Meet Charlotte’s Iconic ‘Concha Lady’: Norma Zuniga
In the bustling city of Charlotte, where diversity in food is celebrated, a unique personality affectionately known as the ‘Concha Lady’ is making waves in the culinary scene. Norma Zuniga, founder of Dulce Dreams Café, has turned her passion for baking into a successful business venture that is increasingly capturing the heart and taste buds of the locals.
A Sweet Dream Comes True
Originally a plasma center lab technician, Norma Zuniga had her heart set on inspiring people to follow their dreams. Having a sweet tooth herself, Norma was drawn towards the thriving bakery scene in Charlotte and took inspiration from Cris Rojas, also known as The Batchmaker, a noted Latina baker with her own establishment in the city.
Norma’s dream was not just to own a bakery but to introduce the community to traditional Mexican treats like conchas— delicious, lightly sweet rolls topped with crunchy, sugary shells. She turned to YouTube to master the art of baking these treats, not remaining content with just the traditional chocolate and vanilla flavors but introducing bigger and sweeter versions with innovative flavors and designs.
The Launch of Dulce Dreams Café
In December 2021, Norma launched Dulce Dreams Café from a shared kitchen called City Kitch with a vision to familiarize every Charlottian with the traditional Mexican treat— concha. Recognizing the importance of committing fully to her venture, Norma quit her lab technician job in October 2022 to focus on her growing bakery business.
Originally from San Luis Potosi, Mexico, Norma moved to Charlotte with her family when she was only five. She studied biology at the Johnson C. Smith University, which offers financial aid to undocumented students like herself. However, her career in labs seemed monotonous to her, and she decided to chart a new path with conchas.
Rising Popularity of the ‘Concha Lady’
Now referred to as the ‘Concha Lady’ by many of her customers, Norma operates Dulce Dreams from a kitchen in Myers Park Baptist Church. She hosts about three pop-ups a week, takes special orders, and sells her pastries at the Uptown Farmers Market every Saturday. Her creative flair is evident in her conchas, which come in more than 50 flavors like cookies and cream, flan, guava, Biscoff cookie, strawberry cheesecake, among others— available in a variety of shapes and designs, from Barbie to ’70s-style flowers.
In addition to conchas, Norma provides a variety of other desserts and Mexican pastries like cinnamon rolls, corn-flour cookies, cheesecakes, and jalapeño-Oaxaca cheese rolls. Her next goal is to turn Dulce Dreams Café into a brick-and-mortar bakery, which she envisions as a modern yet cozy Mexican bakery-slash-coffee shop.
A Source of Inspiration
Norma launched a crowdfunding campaign on the platform Spotfund in May with a $100,000 goal to cover startup costs for her proposed café. Her story is both a testament to the power of dreams and the resilience of the spirit. She personifies the potential of following one’s passion no matter their background or circumstances. As the ‘Concha Lady’, Norma hopes to influence other Latinas and women, just as The Batchmaker inspired her. And as a testament to her continued commitment to supporting the community, Norma always takes the opportunity to acknowledge and champion other Latina business owners in Charlotte.
