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. We guess we’ll know which one is correct sooner or later.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. Another leaked picture from Reddit/u/jerbilegit2, however, say that it’ll be released the week of Sept. However, according to the Twitter user who got the bottle from “a VP of Pepsi,” it will be “in select limited stores in 3 weeks” as a limited-edition offering. As described on the bottle, it’s “DEW Charged with Crisp Apple.” If you ask us, it sounds like a fall-inspired sip and would make the most sense in cooler weather. Twitter account recently posted a photo of the new flavor. As you sip on DEW-S-A, you can read about Mountain Dew Thrashed Apple, which is expected to make its way to shelves this year. Mountain Dew is one of the brands under its umbrella, and we never have to wait long to hear about a new flavor on the horizon. PepsiCo is one company that just keeps on giving.

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PepsiCo is calling it one of Kroger’s biggest beverage launches in history, so if that doesn’t make you speed to the store, nothing will. Mountain Dew Thrashed Apple is exclusively available at Kroger Family of Companies, which includes Kroger, Baker’s, City Market Dillons, Food 4 Less, Fred Meyer, Fry’s, Gerbes, King Soopers, QFC, Ralph’s, Smith’s, and others. We have created MTN DEW THRASHED APPLE with the confidence that it will become a quick favorite amongst DEW Nation.” “With the perfect combination of tart and sweet, Thrashed Apple is refreshingly bold drink that only DEW could deliver. “DEW is thrilled to introduce MTN DEW THRASHED APPLE in partnership with Kroger, a long-standing partner who has embraced bold DEW flavor innovations,” Pat O’Toole, vice president, marketing MTN DEW, said in a press release. Talk about a autumn-approved taste! The green soda comes in 20-ounce bottles and 12-ounce, 12-count can packs. The new Mountain Dew Thrashed Apple soda combines the bold citrus taste you know from the drink, but it has an added classic crisp of apple flavor.

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