From Pushcart to 'Hot Ones'
Heatonist founder Noah Chaimberg revealed he started his hot sauce empire with a 600-pound pushcart in Brooklyn while still working a corporate job. The brand later became the official partner for the hit show "Hot Ones," cementing its pop culture status and becoming the #1 hot sauce brand on Amazon.
Before launching Heatonist in 2013, founder Noah Chaimberg worked in digital marketing and social media for clients like Mercedes and Uniqlo. His entrepreneurial spirit showed early, selling Pokémon posters on eBay at 15 and attempting to sell catamarans in Vermont at 16. Chaimberg's passion for spicy food was partly inspired by his grandmother, who once won a week's worth of groceries by eating an entire hot chili on a dare. The business began with a focus on curating craft hot sauces from small-batch makers, a niche Chaimberg identified as underserved in a market chasing extreme heat over flavor. He started by having friends sample various sauces to select the best ones for his initial collection, which he then sold at markets across Brooklyn from a pushcart. The partnership with the hit YouTube show "Hot Ones" began in 2015 when the show's producers asked Heatonist to help curate the sauces for the celebrity wing challenge. This collaboration eventually led to Heatonist creating exclusive sauces for the show, including the infamous "The Last Dab," developed with "Smokin'" Ed Currie, the creator of the Carolina Reaper and Pepper X peppers. Heatonist has since expanded from its Brooklyn roots to include a tasting room in Williamsburg, an outpost in Manhattan's Chelsea Market, and a significant online presence. In April 2024, the "Hot Ones" line of sauces launched nationwide in over 3,000 grocery stores, including major chains like Kroger, Publix, and Whole Foods.
