Heatonist Founder on Building a Niche Brand

Heatonist's origins trace back to a Brooklyn pushcart in 2013, where founder Noah Chaimberg began curating and selling small-batch hot sauces. This venture was born from his frustration with the lack of opportunity to sample sauces before purchasing and a desire to spotlight makers who prioritized flavor over just extreme heat. Before becoming a "hot sauce sommelier," Chaimberg's entrepreneurial spirit was already evident at age 15, when he sold Pokémon posters on eBay. His professional background includes seven years working in restaurant kitchens and a later career in digital marketing for major brands. The pivotal partnership with *Hot Ones* began in 2015, the same year the show launched and Heatonist opened its first brick-and-mortar tasting room in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. The First We Feast team approached Chaimberg to help curate the show's distinctive lineup of increasingly spicy wings. Beyond curating sauces for the show, Heatonist collaborates with *Hot Ones* to create original, fan-favorite sauces like The Last Dab and Los Calientes. This partnership has been a significant driver of growth, but Heatonist also develops sauces with other personalities, including UFC fighter Dustin Poirier and Keith Habersberger of The Try Guys. Heatonist now operates a second retail location in Manhattan's Chelsea Market and has become a major online retailer for hot sauce. In a significant expansion, the company's products, including the popular *Hot Ones* line, became available in major grocery chains like Kroger, Publix, and Whole Foods in 2024. The company's focus remains on craft hot sauce, sourcing from small-batch makers globally. To secure a spot on *Hot Ones*, sauce makers must agree to a period of exclusivity, with Heatonist being the sole seller of that particular sauce for the duration of the season. Makers typically provide Heatonist with 20,000 to 40,000 bottles for a season's run.