'Refreshing' new law allows Georgia children to operate lemonade stands legally

If you see lemonade stands offering cool drinks in your neighborhood on these hot Georgia days, thank two Atlanta siblings who helped make it a reality.

The Georgia Lemonade Act became law July 1.

Temima Genauer, 12, and her brother, Jack, 9, pushed for the law that makes it legal for kids to sell lemonade and other drinks, such as hot chocolate, on private property.

A few months ago, at the Georgia Capitol, Jack testified before the state Senate Committee on Economic Development and Tourism that he liked having a lemonade stand outside his home.

“My favorite parts of running a business were doing the taste testing and making the packets of lemonade to sell,” he said.

He and Temima got a taste of entrepreneurship while out of school during the COVID-19 school shutdown. They opened “Lemonade in the Shade.”

Their dad, Rami Genauer, himself a small business owner, insisted on teaching them how to run it like a real business.

“What it means to do market research and product testing," Genauer said. "They did a focus group. They did an online survey. They did branding and marketing.”

They also learned about regulatory and licensing issues.

Genauer said the licensing costs added up to about $300, and “Because of the product, they would have had to get safe food handling certifications, which all seemed pretty absurd for what it was they wanted to do.”

So, their dad added another lesson: how to navigate the legislative process involved in law creation.

They contacted state Sen. Elena Parent of Atlanta, who helped develop Senate Bill 55, now known as the Georgia Lemonade Act.

“Kids should be able to operate a lemonade stand without worrying about being shut down,” Temima told state House members at a Small Business Development Committee hearing.

The measure garnered bipartisan support and allows children under age 18 to sell “non-consumable goods or pre-packaged food or lemonade” and other non-alcoholic beverages on private property, making no more than $5,000 a year.

They no longer need to seek a permit or license from local municipalities.

Now unencumbered, Temima and Jack plan to ramp up their homemade lemonade stand this week by offering regular and strawberry flavors.