‘Shark Tank’ Entrepreneurs Milk + Brookies After The Oh-So-Good Snack Market
On Friday’s Shark Tank, the panel will have another treat to sample as they consider a pitch. They’re set to hear from the proprietors of Milk + Brookies, the L.A.-based company who’s selling a unique treat that can’t possibly go wrong: the brookie. A brookie is a brownie and cookie combo neatly packaged in a cupcake container.
According to owner Jovon English, the cupcake container is no accident. In fact, for English herself, it was a means of controlling her consumption of the calorie-rich treat. Speaking to Heavy, English said she came up with brookies when she couldn’t decide between a cookie or a brownie.
“The shape is important because I know that I can only eat one cupcake, but when it comes to brownies or cookies, the possibilities are endless.”
During a live remote interview for Los Angeles television station KTLA, one host joked the delectable dessert must have a high notch on the calorie meter; although English seemed prepared to tell him the number, he politely asked her not to tell him. Calorie counts might be on the minds of Shark Tank investors, who may see the rich treat as a potential investment opportunity.
English also revealed that they had a unique strategy for preparing for their Shark Tank appearance. Anticipating that the experience might be intimidating — as small business owners standing in front of multi-millionaires asking for an investment, who wouldn’t be intimidated? — English and her colleagues pretended they would be speaking to a much more receptive audience.
“Amongst ourselves, we began calling the show ‘Goldfish Bowl’ and talking to goldfish is much easier than talking to sharks so the ‘Tank’ wasn’t that bad at all.”
So far, Milk + Brookies is primarily an online enterprise. Customers can order online from the website or, if they are in Los Angeles, visit the store at its pop-up retail location. As Bustle noted, Milk + Brookies used to have a clever addition to their online ordering: a selection of flavors from the business’ test kitchen. In essence, it was a surprise box of cookie and brownie concoctions. That option is now closed.
The company does offer the flavors you’d expect from a cookie and brownie bakery: red velvet, snickerdoodle, peanut butter and turtle, among others. They do larger orders for events, for companies who want to give their employees a special treat to perk up the staff meeting or for that birthday party that needs a little bit of extra indulgence.
So will the sharks bite? Food is a common pitch in the Shark Tank. Sometimes, the panelists put up the cash and other times they don’t. Kevin O’Leary famously asked Boston-based Wicked Good Cupcakes for a perpetual royalty deal, which they accepted. The company has grown steadily, and was even featured as part of a season 7 update on O’Leary’s investments.
Barbara Corcoran has also invested in food. She often cites Cousins Maine Lobster as one of her best Shark Tank investments. She also had a slice of Daisy Cakes and recently put money in Pipcorn. As English tells Heavy, she’s still focusing on how best to market her product to her customers.
“Like any budding business, we are faced with challenges of growth and finding a balance between supply and demand, this is not unique to having an LA-based business. As a business that garners income from internet sales and pop-ups in LA, our concerns are making sure the brookie selection fits the clients. Are we presenting to the vegan population or have we won the bakers’ lottery and set up shop on everyone’s cheat day?”
Shark Tank airs Friday nights at 9 p.m. on ABC.
[Main image: Milk + Brookies / Instagram]
