Flamin hot cheetos logo3/7/2024 ![]() ![]() 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. I can't imagine there will be a dry eye, or forehead, in the house.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. You know, they're apparently making a movie about Mr. That is the viscous portion you are talking about.īodies are weird, man! I wonder if the Lord of FHC, Richard Montañez, still experiences this when he eats his creation? Maybe I can meet him some day and ask him about his saliva. Much like any irritation in the alimentary canal, the body will produce mucus to cover the area. I Googled it, and Robert-who's a self described home cook, parent, nerd, geek, metal-head, and sarcastic ass-got the most upvotes for his Quora answer: The body is trying to protect itself. Then, as the stinging wears away and you start to notice various parts of your face beading sweat, you kind of lose control of your own saliva. It's not a slow burn, it hits you right away, stinging your tongue and the roof of your mouth like a flock of small bees. This kind of spice is a comprehensive experience. You may remember in my first-ever chip review where I reference Utz's and Martin's Red Hot varieties-these are on the same playing field. The fiery intensity of FHCs reach the upper echelon of spicy snacks I've had the pleasure of enjoying. Seriously, if you can't handle heat you best stick to OG. You get the optimal crunch you know and love from OG Cheetos (crunchy, not puffs), and you get a spice level that's next level. He is one of my heroes, and even if Russia planted him in that Frito-Lay factory many years ago, I would vote for him for president.įlamin' Hot Cheetos are one of the simplest gateways to spicy snack nirvana. The Godfather of FHC is Richard Montañez, a former Frito-Lay janitor with an appreciation for spice that will go down in history. And I gotta tell ya, I greatly appreciate how little the Cheeto Overlord fucked around when creating this seasoning-which has its own cult following. One at a time is just fine for a review's sake.Įven eating single FHCs will make, at the very least, your brow sweat. Not only can I type away, taking tasting breaks at my leisure, but good lord, I forgot how spicy these things are.
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