Zookies Cookies Shark Tank Update – Shark Tank Season 10
Justin Miller and Tom Simon pitched Zookies Cookies, their bake-at-home dog treat brand, in Shark Tank Season 10. They secured a deal with one of the Sharks.
Justin Miller and Tom Simon shared Zookies Cookies, their bake-at-home dog treats, on Shark Tank Season 10 Episode 14.
Check out more Shark Tank Season 10 Episodes.
About Zookies Cookies
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Business Name | Zookies Cookies |
| Founders | Justin Miller and Tom Simon |
| Industry | Pet Food and Treats |
| Product | Bake-at-home dog treats |
| Deal Status | Deal Secured with Alli Webb |
| Investment Asked | $50,000 for 20% equity |
| Deal Outcome | $50,000 for 30% equity |
| Valuation | $250,000 (at the time of the Shark Tank pitch) |
Justin Miller and Tom Simon are both serial entrepreneurs who pooled their resources and love for dogs to start the business in late 2017.
They got their business up and running with a successful Kickstarter Campaign in early 2018 that raised $26,183 just 90 days after forming the company.
After Hurricane Harvey, Miller baked his own dog biscuits and sold them through his social media accounts, pledging to donate all the profits ($1,600) to disaster relief. That experience sparked the idea for a business.
Miller, founder of WedPics and the Raleigh-based El Taco Cartel, reached out to his friend Tom Simon for help.
Simon, who had previously founded Source3 and sold it to Facebook, was quick to join the venture.
Basically, the two men were on a mission to make treats with all-natural, wholesome ingredients like peanut butter, organic coconut flour, organic pumpkin, whole grain oats, and organic sweet potatoes.
Their friends and early customers referred to the treats as “critter crack.”
They sold pre-mixed dog treats that you add water to and bake. They call it “like Bisquik, but for your dog.” The mixes, Peanut Butter Barker and Coco Mutt, are sold for $11 a jar or for three jars for $25.
Each jar of mix comes with a dog-bone-shaped cookie cutter.
After funding their Kickstarter, the guys moved into a larger commercial kitchen to increase production. They want a Shark’s help with bigger, automated equipment to produce more snack mixes. Will a Shark like these treats?
Zookies Cookies Shark Tank Recap
Justin and Tom entered seeking $50,000 for 20% of their business. As they handed out samples, they demonstrated that people could eat the treats too. The Sharks took a bite, but quickly spat them out.
In nine months, the duo had done $40,000 in sales. Each jar costs under $2 to make and sells for $10.
Did Zookies Cookies Get a Deal on Shark Tank?
The biggest objection from the Sharks was that most people wouldn’t take the time to bake treats for their dogs. Tom argued that the product was “giftable” and projected mid-six-figure sales by the end of the year.
Lori went out, calling it too much of a novelty. Robert followed. Alli, who owned a stake in Healthy Spot (a health food store for pets), offered $50,000 for 30%.
Kevin, seeing potential for his “Something Wonderful Platform” gifting business, offered $50,000 for 33.3%.
Mark bowed out, and Justin and Tom accepted Alli’s offer, much to Mr. Wonderful’s frustration.
What Made Zookies Cookies Unique?
They offered an intersectionality in treats which could be consumed by both humans and dogs, and were all-natural in essence.
Zookies Cookies Shark Tank Update
Zookies Cookies finalized their deal with Alli Webb at the end of 2018, before their episode aired. When it did air, they received over 1,000 orders in less than 24 hours.
Following their Shark Tank appearance, they began selling on Amazon, unveiled a new label, and transitioned to using a co-packer instead of making each jar by hand. Webb actively worked to get the brand into pet retail stores.
Less than a year later, they received an update segment on Shark Tank Season 11. In the update, Justin and Tom were seen at a tasting event at one of the Healthy Spot pet stores.
By then, their product was available in all 17 West Coast Healthy Spot locations. In the five months following the original airing, they did $124,000 in sales. As of June 2022, they were generating over $1 million in annual revenue.
Tom left the business in January 2023 to become Director of Marketing at WorkDove. As of November 2023, Justin’s LinkedIn indicated he was still with the company, but the website had gone offline.
The products remained available on Amazon until the company officially ceased operations on January 1, 2025.
Posts about Zookies Cookies on Shark Tank Blog
Learn more about Zookie’s Cookies – Bisquick for Dogs.
Where Can You Buy It?
Unfortunately, that is not an option anymore since the company shut down, but you can take a look at their Twitter (X) account, which still exists.
Quick Summary
- Zookies Cookies offers pre-mixed dog treat jars that you add water to and bake at home, akin to “Bisquik for dogs.”
- Justin Miller, founder of WedPics and El Taco Cartel, and Tom Simon, founder of Source 3, which he sold to Facebook, teamed up in late 2017 to create Zookies Cookies.
- In their first nine months, Zookies Cookies did $40,000 in sales. They eventually ceased operations by January 2025.
Check more business updates from the same episode!
