Table of Contents
- What Is Mee-Ma’s Louisiana Gumbo Brick?
- Who Is The Founder Of Mee-Ma’s Louisiana Gumbo Brick?
- How Was The Shark Tank Pitch Of Mee-Ma’s Louisiana Gumbo Brick?
- What Happened To Mee-Ma’s Louisiana Gumbo Brick After Shark Tank?
- Mee-Ma’s Louisiana Gumbo Brick Shark Tank Update
- Is Mee-Ma’s Louisiana Gumbo Brick Still In Business?
- What Is the Net Worth Of Mee-Ma’s Louisiana Gumbo Brick?
Mee-Ma’s Louisiana Gumbo Brick, as presented in Season 4 of The Shark Tank, is a unique and ingenious product aimed at food lovers, especially those who appreciate authentic Louisiana cuisine.
Conceived by Carol Estella Foster, the Gumbo Brick offers a convenient and quick solution for those wanting to enjoy a true gumbo meal without the rigors and time-consuming process of making it from scratch.
The Gumbo Brick’s unique feature is that it offers the most authentic gumbo roux, a complex and slow-cooked base crucial to the dish’s flavor.
The brick is essentially a gumbo base that contains all the necessary vegetables, spices, and seasonings required to create the perfect gumbo, a Louisiana delicacy known for its rich and hearty flavor profile.
An impressive feature of Mee-Ma’s Gumbo Bricks is that they promise a complete, perfect gumbo meal in just 90 minutes or less, a significant time saver compared to traditional methods.
Foster’s initial venture of a restaurant may not have been successful, but the Gumbo Bricks struck a chord with consumers, leading to increased demand. It showcases how a setback can catalyze refocusing on a more viable business direction.
| Company Name | Mee-Ma’s Louisiana Gumbo Brick |
| Entrepreneur | Carole Foster |
| Product | Gumbo base that is fully seasoned and frozen |
| Investment Asking For | $200,000 for 20% equity in Mee-Ma’s Louisiana Gumbo Brick |
| Final Deal | $200,000 for 50% equity in Mee-Ma’s Louisiana Gumbo Brick |
| Shark | Kevin O’Leary and Lori Greiner |
| Episode | Season 4, Episode 23 |
| Business Status | In Business |
| Website | Gumbo Brick Website |
| Net Worth | $1.5 Million |
What Is Mee-Ma’s Louisiana Gumbo Brick?
Mee-Ma’s Louisiana Gumbo Brick is a culinary innovation that encapsulates the rich, complex flavors of authentic Louisiana gumbo in a convenient and accessible food product. Developed by Mee-ma’s Gumbo Brick and its passionate team, this gourmet creation is essentially a frozen concentrated roux-based soup stock.
Crafted using only the highest quality ingredients, including select seasonings, vegetables, and meats, this product pays homage to the traditional Louisiana gumbo recipe, a beloved Southern dish.
Mee-ma’s Louisiana Gumbo Brick is an ideal base for the perfect gumbo, allowing users to personalize it with their preferred proteins and rice. It provides the perfect balance of taste and convenience, thus making it possible for gumbo lovers to enjoy this classic Southern delicacy in their kitchens without spending hours on its prep-intensive process.
Unquestionably, Mee-ma’s Louisiana Gumbo Brick embraces the essence of Southern culinary history while addressing the time constraints of modern lifestyle. As it garnered rave reviews for its authentic taste and easiness of preparation, it has quickly gained popularity among food enthusiasts.
Mee-ma’s Louisiana Gumbo Brick availability in the frozen food aisle of select grocery stores makes it even more accessible to those who crave a warm, comforting bowl of gumbo at home.
Who Is The Founder Of Mee-Ma’s Louisiana Gumbo Brick?
Mee-Ma’s Louisiana Gumbo Brick was founded by Carol Estella Foster, a woman of strong determination and tenacity. Carol has a diverse background, with experience as a long-haul truck driver, where she tasted different versions of gumbo nationwide.
She was deeply inspired by her grandmother, whose gumbo recipe was the basis for her product, hence the name “Mee-Ma.” The concept for Mee-Ma’s Louisiana Gumbo Brick was born out of a combination of need and convenience.
Carol, often requested by friends and family to prepare gumbo for the holidays, was overwhelmed with the time-consuming nature of making each batch from scratch and customizing it to individual tastes.
She devised a solution in the form of a spicy gumbo base that others could easily modify by adding their ingredients. Packaged into convenient bricks, this base saved hours of cooking time without compromising on the authentic Louisiana gumbo flavor.
The gumbo base includes all the vegetables, spices, and seasonings, and customers can add meat or seafood. Before her appearance on Shark Tank, Carol’s entrepreneurial journey was characterized by resilience.
She sold street food gumbo to rave reviews and started a restaurant. Though the restaurant didn’t succeed as planned, it was during this time that she managed to introduce her unique Gumbo Bricks into local Costco stores in Los Angeles.
The Gumbo Bricks proved successful, even as she juggled the challenges of managing her business and ensuring a livelihood for her family. Carol started her business in a small one-bedroom apartment with her 12-year-old daughter, a testament to her humble beginnings.
However, despite the challenges, Carol accumulated half a million dollars in sales from the bricks in the last two years before her Shark Tank appearance, mainly by conducting taste tests in one Costco store weekly and selling at church events. Despite the difficult times, she never lost faith in her product and dream, proving to be a true entrepreneur.
How Was The Shark Tank Pitch Of Mee-Ma’s Louisiana Gumbo Brick?
Carole Foster, the entrepreneur behind Mee-Ma’s Louisiana Gumbo Brick, pitched her product on Season 4 of Shark Tank. The pitch revolved around her fully-seasoned frozen gumbo base, inspired by her grandmother’s recipe and designed for people who could not prepare a full-flavored gumbo from scratch.
Carole sought an investment of $200,000 for 20% equity in her business, valuing Mee-Ma’s Louisiana Gumbo Brick at $1 million. Her gumbo brick, combined with water and meat to prepare a quick meal, generated $500,000 in sales over two years.
She managed this impressive feat as a commercial truck driver, using her free time to promote and sell her product at a local Costco and church.
Despite the product’s sales and taste success, Carole struggled to scale the business. When Costco requested fifteen pallets of her gumbo brick, she did not have the funds to fulfill the order.
The Sharks were informed of the product’s cost ($4) and retail price ($9.99), and it was disclosed that the production cost could decrease with larger quantity orders.
The Sharks’ reactions to Carole’s pitch were varied. Mark Cuban admired Carole’s hard work but thought her lack of business experience was a drawback.
He felt the $200,000 investment required the entrepreneur to be fully prepared to expand the business, a readiness he felt Carole lacked, leading to him pulling out of the deal.
Carole admitted her lack of business acumen and informed the Sharks that she relied on their help to succeed.
She also shared that she was working with a co-packer who had agreed to manufacture Mee-Ma’s exclusively, but she needed to cover significant packaging costs.
When asked about the usage of her sales revenue, Carole revealed that she and her large family were surviving on it.
While Daymond John agreed that Carole was on the right track, he believed that the risks associated with her business were too high, prompting him to withdraw from negotiations.
Robert Herjavec recommended that Carole find an industry partner well-versed in her business domain, then excused himself from the deal.
The emotional climax of the pitch occurred when Carole disclosed that she and her daughter were homeless, leading Kevin O’Leary (Mr. Wonderful) to offer to contribute half of the amount asked.
Lori Greiner (the Queen of QVC) was persuaded to match O’Leary’s contribution, but they both requested 50% combined equity, considerably more than the original 20% Carole had offered. Carole accepted this new deal after some initial surprise.
However, the deal between Carole and the Sharks did not close post-show. Despite this setback, Carole continued her entrepreneurial journey, successfully introducing Mee-Ma’s Louisiana Gumbo Brick into Costco, Publix, and Safeway.
Her products are now available through Mee-Ma’s Louisiana Gumbo website. This shows that despite the ups and downs during her Shark Tank pitch and subsequent negotiations, Carole has managed to grow her business and reach her target customers.
Final Deal: Mee-Ma’s Louisiana Gumbo Brick secured a deal of $200,000 for 50% equity in the company from Kevin O’Leary and Lori Greiner.
What Happened To Mee-Ma’s Louisiana Gumbo Brick After Shark Tank?
After the emotional pitch on Shark Tank, Carole Foster’s business, Mee-Ma’s Louisiana Gumbo Brick, faced some notable developments. Unfortunately, the deal she had struck with Kevin O’Leary and Lori Greiner on the show for $200,000 in exchange for 50% equity did not come to fruition after the show.
What led to the deal falling through is unclear. However, despite this setback, Mee-Ma’s Louisiana Gumbo Brick has made significant strides in its business.
Carole managed to get her product into Costco; the retailer previously requested a large order she could not fill. This was a substantial accomplishment, as Costco is a major retailer with a broad customer base.
In addition to Costco, Mee-Ma’s Louisiana Gumbo Brick was also able to secure shelf space at other notable grocery stores, including Publix and Safeway. This indicates that the business has increased production and distribution capacity, thus extending its reach to a wider range of customers.
Carole’s product can also be purchased directly from Mee-Ma’s Louisiana Gumbo website, demonstrating the company’s expansion into online sales.
This e-commerce presence is an important step for the business, making the product available to customers beyond the geographical confines of the stores where it’s stocked.
Mee-Ma’s Louisiana Gumbo Brick has made considerable progress after its Shark Tank appearance. Despite not securing the deal with the Sharks, the business has expanded its distribution, increased its visibility, and extended its customer reach, which are significant achievements for any business, particularly for a food product enterprise such as Mee-Ma’s.
Mee-Ma’s Louisiana Gumbo Brick Shark Tank Update
After appearing on Shark Tank, Mee-Ma’s Louisiana Gumbo Brick, a roux block for making Louisiana-style gumbo, faced both successes and challenges. Although the outcome of the pitch on the show was not explicitly mentioned in the available information, the company experienced significant growth and expansion in the following years.
Mee-Ma’s Gumbo Brick was founded by Carol Foster in 2007 and initially sold online. Over time, it expanded its distribution to include retail stores like Costco and Albertsons.
The product gained attention for its customizable gumbo base, allowing customers to add their choice of protein to create their desired gumbo. The company had strengths, such as a commitment to quality and selling at Costco but faced challenges in managing its growth.
Despite these challenges, Mee-Ma’s Gumbo Brick generated $500,000 in sales within two years. The business continued to thrive, securing deals with Albertsons and Vons Markets.
It was reported that the company had $5 million in lifetime sales before its website went offline after January 3, 2021. However, it’s worth noting that the website availability might have changed since then.
Furthermore, Mee-Ma’s Gumbo Brick faced a temporary website shutdown but managed to bounce back. The company expanded its distribution to include major retailers like Costco, Publix, and Safeway, indicating its continued growth and success.
The product is available on the company’s website, suggesting the business is still operational. Mee-Ma’s Gumbo Brick also offers seafood and chicken flavors, with nationwide expansion and shipping plans to specific states.
While the specific outcome of Mee-Ma’s Gumbo Brick’s appearance on Shark Tank was not provided in the available information, the company experienced significant growth and secured distribution deals with major retailers.
Mee-Ma’s Gumbo Brick’s business continued to thrive, offering its products for purchase online and planning for nationwide expansion.
Is Mee-Ma’s Louisiana Gumbo Brick Still In Business?
Mee-Ma’s Louisiana Gumbo Brick is still in business. The company, founded by Carol Foster, offers frozen roux blocks for making authentic Louisiana-style gumbo.
The product has various flavors, including chicken, pork, and seafood. Despite facing some challenges, such as financial difficulties, Mee-Ma’s Gumbo Brick continued selling its products.
The company expanded its distribution to include retail outlets such as Albertsons, Vons Markets, Costco, Safeway, and Publix. Additionally, the website of Mee-Ma’s Gumbo Brick briefly went offline but returned with a redesign.
What Is the Net Worth Of Mee-Ma’s Louisiana Gumbo Brick?
According to our research, the net worth of Mee-Ma’s Louisiana Gumbo Brick is estimated to be $1.5 million. The valuation of Mee-Ma’s Louisiana Gumbo Brick was $1 million when it appeared on Shark Tank.
