Dollop Gourmet: Here's What Happened After Shark Tank

Frosting is a delicious and often necessary adornment that elevates the taste and presentation of baked goods. However, store-bought, mass-produced varieties are filled with subpar ingredients that, while delicious, are mostly meant to cut down on production costs.

Heather Saffer, a self-taught baker from Rochester, New York, saw this issue after she opened her second business, a build-your-own cupcake bar, in her hometown. After winning "Cupcake Wars" on Food Network, Saffer began to feel trapped in the bakery business and wanted to find a way out. Concerned with the health implications of many store-bought frostings, Saffer set out to create a brand that was vegan, gluten-free, allergen-friendly, and used less sugar. Saffer took her baking knowledge and launched Dollop Gourmet, a vegan and gluten-free frosting brand, in 2014.

Promoting 100% natural ingredients for any palate, Dollop Gourmet swiftly became a success. Saffer published "The Dollop Book of Frosting" cookbook, and her products soon became available at major retailers like Wegman's and Meijer. In 2015, Dollop Gourmet achieved $170,000 in sales and even shared its salted triple chocolate brownie batter cookies, strawberry balsamic goat cheese, and s'more frosting recipes with us!

However, Saffer still wanted to grow her brand into something that could compete with food industry giants. With her vast experience in baked goods and the determination to never quit, Saffer took her specialty frosting to "Shark Tank," seeking $75,000 for 20% of her company.

As the Sharks sampled her vanilla, hot chocolate, and peanut butter cookie dough frostings, Heather Saffer went into detail about the sustainability and natural origins of Dollop Gourmet's ingredients. Despite these selling points, the Sharks were taken aback by the pricing disparity between leading providers and Dollop Gourmet. While most shelf-stable frostings sold for $1.50, Saffer's frostings sold for $6.99 at brick-and-mortar retailers and $12.99 on Amazon. However, after this reveal, only Robert Herjavec dropped out, pointing out that he simply didn't like frosting.

Kevin O'Leary swiftly offered Saffer the cash but for 33.3% of the company, pointing out the potential synergy between Dollop Gourmet and his own cupcake brand, Wicked Good Cupcakes. Barbara Corcoran was quick to point out that Saffer would have to secure the cooperation of O'Leary's partners at Wicked and rebutted with an offer of her own — for her and Lori Greiner to split the cash investment for 30% of the business. Corcoran would use her expertise in growing baking companies, and Greiner would sell the product on her shopping network, QVC.

Unfortunately, Greiner opted out of the deal, saying she didn't think Dollop Gourmet was a good fit for her network, leaving just Corcoran ready to offer the full cash amount. Saffer negotiated Corcoran's offer down to $75,000 for just 25% of the company, to which Corcoran agreed.

While it appears that the deal with Barabara Corcoran never materialized (the brand is not listed on Corcoran's business page), Heather Saffer secured distribution for Dollop Gourmet products in three Whole Foods regions. Capitalizing on her popularity boost from the show, Saffer grabbed her products (and her dog) and went on tour, showcasing her frostings on morning talk show segments from Indiana to California. Between its "Shark Tank" and morning show appearances, Dollop Gourmet started gaining traction, appearing on blogs and websites dedicated to vegan and healthy snacking options. Though Saffer's dedication to growing the company's brand was undeniable, Saffer also wanted to grow herself.

In early 2017, Saffer joined Food-X, an accelerator dedicated to helping fledgling food companies, for their fifth cohort. While at Food-X, Dollop Gourmet received expert mentorship and funding to continue growing into a nationwide brand. During that time, Saffer contemplated ideas to expand her product line synergistically and eventually developed the Dollop Dunkers, vegan cookies consumers could dip into the company's frosting.

In 2018, Saffer decided she needed a change. She'd spent years of her life growing this brand and was ready to let it go. In 2018, she publicly announced she was looking for anyone interested in purchasing Dollop Gourmet for $150,000. Eventually, she made a deal with Mimac Glaze Ltd. of Ontario, Canada, to purchase Dollop Gourmet, though the exact sale price is unknown.

Though Dollop Gourmet's website is still up and running, and heavily featuring Heather Saffer as the brand's personality spokesperson, all of its products are listed as sold out. When attempting to use its store locator, viewers receive 404 errors, and its products do not appear in searches on store websites. However, the brand's Instagram page is quite active and still features Saffer's cookbooks.

It's also worth noting that, in an Instagram comment reply in 2021, Dollop Gourmet announced they had issues receiving their gluten-free and non-GMO certifications. As recently as July 2024, Dollop Gourmet seems to no longer be responding to Instagram comments asking where to buy its products.

However, all signs point to the brand itself still being alive. In February 2024, White Cactus Branding, a design studio in Hamilton, Ontario, worked on redesigning Dollop Gourmet's product detail page and packaging font before the brand's Canadian launch. In its Canadian rebrand, Dollop Gourmet would no longer be pursuing veganism as a priority selling point.

Despite its active online presence and commitment to capitalizing off the brand's association with Saffer, it's difficult to say what exactly is going on with Dollop Gourmet. The only thing that can be stated with absolute confidence is that the brand remains alive.

After years of shady business partners, building brands, and vibrant media appearances, it seems that Heather Saffer has developed herself into a wealth of entrepreneurship knowledge. And like any entrepreneur, she knows how to leverage her value into a successful enterprise.

Though Dollop Gourmet is at a bit of a standstill, Saffer continues to excel in food-based entrepreneurship. Following her 2018 sale of Dollop Gourmet, her focus shifted to advising other start-ups. Working in Small Business Development Centers (SBDC) from Silicon Valley to Indiana and appearing on numerous podcasts, Saffer seeks to distribute her knowledge of starting food-based businesses to aspiring entrepreneurs. She continues this focus through G-Works Venture Studio, an investment and mentorship program through General Mills focused on solving consumer problems with food.

Outside of her mentorship work, Saffer is also the co-founder of Yonderplate, a plant-based and gluten-free food provider. Alongside her partner, Wayne Sellers, Saffer's company offers a "plug and play" product line, distributing frozen meals to providers like school cafeterias and hospitals. Embodying the spirit of "doesn't know when to quit," Saffer wields her knowledge, experience, and passion for food as effectively as any celebrity chef, continuing to excel in the food industry.