Coconut Girl Net Worth and Shark Tank Update – After Shark Tank

Francheska “Frankie” Yamsuan is the founder of Coconut Girl. A brand dedicated to creating dairy free, gluten free and paleo friendly ice cream sandwiches. Yamsuan founded the company to solve the problem of deceptive health food products that make people sick. During her Season 11 pitch on Shark Tank  she asked the Sharks for $180,000 for 18% equity.

After embracing the paleo diet, Frankie grew frustrated with the health food industry. She noticed that products marketed as “healthy” or “low-fat” were loaded with refined sugars and processed ingredients that left her feeling sluggish. Frankie decided to develop her own wholesome, unprocessed dessert alternative in her home kitchen. She created a plant based, dairy free frozen treat that was inspired by the date shakes she loved.

Mark Cuban’s investment allowed Coconut Girl to secure  a distribution deal with United Natural Foods. This expanded the company’s footprint into Whole Foods and Central Markets across multiple states. The company rebranded to Coconut Girl Brands. To prepare for broader product lines and grow its annual revenue to an estimated $2.5 million. While the exact net worth of Coconut Girl is tied to private equity stakes. Shark Tank valuations and sales revenue place its implied valuation and net worth around the multi million dollar mark.

Coconut Girl Net Worth

Francheska Yamsuan asked for a $180,000 investment in exchange for 18% equity in her company. This meant she valued her company at $1 million. She made a deal with Mark Cuban for $180,000 in exchange for 20% of her company. This new deal valued her company at $900,000. After the show aired, Coconut Girl saw a big increase in website traffic, sales, and social media exposure. With an estimated 10% yearly growth rate (typical business growth), the current net worth of Coconut Girl is about $1.44 million.

Did The Coconut Girl Get a Deal on Shark Tank?

Frankie got a deal on Shark Tank for her ice cream sandwich company, Coconut Girl. She secured an investment of $180,000 for a 20% equity stake with Mark Cuban, which allowed her to bring on manufacturers and scale her production.

The negotiation process began with Yamsuan pitching her healthy dessert alternative and passing out samples, which the Sharks loved. After she explained her financial situation and stated her need for help to scale the business, Mark Cuban jumped in. He offered her the request but demanded a 25% equity stake. In an attempt to prevent Yamsuan from negotiating with the other Sharks, Cuban stated she had to accept his offer immediately without hearing anyone else.

Before Yamsuan could respond, Lori Greiner interjected to say she was also a big fan and wanted to be a customer. When Cuban heard this, he threatened to pull out of the deal if Yamsuan wanted to hear Greiner’s pitch. Recognizing a window of opportunity, Shark Kevin O’Leary offered to help Yamsuan negotiate by cutting Cuban, offering the same but for only a 20% equity stake. Eager to secure a deal, Cuban accepted O’Leary’s terms, dropping his own demand to 20%, and Yamsuan joyfully accepted.

The Sharks were highly interested in Coconut Girl for several reasons:

1. The Product & Lifestyle
2. Exceptional Margins
3. Retail Validation

Coconut Girl Shark Tank Deal Table

Shark(s) name	Offer & Demand	Counteroffer	Accepted?
Katrina Lake (guest shark)	Out	N/A	N/A
Lori Greiner	Out	N/A	N/A
Kevin O’Leary	$180,000 for 20% equity	N/A	N/A
Robert Herjavec	Out	N/A	N/A
Mark Cuban	$180,000 for 25% equity	$180,000 for 20% equity	Yes

Founders’ Backstory

The sole founder and creator of Coconut Girl is Francheska “Frankie” Yamsuan, a former UCLA dropout who attended culinary school. Yamsuan adopted a Paleo diet and was involved in CrossFit when she realized many “health foods” were full of processed ingredients.

She wanted to indulge her sweet tooth without compromising her fitness, diet or feeling lethargic. She started making healthy ice cream in her kitchen blending dates into her smoothies which became a hit with her fellow gym members. She made an unforgettable entrance. By riding on stage on her “Icicle Tricycle,” referencing her Philippine roots.She was seeking $180,000 for an 18% equity stake in her company to help with co packing and production.

She noted that the sandwiches sold for $4.99 to $5.49 at retail but only cost roughly $1 to manufacture. She had previously sold $120,000 worth of product and was on track to hit $300,000 in sales for the year. The Sharks entered into a bidding war over the brand. Yamsuan accepted a deal from Mark Cuban, who offered $180,000 for a 20% equity stake. The business continued to expand into Whole Foods and other grocery markets. Scaling up to millions in annual revenue before the company’s operations and website were phased out.

Coconut Girl Shark Tank Pitch

The pitch was initiated by founder Francheska “Frankie” Yamsuan. She made a memorable entrance by riding onto the stage on her “Icicle Tricycle,” an ice cream cart designed to look like the vintage vending tricycles from the Philippines. She brought a fun and health conscious aesthetic to the floor, grabbing the attention of the investors. The grand entrance and immediate distribution of samples set a positive, engaging tone. 

Yamsuan pointed out that the health and wellness industry is notorious for misleading consumers about what is “truly healthy.” She highlighted the issue that many store bought ice creams and packaged desserts are full of refined sugars, dairy, grains and processed ingredients. For consumers trying to maintain a strict paleo, dairy free, or gluten free lifestyle. There was a lack of delicious, truly clean “guilt-free” treats available on the market. Coconut Girl produces healthy alternative sandwiches. Go ahead, have your ice cream & eat it too!

The ice cream base is crafted from organic coconut cream rather than traditional cow’s milk. Instead of refined sugar, the treats are sweetened using nutrient dense ingredients like honey, dates and maple syrup. The ice cream is sandwiched between two cookies made from almond flour and almond butter. The product allows consumers with dietary restrictions to indulge in a nostalgic dessert without compromising their health or fitness goals. 

The business operates as a retail consumer packaged goods company. Selling its sandwiches in regional big box grocery stores and natural food markets. The sandwiches were sold to retailers at wholesale prices, with retail prices ranging from $4.99 to $5.49 per unit. The products were manufactured in small batches at specialized commercial facilities in Southern California and rolled out in locations like Whole Foods. The company used a community focused grassroots marketing strategy early on. Utilizing Yamsuan’s vending tricycle at fitness events and CrossFit gyms before scaling into grocery stores

Shark Questions, Negotiations, Discussion & Reactions

Coconut Girl, the dairy and gluten free ice cream sandwich brand founded by Francheska Yamsuan appeared on Shark Tank to secure investment for her dessert line. The pitch led to tough negotiations and a standout deal. After some debate, Mark Cuban made a strict ultimatum $50,000 for 20%, provided she found a co packer to scale production. Frankie secured the deal with Cuban, helping her transition from a solo kitchen to expanded Whole Foods distributions.

Discussions center on the brand’s use of real ingredients like dates, maple syrup, honey and organic coconut milk. The products are a hit in the health conscious Southern California and Pacific regions, with online fans discussing the clean ingredient list. Fans and entrepreneurs react favorably to Frankie’s determined journey and her dedication to transparency in the health food industry.

Why Some Sharks Said No

The remaining Sharks who declined to invest cited vulnerabilities in the business model and food industry dynamics. Several Sharks were concerned that Coconut Girl was a one woman show. The founder was still making her products by hand in small batches to supply her regional retail stores. The Sharks saw this as a bottleneck to national expansion and worried if the product could be replicated by a co packer.

The ice cream sandwiches retailed at a premium of $4.99 to $5.49. While the founder had solid gross margins and aimed to lower production costs. The Sharks questioned whether a mass market audience would pay $6 for a single dairy free treat. The dessert market is notoriously saturated. Sharks pointed out that large legacy brands and startups were launching new frozen nice creams. Making it difficult and expensive for a niche local brand to stand out on grocery shelves.

With the retail price being so high, customer education and marketing become critical. Some Sharks hesitated to invest because building awareness for a specialized treat requires intense capital and marketing execution which posed a high barrier to profitability. Although no deal was finalized with the other investors, this was due to the founder accepting Mark Cuban’s aggressive “shot clock” ultimatum. The founder ultimately chose Mark Cuban’s offer of $180,000 for a 20% equity stake. Because she felt he was the ideal partner to help her secure a co packer and scale the brand’s production. 

Where To Buy Products and Product Features

The treats were free of dairy, soy and gluten and did not contain refined sugar. The ice cream base was made from rich, organic coconut milk. Instead of refined sugars, the nice cream was sweetened using dates, pure honey and pure maple syrup. The cookies that bookended the ice cream were handcrafted with almond butter and almond flour to give them a soft texture. The sandwiches offered an indulgent portion size for around 250 calories.

Founder Francheska Yamsuan brought the sandwiches into the Tank in Season 11. Promoting them as guilt free treats. Her pitch excited the Sharks, particularly Mark Cuban and Robert Herjavec, who were blown away by the taste and texture. Mark Cuban was so eager to try them that he asked her to bring a sample to him, and later started throwing the sandwiches to the other Sharks. After a brief bidding war with Kevin O’Leary, Mark Cuban struck a deal of $180,000 for a 20% equity stake.

Following her appearance on the show, the brand experienced growth and expanded into health and natural food retailers. The sandwiches retailed for between $4.99 and $5.59 per unit. The products were stocked in West Coast locations, including grocery stores in California, Nevada, Hawaii, Arizona, and select Whole Foods markets. As of recent years, the company has ceased operations. Following the pandemic, the brand faced severe supply chain and frozen food distribution hurdles. The brand is inactive. The official website has been taken down. Coconut Girl products are unavailable or out of stock on Amazon. The sandwiches can no longer be found in grocery stores.

What Happened To Coconut Girl After Shark Tank?

Despite post show sales surges and national expansion into grocery stores. The company faced supply chain setbacks and is no longer active today. Following the episode’s premiere, the brand experienced a significant spike in consumer demand.

Cuban’s investment helped Coconut Girl bring on a co-packer. Moving the founder out of her one woman operation. Sales skyrocketed, with annual revenue hitting multi million figures around $2.5 million by 2023. The healthy treats expanded from around 30 Southern California locations to national shelves. Products became available at Whole Foods, Central Market, and Nugget Markets, as well as on platforms like Amazon Fresh. The momentum hit a wall during the pandemic. Distributing a frozen, handcrafted dessert proved difficult due to transportation issues and strained food supply chains.

Coconut Girl Brands is no longer operational. The company’s website is down and both its Twitter and Facebook pages have been abandoned. The brand’s last Instagram post was in April 2024, which unveiled a brand new logo. Francheska Yamsuan’s personal LinkedIn profile lists her tenure as the CEO of Coconut Girl as ending in January 2024.

Conclusion

Founder Francheska Yamsuan brought her dairy, gluten, and refined sugar free ice cream sandwiches to the tank. Mark Cuban saw the potential in the summer treat, securing a deal for 20% equity. The sandwiches featured almond butter based cookies, coconut milk and natural sweeteners like dates and maple syrup.

The television appearance provided a boost to the brand. Coconut Girl was able to use the exposure and Cuban’s investment to partner with a co packer and expand its footprint into stores across 25 states. Despite the heightened awareness, scaling a frozen product proved difficult. The founder faced pushback from manufacturers who found coconut cream based recipes impractical leading to high ingredient costs. The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic after the episode aired caused disruptions to transportation and the food supply chain.

Both the brand and Yamsuan have remained off the internet since early 2024. Yamsuan’s LinkedIn lists her tenure as CEO ending in January 2024, and the company’s official website and active social media accounts have been disassembled.

While Coconut Girl Brands is dormant, entrepreneurs often pivot. It is possible that Yamsuan could return to the health food industry with a new product. That incorporates the lessons she learned about scaling and manufacturing, given the strong branding and dedicated following. A larger health food conglomerate could acquire the brand’s recipes and property for a broader relaunch in the future.