Local business owners pitch product on TV’s Shark Tank
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REXBURG — Local restaurant Crispy Cones is ready to take the dessert industry by storm with its unique take on an ice-cream cone.
In case you haven’t experienced one, a Crispy Cone is a fresh dough cone grilled rotisserie-style and covered in cinnamon and sugar. It can be filled with hazelnut chocolate or cookie butter or gourmet soft-serve ice cream. Owners Kaitlyn and Jeremy Carlson of Rexburg believe the crispy, crunchy cones (a local favorite) have what it takes to become the next big thing in the the dessert industry.
This wave of deliciousness may be on the way to larger audiences sooner than they thought. The Carlsons were recently given the opportunity to pitch their product on the well-known television show Shark Tank. They applied to appear on the show in January 2022, and thought it would be a fun opportunity.
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“We never really imagined it would be happening,” Kaitlyn told EastIdahoNews.com. “We never thought it was something we could do.”
The main goal of going on Shark Tank was simple: get help growing. In September 2022, they had their chance to do just that.
“It was surreal being in front of those well-known personalities,” Kaitlyn recalled.
Crispy Cones originally started as a food booth in 2018. It quickly became a local favorite and has been steadily growing over the years. There are now 11 Crispy Cones franchise locations spread across Arizona and Utah as well as two corporate offices: one in Rexburg and one in Logan, Utah.
The Carlsons love being part of the Rexburg community. So much so that they are opening a new building in the Thornton area. This will serve as their new Rexburg headquarters and warehouse.
“It’s been great to grow there and offer jobs,” said Kaitlyn.
The Carlsons will share their Shark Tank experience with the world this Friday at 7 p.m. on ABC.