10-year-old’s lemonade stand goes big time with an outpost at Terminal South

Jase’s Lemonade will offer 20 flavors with candy toppings, plus grilled cheese sandwiches

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Jase Kurtz, founder of Jase’s Lemonade

Courtesy of Jase's Lemonade

As the saying goes, “when life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” It was deep into the Covid-19 pandemic and then-7-year-old Jase Kurtz was in virtual school, driving his parents a bit crazy. His dad, Jurell Kurtz, decided to give him a project to keep busy: he asked him to start a business.

“I love trying lemonades and juices, so I wanted to add fruit to lemonade,” Jase says. “We tried many different recipes. Sometimes it was too sweet or too sour. But now we have the perfect one that’s just right.”

His mom found an event for child entrepreneurs and the family set up a stand. They sold out. “We thought it was something Jase would do for a weekend, but it’s been going ever since,” Jurell says.

In 2021, Jase’s Lemonade was officially in business selling original, strawberry, and kiwi lemonade at pop-ups and festivals. The next year, they purchased a trailer and made weekly appearances at a Decatur food truck park. There, they expanded their flavors, and Jase was inspired by another truck to add candy toppings to his lemonades. Come fall, Jase’s Lemonade will open its first brick-and-mortar location in a shipping container at the Terminal South development in Peoplestown.

There, the Kurtzes will sell 20 customizable flavors of lemonade, available as a juice or a slushie, plus a selection of grilled cheese sandwiches. Blue raspberry-sour apple is the most popular slushie, but mango pineapple is Jase’s favorite. Options include mint, matcha, guava, peach, mango, cherry, blueberry, raspberry, lavender, blood orange, watermelon, piña colada, and passion fruit. Toppings range from sour worms and gummy bears to Nerds and Pop Rocks. Each drink is available in a 20-ounce or 32-ounce cup, a souvenir cup, and a 40-ounce fishbowl popular with college students.

Courtesy of Jase's Lemonade

Grilled cheese was chosen for its ease to make, since Jase is just a kid. Sandwiches will be made with fresh sourdough and different combinations of cheeses, served with kettle chips. “It’s a kid’s business so we wanted more kids’ food,” Jase says. “I love cheese. I eat everything with cheese.”

Since he’ll start middle school in the fall, his mom plans to work at the shipping container during the day. He’ll join her on afternoons and weekends. Both of his parents have launched businesses in the past—Kurtz Logistics Group shipping company and Unicorn Universe makeup—so they’re familiar with the entrepreneurial lifestyle. Jurell says he hopes to open additional Jase’s Lemonade locations in food halls around Atlanta. He also plans to sell the bottle beverage in 15 local stores by the end of the year. (Right now, it’s available at seven, including Black Coffee, Cereal Lab, Dolo’s Pizza, and Icey Chicks.)

As for Jase, the straight-A student will continue to push his business forward—when he’s not at school or playing video games.

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