The Hurley couple behind Moonrise Bagels landed a $200,000 deal with investor Lori Greiner on ABC’s “Shark Tank,” agreeing to give her a 10% stake in their stuffed-bagel business.
Ali Chetkof and Jeremy Rhodes, both 34, initially sought $200,000 in exchange for a 5% stake during the episode that aired Wednesday, Nov. 11.
“We went in with a deal that was fair,” Chetkof said afterward.
Greiner offered the same investment for 10% and said it was her 300th offer on the show. Chetkof received a pin marking the milestone.
“She can really bring the bagels to the next level,” Chetkof said.
The episode had been taped earlier, and the couple hadn’t disclosed the outcome ahead of the broadcast. Supporters packed Tinker Street Tavern in Bearsville for a watch party.
The couple were the last to pitch on the episode. The crowd cheered when they appeared on screen and again when they mentioned Woodstock, and booed when investors rejected their pitch.
When the deal was announced on screen, the tavern erupted in cheers.
“Joy,” Chetkof said when asked shortly afterward how she felt. She said it was thrilling “to experience it with your friends and family who are cheering you on.”
Rhodes described his reaction as “jubilation.”
“It’s really cool to be representing the community and to be around loved ones right now,” he said.
Rhodes said he thought the deal was fair.
“That’s why we took it,” he said. “We’re really happy about it. We’re really happy to be partnering with Lori.”
Rhodes took up baking during the pandemic. On New Year’s Eve 2020, he was making pizza for dinner and preparing bagels for a New Year’s Day brunch. He stuffed the leftover pizza sauce into the bagels, then refined the process.
Photos the couple posted on social media drew requests to buy the stuffed bagels, and they began selling them out of their Tinker Street apartment in Woodstock.
They opened their first shop in Woodstock in 2021. The menu grew to include bagels stuffed with Buffalo chicken; bacon, egg, and cheese; Reuben; and cheese pizza.
Moonrise recorded $130,000 in sales in 2021, its first year in business, and $310,000 in 2022.
A second Moonrise location opened across from Marist University in Poughkeepsie in July 2024. Their first New York City shop, at 58 W. 8th St. in Greenwich Village, opened Dec. 5, 2025. Companywide sales reached $1 million in 2025.
The couple’s path to “Shark Tank” began with an unsolicited email from the show not long after their Manhattan shop opened. It asked if they were interested in applying for the show’s 18th season.
John W. Barry is a reporter for The Overlook. Reach him at john@theoverlooknews.com.
