Nuchas is a company that makes and sells hand-held snacks inspired by empanadas — a baked pastry with a meat, vegetable and/or cheese filling. Argentine-born entrepreneur Ariel Barbouth is serving Nuchas from three busy kiosks in three busy locations in New York City (Times Square, Greeley Square Park, Columbus Park in Brooklyn), and there’s a Nuchas truck that moves around the Big Apple five days a week. Individual Nuchas vary in price from $3.99 to $4.99. A box of 12 is $39.99.
Barbouth is pitching his food business on Shark Tank on April 7. Barbouth has the good fortune of pitching in front of Lori Greiner, who has had success investing in snack companies including Brazi Bites, the Brazilian cheese bread snack which she invested $200,000 in 2015, and Barbara Corcoran who invested in the food truck company Cousins Maine Lobsters. Barbouth has already done a lot of the hard work — building the brand, garnering a foodie following in New York City of all places, setting up national shipping, and local pick-up — now he wants to franchise.
Expect Barbouth to know his numbers on Shark Tank. Prior to launching Nuchas in 2010, he was an analyst for 11 years at Aconcagua Capital Group and Republic National Bank. He earned a B.S. in Manufacturing Engineering and a M.S. in Innovation and Technology both from Boston University.
Nuchas are available with meat (short rib, chicken adobo, shrimp jambalaya), without meat (palak paneer, shiitake curry) and there’s a sweet Nuchas (apple cranberry). New episodes of Shark Tank air Sundays at 10 pm on ABC, right after American Idol. [Related: 27 Favorite ‘Shark Tank’ Products at Amazon — New List]
