Firehouse Subs CMO Dena vonWerssowetz Shares Exclusive Insights on the Company’s New Hot Ones Collaboration

As RetailWire reported yesterday, Firehouse Subs is turning up the heat thanks to a fiery collaboration with Hot Ones.

According to a press release, Firehouse Subs has launched a sizzling new partnership with Hot Ones, a tremendously popular online show starring YouTuber Sean Evans. He interviews celebrity guests while they eat progressively spicier chicken wings coated in different spicy sauces.

This new collaboration between the sandwich business and the web series allows users to evaluate their heat tolerance in sandwich form. Two new fiery subs are available at Firehouse: the Spicy Dill Hook & Ladder, which is spicy, and the Zesty Garlic Hook & Ladder, which has a milder heat.

In an interview with RetailWire, Firehouse Subs CMO Dena vonWerssowetz shared exclusive insights into the new collaboration.

What inspired Firehouse Subs to collaborate with Hot Ones for this fiery new menu launch?

As a brand founded by firefighters and known for steaming hot subs, Firehouse Subs is synonymous with heat, while Hot Ones has built an incredible cult following around pushing spice limits. As two heat-obsessed brands and leaders in fiery innovation, teaming up was a natural next step. This partnership truly blends our shared passions for pushing the boundaries of flavor and spice, and we’re so excited for fans to try the new flavor-packed subs that came out of this collaboration.

How did the idea for the Spicy Dill Hook & Ladder and Zesty Garlic Hook & Ladder come about?

To celebrate our new partnership with Hot Ones and create an unforgettable experience, we wanted to put a special, flavorful twist on our fan-favorite Hook & Ladder. Our guests have always craved big, bold flavors — just look at the excitement around the return of our Hot Sauce Bar!

With that in mind, we crafted the Spicy Dill Hook & Ladder (10 on the heat scale) and the milder Zesty Garlic Hook & Ladder (2 on the heat scale). These new creations deliver something for everyone, whether you’re ready to turn up the heat or looking for mild spice with big flavor.

The Last Dab Pickles mark the first time this iconic hot sauce has been used in a menu collaboration — how did that partnership develop?

We’re beyond excited to be the first brand to feature Hot Ones’ legendary Last Dab Reaper Edition Hot Sauce in a new menu item. At Firehouse Subs, we’re known for our complimentary kosher dill pickles, so it made sense to team up with Hot Ones to create the first-ever Last Dab Dill Pickle.

Marinated in the Carolina Reaper-based hot sauce, these pickles pack serious heat and perfectly complement the Spicy Dill Hook & Ladder. For heat enthusiasts who order the Spicy Dill Hook & Ladder, we’ve even made it possible to swap your complimentary side pickle with the Last Dab Dill Pickle for those who want to really test their taste buds. It’s an exclusive, one-of-a-kind creation — only at Firehouse Subs.

How do these new subs align with Firehouse Subs’ brand identity and commitment to bold flavors?

Hot sauce and big flavors have always been a core part of the Firehouse Subs experience. Since the first Firehouse Subs opened in Jacksonville, Florida, over 30 years ago, we’ve offered our complimentary Hot Sauce Bar (outside of a four-year hiatus due to the pandemic), featuring 13 sauces ranging from mild to extra hot.

This allows our guests to customize their subs and personalize the heat level to their liking. The new subs featuring Hot Ones sauces are a natural extension of our flavor strategy. As the hot sauce trend continues to grow, we’re excited to lead the charge with these two new subs, and I’m confident our customers will go wild for them.

The Hot Ones brand is known for pushing spice to the limit. How did you balance heat with flavor to ensure an enjoyable eating experience?

What’s great about this collaboration is that there’s something for everyone. Whether you’re a spice lover or more conservative with heat, you’ll find what you’re looking for. The Zesty Garlic Hook & Ladder features bold flavors and textures with crunchy garlic chips and Hot Ones’ The Classic Garlic Fresno Hot Sauce, delivering a big flavor with a mild spice level.

On the other hand, the Spicy Dill Hook & Ladder has a nice heat balance — spicy, but with a combination of smoked turkey, honey ham, melted pepper jack cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, deli mustard, and our Firehouse Hero Sauce to complement the Last Dab Dill Pickle. And of course, guests can always cool down with our Cherry Limeade, which has been a fan-favorite for years.

Can you tell us more about the 360-degree marketing campaign supporting this launch and what fans can expect from the national TV spots and social content?

We really wanted to develop a campaign that felt authentic to our brand’s firefighter-founded heritage, while also celebrating the unique dynamic this partnership brings. Once the subs are available in restaurants (Monday, March 10), you’ll be able to catch some fun pre-roll video content featuring Carlos and Sean on the Hot Ones episode airing Thursday, March 13.

They’ll be putting their taste buds to the test with our two new subs, and trust me — it’s going to be a lot of fun to watch! We also have three national TV spots that really play up the duality of both subs and how whether you’re a spice fanatic or just looking for big flavor, the collab has something for everyone.

What was it like working with Sean Evans and firefighter Carlos David Drouet on this campaign?

Jersey City firefighter Carlos David Drouet is a big part of our brand (this is the third time we have worked with him!) and having him team up with Sean Evans was so much fun. Carlos, who will be the first to tell you he’s not a huge fan of spice, really enjoyed the Zesty Garlic Hook & Ladder, while Sean Evans is a spice enthusiast and loved the Spicy Dill Hook & Ladder. That contrast was the perfect way to showcase how these subs appeal to everyone, no matter your heat preference.

Are these menu items a limited-time offering, or could they potentially become a permanent addition to the Firehouse Subs menu?

As of now, both subs are only available for a limited time, so fans should act fast to get their hands on these bold new creations. However, we plan to keep the celebration going, so stay tuned for more!

With more consumers embracing spicy foods, do you see this partnership as a one-time collaboration, or are there plans for more heat-packed menu items in the future?

As the hot sauce craze continues to sweep the globe, we’re excited to be leading the charge with bold flavors and fiery innovation. The Hot Ones team and First We Feast have been amazing partners to work with. When we came together to discuss a partnership, we realized we had a lot of the same views on hot sauces and culinary experiences.

Both brands also have an inspiring origin story built on partnership and a passion to make something unique in this world. I’m a huge fan of what they’ve accomplished. Who knows, maybe this launch is just beginning! 

What do you hope customers take away from this collaboration between Firehouse Subs and Hot Ones?

Whether they’re first-time customers or have been ordering Hook & Ladders for decades, we want our guests to have an unforgettable, flavor-packed experience they can only find at Firehouse Subs. This collaboration is truly one-of-a-kind and aims to “WOW” our guests, who are always looking for something new they can’t get anywhere else.

From the outpouring of excitement around the return of our Hot Sauce Bar, we knew we wanted to go big on heat and flavor with our next step in menu innovation. Hot Ones was the perfect partner to help bring these new subs to life. We’re confident guests will come away from their dining experience more than satisfied, and we think of Firehouse Subs as a brand to watch!