Tom and Jennifer Hamilton are expanding their business — and their charity-driven mission — to the High Point community. Cara’s Cookies Co. will be taking over a roughly 300-square-foot space at Stock + Grain Assembly Food Hall this winter at 275 N Elm St.
The Hamiltons found their inspiration for Cara’s Cookies Co. in a tragedy. In 2018, when Jennifer was pregnant with their daughter, they learned something was wrong in the 35th week.
The doctors delivered their daughter — Cara — early and discovered she had an aggressive brain tumor. She passed away 50 days after birth.
The Hamiltons started a nonprofit organization called Cara’s Purpose in 2019 to honor her memory and to help families in similar circumstances.
“We are in NICUs across the country,” Tom told What Now Charlotte. “We’ve even helped people as far as Africa — whatever doors open up, we’ll help. We get connected to families who know they are having a baby with a terminal illness so that we can help them with day-to-day stuff so they have more time to be with their kid.”
Cara’s Purpose helps with anything from bills to jobs to scheduling babysitters.
They began selling cookies at fundraisers for the charity, and eventually they decided to open up a cookie business at Concord’s Gibson Mill Market. A portion of the profits go to Cara’s Purpose.
Now, the brand is expanding. Cara’s Cookies Co., which serves cookies, cookie cakes, fudge, custom sugar cookies and more, will be serving an expanded menu at the High Point location. It will serve coffee beverages as well as ice cream at the Stock + Grain Assembly Food Hall location.
For the Hamiltons, the new opportunity is bigger than just growing the brand — they hope to grow the reach of Cara’s Purpose through the expansion as well.
“We’re looking to bring our menu to a different city, but also get connected and help people who might need it in the Triad area,” Tom said.
Eventually, they hope to expand to more locations throughout the Triad.
