Mike Hauke's luck looked like it might be running out.
The creator of Tony Boloney's brought his Atlantic City twist on the mozzarella stick to ABC's "Shark Tank."
Mad Mutz Mozzarella Sticks were the brainchild of Hauke who enlisted his friend Michael Burns to join him in the venture. The company owned by the Margate residents has the ability to produce 60,000 mozzarella sticks a day in its Atlantic City “laboratory.”
After Hauke made his "Shark Tank" pitch, the men on the panel were out.
In fact, Mark Cuban had gone from thinking of an offer, to trying to figure how to work off more than 1,000 calories when a misunderstanding had him thinking the sticks were 50 calories each.
Barbara Corcoran made an offer but with a condition that he get a restaurant deal.
When Lori Greiner had questions, Hauke's response to her raised flags for Corcoran.
"The more you talk, the more confused I think you are, and it gives me pause," Corcoran told him. "I'm out."
That's when Greiner swooped in with the save.
"I love your packaging and the way they taste," she said. "I actually think you'd do great in the freezer section."
The so-called "Queen of QVC" offered $150,000 for 20%, the same as Corcoran’s offer but without the contingency.
"This is going to be awesome," she said when Hauke accepted the deal and gave her a hug. "They're really, really good."
As he walked out of "The Tank," Hauke dropped into an impromptu snake in celebration.
"I just got a deal on 'Shark Tank' with Lori Greiner to take Mad Mutz national, worldwide, retail, whatever she wants to do," he said. "I'm out of my mind. I'm pumped."
Hauke will be offering free tastings of Mad Mutz in two locations Saturday – 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Casel’s Market, 8008 Ventnor Ave. in Margate, and from 2 to 4 p.m. at ShopRite at Ocean Heights Plaza, Rt. 9 and Bethel Road in Somers Point.
If you can’t make it to Casel’s or ShopRite for a free tasting, you can order online at https://www.madmutz.com.
The episode can be streamed online.
