Some people try to make some money for themselves while also doing some good for society. That was the case with Jeff and Annie Hughes who told the investors on Shark Tank that they operate a coffee house, Legal Grind, where customers also get some legal advice at a fair cost.
But trying to help society does not mean that the sharks would go easy on them. What happened to the Legal Grind idea when it was presented to the investors?
First, Legal Grind is a particular coffee house located in Santa Monica. At this coffee house, customers are served coffee and simultaneously get counsel and legal services from certified lawyers, at affordable prices.
For instance, a consultation can cost $45 as specified on the Legal Grind Facebook page. Jeff Hughes is a lawyer who passed the bar exam but due to a drop in the economy, he could not find permanent employment as a lawyer.
His decision to open a coffee house was motivated by the need for income and having such a business has been one of his dreams for a long time. He opened the coffee house and then noted how customers in such establishments had many challenges, some of which could be resolved by having access to legal services and advice.
That pushed him to start offering legal services from a coffee house setup. Upon request, other lawyers and himself could discuss people’s legal challenges with them or offer a service. This move made legal services more accessible mostly to the middle class living around Santa Monica. In case the lawyers that Jeff networked with could not assist in some matters, they would refer their clients to someone else.
Legal Grind At Shark Tank
Legal Grind has been operational since 1996. The reason why Annie and Jeff went to Shark Tank was that they were hoping to franchise their idea. Although Jeff is a lawyer, they required expert franchise lawyers to help with such a project. They can to the Tank seeking an investment of $200,000 in exchange for 15% of their business.
Hughes’ pitch did not go too well, with some people referring to it as one of the worst ever. Annie asked rehearsed questions but Jeff kept forgetting his words and had to be prompted by his wife several times.
After sharing about their firm, Sharks had many worries, although some, like Daymond John, believed it was a nice idea. However, Daymond never liked the idea of working with lawyers and Kevin Harrington felt they still had lots of details to work out before they can successfully replicate Legal Grind elsewhere.
Furthermore, there was fear about them not knowing exactly what they will do with the money they would possibly get from the investment. In the end, no Shark was interested in Legal Grind and no deal was even offered.
Does The Company Still Exist?
Currently, it does not appear as if Jeff and Annie Managed to franchise their business idea. But, their initiative of offering legal help is still going strong. There are several posts on their social media pages, and they share blogs on a Legal Café website.
Nonetheless, the coffee house itself appears to have closed, since there is no sign of it in its previous location, which based on online sources was on Lincoln Boulevard.
Luckily, via the internet, advice is still on hand for anybody who needs it. That is exactly what Kevin O’Leary thought was a great idea in the first place as highlighted in the Gazette Review.
Currently, the online company is estimated to have a net worth of $1.5 million as of June 2022.