Court Tosses Ex-Janitor’s Claim to Flamin’ Hot Cheetos Fame in Legal Showdown
LOS ANGELES — A lawsuit filed by a former janitor who claimed to have invented Flamin’ Hot Cheetos was dismissed by a judge, bringing to a close a high-profile legal battle that captured the attention of snack enthusiasts and the business community alike. Richard Montañez, who previously served as an executive at Frito-Lay, asserted in his 2021 autobiography that he developed the popular spicy snack while working at a California plant in the late 1970s. Montañez’s claim posited that he created the seasoned snack as a way to cater to the tastes of Hispanic consumers. … Read more