Blondie's Cookies: Here's What Happened After Shark Tank

From after-school side hustle to a successful company, the story of Blondie's Cookies is incredible. After Brenda Coffman (aka Blondie) experienced the death of her father at a young age, she and her mother would bake together and participate in what Blondie calls "Cookie Therapy" (per Blondie's Cookies). Blondie later married her high school sweetheart, Mark, and while in college for dentistry, she would bake and sell cookies at her husband's fraternity events for grocery money.

As she started doing large-scale events for professors, friends, and local restaurants, Blondie launched her business (then named Mrs. C Cookie Cabin). She opened her first cookie store at the Markland Mall located in Kokomo, Indiana, and proudly changed the store name to Blondie's Cookies. After many years, she expanded to several stores throughout the state of Indiana. In 2010, Blondie opened four locations in Florida, despite the majority of her business still being in Indiana.

By the time Blondie appeared on Season 3, Episode 11 of "Shark Tank" in 2012, she was projecting $2.5 million in sales. With decades of business knowledge, an impressive sales record, and a passion for cookies, Blondie's Cookies was ready to be pitched to the Sharks.

Brenda "Blondie" Coffman asked the Sharks for $200,000 for 3% equity. She shared her goal of becoming "the next Mrs. Fields" and passed out samples of her best sellers — Chocolate Chip Cookies, White Chocolate Macadamia Cookies, Cocoa Swirl Cookies, Sprinkle Cookies, and Macadamia Chewy Bars — for the Sharks to try (per YouTube).

Despite finding Blondie's Cookies delicious, the Sharks could not swallow the company's $7 million valuation. Things worsened when Blondie revealed that even though the business made $2.3 million in sales the year prior, due to the investment in the four-location Florida expansion, there was no profit. All of the money coming into Blondie's Cookies at the time went toward covering costs for the Florida stores. After a bit of prying from Mark Cuban, Blondie shared that the new Florida spots lost "probably about $175,000" in their opening year.

Barbara Corcoran opined that Blondie's Cookies was expanding too quickly, especially without making a profit first. Blondie pushed back and said her rationale was that if she opened several locations at once, she would save on logistical costs in the long run — but none of the Sharks were satisfied with that answer.

Only after a quippy exchange with Kevin O'Leary did Blondie reveal that the company was in $800,000 of debt from bank loans. Even though the Sharks found Blondie's treats delicious, similar to what happened when Fat Ass Fudge was on "Shark Tank," it was not enough to get an offer from any of the Sharks.

Going home empty-handed can be a bummer, but just like with Coco Taps on "Shark Tank," not getting a deal didn't mean all was lost. After the show, the Sharks' advice to focus on her Indiana locations resonated with Blondie — she ended up closing all Blondie's Cookies locations in Florida. Blondie directly credits the show for this business move — prior to "Shark Tank," she had ignored her accountant's advice and refused to close her Florida stores.

That seemed to be the best move for the company, because Blondie's Cookies then hyper-focused on expanding in Indiana. As for the direct effect from the show, Blondie's Cookies got a bump in sales — and much more. In an interview with Tasting Table, Blondie shared how she gained many corporate clients from her appearance on the show. "We've been able to create relationships with them; do their gifting for them for their clients for many years now that are all over the country," she added.

In addition to selling cookies online, in 2018 Blondie's Cookies opened a new flagship location at the Castleton Square Mall in Indianapolis. The business expansion didn't end there; in 2022, the company opened a new headquarters in Greentown, Indiana. The building houses its e-commerce production facility, a test kitchen, a retail store, and an event space that customers can rent for special occasions.

On September 3, 2025, Blondie's Cookies will celebrate its 40th year in business. As of June 2025, the company has eight locations open, and its online store is thriving with plenty of creative offerings. You can purchase cookies in packs of 12, 24, 36, 72, and even 108, in flavors such as Peanut Butter Sprinkle, Strawberry Shortcake Sprinkle, Snickerdoodle, Wedding Cake, Oatmeal Chocolate Chip, and more. The site offers cookies in special edition packs for Halloween, Easter, and even Independence Day. One of the most interesting products on sale is Blondie's Cookie of the Month Club, where customers can subscribe and get a rotating assortment of freshly baked cookies every month.

One hurdle that Blondie didn't expect was an uptick in competitors. When she opened her Kokomo location in 1985, the idea of a store dedicated to cookies seemed very niche. Now, with cookie stores like Insomnia, Chip City, and Levain, Blondie's has a lot to navigate. Crumbl cookies even dropped a lineup with a famous family — the Kardashians. Still, you shouldn't count out Blondie.

There seems to be plenty in store for Blondie's Cookies. The company has done pop-up collaborations with prominent Indiana businesses like the Indianapolis Zoo, local internet provider BerryComm, and even the Indy 500 NASCAR races. Blondie herself revealed to Tasting Table that even after more than a decade since the show, every time "Shark Tank" airs a rerun of her appearance, her sales go up.

The internet has plenty of nice things to say about Blondie's Cookies. While many viewers celebrated Blondie's headstrong personality going toe to toe with Kevin O'Leary, one YouTube commenter had to share their love of cookies despite having moved from Indiana to Texas. "The online ordering has been great. The cookies arrive perfectly and I get ... a [batch] of them about once a quarter," they wrote.

Still, the brand won't stop experimenting with new flavors and products. For example, the cookie store has debuted the Big Bite — a cookie that is double the size of its standard cookies — featuring a different flavor each month. The story of Blondie's has had its ups and downs, but ultimately it shows that if you focus on making a high-quality product, you can adapt, persevere, and your company can go on to celebrate many anniversaries.

Static Media owns and operates Food Republic and Tasting Table.