Nowhere Bakery: Here's What Happened After Shark Tank

If you have dietary restrictions, like a gluten intolerance, or any food allergies, then you know it's hard to find desserts that check all your boxes — e.g., ones that taste great and go easy on your gut. That's why husband-and-wife team Saphira and Maurizio Rasti founded Nowhere Bakery, an allergy-friendly dessert company based in Costa Mesa, California, which they brought to Season 15, Episode 18 of "Shark Tank," which aired on March 15, 2024.

Nowhere Bakery started because of Saphira's many food intolerances; she looked in frustration at her husband, who seemed to be able to eat anything and not be affected by it, and realized there weren't enough desserts that they could both share and feel satisfied by. So she set out to change that. They started their business just two weeks before the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, and with just $400 in their pockets. Working out of a commercial kitchen, Saphira would get up at 2 o'clock in the morning, be at the kitchen by 3 o'clock, bake for four hours until 7 a.m., and then wrap it up before hand-delivering the dairy and egg-free, gluten-free, soy-free, refined sugar-free, sugar alcohol-free, and paleo-friendly goods.

Saphira and Maurizio Rasti entered "Shark Tank" seeking $200,000 for a 5% stake in their company. The samples were an immediate and huge hit with the Sharks, who included Lori Greiner, Kevin O'Leary, Mark Cuban, Barbara Corcoran, and Kevin Blum. "I congratulate you, we've had so many plant-based cookie deals, and they all taste like s***," O'Leary said. "This tastes like a real cookie; it tastes absolutely delicious," Corcoran added (via YouTube).

O'Leary then swiftly moved on to shop talk, asking the Rastis how they started the business and how much they'd sold to date. Saphira told the Sharks they ended their first year at $92,000 in sales, their second year at $524,000, their third at $770,000, and projected $1 million by the end of their fourth year.

All seemed to be going well — until Cuban told the Rastis he looked at the back of the cookie package and saw the nutritional information: 300 calories for one cookie, which he considered too high. He was out, and so was Greiner, for the same reason. O'Leary made the duo an offer: $200,000 for a 20% stake in the company. He was later joined by Blum on the deal. Corcoran initially offered $100,000, plus $100,000 as a line of credit, for a 15% stake, seeking to persuade them by referencing her past successes with Daisy Cakes. But the Rastis negotiated Corcoran down to a 12.5% stake, and the deal was struck.

A few months after the episode aired in March 2024, Nowhere Bakery began its mission to end up everywhere. First up, in April, the team had to hustle after the U.S. Open golf tournament confirmed — just five days before the big event — that it would, in fact, need its order of two whole pallets of cookies fulfilled. Saphira and Maurizio Rasti, along with their team, had to bake, package, and load the cookies in a single day, before shipping them across the country in a refrigerated truck.

Then, the company announced its intent to sell its products in Sprouts grocery stores across California starting in August 2024 (while continuing to ship nationwide and appear in specialty grocers and coffee shops). And that's not all — Nowhere also launched a brand refresh, including new packaging for its sweet treats, just in time for the company's expansion. And just because the Rastis had been on television didn't mean they were going to pass up a marketing opportunity. Also in August, Nowhere Bakery exhibited at Newtopia Now in Denver, a convention for consumer packaged goods (CPG) brands.

Nowhere Bakery is still going strong, selling many of the same products it brought to the "Shark Tank" — including its Blondies, Brownies, Candy Bar Cookies, and Chocolate Chip Cookies — on its website, through an Amazon storefront, and in brick-and-mortar shops as well. All of Nowhere Bakery's products remain soy-free, dairy-free, egg-free, grain-free, and gluten-free (thanks to ingredients like cassava flour and almond flour), as well as FODMAP-friendly. They're also made with zero refined sugars and minimally processed ingredients.

In fact, just after the "Shark Tank" episode aired, Saphira Rasti took to Instagram to clarify a comment Mark Cuban made about needing to be in the gym for 17 hours after eating one 300-calorie cookie. She explained that the cookies are "high" in calories because they're made from real foods — and real foods contain calories. She went on to say that because her treats are made from wholesome ingredients, they keep you feeling satisfied longer. Her post resonated with many commenters, and indeed, on nearly every social media post the company puts up, fans rave about the desserts — especially how good they taste.

Nowhere Bakery plans to continue scaling. "We're growing our presence in grocery stores like Sprouts, while focusing on partnerships with like-minded brands and platforms that align with our values," Saphira Rasti told It's All Happening in a 2024 interview. The company also shared an Instagram post in February 2024 showing a sampler box packed for a Whole Foods buyer, though there hasn't been an update as of June 2025. Past partnerships have included Gwyneth Paltrow's GOOP and content creator, food blogger, and author Olivia Adriance, with whom Nowhere Bakery collaborated to create a limited-edition Triple Threat Stuffed Cookie.

The company is also testing a new product line called Snackies — bite-sized cookies made from the trimmings of its regular-sized products, reducing food waste. As of June 2025, Nowhere Bakery is selling the second test-run of these little cookies in a peanut butter flavor and is encouraging feedback from customers who give them a try.