Morganton's Guatemalan community finds familiar ground at East Union Street restaurant

Christian and Erica Ramazzini’s Little Guatemala restaurant and coffee shop provides a home base for the city’s sizable Guatemalan community, as well as a flavorful immersion into the culture for others.

According to Erica, about 20% of Morganton's residents are Guatemalan, and the Ramazzinis have created a friendly space that captures the spirit and color of the Central American country. 

Little Guatemala is a multipurpose venue, offering in-house roasted coffee, breakfast, lunch and dinner, in-house created chocolates, an indoor soccer facility, street food, and crafts.

Christian and Erica use their business to create and cultivate a connection between Morganton’s Guatemalan and non-Latino populations.

The couple imports coffee beans from several regions of Guatemala. Beans from each region have their own individual flavors. The aroma of fresh coffee spreads throughout the building when Christian fires up the roaster located just inside the front door.

Erica explained that the combination of ideal temperatures, high altitude, a predictable rainy season, and shade-growing practices means that almost all of the beans grown in Guatemala are considered very high quality.

Although Guatemala is a relatively small country, its coffee is known for the diversity of its flavor notes, depending on the region where it is grown. 

“We access our beans through a trusted broker,” Erica said, “but we have been to visit the farm where our Huehuetenango coffee is grown. We currently have sample beans from several farms, so we may have some direct trade in the near future. All beans are carefully roasted onsite and used in our shop and coffee cart.”

Little Guatemala’s most popular coffees are Antigua, a medium roast, and Huehuetenango, which is a dark roast. The shop also markets San Marcos, another dark roast, and decaffeinated coffee is also available.

New coffee packaging 

The couple recently introduced colorful new packaging for their coffees. The designs on the bags are unique and reflect a special memory the couple shares. 

During one visit to Christian’s home country, the couple took a picture of a group of people and the design on one woman’s blouse caught their eye. They used that pattern as inspiration for their coffee bag design.

“It (is) really meaningful, because we took that picture while we were there,” Erica said. “It became a central part of Little Guatemala because of the connection between Morganton and Aguacatón,” she stated. “It's on our chocolate bars, we have the picture (of the group, including the woman in the blouse) on the wall in the restaurant.

“The purpose of the new coffee bags is to emphasize that connection to Guatemala with bright colors, national animals like the quetzal bird and jaguar, weaving patterns, and the central flower story about the huipil (blouse) from Huehuetenango,” Erica explained. “Now customers can see and display these icons of Guatemalan culture while tasting it in every sip.”

“The Guatemalan population here is from a place called Weiwei Tenango, specifically from Aguacatón,” said Erica. “Many of the Guatemalans who live in Morganton grew up there.” According to Erica, woven cloth and the designs on women's clothing are specific to the region where people live. “So you can tell where someone is from by the patterns on their clothes,” she said. 

Popular food items

Some of Little Guatemala’s most popular food items are the Guatemalan breakfast (eggs, sausage, black beans, fried plantains, house-made tortillas), Churraso (sizzle steak with guacamole, rice, black beans, salsa, and tortillas), and Shuko (Jumbo Guatemalan hotdog, chopped with steak, chimichurri sauce, guacamole, cabbage, ketchup and mayonnaise), and Chuchito (steamed corn dough with red sauce and chicken inside).   

They also offer a large selection of fresh-baked pastries each morning. “We are pleased to partner with La Panaderia Guatemalteca here in town for our wonderful Guatemalan pastries like champurradas (cookies meant for dipping in coffee), chocolate covered donuts, muffins, pineapple tarts, and more,” Erica said. 

Little Guatemala is also known for hosting many community events. “This year we are hosting monthly language exchange conversations, cooking classes, and Guatemalan markets,” Erica explained. “In the summer, children can come to Culture Days, which is a weekly program to learn about different regions in Guatemala through hands-on lessons, games, crafts, and recipes.  

Serving as a bridge

“For three years, we have hosted large Independence Day celebrations,” Erica said. Last year’s “Guate Fest,” held in September, was their largest celebration to date.

Little Guatemala’s indoor soccer field is also a popular gathering place for locals. “We have men's and middle school competitive leagues, youth leagues, and soccer tots for 2-4 year olds,” Erica stated. Pick up games are available for men, ladies, and youth and the field is also available for rentals and for parties. 

Christian and Erica have done a lot of work on the property in the back of the building with a goal of creating what looks like a Guatemalan park. “We will be continuing to work on that this spring to use it for markets, outdoor soccer, cultural events, and of course as a peaceful place to enjoy a great cup of coffee,” Erica said. 

“Our mission is basically to be a bridge,” she said. “Living in a community with so many Guatemalans, we want to provide a way where the community at large can get to know this unique culture and people that live in our midst.

“Also, in a broader way, many people have told us that they found us because they or their loved ones have been to Guatemala and miss it so much,” she added. “We can be a bridge for these folks as well, to be connected with the Guatemala that they love and miss.”

Little Guatemala is open Monday through Saturday from 7 a.m. until 9 p.m. Visitors to the business’ website, www.littleguatemala.com, can sign up to join Little Guatemala’s subscription service.

Sandra Wilkerson Queen is the education and business reporter for The Paper. She may be reached at 828-445-8595, Ext. 2002, or via email at sandra@thepaper.media.