None recalls anything like the episode Montañez describes taking place. The Times spoke with 20 people who worked at the Frito-Lay divisions responsible for new product development 32 years ago, when Flamin’ Hot Cheetos were first extruded into existence. In his new memoir, he lays out a dramatic scene, with more than 100 people, most of them “leading executives,” assembled alongside the CEO in a conference room at the Rancho Cucamonga complex to witness his presentation. The core of Montañez’s story rested on the pitch meeting that he says changed his life, where he sold his idea of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos directly to the Frito-Lay elite. (Mariah Tauger / Los Angeles Times) Hot stuff in the market The producers of the film and the publisher of Montañez’s latest book did not respond to requests for comment before publication of this article. The producers of his biopic, despite being informed of problems by Frito-Lay in 2019, announced a cast for the movie in early May. That process unearthed evidence calling his account into question and led the company to the conclusion it shared with The Times: “We value Richard’s many contributions to our company, especially his insights into Hispanic consumers, but we do not credit the creation of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos or any Flamin’ Hot products to him.” Greenfeld contacted Frito-Lay in 2018 after first seeing that Montañez was taking credit for Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, triggering a company investigation. Most of the original Flamin’ Hot team had retired by the 2000s, but the few who remained let the story spread unchecked. Then the online media, hungry for a feel-good story, took his claims viral.Īnd nobody at Frito-Lay stopped him. First, he talked about it in speeches at local business and philanthropy award ceremonies. He also pitched new product initiatives, which may have changed the path of his career.īut Montañez began taking public credit for inventing Flamin’ Hots in the late 2000s, nearly two decades after they were invented. Montañez did live out a less Hollywood version of his story, ascending from a plant worker to a director focused on marketing. Times subscribers first access to our best journalism. Subscribers get early access to this story 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. The new product was designed to compete with spicy snacks sold in the inner-city mini-marts of the Midwest. “That doesn’t mean we don’t celebrate Richard,” the statement continued, “but the facts do not support the urban legend.”įlamin’ Hots were created by a team of hotshot snack food professionals starting in 1989, in the corporate offices of Frito-Lay’s headquarters in Plano, Texas. “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. “None of our records show that Richard was involved in any capacity in the Flamin’ Hot test market,” Frito-Lay wrote in a statement to The Times, in response to questions about an internal investigation whose existence has not been previously disclosed. There’s just one problem: Montañez didn’t invent Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, according to interviews with more than a dozen former Frito-Lay employees, the archival record and Frito-Lay itself. Both the book and the movie were sold after bidding wars - Montañez’s story is undeniably hot. His second memoir, “Flamin’ Hot: The Incredible True Story of One Man’s Rise from Janitor to Top Executive,” is out in June from an imprint of Penguin Random House.Ī biopic based on his life, to be directed by Eva Longoria and produced by Christian super-producer DeVon Franklin for Searchlight Pictures, is set to begin filming this summer. Montañez has built a lucrative second career out of telling and selling this story, appearing at events for Target, Walmart, Harvard and USC, among others, and commanding fees of $10,000 to $50,000 per appearance. 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. Schools have banned the snack altogether over concerns about its popularity with children. With their spicy kick and neon-red flavor dust, Flamin’ Hot Cheetos have inspired viral rap videos, Instagram-worthy menu items and streetwear designs. Montañez 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.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |