Gotta Have S'More - Shark Tank Update

Gotta Have S'More appeared on Shark Tank Season 4 as a dessert business created by entrepreneur Carmen Lindner, who developed s'more-flavored muffins called 's'muffins' that aimed to capture the beloved campfire treat in a convenient baked good format. The business had been operating for two and a half years in the local Los Angeles market, generating $250,000 in gross sales during that period with strong local performance.

The product cost $9.34 to produce a dozen s'muffins and retailed for $29.95, providing healthy profit margins for local sales. Carmen sought $75,000 for 25% equity with ambitious plans to scale nationally, believing her unique s'more-flavored muffins could find success across the country.

However, her national expansion strategy faced a critical flaw: the shipping requirements for the perishable muffins involved five pounds of dry ice per box, resulting in shipping costs over $60 per order, making the total customer cost prohibitive for online sales.

Gotta Have S'More failed to secure investment on Shark Tank due to the fundamental business challenge of scaling a perishable baked goods product nationally. The Sharks were impressed with the taste of the s'muffins but were unanimously concerned about the astronomical shipping costs that would make national expansion economically unfeasible.

Kevin O'Leary immediately went out upon hearing the $60+ shipping cost, while Mark Cuban criticized Carmen for creating an unnecessary problem that prevented the business from being profitable, suggesting she should focus on local expansion instead. The other Sharks agreed that the shipping logistics made the business model unsustainable for national growth.

Following the show, Carmen worked to address the shipping cost issues and successfully reduced them by 2018, which improved the business prospects.

However, the company appears to have struggled with long-term sustainability. Social media accounts have not been updated since December 2022, and as of 2023, the Gotta Have S'More website is down, suggesting the business may have ceased operations, though the current status remains unclear.