According to surveys, the company added, over half (55%) of US consumers have tried Cheetos Flamin’ Hot and 46% of Gen Z-ers say they love them. In a statement to Eater last year, Frito-Lay – a US subsidiary of PepsiCo – said that “spicy salty snacks have spiked in popularity in recent years with the category growing 12% in the last four years”. It was another Frito-Lay employee, Lynne Greenfeld, who developed and named the product, the company said. He and wife Judy developed spicy seasoning, applied it to the Cheetos and sent samples to Frito-Lay executives.īut the LA Times contradicted his claims, citing interviews with employees that pointed to the spicy snack originating in 1989 in Plano, Texas, before Montañez was an employee. Montañez, as he tells it, got some plain, unflavored Cheetos from the factory. But he has built a lucrative second career out of telling the story as a paid corporate speaker at Target, Walmart, Harvard and the University of California, among others, and in two books, 2013’s A Boy, a Burrito, and a Cookie: From Janitor to Executive and 2021’s Flamin’ Hot: The Incredible True Story of One Man’s Rise from Janitor to Top Executive. It’s about everyone who has been overlooked or underestimated.”īut the Disney+ film has now revived questions of whether Montañez actually came up with the spicy Cheetos Flamin’ Hot recipe while working at a Frito-Lay plant in Rancho Cucamonga, California, in the late 1980s – he has claimed his idea was ripped off by company executives – or if the chilli-covered snack was the work of uncredited company workers for which he took credit.Īccording to an LA Times story in 2021 and another last week, the janitor turned executive for Frito Lay didn’t invent Flamin’ Hot Cheetos. Montañez’s story proves that inspiration - and delicious snack ideas - can be found anywhere.Longoria told the gathering that Montañez’s story inspired her because during her career she has been told “no” – or that ideas don’t come from people like her – and that she couldn’t do certain jobs because she is a woman.įirst lady Jill Biden said Montañez helped change the way companies think about Latino customers, adding: “This film isn’t just about Richard. His story is being made into a movie, too! These days, Montañez works as a motivational speaker and is part of various non-profit boards. Meanwhile, Flamin’ Hot Cheetos continue to be one of the company’s most popular snacks. ![]() Since then, the ex-janitor has moved up in the company, and has even held the position of an executive vice-president. He even took initiative and designed a bag for the product, too.Īs you can probably guess, Montañez’s presentation was an absolute hit. Montañez was told to present his idea in two weeks - so he bought a tie for $3 and checked out a marketing book from the library. He then reached out to Frito-Lay’s CEO at the time, Roger Enrico. Montañez’s friends and family loved his creation. His inspiration came from a local street vendor who sold elote, a Mexican grilled corn made with lime and chili. But instead of eating them plain, he added chili powder. In 1976, Montañez was hired as a janitor at the Frito-Lay plant in Rancho Cucamonga, California. One day, a machine in the assembly line broke down and a batch of Cheetos didn’t get their usual dusting of cheese powder. As a result, Montañez dropped out of school at a young age and worked a variety of low-wage jobs. ![]() His family didn’t have a lot of money, and he struggled with basic reading and writing. ![]() According to an article on CNBC, he was the son of a Mexican immigrant and was raised on a migrant labor camp. As for Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, the popular snack’s spicier older cousin? You might be surprised to learn that the story started with the creative mind of a Frito-Lay janitor. When the war ended, the military sold the excess to manufacturers like Frito-Lay, who debuted Cheetos in 1948. military bought 100 million pounds of cheese powder for their rations. For example, during World War II, the U.S. The world of food history is full of interesting facts, amusing stories, and maybe even some creative inspiration. Do you ever wonder how your favorite snacks came to be? If not, it’s certainly worth thinking about.
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