In early November 2025, Frito-Lay announced plans to close two of its facilities in Orlando, Florida – one of them a major manufacturing facility. The decision impacts around 500 employees total, coming as a shock to the community that relied on the facilities for employment for decades.
Facility closures
The Orlando manufacturing site has been a fixture in the region since the 1960s, producing popular snack brands such asLay’s, Doritos, SunChips, and Cheetos for distribution across Florida and the Southeast. Its closure ends more than half a century of local snack production — a change that has been felt sharply by laid-off workers and their families, especially with the announcement coming ahead of the holiday season.
The main production facility ceased operations on November 4, 2025 (the same day as the announcement), laying off about 454 employees at that time. A nearby support facility will continue operatinguntil May 9, 2026, when it is scheduled to close, and its roughly 46 employees will be laid off. That brings the total to roughly 500 people losing their jobs.
Chips in trouble?
The Orlando shutdown is part of a broader trend within PepsiCo’s Frito-Lay division, which has reported a decline in product volume and sales in 2025. The company has already closed facilities in states including New York and California this year, as shifting consumer preferences — particularly a move toward healthier snack options — put pressure on traditional snack demand.
According to financial reports, Frito-Lay’s sales volume for snacks was down about 2% year-over-year in Q3 of 2025. Besides consumers moving towards healthier snack options, other factors like inflation, reduced foot traffic in stores (grocery delivery, anyone?), and increased competition from brands offering healthier alternatives all play a role in the bigger picture for Frito-Lay.
What about employees?
WARN laws require companies to give advanced notice of closures. Because Frito-Lay issued the WARN notice the same day as the closure of the main manufacturing plant, employees are entitled to 60 days of pay…