Raise your hand if you love cheese.
Alfredo pasta, pizza, cheesecake, grilled cheese sandwich, Aligot, and the list goes on. What about snacks? Cheese sticks, cheese crisp, cheese dip with nachos… as we said, the options are plenty.
The words cheese itself is pretty heavy, let alone the actual gooey goodness. It has got a lot of fat and calories, which means you cannot eat it every day.
This is why David Scharfman came up with the idea to make low-calorie cheese snacks. It wasn’t something he came up with overnight. In 1991, Scharfman’s father operated a Wisconsin-base Specialty Cheese Company. His cheese products were at the height of popularity. They were preferred by people on the Atkins Diet. When David moved away, the brand no longer had the potential it once did.
In 2017, David and his wife were shopping for a baked cheese snack. After the first bite, David said to his wife that their product tasted better. So, he called his father and asked if they could start production again, and the husband-wife returned to Wisconsin.
What makes Just the Cheese Snacks unique is that they taste like a grilled cheese sandwich, something David intended the snack to have. As a kid, he always wanted a snack that tasted like the burned cheese on the side of a sandwich. His curiosity led to a delicious snack that everyone wanted a bite of.
This is a snack you can enjoy without any guilt. So, we suggest that you give it a try!
Is the Company Still Active?
Still in Business
Just the Cheese Snacks is still active and making millions in sales. In 2019, they made $3.7 million with four months still left in the year to end. The company has a profit margin of 20%, which is expected to increase as they expand.
How Did the Shark Tank Pitch Go?
David Scharfman appeared on Ep.19 of Shark Tank in Season 11, which aired on April 10, 2020. The businessman presented his brand Just the Cheese Snacks and wanted an investment of $500,000 for a 5% stake in the company. Based on the numbers he told the Sharks, the company was making much in sales. Today, it earns $4 million annually.
David started the pitch by telling the story of how he came up with the idea to make his snacks. The impressive display of the products beside him impresses the Sharks. He hands out a cheese bar to the Sharks and waits for their reaction as they all take a bite.
Lori admits that she had already eaten the snack before when she ordered it from Amazon and said it was really good. The Sharks agree with her. They all think the numbers are good, but the price margin needs to be worked on.
Kevin likes David’s snack and says he is willing to make a deal but a royalty of $0.20 per bar. David feels that this will lower his profit margin. Robert isn’t a fan of how the bar tastes and backs out. Daniel says that there’s too much competition out there, and Lori aggress. They both back out.
Mark says that the 5% equity for the amount David is asking for isn’t enough, and he backs out. Lori comes back with an offer of 15 cents per bar in perpetuity, but David declines again. Seeing Lori and Kevin bargain with David, Mark jumps in with an offer of 15% equity and no royalty. Lori makes another offer of 15 cents per bar until she makes $750,000. David comes with a counter offer for Mark — 7.5% equity, but Mark says no.
David doesn’t want to make a deal with royalty involved, so he declines all offers and walks off the stage with no Shark.
Our Review of Just the Cheese Snacks
Some people’s favorite food group is cheese, and we understand why. It goes well with everything… sweet and savory. Just the Cheese Snacks offer you four cheese bars in different flavors, including Mild Cheddar, Aged Cheddar, Jalapeño Cheese, and Grilled Cheese made from 100% pure Wisconsin cheese.
A bite of any cheese bar explodes with delicious flavors in your mouth. We suggest you try the mini half-ounce pack first to get accustomed to the taste. After all, the snack is made from dried cheese, which is shredded by hand. Some people take to taste, while others don’t.
Pros of Just the Cheese Snacks
- Is made with natural Wisconsin cheese
- Is oven-baked for a perfect, crispy flavor
- A single snack bar has the same amount of calcium and protein as a glass of milk
- Fewer calories than protein bars and meat bars
- Contains 0g sugar and trans fat
Cons of Just the Cheese Snacks
- Too salty
- Has a burnt taste
Who Are Just the Cheese Snacks For?
If you are looking for a healthy snack, this product is made for you. It’s fulfilling, and with 0g sugar, it fits neatly into every diet’s plan. As gluten-free snacks, they are a great alternative to cheesy snacks. Since they are completely organic, the snacks contain a few carbs, making them ideal for Keto diet.
Snacking has always been looked upon as an unhealthy habit, but with Just the Cheese Snacks, it is no longer bad for you. So, if you are getting late for work and don’t have time to eat breakfast, just grab a cheese bar and enjoy it with a protein shake.
Are There Any Alternatives?
There are not many brands in the snacks industry that are offering such a cheesy product. A few that do exist do neither have the same ingredients list nor are Keto-friendly. Some of them contain sugar, and almost all of them are high in carbs.
- Moon Cheese: https://mooncheese.com/
- Whisps: https://whisps.com/
- Umland: https://umlandscrunchycheese.com/home
What makes these brands great competitors is that they all have been featured in various magazines. They have got the taste and product variety to give Just the Cheese Snacks a run for their money.
Our Final Thoughts
Just the Cheese Snacks will go down in history as the company that started a bidding war in Shark Tank. Most people who are able to make it on this show’s stage do everything to secure a deal with a Shark, especially when Mark Cuban is on the line.
However, David Scharfman not only declined offers from Lori Greiner and Kevin O’Leary but mark Cuban too. The reason why he did this was that, initially, the Sharks asked for royalty instead of a stake in the company. David felt that if he did a royalty deal, he would hurt his cash flow.
David’s decision worked in his favor. Today, Just the Cheese Snacks are distributed in more than 700 retail stores and 1,300 convenience stores.
