Atlas Monroe

Atlas Monroe is a food brand that makes vegan fried "chicken" from plant-based ingredients. It was started by Deborah and Jonathan Torres, and court records place the operating company in San Diego County, California. The couple pitched in Season 11, Episode 2. Two sharks, Mark Cuban and Rohan Oza (a guest on the panel), made a joint offer of $1 million, but the offer was to buy the entire company, with the founders earning a royalty rather than keeping ownership. The Torreses declined and left without a deal, a decision that USA Today, CNBC and VegNews all covered. We have not confirmed their original ask from two independent sources, so it is not listed here. The refusal got attention because the offer came from two sharks at once. In the founders' view, the company was worth more than what was on the table. The company's later history is less certain. The business entity behind the brand went through a Chapter 7 bankruptcy case in federal court, and a trustee moved to sell its assets. We have not reviewed the result of that sale, so we cannot say who owns or runs the Atlas Monroe name now. A website under the brand is online, but this page lists the status as unknown until ownership can be confirmed. The court filings and dates are summarized in the update below. Shoppers should check that any listing they find comes from the current brand owner.