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ST. george –Couple’s Lemon Juice brings a new flavor to life by using grandma’s recipe and squeezing it with love, one cup at a time for humans and dogs.
Originally from Chicago, entrepreneurial couple Megan Roddy and Alex Wisniewski started Lemonade just three months ago, and they couldn’t have picked a better location than St. George.
“Everyone was super friendly, that sense of community — that’s something you don’t get back where we come from,” Wisniewski said. “People here like to support local businesses. It’s great to live in a community with a real sense of community,” Wisniewski said.
Planning to open some catering business in the future, the motivation behind their business came from Tuakan Saturday market. Thirsty, they realized that the only drinking option was bottled water and this gave them a delicious idea.
As a child, Roddy used to make fresh lemonade and make lemonade with her grandmother when her family held garage sales and other events. They used an old lemon press, her grandmother’s simple syrup recipe, and a bag of ice.
“It was like a little junkie boy thing, but it was still fresh squeezed lemonade and a lot of good memories,” Roddy said.
The couple decided to try lemonade with Grandma’s recipe as a fun pastime they could do together on the weekend. They never imagined the amount of support they would receive from the community or how quickly it would turn into a full-fledged business.
“He was able to help us with his special relationship with childhood, and it worked really well,” Wisniewski said.
Lemonade got its first test with the public when Roddy, a volunteer at RSQ – a non-profit animal rescue – found out about a fundraiser the shelter was holding. They also donated fresh squeezed lemonade to make their signature. The event went well, not only for the issue but also as a great test of their business concept. They shared their first speech the following week. Tuakan Saturday market as a vendor.
“It blew up way more than we thought it would,” Roddy said. “It was crazy. In a good way.”
Roddy said she calls her grandmother often about the lemonade business. She was very excited about it all and thought it was “the best thing ever”.
“She calls me all the time and says, ‘I’m proud of you,’ and I’m like, ‘It’s because of you,'” Roddy said.
Grandma’s simple syrup recipe is the base of every lemonade made in the Lemon Lab, mixing different flavors to create other lemon-flavored flavors. The flavors are strawberry, lavender, Arnold Palmer (half tea, half lemonade), watermelon, mango, mixed fruit (blackberry, strawberry and blueberry), mint ginger and of course – their signature original lemonade.
“I’m not big on food coloring, it’s all natural. Like soda shops – many other lemonades I’ve seen use corn syrup and food coloring. We don’t do that,” Roddy said.
For example, Lemon Lab Lavender Lemonade is made with butterfly pea powder, an underground blue flower, but when mixed with something acidic like lemon, it turns purple, a natural food coloring.
The couple, huge animal lovers and RSQ supporters, launched a further fundraising event, this time for a special dog called Rascal. Rascal, who lived in a van in Cedar City with his elderly husband, who has dementia, was part of the horrific accident.
“The guy didn’t know Rascal was still tied up in the back of the van and he went to the store still tied up,” Roddy said. “The police grabbed him, dragged him away, and he felt terrible. Not on purpose, it’s obviously a very sad story for all concerned.
Roddy said he knew the owner could no longer care for the dog and would not be able to get the life-saving medical attention it needed. RSQ was contacted about the matter and took the dog into their care.
“RSQ is a little bit different than most hunters in the area in my opinion. They take on major medical issues that most hunters shy away from because of cost and other things,” Lee said.
Even though the vets predicted Rascal would have to die, Roddy said everyone was rooting for him and never gave up. The couple held a fundraiser specifically for the dog and raised a significant amount of money for his care.
RSQ was able to get the dog into Best Friends Animal Society, and a few weeks later he went to a foster family and a forever happy home. The couple plan to hold more fundraisers for RSQ, including naming a flavor of the week after a wanted dog.
“Lemon has given us the opportunity to use it as a tool to raise money for something you love. We can help bring the community together and get something they love in return, which goes to a good cause,” Wisniewski said.
With the St. George Downtown Farmers Market back up and running, the couple has a divided and winning Lemonade businesses, with Wisniewski running the Farmers Market and Lee the Tuakan Market every Saturday.
“We make everything fresh on site, so we’re pressing the lemons right there,” Wisniewski said. “We don’t come with pre-squeezed lemonade to speed things up. People appreciate knowing what’s in their cup.
Lemon Labs offers half-gallon and 16-ounce bottles of lemonade for purchase. Message us on Facebook or Instagram to order. Visit their booth on both Saturdays Tuakan Market and Downtown Farmers Market. It is also available to prepare lemonade preparations.
“There’s a lot more work that goes into it when you try to do anything that’s actually worth doing,” Wisniewski said. “And we’re working together, having this time and supporting each other, which is the best part.”
Photo gallery
Lemon Labs owner Megan Roddy and Alex Wisniewski pose together August 8, 2022 | Photo by Jesse Bang, St. George News
Couple Megan Roddy and Alex Wisniewski stand together at a Lemon Lab vendor’s booth in Ivins, Utah on an undisclosed date | Photo by Megan Roddy, St. George News
FRESH STRAWBERRY LEMON VIEWED BY LEMON LAB, LOCATION AND DATE NOT SPECIFIED | Photo by Megan Roddy, St. George News
Couple Megan Roddy and Alex Wisniewski stand together at a Lemon Lab vendor’s booth in Ivins, Utah on an undisclosed date | Photo by Megan Roddy, St. George News
Rescue dog Rascal is suddenly seen being dragged behind a car, undisclosed location and date with bandages on his leg | Photo by Megan Roddy, St. George News
New Dog Mom Rescue Dog Rascal Smiles Proudly at New Family, Place and Date Undisclosed | Photo by Megan Roddy, St. George News
Couple Megan Roddy and Alex Wisniewski stand together at a Lemon Lab vendor’s booth in Ivins, Utah on an undisclosed date | Photo by Megan Roddy, St. George News
Alex Wisniewski, owner of Lemon Labs, freshly squeezed lemons, location and date not announced | Photo by Megan Roddy, St. George News
A cup of lemonade lemonade is seen next to a swimming pool, location and date not specified | Photo by Megan Roddy, St. George News
Couple Megan Roddy and Alex Wisniewski stand together at a Lemon Lab vendor’s booth in Ivins, Utah on an undisclosed date | Photo by Megan Roddy, St. George News
Lemon Lab vendor booth at Saturday Market, Ivins, Utah, date not announced | Photo by Megan Roddy, St. George News
Lemon Lab vendor booth at Saturday Market, Ivins, Utah, date not announced | Photo by Megan Roddy, St. George News
Copyright Saint George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2022, all rights reserved.
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