Where Is Reely Hooked Fish Co. From Shark Tank Today?

Apart from classic crudité must-haves like spinach artichoke dip and hummus, having an unexpected zesty dip on the menu can be a real crowd-pleaser. That was precisely Steven Markley and James Arcaro's thinking when they decided to sidestep their firefighting careers and put their energy into promoting their one-of-a-kind smoked fish dip. Markley and Arcaro were so dedicated to getting their Florida-based company, Reely Hooked Fish Co., up and running that they made a grand debut on ABC's "Shark Tank" in 2017. While this specialized Greek yogurt-based fish dip won over big-time investor Mark Cuban and secured the Reely Hooked Fish Co. business with an investment of $75,000, in 2023, the company is nowhere to be found online or in brick-and-mortar retail markets.

While the Reely Hooked Fish Co.'s LinkedIn page doesn't reveal a company end date, the company's online presence has ceased to exist since 2019. The company's last Instagram post was in March 2019, honoring national chip and dip day. When searching to buy the Reely Hooked Co. dip online, Google reveals that the company's wholesale business location in St. Petersburg, Florida, has been permanently closed. Before we get into why this healthier fish dip didn't stay afloat, what about the Reely Hooked Fish Co. business made the company such a promising investment for "Shark Tank" investors?

Sometimes, you can even find a Shark mixed up in fish dip. When firefighting friends Steve "Captain Hooked" Markley and James "Reel Assassin" Arcaro went on Season 9, Episode 11 of "Shark Tank," they hoped to catch a big one! As explained on Reely Hooked Fish Co.'s Linkedin page, the company was founded in Florida, where Arcaro and Markley perfected their kingfish and Greek yogurt dip before turning that product into an entire business. As firefighters, they also vowed to donate a portion of their profits to the families of firefighters fallen in the line of duty.

In their "Shark Tank" pitch, Arcaro and Markley sought $75,000 for 25% equity. The Sharks were delighted by these Floridians' showmanship, and they were blown out of the water by the tasty yet low-calorie dip. Unfortunately, they were also a bit underwhelmed, because, at the time of filming, this venture was only in three breweries, having done $10,000 in total sales. Although each Shark admitted to being charmed by the pitch, one by one, all but Mark Cuban bowed out of contention.

Unlike his fellows Sharks, however, Cuban saw a path for the startup to steadily grow and agreed to the deal as is. So, are Cuban, Captain Hooked, and the Reel Assassin swimming in riches now?

Things seem to have gone well for Reely Hooked Fish Co. at first. As reported by Palm Beach Post, at least one of the business partners — James "Reel Assassin" Arcaro — was able to focus on the company full-time after Mark Cuban invested. By the end of 2017, Reely Hooked Fish Co. was in a total of five restaurants — a small bump up from the three breweries touted in the "Shark Tank" pitch. However, most of the updates concerning this venture come from Reely Hooked Fish Co.'s Facebook profile, and there hasn't been much to report in recent years. 

Reflecting on their "Shark Tank" experience, Arcaro called it "the biggest moment of our lives," and Steve "Captain Hooked" Markley revealed, "the nerves leading up to this moment were the realest I've ever felt." While a lot of "Shark Tank" deals end up falling through offscreen, Reely Hooked Fish Co. gladly revealed that Cuban sealed his deal with the company. Sadly, Hurricane Irma hit Florida in 2017, which affected the business' shipping possibilities and even destroyed Arcaro's home. 

By 2018, though, things were starting to look up again. This fish-dip business started shipping orders across the country, began looking into retail, and even got a distribution van. Tellingly, the startup's final Facebook post promised that a brick-and-mortar location was in the works. However, that was back in 2019. Unfortunately, nothing seems to have developed since. The company website has also vanished and Reely Hooked Fish Co. is no longer listed among Cuban's companies. It would seem this fish (dip) got away.