The Story of Hayli Martenez and Her Lemonade Stand

Like many children in America, Hayli Martenez sells lemonade in the summer to her neighbors. Unlike many children, however, this isn’t a one-day diversion to keep busy on a summer day.

Hayli takes her lemonade selling seriously. She named her business, Haylibug Lemonade and the money she raises goes to her college fund.

Hayli had challenges to overcome

Hayli lives in a low-income neighborhood in Kankakee, Illinois. Kankakee is a small town about an hour south of Chicago. When Hayli first began selling lemonade, she was afraid to even leave her house and go outside.

“It was kind of scary [at first] because we liked to stay in the house. We didn’t like to come outside because of all the stuff happening around here,” Hayli said. “As we kept doing it, I got to see everybody smile when they tasted my lemonade. It was just … wow. They were lining up to get my lemonade.” — Illinois Policy

Hayli had other challenges to her business as well. The Martenezes were involved in a dispute with the water company over an incorrect bill. As a result, the water and sewer system had been turned off in their house.

But Hayli didn’t give up. Hayli and her mom bought bottled water from the grocery store when it was on sale and continued the lemonade stand outside their home.

The summer of 2019

Haylibug Lemonade was successful and became a positive influence in the neighborhood. The media noticed, and Hayli found herself featured in the local newspaper, the Kankakee Daily Journal in June of 2019.

And that is when the trouble began.

Hayli was 11 years old the day local officials showed up and warned her and her mother to shut down the business. They cited a lack of water and sewer service and told the Martenezes, the lemonade stand was a violation of local code. If they didn’t stop selling lemonade, they would face fines.

But Hayli is not the type of girl to let adversity end her dreams. The media picked up on the story, and state Senator Patrick Joyce, D-Essex sponsored a bill to ensure local government can’t stop kids under the age of 16 from selling lemonade outside their homes.

Success in Springfield

Hayli and her mom joined the fight, with Hayli going to the state capital of Springfield, Illinois to testify in support of SB 119. The measure was passed by both houses and signed by Illinois Governor JB Pritzker in July 2021. It goes into effect on January 1, 2022.

According to Hayli’s Law (SB 119):

“Provides that, notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Department of Public Health, the health department of a unit of local government, or a public health district may not regulate the sale of lemonade or nonalcoholic drinks or mixed beverages by a person under the age of 16. Effective January 1, 2022.”

State Sen. Patrick Joyce (D-Essex), who sponsored the bill in the General Assembly, tweeted the following in support of the new law,

“This #NationalLemonadeDay, I am celebrating Hayli’s Law, which prevents children’s lemonade stands from being shut down for not having a permit. This new law will allow our young entrepreneurs to dream big without any hurdles.”

With the passing of the bill, Illinois has made it just a little bit less tough for young entrepreneurs to get their first start.

“It’s a rite of passage for a kid,” Joyce said to NPR regarding lemonade stands. “If they’ve got the initiative to go out and put together something like a lemonade stand to raise a little bit money for themselves over the summer. … We shouldn’t be discouraging that.”

Most American states require permits for lemonade stands

Oddly enough, it’s not only Illinois creating trouble for budding entrepreneurs. There are only 16 states in America that do not require permits for a kid’s lemonade stand.

In most states, parents easily can obtain permits to make selling non-alcoholic beverages legal, but many parents are not aware they need them.

And though most of the time, local officials overlook the need for a permit when a kid sells lemonade in the summer, that isn’t always the case. Hayli is not the first American kid to find her lemonade stand shut down by local officials.

It even happened to comedian Jerry Seinfeld in New York when police were called by a nosy neighbor because his children were selling lemonade to raise money for charity, outside his Hampton mansion, without a permit.

Haylie’s business is going strong

Hayli Martenez has learned perseverance, along with other skills, from running her lemonade stand. Her business is more successful than ever. According to NPR, she now charges a dollar for a glass of lemonade, two dollars for a large cup, and $15 per gallon. The money, she says, goes to her college fund.

Now, this coming summer, thanks to Hayli’s Law, she, along with the other children in Illinois, can enjoy the iconic American pastime of any kid’s summer, selling cold drinks filled with lemon juice and plenty of sugar to their neighbors.

A previous version of this article was originally published on NewsBreak.