I first met Emanuel “Manny” Pérez-Ochoa and his sister, Ana Acela Pérez, in 2021, when their family opened El Puro. They transformed a former steakhouse in Madison Park into a Cuban restaurant reminiscent of pre-revolutionary Havana, before Castro stripped it of glamour. Their family already owned Havana Carolina Restaurant & Bar in Concord, but they saw an opportunity for another Cuban restaurant closer to the city center.

Two years later, along with Manny’s Colombian wife, Carolina, they opened Muraya, a Colombian-inspired lounge in South End. Their newest venture, Babaloo Coffee Club, which opened in South End in January, serves La Colombe coffee, empanadas, and Cuban sandwiches and pastries. In the current political climate, they say it’s more important than ever to spread their culture throughout the Carolinas.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE ORIGINAL PUBLICATION FROM NEWSBREAK VIA CHARLOTTE MAGAZINE