Credit: HubSpot Blog
Highlights
- Shark Tank has witnessed a variety of weird food products on the show over the years.
- Products like Chapul, IncrEDIBLE Eats, and Chirps have garnered immense attention from the Sharks and viewers.
- Food products that ignite a culinary curiosity gain more attention from the consumers than the ones that simply satisfy hunger.
If you look back on the history of Shark Tank, you’ll find that it’s got a lot more to offer than a generic reality show. What makes the show so unique is its concentrated approach in depicting the journey of discoveries and innovations of rising entrepreneurs. And in some cases, ‘flavors’ brought up by the entrepreneurs.
Over the years, we’ve witnessed a variety of food products brought to the tank, which have garnered immense attention from the viewers. Curated out with the most unique twists, a plethora of such products have sparked culinary curiosity among both the Sharks and the audiences.
Are you a fan of flavorsome innovation? Want your food enthusiast side to learn about some weird yet innovative food creations? Read through some of the weirdest Shark Tank food products to have appeared on the show:
1. Chapul
Want to increase your protein intake? How about eating insects? Yes, you read it correctly. Here’s a unique energy bar that’s made out of crickets.
Chapul, an energy bar loaded with protein, is made up of cricket flour. As weird as it may sound, seeking $50K for 5% of his business, Pat Crowley, the founder of Chapul described it to be a sustainable and eco-friendly form of protein. Keeping in mind the varied preferences of consumers, it is available in multiple flavors, including peanut butter & chocolate, coconut ginger lime, and dark chocolate with coffee & cayenne.
Wondering how Crowley came up with this bizarre idea? Here’s the answer:
A professional whitewater rafting guide, Pat Crowley became interested in eating insects back in 2011 when he got to know that eating them could help sustain the water supply in the world. Plus, insects are a delicacy in numerous corners of the world, converting their food into protein in a far more efficient manner than other large animals.
Striking a comparison with how Sushi has been widely accepted across America after some initial repulsion, Pat said that it’s “about time” that America matches up to other countries which consume insects.
Did Chapul bag any investment?
Yes, it did. Initially, the Sharks didn’t show their interest in the product and gave reasons like fear of bugs, novel nature of the business, etc. to steer off the deal. However, Robert Herjavec and Mark Cuban did show some interest and offered their investment plans. Ultimately, it was Mark who sealed the deal of $50K in exchange for 15% equity.
2. IncrEDIBLE Eats
Have you ever tried eating your spoon? Or fork? Or straw? The idea seems weird, right? But there’s one food product that appeared on Shark Tank that presented the same.
Here’s all you need to know about IncrEDIBLE Eats
Projecting his unique range of utensils as the world’s first mass manufacturable, totally edible utensils, Dinesh Tadepalli sought $500K for 7% of his business.
Made up of a cookie-based material, the products come in different flavors, including sweet and savory. Giving a backdrop of how plastic utensils are affecting the earth with their non-decomposable nature, Dinesh stated that IncrEDIBLE Eats is the perfect alternative to save the planet. He further revealed that he got the idea in 2018 at a time when he was buying ice cream with his daughter.
Dinesh also focused upon the sustainable packaging of the products and that they use minimum plastic while shipping as well.
What did the Sharks Say?
Lori loved the product and said that she would buy them just for the taste. Daniel too expressed his likeness for the product but felt the business was not scalable enough. So he went out.
Kevin was intrigued but didn’t like the valuation. He still made an offer of $500K for 35% equity. Next offer was $500K for 20% from Mark. Lori was next in line who expressed her love for the product again and offered $500K for 15%. Daniel came back to the negotiations and offered $500K for 25%. Towards the end, Dinesh countered with 12%, which was accepted by Lori.
The deal eventually didn’t close though due to “changed terms.” As of 2023, Dinesh revealed his plans of adding more flavors, setting up a manufacturing facility in North America, and expanding globally.
3. Chirps
What happens when two young Harvard graduates come up to the Sharks with their weird food item made out of crickets?
In a similar approach as adopted by Chapul, Laura D’Asaro and Rose Wang have prepared “Chirps,” tortilla chips prepared out of cricket flour. Both of them along with their friend Meryl Natow started cooking crickets that they purchased from a pet store. After several rounds of experiments, Chirps, their insect-based snacks came into existence.
What did they say on the pitch?
Although a vegetarian herself, Laura stressed that the future of food will most surely include crickets. The main reasons for this are that they are healthy, clean, and easily available. They are composed of all nine amino acids and a magnesium percentage far higher than beef.
Seeking a valuation of $100K for 7% equity, they reiterated that it’s tough to get Americans start consuming crickets. But with a taste so unique and refreshing, they can be hooked on trying Chirps. Next they presented product samples to the Sharks, which they liked. But it was just Mark Cuban who made an offer.
Did the deal close?
Countering Mark’s offer of $100K for 20%, they asked if he could come down to 15%, which he agreed to and the deal was locked. The current status of Chirps is that with his investment, it has expanded its distribution. Additionally, they found themselves placed in the Forbes 30 Under 30 list.
Bottomline
Sometimes, food products that ignite a culinary curiosity gain more attention from the consumers than the ones that simply satiate hunger. This is why many weird food products have been coming to the tank from time to time and have been earning interest of both the Sharks and the viewers.
References
1. Brümachen: Here’s What Happened After Shark Tank, Food Republic, JenniferMathews
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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