Latest news with #RichardMontañez
Indianapolis Star
11-06-2025
- Business
- Indianapolis Star
Frito-Lay plant in Rancho Cucamonga shutting down manufacturing operations
A Frito-Lay plant in Southern California is shuttering manufacturing operations after five decades, potentially affecting hundreds of jobs. A statement from PepsiCo Foods U.S., emailed to USA TODAY on June 11, confirmed the "shutdown of manufacturing operations" at Frito-Lay's Rancho Cucamonga site. Although the plant will cease manufacturing operations, its warehouse, distribution, fleet and transportation teams will continue to operate at this location, according to the food, beverage and snack corporation. "We are truly grateful for all the support over the last five decades from our Rancho Cucamonga manufacturing team as well as the local community," PepsiCo Foods U.S.'s statement reads. "We are committed to supporting those impacted through this transition and we are offering pay and benefits to impacted employees." According to Frito-Lay, it has "more than 30 highly advanced manufacturing plants across the country." Is a pricey AI fridge worth it? One woman's rant about hers is going viral. PepsiCo did not disclose how many employees would be affected by the shutdown of the manufacturing plant. It is also unclear when the possible layoffs will occur, as the PepsiCo facility is not in California's Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) database as of June 11. The WARN Act requires employers to give 60 days' notice before a mass layoff, plant closure or relocation. Employees at the plant told KTLA that they were let go, with some not being allowed to transfer to different departments to possibly keep their jobs. The Frito-Lay Rancho Cucamonga facility also once employed Richard Montañez, an American businessman who took credit for inventing Flamin' Hot Cheetos, although the snack brand and PepsiCo have disputed his claims.
USA Today
11-06-2025
- Business
- USA Today
Frito-Lay plant in Rancho Cucamonga shutting down manufacturing operations
Frito-Lay plant in Rancho Cucamonga shutting down manufacturing operations "We are truly grateful for all the support over the last five decades from our Rancho Cucamonga manufacturing team as well as the local community," PepsiCo Foods U.S.'s statement says. Show Caption Hide Caption How to reseal bags with sealer Reseal bags with ease using a sealer. Problem Solved, USA TODAY A Frito-Lay plant in Southern California is shuttering manufacturing operations after five decades, potentially affecting hundreds of jobs. A statement from PepsiCo Foods U.S., emailed to USA TODAY on June 11, confirmed the "shutdown of manufacturing operations" at Frito-Lay's Rancho Cucamonga site. Although the plant will cease manufacturing operations, its warehouse, distribution, fleet and transportation teams will continue to operate at this location, according to the food, beverage and snack corporation. "We are truly grateful for all the support over the last five decades from our Rancho Cucamonga manufacturing team as well as the local community," PepsiCo Foods U.S.'s statement reads. "We are committed to supporting those impacted through this transition and we are offering pay and benefits to impacted employees." According to Frito-Lay, it has "more than 30 highly advanced manufacturing plants across the country." Is a pricey AI fridge worth it? One woman's rant about hers is going viral. How many Frito-Lay Rancho Cucamonga plant employees may be laid off? PepsiCo did not disclose how many employees would be affected by the shutdown of the manufacturing plant. It is also unclear when the possible layoffs will occur, as the PepsiCo facility is not in California's Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) database as of June 11. The WARN Act requires employers to give 60 days' notice before a mass layoff, plant closure or relocation. Employees at the plant told KTLA that they were let go, with some not being allowed to transfer to different departments to possibly keep their jobs. The Frito-Lay Rancho Cucamonga facility also once employed Richard Montañez, an American businessman who took credit for inventing Flamin' Hot Cheetos, although the snack brand and PepsiCo have disputed his claims. Jonathan Limehouse covers breaking and trending news for USA TODAY. Reach him at JLimehouse@
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Frito-Lay lays off manufacturing staff at Southern California facility after 5 decades
A Frito-Lay manufacturing plant in Rancho Cucamonga has stopped production after more than 50 years in operation, and potentially hundreds of workers are now looking for new jobs. On Monday, a spokesperson for PepsiCo Foods U.S., the parent company of Frito-Lay, confirmed that manufacturing operations at the Rancho Cucamonga facility have ended. 'We are truly grateful for all the support over the last five decades from our Rancho Cucamonga manufacturing team as well as the local community,' a statement reads in part. The company says it is 'committed to supporting those impacted,' and will be providing severance pay to affected employees. While manufacturing at the plant has ceased and other administrative roles were eliminated, the company says warehouse, distribution and fleet and transportation teams will continue to operate out of the facility. Several employees who contacted KTLA said hundreds of workers were let go, many of whom were not given the opportunity to transfer to different departments to keep their jobs. A company spokesperson would not confirm the total number of affected employees, and details about particular severance packages was not disclosed. The Rancho Cucamonga Frito-Lay plant has been a staple of the city for more than five decades, and employed thousands over the years. It is also the facility that once employed Richard Montañez, who claims to have invented the brand's beloved Flamin' Hot Cheetos — although the company disputes that claim. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Miami Herald
30-05-2025
- Miami Herald
Federal judge dismisses lawsuit over Flamin' Hot Cheetos origin story
A federal judge this week dismissed a lawsuit filed by the man who says he invented Flamin' Hot Cheetos. Richard Montañez had sued Frito-Lay and its parent company PepsiCo last year, alleging they defamed him and hurt his career by denying his role in creating the popular snack. Federal Judge John W. Holcomb of the U.S. District Court in Los Angeles wrote in his Wednesday ruling that Montañez's accusations of fraud and defamation were insufficient or lacked "factual support." But the battle over the origin story of the spicy junk food will remain in play for now. Montañez will have the opportunity to amend his lawsuit because "he may be able to cure the deficiencies in his pleading by alleging additional facts," the judge wrote. Montañez will have until June 13 to submit an amended complaint. His lawsuit came in the aftermath of a 2021 Los Angeles Times investigation that questioned his rags-to-riches story that had long circulated the internet and captured the hearts of fans of the snack and immigrant communities. The story goes that Montañez was working as a janitor at Frito-Lay's Rancho Cucamonga plant when he dreamed up a version of the Cheeto that would appeal to the Latino community and had the gumption to pitch his idea to an executive. The Times article cited chronological inconsistencies in Montañez's story, archival proof of the release of test products and comments by Frito-Lay executives. According to Montañez's lawsuit, he grew up in a Southern California migrant labor camp sharing an 800-square-foot, one-bedroom apartment with his parents and 10 siblings. He got the janitor job in the mid-1970s, and a decade later he and his wife experimented in their kitchen to create the new snack. In his lawsuit, he explained that he met resistance working with the research and development team while creating a spicy seasoning for mass production. "Dissatisfied that Mr. Montañez - a poor, uneducated Mexican plant worker and janitor - had successfully developed a new product, Frito-Lay's R&D personnel completely shut out Mr. Montañez from the development process," the lawsuit said. Montañez climbed PepsiCo's ranks, becoming the company's vice president of multicultural marketing and sales before retiring in 2019. In his lawsuit, Montañez said that the companies had sent him touring the country delivering inspiring talks in elite academic and business settings, and that as a result PepsiCo had "reaped tremendous benefits by affirmatively holding (Montañez) out as the inventor of Flamin' Hot Cheetos." But Holcomb, the judge, wrote that Montañez could not argue that PepsiCo and Frito-Lay's profiting off the premise that he invented the snack was unjust since Montañez "mutually benefitted from Defendants' decades-long support." Montañez's attorneys did not immediately respond to a request for comment. (Los Angeles Times staff writer Sandra McDonald contributed to this report.) Copyright (C) 2025, Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Portions copyrighted by the respective providers.
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Federal judge dismisses lawsuit over Flamin' Hot Cheetos origin story
A federal judge this week dismissed a lawsuit filed by the man who says he invented Flamin' Hot Cheetos. Richard Montañez had sued Frito-Lay and its parent company PepsiCo last year, alleging they defamed him and hurt his career by denying his role in creating the popular snack. Federal Judge John W. Holcomb of the U.S. District Court in Los Angeles wrote in his Wednesday ruling that Montañez's accusations of fraud and defamation were insufficient or lacked 'factual support.' But the battle over the origin story of the spicy junk food will remain in play for now. Montañez will have the opportunity to amend his lawsuit because 'he may be able to cure the deficiencies in his pleading by alleging additional facts," the judge wrote. Montañez will have until June 13 to submit an amended complaint. Read more: The man who didn't invent Flamin' Hot Cheetos His lawsuit came in the aftermath of a 2021 Los Angeles Times investigation that questioned his rags-to-riches story that had long circulated the internet and captured the hearts of fans of the snack and immigrant communities. The story goes that Montañez was working as a janitor at Frito-Lay's Rancho Cucamonga plant when he dreamed up a version of the Cheeto that would appeal to the Latino community and had the gumption to pitch his idea to an executive. The Times article cited chronological inconsistencies in Montañez's story, archival proof of the release of test products and comments by Frito-Lay executives. According to Montañez's lawsuit, he grew up in a Southern California migrant labor camp sharing an 800-square-foot, one-bedroom apartment with his parents and 10 siblings. He got the janitor job in the mid-1970s, and a decade later he and his wife experimented in their kitchen to create the new snack. Read more: He says he invented Flamin' Hot Cheetos. He didn't, said Frito-Lay. Now he's suing In his lawsuit, he explained that he met resistance working with the research and development team while creating a spicy seasoning for mass production. 'Dissatisfied that Mr. Montañez — a poor, uneducated Mexican plant worker and janitor — had successfully developed a new product, Frito-Lay's R&D personnel completely shut out Mr. Montañez from the development process,' the lawsuit said. Montañez climbed PepsiCo's ranks, becoming the company's vice president of multicultural marketing and sales before retiring in 2019. In his lawsuit, Montañez said that the companies had sent him touring the country delivering inspiring talks in elite academic and business settings, and that as a result PepsiCo had "reaped tremendous benefits by affirmatively holding [Montañez] out as the inventor of Flamin' Hot Cheetos." But Holcomb, the judge, wrote that Montañez could not argue that PepsiCo and Frito-Lay's profiting off the premise that he invented the snack was unjust since Montañez "mutually benefitted from Defendants' decades-long support." Montañez's attorneys did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Times staff writer Sandra McDonald contributed to this report. Sign up for our Wide Shot newsletter to get the latest entertainment business news, analysis and insights. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
