Neighborhood Lemonade Stands Are Illegal In Cheyenne
According to a Cheyenne municipal ordinance, kids who set up neighborhood lemonade stands are, technically, breaking the law.
The Cheyenne City Clerk requires all food vendors, including lemonade stands, to obtain a permit for a Food Stand/Mobile Push Cart. The cost of the permit is $75 for commercial vendors or $25 for charitable organizations. The license also stipulates that food stands cannot operate in residential neighborhoods.
A controversy surrounding similar ordinances ignited in Denver last month when local Police shut down a lemonade stand run by a six-year-old child and his younger siblings after receiving complaints from street vendors at a nearby festival. It was one of several incidents involving lemonade stands around the country in recent years.
In response, the makers of Country Time Lemonade have launched a legal defense fund, offering to pay for any fines incurred by children operating lemonade stands. Hopefully, they won't need to help out any kids here in Cheyenne. For their part, the Cheyenne Police has not responded to any complaints about lemonade stands.
"I don't see us taking a heavy-handed approach regarding kids with lemonade stands any time soon," a spokesman said.