Young Entrepreneurs Add New Twist to Selling Lemonade

There’s a new addition to the Port Washington Organic Farmers Market: C&K Organic Lemonade.

The business made its debut Saturday, July 28, and will return every Saturday throughout the summer.

These entrepreneurs prove that you’re never too young to go into business. Just ask Charlotte Kerpen, age 9, a Port Washington resident who runs the operation with her sister Kate, 5.

They seem to know what customers want in a refreshing beverage.

“Our lemonade is not too sweet and not too sour,” Charlotte Kerpen said.

Of course, it helps too, to see a market need.

As their father Dave Kerpen tells it, the girls were thirsty during one of their Farmers Market outings after snacking on muffins and breads from one of the venue’s vendors.  When they couldn’t find a suitable drink, Charlotte Kerpen said, “Daddy, we should start a lemonade stand.”

After checking with , which runs the market, Dave Kerpen learned from the organization’s executive director Patti Wood that to sell lemonade, it would have to 100 percent organic, as is everything else at the market. So they agreed to use only ingredients that were certified organic, sweetening the lemonade with agave nectar, rather than sugar. C&K also sells freshly squeezed orange juice.

Of course, every business needs capital, so Kerpen provided $160 in startup money, with the stipulation that he is paid back $40 a week. Pricing, too, is important. The partners are charging $2 for lemonade, and $3 for freshly squeezed organic orange juice 

That seems to resonate with consumers. The first week C&K made $201.

The sales inspired them to add "lots of flavors,” Charlotte Kerpen said. “Right now our flavors are strawberry vanilla, and maple.”

Asked about what surprised her the most about running a business, Charlotte replied, “How happy the customers looked when they took the first sip. I was also surprised by how much we made the first day.”

Now the Kerpens are focused on spreading the message that “our lemonade is 100 percent healthy,” Charlotte said.

So far, they’ve committed to selling at the Farmers Market every Saturday through the summer. But beyond that, who knows? There could be bottling options in the future.  

The Port Washington Organic Farmers Market is open Saturdays, from 8 a.m.-12 p.m. through October.