On May 6th, by phone, the response was: “He was a part of it. While the company told Gonzalez it “ not credit the product creation to him and him alone,” it said that Montañez was involved: “He was a part of it. And Gonzalez has shared details of her conversations with Frito-Lay that conflict with the statement the company gave the Times. Earlier this month, NPR reporter and host of “Planet Money” Sarah Gonzalez also took an in-depth look at the origins of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos. “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.”īut wait! It gets spicier. “None of our records show that Richard was involved in any capacity in the Flamin’ Hot test market,” Frito-Lay told the L.A. Times released an in-depth investigation on the origins of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, in which a statement from Frito-Lay implied Montañez didn’t actually invent the spicy snack. Inspiring! Delicious! Good Will Hunting but make it Cheetos! Unfortunately, the story has become increasingly convoluted. Today’s Hollywood drama is brought to you by Eva Longoria and *checks notes* Flamin’ Hot Cheetos? The actress is directing a biopic on Richard Montañez, the former Frito-Lay janitor turned executive who created Flamin’ Hot Cheetos and helped change the financial trajectory of the company.
