1:50 p.m. May 16, 2021An earlier version of this article said Lynne Greenfeld and Miguel Lecuona attended business school at Northwestern. In public statements since conducting its internal investigation, Frito-Lay has struck a cautious tone. According to our records, McCormick, Frito-Lays longtime seasoning supplier, developed the Flamin Hot seasoning and sent initial samples to Frito-Lay on Dec. 15, 1989, the statement said. [1] One of ten siblings, he was raised in a migrant labor camp in Guasti, an unincorporated community outside of Los Angeles. Playing Richard's wife Judy in the movie is Annie Gonzalez. Mom, Im going to give you credit for my website. It all started with Richard Montaez. Flamin' Hot Cheetos are delicious, but they're not exactly health food, which is one of the reasons they've been banned at certain schools. Saenz then substantially repeated the statement that the company had sent to Lynne some months earlier: At Frito-Lay, and PepsiCo, a product or flavor extension is the work of a number of people across functions as diverse as R&D, sales and marketing, all of whom are proud of the products they help create.. If your idea of a major snack food being invented involves lab coats, complex chemical analysis, and secret flavor formulas, then the story of how Flamin' Hot Cheetos were invented will probably warm your heart (although most of the time, the former method is right on the money). What are some good dipping flavors for hot Cheetos? Hot Nacheetos. This guy should run for office if hes that good at fooling everyone.. But he repeated that Montaez was key to Flamin Hot Cheetos success. Rachel Murray/Getty Images for Frito-Lay North America. So he started beating the drum for the marketing department to gin up something. The man who claimed to have invented Flamin' Hot Cheetos is finding himself in hot water this week after a new investigative report from the Los Angeles Times claims that he had no part in creating the popular snack. One photograph, posted to Instagram in October 2019 but now deleted, shows four pieces of lined notebook paper, labeled mild, reg, hot and extra hot, with Cheetos piled on top of each. Unfortunately, not even a spicy line of Flamin' Hot clothing could save Forever 21. Yes, cheese again. A trio of Flamin Hot snacks Fritos, Cheetos and Lays hit small stores in Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland and Houston, according to the Dallas Morning News article and newspaper ads for the new products in those regions. A junior employee with a freshly minted MBA named Lynne Greenfeld got the assignment to develop the brand she came up with the Flamin Hot name and shepherded the line into existence. Now a bestselling author and motivational speaker, Montaez advocates for diversity in business. By Joseph Lamour. Im sure if you went back into the Frito-Lay history, OK, theres probably something in 1990 that was a test market on a spicy product, he said. The inventor of Flamin' Hot Cheetos, Richard Montaez, knew he had a great idea on his hands when he realized that, in the snack aisle of his local convenience store, there weren't any products marketed to the Latinx people who frequented the store. Never allow that to happen to you. They may even say you never existed," he said. Eventually, you physically can't handle anymore Flamin' Hot Nacho. In a December 2018 message, Leanne Oliver, general counsel at Frito-Lay North America, wrote that she didnt think there was any question that the Flamin Hot test market predated the Cucamonga meeting where Montaez pitched some kind of product. He currently leads PepsiCos North American multicultural sales and community activation team. The company had been the reigning champ of salty snacks for decades, ever since Frito Co. and H.W. Trump's latest attack addresses DeSantis' overseas trips to the U.K., Israel, Florida's Covid-19 record, and polling support for the 2024 Presidential race. It is also used as a topping for various Mexican-style dishes such as enchiladas, burritos, and chiles rellenos. Furthermore, these snacks are said to have some significant nutritional benefits, as well as the ability to use chili powder. In an interview with Variety, Montaez said he has never heard of Greenfield and said he stands by his claims that he invented the popular snack in his own kitchen and garage. This is essentially the same seasoning Frito-Lay uses today., Carey said he was unsure how to account for that contradiction. When Enrico came in, he promoted Carey to oversee a new vending machine and warehouse division in early 1992, and then to division president of Frito-Lay West, based in the Bay Area, at the end of that year. The U.S. News and World Report article from December 1993 focuses on businesses finding success by empowering their employees. The ingredients, thats the magic of the product, Carey said. Eva Longoria, pictured at a Hollywood Foreign Press Assn. So what's the real story behind Flamin' Hot Cheetos? Other kids have reported gastrointestinal distress, and multiple kids have gone to the ER after eating the fiery red snack food and seeing what they thought was blood in their stool, only to discover that the red dye in the Cheetos was what caused the discoloration. Did you know that some of the ingredients in Flamin Hot Cheetos have very powerful effects? 05-01-23. In a video created for the event, Montaez shifts his story, saying that it was Carey, and not Enrico, who created the motivational video that inspired him to create Flamin Hot Cheetos in the first place, though he has since returned to his version of the story featuring Enrico. Later on in the night they . Montaez did live out a less Hollywood version of his story, ascending from a plant worker to a director focused on marketing. Montaez appears to have made it to at least the ninth grade he is listed in the freshman class section of the Chaffey High yearbook of 1972 but disappears from the areas yearbooks after that. In 2019 it was announced that the teen retailer was closing 7,000 stores and might be filing for bankruptcy protection. Hours after initial publication of this story, Montaez posted a video to his Instagram account, addressed to all you young leaders., I dont care what room youre in, theres always somebody in the room thats going to try to steal your destiny. Further email correspondence shows that the company launched an investigation into the question of Flamin Hots origin after Greenfelds initial email. LA Times columnist. But don't think that means he doesn't believe in the importance of an education. All pretty good. "We have interviewed multiple personnel who were involved in the test market, and all of them indicate that Richard was not involved in any capacity in the test market." The section on Frito-Lay talks about the plant in Rancho Cucamonga, where manager Steve Smith had taken up Enricos initiative and gotten more front-line workers thinking about how to improve the business as a whole. After testing the flavor with his family, Montaez first pitched the idea to former PepsiCo CEO Roger Enrico over the phone and was given two weeks to prepare a presentation to the executive suite. So, if Montaez didn't invent Flamin' Hot Cheetos, who did? Cheetos were first invented in 1948 by Charles Doolin, who was a creator for the Frito company at the time. He just settled this one. In April 2019, Frito-Lays legal team forwarded a letter that Greenfeld wrote outlining her version of events to Franklin, whose production company, Franklin Entertainment, is co-producing Montaezs biopic along with Searchlight Pictures. Montaez, the son of Mexican immigrants, suddenly found inspiration. Invented in 1954 by Ignacio "Nacho" Anaya, nacho cheese is a type of processed cheese made from cheddar that is melted and mixed with spices. "I realized there's no such thing as 'just a janitor' when you believe you're going to be the best," Montaez said in the same interview. Frito-Lays battle was quieter but just as brutal. Add enough water to the pan to cover the meat by about inch. Montaez took them home and decided to experiment. Owens recalls that she assigned the project to a new employee: Greenfeld. The majority of these calories come from fat, with each serving containing 16 grams of fat. Greenfeld, who now goes by her married name, Lemmel, said shes very proud of leading the team that put Flamin Hots into the world, and for coming up with the Flamin Hot brand name. Greenfeld, the Flamin Hot team leader, didnt see the story of the scrappy janitor who invented Flamin Hot Cheetos until the summer of 2018, when she happened upon a blog post on the Esquire website. to life! He remembers Montaez as a colorful, engaging storyteller, well liked by all of his co-workers at the plant. Capsaicin is a component of the powder that is found in a variety of spices. The film will be a biopic that traces the story of Montaez's life, from family farm hand and elementary school burrito salesman, to janitor, inventor, and businessman. Richard Montaez is widely known as the inventor of Flamin' Hot Cheetos, but a new report claims that he wasn't the brains behind the product. That kind of inspired me, so I always had these ideas for different flavors and products, he said. 5:00 am. Dont make the mistake Montaez made. Richard Montanez embodies the entrepreneurial spirit; we salute his dedication to inspiring people to own their own stories no matter what their circumstances.. At The Hustle, Zachary Crockett describes Montaez's childhood as a son of a Mexican immigrant in Southern California. Make this an ultimate snacking experience by dipping Flaming Hot Cheeto Cheese Sticks in ranch. The Hollywood Flamin' Hot Cheetos pop-up in 2018, The Flamin' Hot Spot, was even more flashy, with bad-boy restaurateur Roy Choi in charge of the menu. "Our stool doesn't usually become discolored unless you eat huge amounts of [red dye]," explained a doctor at St. Louis Children's Hospital, but "Flamin' Hot Cheetos is one food that people will eat enormous amounts of and will see a change in their stool.". In her free time, she enjoys traveling, watching bad reality TV and consuming copious amounts of cookiedough. [1] [2] If youre looking for a snack that will give you some spice and provide a lot of comfort, this is the snack for you. Nobody was telling me, This is how executives work. I wasnt a supervisor, I was the least of the least, he said. Since its invention, nacho cheese has become a popular food item in the United States, and is now widely available in grocery stores and restaurants. The man who didn't invent Flamin' Hot Cheetos Richard Montaez has for years told a story of how he dreamed up Flamin' Hot Cheetos while working as a Frito-Lay janitor. At the bottom of one, Montaez signed his name and wrote the date 1988.. Patti Rueff, who worked as Enricos secretary for decades as he moved from the beverage business to Frito-Lay and on to the top of the parent company, vividly recalls Montaez calling her office to speak with Enrico once he was already leading Frito-Lay, in 1992 or 1993, and after Flamin Hot products were already on shelves. "During his 40+ years at Frito Lay, Richard Montanez repeated the story of his involvement with this product hundreds of times, in speeches, books, and media interviews. Just look at rapper Lil Xan. And like many Hollywood projects, the movie could use Montaezs story as a jumping-off point for a fictional story. Using a spoon to break it up, cook until the meat is brown, 10 to 15 minutes. In 1990 Carey was working as vice president of national sales out of the Plano offices. Montaez retired in March 2019. His second memoir, Flamin Hot: The Incredible True Story of One Mans Rise from Janitor to Top Executive, is out in June from an imprint of Penguin Random House. They may even say you never existed, Montaez says to the camera. Roberto Siewczynski worked on the Sabrositas test market in 1994 as an outside consultant for Casanova, a Latino-focused wing of the ad agency McCann, and remembers Montaez being deeply involved in the process. Richard Montaez, shown at the 2013 opening of the Tamayo art gallery in East L.A., has found success on the speaking circuit. After the investigation and his retirement, Montaez has also repeatedly posted to his social media accounts photographs of what he claims are original design materials for Flamin Hot Cheetos. One day, he decided to experiment with the flavor of the popular Cheetos snack by adding some chili powder and cheese. Viewers may recognize Garcia from roles like Ambulance, Snowfall, Narcos: Mexico, From Dusk Til Dawn: The Series and Sons of Anarchy. For guests, there were small bites and cocktails infused with Flamin' Hot Cheetos, and there was even a Flamin' Hot Cheetos style bar where fans could get their makeup and nails done in the Flamin' Haute style. a biopic that traces the story of Montaez's life, was listed on eBay and bids were up to a whopping $99,900, Flamin' Hot Cheetos in their meal in Los Angeles. Some models even had cheetah print dyed hair, in honor of Chester the Cheetah (a style icon in his own right). She may be best known for her role as Gabrielle on Desperate Housewives and for her other acting jobs, but she has directorial experience too. More than a dozen former employees, the archival record and Frito-Lay itself say otherwise. Flamin Hot Cheetos, a Frito-Lay snack brand, was first introduced in 1991. After spraying the apples with olive oil spray, place them in an air fryer and set it to 400 degrees for 6 minutes to crisp them up. ", If you've ever found yourself coming out of a fugue state with an inch thick coating ofFlamin' Hot Cheetos powder on your fingers in all its spicy glory, and a rumble of heartburn bubbling in your chest, then you may have had the thought "man, this stuff is addicting!". Ended up here after a night out drinking. Just when you were thinking Cheetos couldn't be chic, they show up in a macaron. That inspired Montaez to think outside the box. How COVID-19 changed Pico Boulevard: Take a ride with us, First Republic: Cheap, interest-only jumbo mortgages to Silicon Valleys elite fueled the banks failure, SpaceX used wildlife preserve as dumping ground for space waste, lawsuit alleges, This Barbie is a Hollywood legend: Mattel debuts elegant Anna May Wong doll, Musk said hed never settle an unjust legal case against him. In telling after telling, Montaez says he felt empowered to invent Flamin Hot Cheetos after watching a motivational video from Enrico, the CEO of the company, that encouraged all Frito-Lay workers to act like owners and take charge of the business. I can promise you for sure there was no brand development, no brand launched called Flamin Hot Cheetos, Carey said, adding that if there was a prior spicy product on the market, it was reformulated to match Montaezs sample product. Of all the people who are in PepsiCo or around PepsiCo, I have the most experience, he continued. Editor's Note: Richard Montaez's claim that he invented Flamin' Hot Cheetos was disputed in a 2021 report by the LA Times, in which Frito-Lay said, "We value Richard's many contributions to. It is disappointing that 20 years later, someone who played no role in this project would begin to claim our experience as his own and then personally profit from it. As a child growing up in the 1960s in Guasti, a farming community east of Los Angeles, Montaez picked grapes with his entire family, including his grandfather. The pop-up restaurant featured a menu inspired by chef Roy Choi based on Flamin' Hot Cheetos. Cheetos were first called Chee-tos. The snack food that captured the hearts and minds of America, shaped like the gorilla that broke the hearts and minds of America, for under $100k? Not only has he worked with brands like KFC and Taco Bell to help them market to Latinx consumers, but he also does community outreach and gives college scholarships to Latinx students. Al Carey, former CEO and president of Frito-Lay North America, played a key role in Richard Montaezs Flamin Hot Cheetos story. The flavor of this item is enhanced by the addition of real cheese. An industry news wire announced that Flamin Hot Popcorn did in fact hit shelves in March 1994, as an extension of the Flamin Hot line that Greenfeld and her colleagues had rolled out four years earlier. The story begins in Beloit, Wisconsin, where an animal feed manufacturer called the Flakall Corporation was producing . By the summer of 1990, the product entered its test market. Though the red dye itself won't harm these kids, some doctors worry that it's a sign children are over-eating the "hyperpalatable" Flamin' Hot Cheetos. When Montaez was enjoying some elotes, he decided that the combination of cheese and chili powder would also taste great on Cheetos. When asked how that timeline fits with the 1990 Flamin Hot trademark and test market, Carey insisted that Montaez is the creator of Flamin Hot Cheetos. The warm, gooey cheesy perfectly complement the Hot Cheetos crunchy and spicy exterior. Enrico went on to lead PepsiCo as a whole by the end of the 90s, and the first media mention of his I Own the New Frito-Lay campaign came in a May 1992 feature in Ad Day. According to one estimate, Richard Fritch has a net worth of around $14.4 million, or around $14.4 million if he owns Flamin Hot Cheetos. He had noticed that Cheetos didn't have any spicy flavors, so he seasoned the plain corn puffs he had gotten with spices and chili powder to make them hot and spicy. My go-to snack for cheesy nachos is Chesters Flamin Hot Cheetos. Regular cheetos have a uniform, curved, puffy texture, but crunchy Cheetos are another matter entirely. The product went on to be a huge success, and today Montaez is the VP of multicultural sales and community activation at PepsiCo. They were originally served as side dishes at Texas t-shirts when they first appeared in 1948, according to the Frito Company. Clear revenue numbers are hard to come by, but nearly every major Frito-Lay line, from Smartfood popcorn to Funyuns, now has a Flamin Hot variety on the market. According to Frito-Lay, Richard Montanez did not invent hot Cheetos. Most had already retired. Season with salt. Flamin' Hot Cheetos have made appearances in more casual restaurants, too. Montaez got a job at the Frito-Lay plant in Rancho Cucamonga in the late 1970s. Nooyi joined PepsiCo in 1994, and Greco worked in Frito-Lays Canadian division until the early 2000s. There are entire guides showing hungry diners where they can get some Flamin' Hot Cheetos in their meal in Los Angeles, and for a while Taco Bell was serving up Flamin' Hot Cheetos Crunchwrap Sliders, proof that it's a more versatile ingredient than one might think. English wasn't his first language, and he didn't have an easy time learning it. Over the decades, the institutional memory had been lost. Montaez eventually convinced Frito-Lay to give his recipe a try, and the company began selling Hot Cheetos with Cheese in 1976. Eva Longoria will direct Flamin' Hot, a movie about the creator of the Flamin' Hot Cheeto, Deadline reported on Monday. Al Carey, former president and CEO of Frito-Lay North America. But cheese is amazing and we must acknowledge its powers on other foods. The snack food is now owned by PepsiCo. Carefully slice an "X" through the top portion of . The food wasn't your usual "pour gas station nacho cheese into a bag of hot Cheetos," but rather an upscale look at how they can be incorporated into more sophisticated takes on comfort food dishes. Anaya is said to have quickly improvised a dish by slicing some cheese and jalapeos, and placing them on top of some tortilla chips. A whole bag of Nacho Cheese might . When it comes to fans of Flamin' Hot Cheetos, it looks like they've been able to take the phrase "wear your heart on your sleeve" literally, thanks to a collaboration between the snack brand and fashion company Forever 21. Sure, eating Flamin' Hot Cheetos on the couch at home is comfy, but have you ever wished you could take your love for the fiery snack food public, maybe at a trendy New York City or Hollywood restaurant? The snack became legendary, and these days, Montaez is the VP of multicultural sales for PepsiCo. But does Prop. Although Montaez has at times said he was working as a janitor when he pitched Flamin Hot Cheetos, Frito-Lay said its records show he was promoted to machinist operator by October 1977, shortly after his hiring. From Takis to Zapps to Andy Capps, theres something for everyone when it comes to spicy chips. It goes like this: He was working as a janitor at Frito-Lays Rancho Cucamonga plant when he dreamed up a chile-covered Cheeto and believed in himself enough to call up the chief executive to pitch his spicy idea. Our bodies generate a sensation of heat when we consume this experience, while also reducing the amount of pain receptors in our bodies. Because its an eat-and-your-hand type of snack, it can get a little messy. Of course stories grow, and the longer we get away from the date the stories evolve. Yes, I'm talking about zesty magic that is Flamin' Hot Cheetosa chip that was allegedly invented by a Frito-Lay janitor in the '90s who was inspired by the Mexican elotes he ate growing up. Carey became president and CEO of Frito-Lay North America in 2006. An earlier version of this article said Lynne Greenfeld and Miguel Lecuona attended business school at Northwestern. Thankfully for our taste buds, not everyone was convinced that there was no room to grow in the world of all things salty, crunchy, and craveable. They are nacho cheese flavored, $3.00 a bag with free shipping. Leading the Flamin' Hot cast is Jesse Garcia as Richard Montaez. Through his organization, he provides food, clothing, school supplies, and other assistance to the community. The strikes left 34 people injured, including three children, and caused widespread damage. The way Frito-Lay would tell it, one of their executives, a man named Arch West, went somewhere to the wrong side of the tracks in the 1960s and went to a Mexican restaurant to get this snack, which was basically tortilla chips and cheese, like the song says. "I have a PhD of being poor, hungry and determined," Montaez said in an interview with the Washington Post. Frito-Lay wrote that a product or flavor extension is the work of a number of people across functions as diverse as R&D, sales and marketing, all of whom are proud of the products they help create.. Im not trying to take credit; Im just trying to set the record straight.. A viral video of a woman making nachos for her "picky" husband after he refused to eat the salmon dinner she made him has ignited a heated debate on . During Richard Fritchs tenure as CEO of PepsiCo from 1991 to 1997, the company grew to become one of the worlds largest food conglomerates. Miguel Lecuona, an MBA classmate of Greenfelds, joined the Single Serve team at the same time, working on beef sticks, sweet snacks and other odd products that would sit by a mini-mart register. After testing recipes and outlining a marketing strategy, Montaez burst forth with a kernel of an idea: Flamin Hot Popcorn, which will soon make its debut.. That doesnt mean we dont celebrate Richard, the statement continued, but the facts do not support the urban legend.. He received a number of accolades from both community groups and PepsiCo CEOs along the way. 6. Frito-Lay doesn't sell products directly to schools, and they don't actively market their snacks to kids ages 12 and under, but that hasn't stopped kids from getting their hands on Flamin' Hot Cheetos, so for some schools, the ban felt necessary. I came up with the Flamin Hot name on my own, Greenfeld replied. Flamin Hot Cheetos became a cultural phenomenon in the 2000s. That means your brain doesn't stop you from eating it because it doesn't seem like substantial food. Very interesting place. He just didnt make Flamin Hot Cheetos. Early life Montaez was born to a Mexican American family in Ontario, California. Eva Longoria is also set to direct a film based on his life with Searchlight Pictures this summer. Carey and Montaez appeared together soon after, at a June 2019 ceremony where Carey accepted a lifetime achievement award from the East Los Angeles Community Union. Originally, Flamin Hots were created to appeal to a more diverse customer base because the spicy snack was only available in convenience stores and other urban areas. Montaez is a charismatic speaker, and his tale of a Mexican American underdog whose ingenuity conquered the corporate world is a rags-to-riches fable baked into the origin of a wildly popular snack. TODAY Food reached out to Montaez's publisher to see if these new claims will affect the release of his latest book "Flamin' Hot: The Incredible True Story of One Man's Rise from Janitor to Top Executive," and Adrian Zackheim, president and publisher of Portfolio Books, said that the publishing house is excited to release the book as scheduled. The cheese-flavored snack sold quickly, but Doolin did not have the production or distribution capacity to support a nationwide launch. Chrissy Callahan covers a range of topics for TODAY.com, including fashion, beauty, pop culture and food. Montaez did not respond to multiple requests for comment via email, phone, direct message, attempts to reach him through a publicity agent, and questions delivered to a family member at a home listed in Montaezs name. Montaez told the whole story about how when he was a kid he would put lime and chile on his Fritos, and that was sort of the impetus for the product design, Siewczynski said. The years since have seen pop-up restaurants and fashion lines, and countless Instagram-ready Flamin Hot Cheetos menu items at restaurants across the country. The spicy snack was invented in Mexico. Montaez said there's no documentation proving he's the inventor and he believes that's because he was working at a lower level in the company at the time. It was that determination that lead him to create the first bag of Flamin' Hot Cheetos, a new addition to the Cheetos family that's now one of the most popular snacks at Frito-Lay. Only now, just as his book is announced, are we suddenly hearing an alternate narrative about the development of this product, which seeks to diminish Richards contribution and to question the details of long-ago events," Zackheim said. Most of the original Flamin Hot team had retired by the 2000s, but the few who remained let the story spread unchecked. The next month, Oliver wrote in an email that Frito-Lay will continue to take the position that Flamin Hot Cheetos was created by a team of people and, as with all of our products, we do not credit one person with a product invention or flavor extension..