Heatonist's Rise from Pushcart to 'Hot Ones'

Before landing a permanent home, Noah Chaimberg's custom-lit pushcart was a roving fixture at various Brooklyn pop-ups and markets, including Artists & Fleas. His focus was on flavor over extreme, gimmicky heat, curating a collection from small-batch makers at a time when the market was dominated by mass-produced sauces. This approach filled a void for consumers seeking quality and variety. The partnership with the YouTube interview show *Hot Ones* began in 2015, just two years after Heatonist's founding. Heatonist was tasked with curating the show's entire lineup of increasingly spicy wings. This collaboration has since evolved, with Heatonist co-creating the show's signature sauces, including the infamous 'The Last Dab', which features Smokin' Ed Currie's latest super-hot peppers like Pepper X. The "Hot Ones" effect on Heatonist's growth was substantial. Six months after launching its online store in 2014, the company went from a few orders a week to about 25 per day. By 2024, Heatonist's annual sales reached an estimated $45 million. The company now has around 35 employees and has raised $20.4 million in funding. Beyond the screen, Heatonist operates two physical tasting rooms in New York City—a flagship in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, and an outpost in Manhattan's Chelsea Market. These stores allow customers to sample sauces before buying, a core principle for Chaimberg since the pushcart days. In 2024, Heatonist dramatically expanded its physical footprint, moving beyond its own stores and a select partnership with Walmart. The company rolled out its *Hot Ones* branded sauces to over 8,000 retail stores across the U.S., including major chains like Kroger, Publix, and Whole Foods.