Food giant Frito-Lay — maker of the popular snacks Cheetos, Doritos and Lay’s potato chips — announced Tuesday it will shutter two of its manufacturing and warehouse operations in Orlando, eliminating 500 jobs.
In a letter to the state’s Department of Commerce, the company said it planned to terminate 454 positions this week at its plant off Silver Star Road.
The positions include mechanics, packagers, machine operators, handlers, managers, maintenance and the plant’s director, wrote Bonny Bourque of Frito-Lay’s Southeast Division.
The affected employees have been told they will be provided with 60 days of severance pay, according to the letter.
In a separate letter on Tuesday to the state, Bourque said the company also will stop its operations at its smaller facility at 2000 Parks Oaks Ave. by May 9 and eliminate 46 jobs. Those positions include handlers, supervisors, and warehouse workers.
Frito-Lay announced Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025, it was closing two Orlando manufacutering and warehouse facilities and terminating 500 workers. (Sentinel file)
Based in Plano, Texas, Frito-Lay is part of PepsiCo Foods and has nearly three dozen manufacturing plants across the country and Canada. It employs about 60,000 people in total.
In a statement released Tuesday, PepsiCo called the closing of the Orlando facilities “a difficult decision” and said it was driven by “business needs” as consumers begin to cut back on spending and seek healthier snacks.
“We know how much this site and its people mean to the Orlando community,” the statement said. “We are committed to treating every impacted employee with care — providing transition assistance, career support, and pay and benefits during this time.”
In June, the company sold off nearly 47 acres of its total Orlando properties — including a 72,000-square-foot warehouse at 998 N. John Young Parkway, about two miles south of the Silver Star Road.
That same month, Frito-Lay announced it was closing a manufacturing plant in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., after 50 years of operation, according to RetailWire.
Frito-Lay began production in Orlando in the mid-1960s.
The company also manufactures and sells Tostitos tortilla chips, Sun Chips multi-grain snacks and Fritos corn chips.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.