Highlights
- Rule Breaker Snacks offers gluten-free, vegan, and non-GMO brownies and blondies, made from chickpeas.
- Despite $1.3 million in sales, Nancy did not secure a deal due to concerns about her business debt.
- The exposure from Shark Tank led to a major investment from Grupo Bimbo, boosting the company’s growth and retail presence.
Overview
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Name | Rule Breaker Snacks |
| Founder | Nancy Kalish |
| Industry | Healthy Snacks |
| Product | Chickpea-based Brownies and Blondies |
| Funding Sought | $400,000 |
| Investment Ask | $400,000 |
| Equity Offered | 10% |
| Valuation | $4 million |
Nancy Kalish hopes the Sharks bite on Rule Breaker Snacks, her chick pea based brownies and blondies, in Shark Tank episode 1208. She started the company in November of 2014 after a career as a journalist and “Healthy Restaurant Consultant.” She wanted a snack that would satisfy her sweet tooth without compromising nutrition. The first experiment she tried was with black beans. The brownies didn’t turn out well, so she persevered.
After many attempts and switching to a chick pea based brownie, her recipe was perfected. There are no eggs, milk or peanuts in any of her snacks. They’re gluten-free, vegan, non-GMO, and kosher. They come in cookies or “bites” and there are four flavors: Deep Chocolate Brownies, Chocolate Chunk Blondies, Birthday Cake and P’Nutter Chocolate Chip. An 8 pack costs $28 on Amazon, but you can find them in Walmart and Whole Foods too.
The bites are a relatively new addition to the line up. They were launched via a successful Kickstarter campaign that raised $28,402 back in April, 2019. Nancy wants to bring her snacks to a wider consumer audience, which is a challenge because she’s pretty much a one-woman show. Perhaps a Shark will help build her chick-pea cookie empire.
Company Information
Video
Posts about Rule Breaker Snacks on Shark Tank Blog
Rule Breaker Snacks – Chick Pea Based Sweets
Rule Breaker Snacks Shark Tank Recap
Nancy enters seeking $400,000 for 10% of her business. She begins by saying what isn’t in her snacks. As she throws eggs, flour, sugar and everything but seaweed snacks at her sign, the Sharks laugh. She reveals that chick peas are her main ingredient and the Sharks are amazed. They like her $1.3 million in sales, but not her $1.6 million in debt. One by one – concerned about the debt – the Sharks bow out.
Did Rule Breaker Get a Deal on Shark Tank?
No, Rule Breaker Snacks did not get a deal on Shark Tank. Despite $1.3 million in sales, the Sharks were concerned about the company’s $1.6 million in debt, and Nancy Kalish did not secure an investment.
Even though she didn’t get an investment, Shark Tank was a win for Nancy. She sold a month’s worth of inventory on show night. Not only did sales explode, but she attracted the attention of Grupo Bimbo, the world’s largest bakery company. Their investment arm, Bimbo Ventures, invested an undisclosed amount for a minority share in Nancy’s company. Read more HERE.
Rule Breaker Snacks Shark Tank Update
The Shark Tank Blog constantly provides updates and follow-ups about entrepreneurs who have appeared on the Shark Tank TV show. In 2021, she had $1.3 million in revenue for the year. 2022 revenues are projected to be $2.2 million.
In early 2022, the company set up an equity crowd funding round that raised $171,592. By August, 2024, the snacks were in over 1900 Kroger stores and dozens of smaller grocery chains including Giant, King Soopers, Shop Rite and more. Annual revenue at this time is $3 million.
