Frito-Lay's Flamin' Hot Cheetos has been around since the late 90s. While the cheesy snack continues to be a crowd favorite (myself included), did you know that there was actually a controversy when it first came out?
To be more precise, there was one man who claimed he was behind the cheesy and spicy snack. And this is exactly where Eva Longoria's directorial debut film draws inspiration from.
The film, called Flamin' Hot, claims to be "inspired by a true story." But is it really an accurate retelling of the snack's origin?
Here's what we know about the movie, Flamin' Hot.
Is Eva Longoria’s Flamin’ Hot Movie Based on a True Story?
The movie, Flamin' Hot, is based on a 2013 memoir written by Mexican immigrant, Richard Montañez, entitled A Boy, A Burrito and a Cookie: from Janitor to Executive.
It is a biographical comedy-drama with a rags-to-riches story that is sure to inspire its viewers.
The film follows Montañez's journey as he once worked as a janitor for Frito-Lay's plant in Rancho Cucamonga. He was also known as an ex-con and gang member who became a family man.
While working at the factory in the late 1980s, Montañez claimed he invented the famous flavor for Cheetos.
The inspirational movie was announced in 2019 with DeVon Franklin serving as its producer. Franklin is best known for his other faith-based films, like Miracles From Heaven and Breakthrough.
Shortly after the movie was announced, however, Cheetos approached the producers to tell them the origin story wasn't factual. Despite this, the producers decided to move forward with the project.
This stirred up a controversy between Montañez and Frito-Lay. Frito-Lay claimed that Montañez has been taking credit for the spicy snack, which launched a company-wide investigation in 2018.
Longoria defended their decision (via People) to push through with the movie by saying that the film is not about "the history of the Cheeto."
Instead, Longoria wishes to highlight Montañez as the "godfather of Hispanic marketing" as a previous janitor who became "a marketing savant."
Did Richard Montañez Actually Invent Flamin’ Hot Cheetos?
In his memoir, Montañez claimed that he sprung to action after a Cheeto machine broke down and he took home a batch of unflavored snacks. It was there that he seasoned the chips with spices inspired by a grilled Mexican street corn snack called Elotes.
"He's putting chili, cheese -- all kinds of stuff on it for a buck. And I'm looking at it and I'm eating it, and there it was: the revelation that would change my life. I go, 'What if I put chili on the Cheetos?'"
Montañez claimed he pitched the flavor idea to a CEO at Frito-Lay and became an executive too.
So did Montañez actually invent the famous snack flavor? Thanks to a thorough investigative report published by the Los Angeles Times in 2021, the claim has been debunked.
The report gathered information using Montañez's details from speaking engagements and award ceremonies. This information corroborated Frito-Lay's statement:
"None of our records show that Richard was involved in any capacity in the Flamin' Hot test market."
The company, however, acknowledged that Montañez was, indeed, a valued asset to their company.
"That doesn't mean we don't celebrate Richard, but the facts do not support the urban legend."
Montañez also earned a role as a chief executive for the company. But as Frito-Lay puts it, it was through his storytelling and Hispanic community-driven campaigns that forged his way to success.
While Montañez's claim of inventing the flavor was debunked, Frito-Lay spoke about the film:
"The film, Flamin' Hot, is Richard Montañez's story, told from his point of view. His contributions to Frito-Lay are highlighted throughout the film, specifically his insights and ideas on how to better serve Hispanic consumers and engage the Hispanic community, a legacy PepsiCo continues today. We are grateful to him for that and hope people enjoy the film."
In his book, Montañez encouraged his readers to:
"Don't take your position for granted, regardless of what that position may be. CEO or janitor, act like you own the company."
Montañez retired from the company in March 2019. Aside from his 2013 memoir, he wrote another memoir in 2021 entitled: Flamin' Hot: The Incredible True Story of One Man's Rise from Janitor to Top Executive.
Who Was the Real Inventor of Frito-Lay’s Flamin’ Hot Cheetos?
The Los Angeles Times article conducted interviews with former Frito-Lay employees, none of which corroborated with Montañez's claim.
Shortly after this article came out, PepsiCo shared a statement with PEOPLE acknowledging how the controversy has put "a strain on our valued friendship with Richard Montañez and the Latino community." Frito-Lay is PepsiCo's subsidiary.
The company credited "the launch and success of Flamin' Hot Cheetos and other products to several people who worked at PepsiCo, including Richard Montañez."
In Los Angeles Times article, Frito-Lay referred to Montañez's claim "an urban legend." PepsiCo clarified that his work was "far from being an urban legend."
"Richard had a remarkable 40-plus-year career at PepsiCo and made an incredible impact on our business and employees and continues to serve as an inspiration today."
"His insights and ideas on how to better serve Hispanic consumers were invaluable and directly resulted in the success of Flamin' Hot Cheetos. To be clear, we have no reason to doubt the stories he shares about taking the initiative to create new product ideas for the Cheetos brand, and pitching them to past PepsiCo leaders."
PepsiCo also explained that there was a "separate division team" responsible for developing "a spicy product" for Cheetos and its other brands that eventually got sold in the market.
But the company admitted that the work streams of these divisions "were not best at communicating." As a result, it could not establish "a clear link" in crediting just one person.
The company ended their statement with:
"Richard is an important part of PepsiCo's history and the success of the company. He is an inspiration and his story cannot be belittled. We regret the confusion that has come from the recent speculation, but most importantly want Richard to know he is valued and cared for among PepsiCo's employees and we only wish him happiness and success."
When Is Flamin’ Hot Movie Coming Out? Where to Watch Flamin’ Hot?
Flamin' Hot stars Jesse Garcia (as Richard Montañez), Tony Shalhoub (as Roger Enrico), Dennis Haysbert (as Clarence C. Baker), Emilio Rivera (as Vacho Montañez), and Annie Gonzalez (as Judy).
Flamin' Hot will be released on Disney+ and Hulu on June 9th. You can watch the trailer here:
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