Juan Montesinos’ customers have been wanting to know when his candy shop would be open in its new location at the Elgin Mall of East Dundee.
“People are excited,” the owner of Lupitas Dulceria said. “They are knocking on our doors, asking when we’re going to open.”
The answer is this weekend if village inspectors say the renovated building at 539 Dundee Ave. meets all required zoning and public health requirements, manager Rosa Esquivel said.
Montesinos was among those waiting this week for final approval. He has two stalls in the mall at which he’ll be selling an array of Mexican candies and candy-filled pinatas.
“It’s been a long time but, God willing, everything will be fine,” Montesinos said.
Many of the vendors filling the new mall had been located at the original Elgin Mall at 308 S. Mclean Blvd. in Elgin. They were notified in August 2022 that the building owners were reclaiming the space and they had to move.
The small business owners incorporated, and eventually decided to relocate to a former grocery store in East Dundee. It took months to win village approval for the plan and then proceed with the renovations needed.
Belgica Andeno, owner of Yuriza Shoes, remembers when she received the vacate notice, which was written in English and had to be translated for her.
“I was so confused,” said Andeno, whose business had been at the mall for 20 years.
It was the perfect location because she could bring her autistic son with her when she worked. But she was excited when plans came together for the new mall where she could continue her business, she said.
“It was a new hope,” Andeno said.
Despite obstacles, including opposition from East Dundee Village President Jeff Lynam, whose veto was overturned by the village board, she says the struggles they faced are soon to be a thing of the past.
“It took a lot of time. We made sacrifices, but I believed it would be worth it,” Andeno said.
The new mall, which retained its original name but added East Dundee for clarity, looks similar to how it was set up in Elgin but everything is new and white walls divide each of the vendor’s stores.
Andeno was putting together mannequins for a display in the days before the mall’s soft opening. She sells formalwear and other items in addition to shoes.
“It looks clean, and we have air conditioning,” said Andeno, noting was something they didn’t always have at the old location. “I think our clients will be more comfortable.”
The stalls set to open in the new mall cater to a Hispanic clientele and sell a wide range of merchandise, including religious items, clothing, cowboy boots and hats, and jewelry. It also has three hair salons, an eyebrow threading vendor, two restaurants — Juanita’s and No Manches — two candy shops and an ice cream shop, La Michoacan.
Emberlynn Martinez and Janellei Esqueda, keeping an eye on their family’s Fashion Jewelry store this past week, said the new mall is nicer than the original Elgin Mall. “I like how it’s more organized,” Martinez said.
Montesinos said the business owners are ready to go, and they’re happy not only for the new opporunity but for their ability to help the village that has welcomed them.
“More business is good for us and the village. We want to grow and support the village,” he said.
Gloria Casas is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News.
