Here’s What Happened To Sunniva Super Coffee After Shark Tank
Instagram By Margaret McCormick/Nov. 1, 2022 10:22 am EST
The dorm room-to-boardroom success story of Sunniva Super Coffee is well known in the business world. Jordan DeCicco, a student athlete at Philadelphia University, found himself tired after early morning basketball practices and struggling to concentrate on his class work. He went to a convenience store in search of an energy drink or bottled coffee beverage that wasn’t loaded with calories, sugar, and artificial ingredients. When he didn’t find what he was looking for, he started concocting alternatives in his dorm, using ingredients like organic coffee, coconut oil, monk fruit, and plant-based proteins. He invited his brothers (also athletes) on board to help with product testing, and eventually formed a company. “I fell in love with the idea of bringing this healthy, all-natural, better-for-you product to the mainstream market,” Jordan DeCicco said (via What Got You There with Sean Delaney, on YouTube).
The entrepreneurial journey of the DeCicco brothers eventually took them to ABC’s “Shark Tank,” where the Sharks love food and drink products and free samples as much as anyone. Jordan, Jake, and older brother Jim DeCicco entered the tank seeking $500,000 for a 4.5% share of their business (via Shark Tank Tales). A couple of the Sharks didn’t like the taste of the coffee, and a couple didn’t like the company’s valuation figures. The Super Coffee founders left without a deal, but didn’t cry in their coffee. Per Shark Tank Blog, their efforts eventually paid off and the DeCicco brothers, since then, have been riding a caffeinated fast track to success.
Super Coffee continues to build brand and buzz
Some might call Sunniva Super Coffee, which has been rebranded as Kitu Super Coffee (per Shark Tank Blog), a company that the millionaire and billionaire “Sharks” should have bitten. When the show was taped in 2017, the DeCicco brothers reported sales of $600,000 for the year and noted they expected sales of more than $2 million by year’s end. At the time, their healthy coffee drink was available in four flavors (plain, vanilla, cinnamon, and mocha) and sold at about 20 Whole Food Markets in the Washington/Baltimore area, as well as many retail locations in the Northeast.
The “Shark Tank” episode featuring Super Coffee aired in February 2018. Since then, the ready-to-drink coffee beverage has increased in popularity, racking up sales of a whopping $55 million as 2020 came to a close. It also achieved dominance in its category, trailing only Starbucks and Dunkin’ (via Forbes). “Shark Tank” helped Super Coffee build buzz and build its brand. The company moved its headquarters from New York City to Austin, Texas to accommodate growth, according to the Austin American Statesman. It employs more than 100 people and manufactures more than 30 products, including creamers, pods, and ground coffees. A distribution agreement with Anheuser-Busch has helped bring Super Coffee to stores everywhere, including Target, Walmart, and Walgreens. The brand has also attracted some high-profile investors, including Patrick Schwarzenegger, Aaron Rodgers, and Jennifer Lopez.
Here’s What Happened To Sunniva Super Coffee After Shark Tank
By Margaret McCormick/Nov. 1, 2022 10:22 am EST
The dorm room-to-boardroom success story of Sunniva Super Coffee is well known in the business world. Jordan DeCicco, a student athlete at Philadelphia University, found himself tired after early morning basketball practices and struggling to concentrate on his class work. He went to a convenience store in search of an energy drink or bottled coffee beverage that wasn’t loaded with calories, sugar, and artificial ingredients. When he didn’t find what he was looking for, he started concocting alternatives in his dorm, using ingredients like organic coffee, coconut oil, monk fruit, and plant-based proteins. He invited his brothers (also athletes) on board to help with product testing, and eventually formed a company. “I fell in love with the idea of bringing this healthy, all-natural, better-for-you product to the mainstream market,” Jordan DeCicco said (via What Got You There with Sean Delaney, on YouTube).
The entrepreneurial journey of the DeCicco brothers eventually took them to ABC’s “Shark Tank,” where the Sharks love food and drink products and free samples as much as anyone. Jordan, Jake, and older brother Jim DeCicco entered the tank seeking $500,000 for a 4.5% share of their business (via Shark Tank Tales). A couple of the Sharks didn’t like the taste of the coffee, and a couple didn’t like the company’s valuation figures. The Super Coffee founders left without a deal, but didn’t cry in their coffee. Per Shark Tank Blog, their efforts eventually paid off and the DeCicco brothers, since then, have been riding a caffeinated fast track to success.
The entrepreneurial journey of the DeCicco brothers eventually took them to ABC’s “Shark Tank,” where the Sharks love food and drink products and free samples as much as anyone. Jordan, Jake, and older brother Jim DeCicco entered the tank seeking $500,000 for a 4.5% share of their business (via Shark Tank Tales). A couple of the Sharks didn’t like the taste of the coffee, and a couple didn’t like the company’s valuation figures. The Super Coffee founders left without a deal, but didn’t cry in their coffee. Per Shark Tank Blog, their efforts eventually paid off and the DeCicco brothers, since then, have been riding a caffeinated fast track to success.
Super Coffee continues to build brand and buzz
Some might call Sunniva Super Coffee, which has been rebranded as Kitu Super Coffee (per Shark Tank Blog), a company that the millionaire and billionaire “Sharks” should have bitten. When the show was taped in 2017, the DeCicco brothers reported sales of $600,000 for the year and noted they expected sales of more than $2 million by year’s end. At the time, their healthy coffee drink was available in four flavors (plain, vanilla, cinnamon, and mocha) and sold at about 20 Whole Food Markets in the Washington/Baltimore area, as well as many retail locations in the Northeast.
The “Shark Tank” episode featuring Super Coffee aired in February 2018. Since then, the ready-to-drink coffee beverage has increased in popularity, racking up sales of a whopping $55 million as 2020 came to a close. It also achieved dominance in its category, trailing only Starbucks and Dunkin’ (via Forbes). “Shark Tank” helped Super Coffee build buzz and build its brand. The company moved its headquarters from New York City to Austin, Texas to accommodate growth, according to the Austin American Statesman. It employs more than 100 people and manufactures more than 30 products, including creamers, pods, and ground coffees. A distribution agreement with Anheuser-Busch has helped bring Super Coffee to stores everywhere, including Target, Walmart, and Walgreens. The brand has also attracted some high-profile investors, including Patrick Schwarzenegger, Aaron Rodgers, and Jennifer Lopez.
The “Shark Tank” episode featuring Super Coffee aired in February 2018. Since then, the ready-to-drink coffee beverage has increased in popularity, racking up sales of a whopping $55 million as 2020 came to a close. It also achieved dominance in its category, trailing only Starbucks and Dunkin’ (via Forbes).
“Shark Tank” helped Super Coffee build buzz and build its brand. The company moved its headquarters from New York City to Austin, Texas to accommodate growth, according to the Austin American Statesman. It employs more than 100 people and manufactures more than 30 products, including creamers, pods, and ground coffees. A distribution agreement with Anheuser-Busch has helped bring Super Coffee to stores everywhere, including Target, Walmart, and Walgreens. The brand has also attracted some high-profile investors, including Patrick Schwarzenegger, Aaron Rodgers, and Jennifer Lopez.
