Manolo’s Bakery, a Charlotte staple for nearly 30 years, has temporarily closed due to fears over Border Patrol activity outside its doors.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A beloved Charlotte bakery that has served the eastside for nearly three decades has closed its doors — not because of financial trouble, but out of fear for customers’ safety.
Manolo’s Bakery on Central Avenue announced it would temporarily shut down after its owner witnessed people being stopped by Border Patrol agents just steps from the bakery’s entrance.
Owner Manolo Betancur, who has operated the business for 28 years, said the decision became clear after taking a walk down Central Avenue and seeing what he described as aggressive encounters.
“I saw how they threw those people down on the street … they didn’t even ask them what their status was,” Betancur said.
Betancur said multiple businesses along the corridor also shut their doors out of concern for their customers and employees. For the first time since opening more than two decades ago, he said every business he drove past was closed.
He told WCNC Charlotte he couldn’t risk someone being separated from their family just for buying bread.
“I’m not going to risk my customers,” he said. “Safety is more important than any money, any profits or any economy system.”
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While fear sparked the closures, the community’s response has been filled with gratitude and support. Dozens of handwritten notes and drawings now cover the bakery’s storefront — messages saying “thank you,” “we love you,” and “I love my community.”
Customers have been stopping by not for bread, but for hugs and emotional support, Betancur said.
“Love letters and love messages,” he said. “I love Charlotte and I love my community.”
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There is no timeline for when Manolo’s Bakery will reopen.
Betancur said he will keep the doors closed until he feels customers can safely walk to the counter without fear of being targeted.
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