As summertime heats up in Cleveland, residents are looking for ways to get some relief. From splash pads to ice cream cones at the Honey Hut, there are many ways to cool down in Cleveland on hot days. A young girl in the Central community is putting her own spin on a summertime staple: the lemonade stand.

Cerenity’s start

Cerenity Palmer, 12, is the CEO of Cerenity’s Lemonade Stand. The stand is located on the southeast corner of East 36th street and Central avenue in Cleveland. I was able to spend some time at the lemonade stand with Cerenity and her family. Within minutes of opening, the first customers of the day pulled over to the curb to purchase some ice-cold lemonade. 

Cerenity started the stand in 2020, when COVID-19 derailed her summer plans. 

“I usually go to the Boys and Girls Club during the summer, but because of COVID, I couldn’t,” Cerenity said. “I knew that I didn’t want to just sit in the house all day, not being productive. My mom asked me what I wanted to do for the summer, and a lemonade stand was just the first thing that came to mind.”

Christina Collins, Cerenity’s mother, was excited when her daughter came to her with the plan. 

“I’m an entrepreneur myself, so when she came to me with the idea, it lit up my world,” Collins said. “She’s my daughter, so I knew she had it in her. I’ve always educated my children about being their own boss and ownership. I’ve encouraged them to be creative and think big.”

Building the stand was a family project, as her mother and grandad both helped construct the stand and bring Cerenity’s vision to life. 

“I always tell my kids consistency is key,” Collins said. “Just always making sure you show up every time and making sure you are always putting your best foot forward. Whether we sell lemonade or not, you showed up and did your part.”

Get your ice-cold lemonade here

Cerenity begins her day at 6 a.m., as she and her family hand-squeeze 64 lemons for the day’s batch of lemonade. The process typically takes one to two hours. 

Her grandmother, Betty Worley, is on site to support her. She told Signal Cleveland that she believes Cerenity gets her love from lemonade from her own grandmother.

“Lemons have a lot of healing benefits,” Worley said. “My mother and grandmother used to give us lemons for all sorts of illnesses and ailments.” 

“My grandma used to always sit at the table in the summertime and slice and squeeze lemons for lemonade,” she added. “That’s Cerenity’s great-grandma – you can feel her spirit in here when the stand is open.”

Looking forward

Cerenity looks forward to expanding her business, thanks to the love and support she has received from community members.

“Right now we are working and fundraising to get our food trailer and license,”  Cerenity said. “We also want to get our lemonade in different restaurants and businesses. Eventually, I would like to have my own restaurant.”

Collins and her daughter believe that with the continued support of the community, the stand will continue to grow. 

“Word of mouth has been a big part of her success,” Collins said. “People think of 36th and Central and immediately think bad things but no, there are a lot of young people out here doing really positive things and people will support that.”

“People will pull over and say ‘I see you out here all the time and I want to support you,’” Cerenity said. “I love that about my neighborhood.”

Shortly after the stand opened, a passing customer honked his horn and waved. He pulled over and told Cerenity he would be back later to purchase some lemonade after he runs a few errands. 

Cerenity’s Lemonade Stand is open on Friday and Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. and on Sunday from 1:30 p.m to 6:30 p.m. The stand sells multiple flavors of lemonade, including strawberry, mango, pineapple, boba and more. The stand also sells bagged chips, candy bags and homemade nachos. Prices range from $1 to $10, with other daily specials included. For more information, call 216-640-4096 or check them out on Instagram: @cerenityslemonadestand