Here's What To Know About Copper Cow Coffee From Shark Tank

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Coffee is an essential part of many people's morning routine, but to some it represents a lot more than just a cup of daily energy. It can be a point of connection with ancestral tradition and culture. Growing up in a Vietnamese household, Debbie Wei Mullin grew up around the kind of Vietnamese coffee that could easily treat your sweet tooth — a dark roast paired with sweetened condensed milk. Although her career journey initially led her through MIT to the World Bank, she always had a desire to embark on an entrepreneurial path that would, in some way, honor her roots. One day, a trip to Vietnam lit up a light bulb; she realized the country is a massive producer of coffee, second only to Brazil.

Wei Mullin had a very specific idea that went beyond just selling coffee sourced from Vietnam to the American market. She wanted to convey the full, authentic Vietnamese coffee experience through each cup — condensed milk and all. Drawing inspiration from a Japanese invention, she created single-serving pour-over coffee bags and sold them alongside packets of sweetened condensed milk. After being in business for four years, she presented her brand, Copper Cow Coffee, on Season 12, Episode 25 of "Shark Tank," where her pitch sparked a heated debate among the Sharks.

Wei Mullin was hoping to secure a $600,000 investment in exchange for 4% of her company. Copper Cow Coffee had made $4 million thus far, and the product was actively selling in many retail stores. The Sharks were visibly surprised by the $15 million company valuation, and while they loved the product, they had a lot of questions about the numbers — and the answers revealed the business had suffered significant losses, even going up to $1.4 million annually.

Some Sharks, like Mark Cuban and Robert Herjavec, felt that losses in business were normal, especially at the beginning, but Daymond John and Kevin O'Leary sharply disagreed. O'Leary pointed out that investing in the company would have been too big of a gamble, given how much money had already been invested and ultimately lost. He also wasn't impressed that Wei Mullin wasn't fully in control of her company, as she only owned 40% due to the multiple investments she struck over the years. John took strong issue with the loss as well, highlighting the social responsibility of business owners and rejecting the laissez-faire attitude towards losing investor funds. Both opted out.

Cuban fiercely defended Wei Mullin's finances, but he had concerns about the demand for the product in a post-pandemic market, so he declined to invest too. Herjavec did offer a deal, though, despite acknowledging the risk factor. He offered the full investment for 8% of the company, and Wei Mullin eventually accepted.

Getting offered a deal on "Shark Tank" is a big achievement for any business, but the verbally struck deal we see on TV does not immediately translate into a business partnership. Negotiations still take place once the cameras are turned off and sometimes the deal falls through. The episode featuring Copper Cow Coffee originally aired in May 2021; a year later, the company confirmed the deal never made it any further. Interestingly, a similar thing happened to Coffee Joulies, another coffee deal that Herjavec was a part of. Nevertheless, appearing on "Shark Tank" brought massive exposure, which helped Copper Cow Coffee grow and reach more customers.

Within a year of appearing on the show, the company launched 13 new products, expanded into retail stores nationwide, broke into the hospitality market, and employed nine new team members — Cuban actually pointed out the opportunity for creating new jobs as the company grows while Wei Mullin was pitching to the Sharks. The company also received a lot of favorable media coverage from outlets such as Forbes, the New York Times, and, of course, Tasting Table — in 2023, it made our list of 14 best Shark Tank food products ever.

Copper Cow Coffee is still in business, selling its ever-expanding lineup of products both online and in over 2,400 physical stores nationwide. You'll find its Vietnamese coffee on the shelves of big retailers like Walmart, Whole Foods, and Target. It is also one of the 12 Shark Tank food brands available at Costco. The company's lineup still includes its signature single-portion pour-overs, such as the Classic Black, Vanilla, or Decaf. There are also the latte kits, which include the condensed milk creamer alongside the pour-over bags; on Amazon, you can get a three-pack bundle of Classic Black, Churro, and Vanilla. The products have also expanded to include whole bean and ground Vietnamese coffee, both classic and flavored — Churro Ground Coffee, for example, is flavored with ground cinnamon. On the company's website you can even purchase pour-over sets and filters, different types of mugs, and branded T-shirts and sweatshirts.

On the money front, Copper Cow Coffee is doing very well. Modern Retail reported that the company made 50% more revenue in 2023 than the year before, a likely consequence of the growing interest in Vietnamese coffee in the United States.

The first thing on the horizon for Copper Cow Coffee are more flavored products, which are especially tailored for the single-serving coffees and only include natural ingredients. The company has a wide choice of flavors, like Lavender and Salted Caramel. It also releases seasonal flavors, such as Gingerbread and Pumpkin Spice. The brand is also continuing to expand into more retailers. After securing Target in 2024, it went on to land a partnership with Erewhon in April 2025.

Another key point Copper Cow Coffee is focusing on is changing coffee farming practices in Vietnam, prioritizing high quality, fair trade, and organic farming. In March 2025, the company released its very first Certified Organic whole bean and ground coffee. As climate change is affecting coffee production, Copper Cow Coffee is focusing its attention on the robusta coffee beans, which are hardier and more resilient than the arabica beans. The company only works with sustainable farms and pays the workers double the market rate to integrate organic practices.