Y'all Sweet Tea

Y'all Sweet Tea is a bottled Southern-style sweet tea brand built around an authentic, made-the-real-way recipe rather than an overly processed bottled drink. Founders Darien Craig and Brandon Echols leaned into Southern hospitality and tradition, positioning the tea as the genuine article for people who grew up on the real thing. The product is straightforward comfort in a bottle, and the founders' personalities and regional roots became central to the brand's identity.

The duo came to Season 16 asking for 500,000 dollars for 5 percent, and the pitch turned into a competitive scramble among the sharks. Offers came in from Kevin O'Leary, Lori Greiner, and guest shark Rashaun Williams, and after some back-and-forth the founders accepted a joint deal from Greiner and Williams at 500,000 dollars for 15 percent. The bidding showed how much the sharks liked both the product and the founders.

Y'all Sweet Tea stood out on the strength of its founders and a clear, relatable brand. Multiple sharks competing for a sweet tea company underscored its appeal, and the pairing of Lori Greiner's retail expertise with Rashaun Williams gave it a strong launchpad. The brand's authenticity, regional pride, and the founders' on-camera energy made it one of the more memorable food-and-drink pitches of the season.

The week the episode premiered in late 2024, business spiked hard, with the company reporting close to 10,000 orders in just a few days and a major jump in site traffic. The founders parlayed that into wider distribution, growing their store count and landing shelf space at Walmart, a milestone they had pointed to during the pitch. The Greiner and Williams backing helped push that retail expansion.

As of 2026 Y'all Sweet Tea is still operating and active, with Darien Craig and Brandon Echols continuing to run it. The brand has expanded its store presence, teased and launched additional products, and marked anniversary milestones with new merchandise and media appearances, including a national talk-show spot connected to Lori Greiner. It continues to grow on the back of strong reviews and its Southern, founder-driven identity.