Here's What Happened To Pulp Pantry After Shark Tank

We've seen some of the world's best foods on "Shark Tank," without a doubt. The entrepreneurs behind these foods stand apart in their drive, adaptability, and creativity, and Pulp Pantry's Kaitlin Mogentale is no different. Mogentale entered the tank in 2022, having launched her sustainable product in stores only two years earlier. Despite entering the snack market during a global pandemic, Pulp Pantry was able to quickly find shelf space in more than 600 stores.

Similarly to brands like RIND and the Ugly Company, Pulp Pantry takes food scraps -– namely those created during vegetable juicing –- and upcycles them. Pulp Pantry then uses these scraps to make tortilla chips, available in flavors like jalapeño lime, salt and vinegar, sea salt, and spicy BBQ. To little surprise, Mogentale's business caught the eye of a few sharks, and even landed her a pretty tasty deal in the end. So, where is Pulp Pantry today?

Entrepreneur Kaitlin Mogentale appeared on "Shark Tank" in hopes of securing an investment of $500,000 in exchange for 10% equity. She explained her goal of reducing the staggering amount of food wasted in America each year.

In addition to using ingredients that otherwise would have been thrown out, Pulp Pantry chips are vegan, gluten-free, and grain-free. Between Mogentale's mission and her impressive numbers –- more than $250,000 in sales in 2021 alone, as well as an estimated $500,000 in sales for 2022 –- the sharks were more than happy to make her a deal.

Kevin O'Leary and Lori Greiner each offered Mogentale a deal, but ultimately, she accepted Mark Cuban's deal of $500,000 in exchange for 17% equity. Mogentale later wrote on the Pulp Pantry website that she felt Cuban was "the perfect match" for her company and she "couldn't believe" she had struck a deal with him. Of course, even with a "Shark Tank" investment, business wasn't all smooth sailing.

As has been the case with other memorable "Shark Tank" food companies," Pulp Pantry saw an influx of orders after its episode aired. The very same night the episode came out, Pulp Pantry's jalapeño lime flavored chips sold out, to the point that customers had to wait at least a month for their orders to be fulfilled.

In a YouTube interview with John Pardo, Kaitlin Mogentale shared additional struggles she'd faced, including not having the same leverage as larger snack companies. As of 2022, Pulp Pantry still didn't have its own manufacturer, so it was using a co-packer. Mogentale explained that co-packing comes with little wiggle room for pricing, especially when products aren't being sold at high volumes.

Fortunately, Pulp Pantry has been able to increase its margins ever so slightly through negotiating down costs and continuing to coast on the "Shark Tank" effect. Mogentale was also able to expand Pulp Pantry's tortilla chip distribution to grocery stores across the central U.S.

To little surprise, Pulp Pantry is still in business, as of 2023. The company continues to sell the same four tortilla chip flavors as before, with 4-packs costing $20. Pulp Pantry also sells variety eight packs for $35. On its Amazon storefront, the company offers additional size options, including two and three packs.

Pulp Pantry chips can also be purchased at stores like Good Eggs, Ozark Natural Foods, Fresh Thyme, H-E-B's Central Market, Go Puff/BevMo, and Imperfect Foods, and through wellness website Vitacost. Of course, with Mark Cuban as a business partner, we can only assume Pulp Pantry will continue to expand its distribution, possibly into larger grocery chains.

According to Signal Hire, Pulp Pantry's revenue is somewhere between $100,000 and $5 million, which is pretty impressive for a snack company that's only been in business a few years. Given Pulp Pantry's history, we can expect more great things to come out of this company.

Considering how Pulp Pantry's Facebook page is full of raving reviews, it only makes sense that the company would want to keep its customers happy. Though Pulp Pantry -– let alone Kaitlin Mogentale –- has yet to make any sort of official announcement, Mogentale hinted in an interview with John Pardo that she had a few more ideas for the company, namely launching new products sometime in the future. Who knows, maybe she'll even create the next best dip to eat with tortilla chips.

In the meantime, however, the company is focusing on consistency. Mogentale noted that, with pulp and scraps coming from several different manufacturers, Pulp Pantry has its work cut out making sure each batch of chips has the same taste and crunch customers expect. Regardless, Pulp Pantry is undeniably on an upward climb, and we can only imagine it will join the ranks of other beloved sustainable foods. Maybe Mogentale's story will even inspire others to take on upcycling.