Where Is The Cookie Kahuna From Shark Tank Today?

On Season 8, Episode 3 of "Shark Tank," legendary cookie seller Wally Amos of Famous Amos sought a $50,000 investment for 20% equity in his cookie business, Cookie Kahuna. The sharks expressed respect and admiration for Amos' accomplishments in selling cookies as the creator of the iconic famous cookie company, but Amos didn't land an investor. However, his story provided an invaluable lesson for entrepreneurs on the importance of business savvy. Unfortunately for Amos, poor decision-making landed him in front of the sharks, seeking help to reclaim his cookie brand.

Amos was the first African American agent to work at William Morris (now William Morris Endeavor), the talent agency that has been around since 1898. Amos represented artists such as Simon & Garfunkel, The Supremes, Sam Cooke, and Marvin Gaye. Amos began making chocolate chip cookies in 1970, and their popularity led him to form Famous Amos.

Unfortunately, Amos lacked the business savvy to run Famous Amos against cookie competitors. As a result, he sold his equity several times to obtain support from investors. Amos was eventually bought out completely, forfeiting the rights to his name and image of Famous Amos. The cookie maker eventually pivoted in 2012 to form Cookie Kahuna, a bakery in Honolulu where Amos sold cookies using his recipes from the 1970s. But instead of getting the support he needed from the sharks for the future, his appearance on "Shark Tank" became another lesson from his past.

Considering Amos' story of how he formed and lost Famous Amos, the sharks were curious about why he was trying to start over again. Amos said, "Because I love cookies. And I think that I can build a business out of this cookie and replicate what I did with Famous Amos years ago." 

However, there were issues that the sharks felt made Cookie Kahuna unworthy of an investment. Although Amos had already successfully created an iconic cookie favorite, his mishandling of Famous Amos wouldn't allow any sharks to capitalize on that success as investors in Cookie Kahuna. Kevin O'Leary explained, "We don't have full access to your image and your name, and so it has all the challenges associated with launching a new brand."

Amos showed charisma to the sharks, clearly indicating that he could sell his cookies, which the sharks thought were tasty. However, Amos' past mistakes continued to cost him. Barbara Corcoran said, "When you sold your business, you not only sold the name, you sold your personality along with it. Without that, the business has very little value." Every shark passed. Amos had struggled to remake his cookie brand for years, and Lori Greiner felt it was time for him to pivot. Greiner encouraged Amos to let go of his cookie pursuits and apply his passion to another business instead.

Following his appearance on "Shark Tank," Amos remained resolute in making Cookie Kahuna successful despite being told on the show to move on from the cookie business. Although he didn't land an investor, there was a way that "Shark Tank" could benefit Amos more than securing an investment. Amos told Business 2 Community, "I needed exposure more than money to create awareness, which would create more sales. I needed exposure to create more media opportunities, which would translate into more sales and media exposure."

Cookie Kahuna products had already been selling online and at Costco locations in Hawaii prior to Amos' appearance on "Shark Tank." And the sharks enjoyed his cookies in front of their national audience. After tasting one of Amos' Hawaii-themed cookies on the show, Barbara Corcoran said, "You have a light, crunchy cookie. It's good." 

After the episode aired, Cookie Kahuna gathered some momentum, as Amos reported that the business became more recognized and experienced a spike in sales.
From there, Amos believed that Cookie Kahuna would experience continued growth and become more successful. Amos even teased future plans with promises of surprises to come from Cookie Kahuna. However, Amos would ultimately be proven wrong, and it may have been his cookies instead of his business decisions that cost him his company this time around.

Cookie Kahuna products were, impressively, sold on Amazon. However, the reviews suggest that the products may have been hit and miss with cookie lovers. The company's Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies, which were handmade, only had a 3.3-star rating based on 47 ratings. For one Amazon shopper who ate these cookies, their taste and texture signified a refreshing revival of Amos' cookie brand. They said, "Decadent. Rich. Wonderful. Welcome back, Amos. Yum."

Another customer shared that the tasty texture of the cookies gave them a bit of delicious nostalgia. They commented, "For a packaged cookie, it's good and reminds me of the original 'Famous Amos.' The cookies were crisp and a little crumbly." 

However, these cookies were underwhelming to other buyers. The size and flavor of the cookies left such a bad taste in the mouth of one Amazon consumer that they left little doubt about being a repeat customer. They said, "Nothing special about these cookies. Small and dry... disappointing. Won't order again." 

Another purchaser declared they weren't deserving of the price. Unfortunately, despite Amos' perseverance, passion, spirit, and selling ability, the lukewarm response of cookie enthusiasts to Cookie Kahuna's products may have contributed to the company's writing on the wall.

Cookie Kahuna posted its last Instagram and X, formerly Twitter posts in 2018, and the company went out of business that same year. Not to be deterred, Amos pivoted once again when he tried to launch another cookie company in 2019. The company would have three cookie flavors: Chocolate chip, chocolate chip pecan, and butterscotch with macadamia nuts. To get funding for the business, Amos launched an Indiegogo campaign for the company, but it was unsuccessful. Amos declared Aunt Della's Chocolate Chip Cookies his last cookie business.

"Shark Tank" has provided many lessons about business over the years. For entrepreneurs, there are three essential things to learn from Amos' episode. Educating oneself about business as much as possible is essential, finding the right support systems for your business is critical, and having the proper guidance as you run your business is invaluable. Despite the sadder parts of Amos' story, he is still a legendary entrepreneur with a tremendous product many people enjoy. And all entrepreneurs can learn from the ups and downs of Amos' journey.