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Bob and Mollie Thorsen appeared on Shark Tank season 11, episode 21 in 2020. They presented their gardening product, The Little Burros. Bob created the tray to help his wife, who enjoyed gardening but kept losing her tools. The Thorsen family invested $1 million in the product. The Little Burros Tray had utility and design patents and was sold nationwide at stores like Target and Ace Hardware.
The owners revealed on Shark Tank that the company sold around 2,500 units per month, earning about $400,000 in sales. The tray cost $10 to produce, wholesaled for $25, and retailed for $39.95. It was made in the USA, which increased production costs but appealed to consumers. Barbara Corcoran, Mark Cuban, and Daymond John were the first to bow out, citing lack of interest or expertise.
Kevin O'Leary made an offer of $250,000 for 7% equity and a $7 per unit royalty. Lori Greiner offered $250,000 as a loan with a $5 per unit royalty and 3% equity. Seeing the offers, the Shark Tank investor Barbara advised Bob and Mollie to decline the offers.
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"I'm gonna give them advice to walk away from both deals. And I'll tell you why. You've already put your million dollars in, you've already done the heavy lifting," stated Barbara.
The Little Burros founders ultimately took her advice and left the set of Shark Tank without settling for a deal.
The journey of Little Burros before and after Shark Tank
Bob Thorsen created Little Burros to solve a problem. He wanted to help his wife keep track of her gardening tools. Bob initially made a prototype out of a cardboard box and other simple materials. His five children liked the idea and supported him and the family started their business to sell the product. The family founded the company in 2013.
The Thorsens hired a designer to improve the product and Bob's daughter Mollie helped him throughout the process. As mentioned previously, Little Burros eventually became popular and was sold in stores like Target and Home Depot. However, the family faced a tragedy when Bob's daughter Becca died from an illness.
Becca was involved in a charity that fought against human trafficking. To honor her, the family donated some of the company's profits to the charity. After Becca's death, the family took a break from the business. Later, Bob and Mollie decided to get help to grow the company. They appeared on Shark Tank to find a business partner.
Little Burros was successful despite opting to not take a deal on Shark Tank. The product was sold in major retailers such as Lowe's, Walmart, and Home Depot. Although Little Burros was an outdoor gardening tool, it benefited from the lockdown during the COVID-19 outbreak. Online sales increased as people wanted the product for their gardens.
During the pandemic, many people spent time in their gardens. This led to increased demand for Little Burros. Little Burros later introduced a new product called the Burro Buddy. It was smaller and more portable than the original product. The Burro Buddy was easier to move around and took up less space. By 2025, the Burro Buddy was sold in 1,200 Lowe's stores.
The company planned to sell the product at Walmart stores too. Little Burros reported $1 million in annual revenue in 2025. The company continued to grow and expand its product line.
Shark Tank is currently airing its season 16 on ABC.
