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CEO was 'nervous' for ‘Shark Tank’ appearance but walked away with two 'unexpected' investments

Todd Graves was 'nervous' before his 'Shark Tank' cameo, but had 'fun' and made shocking investments.

‘Shark Tank’ can be nerve-wracking even for seasoned professionals. The Raising Cane’s CEO, Todd Graves, didn’t appear on the show as a contestant, but rather as a guest judge in season 16. Nevertheless, he was admittedly 'nervous' before his cameo and came in with zero expectations. Fate, however, had other plans. In an interview with The Mirror, Graves revealed that the two investments he made in the show were a pleasant surprise. He admitted to being a fan of the show and the way the investors crack their deals. However, when he was approached with an invitation, his initial feeling was far from excitement. “I got a little nervous because of how quickly they do deals. They've been doing it forever, and they're quick,” he told the outlet.

Garves revealed that he had a few months to do due diligence before appearing on the show. He ended up making investments in two start-ups that were shockingly off-brand. Graves, whose company is an American fast food chain that specializes in chicken fingers, bid on two of the four start-ups in the season’s second episode, and one of them was the seafood cooking company, Topsail Steamer. He offered $350,000 for 18% equity in tandem with fellow investor Lori Greiner. Graves’ second investment in the episode was a shocker!

The CEO invested in an outdoorsman’s product called RigStrips, offering $300,000 for 15% equity. He surprisingly opted out of a start-up that sold ice cream that looked like fried chicken. This business would have been on-brand for Graves, but he decided to pass. He admitted that the product had the potential of being an addition to his company, but he’s “served the same menu for 28 years” and “never changed anything.” He told the outlet that he felt bad for the entrepreneurs who hoped of getting a positive response from him.

“They probably thought, 'Hey, this would be a perfect dessert for Canes.' But for me, the focus is 'One Love' and quality chicken finger meals,” he explained. On the show, he had joined fellow investors Mark Cuban, Greiner, aka the queen of the QVC, Kevin O'Leary, a.k.a. Mr. Wonderful, and Daymond John. Garves revealed that he knew Cuban before the show, but not the others. Nonetheless, he recalled getting a warm welcome from everyone on the panel. O'Leary has built a reputation for being a blunt and ruthless ‘Shark’, but Graves described him as the “sweetest guy in the world.”

The 'nervous' guest judge got a boost of confidence after his co-judges motivated him. They assured him that he would do great on the show and reminded him of his expertise. However, that didn’t dim their competitiveness! The CEO recalled that though the other judges were really nice, they kept the competitive spirit intact. They reminded him that if they went head-to-head for a deal, then it’s on. Graves admitted that it’s what made the experience 'more fun' for him.