We discuss the ending of the 2023 Hulu and Disney+ film Flamin’ Hot, which will contain spoilers.
In Flamin’ Hot, Richard Montanez is a first-generation son of a Mexican immigrant and is raising his three children, along with his wife, Judy. Richard has no high school diploma and struggles to find work after turning his life around to support his family. That’s when his cousin lands him an interview at the Frito-Lay factory as a janitor.
Flamin’ Hot Ending Explained
At the Rancho Cucamonga plant, Richard refused to settle and began to learn every aspect of how the snacks were made. Then, after a video sent out by the company president, Roger Enrico, asking for ideas to spark sales after an economic decline, Montanez takes his shot by inventing a snack with a burning sensation that gives off a natural endorphins rush that sets the snack world ablaze.
How does Richard Montanez come up with the idea of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos?
After watching a company-wide video sent by Roger Enrico, the president of Frito-Lay, a subsidiary of PepsiCo, seeking ideas to increase sales, Richard invents Flamin’ Hot Cheetos. Richard recognizes that big businesses in America have often overlooked marketing food to people of Mexican heritage.
When Richard’s boss rejects the idea, he takes matters into his own hands. He finds Enrico’s phone number by sneaking into the management’s office after hours and calling him directly. Richard explains his idea to Enrico’s secretary, who admirably recognizes its potential and transfers the call to Enrico himself.
Richard describes the flavor he wants to create, inspired by the spices his people use to enhance Cheetos products. Impressed with Richard’s determination, Enrico invites him to send samples. As Richard and Judy refine their recipes, using their youngest child as a taste tester, they develop a spicy and delicious flavor.
When Enrico receives the samples, he loves them and arranges a meeting for a presentation at the Rancho Cucamonga plant. If successful, this could save the plant and everyone’s jobs.
How does Richard Montanez save his Flamin’ Hot Cheetos?
Richard, his family, and his coworkers market the product directly to the people after Frito-Lay failed to put money into marketing Flamin’ Hot Cheetos. This is even after Richard convinces Roger Enrico to take a chance and run a line of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos. (Enrico reveals Frito-Lay has been working on this product for years but has never perfected the recipe).
The bags from Frito-Lay sit on the shelves collecting dust. It’s revealed an executive, who does not believe in Richard as Enrico has, never put money into the marketing campaign. So, to save everyone’s jobs, Richard takes the bags of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos from the factory to the Mexican community the Montanez family is a part of.
The grassroots effort is a huge success, sparking sales in Southern California, and Enrico recognizes the Hispanic community is an untapped market for the company. The Rancho Cucamonga factory is given exclusive rights to produce Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, saving everyone’s jobs. Enrico calls Richard himself, saying his plant will produce five-million units of the Flamin’ Hot Cheetos.
How did Richard Montanez become an executive at Frito-Lay?
After saving his job as a janitor at the Frito-Lay plant in Rancho Cucamonga, California, Richard Montanez is promoted to an executive position by Roger Enrico, the president of the food snack corporation. The plant is subsequently assigned the exclusive responsibility of producing Flamin’ Hot Cheetos. After some time, Richard’s mentor, Clarence, also receives a promotion.
However, the long-awaited promotion Richard had been seeking, an engineering position at the plant, is given to someone else. Richard is then called upstairs by his bosses to clean an office, where he is surprised by Enrico. The executive informs Montanez that he is promoted to Director of Multicultural Marketing and is given an office at his home plant.
Richard is overcome with emotion and calls his wife, Judy, from his office phone to tell her the news.
Does Flamin’t Hot have a mid or post-credits scene?
No, Flamin’ Hot does not have a mid or post-credits scene. However, the film has pre-credit information explaining that Richard Montanez is known as the “Godfather of Latino marking” and retired from PepsiCo/Frito-Lay after forty-two years. Under his leadership, Montanez Flamin’ Hot brand of products is now a billion-dollar annual industry.
What did you think of the ending of the 2023 Hulu and Disney+ Flamin’ Hot? Comment below.
