One of the quintessential summer activities for kids is setting up a lemonade stand. You can find them all over Wisconsin. And one budding entrepreneur in Milwaukee has taken her lemonade stand to the next level by bottling the drink and donating some of her profits.
Kyric’s Lemonade has developed a devoted following and is popping up all over social media. The lemonade comes in five flavors: blue, pineapple, regular, pink and orange.
Kyric’s favorite flavor? Blue.
“The lemonade’s sweet and tart. There’s no tap water. There’s fresh squeezed lemons,” said Kyric Burt, the nine-year-old owner of Kyric’s Lemonade.
There has to be more to the recipe.
“Secret, secret, you have to buy it!” Kyric said smiling.
Customers can place their order for bottles or gallons of lemonade through Facebook and Instagram inboxes. Once they pay, they pick it up the next day where Kyric will deliver the lemonade curbside and socially distant. She’s even shipped the bottled drinks across the country. And one Milwaukee store, Williams Pantry, has started selling it.
“They keep coming back to buy from me because they think it’s really good. And they just want to support me,” said Kyric.
“Her work ethic is crazy,” said Nikki Burt, Kyric’s mom who helps with orders and lemonade production. “She’s up all night. She’s up early in the morning. She is hands on with her business because I need her to understand it from the beginning to the end. Then someday, I can pull it back and she’ll take care of everything.”
Kyric has a lot of family support with her business. For example, her cousin, My’chree Harris, created the custom labels for the bottles. They feature different monsters with lemons. As Kyric put it, “These type of monsters, they’re not scary — they’re cute!”
Kyric’s Lemonade comes in five flavors: pink, orange, regular, blue, and pineapple. (Maureen McCollum/WPR)
Support From And For Her Community
Kyric set up her first lemonade stand at Greater New Birth Church over a year ago. It was a hit.
“We were doing a rummage sale and we wanted to sell lemonade, so we did,” Kyric said. “It was very good and a lot of people liked it.”
After that, people started requesting bottles of the lemonade. They casually posted about it on Facebook.
“It went crazy after it. Crazy!” said Nikki.
Beyond the community support, Nikki and Kyric’s social media skills have helped push sales with more than 1300 followers on Facebook, plus Instagram and TikTok. Nikki also has experience running another online business, Nikki’s Boutique.
Kyric Burt with Dr. Berdie Cowser and veterans outside VETS Place Central in Milwaukee. (Photo by Kontessa Blaylock)
Kyric has treated herself to a new pair of roller skates from the lemonade sales and Nikki wants her to start saving for college.
But, most of the lemonade proceeds go to Kyric’s community. She donated gallons of lemonade and hygiene products to homeless veterans at VETS Place Central in Milwaukee. Right now, she’s looking to support an organization that helps sick children. Kyric also donates to the Wisconsin Humane Society.
“Well, I wanted a bunny, and I can’t have one,” Kyric said. “I really wanted to do something for the homeless pets. I just thought it would be nice to give them food. It makes me feel good.”
This makes Nikki a proud mom.
“I tell people all the time it makes me feel so warm and fuzzy inside because she gets it,” Nikki said. “At night, I cry a little bit because she gets it. It is not just about her, it’s about her community and that that warms my heart.”
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Kyric choosing which dog food is best for the animals at the @wischumane ❤❤
Dreams Of Fame And Grocery Stores
Nikki said they want to take Kyric’s Lemonade to the next level. She’s working on the business licensing so that they can appeal to some bigger markets and grocery stores.
As for Kyric’s goals?
“I wish my lemonade would be so famous that I could just walk down the red carpet,” Kyric said laughing. “I can be on commercials on TV with DJ Khaled or someone famous could be in there with me. I’d love that.”
Kyric has started diversifying her products, too, by selling nails, nail polish remover and sleep masks.
As for advice for future entrepreneurs or current business owners?
“Just try to put yourself out there more,” Kyric said. “Keep working on it. And soon you’ll get like me, like what I did.”
Nikki had advice, too.
“Listen to your children. They will lead down the path that they desire to go,” Nikki said. “Do not — I repeat, do not — push your own thoughts and your own ideas or your visions on your children. They will lead you.”
Nikki said Kyric has always had a certain drive within her that’s made her a successful business owner.
“She’s consistent,” Nikki said. “She’s always concerned with ‘Are we posting today? Can we do a giveaway?’ She’s always one to give something away. So, we have to come up with different creative ideas. Like, how can we engage her clientele?”
Kyric Burt poses with her lemonade on her front porch. (Maureen McCollum/WPR)
Kyric’s personality helps.
“If you are in the room with her, it’s hard to be sad,” Nikki said. “It’s hard to be angry because she’s always just so bubbly. And this is for real Kyric. This is not an act.”
Nikki also credits their faith for their success.
“You know, we believe in God and I just think that he answers prayers,” Nikki said. “That was one of my prayers for my children is that they are successful at whatever they enjoy doing. And she enjoys it.”
The Burt family has no plans of slowing down the business anytime soon.
“I am just really, really happy for her,” Nikki said. “You know, as a mom, it does my heart great that people are choosing to spend their money with her. There are thousands of other lemonade stands but you choose to come to Kyric.”
“I’m glad I did a lemonade business, I feel like it makes me happy,” Kyric said beaming. “People buying it — seeing them happy makes me happy.”
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MUSIC: “Before I Let Go” by Beyoncé
