Tailgate N Go: Grand Junction Family on Shark Tank
A family in Grand Junction was recently on the hit TV show Shark Tank. They presented their invention the Tailgate N Go and got themselves a deal.
The Johnson family came up with the idea for the Tailgate N Go while camping about two years ago. They had so many different totes and bags with their cooking supplies, Ron asked his daughter Taylor, 'where's your chuck box?.'
Ron Johnson, Taylor and Kobe's dad, says that the idea came from making chuck boxes as a boys scout. The box basically has all of your cooking needs, all in one, just like their invention.
The Tailgate N Go's grill, griddles, and cutting boards can move around the box. There are ten different places to set up the attachments. You can set up everything in a matter of minutes and you can break it down in seconds.
Tailgate N Go is a family business and here are the family/team members and their roles in the business:
- Kobe Johnson - 18-year-old son - social media, Tailgate N Go assembly
- Taylor Johnson - 27-year-old daughter - marketing/advertising, pitching, a little bit of everything
- Ron Johnson - 54-year-old dad - 'I'm the dad, the founder, and I'm excited to see where it goes'
Taylor has a bachelor's degree in Marketing from Colorado Mesa University and says she's used her degree more than she ever thought. She says learned more from doing this than any internship could've ever taught her.
The Tailgate N Go is a portable outdoor kitchen that folds out of a box. According to the Johnson family, anytime you're remote, it's all gas-operated so no electricity necessary, making it perfect.
You can even store your food, plates, utensils, napkins, etc in the Tailgate N Go. With all of the attachments, it becomes your prep station and your cooking area too.
The Johnson family says that this portable kitchen can go with you anywhere. There are two sizes and you can even connect it to your hitch. You can get your box customized in any color, logo, etc.
Taylor and Ron told us that there's a social aspect to the Tailgate N Go because it definitely brings people together while cooking together. It helps you be social while outdoors.
The Johnson family has been to a lot of expos with their invention and had an idea to bring it onto the Shark tank. They had one minute to pitch their idea and they liked it, so they were on. Matt Higgins is a chairman of the Miami Dolphins and
Out of 40,000 people, 80 people get their Shark Tank episode aired, and about half of those people are offered a deal. Their Shark Tank episode aired on Sunday, October 27th.
Matt Higgins is a chairman of the Miami Dolphins and is the shark that offered the Johnson family a deal. Matt's experience in the NFL is the perfect fit for the Tailgate N Go.