History of Doritos

Archibald C. West is credited with inventing the triangular corn chips called Doritos, which means ‘little bits of gold’ in Spanish. He was an executive vice president of Frito-Ly Inc.

The story began when Arch West passed by Casa de Fritos and noticed customers eating the chips. He reportedly diverted money from other budgets for quiet research on a new product line, which eventually became Doritos after higher ups failed to share his enthusiasm for this variants of corn chips.  He asked the Morales family to mass produce them.

West presented his bosses with a plan to market tortilla chips for national release, with Alex Foods its maker. Frito-Lay bought all the equipment the Morales family needed to make chips.

The name was likely elected because it rhymed with Cheetos another popular snack food manufactured by Frito-Lay.

Arch West and David Pace, the inventor of Pace picante sauce, realized that if they displayed their products together, they’d both sell more.

Doritos brand tortilla chips were releases in 1966, the forts tortilla chip launched nationally.

By 2010, the chip beloved by everyone from toddlers and teenagers to stoners and the infirm was earning Frito-Lay $5 billion a year.
History of Doritos

History of Frito-Lay Company

The Frito Company
Corn chips, which are derived from corn masa like that used in tortillas, were originally developed by Gustavo Olguin. Charles Elmer Doolin worked for him as a fry cook for a short time.

In 1932, Charles Elmer Doolin purchased a Gustavo’s corn chip recipe, a handheld potato ricer and 19 retail accounts for $100. Doolin set his new business venture in his mother’s kitchen. Because there was no money for hiring employees his family helped him.

In 1933, the fritos production was increased by designing a ‘hammer’ pres and the company continued to expand.

In 1945, The Frito Sales Company was established, which separated sales from production activities. Expansion by the Frito National Company continued with issues of six franchises in 1945.

H. W Lay & Company
Herman W. Lay was a salesman for Sunshine Biscuit Company, but during the Depression he lost his job.

In 1932 Lay was hired by Barrel Foods a snack food firm in Atlanta Georgia, and began selling peanut butter sandwiches in southern Kentucky and Tennessee. His job is to sell and make deliveries for the company by his model A Ford touring car.

Lay was an aggressive business and began acquiring distributorships. As his territories expanded, his profits arise. When Barrett’s founder died in 1937, Lay bought the company, which included plants in Atlanta and Memphis, Tennessee.  He changed the company name onto H. W Lay Co. Inc on October 2, 1939.

By end of the World War II, Lay’s had become a major regional produce of snack food. After the war Lay automated his potato chip manufacturing business and diversified its products.

Popcorn, manufactured in Nashville, Tennessee, was the first product to have the ‘Lay’s’ brand name. Lay also manufactured potato chips.

Frito Lay Incorporation
In 1945, Lay met Elmer Doolin. Doolin franchised Herman Lay a license to distribute Fritos.  The two companies also cooperated on other products.

In September 1961, The Frito Company and H. W Lay & Company merged to become Frito-Lay, Inc.

On June 8, 1965, the merger of Frito-Lay and Pepsi-Cola Company was granted by shareholders of both companies, and a new company called PepsiCo, Inc was form.

By the end of the 1960s, Frito –Lay was the dominant company in the snack world.
History of Frito-Lay Company