Korean cuisine is delicious, and one of the staples is kimchi. Mama O’s Premium Kimchi is authentic kimchi made the traditional way in Brooklyn. Founders Kheedim Oh and Myung Oh appeared on Shark Tank Season 14 but were not signed. As of 2024, Mama O’s Premium Kimchi is valued at $2.5 million.
Kheedim Oh’s Background
Kheedim Oh is the son of Korean immigrants who settled in Maryland, USA. He moved to Washington, D.C. to study audio engineering at American University. After graduating from college, he lived in New York City.
Despite having a degree, Kheedim never really worked a typical 9-to-5 job, and considered himself a hustler, often taking on different jobs to make ends meet. Contrary to what many people think, he loved his lifestyle. One of his main side hustles was being a DJ, and he spent a lot of time trying to break into the entertainment industry.
Mama O’s Premium Kimchi founded
One day, Kheedim was craving kimchi, but didn’t like the ones sold at the local store. So he called his mom and asked her to teach him how to make his own kimchi, which required a 50-pound box of vegetables that he couldn’t finish all by himself.
He gave some of the kimchi to friends, using only a skateboard to carry a box. During one of his trips, he stopped at a butcher shop, where the butcher said meat and kimchi went best together. Shidim began selling the product and came up with a catchy brand name.
In 2008, he started to think seriously about starting a kimchi business, and he moved from place to place, making kimchi for stores and restaurants. He entered Whole Foods supermarkets and began marketing on Facebook to attract customers.
Appeared on Shark Tank
Mama O’s Premium Kimchi eventually became a national brand, and the company was recognized by Forbes for its strong growth despite tough economic conditions in 2022. Kheedim Oh did this without any investors.
During this time, he had been working with a small group of people to make traditional kimchi, but he needed more funding to support his growing audience and product line.
After Shark Tank
Mama O’s Kimchi was already doing well, but after appearing on the show, sales increased significantly in the next 48 hours. They are currently focusing on reducing operating expenses and increasing online sales. The company hired a consultant for seven months to improve its operations and logistics.
In addition to regular kimchi, they have also started selling kimchi paste and kimchi kits. Mama O’s has a production facility in Brooklyn and sells kimchi to local grocery stores, restaurants, and grocers. Their products are sold internationally and are especially popular in the UK. They are now available at Whole Foods, Fairway, Amazon, and their website, KimchiRules.com.
Most of the pickle products have a rating of over 4 stars on Amazon and are ranked as the fifth best pickle brand by tastingtable.com. Mama O’s has an estimated annual revenue of $400,000 and a market capitalization of $2.5 million.
Categories: Shark Tank
Source: svlsf.edu.vn