Where Is Project Pollo From Shark Tank Today?

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Lucas Bradbury founded Project Pollo as a way to encourage consumers to try more plant-based products. He hoped that by offering high-quality products in a convenient, affordable takeout format, more people would be enticed to try them. Bradbury told the “Shark Tank” investors that he believed many cheap fast-food meats were “questionable” and that higher-quality products could get more costly. Bradbury created hand-breaded patties made from soy, which were meant to mimic the flavor of a chicken sandwich. Though this sandwich was the flagship menu item, the restaurant also sold burgers, salads, wraps, and buffalo macaroni and vegan cheese.

Project Pollo began out of a food truck before expanding to brick-and-mortar restaurant locations. At the time of Bradbury’s “Shark Tank” appearance, Project Pollo had opened up eight locations in the time frame of about one year. Bradbury had high hopes for his company and sought a steep investment from the Sharks to continue the company’s growth, likely hoping for the success of Beyond Sushi, another plant-based brand that sought out the Sharks.

Lucas Bradbury took Project Pollo to “Shark Tank” in Season 13, Episode 24, bringing samples of a variety of plant-based foods for the Sharks to taste, which they were impressed with. He asked the Sharks to invest a whopping $2.5 million in exchange for just 5% of Project Pollo. Barbara Corcoran was concerned that the restaurant’s name was misleading and that customers wouldn’t know that the chicken was plant-based. Bradbury said employees explain at the counter that the food is vegan and offer samples to convince reluctant customers.

Kevin O’Leary was more concerned about the high valuation of the company, and Corcoran agreed that it seemed “way too spectacular.” Bradbury revealed that he’d found a prior investor and got great rates on 10-year leases for his locations. O’Leary remained concerned with finances and ultimately went out.

Mark Cuban was worried about the health-conscious consumers and thought the vegan fried food trend might end, so he opted out as well. Guest shark Kevin Hart was worried about the speed at which the company was growing and went out after deciding the deal was too risky. Corcoran agreed, comparing Project Pollo to grilled cheese company Tom and Chee, which also expanded too quickly and ultimately lost everything. She was paranoid that this situation would be too similar, so she decided to opt out. Lori Greiner shared Corcoran’s concerns and was also out.

Project Pollo may not be considered one of the 10 biggest “Shark Tank” food fails, but Bradbury still walked away without any investments from the Sharks.

It seems that Bradbury’s dream of serving exclusively plant-based meat alternatives wasn’t fully sustainable. In February 2023, he launched Side Chicks, a rebranding of one Project Pollo location, which serves real chicken items alongside the vegan versions of Project Pollo. In an interview with the San Antonio Current, Bradbury said, “When we started Project Pollo, we wanted to create a platform that could serve as many people plant-based foods as possible. And that’s just not going to happen with a 100% vegan concept, because you’re reaching such a small percentage of the population.” The new concept was initially launched at just one Project Pollo location in downtown San Antonio, with plans to expand if successful. 

Unfortunately, Barbara Corcoran’s concerns also held validity. Though Project Pollo experienced rapid growth before appearing on “Shark Tank,” it wasn’t sustainable, and several locations ultimately had to close. Bradbury made plans to implement “virtual kitchens” through vegan partnership kitchens, which would allow customers to order Project Pollo’s food only through food delivery partners like DoorDash and UberEats. He also noted that Project Pollo was in the process of partnering with national brands and hoped to see its products on menus nationwide in the future, and possible in grocery store freezer sections too.

Despite Bradbury’s wish to expand and explore new opportunities in 2023, by April 23, Project Pollo was acquired by a national franchise group. Bradbury shared with My San Antonio that the move was a big win but also bittersweet. Bradbury added, “It has been nothing short of an exceptional ride and we are thankful to the community that has been such a huge part of our success.” It was noted that all but one location in Austin, Texas were acquired in this deal.

However, even the final location of Project Pollo has since closed. While it’s unclear when the last-standing Project Pollo closed, we do know that Bradbury listed his job experience as Founder and CEO of Project Pollo from September 2020 to September 2023 on his LinkedIn page. If this is any indication, the final location may have closed sometime in the latter half of 2023, shortly after the acquisition. Nowadays, Project Pollo’s website is no longer up and running. 

Project Pollo may not have worked out, but that doesn’t mean that Lucas Bradbury is done with the restaurant business. On his LinkedIn page, Bradbury has two “current” positions listed: the co-founder and president of Houston Street Hospitality, a hospitality group, and the founder of Sprouted Venture, an investment group for environmentally focused startups. But most notably, Bradbury launched a new restaurant. Evo, a fast-casual restaurant focusing on fresh ingredients, opened in February of 2025. The menu includes bowls, burgers, wraps, salads, pizzas, and breakfast items — along with some plant-based items, such as the vegan pepperoni pizza or the plant protein bowl. In the press release announcing Evo’s opening, Bradbury said, “We are entering a time where conscious consumption is a priority however we have seen a tremendous gap in affordability matched with quality — we think we are a front runner in this category and are excited to serve San Antonio.”

While there’s currently only one location up and running, it looks like there are plans to eventually expand, as the website has a “locations” page listed. If we know anything about Bradbury, it’s that he dreams of expansion when it comes to restaurants — but hopefully he takes it a bit more slowly and carefully this time around, just like the Sharks would advise.

“Shark Tank” is available to purchase on Prime Video.