April 20th 2025

If you were wondering if sharks like mozzarella, at least one does.

Mike Hauke, co-owner of the Mad Mutz Mozzarella Factory in Atlantic City, appeared on Friday's episode of ABC's "Shark Tank" (Season 16, Episode 17) to show off his mozzarella sticks, which he first began making for his Tony Baloney's restaurants.

“Shark Tank” features self-made multimillionaire and billionaire tycoons who hear pitches from people about their products as they chase the American dream of securing business deals and becoming successful themselves.

Hauke's pitch, which included him dressed as his green-haired mad scientist logo, focused on the ingredients and freshness of his product.

Hauke called the current frozen mozzarella stick landscape "a frozen wasteland," where every product uses the same dry-aged, low-moisture processed cheese. Mad Mutz's product is creamy and creative, from classic to truffle to the deadly hot.

The judges immediately dug in, pausing to give their approval with "mmms" and "yums." They wanted to know Hauke's backstory, which included the history of Tony Baloney's.

In the end, it was Lori Greiner who gave Hauke the offer of $150,000 for 20% stake. Hauke accepted the offer and walked over to hug Greiner, who told him she thought his mozzarella sticks were very good.

Hauke is the creator of Mad Mutz Mozzarella Sticks, which he sold out of his three successful Tony Boloney’s restaurants in Atlantic City, Hoboken and Jersey City. He opened the factory in October at 2643 Fairmount Ave., where he develops, packages and ships his variety of sticks to his three restaurants as well as grocery stores and wholesalers in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Colorado.

Hauke is originally from Freehold Township, Monmouth County. He came to Atlantic City in 2009, opening a small deli and convenience store on Oriental Avenue that fed the construction workers building the casino that eventually became Ocean Casino Resort. After the project halted and he lost funding, Hauke decided to start making food instead.

Hauke had no experience in that field, so he learned how to do it. He reopened as Tony Boloney’s selling subs in 2010 and added a food truck later that year. Running off that success, he opened a spot in Hoboken in 2014, two concession stands at the Prudential Center in 2015 and then in Jersey City in 2019.

Hauke and partner Michael Burns repurposed the Fairmount Avenue building they were using as a commissary for Tony Boloney’s and launched the Mad Mutz Mozzarella Laboratory, a 2,000-square-foot space where they make and package 10 mozzarella stick flavors as well as balls of fresh “mutz,” all from scratch.

Mad Mutz sticks can be found at Casel’s Marketplace in Margate and B.F. Mazzeo in Northfield. Restaurants that serve their product include Girasole in Atlantic City, Bocca in Margate and Sunday Gravy in Linwood.

For more information about the product, as well as a menu of sticks and a way to order, visit madmutz.com.