Fountain Valley girl is getting permits to expand thriving lemonade stand

FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif. (KABC) -- A Fountain Valley girl's lemonade stand was so popular this summer she decided to apply for permits to expand the business.

While it appears to be a run-of-the mill neighborhood lemonade stand, 10-year-old Anabelle Lockwood said it's most definitely not, as she serves up her great grandmother's recipe paired with gourmet flavors.

"Watermelon, peach, mango, mint, sometimes we have iced coffee," Anabelle listed.

The budding entrepreneur went to her parents with the idea in June as something to do with her friends while on summer vacation.

The 5th grader's dad built her stand and she was off.

"It was summer, it got her off her tablet, it got her outside, and her friends got to get involved," Chanel Rene, Anabelle's mother said.

The neighborhood stand quickly grew in popularity and Anabelle made business cards for The Loco Lemon and advertised using social media.

People started asking her to bring the stand to events.

"If you want to do it, just do it big," Anabelle said.

Before taking the job, Anabelle's mother called the Orange County Health Care Agency, asking what it would take to get a permit to take her daughter's stand on the road.

"This list of the cart, the dispensers, the tests, the permit, the license, the kitchen," Rene explained.

The health department said it doesn't focus its efforts on regulating commodities like lemonade stands, nor did it enforce anything in this case, but Anabelle said she wanted to expand her business the right way.

The family launched a GoFundMe page to help with the upgrades to meet code and hoped to earn a permit in the next two weeks.

All of the work was worth it for the young girl to keep chasing her goals as an entrepreneur.

"I like meeting people when I do it, they're really nice and supportive and it just makes me feel really good," Anabelle said.

Her mother said the business has helped Anabelle grow and have fun.

"She's talking to people, her math skills have increased now that she's doing change and everything and she's having fun," Rene said.

If you'd like to learn how to donate to Anabelle's GoFundMe page, click here.