Milwaukee 10-year-old squeezes success out of Phresh Lemonade.

Oct 16, 2024

Princeton Hollins likes the term "entrepreneur."

And it shows. The 10-year-old beams with pride as he shows off the finishing touches his dad, Teon Hollins, put on Princeton's new business venture.

Princeton, a student at Garden Homes Lutheran School, points to the yellow custom-made countertops with drip paint detailing.

“And then in these cabinets, I have my cotton candy machine ...,” Princeton said. “And here are water tanks for storage. And then I have my refrigerator. And in the far corner is my sinks — wash, rinse, sanitize and another for handwashing.”

Princeton has been selling his homemade lemonade the last two years from a 3x7 wooden stand his father built. Business has been brisk since he sold out of his fruit-flavored drinks at this year’s Juneteenth Parade.

But an upgrade was needed. Princeton’s Phresh Lemonade — a portmanteau of the initials of his first and last name — went from lemonade stand to a food trailer.

Now he has a vision of franchising Phresh Lemonade with a fleet of trailers. His business plan is simple: Branch out to areas with hot climates like Houston, Arizona and Las Vegas.

“It is the most popular thing to sell in the summer,” Princeton said.

His decision to branch out was recognizing not only his business potential but his own potential.

“I got more confident in myself and that I could keep selling it,” said Princeton, who considers himself a somewhat shy person.

He began selling his lemonade at his father’s adult kickball games at Beckum Park. But the business grew out of a lesson his father wanted to impart to his son.

“Typically, kids always want parents to buy or parents to give,” said the elder Hollins.

He wanted his son “to figure out a way to make your own money.” He also wanted to teach his son financial responsibility, the value of work and earning a dollar.

“It is great to start them off young … so he can understand what it takes to keep a business going, how to expand, how to make your business better," Teon Hollins said. "That’s our goal — how to make Phresh Lemonade better."

Princeton took cues from his dad, an entrepreneur already. Teon is a tattoo artist and operates a mobile tattoo parlor, called Shorty’s Mobile Experience, out of a converted shuttle bus.

He found the trailer for Princeton on Facebook Marketplace in July and did most of the buildout of the trailer, which recently passed licensing and inspections.

“Lemonade is always a kid-friendly type of fun business to do,” Teon Hollins said. “It was a success ever since we started.”

Princeton didn’t want to sell just the traditional lemonade. He wanted to be different. So he began experimenting with flavors like passion fruit, peach, raspberry and blueberry. Phresh Lemonade has a variety of flavors — all made with fresh fruit. It sells in 16-ounce containers for about $8.

Princeton wanted to expand on the traditional flavor to cater to different tastes. Customers can customize flavors. But strawberry is the best seller.

The lemonade trailer was the next evolution of his business. Princeton knew he needed to expand from his Juneteenth experience. He brought 120 bottles of his homemade lemonade and sold out before noon.

Now with the lemonade trailer, Princeton can meet demand. He can prep and make his fresh lemonade on the spot. And the trailer provides more countertop space to explore other menu items.

Also, the trailer allows the duo to sell at more events, something they missed out on with just the lemonade stand. Summer is over, but both father and son hope to hit some youth football games and other outdoor events before the weather gets too cold.

What started as a lesson to teach financial responsibility has turned into a family-oriented business. And Princeton is already planning his next business venture — a clothing or streetwear apparel brand.

“I want to stay an entrepreneur,” Princeton said. “God blessed me to be able to do this.”