After bust, city moves to legalize kids’ stands

It started when two Denver police officers approached Jennifer Knowles and her three young kids. Her 4-year-old ran toward the officers, thinking they wanted some icy refreshment.

“And his smile turned to a frown,” Knowles recalled, “when he realized that we were being shut down.”

The officers said that the young family needed three permits, including one that costs $100. Dejected, they packed up their table and left the public park, returning to their home just across the street. Their first business venture, which was supposed to benefit a boy in Indonesia, was over.

Three months later, that disappointment has snowballed into change. On Wednesday, Denver City Council members gave early approval for a bill that would legalize kids’ lemonade stands.

Meanwhile, a Colorado legislator plans to introduce a similar measure, and the story has echoed from The Wall Street Journal to “Fox and Friends.”

The cause of lemonade seems to be catnip for legislators: Council members Chris Herndon and Paul Kashmann approached the city attorney at practically the same time, they said. A city staffer then drafted the language, taking heavy inspiration from an Austin, Texas, law on the matter.

The new proposal is fairly simple: Anyone younger than 18 would be allowed to sell lemonade, coffee or tea, whether it’s iced or hot. There are time limits — a maximum of 84 days per year — and young vendors also would be forbidden from operating near permitted food vendors.

Meanwhile, state Sen. Angela Williams, a fellow resident of Stapleton, got in touch with Knowles and has started drafting her own bill that could have statewide effect — although it’s unclear, she said, how much local control cities might have over lemonade.

The city bill will return for a vote before the council in the coming weeks, while any state law will have to wait for the next legislative session.