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The Spoon

Daily news and analysis about the food tech revolution

Spark Grill

(Updated): It Looks Like Spark Grills, Maker of an Innovative Charcoal Grilling System, Has Shut Down

(Editor’s note: Spark Grills has filed to liquidate its assets in a procedure akin to filing for bankruptcy called a “Assignment for the benefit of the creditors (ABC)”. You can read the full document below.)

It looks like Spark Grills has shut down.

While the company, which makes a proprietary charcoal-based grilling system, has not made any official announcement, outward signs indicate the company has all but closed up shop. Their website has stopped selling charcoal bricks and has no inventory left of its grilling systems for sale. And, according to some of the company’s customers on Reddit, Spark’s support lines have gone dark.

From one Reddit user:

When I bought my Spark in the Summer their support was top notch. However after the unit leaked grease and stained my patio (my fault for not using a grill pad, their fault for advertising no need for a grease bucket) I’ve been trying to return my unit for two months and support has gone dark. No email response, phone, or text back during biz hours.

In addition to signs that the company is no longer selling any products, its executive team looks like it has started to move on. The company CEO, Ben West, has also indicated on his Linkedin that he is “figuring out what’s next.”

It’s a bummer because the company’s technology stood out in a sea of nearly identical grilling systems with its precision charcoal heating system. Here’s how we described The Spark Grill when we first wrote about it:

The stylish grill ditches the lumps of briquets for a single, flat charcoal “Briq,” and uses a series of stoking and cooling fans for precision temperature control. The Spark is capable of getting temperatures between a low 200 degrees all the way up to a ripping hot 900 degrees. The grill also has an accompanying mobile app that lets you monitor the temperatures of your cooking cavity and the food you’re cooking.

Spark shutting down would also be extra tough for owners of the grill because the system uses a proprietary charcoal system only available from the company. However, in what could be interpreted as a sign the company may be trying to help its customers keep grilling once it closes its doors, last week it posted a video on Youtube showing how to use the Spark grill with ordinary briquette charcoal.

We’ve reached out to Spark and will update the story when we get a response.

Update: The document about Sparks liquidation is below:

Spark Grills Raises $3.5 Million as It Launches Its Mid-Century Styled Precision Charcoal Grill

Spark Grills, which makes a highly stylized precision grill that uses a propriety charcoal system, announced today that it has raised an additional $3.5 million in funding. The investment was led by Lerer Hippeau with participation from existing investors including Global Founders Capital, Bullish, and Precursor Ventures. This brings the total amount of funding raised by Spark to $12 million.

In addition to its unique styling, the Spark Grill claims to offer gas-style precision grilling with charcoal. The grill does this through a combination of internal fans and its proprietary “Briq” charcoal, which Spoon Founder Mike Wolf dove into this past week, writing:

This ease-of-use is made possible by the grill’s unique charcoal “Briqs”, which are single-use sheets of charcoal made for the Spark. A standard Briq lasts for about an hour, though the company has indicated they will also have “Quick Briqs”, which go for 30 minutes for the mid-week quick grill, and are working on “slow and low” Briqs, which will go for a couple hours at smoking temperatures.

Spark seems to be launching at a pretty good time. Summer is almost here, which means grilling season will be in full effect. Depending on your lockdown status, lots of people will still barbeque, whether it’s just for their families or a (hopefully) socially distant gathering.

The Spark Grill is now available for pre-order on the Spark Grills web site. The pre-order bundle costs $799, which includes the grill, 20 Briqs and a bamboo cutting board. Deliveries are expected to happen in the U.S. in July.

Spark Grill Launches Pre-Order Waitlist, Promises Gas Style Precision with Charcoal

I’m not a huge barbecuer, at least not enough to weigh in on any debate between gas and charcoal fired grills. But you know that gas gives you precise temperature control, charcoal gives you that added depth of flavor.

Well the Spark promises to marry the best of both of those worlds with its new eponymous grill, which was made available for pre-order last week. The stylish grill ditches the lumps of briquets for a single, flat charcoal “Briq,” and uses a series of stoking and cooling fans for precision temperature control.

The Spark is capable of getting temperatures between a low 200 degrees all the way up to a ripping hot 900 degrees. The grill also has an accompanying mobile app that lets you monitor the temperatures of your cooking cavity and the food you’re cooking.

But you can’t get your hands on one just yet. According to its website, you can only get on the waitlist to be notified when it does go on pre-sale (before the general public) some time in May of this year. The Spark will “start” at $799, though we don’t know exactly what that does and doesn’t include.

If it works as promised (and that’s a big if), that price point isn’t too bad. The (excellent) Traeger WiFire connected wood pellet smoker grill is $799, and the connected Weber Smokefire wood pellet grill (powered by the June OS) starts at $999.

BBQ season is just around the corner, and there are more connected grilling options than ever. The only question remaining is whether people will be able to connect in person for cookouts, or have to remain socially distant.