H.R. No. 62       R E S O L U T I O N          WHEREAS, El Mercado in Austin celebrated its 40th anniversary   on August 13, 2025; and          WHEREAS, Established by the Villegas family in 1985,   El Mercado originated as a Mexican market on South First Street,   just blocks from their home in a corridor that was largely   residential; customers who came in for masa, spices, and other   groceries could also pick up food prepared in a small kitchen; and          WHEREAS, The popularity of its Tex-Mex dishes led Camilo   Villegas and his son, Tony, to clear out some shelves and add   seating for diners; they ultimately transitioned to exclusively   offering restaurant service and added patio dining; and          WHEREAS, In 1990, the restaurant opened another location on   Burnet Road in North Austin, and three years later, it expanded to a   site on Lavaca Street, near the State Capitol; at one point, the   Villegas family operated five locations; and          WHEREAS, Camilo Villegas greeted customers and took care of   any repairs until he died in 2007, at the age of 82; his wife,   Gudelia Villasana Villegas, continued to drive herself to work at   the restaurant's office, and she passed away in 2019 at the age of   92; rising real estate values downtown prompted the sale of the   El Mercado site on Lavaca in 2022, and the employees there   transferred to other locations; and          WHEREAS, Today, Tony Villegas remains an able steward of the   company's two oldest restaurants; El Mercado South also encompasses   a popular live music venue, the Backstage, where long-running   residencies include the Monday Night Supper Club, Durawa Tuesdays,   and the Purgatory Players gospel brunch, which raises funds for the   Central Texas Food Bank; and          WHEREAS, While the Austin restaurant scene has changed   dramatically over the course of four decades, El Mercado remains   one of its stalwarts, to the great delight of its loyal following   among fans of both Tex-Mex cuisine and local music; now, therefore,   be it          RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 89th Texas   Legislature, 2nd Called Session, hereby congratulate El Mercado on   its 40th anniversary and extend to Tony Villegas and 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 the restaurant as an expression of high regard by the   Texas House of Representatives.     Flores     ______________________________   Speaker of the House                 I certify that H.R. No. 62 was adopted by the House on August   27, 2025, by a non-record vote.     ______________________________   Chief Clerk of the House