Founders Row Makes First Investment, Taking Minority Stake In Hot Box Pretzels

Positioned as a hands-on alternative to traditional private equity, Founders Row begins building its portfolio with a Florida-based, clean-ingredient pretzel startup

Founders Row has made its first minority investment, backing direct-to-consumer snack brand Hot Box Pretzels.

The Atlanta-based firm, founded by former top Orangetheory Fitness franchisee and Sweathouz founder Jamie Weeks, partnered with Hot Box Pretzels founder Roman Desmond, a 23-year-old entrepreneur who launched the brand three years ago with a single pretzel food truck in Jacksonville, Florida.

Financial terms of the deal weren’t disclosed.

Positioned as an early-stage alternative to traditional private equity for founder-led consumer brands, Weeks has described Founders Row as a hybrid venture studio and investment platform that prioritizes operational support and systems-building alongside capital.

Hot Box Pretzels has gained early visibility through festival activations, catering and its direct-to-consumer pretzel bites business, shipping microwave-ready products nationwide. The brand also appeared on season two of “Gordon Ramsay’s Food Stars,” helping accelerate its e-commerce presence.

Founded on the idea of modernizing a nostalgic snack category, Hot Box emphasizes premium ingredients and seed-oil-free recipes, aligning with broader consumer shifts toward cleaner-label food products.

The relationship between Weeks and Desmond began in 2023, after Desmond reached out directly seeking advice while still operating his food truck. Weeks said the exchange evolved into ongoing mentorship as the business took shape.

“Roman DM’d me when he freshly dropped out of college and had one food truck selling pretzels locally in Jacksonville, but he had the ambition to take this nationwide,” Weeks said. “That’s the exact kind of founder Founders Row exists to support, someone with vision and appetite who needs a platform behind them.”

Founders Row officially launched earlier this year and has since received interest from founders looking for capital partners that do not require relinquishing majority ownership or control. Weeks said the firm expects to close several additional deals in the coming months, including internally developed concepts and external partnerships.

Unlike traditional private equity models, Founders Row focuses on minority investments and hands-on involvement across strategy, operations and growth planning. The platform is designed to support early traction brands that may not yet be institutionally ready to scale.

For Hot Box Pretzels, the investment is intended to help professionalize the business as it grows its DTC channel and explores broader distribution opportunities.

“Founders Row isn’t just an investor; it’s the partner I needed to turn an idea into a real, scalable business,” Desmond said. “What excites me most about this partnership is the opportunity to learn, absorbing as much as I can to build the strongest foundation possible for this company and for everything I create in the future. I’m not in this for quick wins. I love building, I love the process, and being the first investment in Founders Row is something I’m incredibly proud of.”

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