Shraman Mitra
ABC’s ‘Shark Tank’ is a popular, business-oriented reality show where entrepreneurs and aspiring businesspersons pitch their products and innovative business ideas to a panel of industry leaders we fondly know as Sharks. The Sharks then decide whether the business is feasible enough to fund. The ensuing negotiations and discussions on the offer made are a thrilling part of the whole ride. One such innovative product that featured in season 12 of ‘Shark Tank’ is Simply Good Jars. So, let’s find out all that there is to know about them, shall we?
Simply Good Jars: Who Are They and What Do They Do
Simply Good Jars is the brainchild of Jared Cannon, a Temple University Fox School of Business alumni. The idea of Simply Good Jars was born when Cannon worked a full-time job while going to night school for his MBA. During that time, Cannon needed fast and easily available food, but the options available were often unhealthy. Thus, Cannon decided to use his experience as a chef to make fast yet healthy food available to the public.
Simply Good Jars is a godsend for people who are looking for healthy ready-to-eat meals. Through his company, Cannon provides healthy, fresh, and restaurant-quality salads pre-packaged in convenient plastic jars. The menu, curated by Cannon, changes weekly and includes favorites such as the Smoked Salmon salad and the Heavenly Pesto salad. The ingredients are sourced locally, and the company has also invented a patent-pending packaging technique that preserves fresh-ingredients without the use of preservatives. Each 9.2-ounce jar, costing $9.99, offers a fresh, restaurant-quality experience unmarred by unhealthy, harming preservatives.
The jars are a big part of the process as they are made from recycled plastic and designed to be reusable. It is also possible to eat the salad out of the jar itself without the need for additional plates or bowls by just shaking the jar for 12 seconds before eating. Furthermore, customers can scan a QR code on the jar and sign a pledge to return the jar to the company with their next order. The company then reuses the jars to keep waste at a minimum. For every returned jar, Cannon donates one meal to Philabundance or the Salvation Army in the Philadelphia area.
Simply Good Jars: Where Are They Now?
In 2019, two years after Cannon launched his line of ready-to-go salads, he was chosen for New-York-based Food-X, an accelerator program for food-related start-ups. The company has also used various platforms for its funding including a very successful campaign on Crunchbase where it gained almost $2.4 million. Pre Covid, Cannon’s products were stocked in fridges across Philadelphia, in locations such as gyms and co-working spaces.
Unfortunately, when the pandemic hit in 2020, Cannon’s operations were affected, and he had to suspend service. He instead focused on helping Philadelphians get access to his food through a delivery program to their homes. He also partnered up with GoPuff and launched on retail shelves, specifically Di Bruno Bros, to increase his product’s reach.
By Easter of 2020, Simply Good Jars had launched in over 60 locations in Chicago, and by May, they had secured placement in 175 Sheetz locations. As of now, the jars can be purchased on the Simply Good Jars website, GoPuff, and through select retailers in Philadelphia, New York, and Chicago. Jared Cannon was also selected as an Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2020 Greater Philadelphia Award Winner for his outstanding and innovative work in the food business.
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