What Became of Let Them Eat Candles Following Their Shark Tank Appearance

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To children, birthday candles are a source of magic that can make even the biggest dreams come true. To parents, the reality of those very same candles looks a bit different. After all, they’re the ones purchasing this single-use product, watching it be exciting for exactly 20 seconds while lit, praying the wax doesn’t melt too fast and drip all over the cake, then tossing the candles into the trash mere minutes after they’re used. Loree Sandler, mother of three, had witnessed this debacle one too many times and decided she’d had enough. The world needs upgraded birthday candles, she thought. 

Her husband, Bob Michelson, was already a successful businessman — so they partnered up and created edible chocolate candles. The company’s name, Let Them Eat Candles, represents the fun idea of letting the kids eat the candles once they blow out the flame. The candles stay lit long enough to sing “Happy Birthday,” and then the flame goes out. They don’t drip or melt, are not creating unnecessary waste, and are an extra treat for the children; win, win, win. The couple, who have been married for 35 years, presented their innovative approach to birthday celebrations on “Shark Tank” Season 15, Episode 17 in 2024.

Sandler and Michelson came to “Shark Tank” asking for $250,000 in exchange for 10% of the company. They certainly impressed the Sharks with the product, but also with the growth of the company so far. By offering two flavors (milk and dark chocolate) and seven different patterns, Let Them Eat Candles had already made $2.3 million and even secured a place on grocery store shelves. 

Now, the founders wanted to grow the company to $10 million — and for that, they needed a Shark. Kevin O’Leary felt the road to their goal was too long and opted out. Robert Herjavec already occupies space in the birthday market and didn’t invest to avoid a conflict of interest. Mark Cuban wasn’t fully confident in the $10 million vision and also declined to invest, so it all came down to Barbara Corcoran and Lori Greiner. 

Corcoran offered $250,000 for 25% of the company, while Greiner’s offer was $125,000 as a loan and $125,000 as a direct investment in exchange for 20% of the company. After initially suggesting a joint deal to the two Sharks, Sandler and Michelson negotiated with Greiner a $250,000 direct investment and gave up 18% equity. Greiner is no stranger to supporting edible products, as she also invested in the edible cutlery company IncrEdible Eats.

The edible candles company was quite successful even before its TV debut, having obtained numerous awards and honors, such as being crowned The Grommet’s Most Shared Product in 2016 and placing second in the Chicago Regional Growth Corp Export Pitch in 2018. But appearing on “Shark Tank” in March 2024 brought Let Them Eat Candles to a whole new nationwide audience. Not only were the chocolate candles covered by multiple mainstream media outlets, they also made it onto popular social media channels with millions of subscribers. For example, HopeScope reviewed the candles about a month after the episode aired, and the video has since amassed over five million views. 

Considering what a hit the glowing ambiance of butter candles is all over TikTok, tasty chocolate candles feel like a natural successor. The company also expanded its product lineup. Originally only selling tapered chocolate candles with patterns, Let Them Eat Candles then launched balloon-shaped candles with numbers (zero to nine) and messages, thus widening its reach in the birthday market. The messages range from the standard “happy birthday” to “party time” and even a sweet “I love you,” which you can stick on red velvet cupcakes come Valentine’s Day.

As of April 2025, Let Them Eat Candles is very much still in business. Online, the chocolate candles are available through the official website, both in smaller quantities and as wholesale packs. You can also find them on Amazon, though they are a bit pricier. Let Them Eat Candles charges $11.95 for a pack of three candles, while Amazon has them listed for $16.95 for three or $25.95 for six candles. The edible candles can also be found on the shelves of many grocery retailers — they’re currently stocked at Market Basket, Jewel Osco, Nothing Bundt Cakes, Lunds & Byerlys, Giant, Raley’s, and the beloved grocery store Publix.

One of the driving forces of any business is a loyal customer base, and it’s safe to say Let Them Eat Candles has that covered. The customers seem super happy with the product — they report that the wick is indeed long enough for the birthday song, the chocolate is tasty, and the kids are having loads of fun. But the older generation enjoys the creative chocolate candles, too. In April 2025, the founders posted on Facebook that they actually met an 80-year-old grandmother celebrating her birthday with Let Them Eat Candles while in a restaurant.

Before appearing on “Shark Tank,” the founders of Let Them Eat Candles often participated in food shows and expos to showcase their product. This is a practice they’re definitely continuing with, since they were at Expo West in Anaheim (a trade show focusing on natural and organic products) as recently as March 2025. The company is also still working on, and trying to perfect, its shipping logistics. Sandler and Michelson were transparent about the difficulties of shipping chocolate in their “Shark Tank” pitch, and the official website says this area of business remains “a work in progress.” 

For now, there are two different shipping schedules depending on the season. The website also notes that there is a desire to eventually expand into vegan, kosher, and nut-free products, but at the moment, they cannot give those guarantees. Finally, the company’s Shark investor, Lori Greiner, had some interesting ideas at the time of pitching to create edible candles from other ingredients besides just chocolate. While these products have yet to see the light of day, it’s a possible route the company could take in the future.