clearly moved. One remarked, “You’re one of the most impressive entrepreneurs that has ever walked through those doors.”

After sampling the chocolate, the negotiation culminated with Black accepting a dual offer from two Sharks: $75,000 for 10% of her company, plus an additional $100,000 for 10%, giving her both financial backing and strategic guidance to expand her business.

“I will be your biggest customer,” one Shark declared, while another added, “That was so impressive. And your daughter will be so proud.”

After Black accepted the deal from both Sharks, she remarked on her journey with inspiration and gratitude.

Black said, “When I got pregnant with Isabella, I was a single mom. People told me to drop out of law school. They told me that I couldn’t achieve anything. And the fact that I came here today, and the Sharks were all impressed with what I’ve done so far, that shows her that she can do anything that she wants. You don’t let anybody else create your limitations. The sky is always gonna be the limit.”

Bon AppéSweet’s national exposure is the latest milestone for the St. Mary’s County-based business, which started as a personal passion project and has grown into a nationally distributed brand, including 376 Walmart locations and Whole Foods. She contributes to Amazon Selling Partners as a huge growth for her business as well.

Local viewers and our news team were cheering her on and so impressed as she represented St. Mary’s County on one of television’s most competitive business stages.

The episode aired at 10 p.m. on ABC, drawing widespread support from the community as they celebrated Black’s sweet success.

Read the related article: Leonardtown Chocolate Company Bon AppéSweet To Appear On Shark Tank from The BayNet for additional information on her journey toward “Shark Tank.”

You can also visit her website at bonappesweet.com.

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