The founders of Snacklins joked after starting the company in 2016 that he should appear on Shark Tank .
When the business finally got its chance last year, the appearance helped bring an explosion in attention and sales that now has the product on the shelves of some major food sellers.
Snacklins was originally featured in an October 2019 episode, and the Washington Business Journal recently caught up with the outfit and the progress it has made since then. With the original episode re-airing in July 2020, viewers will have a lot to catch up on. The episode showed a bidding war that was won by Mark Cuban, who has continued to be a cheerleader for the low-calorie snacks.
As the report noted, Cuban did more than just dump $250,000 into Snacklins — he also found a new favorite food.
“All you need to know is that we literally go through boxes of Snacklins every month at my house,” the owner of the Dallas Mavericks told the business journal.
“Because they are low cal, taste great and have super clean ingredients we use them for everything: snacks, dipping, break them up on salads, you name it. When I travel I have them delivered to my hotel for snacking.”
Snacklins didn’t have the smoothest start on Shark Tank, however. As CNBC reported, the initial impression wasn’t as strong for other investors, though the product grew on them quickly.
“I must say, the first bite tasted like paper, and now I’ve had my fourth, I’m starting to dig it,” Kevin O’Leary said.
“And you know what I really like? I’m only eating 80 calories in a whole bag.”
The report noted that Snacklins’ growth has been huge since then, with revenue growing tenfold in the last year. Snacklins has also found its way into some major retail and grocery outlets, setting the stage for even more growth. The company started selling on Amazon and Shopify and has moved into a number of brick-and-mortar supermarkets, including ShopRite and Stop & Shop. The products are also on the shelves at 7-Eleven and Walmart.
Snacklins has continued its physical growth as well, growing out of the culinary incubator where it first started and into a 5,000-square-foot warehouse, the Washington Business Journal reported.
Meanwhile, the viral buzz continues. Since first appearing on Shark Tank , the Washington-based food maker has gotten considerable attention on social media and a number of strong reviews for its unique approach to snacking.