Details You'll Want To Know About Shark Tank's Yum Crumbs
As "Shark Tank" viewers know, the show is no stranger to up-and-coming sweet treat businesses, be it Cow Wow cereal milk, Wanna Date dessert spreads, or any number of edible cookie dough products. The show's 15th season is soon welcoming yet another company, named Yum Crumbs, to pitch its collection of dessert toppings.
Yum Crumbs got its start in 2020 when a family bakery was running short on time to make custom crumb cakes. Husband and wife team, Amanda and Delson Jeanvilma, quickly got to work on creating a ready-to-go crumble mix that could be used on any number of desserts — cakes, ice cream, even fruit.
The family wanted to maintain the flavor of cake crumbs while using quality ingredients and being accessible to those with dietary restrictions. After much testing, Yum Crumbs was able to develop options that are gluten-free, low-sugar, and vegan. Of course, even with a promising business and FDA approval, Yum Crumbs could still use a little help from the Sharks.
A long-lasting product that suits many dietary needs
Though you can make any kind of cake crumb you please at home, not everyone has the ingredients or the time to spare. What's more, traditionally made crumb toppings — such as that you might make for a simple fruit crumble — only last about a week in the fridge or a couple months in the freezer.
Yum Crumbs, on the other hand, are ready to be used at a moment's notice, with a shelf-life of a whole year when stored in a cool, dry area. Even opened, these dessert crumbs are safe to use for up to six months, ideally refrigerated to preserve quality and texture.
As noted previously, Yum Crumbs also offers varieties that are gluten-free, low-sugar, and vegan-friendly — whereas standard crumb recipes you might try at home commonly include ingredients like wheat flour, butter, and various sugars. Sure, you could adapt a recipe to any dietary restriction, but that again takes time and alternative ingredients you may not have.
Frequent inventory updates for holiday and seasonal treats
While some dessert companies create a very specific product and stick with it, Yum Crumbs frequently adds new flavors to its online store. Indeed, the collection now offers more than 30 different flavors, including seasonal mixes like vegan maple bacon dessert topping, gingerbread cookie, and candy cane.
These special edition flavors seem to be just as popular as the original flavors (the likes of Strawberry Shortcake and Chocolate Eclair), with Yum Crumbs needing to prep 100,000 packages for the 2023 holiday season. Each 12 ounce pack of Yum Crumbs sells for about $16 regularly — though sales may drop prices closer to $13. The company also offers a sample package with 20 varieties — one ounce each — so you can try the different flavors before you commit to just one or two.
Interestingly, Yum Crumbs recently also partnered with ice cream brand True Scoops to create an ice cream sandwich kit (as well as a holiday-themed version). Each kit comes with the ingredients to make ice cream and cookies, as well as dessert crumbs to decorate with. Yummy.
Yum Crumbs ventures into the tank
Yum Crumbs featured in "Shark Tank" Season 15, Episode 7. Delson Jeanvilma and his son Zayden proposed an investment of $100,000 for a 10% equity stake in their dessert toppings business. Yum Crumbs, being non-dairy and low in sugar, are available in 26 different flavors, designed to fill a niche between sprinkles and cookie crumbs.
Jeanvilma shared that a substantial portion of the company's sales come from business-to-business transactions, with a Wawa gas station as their leading customer. As of the episode's filming, Yum Crumbs had achieved $1.7 million in sales. The Sharks found this particularly impressive, considering the company had been in business for only three years and started with door-to-door sales. Jeanvilma projected that Yum Crumbs would conclude 2023 with an additional $900,000 in sales, thanks to the company's presence in 33 bake shops and a national crafts chain.
Jeanvilma and Zayden presented Yum Crumbs on "Shark Tank" due to the product's current kitchen reaching maximum capacity, necessitating an investment to expand production and maintain order fulfillment. Ultimately, Yum Crumbs attracted three distinct offers. Jeanvilma chose to accept the deal from Barbara Corcoran and Daymond John, which was $100,000 for a 20% equity stake, trusting that their expertise in the baking industry would elevate his business to levels he had only dreamed of.