Uzan / Pixabay

Chefs, Jason McKinney and Tyler Vorce, found themselves in a tricky situation when the pandemic hit. Through creating connections in Europe with truffle hunters, the duo had a business of sourcing Truffles to high-end restaurants. Their side hustle, Truffle Shuffle, was the pair’s way of making additional money in hopes of opening their own restaurant someday. When the Covid-19 pandemic hit, they found themselves in possession of very expensive and perishable truffles while all of their typical customers were forced to shut down. In an act of desperation to try to save their investment, and a five-day shelf life working against them, Chefs Jason and Tyler decided to launch live, virtual cooking experiences. The informative and instructional classes not only would secure time with the chefs, but also provide a box of ingredients needed for the meal. These boxes, of course, included truffles. The pair also worked with a company in India to utilize their surplus of truffles to create a truffle salt that is also featured in their cooking classes.

Since moving to a virtual cooking class model, Truffle Shuffle has dramatically increased sales from $486,000 last year to $1.4 million in year-to-date sales. Jason and Tyler find themselves caught between two business models and are looking to partner with a Shark that can help provide guidance and strategic direction. Seeking $500,000 in exchange for 5% equity in Truffle Shuffle, the pair are looking for a Shark that can help them to improve their margins and decide which path to choose for their company moving forward.

Three Sharks, Kevin O’Leary, Robert Herjavec, and Mark Cuban all offer to invest in Truffle Shuffle. Each Shark has a slightly different take on the path forward for the company. Jason and Tyler are immediately interested in partnering with Mark Cuban who offered to invest $500,000 in exchange for 20% equity. They feel that Mark can help them improve the quality of their classes through technological upgrades. Through negotiations, Mark, Jason and Tyler agree to an investment of $501,000 for 18% equity in Truffle Shuffle.

If you were a Shark, would you have invested in Truffle Shuffle? What do you think is the best path forward for the company? If you were Jason and Tyler, which Shark would you have partnered with and why? Start the conversation in the comments below.