The true story behind the creation of Flamin' Sizzling Cheetos is sophisticated

Richard Montañez was born in Ontario, California, to Mexican immigrant dad and mom. Considered one of 10 siblings, he grew up on a migrant labor camp in southern California.

At one level, his whole household lived in a one-bedroom house. Struggling to select up studying and writing, Montañez ended up dropping out of highschool earlier than getting his GED.

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Montañez picked up odd jobs to assist his household, doing every part from slaughtering chickens to washing automobiles. In 1976 on the age of 18, he was employed as a Frito-Lay plant janitor in Southern California.

Supply: CNBC

In line with Montañez, the concept for Flamin’ Sizzling Cheetos got here to him when a damaged meeting machine put out a plain batch of Cheetos with out the standard cheddar cheese mud. Montañez claimed he took the batch residence and experimented with acquainted flavors, finally including chili powder impressed by the road distributors in his neighborhood.

After testing it out on his household, he mentioned he determined to carry his new concept to Frito-Lay administration.

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The corporate incentivized all workers of any stage to carry revolutionary concepts to administration. Montañez claimed he cold-called Frito-Lay CEO Roger Enrico in 1991 about his new chili-flavored Cheeto. Montañez mentioned Enrico then gave him two weeks to give you a pitch for the opposite C-suite executives.

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Montañez rapidly introduced himself up to the mark on advertising and product design by borrowing books from his native library. He mentioned he spent the 2 weeks growing a advertising technique and packaging concepts for what would turn out to be Flamin’ Sizzling Cheetos.

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After a profitable presentation, each Montañez’s profession and the Flamin’ Sizzling Cheeto, took off.

Montañez went on to turn out to be vice chairman of multicultural gross sales and neighborhood promotions at PepsiCo because the Flamin’ Sizzling Cheeto turned one of many firm’s most profitable merchandise. 

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Though lauded as a beloved “rags-to-riches” story, Montañez’s account has been disputed. In line with the Los Angeles Occasions in 2021, Frito-Lay had already been testing the Flamin’ Sizzling Cheeto by 1989 in Plano, Texas, with little documentation to assist Montañez’s assembly with Enrico.

Montañez refuted the claims by saying, as a janitor, his contributions might not have been prioritized sufficient to doc and that he was unaware of different simultaneous operations occurring on the firm.

Supply: Los Angeles Occasions

With the current launch of the “Flamin’ Sizzling” film, Montañez has turn out to be an integral a part of the enduring snack’s historical past.

Supply: CNBC