Wanna Date?: Here's What Happened After Shark Tank

Believe it or not, Wanna Date? founder Melissa Bartow didn't have her first taste of the juicy fruit until college. The Georgia native had moved to the Empire State to attend ​​New York University, and it was there that the budding entrepreneur experienced her incredible rite of passage: tasting super sweet and chewy Mediterranean dates, a moment she says was "love at first bite."

The experience came back to her while working at a smoothie shop in college in 2017. Bartow questioned why refined sugars were often used to sweeten nourishing foods at the establishment, so she hunkered down in her dorm room to make her own fruit-based sweetener and, soon, Wanna Date? was born. 

After raising a modest $2,250 on an Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign in 2018, Bartow kept at developing her business, and two years later, she was on Season 11, Episode 11 of the hit show "Shark Tank" to pitch her sweet vegan spread. The appearance happened just three weeks after she graduated college.

As one of the world's first date spreads, according to the brand, the five shark investors — Barbara Corcoran, Mark Cuban, Lori Greiner, Daymond John, and Kevin O'Leary — were certainly intrigued. Bartow provided them all with four mouthwatering date spread flavors to try: chocolate, vanilla, cinnamon, and pumpkin spice. But, did any of the sharks actually take the fruity bait?

When she appeared on "Shark Tank," Wanna Date? founder Melissa Bartow asked for a $100,000 investment for a 20% stake in her company. Bartow explained to the Sharks what set her brand apart from other spreads — namely, her products were all-natural, vegan, allergen-free, and only had 30 calories per serving. "It's the perfect go-to alternative for any nut butter or syrup out there," she told the panel, predicting that dates would be the next big food trend to come, akin to avocados and cauliflower.

Daymond John was one of the first to voice his concerns, asking if the calorie count was correct because the spread tasted so sweet, which led Kevin O'Leary to launch into a short, yet riveting, history lesson about the edible fruit. "What people don't understand about the date, it's one of the healthiest fruits on Earth, and actually, it's lower [in calories] than many fruits," O'Leary explained.

Other questions from the Sharks arose, from the relatively high cost of making a jar to the challenges of selling date spreads in a crowded market. Barbara Corcoran questioned Bartow's motivation to succeed after learning she was still receiving financial support from her father, while Mark Cuban voiced his disappointment that there wasn't a plain flavor currently available, saying dates should be "the star of the show." Ultimately, the Sharks dropped out one by one until just Cuban remained. He made an offer for $100,000 for a 33% stake in the company, which Bartow promptly accepted.

Appearing on "Shark Tank" isn't just a great way to raise capital for a company — Melissa Bartow has said that it's also a phenomenal asset in terms of garnering national publicity. The "Shark Tank effect" certainly worked its magic on her brand. 

In addition to sales of Wanna Date? skyrocketing overnight, the small business owner also received an overwhelming amount of positive feedback, with many responding to Corcoran's comments about Bartow being financially supported by her father. "When the episode aired, I got a gazillion emails," she revealed on the podcast The Videocraft Show. "America resonated with me."

Bartow's "Shark Tank" episode came out in January 2020, only a couple of months before the surge of COVID-19. However, the subsequent pandemic didn't stop the company from taking off long after Bartow went swimming with the sharks. In the years following, Wanna Date? released new spread flavors like Cookie and Original, and the products landed in major retailers like Whole Foods and HomeGoods. 

The pandemic even inspired Bartow to launch a new product — Wanna Date? Dough — which she released in 2021 after surpassing a $10,000 Kickstarter campaign goal. Available in flavors like Chocolate Brownie, Birthday Cake, and Snickerdoodle, the edible dough featured clean, natural ingredients like coconut and almond flour and, of course, dates.

Over three years after founder Melissa Bartow's "Shark Tank" episode aired, Wanna Date? was doing well. Once available at HomeGoods, Amazon, and its official website, the brand's delicious-looking spreads and doughs often sold out. However, in November of 2024, Bartow announced on her LinkedIn page that Wanna Date? was coming to its end as a company. The brand's website is no longer active, and its Instagram profile is set to private. Bartow also posted on social media about her business's closure, but gave no specific reasons.

It's worth noting that Bartow repeatedly claimed online that she has never received a dime of salary from her business. However, the health food space is a highly saturated market, and to succeed in such an industry is extremely difficult, particularly for a one-person operation. Despite Bartow's efforts to keep all profits within the company, and Wanna Date? products being sold on various online platforms, it seems that the brand didn't achieve the kind of sales that would guarantee its longevity.

As of this writing, it is still possible to still find Wanna Date? products at small online retailers that have yet to sell all of their stock. However, given that no one will be restocking, fans will have to act fast and possibly take a road trip or two.

From the inception of Wanna Date? to its closure, Melissa Bartow has maintained her passion for health and wellness. She is now a studio manager and instructor for New York Pilates, a company she took up with in September 2022. "Life is so good, and different than it was two to three years ago," she stated in a podcast interview shared on her YouTube account.

When she's not focused on Pilates, Bartow offers complimentary one-on-one advisory calls to startup businesses, as well as nutritional coaching. She provides guidance on lifestyles and diets including vegan, pescatarian, and paleo. The closure of Wanna Date? is far from the end for her — Bartow has pivoted her plans while still able to focus on her passions and experience. She has always been about providing help with wellness to others in any way she can, and in that sense, she is still a successful entrepreneur.