What Happened To Mama O's Premium Kimchi After Shark Tank?

Mama O's Premium Kimchi got its start in New York City in 2007. Founder Kheedim Oh had no previous experience in the food industry. After college, he spent years in the music scene, working as a DJ and concert planner. He missed his mother's homemade kimchi recipe, finding no good varieties in the Big Apple, so he began traveling by bus back and forth from NYC to Maryland to pick up batches.

Friends loved the kimchi right away. Speaking to The Chosun Daily, Oh said, "Many had tasted kimchi before, but only poor-quality versions. When they tried ours, it was a revelation." With time, Oh was bringing back coolers of kimchi and wheeling them home from the bus on his skateboard. After a NYC butcher mentioned that he wanted to start carrying kimchi, Oh took the opportunity to make a sale. It started as a truly shoestring operation run out of a basement, but small partnerships early on, like one with the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce, helped Mama O's grow.

Now, you'll see Mama O's in grocery stores nationwide. The company is, of course, named after Oh's mother, who passed her kimchi recipe down to her son. They started with traditional kimchi made from napa cabbage, but now sell varieties like daikon kimchi, bok choy kimchi, and even vegan versions.

In 2022, Oh appeared on "Shark Tank" alongside his mother seeking $250,000 in exchange for 10% equity. Their pitch focused on kimchi's rich flavor and strong nutritional profile, calling it an "ancient superfood." Oh informed the sharks of ways to use kimchi they hadn't thought of, like putting it on hotdogs or hamburgers. Oh then showed off the company's kimchi kit, which comes with rubber gloves, kimchi paste, and a kimchi jar with a special airlock. According to Oh, their kit allows users to make kimchi in less than 10 minutes.

When it got down to discussing numbers, Oh said it took $2.65 to make a bag of kimchi that sells for $8.99. The kit costs $8.20 to produce and goes for a wholesale price of $20. Oh stated that Mama O's made $815k so far in 2022 and expected to hit one million by the end of year. However, Oh noted that the majority of sales came from retailers like Whole Foods and Willian Sonoma and not via their website.

Unfortunately, Mama O's became one of many food companies that did not land a deal on "Shark Tank." Kevin O'Leary felt the public was not well educated enough on kimchi for the product to take off, while Mark Cuban was concerned at the current lack of employees. The remaining sharks felt lukewarm about the business's potential or about kimchi in general. So Oh and his mother left empty-handed. 

Despite the fact that "Shark Tank" did not initially work out, Oh went on to reflect positively on the experience, stating in an interview with Chosun, "It ended up being the highest return-on-investment (ROI) event for our business." According to the "Shark Tank" official blog, fans were disappointed to see Mama O's turned away. After its "Shark Tank" appearance, retailers who carried Mama O's reported an uptick in sales, perhaps due to the increased public interest.

Since "Shark Tank," Mama O's has continued to grow. It has appeared at high-profile food shows and began selling its product in larger outlets like Walmart, Safeway, and Albertsons. Mama O's has also increased its retail presence across outlets it already worked with pre-"Shark Tank," like Whole Foods and William Sonoma. The growing availability of Mama O's kimchi is clearly paying off, and as of June of 2024, Mama O's reportedly reached an annual sales revenue of 1.6 million.

In the long run, not getting a "Shark Tank" deal did little to slow Mama O's Premium Kimchi down. The company has continued to grow steadily since 2022. Now, the company has become well known throughout the northeastern United States. Oh is poised to keep growing the company, looking to go forward full steam ahead with national expansion.

Mama O's is also increasing its international footprint. However, Oh has been somewhat mum on the precise details. In his interview with Chosun, Oh alluded to a coming deal with one of the "world's largest food service companies," stating he hopes that this will accelerate national and international growth. Maybe within a few years, Mama O's will be available in most supermarkets across the country.

Right now, you can keep your eyes peeled for Mama O's in grocery stores like Whole Foods. You can also purchase Mama O's products on the company website, including kimchi paste, wholesale kimchi bags, kimchi sauce, and, of course, the homemade kimchi kit.

Mama O's shows no signs of slowing down any time soon. In addition to expanding into new markets, Oh coordinates events to celebrate all things kimchi. Every summer, he hosts a one-day festival called Kimchipalooza in New York City. Local vendors show up to make special kimchi-based meals, and guests can also enjoy demos, workshops, live music, and more. Oh says he hopes to eventually expand the event to Los Angeles.

However, Mama O's has never just been about the money. Oh says he wants to bring kimchi culture to the United States and share his heritage with the world. His kimchi has always remained distinctly Korean. While the company has made very slight alterations with American tastebuds in mind, Oh works hard to ensure the recipe remains as authentic as possible and that it maintains a distinctly Korean flavor overall. In addition to saying true to his roots, Oh also wants to continue to promote a positive, encouraging environment for Mama O's employees as the company grows.