For most people, having a nightcap is having one last drink before bed. For brother and sister team Shirah and Michael Benarde, it’s a safety issue and a business opportunity. Their product, NightCap, makes drinking in bars a bit safer for people because it helps prevent getting roofied, a term for spiking a drink with drugs for the intent of date rape.
A friend of Shirah’s was roofied while off at college when Shirah was a junior in high school. She wanted to do something to help prevent this from happening to her and other young women, so she made a fabric cover for a drink glass out of old panty hose. When her brother saw her prototype, he knew they had a good product. He was attending college and was well aware of the problem of roofies.
56% of women report they’ve unknowingly had their drink spiked, according to alcohol.org. That’s a disturbing number. With a Night Cap, it makes spiking a drink more conspicuous and difficult. The cover fits inside a scrunchy that is worn in your hair or on your wrist. Take it out, fit it on your cup, insert a straw through the hole and you’re good to go. For twelve bucks, you can get one on Amazon. The Bernardes likely want a Shark’s help with manufacturing. Will a Shark want to help with the roofie problem.
My Take on NightCap
As the father of four girls, this problem concerns me. While none of my daughters fall into that 56%, it’s still concerning as a parent. I love the fact that these young people are tackling this problem head on. We recently ran into a friend who said his wife was roofied at a local bar. She apparently was very disoriented. Luckily, her husband took good care of her.
When my wife was a bartender, she encountered two roofie incidents. In one case, a guy got roofied and passed out at the bar. Police were called and they eventually made an arrest in the case. In another incident, a guy roofied a girl’s drink. Unfortunately for him, her boyfriend saw it and kicked the crap out of him. If NightCap can prevent these things from happening, I am ALL IN.
Will Sharks Propose a Toast?
I think the Sharks will all realize the importance of this product. The Bernardes have impressed other investors like Florida State University’s InNOLEvation Challenge, Tallahassee Startup Week’s Annual Pitch Competition, FSU’s Turkey Tank, and FSU’s Jim Moran Micro Grant. Why wouldn’t the Sharks be as equally impressed.
With Barbara and Lori on the panel, I think there will be some empathy. In the promo photos, Lori looks excited about their pitch – maybe she invests? I think these two kids will get a deal and I think either Lori or Barbara will be their new partner.
Read more about this business HERE.
Entrepreneur, auteur, raconteur. Rob Merlino is a blogger and writer who enjoys the Shark Tank TV show and Hot Dogs. A father of five who freelances in a variety of publications, Rob has a stable of websites including Shark Tank Blog, Hot Dog Stories, Rob Merlino.com and more.
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