Where Is The Painted Pretzel From Shark Tank Today?

"Shark Tank" Season 3 contestant Raven Thomas was a stay-at-home mom when she began making chocolate-covered pretzels in her own kitchen as a passion project. After she gave the pretzels to her friends and family at Christmas, they encouraged her to start selling them.

Although the business began as a simple way to make a little extra income on her own time, it wasn't long before her efforts paid off and the business became a massive hit. By selling a variety of pretzel products, she made $75,000 in sales in one year. However, before she had time to blink, the demand for the pretzels exploded. In fact, according to Thomas, the high number of orders forced her to rent a separate kitchen and ask her mom and sister for help fulfilling the orders.

Though the popularity of her business was encouraging, Thomas became overwhelmed and struggled to keep up. She even had to turn down a $2 million order from Sam's Club because she didn't have the resources to fill it. Concerned about potentially having to turn down an order from Neiman Marcus due to a lack of available resources, Thomas decided to approach the "Shark Tank" investors to request help expanding her business.

In "Shark Tank" Season 3, Episode 6, Raven Thomas approached investors seeking a strategic partner and an investment of $100,000 for The Painted Pretzel. Because she was struggling to keep up with previous orders ($140,000 worth of which she could not finish), she hoped to lease a commercial kitchen space so she would have more room to create her pretzels.

Understandably, the Sharks weren't all easily swayed. Kevin "Mr. Wonderful" O'Leary explained that he thought the business idea was too simple. As he put it, many chocolate-covered pretzel companies exist, and The Painted Pretzel doesn't own anything proprietary that guarantees it a profit. When pressed about why the Sharks should invest in The Painted Pretzel over other chocolate-covered pretzel companies, Thomas told the investors that she wanted to show her children that following their dreams could turn into success stories.

However, none of the Sharks particularly enjoyed this response. In fact, just before she attempted to answer the question again, O'Leary dropped out of negotiations. Mark Cuban, however, saw potential in Thomas' business. He appreciated her passion for her work, and he agreed to provide the $100,000, in exchange for one-quarter of ownership of the company. His deal came with an added bonus, too — Cuban-owned theaters and sports arenas would sell her products.

So, where is The Painted Pretzel now?

After Raven Thomas secured an investment from Mark Cuban, her business continued to boom. In the years since the episode aired, Thomas has repeatedly sung the praises of Cuban, even defending him in 2018 amid controversy surrounding the Dallas Mavericks. With the helpful influx of cash, she was able to lease a commercial kitchen, allowing her more space to work on her pretzels in order to fulfill larger orders. Additionally, sales for The Painted Pretzel took off.

In fact, two years after the 2012 "Shark Tank" episode aired, Thomas told CNBC that she expected to bring in somewhere between $1.15 million to $1.50 million in revenue. However, unlike last time, Thomas was prepared for the explosion. "I've revamped my business model because I decided instead of working harder, I should work smarter," Thomas said. "I was at the point of nearing burnout, and my new model has not only increased sales, but [it] has lightened my load."

Despite that preparation, however, the success was still a bit overwhelming for Thomas. "Being in front of millions of people changes things," she told Wags Redefined in 2016. "Customers are calling, emailing and ordering. It wasn't this beautiful, lovely thing ... It was wonderful and terrible at the same time because it was just so much to deal with."

The company saw plenty of success from the "Shark Tank" hype, and even began selling its products on Amazon, as well as through its own website. Unfortunately, The Painted Pretzel has been the center of some controversy regarding order fulfillment. The Yelp page for the company has an average rating of only 1.5 stars, and plenty of unhappy reviews from customers. The most common complaints detail issues with customer service, slow shipping times, or products not being shipped out at all. The issues appear to have started back in 2012, and the most recent review is from December 2021.

Some reviews claim that the website was functioning, and orders were able to be placed, but when the company was contacted, those customers were told that the online store was closed. Others reported that when they purchased gift cards for later use, they were unable to redeem the full amount when purchasing products. A few people even reported that they had contacted the Better Business Bureau as a result of the issues.

It doesn't appear that Raven Thomas has ever publicly addressed these problems, and several reviewers reportedly had to contact their credit card companies for a refund.

As of today, despite the difficulties noted by disgruntled customers, it appears that The Painted Pretzel's website is still up and running. Raven Thomas still lists herself as the president and CEO of The Painted Pretzel on her LinkedIn page as well.

However, the business has overall scaled back. The Painted Pretzel's Amazon storefront has been taken down. The pretzels were previously sold in Mark Cuban's Landmark Cinemas, though it's unclear if they are still available today. They are notably missing from the Landmark nutritional information guide.

The Painted Pretzel appears to have instead shifted to focus on larger scale orders, and its website states "corporate gifts are our specialty." Smaller product sizes are still available to order, however. The company offers chocolate and candy-covered pretzel rods, pretzel bark, sampler buckets, party favors, and more. The sweet pretzels can be ordered directly through the website for shipping, and the site states orders are typically processed and shipped within two to seven business days.