Biem, a kitchen gadget that turns butter into spray, entered the Shark Tank in Season 8.
We interviewed owner Doug Foreman, who has already created another successful product, the bean-based snack chip Beanitos.
When asked about how his nerves fared during his time with the Sharks, he replied, “I was only apprehensive about doing my opening pitch flawlessly. After that, I was confident knowing all the details of my business and my ability to discuss it with the Sharks.”
Here’s what else he told us about…
How Making Breakfast Sparked the Invention
I would be cooking eggs every morning and I love butter. So I would put the butter in the pan and begin melting it and go make coffee. When I came back it was usually burning. So I kept thinking, “Why isn’t there a way I can just spray the butter in the pan without burning it?” The more I thought about it, a lot of other uses for spraying butter came up as well.
The Meaning Behind the Name
The name is rooted in the word “beam” which is defined as, “a stream of particles,” “to send out beams of light or energy,” and “to smile happily.” As we searched for the perfect name, we wanted something that would embody not only what our product is, but also something that is unique. Something that could be a noun or a verb, like Google. The traditional form of the word “beam” or “beem” resulted in millions of results on a Google search. But as we worked with the spelling, we found that there were only five results total for the spelling “biēm” and many people told us the word looks Italian or German which to them indicated a high quality product. We feel like it is up to us to create the awareness of the product and how to pronounce it.
His Original Product-Beanitos– the Fastest-Growing Snack Chip
I like to snack and if you snack on the wrong foods, like all the ones that are made with corn, it goes right to your waistline. So, I was looking for a way to get more protein and fiber in my diet and saw how beans are really a superfood in that regard. I had some experience in the chip business so I decided to give it a shot and see if we could develop a market. Right now we are the fastest-growing snack chip in the U.S.
Appearance on the ‘Tank’
We were at the International Home and Housewares show in Chicago and we had a conversation with a Shark Tank representative. They suggested that we apply to appear on the show. From that point, we went through the same process everyone else does.
Plans for the Future
We have had an incredible amount of interest in the Biem from all over the world. So, we have a lot of work ahead of us and will be concentrating on getting the Biem to everyone who wants one across the globe. We have some [other products] already in the works!
