Atlantic City’s Mad Mutz mozzarella sticks land a deal on Shark Tank

Mike Hauke, the Atlantic City restaurateur best known for Tony Boloney’s over-the-top pizzas and subs, took his latest Jersey-born creation to national TV — and walked away with a deal.

Hauke appeared solo on ABC’s Shark Tank Friday night, pitching his mozzarella stick brand Mad Mutz, a twist on the classic snack. True to form, the South Jersey entrepreneur wore a neon green wig, lab goggles, and leaned all the way into the brand’s “mad scientist” aesthetic — and into his Garden State roots.

“In Jersey, we’re known for being cheesy,” Hauke told the Sharks. “But today, it’s a different kind of cheesy.”

He asked for $150,000 in exchange for 5% of his company, which specializes in full-moisture mozzarella sticks in wild, experimental flavors — think unicorn-colored sticks with glitter crusts, truffle panko-coated cheese, and one so spicy it clocks in at 2.9 million Scoville units. The product line is made and packaged in Atlantic City.

While some Sharks questioned whether he was pitching Tony Boloney’s or a standalone brand, Hauke made it clear: Mad Mutz is its own venture, born from a farmer’s market request in 2010 for a mozzarella stick vendor. “My brain goes, ‘I got it. I can make mozzarella,’” he said.

The pitch hit home with investor Lori Greiner, who offered Hauke the full $150,000 — but for a 20% stake. He accepted on the spot.

In 2023, Mad Mutz brought in $152,000 in sales, with a 52% profit margin. By the time the Shark Tank episode was filmed in 2024, the brand had already surpassed that pace. The mozzarella sticks are sold at Tony Boloney’s shops and online, with retail deals in the works through Performance Food Group and Restaurant Depot. Hauke also told the Sharks that 7-Eleven had reached out for a potential partnership.

The Shark Tank bump puts Hauke in good company. He joins other regional entrepreneurs — including the team behind Scrub Daddy and Philly’s kid-safe ChompSaw — who found national attention (and investment) through the show.

With a deal in hand and his mozzarella empire ready to grow, Hauke is proving that South Jersey doesn’t just know pizza — it knows how to reinvent the mozzarella stick, too.

The full episode, including Hauke’s pitch, is now streaming on Hulu.

📅 Fridays at 8 p.m.

📺 ABC

💻 Stream it on ABC.com (with cable login), Hulu, YouTube TV, or fuboTV

📣 Season 16 is airing now. Season 17 is in the works.