About three years ago, Kristopher Quiaoit and Victor Macias experimented and baked “perfect” keto cookies. Since they wanted to try the keto diet without giving up cookies, they wanted a good substitute. The guys actually spent a whole week eating nothing but their keto cookies to see if they would work. They did. While they wouldn’t reccomend eating nothing but cookies, they do recommend the keto diet. Both men feel more energetic and Victor lost 40 pounds!
They thought their Keto Cookies were so good, they tried a Kickstarter in 2016 to sell them and raised over $21,000. In a second Kickstarter in 2017, they raised almost $80,000! It was clear people both wanted and liked keto cookies, so they decided to start a business in the spring of 2018. They decided to call the business Nui.
Nui is basically the same cookies they sold on Kickstarter, but with slicker packaging. They’re sweetened with a blend of natural sweeteners, monk fruit and erythritol. With flavors like Ginger Something, Chocolate Chip, Peanut Butter and Double Chocolate, there’s sure to be something everyone likes. The keto diet is hot now. It eliminates all carbs and sugar so you basically eat fruit, vegetables and meat. Whether it remains a fad or not remains to be seen, but while it is, keto cookies will be in demand. Will the Sharks bite on this product?
My Take on Keto Cookies
I’ve been on and of the keto diet for about three years now. A couple of times a year, I’ll do it for a month. Like Victor and Kristopher, I feel like I have more energy. I also find it hard to give up sweets (and bread). Perhaps if I had a sweets substitute, I’d do the diet longer.
At about $1.60 per cookie, they aren’t much more expensive than a muffin or box of “premium” cookies from the bakery. The health aspect is a value, too. I will give these a try in January when I go back on the keto diet. Perhaps I’ll try to stretch it out for two months this time with the help of Nui. Now if they had a keto tiramisu, I’d be really stoked! Still, I am in.
Will Sharks Bite on Nui?
There are a lot of food products on Shark Tank that cater to specific diets. We’ve had Paleo Diet Bars, Keto Cave Shakes, several cricket protein products, and more. While not every business gets a deal (most have not), there is clearly a need and desire for these types of products.
Many times, it comes down to two things: taste and cost. Of course any food product has to taste good. If the Sharks don’t like the taste, the pitch is dead in the water. Cost is another factor. A few weeks ago, Cave Shake lost out on a deal because their product was too expensive. Nui hits the sweet spot on pricing. At a buck sixty for a dessert, not many will balk at the price.
What it’s going to come down to is whether the Sharks like the taste and the company’s sales. It’s a young business, so sales will need to justify any valuation. If that happens and the guys exhibit some business acumen, I could see a bid from A-Rod since he could distribute them in his gyms. Other Sharks may bite too, but I have a hunch A-Rod gets into the Keto Cookie business.
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.
Speak Your Mind