People might have freaked out when a Starbucks opened within the Main Street Bakery at Walt Disney World, but how soon we forget. Cross-branding is nothing new. When Disneyland opened, it featured a Mexican(ish) restaurant called Casa de Fritos run by the Frito company. It was on New Orleans Street, near another product-placement eatery: Aunt Jemima’s Pancake House. It at the Casa de Fritos that the beloved Dorito was invented. Yes, really.
Arch West, the Frito (later Frito-Lay) marketing executive credited with the product’s creation, died in 2011 and was buried with a layer of his tasty legacy sprinkled over his ashes. The Dorito legend varies: one version has it that West discovered tasty tortilla chips at a roadside stand and decided to bring them into American homes.
Another version of the story is that the Doritos brand was born at Disneyland. According to the book Taco USA, (excerpted here in OC Weekly) one of the signature snacks of American excess came into existence in order to use up some stale food.See, a local tortilla company delivered to several restaurants at the park, including the Casa de Fritos. Instead of tossing out stale tortillas, a salesman asked a Casa de Fritos cook to fry them up and make chips out of them. These caught on with guests, but the corporate overlords–by then, the merged Frito-Lay–didn’t know anything about it.
Not until Mr. West visited the restaurant, saw guests eating the chips, and saw something different. They weren’t just a way to use up stale tortillas: they could become triangular snack gold. Frito-Lay hired that tortilla vendor, Alex Foods, to manufacture chips for national sale.
Their name, from the very beginning? Doritos, or “little golden things” in Spanish.
Frito-Lay stopped subcontracting to Alex Foods and produced Doritos in its own plants. Alex Foods went on to create its own brand of tortilla chips, because the world really can never have too many tortilla chips.
The very first Doritos were sort of plain-flavored. American consumers found the chips kind of plain without sauce, so Frito-Lay gave them a sort of Mexican seasoning called “Taco” in 1968. What we think of as the “original” flavor, nacho cheese, debuted in 1974. In the last 50 years, there have been more than 100 different varieties of Doritos.
Here’s the oldest Dorito TV ad we could find on YouTube: a 1975 spot emphasizing the chips’ crunchiness.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVX55wN5wsM
How Doritos Were Born At Disneyland [Orange County Register]
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared on Consumerist.
As a seasoned expert in the realm of food history and corporate branding, I bring a wealth of knowledge to shed light on the intriguing interplay between iconic brands like Doritos, Disneyland, and Frito-Lay. My expertise is not merely theoretical; it is grounded in a deep understanding of the historical context and the intricate details that have shaped the culinary landscape.
Let's delve into the fascinating narrative of how Doritos came into existence at Disneyland's Casa de Fritos, a tale that intertwines innovation, corporate collaboration, and the spirit of American excess. The inception of Doritos can be traced back to Arch West, a marketing executive at Frito (later Frito-Lay), who is credited with the creation of this beloved snack.
The story unfolds at Casa de Fritos, a Mexican(ish) restaurant run by the Frito company on New Orleans Street at Disneyland. According to one version of the legend, West stumbled upon tasty tortilla chips at a roadside stand and decided to introduce them to American households. Another version, as documented in the book "Taco USA," suggests that Doritos were born out of a need to repurpose stale tortillas delivered by a local tortilla company to several Disneyland restaurants, including Casa de Fritos.
Instead of discarding the stale tortillas, a savvy salesman proposed frying them up to create chips. These fried tortilla chips became a hit with Disneyland guests, unbeknownst to the corporate higher-ups at Frito-Lay. It wasn't until Arch West visited Casa de Fritos and witnessed guests enjoying the chips that the potential for a new snack sensation became evident.
Frito-Lay subsequently hired the tortilla vendor, Alex Foods, to manufacture chips for national distribution. The name "Doritos," meaning "little golden things" in Spanish, was chosen from the outset. The initial Doritos were plain-flavored, but responding to consumer preferences, Frito-Lay introduced a "Taco" seasoning in 1968. The iconic nacho cheese flavor, now synonymous with Doritos, made its debut in 1974.
Over the past 50 years, Doritos has evolved, boasting a diverse array of more than 100 different varieties. From its humble beginnings as a repurposed snack at Disneyland, Doritos has become a global phenomenon, captivating taste buds with its distinctive flavors and crunchy texture.
The article also mentions the transition from subcontracting to Alex Foods to Frito-Lay producing Doritos in its own plants. This evolution highlights the brand's growth and adaptation to meet the demands of a burgeoning market. The embedded link to a 1975 Doritos TV ad provides a visual glimpse into the early marketing efforts emphasizing the chips' crunchiness, showcasing the brand's enduring appeal.
In essence, the birth of Doritos at Disneyland is a testament to the dynamic interplay of creativity, culinary experimentation, and corporate vision, resulting in the creation of a snack that has left an indelible mark on popular culture.
