Wanna Date Update | Shark Tank Season 11
Melissa Barrow pitched her date-based, flavored spreads during
If you’re short on time, here’s a quick overview of what happened to Wanna Date after
Melissa Barrow appeared on
| Shark: | Result: |
| Mark Cuban | $100,000 for a 33% equity |
| Daymond John | No offer |
| Lori Greiner | No offer |
| Barbara Corcoran | No offer |
| Kevin O’Leary | No offer |
Shark Tank Wanna Date Update
- Entrepreneur: Melissa Bartow
- Business: Date-based flavored spreads
- Ask: $100,000 for 20% equity
- Result: $100,000 for 33% equity
- Shark: Mark Cuban
Wanna Date founder, Melissa, couldn’t get enough dates. She starts off her pitch in such a way that we all think she’s talking about going on dates, but finally clarifies that she’s talking about the fruit.
These dates are a great sugar free alternative for those that want something sweet but can't have sugar. They are low calorie, non-gmo, dairy and gluten free, vegan and paleo friendly! Satisfy that sweet tooth with these dates!
She has dates every day, she says, and loves the idea of spreading them on everything. So she created Wanna Date, which is basically a line of date spreads.
The spreads come in indulgent flavors, like chocolate and vanilla. Additionally, she also makes pumpkin spice date spread, as well as a cinnamon version.
The spreads are low calorie, vegan, oil free, have no added sugar, plus they do not contain any cholesterol. In short, it’s a health foodie’s dream.
Melissa volunteers her sales numbers: in the last ten months, she’s has $31,000 in sales, mostly through wholesale, fairs, and markets.
Daymond John is the first to drop out of the deal. Because Melissa is the heart of the product, he fears that consumers won’t find anything special about the product without her there to sell it.
Then, Lori Greiner chimes in. She says the company isn’t established enough for her, so she eventually drops out.
Next up is Barbara Corcoran, and she has a different issue. During her pitch, Melissa reveals that since graduating from NYU, her father is paying her rent, so that she can focus on Wanna Date full time.
Regardless of the situation, Barbara says that she doesn’t see the hunger. Since Melissa is still supported by her father, she basically implies that Melissa isn’t motivated, so she is also out.
Straightaway, Melissa starts fighting back, and assures the sharks that she is set on success. Additionally, and she won’t fail, because she won’t quit.
Kevin O’Leary has an issue with the valuation, and thinks that it’s too early for the company to be worth that much. He’s out.
Lastly, this leaves Mark Cuban. He questions why there isn’t a ‘plain’ date flavored butter or spread, since there are people who love dates.
Melissa expresses that she’d like to make one, so Mark makes an offer of $100,000 for a 33% stake in Wanna Date.
For a moment, it looks like Melissa might make a counter. However, she ultimately ends up accepting the deal, because she wants to work with Mark.
Do Melissa’s sales end up staying sweet? Let’s take a look in our
We have good news to report in our Wanna Date update. At the time of this writing, the company is moving up in the world.
Although scaling has been small, sales have indeed increased. Also, after the episode aired, Melissa was flooded with orders, and thanks to Mark’s deal, she was able to fill them.
Wanna Date sells through their direct-to-consumer website, as well as on Amazon. Products are also available at Walmart, Kroger, Whole Foods, including several other retailers.
During our Wanna Date research, we also found that the company has more than $5 million in sales. In addition to running Wanna Date, Melissa also works as a Pilates studio manager, and yoga instructor in New York.
You can find the other company updates from Season 11 Episode 11 here:
For even more on companies and products, be sure to stop by our Season 11 products page!
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Andrew Smith is the founder and owner of Shark Tank Recap. He is a longtime Shark Tank fan that has been watching it for years and has seen every episode multiple times. His friends know him as the Shark Tank expert, because he can answer any question about the show! His favorite Shark Tank products are Bertello's pizza oven and Bug Bite Thing!