Peekaboo Ice Cream: Here's What Happened After Shark Tank

It's no secret that children love ice cream, and hate vegetables. Having experienced this with her own children, Jessica Weiss Levison developed a solution that left both parents and children happy: Peekaboo Ice Cream, a sweet treat with half a cup of vegetables in every scoop!

Levison arrived on "Shark Tank" for Season 12, Episode 8, set to pitch her new dairy product marketed to kids (but loved by all ages — as ice cream is all over the world). The name, Peekaboo Ice Cream, held enough mystique to capture attention from the regular "Shark Tank" investors on stage: Mark Cuban, Kevin O'Leary, Barbara Corcoran, Lori Greiner, and Robert Herjavec. 

Levinson was no newbie to selling ice cream, having already owned and operated her Miami scoop shop, Serendipity, for several years. She also came armed with some business savvy from Michigan's Ross School of Business, and a deep dive into ice-cream making through the renowned Ice Cream Short Course at Penn State. After leaving her job as an attorney advocating for low-income clients and children, Levison decided to go all-in on the ice cream business — but from a new perspective. 

Her product, Peekaboo, happened to be infused with vegetables for a hidden dose of nutrition in every sweet bite. The ice cream is certified organic and kosher — containing no gluten or GMOs. Entering the tank, the question became whether it would pass the taste test and the equally important financial viability criteria for investors. 

Standing alongside a colorful display and samples of five enticing ice cream flavors, the entrepreneur of Peekaboo Ice Cream, sold under her Peekaboo Organics business, pitched the Sharks for $800,000 with an 8% equity return. Levison noted the product was already selling in 900 stores, which included food-industry giants such as Whole Foods, Safeway, Kroger, and Bristol Farms. 

The ice cream products included unlikely liaisons such as mint chip with spinach, vanilla with zucchini, and strawberry with carrots, all with surprisingly ample amounts of the vegetables. The Sharks were impressed that the Peekaboo product was tasty with no evidence of savory vegetables tucked inside — though Kevin O'Leary did ask if it was nondairy ice cream.

Tensions mounted over financial stats and valuation. Levison stated a $10 million valuation with projections of 3,000 locations that year and $5 million in sales the following year. But with only $450,000 in sales to date, the Sharks were more than dubious, mounting numerous challenges to the valuation assumption and to Levison's stated goal of launching the business in order to sell it. 

However, Greiner did offer the requested $800,000 at 5% equity, but with the caveats of it being a three-year loan at 6% interest, and the requirement of introducing a low-fat option. O'Leary offered the same loan amount with 9% interest, with no low-fat option required. In the end, Levison rejected both offers, explaining that she needed a partner, not a loan.

Though Jessica Weiss Levison walked away from "Shark Tank" without an investment deal, sales for Peekaboo Ice Cream spiked significantly, and investor interest reportedly increased. Little news surfaced on actual deals or business partnerships after "Shark Tank" — though Peekaboo Organics won a first-place award of $200,000 in the California Milk Snackceletor competition to facilitate product marketing and to launch a new snack-sized incarnation of the ice cream.  

Levison continued to service customers with Peekaboo Ice Cream in some form for at least a year after the show aired on December 11, 2020. The Peekaboo Ice Cream Facebook page announced a partnership with Yumble for product delivery at the end of 2021, and its Instagram account touted a collaborative holiday giveaway of products founded by female entrepreneurs. More collaborations ensued that year, including an October social media pairing with Puffworks to award Peanut Butter Puffs and Peekaboo Ice Cream to a lucky winner. The social media campaigns tapped into the potential for organically growing the Peekaboo brand using social networks.

Unfortunately, it seems that Peekaboo Ice Cream may have joined the list of discontinued ice creams we may never see again. The company's online store lists all products as "out of stock," the store locator is disabled, and "The Scoop" blog page hasn't been updated since 2021. Peekaboo's Amazon online shop is also completely empty, with no items available.

On the social media front, the company's Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook haven't been updated since 2021, with some users in the comments asking if the ice cream brand has gone out of business. Jessica Weiss Levison has made no formal declaration regarding the state of Peekaboo Organics, and still lists herself on professional social media sites as its active founder and CEO. However, a lack of communication and product availability signals that Peekaboo Ice Cream is no longer operational, and it may be time to look elsewhere for dessert options.

However, Levison's Serendipity Creamery in Surfside, Florida, is still up and running. While Serendipity itself has made no mention of offering Peekaboo products, Levison remains busy running her brick-and-mortar business. Perhaps Levison should have opted for the loans offered during her Shark Tank appearance — at least the ice cream aficionado has not abandoned the dessert game completely, ensuring plenty of kids enjoy tasty treats thanks to her Florida scoop shop.