Help Keep La Brujas Dulceria Open In Hot Springs, AR

Hello, my name is Karla Miranda, and today I’m reaching out to ask for your financial support. My mother, Lorena Ocampo, is the proud owner of La Brujas Dulcería, located in beautiful Hot Springs, Arkansas. We are a candy/snack/bakery shop with an international twist. Since we opened in January 2023, my siblings and I have worked alongside our mom to bring her dream to life. After 14 years of juggling two jobs, being a home baker, and raising five kids on her own, my mom took the bold step of turning her passion into a family business. Unfortunately, various challenges have made it difficult for us to stay afloat.

I want to be completely transparent about our journey as we ask for your support. Our first year started off well, but we faced numerous obstacles at our original location. We encountered ongoing issues, including major delays in building our kitchen and unresolved plumbing problems—none of which were within our control. We always knew that having a functional kitchen was key to offering a broader range of products, as we didn’t believe a candy store alone, outside of downtown Hot Springs, would be sustainable.

With our savings running low, we made the tough decision to relocate. We moved into our current space, formerly Monty’s Pawn Shop, took out a loan, and invested significant time and thousands of dollars into renovations to get it ready for opening.

Unfortunately, we opened later in the summer season than we had hoped, and while we expected a slowdown in sales during the fall, it came sooner and hit harder than anticipated.

The stress of all these roadblocks, combined with the financial strain and everything riding on this business, has taken a toll on my mom’s health. She has been under immense pressure, and it even led to her being hospitalized due to heart problems brought on by the stress.

The kitchen—essential for our long-term success—took far longer to complete than we ever imagined, due to circumstances beyond our control.

We dealt with contractors who ghosted us, others who'd even said they were on the way and never showed up, and a plumbing project that was delayed due to technical issues on the electric company's side, compounded by filing errors with the city. We poured thousands into the kitchen, and now that it’s finally completed, our financial resources are nearly depleted. My siblings and I continue to work for my mom, and some of us have chosen not to take pay in order to lessen the financial burden.

We are incredibly close to reaching our full potential, but we need your help to get there. We are just waiting on certain things to be brought up to code (that we are not in control over) to be approved by the state. We’re seeking funds to cover rent, restock our store, and buy the ingredients we need to expand our offerings. With a little support, we can stabilize our business and turn La Brujas Dulcería into a thriving local treasure.

In addition to asking for donations, we also want to be transparent about our plans. Here is a partial menu (gofundme crops out most of the menu since it is vertical)

and a list of events and activities we plan to offer at La Brujas Dulcería so you can see for yourself if this is a cause worth supporting. We hope to host many community events in the future as well.

Please consider helping us in any way you can—whether by donating, sharing this campaign, or visiting our store. As a special thank-you, anyone who donates $100 or more will receive a 15% off loyalty card that will be valid forever. Your generosity will help us keep the dream alive, make my mom’s vision of owning her own business a reality, and keep our entire family employed.

Thank you so much for your support!