The profile of Manolo Betancur–like the bread he bakes–is rising. The Colombian native behind Manolo’s Bakery has a reputation for speaking his mind about issues facing Charlotte’s immigrant community and backing it up with charitable work.
In Charlotte, he has delivered bread to migrant workers, donated blankets to the homeless, birthday cakes to children and prepared meals to thousands during the pandemic.
All the while, he’s grown his network of small businesses, most recently opening Higher Grounds coffee shop at Myers Park United Methodist, with which he served during Covid. A portion of proceeds are distributed through grants locally and globally.
Now Manolo is the subject of a short film called The Changebaker, set to premiere at the Mountainfilm Festival in Telluride, Colo.
Atlanta-based documentary filmmaker Courtney Dixon came across Manolo’s name after taking up bread baking during the pandemic. She saw an article about the 2021 World Bread Hero Award, recognizing Betancur for contributions to his community.
She was moved by his story of arriving in the U.S. in 2000 with $900, three pairs of pants, three shirts, and shoes, without knowing English. He worked gardening and warehouse jobs in Miami, biking from place to place. He got a student visa and a scholarship to King University in Tennessee, where he worked as a dishwasher and learned English. He came to Charlotte in 2005 and was hired in the East Charlotte bakery, which he bought six years later.
“I loved his immigration story,” Dixon says. “I think it's important to show what the American Dream looks like for everybody in America."
She opens the film with a poignant passage of Manolo describing what made him want to flee his post as captain of 33 Colombian special forces, fighting in a civil war.
“It was too much for me,” he says, with tears in his eyes. “It was too much for my heart.”
Three months later, he arrived in Florida.
Manolo has been a U.S. citizen for 20 years but never lost touch with what it feels like to start from scratch.
“I think it's important to show what the American Dream looks like for everybody."