Whatever Happened To Coconut Girl From Shark Tank?

Coconut Girl frozen treats founder Francheska "Frankie" Yamsuan pedaled her way into the hearts of the Sharks on season 11 of "Shark Tank" in 2020. Defying the biggest food flops in "Shark Tank" history, Yamsuan made her grand entrance on a vending tricycle packed with her coconut "nice cream" sandwiches (a nod to the ice cream carts of her birth country, the Philippines), and she rolled away with an amazing deal.

Before appearing on "Shark Tank," Coconut Girl dairy and gluten-free ice cream cookie sandwiches were already available in Whole Foods stores across California. Yamsuan, a UCLA dropout armed with a culinary school degree, started the company in 2014 after realizing it barely takes anything to totally upgrade dates, and put her favorite date shake recipe in an ice cream maker. At the time, Yamsuan was a member of a CrossFit gym and eating a Paleo diet — and her fellow gym members were the first to buy the ice cream alternative. While homemade nice cream starts with frozen bananas, Yamsuan's blend featured a coconut cream base, sweetened with dates, honey, and maple syrup. 

Yamsuan told "The Small Business Storytellers" podcast that she was drawn to CrossFit after developing disordered eating and depression while studying philosophy at UCLA. She found that focusing on strength and long-term health goals freed her from the cycle of calorie-counting, and she wanted her products to help others do the same. To turn pints into sandwiches, Yamsuan made her own almond butter and cacao nib cookies and switched to selling only individually-packaged sandwiches, instead of pints.

When she pulled up to "Shark Tank," Francheska Yamsuan touted Coconut Girl nice cream sandwiches as "guilt free" and "bikini season" friendly summer treats and immediately piqued the Sharks' interest. Shortly after her pitch began, Mark Cuban yelled, "Bring that over here!" When she asked which of the Sharks were ready to make a deal, both Cuban and Robert Herjavec tried to get Yamsuan's attention before she could even finish her sentence. Upon tasting samples, Herjavec was highly complimentary of the dessert, and Lori Greiner told Yamsuan, "I'm your customer."

Yamsuan asked for $180,000 to help with production, because at the time, she was making everything on her own for more than 30 retail stores. The Sharks were skeptical about how she would scale her business without help, but Cuban's enthusiasm for the product had him fighting over it with Kevin O'Leary. Ultimately, Yamsuan received $180,000 from Cuban in exchange for 20% equity — and the two sealed the deal with a hug.

After a splashy and successful appearance on "Shark Tank," Coconut Girl products were soon stocked in high-end grocery stores like Erewhon, Bristol Farms, and Lunardi's, as well as other natural food stores in 25 states across the U.S. But in 2020, when supply chain issues hit the food sector, the company began to struggle. 

During her interview with "The Small Business Storytellers" podcast two years later, in 2022, Francheska Yamsuan revealed that she faced several behind-the-scenes challenges, including constant battles with manufacturers who thought ingredients like coconut cream were impractical for efficient ice cream production, and that her ingredient costs were way too high. Still, Yamsuan refused to compromise or turn her boutique brand into just another mass-marketed ice cream in the freezer aisle. Instead, she remained committed to staying true to her mission: using the ingredients she believed were the most satisfying, nutrient-dense, and better for customers' health than anything else on the shelf.

Despite its initial run at national expansion after "Shark Tank," these days, Coconut Girl is no longer in business — but it's not exactly clear as to why. There was no formal announcement of the company's official shutdown, and "The Small Business Storytellers" podcast interview appears to be the last time Francheska Yamsuan spoke to the media. Speculation seems to center around the brand hitting an unlucky roadblock with the pandemic, and facing an uphill climb as it attempted to grow in size while reducing production costs. 

The most recent Facebook post on the Coconut Girl Brands page was in May 2024, and the last Instagram post, unveiling a brand new logo, was made in April 2024. The company website no longer exists, and Yamsuan's personal LinkedIn profile lists her position as CEO of Coconut Girl as coming to an end in January 2024. It seems as though both the brand and Yamsuan herself have disappeared from the internet altogether. Whatever's on the horizon, we wish Yamsuan the best on her next big thing.