AFAICT there's some gig economy company called Country Time Lemonade who have managed to get a workforce of child labour for free, and yet it is the stall (small business) that requires a permit and so the startup behind it is offering refunds on the permit fees?
What have I got wrong?
There's a long "tradition" of kids setting up a little lemonade stand on the side of the road and selling glasses of lemonade for 50 cents or whatever to get a bit of extra spending money during their summer break from school. This is typically just a random table from their parents house, a sign made out of a sheet of paper, and pitchers of lemonade.
There was a lawn mowing game I loved as well. Plus all the classics (Bard's Tale, Ultima, Wizardry, etc).
Separately, there’s a US tradition of children setting up lemonade stands to make pocket money during the summer. Typically parents help buy the supplies, the idea being that the kids are learning to work for money instead of being just given it outright.
Some US cities have strict permit requirements for selling food & beverage which has lead to silly looking photos/stories of police giving 10 year old kids tickets.
This is basically a publicity stunt by Country Time lemonade.
What you have wrong: First, it's Country Time Lemonade. Second, they are far from a gig economy company or a startup - they're a Kraft brand since 1975, selling powdered lemonade. Third, they don't get a workforce of child labor for free - kids have enjoyed setting up lemonade stands to learn about business for many, many years, so it's by far more fun and education than work.
What you have right: They are offering refunds on the ridiculous permits that buck tradition and only serve bureaucratic government overreach, not the community.
Lemonade stands are a cliche way for kids to make money in the United States, however, it is technically illegal without a permit (though I've personally never heard of a kid getting shut down).
Country Time is a popular choice for kids making lemonade stands because it's cheap and easy.
Country Time Lemonade is starting a legal defense fund of sorts to help kids fight back after they get their lemonade stands shut down.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain/2011/08/03/the-inexpli...
I do not think this is correct for any commonly accepted definition of the word "frequently."
I think the first paragraph pretty clearly explains the problem:
Are you thinking of helping your kid setting up a lemonade stand this summer? Apparently, some young entrepreneurs are getting shut down due to a lack of small business permits.
What I didn't imagine was that this involved people purchasing a powdered mix from a multinational and selling that (as seems to be the case according to other comments).
But there usually aren’t many lemons on the trees during the summer months in the US, so people opt to have their kids sell cheap, over-sweetened powdered beverage. It’s the American way!
...well, give it a few years and you'll be right.