The History of Doritos

Doritos debuted in 1964 in Southern California. The name means “little golden things” in Spanish, which is fitting because Doritos actually started out as tortilla chips. The inventor of Doritos is unclear. Some say the chips launched at a Disneyland restaurant in the early 1960s called Casa de Fritos. The story goes on to say that Frito-Lay took credit for the chips, and while they did own the restaurant, the food was originally sourced from a local Mexican food supplier. The story claims that workers there came up with the idea to fry discarded tortillas and sell them to restaurant guests. However, others refute this story and give the credit for Doritos to Frito-Lay executive Arch West. We may never know the truth, because even Frito-Lay doesn’t know for sure. What is certain is that by 1966, Doritos had become so popular that they were being sold nationwide. In 1967, Frito-Lay introduced the first flavored Doritos: taco flavor. The famous nacho cheese flavor debuted in 1972 and remains the most popular Doritos flavor of all time. Since then, many more flavors have been introduced, including Cool Ranch (originally called Cooler Ranch), Zesty Sour Cream & Cheddar, and All Nighter Cheeseburger. Rainbow Doritos were even made available for a short time in 2015 to benefit the It Gets Better Project. Today, Doritos continue to be a quintessential snack food in America with avid fans all over the world.