This week on Shark Tank, Cookie legend Wally Amos, the founder of the “Famous Amos” chocolate chip cookie brand hopes lightning strikes twice as he pitches his new cookie brand, “The Cookie Kahuna,” in the cold tank Friday night.
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For his new brand “The Cookie Kahuna,” Amos revives the original recipes and techniques that made him a living cookie legend.
Feeding The Sharks
Amos faces five hungry sharks: Mark Cuban, Kevin O’Leary, Lori Greiner, Barbara Corcoran and Robert Herjavec
The Ask
Amos entered the tank seeking $50,000 in exchange for 20 percent of his company. Amos referred to the $50K as “Chump change to you guys.” The comment solicited a few laughs from the Sharks – and a display of teeth.
Amos went on to tell the Sharks that he’s been selling cookies for 40 years. “I actually thought I was selling cookies,” Amos told the Sharks. “I wasn’t selling cookies, I was selling happiness,” added Amos.
Did The Cookie Crumble? In a Word – Yes.
Did Amos score an investor, or two, or three or more? Unfortunately for Wally, the Sharks didn’t bite. Despite Wally’s past success, and the “Famous Amos” brand, the Sharks were reluctant to invest in Wally’s new company, in some part related to legal rights to the Famous Amos name and using Wally Amos’ image on packaging. See the “Famous Amos” story below for some background on this very unique situation.
A Closer Look
- Here’s the official Cookie Kahuna website, where Amos is currently offering 8-ounce bags of his cookies for $5.99 – online only
- Here’s The Cookie Kahuna on Instagram
- You can also check out The Cookie Kahuna on Facebook
- And yes, The Cookie Kahuna is on Twitter
- And Tumblr
- The Cookie Kahuna are available in three flavors: Original Chocolate Chip, Chocolate Chip with Pecans, and Butterscotch with Macadamia Nuts
Here’s a video of Wally Amos pitching his new cookie brand on KHON2 News in Honolulu, Hawaii, where Wally calls home.
The “Famous Amos” Story
If you’re not familiar with Wally’s story, here’s an excerpt from Wikipedia:
In 1975, a friend suggested to Amos that he set up a store to sell his cookies, and in March of that year, the first “Famous Amos” cookie store opened in Los Angeles, California. He started the business with the help of a $25,000 loan from Marvin Gaye and Helen Reddy. The new company began to expand, and, eventually, “Famous Amos” chocolate chip cookies could be found on supermarket shelves across the United States.
Due to financial troubles, Amos was forced to sell the Famous Amos Company, and because the name “Famous Amos” was trademarked by his former company, he had to use “The Uncle Noname’s Cookie Company” as his new company’s name. A Famous Amos distributor at the time, Lou Avignone, heard Amos on a local radio talk show and, inspired by Amos’ story of his early business success with Famous Amos and his indomitable spirit, contacted Amos with the idea for starting a new business. In 1994, the two became partners and subsequently launched “Uncle Noname Gourmet Muffins.” The company focused on fat-free, nutritious muffins at that time. Uncle Noname ultimately became Uncle Wally’s Muffin Company in 1999. The muffins are sold in more than 3,500 stores nationwide.
Image – Disney ABC