How Heatonist Built a Hot Sauce Empire
Heatonist, now the top hot sauce brand on Amazon, grew from a pushcart to a cultural phenomenon by partnering with the viral interview show *Hot Ones*. Founder Noah Chaimberg says he realized hot sauce could be an "experience, not just a product," focusing on flavor and community to build his brand.
Before its flagship Williamsburg, Brooklyn store opened on April 20, 2015, Heatonist began as a humble pushcart. Founder Noah Chaimberg started the business in 2013, selling a curated collection of small-batch hot sauces at markets and pop-ups across Brooklyn. The collaboration with the YouTube interview show *Hot Ones* began in 2015 when the show's team asked Heatonist to curate the hot sauces for its wing lineup. This partnership has since evolved to include co-creating exclusive sauces for the show, such as the infamous "The Last Dab." The "Hot Ones effect" has been a significant driver of growth for many featured brands. The exposure from the show often leads to a massive and immediate spike in sales and web traffic, a phenomenon sauce makers have dubbed "the Sean Evans bump." In a major expansion beyond its direct-to-consumer roots, Heatonist rolled out its *Hot Ones* line of sauces to major grocery chains in April 2024. This move placed their products in over 30,000 stores nationwide, including Kroger, Publix, and Whole Foods. The company's growth is reflected in its sales figures, with annual sales reaching $45 million in 2024. Heatonist now operates two physical retail locations in New York City, in Brooklyn's Williamsburg and Chelsea Market. In December 2024, the media company behind *Hot Ones*, First We Feast, was sold by BuzzFeed for $82.5 million. The new ownership group includes *Hot Ones* host Sean Evans and creator Chris Schonberger, ensuring a continued close relationship with the brand that helped build the hot sauce empire.
