Where Is Nuchas From Shark Tank Today?
One of the best things about living in New York City is enjoying fabulous cuisine from all over the world. For one man who originally hailed from Argentina, the city also offered an amazing opportunity to become an entrepreneur. Ariel Barbouth first arrived in the city with his wife in 2009, per the About Us page on the Nuchas website. The couple also brought along many tasty empanada recipes, a staple food of their home country.
The Barbouths started Nuchas, their empanada empire, with a single Times Square location. The business soon expanded to other areas of the city and quickly gained acclaim as locals discovered the joy of perfectly baked hand pies. Their retail success also made it possible to develop a wholesale arm for the business. In 2017, Nuchas was recognized by CBS New York when it was included in the Small Business Spotlight. Steady success eventually led to an appearance on "Shark Tank" just two years later (per IMDb).
An emerging empanada business with a lot to offer
As explained by the Shark Tank Blog, Nuchas founder Ariel Barbouth's investment goal was to raise enough money to expand the company's wholesale operations. To do this, he requested an investment of $2 million, for which he was willing to let go of 8% of his business.
Barbouth hoped to woo the sharks with samples of his tasty wares, which are available with sweet and savory fillings. Impressed by his recipes, the hosts asked Barbouth to run some numbers. According to Barbouth's calculations, Nuchas earned $3 million in wholesale revenue during the previous year, while his retail businesses earned $2 million. The Sharks loved these figures, and two of the hosts made offers to Barbouth.
Daymond John wanted a 25% share for $2 million, with the caveat that he expected his investment to be returned within four years. Barbara Corcoran also made an offer, but she wanted 100% of the retail arm of Nuchas, in exchange for an investment of $1 million. Corcoran would also provide a $1 million loan to support advancement to the wholesale side. Her overall goal was to create retail franchises, which would be supplied by Barbouth's wholesale business. Barbouth countered John's original offer, but John dids not accept. Because Barbouth didn't want to let go of his retail business, he rejected Corcoran's offer, too. And thus, no deal was made in the Tank.
Nuchas continues to excel even without a deal
While Nuchas founder Ariel Barbouth was unable to secure a suitable investment, the company hasn't missed a beat since its appearance on "Shark Tank." Per the locations page on the business website, Nuchas has three physical locations, as well as food trucks and carts that travel around New York City. These tasty hand pies are also available for online ordering nationwide per the products page. Nuchas is also appealing to other food businesses via its wholesale page, which promises high-quality ingredients, rigorous safety standards, and proven revenue.
As for the brand's social media, its pages are frequently updated. According to Nuchas' Twitter account, its food truck made an appearance on New York City's Fifth Avenue, a major area for shopping and sightseeing, over the holiday season. On the business's Facebook page, a post encourages followers to order Nuchas empanadas direct to their door, and a similar post appeared on Nuchas' Instagram page. These positive developments show that entrepreneurs can still experience success even when their "Shark Tank" appearance doesn't go exactly as planned.