Pitch Introduction
Joye Bells, a premium refrigerated pie company, was pitched on Shark Tank by founder Joy B. Moore. The business, rooted in legacy family recipes, offered unique flavors like sweet potato, peach, and pumpkin pies. Despite a strong pitch performance, the company’s future took a different turn, ultimately leading to bankruptcy just months after the episode aired.
Business Overview
Product/Service: Joye Bells specializes in premium refrigerated pies using family recipes passed down through generations. The core offerings include award-winning peach, pumpkin, and sweet potato pies. Each pie represents flavors from Joye Berry-Moore’s Southern heritage and the rich culinary tradition of her third great-grandmother. The company operates with a focus on whole, quality ingredients and a personalized touch that resonates with customers.
Problem It Solves: Joye Bells addresses the need for high-quality, authentic Southern-style pies available commercially. Many consumers struggle to find convenient access to such gourmet pies with traditional family recipes. Additionally, Joye Berry-Moore’s own journey of overcoming poverty gives her a relatable brand foundation that connects emotionally with audiences.
Target Market: Joye Bells primarily targets Southern food enthusiasts, specialty food lovers, and gift buyers. The brand particularly appeals to consumers who value authenticity, home-baked nostalgia, and artisanal food products that reflect cultural tradition. It also reaches businesses seeking premium corporate gifts and licenses for retail distribution.
Unique Selling Proposition (USP): Joye Bells stands out because of its deep-rooted family heritage tied to every product. With six generations of Southern cooking expertise and the first generation successfully commercializing the recipes, Joye Bells offers pies with emotional and cultural value in addition to exceptional taste. Each product is crafted using time-honored, tested recipes with modern taste and convenience standards.
| Characteristic | Details |
|---|---|
| Business Industry | Food & Beverage |
| Founded | 2019 |
| Location | Richmond, Virginia |
| Founder | Joy B. Moore |
| Pie Flavors | Sweet Potato, Peach, Pumpkin |
| Main Sales Channels | QVC (Post Recall), Local Distributors |
About Founder’s
Joye Berry-Moore, founder and CEO of Joye Bells, hails from Richmond, Virginia. She is a first-generation entrepreneur with a unique life story that includes overcoming homelessness and adversity early in life. Her journey into pie-making began with her family’s 150-year-old legacy recipes from her third great-grandmother, marking her as the first in her family to professionally turn their ancestry into a business.
- Third-generation Southern baker
- Formerly homeless at age 14-17
- Raised in Dallas, Texas
- Started Joye Bells in 2019
Shark’s and Founder’s QnA
Joy B. Moore: Hello, I’m Joy B. Moore from Richmond, Virginia. I’m the founder and CEO of Joye Bells. Sharks, let’s be honest—you can’t just eat at everybody’s house or office party, especially during the holidays, unless of course they’re serving up Joye Bells.
Joye Bells is home to that mouthwatering Southern, backwards country deliciousness—honey—and we get to share that deliciousness with our award-winning peach, pumpkin, and sweet potato pies, each one a legacy recipe from my third great-grandmother, handed down with love. I am now the sixth generation to make these family recipes, and the first generation to turn all of those traditions into a business.
Barbara Corcoran: That’s beautiful.
Thank you.
Joy B. Moore: Thank you. These are not frozen. These are premium refrigerated pies. We sell in retail, we’re in QVC, we’re in Whole Foods right now. In the last 12 months, we’ve generated $2.7 million in revenue—a 500 increase over the prior year.
We’re looking to scale production and distribution nationwide. I am here today asking for an investment of $600,000 for 10% of my company, which values it at $6 million.
Kevin O’Leary: So what is your profit margin right now
My profit margin right now is about 32 to 35%. That’s definitely room to grow, but I’ve scaled quickly with new facilities and improvements to production lines, which is one of the things I’d like to use the funds for.
Mark Cuban: What’s your sales cycle growth look like
Year-over-year, I’ve experienced around 200% growth in revenue between 2022 and 2023, and then hit $2.7 million in 2024. I’ve been on the Today show, numerous local TV interviews, and product launches that generated my QVC exposure.
Lori Greiner: How have you scaled so fast without raising outside capital before
I’ve bootstrapped and raised a small amount of funds—about $425,000—from family, friends, and small investors. That helped me secure shelf space in retailers like Whole Foods and fund QVC product launches.
Robert Herjavec: You’ve made over 300,000 pies recalled in 2023, but you say you don’t have legal recalls—what happened
We had an unripened peach recall in Tennessee through one licensed producer, but it wasn’t FDA-mandated. Since then, we’ve partnered with Apple Valley Foods in Minnesota to produce pies as we scale. That required legal documentation, but right now all production is clean under new management.
Daymond John: What’s your customer acquisition cost and average order value
For retail, there is no direct customer acquisition cost because we partner through distributors and retailers. For our website, customer acquisition is about $17, and our average order value is around $70, with an average ticket of $50 within return visitors and $100 from gift basket orders.
Joy B. Moore: How do you maintain quality and product consistency at scale
Our quality control is managed through a certified third-party manufacturing partner. For QVC, Apple Valley Foods produces under FDA inspection and oversight. I inspect every batch manually and preserve the authenticity of ingredients and processes at scale.
Kevin O’Leary: Why didn’t you go to investors over borrowing
Raising equity is cleaner and faster for scaling operations, versus taking on more interest-bearing debt, which already accounts for some of our current losses due to the expansion toward a national footprint.
Mark Cuban: What are your expansion plans and new flavor pipeline
Beyond our current offerings, we’re working on three new flavors, including a bourbon pecan pie and maple espresso. We’ve tested flavors in focus groups to ensure our next innovations resonate with consumers across geographies.
Joy B. Moore: Finally, aside from business growth, what drives your passion for this company
My story of near homelessness right through my senior year of high school—living in abandoned houses and eating out of dumpsters—means that Joye Bells is bigger than just pies. It’s a second chance at life, and it represents hope and empowerment for people who’ve overcome the odds.
Key Stats & Financials
At the time of the pitch, Joye Bells had impressive revenue and growth metrics. Despite these numbers, the company faced fundamental financial and production challenges that later led to bankruptcy. Here are the key figures at the pitch:
- Sales: $2.7 million annual revenue in 2024
- Margins: 32%–35% gross profit
- Valuation: $6 million offered by founder
- Investment Request: $600,000 for 10% equity
- Use of Funds: Expansion into national retail, improved production lines, working capital
| Metric | Figure |
|---|---|
| Annual Revenue (2024) | $2.7 million |
| Gross Profit Margin | 32%–35% |
| Pitch Valuation | $6 million |
| Ask Amount | $600,000 |
| Equity Offered | 10% |
Business Potential and TAM
Joye Bells operated within a substantial food and frozen/dessert market. With increasing demand for premium, artisanal food products and a renewed interest in Southern cuisine and family recipes, Joye Bells had strong potential to capture market share. The company’s ability to resonate emotionally with audiences further enhanced its brand appeal.
- Total Addressable Market: $1.2 billion in frozen desserts
- OTR Brand Leadership: High margins, emotional storytelling
- Retail Distribution: Whole Foods, QVC, potential e-commerce
- Product Diversification: Bourbon pecan, maple espresso flavors
Ideal Target Audience & Demographics
| Demographic | Details |
|---|---|
| Age Group | 25–55 years old |
| Gender | Primarily Female (65%) |
| Income Level | $50,000–$150,000+ |
| Geography | East Coast, Southern States |
| Behavior | Premium food buyers, holiday shoppers |
Marketing and Distribution Strategy
Joye Bells employed a mix of traditional and modern marketing and distribution strategies. Early growth came from local press coverage, appearances on national shows like Today, brand partnerships with QVC, and consumer storytelling that captured the essence of her journey. She relied on third-party manufacturing and national distribution to scale while preserving traditional touchpoints for consumers.
- On-air TV appearances (Today Show)
- QVC and Whole Foods retail partnerships
- Digital storytelling focus on personal brand narrative
- Partnerships with Apple Valley for U.S. production
Joye Bells Deal Outcome
No sharks invested in Joye Bells during this pitch. Despite the strong brand story, high revenue growth, and unique emotional appeal, concerns around production consistency, scaling cost, and financial controls left investors cautious. The reasoning likely stemmed from past production recalls and unease about Apple Valley’s manufacturing footprint and its own financial issues (also a supplier in default).
| Detail | Outcome |
|---|---|
| Pitch Ask | $600,000 for 10% equity |
| Pitch Valuation | $6 million |
| Deal | None accepted |
| Sharks Interested | None invested |
Joye Bells Post-Show Update
Shortly after appearing on Shark Tank, Joye Bells faced significant challenges. In July 2025, the company was sued by its main lender for defaulting on a $350,000 loan. This led to the company filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy under Joye Berry-Moore and her husband’s names. As of July, the company listed liabilities exceeding $1 million, including unpaid IRS charges and a $570,000 dispute with manufacturer Apple Valley Foods.
Business Analysis & Lessons
Joye Bells underscores a major lesson in post-pitch scaling: revenues don’t guarantee long-term success if operational scaling, cash flow management, and legal compliance aren’t robust. Despite its unique value proposition, the company stumbled due to undercapitalization, production risks, and missteps in product quality management.
The business attracted attention with its founder’s incredible background and performance story. However, expansion without financial control hurt its longevity. The lesson here is: high revenue without proper financial frameworks and investor backing—not just funding but investor mentorship—can be a liability post-bite.
- High revenue without cash flow structure is unsustainable
- Emotional branding must be backed by solid operations
- Retail shelf success doesn’t equate to profit—beans must crunch
- Quality control during expansion protects long-term trust
Pitch Conclusion
Joye Bells entered the Shark Tank with impressive numbers, a powerful story, and fantastic appeal. However, like many entrepreneurs over time, valuable assets don’t mean long-term business resilience. Joye Bells teaches us that financial discipline is equally critical to emotional branding—and that investor mentorship offers more value than capital alone. We invite you to stay informed on the struggles and triumphs of driven founders like Joy B. Moore.