Truffles are up there with caviar as expensive treats that people love to eat. Only high-end restaurants typically have access but Truffle Shuffle made them available to the masses. Founders Jason McKinney and Tyler Vorce featured on Shark Tank and got a deal with Mark Cuban.
According to StartEngine listing, Truffle Shuffle was once valued at $35 million. In May 2024, Truffle Shuffle was acquired by ButcherBox but things didn’t go to plan. In December 2025, the brand announced they are closing down after seven years in business.
The Founders
Tyler Vorce is from Oakland, California and he learned his trade as a sous chef at The French Laundry, a three-Michelin-starred restaurant. Here he met Jason McKinney, who previosuly worked at Sea Island Resort and Hawkeye Ranch.
Although the guys appeared on the show, the food company has a third co-founder, Sarah Rundle-McKinney. Sarah is’s Jason’s wife and also met the two guys working at The French Laundry.
Founding Truffle Shuffle
Tyler, Jason, and Sarah discovered an opportunity in sourcing truffles, a cooking ingredient so valued that it has a black market. The trio searched for authentic truffle hunters and worked directly with them.
They launched Truffle Shuffle in 2018 and sold truffles to high-end restaurants. Eventually, they got a deal with Whole Foods, but things changed when the pandemic hit.
Restaurants closed down but they still had $20,000 worth of unsold truffles. Instead of feeling discouraged, they sold to businesses and consumers online. The company began doing virtual cooking shows and this change helped them do $1.4 million in revenue for 2021.
Shark Tank Appearance
Once social distancing rules were phased out, the founders were stuck in a dilemma of going back to the original business model or sticking with the new one. Jason and Tyler sought help from the Sharks in season 12, seeking $500,000 for 5%.
The guys made a strong start to the pitch. The business had healthy margins and revenue was growing every year. Despite having $1.4 million in year-to-date sales, the business only made a net profit of $8,000 and had cash flow problems.
Robert Herjavec was the only one willing to make an offer, he offered $500,000 for 20%. Out of nowhere, Mark Cuban showed interest and the founders were hoping to do a joint deal. Cuban went solo and invested $501,000 for 18%.
Closing Down After Shark Tank
Since appearing on Shark Tank, the business continued with their direct-to-consumer business model and appeared to be doing well. Although they chose Cuban, Robert would have been a better partner as Mark’s portfolio is too big to give these guys much time.
By late 2021 sales reached $1.4 million with later estimates around $6 million annual revenue in 2022. According to StartEngine, by 2023 they had earned $13.3 million in cooking class sales, $7.8 million in partnerships, and $4.5 million in direct-to-consumer sales.
In May 2024, Truffle Shuffle was acquired by ButcherBox, a DTC meat and seafood company known for subscription delivery services.
The acquisition was announced as part of ButcherBox’s strategy to expand into cooking education and community-driven content. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, and Truffle Shuffle continued to operate as its own brand.
In December 2025, they made a post on Instagram announcing they winding down operations by the end of this year. The website now shows a farewell message and a password-protected store page.
