A Lemonade Stand with a Dream: Leighlah’s Lemonade Lounge

What began as a simple lemonade stand with a family goal has grown into a small business serving communities across Northeast Louisiana.

In 2024, April Takewell and her daughter Leighlah started selling lemonade as a way to earn extra money for a trip to Disney World. What began as a fun side project quickly gained attention as customers embraced the refreshing drinks and cheerful spirit behind the stand.

As the stand continued to grow, April realized the opportunity could become something more. To support the expanding demand and participate in larger community events, they invested in a mobile cart and began taking the steps needed to formally establish the business.

April connected with the LSBDC at the University of Louisiana Monroe for guidance on starting an LLC and navigating the process of launching a small business. Through one-on-one consulting, the LSBDC provided support and answered questions as April worked through the steps to legally establish and operate the business.

Today, Leighlah’s Lemonade Lounge is a women-owned specialty lemonade vendor serving customers at local festivals and community events throughout North Louisiana, including the Louisiana Peach Festival, the Louisiana Chicken Festival, and events at Kiroli Park.

For April, the experience has been about more than lemonade—it has been an opportunity to build a business while teaching her daughter the value of hard work and entrepreneurship.

“LSBDC has been completely helpful in all avenues of starting my LLC. Rachel has answered any question with knowledgeable answers.”
— April Takewell, Owner

“April and her daughter, Leighlah, are exactly why we do what we do at the LSBDC. Watching a simple dream of going to Disney World turn into a business that is showing this little girl that anything is possible with a little hard work—we love to see it.”
— Rachel Pruitt, Business Consultant, LSBDC at ULM