SR0157 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0157 LRB104 12416 LAW 22701 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate wish to congratulate Dulcelandia on the occasion of the business being in operation for the past 30 years; and

WHEREAS, Dulcelandia, meaning "Candyland" in Spanish, was founded by immigrant entrepreneurs from Durango and Guadalajara, Mexico, Eduardo and Evelia Rodriguez, in Chicago in 1995; and

WHEREAS, Dulcelandia expanded at one point to include eight retail locations across Chicago's neighborhoods while building a nationwide wholesale distribution network; today, the business has five Chicago-based locations positioned in Little Village, Brighton Park, McKinley Park, Logan Square, and Chicago Ridge Mall; and

WHEREAS, Dulcelandia's stores have become neighborhood institutions, serving both wholesale clients and retail customers, standing out for their immersive retail spaces, featuring floor-to-ceiling candy displays and cultural murals depicting Mexican traditions, including piņata celebrations and Mayan chocolate-making, and offering more than 1,000 Mexican and American confectionery products, the region's largest piņata selection, and a full product line available in-store and online, with its signature items including tropical flavors, such as guava, coconut, and mango, and unique offerings, such as "Pollito Asado", or spicy peach lollipops; and

WHEREAS, Dulcelandia has been featured by a number of local and national media outlets, including Crain's Chicago Business, the Chicago Tribune, the Chicago Sun-Times, the FOX Morning Show, the WGN Morning Show, ABC 7's 190 North, Hispanic Business, Negocios Now, La Raza Newspaper, Candy Industry Retail Confectioner, and Metromix; and

WHEREAS, Dulcelandia remains family-owned and operated, a local community employer, and a cultural bridge while staying true to its tagline, "Proudly Importing Nostalgia Since 1995"; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Dulcelandia on its 30th anniversary, and we wish the business continued success; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Dulcelandia as an expression of our esteem and respect.