The real story behind the creation of Flamin' Hot Cheetos is complicated

Isaiah ReynoldsJun 13, 2023, 01:12 IST

David Tonelson/Shutterstock

Richard Montañez is often credited as the Frito-Lay janitor that came up with the idea for Flamin' Hot Cheetos.
Born to a family of Mexican immigrants, Montañez climbed the corporate ladder to become a VP at PepsiCo.

Richard Montañez was born in Ontario, California, to Mexican immigrant parents. One of 10 siblings, he grew up on a migrant labor camp in southern California.

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Montañez picked up odd jobs to support his family, doing everything from slaughtering chickens to washing cars. In 1976 at the age of 18, he was hired as a Frito-Lay plant janitor in Southern California.

Entrance to Frito Lay Distribution Center in California.Smith Collection/Getty Images

Montañez picked up odd jobs to support his family, doing everything from slaughtering chickens to washing cars. In 1976 at the age of 18, he was hired as a Frito-Lay plant janitor in Southern California.

According to Montañez, the idea for Flamin' Hot Cheetos came to him when a broken assembly machine put out a plain batch of Cheetos without the usual cheddar cheese dust. Montañez claimed he took the batch home and experimented with familiar flavors, eventually adding chili powder inspired by the street vendors in his neighborhood.

A bag of Flamin' Hot Cheetos.Fauzan Fitria/Shutterstock

According to Montañez, the idea for Flamin' Hot Cheetos came to him when a broken assembly machine put out a plain batch of Cheetos without the usual cheddar cheese dust. Montañez claimed he took the batch home and experimented with familiar flavors, eventually adding chili powder inspired by the street vendors in his neighborhood.

The company incentivized all employees of any level to bring innovative ideas to management. Montañez claimed he cold-called Frito-Lay CEO Roger Enrico in 1991 about his new chili-flavored Cheeto. Montañez said Enrico then gave him two weeks to come up with a pitch for the other C-suite executives.

The new film "Flamin' Hot" explores the life and story of Richard Montañez, the man who claims to have helped bring the Flamin' Hot Cheetos product to life.Searchlight

The company incentivized all employees of any level to bring innovative ideas to management. Montañez claimed he cold-called Frito-Lay CEO Roger Enrico in 1991 about his new chili-flavored Cheeto. Montañez said Enrico then gave him two weeks to come up with a pitch for the other C-suite executives.

Montañez quickly brought himself up to speed on marketing and product design by borrowing books from his local library. He said he spent the two weeks developing a marketing strategy and packaging ideas for what would become Flamin' Hot Cheetos.

John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service/Getty Images

Montañez quickly brought himself up to speed on marketing and product design by borrowing books from his local library. He said he spent the two weeks developing a marketing strategy and packaging ideas for what would become Flamin' Hot Cheetos.

After a successful presentation, both Montañez's career and the Flamin' Hot Cheeto, took off.

PepsiCo executive Richard Montañez accepts the Inspiration Award onstage at the '2014 Latinos De Hoy Awards'Imeh Akpanudosen/Getty Images

Although lauded as a beloved "rags-to-riches" story, Montañez's account has been disputed. According to the Los Angeles Times in 2021, Frito-Lay had already been testing the Flamin' Hot Cheeto by 1989 in Plano, Texas, with little documentation to support Montañez's meeting with Enrico.

Jonathan Weiss/Shutterstock

Although lauded as a beloved "rags-to-riches" story, Montañez's account has been disputed. According to the Los Angeles Times in 2021, Frito-Lay had already been testing the Flamin' Hot Cheeto by 1989 in Plano, Texas, with little documentation to support Montañez's meeting with Enrico.

In a public statement, Frito-Lay did not directly credit the creation of Flamin' Hot products to Montañez, but did attribute "the launch and success of Flamin' Hot Cheetos and other products to several people who worked at PepsiCo, including Richard Montañez."

Ryan Miller/Associated Press

In a public statement, Frito-Lay did not directly credit the creation of Flamin' Hot products to Montañez, but did attribute "the launch and success of Flamin' Hot Cheetos and other products to several people who worked at PepsiCo, including Richard Montañez."

Since then, Flamin' Hot Cheetos have exploded into a social phenomenon.

Guests attend The Flamin Hot Spot, Cheetos new limited-time restaurant with a menu inspired by chef Roy Choi at Madera Kitchen on September 19, 2018 in Hollywood, California.Rachel Murray/Getty Images

With the recent release of the "Flamin' Hot" movie, Montañez has become an integral part of the iconic snack's history.

David Tonelson/Shutterstock

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The real story behind the creation of Flamin' Hot Cheetos is complicated

Richard Montañez was born in Ontario, California, to Mexican immigrant parents. One of 10 siblings, he grew up on a migrant labor camp in southern California.

Montañez picked up odd jobs to support his family, doing everything from slaughtering chickens to washing cars. In 1976 at the age of 18, he was hired as a Frito-Lay plant janitor in Southern California.

Montañez quickly brought himself up to speed on marketing and product design by borrowing books from his local library. He said he spent the two weeks developing a marketing strategy and packaging ideas for what would become Flamin' Hot Cheetos.

After a successful presentation, both Montañez's career and the Flamin' Hot Cheeto, took off.

Although lauded as a beloved "rags-to-riches" story, Montañez's account has been disputed. According to the Los Angeles Times in 2021, Frito-Lay had already been testing the Flamin' Hot Cheeto by 1989 in Plano, Texas, with little documentation to support Montañez's meeting with Enrico.

In a public statement, Frito-Lay did not directly credit the creation of Flamin' Hot products to Montañez, but did attribute "the launch and success of Flamin' Hot Cheetos and other products to several people who worked at PepsiCo, including Richard Montañez."

Since then, Flamin' Hot Cheetos have exploded into a social phenomenon.

With the recent release of the "Flamin' Hot" movie, Montañez has become an integral part of the iconic snack's history.