Shark Tank's Bottle Breacher: Where Is This Niche Company Now?

Bottle Breacher founders Eli and Jen Crane appeared on Season 6 of "Shark Tank" in 2014. Their product? A bottle opener handcrafted from .50-caliber live bullet casings. As Eli said in the Cranes' pitch, "Our product is Bottle Breacher. We make the finest, personalized .50-caliber bottle openers on the market."

The Cranes founded the business in 2012, when Eli was still an active-duty service member; he became a Navy SEAL in 2005 and retired from service in 2014 after 13 years. When asked about the name, Eli explained that a "breacher" is a military term that refers to an operator on a team who's responsible for getting the team into "whatever target we're hitting." He then connected it to their product, saying, "You know, you got to breach into that beer somehow, right?" he said.

When they entered the Tank, the Cranes sought $150,000 in exchange for 10% equity in their new venture. Their pitch was a success, and they walked out with new partners in Mark Cuban and Kevin O'Leary, with the two Sharks splitting the investment at $75,000 a piece, with each of them getting 10% equity stake in the company for 20% total. Upon accepting the deal, Eli said, "You guys are awesome! Let's do it!"

In their "Shark Tank" pitch, Eli and Jen Crane explained that Bottle Breacher bottle openers were made from recycled bullets, sourced through an intermediary, and Jen explained they were selling their product primarily online via an Etsy store and the company's website. The average price was $23.50 (likely with custom add-ons, since the price range was $16 to $18), with production costs, after labor, coming to $9.03 per bottle opener. The Cranes noted they were in "two strategic brick-and-mortar stores," but weren't yet selling the bottle openers at retail.

They then wowed the Sharks with their sales to date. Jen shared that Bottle Breacher had already made $500,000 since launching in January 2013, with a projection of $840,000 in sales by year-end. This said, they needed the Sharks' help with leasing a new incubator space to handle the business's growth, as well as new engravers since most of Bottle Breacher's orders (90%) were customized.

When it came time for the Sharks to deal, Kevin O'Leary and Daymond John made offers, with O'Leary asking for 20% equity for a $150,000 investment and John asking for 25% for a $200,000 investment. Lori Greiner and Robert Herjavec both passed, and Eli asked Mark Cuban if he wanted to go in with either O'Leary or John, to which Cuban rather quickly said, "I'd be interested in going in with Kevin." The Cranes accepted. (Read about super-successful businesses that rejected their "Shark Tank" offers.)

Following their "Shark Tank" appearance, Jen and Eli Crane experienced the "Shark Tank Effect." Eli said the company did $1 million in sales the week after the Cranes' episode aired, and they soon found themselves with a back order of three months — a problem they solved with new machinery, which increased daily production by 67%, going from 600 pieces per day to 1,500, per a 2018 Inc. magazine profile. That same year, the Dallas Business Journal reported the company's sales were close to $17 million.

However, the Cranes didn't measure Bottle Breacher's success story only by profit. In addition to hiring veterans (Inc. reported that in 2018, veterans comprised 25% of Bottle Breacher's workforce), Bottle Breacher also reinvested its money into nonprofits, with a focus on military-related causes, like Operation Supply Drop and the Wounded Warrior Project. As for giving back, Eli said, "This is so important. The mission is up to you." He explained that, "For us, it is to employ veterans and give back to veteran nonprofits. Not only does it give you one more reason to succeed, but it also helps the team that you have built feel like they are a part of something much bigger than a paycheck."

Fast forward to 2024, and the Cranes are no longer the small business owners of Bottle Breacher, selling their company in 2022 (to Mike and Amber Wall), the same year Eli Crane became a member of the U.S. House of Representatives. Rep. Crane, who represents Arizona's 2nd Congressional District, won a second term in 2024.