Tia Lupita Foods Update | Shark Tank Season 14

In 2007, Hector Saldivar moved from Mexico to the U.S. and brought along his mother’s homemade hot sauce. His friends loved the sauce but couldn’t find anything like it in stores, especially healthier Mexican food options. Seeing a business opportunity here, Hector started Tia Lupita Foods, making cactus-based tortillas and chips that are low in calories and carbs. Will his passion for healthy, authentic Mexican food earn him a deal? Find out in our Tia Lupita Foods update and pitch recap.

If you’re short on time, here’s a quick overview of what happened to Tia Lupita Foods after Shark Tank.

Hector entered Shark Tank Season 14, seeking $500,000 for 5% equity in his Mexican-inspired health food brand. After his pitch, he secured a deal with Kevin O’Leary for  $500,000 as a line of credit at a 12.5% interest rate for a non-dilutable 5% equity.

In terms of a Tia Lupita Foods update, the company expanded its retail footprint, securing placements in over 5,000 stores. Furthermore, they secured additional seed funding and introduced innovative products like grain-free tortillas and Salsa Macha.

Shark	Result
Kevin O’Leary	Accepted offer of  $500,000 as a line of credit at a 12.5% interest rate for a non-dilutable 5% equity.
Barbara Corcoran	No offer
Mark Cuban	No offer
Daymond John	No offer
Lori Greiner	No offer

Shark Tank Tia Lupita Foods Pitch

• Entrepreneur: Hector Saldivar
• Business: Mexican-inspired health food brand
• Ask: $500,000 for 5% equity
• Result: $500,000 as a line of credit at a 12.5% interest rate for a non-dilutable 5% equity
• Shark: Kevin O’Leary

Hector starts his pitch by explaining his mission to change the perception of Mexican food as unhealthy.

With Tia Lupita Foods, he’s on a mission to prove that healthy can still mean delicious, but he needs money to cover slotting fees and secure more shelf space in major retailers.

Meanwhile, Hector’s dream is to make his cactus-based tortillas and chips a staple in every home.

Tia Lupita Foods is a brand that offers healthy Mexican-inspired food products designed for people who want authentic flavors without compromising on health.

Many Mexican food brands in the U.S. use artificial ingredients and fillers, but Tia Lupita Foods takes a different approach.

Specifically, Hector uses cactus, one of the world’s most sustainable ingredients, to make tortillas and chips.

His two main products are corn and cactus tortillas and cassava and cactus tortillas. Hector believes food should be about love, and eating healthy shouldn’t be complicated.

When the sharks try the samples, they enjoy them, but Mark Cuban finds the salsa too spicy.

Hector’s business has grown quickly, with $900,000 in sales in 2020, $1.5 million in 2021, and a projected $4 million for 2022.

It costs $0.50 to make and retails between $3.99 and $4.99.

Moreover, his products are sold in stores like Sprouts, Whole Foods, and Walmart, and he’s working on deals with Target and Publix.

Despite this success, Hector lost $700,000 in 2020 and $1.2 million in 2021 due to slotting fees, but he remains hopeful after having his first profitable month recently.

So far, he’s raised $1.9 million and invested $700,000 of his own money, holding on to 65% of the company.

Daymond John says he’s not passionate about the business and bows out.

Barbara Corcoran believes $500,000 won’t make much of a difference and steps away.

On the other hand, Mark loves the tortillas but says the business is too tough and exits.

Ultimately, Kevin O’Leary, impressed by the grain-free products, offers $500,000 as a loan at 12% interest for 36 months, plus 10% equity.

Hector negotiates for $500,000 as a line of credit at a 12.5% interest rate for a non-dilutable 5% equity.

Kevin agrees, and Hector secures the deal he needs to keep growing Tia Lupita Foods.

What happened next for his brand? Keep reading our Tia Lupita Foods update to find out.

Shark Tank Tia Lupita Foods Update

Our Tia Lupita Foods update found that the deal with Kevin O’Leary closed successfully.

Moreover, shortly after its episode’s airing, Tia Lupita Foods’s website attracted approximately 30,000 visitors between April 14 and April 19, a significant increase from the typical 1,500 weekly visitors.

Further, the brand expanded its presence in major retail stores, including Whole Foods, Sprouts Farmers Market, and Publix.

Additionally, Tia Lupita Foods products became available in Costco Wholesale Canada and Save-On-Foods, further broadening their market reach.

The brand was featured on “The Today Show” as one of the best small business brands to support.

In October 2023, the company secured $2.6 million in seed funding, led by Mexican investors Santatera Capital and GBM Ventures.

The company expanded its product line to include two varieties of Salsa Macha.

As of late 2023, Tia Lupita Foods’ products were available in over 5,000 retail stores across the United States, including major chains like Walmart, Whole Foods, and Target.

Want to try their products out for yourself? You can get them on the Tia Lupita Foods website.

With Kevin on the team, we have a good feeling about what the future is bringing for our next Tia Lupita Foods update.

Do you want to learn about the other companies featured in Season 14 Episode 20? Follow the links below for our other company updates from the episode.

• Honey Bunchies Update
• Play Maysie Update
• Dapper Boi Update

Before you go, be sure to check out our list of all the Shark Tank Season 14 products.