Building a Business and Cultural Bridges in Morganton

Erica and Christian met and fell in love in Guatemala, and their shared vision for Little Guatemala was informed by Christian’s work with migrant farmworkers across seven counties in Western North Carolina. There was an important community gap: families needed a place to relax, celebrate their culture, and feel welcome. It was also an opportunity to introduce the broader community to the rich Guatemalan heritage that makes up roughly 23% of Morganton’s population.

“I thought, ‘What if someone opens a place where these folks can come and have a good time, but also build a bridge for the American culture to collide with the Guatemalan culture?'”

When the Ramazzinis purchased the building, reality hit hard. The engineer’s assessment revealed they needed 70% more money than anticipated. Traditional banks turned them away, because they didn’t yet have two years of business history. “I thought we were just going to have to shut down the whole business,” Christian remembers. That’s when he connected with Mountain BizWorks.

“Mountain BizWorks stepped in and said, ‘Hey, we’ll help,'” Christian says. Beyond the initial loan to complete the building’s upfit, Mountain BizWorks provided crucial business education. “They really made me consider—’Okay, you’ve got to think about this, you’ve got to think about that.’ Where’s your business plan?”

The support continued through multiple loans and learning programs. Erica and Christian were graduates of the 2024 ScaleUp program, took the Financial Series course, and coaching, too. “This business would not be possible without Mountain BizWorks,” Christian states simply.

Today, Little Guatemala offers an array of experiences under one roof: roasting coffee supplied directly from Guatemalan farms, soccer programs for 60+ teams, delicious street food from local vendors, handmade crafts from Guatemalan artists, and cultural events like GuataFest and Guatemalan Independence Day.

The business model itself is strategic. “Sometimes the restaurant will be low on sales, but the soccer picks up,” Christian notes. “There’s always cash flow moving through all the parts of the business.”

For Christian and Erica, Little Guatemala represents something deeper than profit. It’s about service, community, and creating opportunities.

“I really want to provide a service,” Christian explains. He continues to look for areas to help. “I find these little holes that are not being filled in the community, and we just fill that gap.”

Erica adds: “We wanted to put a spotlight on something really unique here in Morganton: the Guatemalan population. We wanted to create opportunities for people to meet one another and become friends.”

The impact extends to the next generation. Christian wants young Latinos in Morganton to see what’s possible. “I want them to be able to say, we can own a bigger business. We can do coffee imports. We’re growing, and people are seeing this.”

This year, Little Guatemala expects to import even more coffee—three times last year’s volume. Christian envisions continuing to connect American roasters with Guatemalan farmers, potentially facilitating trips and creating support systems for farming communities.

The soccer field expansion—including new outdoor turf fields that can play even in rain—demonstrates their commitment to serving the community rain or shine. 

“I don’t feel like this is work,” Christian reflects. “I really enjoy it so much. To me, that’s fun.”