What Happened to Back 9 Dips After Shark Tank?
What is Back 9 Dips?
Back 9 Dips are dips with chicken wings mixed in. The product is a chicken breast with sauces and a chicken wing on a chip.
Back 9 Dips breast and sauces that look like Michael and Dominique Mealey’s audition footage featured the couple playing with their child on a beautiful, sunny day in Tampa, FL.
The couple, who had been married for five years, announced to the audience that they were expecting their second child.
David reported that when he arrived in Florida, he met Nique and was hired by two prominent golf companies. However, things grew much more complicated after that. He lost his job after the position was canceled owing to the economy.
Who are the founders of the Back 9 Dips?
David and Nique Mealey of Tampa, Florida founded Back 9 Dips. After David was laid off as a golf equipment salesperson, the husband and wife team launched Back 9 Catering and produced Back 9 Chicken Dips.
David decided to take advantage of the opportunity to explore his passion for cooking, and the two started a barbecue catering business.
Nique stated that the pair worked hard to build a thriving business. He captured a bunch of happy people enjoying delicious BBQ food.
Back 9 Catering event goers raved about their Chicken Dips, so the crew packaged and sold them. Bubba the Love Sponge, the legendary Shock Jock, partnered with the couple to create Bubba’s Back 9 Chicken Dips.
Following word of mouth, the couple partnered with a food packaging company and began distributing their Back 9 Chicken Dips at Publix shops around the Tampa area.
What Happened to Back 9 Dips at Shark Tank Pitch?
Back 9 Chicken Dips entrepreneurs David and Nique Mealy pitch the Sharks on their buffalo chicken wing flavored dip in Season 4 Episode 4. David and Nique are looking for a Shark to assist them with marketing and distribution.
David and Nique appeared on Shark Tank in seeking of $150,000 investment in exchange for a 15% stake in Back 9 Chicken Dips, which was valued at $1 million.
Daymond refers to the product as a “chicken Slurpee” after sampling it. Mr. Wonderful busts out laughing as he imagines chickens being blended in a blender and references the classic Saturday Night Live sketch “Bass-o-Mastic.”
David informs us, between giggles, that they had made roughly $400,000 in sales over the previous two years.
Lori likes the plunge, but she does not believe she is the right Shark to help them, so she exits.
Mark enjoys it as well, but he isn’t the right man for it; he’s out. Kevin realizes the endeavor was too dangerous for him and exits. Robert, too, feels that the food sector is too complex; he also exits.
Only Daymond remains, but Lori cares so passionately about David and Nique that she returns and offers $150,000 for 25% equity shares if Daymond joins her in the deal.
Daymond was filled with emotion as he recalls his childhood. Daymond compares David and a very pregnant Nique to himself, who began his business with two little children; the Medleys also had a young son.
Daymond, despite his feelings, refuses to invest. After hearing the exchange between the Medleys and Daymond.
Robert feels they were deserving of a chance and joins forces with Lori to make the offer.
More tears flow as the new business partners hug. Finally, they accepted Robert and Lori’s offer of $150,000 for a 25% stake in the company, and the pitch ended with a deal.
What Happened to Back 9 Dips After Shark Tank?
After the show aired, the deal between Robert and Lori had to be revised, and the couple left the pitch with a deal since the company’s value had changed.
When the Medleys documented the decreases in July, it was at roughly 400 Publix Supermarkets in Florida. Following the broadcast of their show, distribution was expanded to over 1,400 places in many states.
They’ve expanded their grocery shops, landed on Costco shelves, and formed a deal with a large food distributor since the show aired.
The Chicken Dips should be available practically everywhere in the United States by the end of 2013! On August 13, just a few weeks after the episode aired, Nique Mealey gave birth to a healthy baby girl.
Unfortunately, the Medleys’ triumph with Back 9 Dips was short-lived. The company went out of business in 2014 when the USDA recalled over 12,000 pounds of the dips due to a “undeclared allergy” to anchovies. Back 9 Dips is no longer in operation, unable to recover from such a devastating blow.
Back 9 Dips Competitors
The Medleys aren’t the only food-related entrepreneurs in the Tampa Bay region. Back 9 Dips was also a rival of Rose’s Hot Dogs and Grilled Subs.
Net Worth of Back 9 Dips
The firm was valued at $1 million during the pitch and $600,000 following the investment by Robert and Lori. Since then, the company has gone out of business; therefore the net worth is not available.
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Back 9 Dips FAQs
Who owns Back 9 Dips?
Back 9 Dips was founded by David and Nique Mealey of Tampa, Florida.
Who was the CEO of Back 9 Dips?
David Mealey was the founder and CEO of Back 9 Chicken Dips. After being laid off as a golf equipment salesperson, he launched a BBQ catering firm that turned into a booming business with the creation of Back 9 Chicken Dips. His wife joined him in the business as he became inspired to pursue his passion for cooking.
How did Back 9 Dips work?
Back 9 Chicken Dips was a dip that came in original, hot, and barbecue flavors. The dip rested on a bed of shredded lettuce and accompanied by pita chips.
Where was Back 9 Dips located?
The Back 9 Chicken Dip recipe was developed in Tampa, Florida.
What were Back 9 Dips products?
Back 9’s dips were offered in original, hot, and barbecue flavors. They were packaged in a dip container that sat atop shredded lettuce. It was accompanied by pita chips.
How much did Back 9 Dips cost?
Back 9 Chicken Dips packages were sold at $7.99 at most Publix grocery stores in Florida. Each package contained approximately 8 oz. of dip and four servings of pita chips.
What was their business?
The Back 9 Chicken Dips were chicken flavored desserts that came in original, hot and barbeque flavors. They were offered in plastic containers and came with pita chips.
Was Back 9 Dips safe?
The chicken dip was safe for consumption.
Was Back 9 Dips free from GMOs?
The products were free from genetically modified organisms.
Was Back 9 Dips a healthy food?
Back 9 Chicken Dips were low in calories, fat and sodium and high in protein yet did contain some cholesterol. These dips also contained sodium nitrite, which could be potentially carcinogenic.
Did Back 9 Dips have gluten free options?
The dips did not have gluten-free options.
What was the shipping cost of Back 9 Dips?
The shipping cost was $7.99 for orders of 4 or more packages on Amazon.
Did Back 9 Dips have attractive packaging?
The Back 9 Dips packaging was very attractive and made from 100% recycled materials, as it featured a chicken character that acts as a dip cup holder/grip.
What were the payment methods accepted by Back 9 Dips?
The Back 9 Dips products were sold via Amazon, who accepted most forms of payment, including PayPal.
Was Back 9 Dips a USDA approved facility?
The Back 9 Chicken Dip Company was not licensed by the USDA as they did not have facilities with retail associates to prove they met certain standards of sanitation and safety.
The only retailers that had any connection to the company were some Publix Supermarket locations in the state of Florida, who provided their customers with coupons to encourage customers to purchase their dips.
