What happened to Nui Foods? I'm Victor Macias, and I co-founded Nui with my friend Kristoffer Quiaoit. This is the Nui cookies Shark Tank story in my own words: the Kickstarters, the pitch, the cash crunch and what I built next.

Quick facts

  • Co-founders: Victor Macias and Kristoffer Quiaoit.
  • Kickstarter: two campaigns raised $100,682 in total ($21,495 in 2016 and $79,187 in 2017).
  • Shark Tank: Season 10, Episode 6, aired on ABC on November 25, 2018. We asked for $300,000 for 10%.
  • The deal: we landed a deal on Shark Tank. Guest shark Alex Rodriguez offered $300,000 for 25%.
  • Sales at the time of the show: $1.1 million, as stated on the show (CNBC). Nui grew past that afterward.
  • Today: Nui is closed. I run Santana Snacks.

The Nui Foods story

Ever since I can remember, I’ve wanted to be an entrepreneur. Something about creating a business has signified freedom and self-expression for me. Here are some of the side-hustles and businesses I’ve created over the years.

  • Selling candy door to door
  • Lawn mowing charging $2 per lawn
  • Online Personal Trainer Hub – An online personal training platform that never quite launched (ran out of money in development)
  • MaleStandard.com – a men’s lifestyle website that allowed me to travel the world and live incredible experiences.
  • Nui Foods – A cookie company helping people live happier healthier lives.

Of these, Nui Foods was the one closest to my heart. What my buddy Kristoffer and I did to grow from baking cookies in his mom’s kitchen to raising $100K in Kickstarter, starting the keto snackfood movement, and ultimately landing a deal on Shark Tank changed my life forever. It was proof of what’s possible when you hustle, are resourceful, and empower a community.

I loved the friends I made, the customers I served, and the lessons I learned along the way. I learned what to do in business, but most importantly what “not” to do.

Nui cookies Shark Tank update: what happened to the company

While Nui started off strong and grew fast, we faced some big challenges. Shortly after Shark Tank, we grew faster than our operations and cash could support. We quickly ran into cash flow issues. What started with $6K could not support our growth.

Our cost structure was all wrong (we were actually losing money on each order). We hot-shotted sales and promos which devalued our brand and hurt our bottom line. We operated with a scarcity mentality and focused on surviving instead of thriving.

We did everything we could to keep Nui alive, including not paying ourselves for 9 months, but in the end, we had to face reality. Nui wasn’t going to make it. We shut down.

I filed for bankruptcy and said goodbye to my baby. I mourned and faced the reality of starting over from zero. While there were dark periods early on, this proved to be an opportunity to create from a blank canvas. That’s where things got exciting.

I realized that now I get a chance to go on a new journey and document the whole process. I get to share what it’s like to start from scratch and build something amazing…again. I get to show the pain and struggles along with the excitement and wins.

My desire is for you to see this as a sign to GO BIG. Go for the home run. Sometimes you’ll miss and it will hurt, but when you connect with the ball and it goes over the fence, it’s the best feeling in the world!

Here’s to swinging for the fences.

Mucho Amor,

Victor Macias

If you'd like me to share this story with your group, you can request a speaking date.

Is Nui Foods still open?

No. Nui Foods is closed. I run Santana Snacks, a premium organic corn chip brand I started in 2023 in Santa Ana, California.

Can you still buy Nui cookies?

No. Nui is closed, so Nui cookies are no longer sold. If you want to try what I make now, you can find Santana Snacks near you.

Nui questions, answered

Did Nui Foods appear on Shark Tank? Yes. Kristoffer Quiaoit and I pitched Nui on Shark Tank. The episode (Season 10, Episode 6) aired on ABC on November 25, 2018. We asked for $300,000 for 10% and landed a deal.

What offers did Nui get on Shark Tank? Three sharks made offers. Kevin O'Leary offered $300,000 for 2.5% plus a royalty. Barbara Corcoran offered $150,000 plus a $150,000 line of credit for 15% plus a royalty. Guest shark Alex Rodriguez offered $300,000 for 25%. We accepted Alex's offer on the show.

Why did Nui Foods shut down? Nui grew faster than our operations and cash could support, and we ran out of runway. After the show, costs and expectations went up, cash got tight, and we were losing money on each order. We stopped paying ourselves for nine months to keep it alive. In the end Nui could not make it, and we shut down.

How much did Nui raise on Kickstarter? Two campaigns raised $100,682 in total: $21,495 in 2016 and $79,187 in 2017. I wrote a crowdfunding playbook with the templates we used.