The Sharks of Shark Tank are about to eat some Slawsa!

Local food entrepreneur, Julie Busha, who used an old family recipe to introduce a new relish named Slawsa to American palates, is heading to the hit reality show Shark Tank!  With a mere two years under her belt she has already launched Slawsa into over 4,500 stores across the country.  Now she's throwing herself into the Tank to see if they can help her do even more.

Slawsa into the Sharnk Tank press release follows:

Two short years ago, very few people had ever heard of Slawsa.  Since then, retailers from some of our nations largest chains to the smallest gourmet and specialty shops have embraced the brand by adding this small business line to their relish shelves. Now, Slawsa gets its shot in front of a national audience. 

Slawsa owner, Julie Busha, will present Slawsa to the panel of ABC’s hit reality show, “Shark Tank” on Friday, November 15th at 9ET/8CT to seek capital. The investor panel also known as the “Sharks,” Busha will pitch to billionaire and outspoken owner of the Dallas Mavericks, Mark Cuban; "Queen of QVC" Lori Greiner; technology innovator Robert Herjavec; fashion and branding expert Daymond John; and venture capitalist Kevin O'Leary. 

The innovative relish described as a cross between a ‘slaw’ and ‘salsa’ is a must-have for grilling, tailgating and everyday home use as a new staple in the condiment shelf of refrigerators across America.  Slawsa is also a healthier alternative to traditional condiments as it is all natural, fat-free, cholesterol-free, gluten-free, low in sodium and kosher. 

With its highest ratings ever in last year’s season 4, it was publicized that over 35,000 entrepreneurs applied for the hit show. Busha has little doubt that the talent pool increased once again in both quantity and quality.  “Right around 100 entrepreneurs will ultimately air for season 5 so I consider myself very fortunate to not only be cast but to have made for compelling enough television to get the air date,” said Busha. “I think the hardest part was keeping the secret. Now that the cat is out of the bag, I can now let my family and friends know that they’ll be seeing me on television. Until now, my own parents didn’t know.” 

Of course, Busha cannot divulge what happens during the show or whether or not a deal is struck as the final edit is all a surprise to everyone. Historically, food companies have come into the tank with very little or no distribution. Not so with Slawsa. Within the US and Canada, Slawsa has placement in the relish section in over 4,500 stores nationwide…and all within the last two years. In addition to many critical accolades, Slawsa was also named by Entrepreneur.com as a top-10 in the food and beverage category amongst small businesses. 

With Busha’s background in marketing within the marketing-heavy sport of NASCAR, she is sure to capitalize on both pre-show awareness and the Shark Tank Effect that generally occurs afterwards. “All of the Sharks live tweet during each new episode so we’re encouraging everyone to grab a jar and grill out with Slawsa for dinner that night. They can then play along during our segment and ‘live tweet’ with each of the Sharks. Anyone tweeting should just hashtag #sharktank and #slawsa,” says Busha. “We’ll be live tweeting from @slawsa and @julesbusha.

For additional information on Slawsa and store locations, visit www.Slawsa.com or ‘Like’ them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Slawsa and follow them on Twitter @Slawsa.

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