Ani Blinova and Gabe Wolff hope the Sharks like the taste of Wink Frozen Desserts, their 100 calorie per pint ice cream substitute, in Shark Tank episode 708. Wink Frozen Desserts are a pea protein based, frozen treat that uses all-natural, gluten and dairy free ingredients. Gabe started mixing the stuff up when he was 17 and diagnosed with Celiac disease and dairy allergies. Normally, that would mean the end of ice cream for someone, but Gabe figured out how to make a tasty substitute.
Ani is Gabe’s frozen treat muse. She convinced him to package and sell his “ice cream” to the public and is the true driving force behind the business end of the business.
The ice cream comes in 6 flavors: Cake Batter, Cinnamon Bun, Cocoa-Dough, Choco-Mint, Iced Latte, and Vanilla Bean. Each pint sells for $8 and contains only 100 calories! You can order from the Wink Frozen Desserts website or pick it up at Whole Foods and other natural food markets in the northeastern US.
Wink Frozen Desserts is likely looking for a Shark to help with co-packing and distribution. Will a Shark bite into this ice cream substitute?
Wink Frozen Desserts Shark Tank Recap
Ani and Gabe enter seeking $300K for 15% of Wink. While stumbling a bit at the beginning of his pitch, Gabe explains that he’s a health conscious ice cream lover who played “mad scientist” and invented Wink Frozen Desserts. He’s here in the Tank to take the company to the national stage. As he goes to hand out samples, Robert says “I’m an ice cream expert.”
Wink uses Stevia and monk fruit to sweeten the product as Robert exclaims, “taste-wise, it’s in the middle.” The company has $534K in sales in 3 years and they’re currently in 30 Whole Foods. This year’s sales should top $650K. They aren’t profitable yet.
Barbara says she wants to back winners, and since they aren’t profitable yet, she’s out. Mark says he’s lactose intolerant and he really wanted to like it, but he’s out. So is Robert. Lori didn’t like the taste, she’s out. Kevin says it’s “soy, nut, lactose, gluten AND taste free!” He says it tastes like crap, he’s out.
As Ani and Gabe turn to leave, Mark says he’s not throwing them under the bus and he thinks they’ll fill a niche.
RESULT: NO DEAL
Wink Frozen Desserts 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 the week after the air date, Wink did a deal with Woodman’s Foods and is in a growing number of Whole Foods. Ani and Gabe married on August 15, 2015. They ran the company until shutting it down in January, 2020. As of May, 2021, Gabe is now Vice President of Operations at Kinetic Brands and Ani is still an entrepreneur who owns Ani’s Weddings and Wellness.
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