For anyone who wants to live a healthier lifestyle, one way to start is by reducing your sugar intake. The vegan date spread Wanna Date aimed to help with this. Melissa Bartow pitched her business on Shark Tank and struck a deal with Mark Cuban. However, in October 2024, Wanna Date announced it was winding down operations after seven years. Once worth $2 million, Wanna Date’s valuation dropped to $0.
Melissa Bartow’s Background
Melissa Bartow grew up in Kennesaw, Georgia. After graduating from high school, she attended NYU and graduated with a degree in entrepreneurship.
Melissa began her career as a brand ambassador and magazine photographer. Later on, she worked in a health food store for several months before starting her own business.
Creating a Healthier Alternative
While working in the food store, Melissa was disappointed when she discovered that the acai bowls they were serving had more than 15 grams of sugar. She thought that acai berries could produce a natural raw sweetener.
Next she experimented with baking a date-based nut butter and created the first batch from her dorm room in 2017. The vegan-inspired spread came in five different flavors.
Wanna Date proved to be a suitable gluten-free alternative to jams and nut butter. With only 30 calories per serving, it became a good way to soothe a sugar craving without turning to refined sugar.
Pitching Wanna Date on Shark Tank
In season 11, Bartow requested $100,000 for 20% equity in her company. After giving out samples, things got a little bit heated. Daymond John pointed out that the lack of market research may affect its revenue.
Barbara also didn’t like how her father was giving the entrepreneur money to live in New York. After most investors backed out, Mark Cuban offered to invest $100,000, but for 33%.
Although Mark is a vegetarian, he believed the product could be profitable in the future. Cuban also asked Melissa to add a basic date flavor, a smaller container, and to make it more affordable. She agreed, and accepted the offer.
Making Strides After Shark Tank
24 to 48 hours after the episode aired, sales skyrocketed but orders returned to normal 5 to 7 days later. Despite this, a lot of new people discovered the product and became regular customers.
As food products have tight margins, Melissa continually reinvested money back into the business. She revealed in January 2023 that she had never taken a paycheck from the company, which surprised fans who assumed she’d become wealthy overnight.
The deal with Mark Cuban closed in 2020 after a slight delay and is listed on his personal website. Melissa stayed dedicated to her work and grinding during the pandemic.
Her efforts helped Wanna Date get into Manhattan’s Whole Foods Market. The product range expanded with Date Dough, a dough mix you add water to for making delicious treats. The dough products included flavors like birthday cake, chocolate spread, cookie, and pumpkin spread.
The vegan product was mainly sold direct-to-consumer on their website, Amazon, and selected Whole Foods stores. Melissa also sold Wanna Date products in local health food stores and actively promoted the brand on Instagram, gaining over 22,500 followers.
With small but steady steps, Wanna Date reportedly made close to $5 million in lifetime sales and was valued at $2 million at its peak. On Instagram in October 2024, Melissa announced she was winding down operations and the business is now shut down. Their website is no longer active and social accounts have gone quiet.
Now 27 years old, Melissa works as an Instructor Onboarding Manager at New York Pilates and part-time as a Lagree Instructor for CoreFire.
