Life Raft Treats on 'Shark Tank': Here's how to buy super-weirdly-shaped ice cream with a perfect crunch
CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA: All the ice cream lovers assemble! In the upcoming episode of 'Shark Tank' Season 16, Cynthia Wong and her husband John David Harmon, the owners of the Charleston-based ice cream company Life Raft Treats will be seen handing over some yummy treats to the Sharks.
Cynthia and her partner John have come up with a fried chicken-shaped ice cream. With their unique creation, the pair is hoping to impress the esteemed Sharks—Daymond John, Kevin O'Leary, Mark Cuban, Lori Greiner, and guest Shark Todd Graves—and secure a deal.
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What is Life Raft Treats?
Life Raft Treats is an ice cream company well-known for its astonishingly lifelike ice cream creations. Among their diverse ice creams, the 'Not Fried Chicken' Ice Cream has won the hearts and captured the taste buds of many people residing in Charleston. It resembles a fried chicken drumstick, but this ice cream treat features a chocolate-coated cookie "bone" filled with crushed cornflakes and caramelized white chocolate. It's both crunchy and delicious.
While John and Cynthia kicked off their journey of developing Life Raft Treats, their primary objective was to provide joy and bring a sense of wonder into the lives of their customers with their unique ice cream flavors. They worked hard day and night to bring their vision to life. However, it is essential to note that the Life Raft Treats consist of various ingredients like nuts, soy, dairy, sesame, wheat, and coconut in their ice creams. This innovative ice cream company is not an allergen-free facility.
For this reason, the dedicated team at Life Raft Treats strongly recommends people with severe allergies refrain from consuming their products. At the end of the day, they just their customers to be aware of the ingredients present in their products. Life Raft Treats offerings include Hot Dog Party Ice Cream Treats, Seafood Delight Ice Cream Treats, Breakfast in Bed Waffle Ice Cream Stack Cake, Peach Bombe Sorbet, and Ramen Ice Cream Bowl among many others.
Who is the founder of Life Raft Treats?
Cynthia Wong and John David Harmon are the creative minds behind Life Raft Treats, an ice cream brand that takes an artisanal approach to classic ice creams. Cynthia Wong, a pastry chef is a six-time James Beard Foundation Award semifinalist who wanted to create something fun with ice creams and her husband John supported her on her journey.
While having a chat with Charleston magazine, Cynthia talked about her business and how the Covid-19 pandemic led to the growth of her ice cream venture. "We were really lucky. When the pandemic hit, we were able to take some time off and think about things. I had originally wanted the business to be all novelties, so we were like, ‘What’s stopping us from doing what we really want to do, considering that the pandemic might be the end of the business anyhow?’ The novelties translated really well on Instagram," she told the media outlet.
Cynthia further added, "We were fortunate that this pivot worked. We’re shipping nationwide, including Alaska and Hawaii, through Goldbelly, which has been so supportive in every single way. They helped us reach people we’d never have. The sales have fueled this stage of growth. We just moved into our production facility after working out of a commissary kitchen for years."
When asked about her piece of advice to budding food entrepreneurs, Cynthia noted, "Start small. Find a commissary kitchen and stay there as long as you possibly can until you’re busting at the seams. A lot of it’s luck and the kindness of other people. We have this incredible core of regulars who are patient with us. Stay true to yourself. Go for it."
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What is the cost and how to buy Life Raft Treats?
The original price of the 'Not Fried Chicken' ice cream bucket from Life Raft Treats is $45. Other Life Raft Treats products range in price from $30 to $150. You can simply buy their ice cream creations from their official website.
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Where is Life Raft Treats now?
Since its launch in 2018, Life Raft Treats has made significant strides in the industry. Currently, their team is fully booked for private events, including weddings, and custom ice cream projects through mid-2025. The cost for private events with staff starts at $5,000, while custom ice cream projects begin at $7,000 and require a minimum of two months' notice. Currently, Life Raft Treats boasts over 40k followers on Instagram. This number is expected to skyrocket following Cynthia and John's appearance in the second episode of 'Shark Tank' Season 16.
Who will seal the deal?
Cynthia Wong and her husband John David Harmon are pretty excited to present their innovative ice cream product, Life Raft Treats, to the Sharks Mark Cuban, Daymond John, Kevin O'Leary, Lori Greiner, and Todd Graves in the forthcoming episode of 'Shark Tank' Season 16. However, we think Cynthia and her spouse David may not secure a deal since their ice cream is not dairy-free and could pose a risk for individuals with severe allergies.
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'Shark Tank' Season 16, Episode 2, airs on ABC on Friday, 25 October 2024 at 8 pm ET. For those who miss the episode, it will be available on demand the following day and on Hulu. Additionally, viewers can explore past seasons and episodes on Amazon Prime Video and iTunes.
