Frito-Lay Puts Cheetos Brand in Bloggers' Hands". adage.com. 11 February 2009. Archived from the original on 18 February 2009 . Retrieved 2 December 2010. Tallerico, Brian. "SXSW 2023: Bottoms, Self Reliance, Flamin' Hot | Festivals & Awards | Roger Ebert". RogerEbert.com. Archived from the original on August 26, 2023 . Retrieved June 23, 2023. Shaffer, Ellise (16 May 2021). "Disputed Flamin' Hot Cheetos Inventor Responds to Frito-Lay's Claims: 'I Was Their Greatest Ambassador' ". Variety. Archived from the original on 19 May 2021 . Retrieved 19 May 2021.

a b N'Duka, Amanda (August 26, 2019). "Eva Longoria To Direct Cheetos Movie Flamin' Hot For Fox Searchlight & Franklin Entertainment". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on August 18, 2021 . Retrieved March 1, 2021. Learmonth, Michael (11 February 2009). "Frito-Lay Puts Cheetos Brand in Bloggers' Hands". Ad Age. Archived from the original on 9 December 2018 . Retrieved 9 December 2018. a b c "How a janitor at Frito-Lay "invented" Flamin' Hot Cheetos". The Hustle. November 29, 2017. Archived from the original on December 3, 2019 . Retrieved June 22, 2023.

Recommendations

Of all the people who are in PepsiCo or around PepsiCo, I have the most experience,” he continued. “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 Montañez’s sample product. “The ingredients, that’s the magic of the product,” Carey said. Patti Rueff, who worked as Enrico’s secretary for decades as he moved from the beverage business to Frito-Lay and on to the top of the parent company, vividly recalls Montañez 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. Montañez has spent much of his time since retirement working the speaker circuit, according to his social media accounts, delivering keynotes at in-person and virtual events for organizations such as Prudential Financial, the Philadelphia Eagles, recruitment tech company Indeed, call center technology company Genesys, and at Pestworld 2019, the annual conference of the National Pest Management Assn. He’s now retired in his early 60s, after a full career climbing the corporate ladder. Montañez made it, from rags to riches, from factory floor to corporate suite. He just didn’t make Flamin’ Hot Cheetos. The investigation Montañez's last position was vice president of multicultural sales and community promotions for PepsiCo North America. [18] He retired from PepsiCo in March 2019 during an internal investigation into his Flamin' Hot Cheetos claim. [2]

Or what if you have a friend whose Flamin Hot compulsion burns so fiercely that his thumb, index and middle finger are almost always stained red. The problem is, Frito-Lay WILL NOT SELL YOU JUST THE POWDER. Craig, co-inventor of this powder even worked with Frito-Lay's manufacturers for a bit AND THEY STILL WOULDN"T GET HIM FLAMIN HOT POWDER. And their exact recipe is a well-kept secret, but.... In May 2021, the Los Angeles Times reported that Frito-Lay had begun an internal investigation in 2018 following a complaint by Greenfeld. The company, which had not previously contradicted Montañez's story publicly, said of the results of that investigation: "None of our records show that Richard [Montañez] was involved in any capacity in the Flamin' Hot test market... we do not credit the creation of Flamin' Hot Cheetos or any Flamin' Hot products to him." [31] Additional reporting by the Times indicated that Montañez's claims did not line up with other events in the product's release timeline, including newspaper articles announcing the test market release in 1990, and Enrico not joining Frito-Lay until later that year. However, the Times noted a 1993 U.S. News & World Report story indicating that Montañez was responsible for suggesting subsequent product ideas that built on the Flamin' Hot line, including Flamin' Hot Popcorn. [31] That doesn’t mean we don’t celebrate Richard,” the statement continued, “but the facts do not support the urban legend.” Montañez did live out a less Hollywood version of his story, ascending from a plant worker to a director focused on marketing. He also pitched new product initiatives, which may have changed the path of his career. The idea that grew into Flamin’ Hots didn’t come from Rancho Cucamonga, or California, or even Frito-Lay’s home base in Texas.a b "US President Joe Biden hosts actress Eva Longoria at the White House for special Flamin' Hot screening". WION. Archived from the original on June 22, 2023 . Retrieved June 22, 2023. Frito-Lay, Inc. Company Profile for Students". 1 January 1999. Archived from the original on 5 November 2012 . Retrieved 20 December 2010. But sometimes all you really want is that Flamin Hot flavor without all that Flamin Hot hassle. Or maybe you want Flamin Hot Popcorn? Cashews? Apples? a b c d Sarah Gonzalez (May 12, 2021). "Hot Cheetos" (Podcast). Planet Money. National Public Radio. Event occurs at 0:00. Archived from the original on June 21, 2023. 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. None recalls anything like the episode Montañez describes taking place.