Very recently, the vegan brand Mrs. Goldfarb’s Unreal Deli received a striking deal offer from Shark Tank’s very own Mark Cuban.
On Sunday’s episode of Shark Tank on ABC, the plant-based deli meat brand––Mrs. Goldfarb’s Unreal Deli–– took its chances on the show with hopes of landing a deal. And it worked. The pitch was done by none other than the founder herself, Jenny Goldfarb.
While many others may be uneasy about 100-calorie plant-based deli meat, one of the Sharks felt differently. Mark Cuban, one of the billionaire “Sharks” on the show, explained that he recently became a vegetarian and was always on the search for plant-based things he can eat.
“This is really good” was Mark Cuban’s immediate response after biting into a Mrs. Goldfarb’s Unreal Deli Corned Beef sandwich.
In response, founder Goldfarb said, “I came up with the recipe. I became vegan five years ago. I ate meat my whole life, and then I started seeing videos of animal cruelty, documentaries, and it was so heartbreaking. I couldn’t stand to continue to eat the way I was eating.”
According to the company’s website, the plant-based “corned beef” is made of beets, tomatoes, chickpeas, and spice.
Mrs. Goldfarb continued, “I realized, there are a lot of delicious burgers on the market in the plant-based world, but no authentic, classic deli meats.”
Initially, the Sharks were confused about why Goldfarb came on the show, considering her amazing track record with the company. The company’s plant-based meat is already being sold in six Los Angeles delis and is in the works of being placed in 58 Whole Foods locations and chain restaurants.
Kevin O’Leary, one of the Sharks, brought up a concern about the fierce competition that exists: Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat. He asked Goldfarb what would stop these companies from stealing her idea and running with it. In response, Goldfarb explained that the competition was no worry “because I’m gonna start working with one of you and we’re gonna bring this to market.”
Cuban immediately liked Goldfarb’s answer, and responded with a deal. “I’ll simplify everything. I love it. I went vegetarian. I’ll make you an offer. I’ll give you $250,000 for 20%. I’ll be on the front page of it. I’ll be the poster-child for it. We’ll hustle. I don’t mess around,” Cuban said.
Goldfarb accepted the deal. After a post-show interview, she explained, “Now that I have a deal with Mark, the future of Unreal Deli is extraordinary. We thought we were doing great things before, just wait and see what’s gonna come. This business is a cash-cow. We’re making cash, and we’re saving the cows.”
