Whatever Happened To Slice Of Sauce From Shark Tank?

If you've ever thought adding condiments to your burger is a messy business or you hate how sauces make bread go soggy, then Slice Of Sauce is probably a company who's core concept you can get behind. Launched in 2018 via a Kickstarter campaign, Slice Of Sauce set out to revolutionize the condiment industry by offering a selection of dehydrated sauces that came in the form of slices (similar in size to slices of American cheese). These slices were lightweight, didn't need to be refrigerated, and had a 12-month shelf life; making them especially attractive to families as well as those going on hiking or camping trips (further proof that backpacking food has never been better).

Emily Williams, who comes from a family in the restaurant business, came up with the idea for Slice Of Sauce when she created a dehydrated barbecue sauce while developing a new recipe. The company appeared on "Shark Tank" in January 2021. For the pitch, Williams was joined by her husband and co-founder, Cole, who viewers might remember as the person who sprayed condiments all over the "Shark Tank" set to illustrate how messy sauces can be.

Slice Of Sauce was featured in 2021 on Season 12, Episode 10 of "Shark Tank." Emily and Cole Williams brought a lot of energy to the studio, immediately highlighting the benefits of their product. The sharks were particularly interested in the mess-free nature of the product and generally enjoyed the samples that were offered to them.

Several of the sharks, including Barbara Corcoran, were concerned to learn that, at the time of filming, Slice Of Sauce was still pre-revenue. The products had not launched, meaning the founders had no sales data to share with the sharks. This meant the sharks had no idea how popular the product would be when offered to the general public.

While the founders asked for a $200,000 investment in return for 10% equity in Slice Of Sauce, it soon became clear that the sharks weren't going to accept that from a business that had not yet proven itself. Kevin O'Leary was the first to submit an offer. He agreed to front the $200,000 but in return he wanted to receive a $0.10 royalty on every unit sold until he earned $700,000. He also wanted a 5% stake in the business. Alex Rodriguez was next to speak up. He offered $200,000 as convertible debt which would become 20% equity in the business when Slice Of Sauce took $1.8 million in sales. If the company never made that much money, the $200,000 would remain as debt. Emily Williams negotiated the equity stake down to 15% and then accepted Rodriguez's offer.

On film, it seemed as if Emily Williams and Alex Rodriguez had made a deal in under 30 seconds. However, the reality was far different. As Cole Williams explained in an interview with TIG Talks, "It takes a lot longer than you would anticipate. It's not like raising any other money. It's not even like raising money from that individual outside of 'Shark Tank' would be an easier process. 'Shark Tank' is a long process."

Despite the delay, the founders had already planned on how to spend the money. They wanted to invest in automated equipment that could create the slices. They hoped this would allow them to meet the demand for their product, demand which was driven by the announcement that Slice Of Sauce was partnering with Secret Aardvark (which produces one of several hot sauces that should be deemed new classics) and Frank's RedHot. Thanks to this demand, Slice Of Sauce opened for pre-orders well before the products were actually scheduled to launch. Unfortunately, all of this progress was thrown into jeopardy when the deal with Rodriguez failed to close.

With the Alex Rodriguez deal falling apart, it seemed like the writing was on the wall for Slice Of Sauce. Despite this, the company did manage to send out some orders during the early part of 2021. That being said, the company was still working on a pre-order basis at the time. Judging by comments left by customers on Slice Of Sauce's Instagram during these months, the company struggled to keep the slices in stock. Customers frequently complained that, despite checking the website numerous times, they were never able to place an order.

Slice Of Sauce's last Instagram post came in September 2021. This, combined with the fact that the company's website is no longer serviceable, suggests Slice Of Sauce went out of business around this time. That being said, no official statement was made by Slice Of Sauce nor either of its founders.

The constant stocking issues indicate that, without Rodriguez's investment, Slice Of Sauce was never able to invest in the manufacturing equipment necessary to meet demand and grow the business. We may never know for sure why Slice Of Sauce went out of business.

Despite the challenges that shutting down Slice Of Sauce must have posed, both Emily and Cole Williams have continued to innovate in the food space by launching two flavored, dairy-free cheese slice products under the RADD Foods brand. The company currently produces Frank's RedHot dairy-free slices and ranch-flavored dairy-free slices. These products are stocked in over 40 stores across Indiana and Lower Michigan.

In 2024, RADD Foods won a competition to work with Bullish on redesigning its brand. The end result leaned heavily into nostalgia thanks to a 1980s style. While the new design has yet to be shared by RADD on its social media, Emily Williams told Bullish, "Bullish created a brand system that will serve us as we grow."

To make matters even better for RADD Foods, Emily Williams won both first place and the audience favorite award at Michigan Women Forward's pitch competition, proving once again she has what it takes to sell a business idea. As for Cole, his LinkedIn profile lists him as a co-founder of RADD Foods, suggesting that the married couple are once again working hard to make their business dreams come true.