| 1 | 1 | | H.R. No. 102 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | R E S O L U T I O N |
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| 5 | 5 | | WHEREAS, L & J Cafe has served the El Paso community for a |
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| 6 | 6 | | remarkable 96 years; and |
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| 7 | 7 | | WHEREAS, Established by Antonio and Juanita Flores, this |
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| 8 | 8 | | iconic Mexican restaurant first opened as Tony's Place on the |
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| 9 | 9 | | outskirts of El Paso in 1927; it soon became a popular local |
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| 10 | 10 | | watering hole, especially among those stationed at Fort Bliss, who |
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| 11 | 11 | | sought out Mrs. Flores's delicious Mexican food as well as the |
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| 12 | 12 | | restaurant's home brew and slot machines; and |
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| 13 | 13 | | WHEREAS, The couple's daughter and son-in-law, Lilia and John |
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| 14 | 14 | | Duran, assumed responsibility for the restaurant in 1968, renaming |
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| 15 | 15 | | it L & J Cafe after the initials of their first names and the names |
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| 16 | 16 | | of their children; after John Duran passed away in 1987, his son and |
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| 17 | 17 | | daughter-in-law, Leo and Frances Duran, took over the café, with |
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| 18 | 18 | | Lilia Duran continuing to serve as an advisor until her death in |
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| 19 | 19 | | 1999; a fourth generation of the family is represented by the |
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| 20 | 20 | | current general manager, Vanessa Duran; and |
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| 21 | 21 | | WHEREAS, The restaurant has expanded over the years, with its |
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| 22 | 22 | | kitchen tripling in size, and it now boasts a gift shop, which began |
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| 23 | 23 | | as a way to sell the restaurant's Tombstone Salsa; a popular |
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| 24 | 24 | | destination for local residents, visitors, and celebrities alike, |
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| 25 | 25 | | L & J Cafe has received numerous awards, including winning the USA |
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| 26 | 26 | | Today Best Tex-Mex in Texas contest in 2018, and Leo Duran was |
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| 27 | 27 | | inducted into the Texas Restaurant Association Hall of Honor; and |
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| 28 | 28 | | WHEREAS, L & J Cafe has also set an inspiring example of civic |
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| 29 | 29 | | engagement by working with other restaurateurs to feed refugees |
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| 30 | 30 | | from Central America seeking asylum in El Paso and Las Cruces in |
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| 31 | 31 | | 2018; and |
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| 32 | 32 | | WHEREAS, L & J Cafe has won the loyalty of generations of area |
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| 33 | 33 | | residents while contributing to the prosperity of the local |
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| 34 | 34 | | economy, and over the course of nearly a century, it has attained |
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| 35 | 35 | | the status of a treasured community institution; now, therefore, be |
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| 36 | 36 | | it |
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| 37 | 37 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 88th Texas |
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| 38 | 38 | | Legislature, 3rd Called Session, hereby honor L & J Cafe and extend |
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| 39 | 39 | | to all those associated with the restaurant sincere best wishes for |
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| 40 | 40 | | continued success; and, be it further |
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| 41 | 41 | | RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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| 42 | 42 | | prepared for L & J Cafe as an expression of high regard by the Texas |
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| 43 | 43 | | House of Representatives. |
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| 44 | 44 | | Ordaz |
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| 45 | 45 | | ______________________________ |
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| 46 | 46 | | Speaker of the House |
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| 47 | 47 | | I certify that H.R. No. 102 was adopted by the House on |
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| 48 | 48 | | November 1, 2023, by a non-record vote. |
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| 49 | 49 | | ______________________________ |
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| 50 | 50 | | Chief Clerk of the House |
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