Soupergirl co-founders Marilyn and Sara Polon. (Photo courtesy of Soupergirl)

Soupergirl co-founders Marilyn and Sara Polon. (Photo courtesy of Soupergirl)

Soupergirl, a vegan and kosher soup company started in D.C. a decade ago, will air on ABC’s “Shark Tank” later this month.

Sara Polon and her mother Marilyn Polon created Soupergirl in 2008 as a delivery service. Now, with two locations in the District—one in Takoma Park and the other on M St. NW—the mother-daughter business has grown to 35 employees and includes a home-delivery service, as well as selling soups in Whole Foods, Costco, and and natural-goods stores throughout the Mid-Atlantic.

“Shark Tank,” a reality television series, offers budding entrepreneurs to pitch their company to wealthy investors like Mark Cuban, Robert Herjavec, and Barbara Corcoran, who could bid on investing their own money into the businesses. The show has multiple casting calls throughout the year.

Sara Polon tells DCist her journey started in the winter of this year, when a friend forwarded her an audition notification. WTOP first reported that Soupergirl will appear on the show.

Previously, the mother-daughter team applied to be on “Shark Tank” in 2016. They made it past the open application process, Polon says, but they didn’t get onto the show that time.

She sees appearing on “Shark Tank” as a huge opportunity to move her company forward.

“My 10-year anniversary is next month, so the timing is astonishing and I think it’s a great birthday present,” Polon says. “What an honor to be on that show … It’s been a long and hard 10 years, so I think this is an incredible opportunity to leap forward.”

While she couldn’t speak about the outcome of her and her mom’s episode, she could share Soupergirl’s pitch to the Sharks: “I’m looking to take my company nationwide and really take the next step in our growth,” she says. “I’m pitching a soup revolution.”

And the experience on being on the show was nerve wracking, she says.

“There’s nothing that can prepare you for this experience,” Polon says. “If someone tells you they’re not nervous, they’re lying. I’m a former stand-up comedian so I’m pretty comfortable on my feet and I still was very nervous.”

The episode of “Shark Tank” airs on Oct. 21 on ABC at 10 p.m. ET. While Polon doesn’t own a television, she does watch reruns of the show. “As a business owner, it’s great education,” she says. Soupergirl isn’t the first local business to snag a spot on the show.

Next month, Soupergirl will celebrate its 10 year anniversary. In 2011, when the company opened its first brick-and-mortar location in Takoma Park, Polon explained to DCist why they chose to focus on soup.

“Soup to me is the most logical and healthy thing to eat and it’s a great way to incorporate vegetables, grains, fiber, protein and everything else in your diet,” she said at the time. “And you can have so much fun with it.

Now, Polon is still not sure what Soupergirl will do to celebrate its 10 year run, but she says it will focus on the customers that have supported the business.

“I never stop being bewildered by the support of our community,” Polon says. “It’s shocking.”

Filed Under: sara polon, soupergirl,