Lemonade stand battle breaks out in Minden

Two lemonade titans found themselves in a battle for Carson Valley's limited market share at Minden Park on Thursday.

At the intersection of Mono Avenue and Sixth Street, motorists were waved down by competing lemonade stands.

In one corner was the established company of Joey Jacobsen, 12, and Andrew Laing, 11, selling large cups of a homemade/mix hybrid for 50 cents a pop. A sign hanging from their table made it clear they were raising funds for the rock band they'd formed only a couple days prior. With an electric guitar, amplifier and drum set on their wish list, selling lemonade seemed the surest way to secure the necessary capital.

"We're the Spectacles," said Joey, who was sporting retro shades in the 77-degree weather. "I'm the lead singer."

"I'm the drummer," Andrew said. "Our friend Jace Hart is the guitar player."

The partners had set up their stand around 9 a.m., and by a little after 1 p.m., they'd already taken in $30. That may seem like significant profit for a small lemonade retailer, but it pales in comparison to the company's earnings last year - a whopping $400.

"It's way slower compared to last year," Joey said.

It didn't help that another troupe of young entrepreneurs swooped into their territory around 10 a.m. with not only undercutting prices (25 cents a cup), but also free fudge brownies and Oreo cookies to boot.

"We moved a couple of times. We were first kind of close to them," 12-year-old Ali Cronin said while pointing out her competition across the street.

Ali was joined by Taylor Harker, 12, Kayley Hall, 12, Summer Lott, 9, Gaby Cornado, 7, Alex Harker, 11, Savannah Hall, 15, Brandon Thielmann, 11, and the group's business mascot, Fizzel the Guinea Pig.

Savannah said their refreshing beverage came from ripe lemons, water and a dash of sugar.

"I got a whole bunch of lemons on a trip to San Francisco," she explained. "I was upset when they used them all because I like to eat them."

Kayley, who prided herself on developing the product, pointed out that they were also offering blue, store-bought Gatorade.

"But our lemonade is homemade," she said.

By a little after 1 p.m., the large group had made $17. However, Savannah said she had to subtract $5 for materials and other overhead costs.

"We'll probably make more," Kayley reassured everyone.

Despite limited customers and tight competition, the lemonade market couldn't have seen better conditions on Thursday.

"Today's a perfect day to sell lemonade because it's getting hot," Andrew said.

Though their pricing strategies differed, the success of each operation came down to their respective strategies. With Ali beating a snare drum and Alex running up and down the street with a sign, it was clear that their group had the advantage of effective advertising. Unfortunately, they had to close shop around 2 p.m.

Joey and Andrew, on the other hand, might have had fewer employees and less visible marketing, but they had the simple advantage of longer operational hours.

"We're staying out until night," Andrew said.