Self-proclaimed "Mr. Cheese," Tate Koenig, walked onto the "Shark Tank LIVE!" stage during Episode 1 of Season 14, with an idea he was sure would revolutionize the pizza game. However, this wasn't his first time pitching one of his cheese-related inventions to the investors. Koenig previously appeared on Season 12, with the Cheese Chopper, a gadget he designed to chop, shred, and store blocks of cheese. Unfortunately, he didn't make a deal that day, which the Sharks chalked up to a lack of sales and customer feedback. (If you're wondering what happened to the Cheese Chopper after Shark tank, it was formerly available for purchase on the Pizza Pack website but now it has its own web presence.) 

This time, he was there to hawk the Pizza Pack, a slice-shaped pizza storage container with all the bells and whistles. In a pitch that was filled with cheesy puns, Koenig described how the collapsible, BPA-free silicone storage container could hold between one and six slices of leftover pizza. Like a true pizza fanatic, he had thought of everything, including slice dividers that double as microwave safe pizza plates and a vent on the lid to ensure the crust doesn't get soggy. Since the product is also freezer and dishwasher safe, you can take leftover pizza and freeze it for a rainy day.

What happened to Pizza Pack on Shark Tank?

After pitching his idea, Tate Koenig asked the Sharks for $100,000 in exchange for a 10% stake in his business. Naturally, he was grilled on some financials, revealing that each Pizza Pack container costs $4.00 to produce and sells for $24.99 — a 500% markup. The Sharks were also impressed to learn that between April and September of 2022, the company had raked in $250,000 in sales through online outlets such as the Pizza Pack website, Amazon, and Walmart. Koenig explained that he and his two partners, each of whom had put in $25,000 and owned 35% of the company, were owed no money and that funds from one of the investors would be used solely to make more inventory.

Barbara Corcoran and Robert Herjavec jumped ship almost instantly, but as soon as Lori Greiner got her hands on the product, she seemed ready to pounce. "This is really well made," Greiner exclaimed. It didn't take long for a battle between Kevin O'Leary, Mark Cuban, Daymond John, and Greiner to ensue. O'Leary offered $100,000 for 10% with a $2 royalty per unit until the loan was paid off and 50 cents per unit after that in perpetuity. Cuban told Koenig to name his price to buy the company outright, laughed at his $5 million offer, and ultimately countered with $1.5 million. John finally offered $100,000 for a 20% stake, and Greiner ended up knocking her original offer down twice until landing at the same number for a 13% stake, which Koenig accepted.

Pizza Pack after Shark Tank

Following the episode, entrepreneur Tate Koenig appeared Joe Pardo's YouTube channel where he revealed that the Pizza Pack had been bought completely out of stock, and the company was only able to take pre- orders at that time. At one point, Pizza Pack had received upwards of 22,000 orders through Amazon.

He went on to say that the "Shark Tank LIVE!" experience was a totally different beast because this version of the show was broadcast live in front of a studio audience. This amplified the signature "Shark Tank" bump that many products experience after the show airs and also made it immediate, giving Koenig no time to fortify his back stock. Despite Koenig's excitement to work with Greiner, it remains unclear if she actually put up the capital she promised on "Shark Tank" or whether Koenig and his partners navigated their newfound success on their own.

Pizza Pack is still in business

Pizza Pack is still in business and going strong. You can purchase the original container, available singly or in packs of two, three, or four, on the brand's website. The product comes in red, green, yellow, orange, blue, pink, white, and black, and the company sells about 2,000 units a week. You can also score several different color-coordinated, themed bundles like the "Patriot Bundle" with three Pizza Packs in red, white and blue. Packs of the microwavable pizza trays are also for sale along with a precision pizza cutter and a pizza-crisping plate (which functions like the upside down baking tray pizza hack but in the shape of a slice). Some products continue to be available for purchase at Walmart and Amazon, where it has a 4.5 star product rating.

With more than 10,000 Instagram followers and 5,500 Facebook followers, Pizza Pack has a moderately substantial social media presence and maintains a fairly regular posting schedule. Through its website and accounts, the company advertises different promotions and fundraisers. During Breast Cancer Awareness month in October 2024, the brand ran a promotion in which a portion of all pink Pizza Packs sold went to breast cancer research.

What's next for Pizza Pack

Pizza cutter close-up

Ismoloex/Getty Images

Though Pizza Pack has made some substantial growth since its debut on "Shark Tank," there's still more in store for the innovative company — at least that's what founder Tate Koenig hopes. In 2022, he told YouTuber Joe Pardo that he was aiming to enter a partnership with one of the national pizza chains like Domino's or Papa John's. Nevertheless, a deal of this nature has yet to materialize. 

As for Koenig, his LinkedIn suggests that he's still a lumber broker, but that doesn't mean his days as an inventor days are over. In 2021 and 2022, he filed the paperwork for patents for two of his other inventions: a bracket to secure potted plants and a tool bit holder. While it's unclear if he has anything else in the works, we wouldn't be surprised, considering he owns a warehouse designed for the specific purpose of working out his inventions!