Then the online media, hungry for a feel-good story, took his claims viral.Īnd nobody at Frito-Lay stopped him. First, he talked about it in speeches at local business and philanthropy award ceremonies. He also pitched new product initiatives, which may have changed the path of his career.īut Montañez began taking public credit for inventing Flamin’ Hots in the late 2000s, nearly two decades after they were invented. 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. In small bowl, stir together mayonnaise and remaining hot sauce.Īssemble fried chicken in buns with lettuce, tomato, pickles and spicy mayonnaise.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. Transfer to paper towel–lined plate to drain. Deep-fry, turning once, for 6 minutes or until golden brown all over. Using tongs, transfer chicken to hot oil. Heat until shimmering or an instant-read thermometer registers 350☏. In high-sided skillet set over medium heat, add enough oil to reach 3 inches up sides. Let stand for 10 minutes to allow coating to set. Arrange on parchment paper–lined baking sheet. Dip back in marinade and then dredge again in CHEETOS ® mixture until well coated. Dip chicken in CHEETOS ® mixture until coated. ![]() Remove chicken from marinade (reserve marinade for double dredging). In another large bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, cayenne, paprika, remaining salt and remaining black pepper. In food processor, pulse CHEETOS ® FLAMIN’ HOT ® Cheese Flavored Snacks until finely ground to make 1 ¾ cups. Cover and marinate in refrigerator for at least 2 hours or up to 12 hours (overnight is best). Submerge chicken into marinade (it should be immersed). In large bowl, whisk together buttermilk, 1/4 cup hot sauce, garlic powder, 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp black pepper.
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