88S30838 CJM-D
By: Ordaz H.R. No. 102
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, L & J Cafe has served the El Paso community for a
remarkable 96 years; and
WHEREAS, Established by Antonio and Juanita Flores, this
iconic Mexican restaurant first opened as Tony's Place on the
outskirts of El Paso in 1927; it soon became a popular local
watering hole, especially among those stationed at Fort Bliss, who
sought out Mrs. Flores's delicious Mexican food as well as the
restaurant's home brew and slot machines; and
WHEREAS, The couple's daughter and son-in-law, Lilia and John
Duran, assumed responsibility for the restaurant in 1968, renaming
it L & J Cafe after the initials of their first names and the names
of their children; after John Duran passed away in 1987, his son and
daughter-in-law, Leo and Frances Duran, took over the café, with
Lilia Duran continuing to serve as an advisor until her death in
1999; a fourth generation of the family is represented by the
current general manager, Vanessa Duran; and
WHEREAS, The restaurant has expanded over the years, with its
kitchen tripling in size, and it now boasts a gift shop, which began
as a way to sell the restaurant's Tombstone Salsa; a popular
destination for local residents, visitors, and celebrities alike,
L & J Cafe has received numerous awards, including winning the USA
Today Best Tex-Mex in Texas contest in 2018, and Leo Duran was
inducted into the Texas Restaurant Association Hall of Honor; and
WHEREAS, L & J Cafe has also set an inspiring example of civic
engagement by working with other restaurateurs to feed refugees
from Central America seeking asylum in El Paso and Las Cruces in
2018; and
WHEREAS, L & J Cafe has won the loyalty of generations of area
residents while contributing to the prosperity of the local
economy, and over the course of nearly a century, it has attained
the status of a treasured community institution; now, therefore, be
it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 88th Texas
Legislature, 3rd Called Session, hereby honor L & J Cafe and extend
to all those associated with the restaurant sincere best wishes for
continued success; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for L & J Cafe as an expression of high regard by the Texas
House of Representatives.