The Changebaker Place, a new café by local activist and entrepreneur Manuel Betancur, quietly opened this year in east Charlotte next to Manolo’s Bakery.
Why it matters: It expands Betancur’s growing portfolio of community-focused businesses in Charlotte.
- The new café shares its name with “The Changebaker,” a 16-minute documentary about Betancur’s life and advocacy.
Catch up quick: Last year, Betancur’s popular east-side bakery became ground zero for protests against ICE and border patrol presence in Charlotte.
- But that wasn’t the first time Betancur stood on the frontlines for a cause he believed in. He’s visited Eastern Europe several times to feed Ukrainian refugees in Poland and rebuild a Ukrainian bakery invaded by Russian soldiers. He’s delivered fresh bread to the migrant workers on North Carolina’s Christmas tree farms and, most recently, traveled back to his home country of Colombia to aid in the aftermath of devastating floods.
Between the lines: His nonprofit “By Immigrant Hands” is an extension of Betancur’s core personal mission and his businesses to celebrate marginalized communities.
The vibe: The café is inside a former hair salon and serves as an extension of Manolo’s Bakery. It includes cozy seating areas, laptop-friendly tables and meeting rooms.
- One meeting room features furniture that belonged to a Charlotte woman who self-deported to Colombia after living here for decades — items Betancur kept and later incorporated into the space, Michael Graff of The Charlotte Optimist, reported.
Dig in: The café’s menu features pastries, gelato, sandwiches, espresso and coffee drinks made with Colombian beans…