"We would like to decline" — When Atlas Monroe turned down a $1 million offer from Mark Cuban on Shark Tank

Deborah and Jonathan Torres founded Atlas Monroe, a vegan catering company they presented on Shark Tank season 11. Deborah started the company after helping her parents switch to a vegan diet to manage her father's diabetes. The whole family adopted a raw, vegan, and organic diet for 90 days.

After seeing positive results, they continued experimenting with plant-based foods, eventually leading to the creation of Atlas Monroe. Their plant-based "fried chicken" impressed the Shark Tank judges, who were shocked by how tasty it was. Lori Greiner praised the batter, saying it had a lot of flavor. Barbara Corcoran was also fooled by the dish.

During their Shark Tank pitch, the founders revealed that their sales for the year were $60,000. While most of the sharks lost interest, Mark Cuban offered them a $500,000 line of credit for 30% of the company. Rohan Oza then joined Mark's offer, proposing $1 million for the entire company, plus 10% royalties on sales. However, Deborah and Jonathan turned down the offer, believing it proved Atlas Monroe's value.

"Well, I like to come in and say thank you for your offer, Mark and Rohan, but we would like to decline," Jonathan Torres said on Shark Tank.

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Deborah Torres on what sets Atlas Monroe apart from other vegan alternatives

In a May 24, 2022 interview with Vegetarian Times, Deborah Torres shared the most surprising and rewarding parts of her business venture. She said acquiring a multi-million-dollar manufacturing facility was a fulfilling moment. According to her, this achievement came after years of hard work and dedication to the company.

Deborah found the thousands of supportive messages from customers even more rewarding. People appreciated her commitment to using non-GMO and organic ingredients in her vegan products. Many customers chose veganism for health reasons or to support animal welfare. Deborah found these messages humbling and beautiful.

"I would have to say the thousands of messages of love, support, and appreciation to not cut corners and continue to offer non-GMO and organic ingredient products to people who are not only vegan for the animals, but for health," Deborah said.

She also emphasized that Atlas Monroe stands out from other vegan and plant-based alternatives. The company created a unique vegan fried chicken product that closely matches the taste and texture of real chicken.

Unlike other products, Atlas Monroe's vegan chicken is not made from extruded and breaded materials. Instead, they offer gourmet, flavorful versions of both dark and white meat chicken. The company is proud of its achievement, as it has yet to be matched by others.

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What happened to Atlas Monroe after Shark Tank?

In 2021, Deborah bought a large manufacturing plant in San Diego, California. The facility was worth millions of dollars and could produce over 20,000 units every week. This made Atlas Monroe the world's largest maker of vegan fried chicken. With its 10,000-square-foot facility, Atlas Monroe greatly expanded its vegan food options.

The company now sells over 30 items, including vegan versions of ribs, lasagna, and Philly cheesesteaks. They also offered sides like mac and cheese and desserts like chocolate cake. In January 2022, Atlas Monroe partnered with Copper Branch, a vegan restaurant chain with over 40 locations in the US and Canada.

Additionally, Atlas Monroe started serving to-go meals from its San Diego facility, including weekend brunch. Customers could order delivery through apps like Uber Eats, DoorDash, and GrubHub.

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Shark Tank is currently airing its 16th season on ABC.