Where Is Liz Lovely Cookies After Shark Tank Today?
As a vegan, Liz Scott of Liz Lovely Cookies recognized a lack of quality sweets for people like herself. This led Scott and her husband Dan Holtz to launch their company in 2003, per BizNews. The couple experienced fast success with their tasty, all-natural cookies, and were even lauded by VegNews in 2005 for having the product of the year, via BizNews. The business eventually made its way to "Shark Tank", where the couple hoped to secure funding to take Liz Lovely Cookies to the next level.
According to the Shark Tank Blog, the couple initially asked for $200,000 in exchange for a 10% share in their company, citing their 2011 sales figures ($1 million in profits) as proof of their product's appeal. Surprisingly, only Mark Cuban expressed interest based on his love of gluten-free foods. After negotiations fell apart, the couple boosted their business using a combination of loans and funds from a Kickstarter campaign. And while Liz Lovely Cookies did experience some success, it was no match for the trouble brewing ahead.
That's the way the vegan cookie crumbles
A review of the online presence of Liz Lovely Cookies returns some puzzling results. While cookies are mentioned on the Liz Lovely website, the site now appears to advertise chat lines. As for the Liz Lovely Instagram page, the most recent post is from February 2017, with plenty of newer comments lamenting the disappearance of the cookies. So, what actually happened to Liz Lovely in the aftermath of "Shark Tank"?
Burlington Free Press provides an in-depth investigation of the numerous problems that plagued the business. While privy to deals with major retailers, such as Whole Foods and Safeway, Scott and Holtz couldn't keep up with production demands. However, Scott claimed that sales were the ultimate issue, as the cookies were not profitable enough to cover business expenses. The stress of the business took a toll on Scott and Holtz, and the couple divorced in 2014. Scott also failed to pay off a line of credit, which resulted in the repossession of equipment used by the business. According to Scott's LinkedIn profile, she remains the CEO of Liz Lovely, Inc. However, the cookies that won the hearts of so many appear to be long gone from store shelves.