We Aren't Just A Candy Company...We Are So Much More!

Where We've Been

Hope's Caramels began out of a decade of life changes and a sweet tooth. In March 2003, I became a stay-at-home mom; however, I wanted to continue contributing financially to our household. It started with my Graphic Design degree, then morphed into specialty cakes, cookies, and cupcakes. Then came my A-HA moment. My salted caramel cupcake was a huge seller. It was so loved that one of my husband's co-workers wanted only the caramel in the middle of the cupcake. So, I cooked the caramel longer, cut them, wrapped them in wax paper, and that was my first sale. That was in 2014.

In 2019, my husband, Brady, left his job at the hospital. He walked away from his salary, medical benefits, and security to work with me full-time. Then, two weeks before the world (literally) shut down, we signed a lease and moved into a commercial kitchen space in West Chester, PA. We had no idea what we would face in the coming months, but we knew for the business to grow we had to move out of our home kitchen. We prayed and trusted without knowing what to expect. 

 

Where We Are

Hope's Caramels has continued to grow, despite a couple years dealing with the pandemic. We've been able to add a few part-time employees who help us a couple days a week. We are currently in 15+ retail stores in PA, MD, DE, MA, and OR. You can find us at farmer's markets and festivals throughout the year where we see and engage with thousands of customers. Currently, we donate 10% of our profits to non-profit organizations fighting against human trafficking. We opened our Shopify store in 2022 and are excited to watch our fan base grow!

 

Where We Are Going

Our desire in the coming years is to begin hiring people who have come out of human trafficking. We want to create an environment where they can grow, learn, and succeed. We want to give them the opportunity to learn new skills, take classes, and develop leadership skills they can take with them into their future. We love caramels and we love helping people. How wonderful to create a business that does both by bringing the sweet life to everyone!