'Shark Tank' Investors Turn Up Noses to Farmington Woman's Drinking Vinegars

“Shark Tank” investors sent Farmington entrepreneur Jess Sanchez-McClary home empty-handed at the end of the season premiere of the ABC reality show Friday, but the exposure of her Old Timey Drinking Vinegars to 5 million viewers has translated to an uptick in viewers and sales on the Farmington woman’s business website.

“On Saturday, visits to our website were up 15,000 percent,” Sanchez-McClary told The Detroit News Monday. “We’ve had about 1,000 orders so far. We have done now, on the website, as much in sales as we did on the website the whole of last year.”

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Sanchez-McClary also has seen an increase in interest from brick-and-mortar retailers who want to carry her products.

“We’ve had a lot of stores all over the country that want to carry it, and probably another half-a-dozen or so distributors have also reached out to us.”

Though the investors turned her down, just getting on “Shark Tank” is an accomplishment. Competition is fierce, with 50,000 entrepreneurs auditioning for a slot on the show.

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“Airing ix the apex,” TJ Hale, host of the online Shark Tank Podcast and author of “The Ultimate Guide to Getting On Shark Tank,” told the newspaper.

“It’s big,” he said. “It’s a lottery ticket. It’s the reason you do it, because it’s a big payoff. Everyone from investors to distributors to Nigerian scammers will call after someone goes on ‘Shark Tank.’ ”

O’Leary was more caustic. “Let’s be honest,” he said. “It’s four guys and a dog that drink this stuff.”

Kutcher came to Sanchez-McClary’s defense.

“She gave you an answer,” he said, “and if the answer’s not suitable, that’s fine, but you don’t have to belittle people.”

If you missed the show, click here to watch.

» Screenshot via ABC.com.