Las Vegas Cafe Owner Pitches Gluten-Free Fast Food Concept on Shark Tank

Dina Mitchell, founder of Power Soul Cafe, appeared on ABC's Shark Tank on April 15 to pitch her certified gluten-free fast-food concept to a national audience, hoping to fuel global expansion of the Las Vegas-based brand.

"I have big dreams for this. I want to take this around the world, because so many people have written in and asked us," Mitchell said.

Power Soul Cafe currently operates three locations in the Las Vegas area, all open 24 hours with drive-thrus and fully certified gluten-free. The brand emphasizes high-quality ingredients, menu items under 500 calories, and at least 55 grams of protein per item.

"I created what I wish existed, something that wasn't out there: truly eat-to-live fast food," Mitchell said.

Mitchell spent nearly 15 years building and franchising Tropical Smoothie Cafe locations across Nevada and Southern California before selling her interests and pivoting to research and develop the Power Soul Cafe concept. She launched the brand in the Las Vegas Valley in 2024.

"Power Soul Cafe is an eat-to-live fast food brand certified gluten-free, open 24 hours with drive-thrus," Mitchell said.

Mitchell's long-term vision calls for approximately 1,200 Power Soul Cafe locations within 10 years. She taped her Shark Tank episode nine months ago and is bound by a $1 million NDA with Sony, ABC, and Disney, preventing her from disclosing the outcome.

Mitchell says her mission goes beyond food; it's about equity and access for people with celiac disease and gluten sensitivities.

"People deserve a safe place to eat. Safe food is a human right," Mitchell said. "Certified gluten-free doesn't exist in schools. It doesn't exist in hospitals. It doesn't exist in airports. And it doesn't exist on airplanes. People with celiac disease and people with food allergy and disabilities, just because it's invisible, just because they're not in a wheelchair, doesn't mean that they don't deserve safe food. That's what I'm giving them."

Regardless of the Shark Tank outcome, Mitchell views the national platform as a catalyst to transform Power Soul Cafe from a local concept into a nationwide movement.