Shake It Pup update: What happened to Brett Maiolfi’s business after Shark Tank?

Shake it Pup, an all-natural dog food seasoning company that took season 11 of Shark Tank by storm in 2019, has now gone stale in the market. Entrepreneurs from Sunset Beach, California, arrived on episode 13 to convince Sharks Mark Cuban, Lori Greiner, Daymond John, Kevin O’Leary, and Maria Sharapova to bite on their product made to eliminate bland dog food.

Two best friends, AJ Crook and Brett Maiolfi, formed the brand to improve mealtimes for their dog. Shake It Pup promised it could make exciting meals for dogs by changing their food with gourmet flavor, added nutrients, and 100% human-grade ingredients.

AJ and Brett’s Shark Tank pitch was a success, leaving the company flooding with orders ever since their appearance on the business reality TV show. Their product made about $105,000 in sales during its first year in business. However, things went south quickly soon after.

The profit margin was high, but the company faced problems due to limited resources. The products were produced in an apartment, limiting their inventory capacity. They also faced marketing problems that hampered product reach to the target audience.

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What happened to Shake It Pup after Shark Tank appearance?

According to Gazette Review, Shake It Pup experienced a boost in online orders after episode 13 of season 11 aired on TV. Unfortunately, the company could not deliver and produce products on time, disappointing customers. The company repeatedly apologized to customers who purchased from their online website.

In 2020, Shake It Pup continued taking new orders despite failing to deliver their products. The company soon collapsed owing to poor customer support. It is reported many customers who opted for already-paid orders never received their delivery. Social media was filled with hateful comments for the company, and some even issued legal complaints against Shake It Pup.

A year later, AJ Crook left the company, and Brett Maiolfi took over and rebranded the firm. He renamed the organization Snap Wag, but the company suffered the same fate after failing to deliver products on time. Both Shake It Pup and Snap Wag have reportedly gone dark in the market as of 2024 with no possibility of a rebound.

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Which Shark made a deal with Shake It Pup?

The Shark panel was impressed with the co-founders’ backstory of being elementary school best friends who bonded over dogs and went on to start a business together. The entrepreneurs explained that they were spending 37% of production costs on packaging and labeling, which is considered high for any product.

Brett and AJ said they wanted the help of a Shark to have the buying power to partner with a co-packer. Daymond John and Maria Sharapova believed the idea was genius but did not make any offer to the entrepreneurs. Kevin O’Leary, who was interested in the idea, offered $100,000 for 50% of the company, leaving other Sharks shocked.

Meanwhile, Lori Greiner offered Brett and AJ $100,000 for a $1 royalty per unit until the $100,000 is recouped. The royalty after that would decrease to $0.25 in perpetuity, leaving her with 3% equity. However, the co-founders accepted the offer Mark Cuban had to offer.

He suggested they give him 25% of the company for $100,000. AJ and Brett found Mark’s deal the best for their business.