When Stephen Longo steps into the “Shark Tank” this Wednesday, Oct. 22, he’ll be doing so not as a career food executive, but as a former corporate consultant who traded spreadsheets for frozen bars.
Longo, founder and CEO of Orka Bar, launched the frozen novelty brand in 2023 after leaving a job in strategy and operations consulting at Ernst & Young.
“I really wanted to pursue my passion for wellness, the outdoors, something creative and just entrepreneurial in general,” he said.
Moving back to the Jersey Shore to cut costs, he began developing a dessert that reflected his own shift toward healthier living.
For Longo, inspiration struck from childhood nostalgia. “One of my favorite nostalgic treats as a kid was the Klondike Bar,” he recalled. Over time, though, he found the classic indulgence did not align with the healthy lifestyle he was trying to maintain or the nutrition plans he designed for his coaching clients.
“They were always looking for something equally as indulgent but as functional and nutritious,” he said.
That gap led to Orka Bar, a frozen dessert made from egg whites that is high in protein, low in sugar and carbs, and portion-controlled to avoid the pitfalls of eating from a pint.
“If you are giving somebody who is a recovering alcoholic the bottle, it is like giving somebody who is trying to pursue healthier eating habits a pint of ice cream,” Longo said. “Making something that was portion-controlled would help alleviate that mental shift.”
Today, Orka Bar operates with a two-person team. Longo spends his days producing bars, coordinating with suppliers, and personally handing out samples at pop-ups and community events.
“Trying before buying is always the easiest and best path to success when it comes to a product you can eat,” he said.
Building the brand has not come without challenges.
“The formula that I created is extremely unique. Nobody has manufactured a product like this from egg whites,” Longo said.
Scaling production took months of trial and error before he identified specialized equipment that could mass-produce the bars consistently.
Distribution has been another hurdle.
“Frozen logistics is the hardest thing to offer the consumer and do profitably,” he explained.
For now, most sales come through direct-to-consumer online orders, although Orka Bar is expanding into grocery and specialty stores across the tri-state area and beyond.
Longo hopes “Shark Tank” will accelerate that growth.
“I do not come from the world of consumer packaged goods,” he said. “I am trying to find somebody that can come in and be my partner to help fill those gaps in knowledge … someone who can provide me with a little bit of guidance, open up some doors, and start to let me engage in those conversations to share this story.”
Despite the grind, Longo says the company is scaling faster than he imagined.
“I can still remember the days when I was struggling to make this product out of my house,” he said.
Now, Orka Bar offers four flavors, including cookies and cream, raspberry, mint and vanilla bean, with chocolate mousse and coffee flavors in testing.
Longo sees vast potential ahead.
“We want to be a household name,” he said. “People are seeking indulgent but macro-friendly items, and being a product made from the goodness of egg whites is new and different.”
At its core, he added, Orka Bar is about balance.
“Life does not have to be about the eat-this-not-that mentality. It can be about finding balance in your life and in the things that you eat as well.”
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