Where Is Back 9 Chicken Dips From Shark Tank Today?
An age-old party tradition, chips and dip are a must-have snack for all sorts of gatherings and events. Tailgate parties, holiday gatherings, summer picnics, and numerous other occasions can all be made better when you offer crunchy chips and delectable dips to your hungry guests. And the wide variety of dips means there's some for every taste preference, such as ranch, bacon and cheddar, roasted garlic, onion, and seafood.
Of course, some people prefer heartier dips when snacking. In this case, chicken dips are an excellent selection, as they combine moist and delicious chicken with creamy cheese and other ingredients. Hot sauce is a great addition to most chicken dips, as it can replicate the spicy wing flavor that people know and love (without the messiness associated with eating wings, which can be a big hassle depending on the event). One entrepreneur even attempted to perfect this recipe to provide an unbeatable experience to customers, which led them to the high-intensity pitch room of the "Shark Tank."
These chicken dips are a family affair
SEOAves explains how entrepreneur David Mealey got into the chicken dip business. After losing his job selling golf equipment, Mealey started Back 9 Catering with his wife Nique. Of all the offerings provided, their chicken dips were among the most popular. This led to a pairing with radio DJ Bubba the Love Sponge, who helped the Mealeys develop Bubba's Back 9 Chicken Dips. Promising a product akin to "a chicken wing on a chip," the husband-and-wife team began manufacturing their dips and secured a contract with the Publix supermarket chain to distribute them.
To boost production capacity, the Mealeys request a $150,000 investment from the Sharks in exchange for 15% of their business. While David claims that the business earned $400,000 in profits over the course of two years, the Sharks can't help but joke about "chicken Slurpees" due to the consistency of the dip. Most claim to enjoy the flavor but fail to make an offer for one reason or another. While Lori Greiner initially goes out, she changes her mind and offers a $150,000 investment for 25%, under the condition that host Daymond John joins her. While Daymond is sympathetic to the Mealeys' entrepreneurial dream, comparing it to his own experience, he fails to make an offer. Ultimately, Robert Herjavec and Greiner pair up to make Greiner's original offer, and the Mealeys accepted.
One ingredient stopped Back 9 Chicken Dips in its tracks
While the Mealeys were successful in securing the necessary funding for Back 9 Chicken Dips, their success was short-lived. Even though they secured a deal with Costco (per SEOAves), the business hit a major roadblock in 2013 when it failed to properly disclose its complete ingredient listing. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) found that the company's Buffalo Blue Cheese Chicken Dip contained anchovies, a known allergen. Because this information was not displayed correctly on the label, the USDA recalled about 112,00 pounds of the product.
Very little has been heard from Back 9 Chicken Dips since the setback. The website is now defunct, and the Twitter account hasn't been updated since 2014. Additionally, there's little information regarding the Mealeys and any new business ventures they're pursuing. What's so disheartening about this development is that Back 9 Chicken Dips offered a great product to customers and was able to secure the essential funding to expand even further. This shows how vital due diligence is when it comes to food businesses and legal compliance.