![]() We all probably should have regarded Montañez’s story with more skepticism. The Times also notes “Montañez has also repeatedly posted to his social media accounts photographs of what he claims are original design materials for Flamin’ Hot Cheetos. Montañez also worked on the Sabrositas brand, a snack brand directed specifically at the Latino market.įrito-Lay began investigating Montañez’s public claims in 2018, when Greenfield emailed a contact at Frito-Lay after seeing a story about Montañez in Esquire. News and World Report article from 1993, which says “Montañez burst forth with a kernel of an idea: Flamin’ Hot Popcorn, which will soon make its debut” as part of the existing Flamin’ Hot line. What does appear to be true is Montañez was working as a machinist operator in the Rancho Cucamonga plant when he pitched a spicy snack to executives in the ’90s. According to Sarah Aida Gonzalez, host of NPR’s Planet Money, Frito-Lay gave them a more nuanced statement, walking back initial claims that they do not credit Montañez with the invention of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, and saying “Former employees recall that a small CA-based marketing team which was developing products for San Diego and Los Angeles learned of the Richard Montañez product and decided to test market in Southern CA and that it performed well and was handed over to Frito-Lay R&D.” They say it’s possible the Midwest spicy product test market could have been happening at the same time spicy products began to be tested in California. However, it may also be a case of multiple discovery. “I said this is a fun story this shouldn’t be a controversial story your inclination to dramatize the story a little bit, you’ve got to keep away from that,” he said he warned Montañez. But I will say this, you’re going to love your company more than they will ever love you, keep that in perspective.”īut even the one man who somewhat corroborated Montanez’s story, Al Carey, a former Frito-Lay executive, acknowledged to the Times Montañez’s tendency to exaggerate. All I have is my history, what I did in my kitchen.” He also says of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos: “I was their greatest ambassador. However, Montañez did make a comment on the accusations to Variety, saying Frito-Lay was operating in different divisions, and that while he may not have had anything to do with what was happening in the Midwest, “All I can tell you is what I did. Montañez didn’t respond to request for comment to the Times, nor has he updated his Instagram, since the piece was published. “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,” said Greenfield. The snacks hit test markets in 1990, two years before Montañez says he pitched his products in 1992. And then there was Lynne Greenfield, who came up with the flavor, the name, and the original packaging ideas. There was Sharon Owens, a product manager who took up spicy snack development. There was Fred Lindsay, a salesman in the Chicago region who saw spicy snacks taking off and wanted Frito-Lay to compete. In fact, the Flamin’ Hot line was the brainchild of a few people within Frito-Lay. “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,” said Frito-Lay in a statement. In a massive report published over the weekend, the Times meticulously rips apart the story, showing how Flamin’ Hot snacks were already on the market by the time Montañez pitched his snack ideas, how Montañez has changed his story over the years, and how those involved with the Flamin’ Hot line’s development are baffled as to how Montañez claimed it was his idea. He is even going to be portrayed in a new movie, produced by Eva Longoria.Īccording to the LA Times, though, the story is mostly a lie. Of course they were a hit, he rose up to the C-suite, and now he makes a living writing memoirs and being a motivational speaker. He also created his own spice blend for executives to try. In his telling, after seeing an internal video encouraging all Frito-Lay employees to “act like owners,” he told the CEO that spicy snacks were all the rage in Hispanic neighborhoods, and that they were missing out on a huge market. Since 2007, Richard Montañez has been peddling the feel-good story to end all feel-good stories - that as a janitor at a Frito-Lay plant in Rancho Cucamonga, he successfully pitched the company on creating Flamin’ Hot Cheetos.
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