Where Is Off The Cob Tortilla Chips From Shark Tank Today?
If you care about the specific ingredients used to craft a solid bowl of queso or salsa verde, you most likely have a favorite brand of tortilla chips. These crunchy, simple snacks are often considered a required food when entertaining since corn pairs well with a large assortment of dishes. New York-based entrepreneur Cameron Sheldrake was determined to mix up the available varieties of tortilla chips sold nationwide when he introduced his unique, sweet corn-derived tortilla chips on "Shark Tank" in 2014. Off the Cob tortilla chips were marketed as a healthier alternative since they were gluten-free, non-GMO, and made with sweet corn.
Even though Sheldrake couldn't convince the Sharks to take a figurative bite from his tortilla chip business, he grew his small-town company into a growing retail success story after "Shark Tank." As of 2017, Off the Cob tortilla chips were available for purchase in over 300 retail stores and online. However, steady updates from Sheldrake and his tortilla chip business slowly began to cease after 2018. As of 2023, Off the Cob tortilla chips are no longer available for purchase in stores, and the company's website domain is currently for sale for over $3,000. The "Shark Tank" judges' choice not to invest back in 2014 may give us insight into what might have happened to Sheldrake's once-popular tortilla chip business.
Sweet corn comes at a high cost
When Cameron Sheldrake debuted his one-of-a-kind sweet corn tortilla chips on Season 6, Episode 10 of "Shark Tank," he probably wasn't prepared to be faced with considerable pushback from the investors on the cost of making his unique chips. While most tortilla chips sold in the United States are made from commercialized corn, which often contains higher amounts of starch, Sheldrake was determined to develop a specialized chip from the corn served at everyone's favorite summer barbecues. While anyone can make unique summer recipes with sweet corn, Sheldrake found a producer in the Midwest to supply the corn for his specialized sweet corn chips.
The main problem with Sheldrake's venture was the cost. Not one of the "Shark Tank" investors nor guest judge Nick Woodman agreed to Sheldrake's proposed investment of $100,000 for 15% equity. During his "Shark Tank" pitch, the Off the Cob founder explained that in his first year of business in 2013, he made slightly over $40,000. Besides a low-profit margin, the Sharks were also concerned about the costs associated with production. Sheldrake was paying over $5 per pound for sweet corn, whereas commercialized corn sold at the time for under $0.50 per pound. Even though Sheldrake didn't secure an on-screen deal, his ABC debut did wonders for his chip business. In 2017, Sheldrake told LocalSYR.com that company sales had grown substantially since 2014. So, what led to Off the Cob's eventual demise?
Off the Cob snacks left the retail market with many unanswered questions
In June 2018, Off the Cob declared via Instagram that the business would soon expand to additional locations across the country. However, Off the Cob's last official Instagram post was on January 3, 2019.
No one truly knows the exact reason why Off the Cob snacks were taken off the market. From 2017 into 2018, Off the Cob tortilla chips were sold at select Whole Foods Market locations, Wegmans and Amazon. Off the Cob had a steady fanbase, but in 2018, one customer pointed out via Twitter that the larger bags of chips sold at Wegmans had a completely different texture than the original chips sold in smaller ones.
While Off the Cob responded, admitting to some discrepancies in their last round of production, there are no concrete updates regarding why Off the Cob tortilla chips are no longer being sold in the retail sphere. According to company founder Cameron Sheldrake's LinkedIn profile page and the stats surrounding his Off the Cob business, the company is still in operation. While we can speculate that the high cost of production took an eventual toll, questions remain. However, if you were hoping to score a bag or two of these sweet corn tortilla chips to pair with this weekend's spinach artichoke dip, you're out of luck.