LOMITA, Calif. — More than 37 lemonade stands featuring custom drink menus, props and even a chicken mascot named "Lemon" popped up all across Lomita on Aug. 7.
The sweet business venture is part of a program to help youths in the area learn more about what’s needed to build their own business. One of the young entrepreneurs is Brianna Garcia who, with the help of neighbors, received both donated and freshly squeezed lemon juice to create her stand, Bri’s Frozen Lemonade. She might have also had the perfect selection for the hot summer day.
What You Need To Know
- Lemonade stands popped up across Lomita on Aug. 7 for the first annual Lemonade Day led by the Lomita Chamber of Commerce and other sponsors
- Youths learned about business expenses, how to both pitch for a micro loan and how to incorporate philanthropy in their business
- The national program helps youths learn about financial literacy as they compete to earn prizes in the programs national competition
- Bri's Frozen Lemonade donated over $700 to the Marine Mammal Care Center
"I have frozen lemonade in four different flavors," Brianna said. "We have strawberry, mango, peach and original."
Each lemonade Brianna sold helped her learn what it takes to start up her own business. She also learned pretty quickly that it wasn’t as easy as she first thought.
“They need money to keep growing like every business, and that a lot of them might not have money,” she said. “But that changes when they grow into a bigger business.”
Brianna is one of about 50 young entrepreneurs who took part in the first annual Lemonade Day led by the Lomita Chamber of Commerce in partnership with the City of Lomita. The program taught her and other youths how to pitch for a micro loan, market their product and learn about business expenses.
Many stands opted to donate some or most of their proceeds to specific causes. Heidi Butzine with the Chamber of Commerce was hopeful that this will be an inspiration for future small businesses in the city.
“They are learning these entrepreneurial and business principles that any business owner would need to know in order to start a business and keep it running,” Butzine said. “So I’m just excited that the Chamber can inspire this in our young people.”
That day, Brianna wasn’t sure how much she would sell. But her final total came out to more than $1,500 worth of lemonade.
“It feels pretty good because I get more money to donate to the Marine Mammal Care Center, and I absolutely just love animals,” she said.
After making up for business expenses and her hard work, Brianna donated over $700 to the center. While she might not be ready to open her own full-time small business just yet, the experience is helping her see the sweet side of one day being her own boss.