RECOGNITION
From Time to Time, Leroy's Lip Smack'n Lemonade is honored with awards and publications.
Here are just a few.
See more in the "More About Leroy" section of our website.
Boundless 2023 Empowerment & Policy Conference
It was such an honor for our CEO to speak on the panel with the Urban League of Louisiana. This event was subtitled: Advancing Equitable Solutions to Build a Prosperous Louisiana!
2023 LED Small and Emerging Business of the Year
Outstanding Performance as a Black Owned Business with Unparalleled Service
This award was presented to Leroy's LipSmack'n Lemonade by Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Incorporated Omicron Beta Sigma Chapter.
This lemonade business started as a stand. Now, they’re selling with a purpose in Tiger Stadium.
Leroy’s LipSmack’n Lemonade sells bottles in 36 local stores
BY TIMOTHY BOONE | BUSINESS EDITOR | THE ADVOCATE
AUG 4, 2022 - 10:00 AM
The past three years have been sweet for Leroy’s LipSmack’n Lemonade.
The business got its start in 2012 when Leroy Hayward III, then 6 years old, participated in Lemonade Day Louisiana, an annual event that teaches children to be entrepreneurs. Sherilyn and Leroy Hayward Jr., Leroy’s parents, had just found out he was autistic and wanted to find things their son could do. They decided to set up a lemonade stand in their front yard, let Leroy sell drinks and give some of the profits to his doctors at Children’s Hospital New Orleans.
“He loved the idea of handing out his lemonade,” Sherilyn Hayward said. “And then he really liked taking the money to the hospital. … It made him feel good about himself.”
After a few years of selling drinks out of tents at festivals and in front of stores, the Haywards started selling lemonade by the gallon three years ago. Leroy’s lemonade can now be found in 36 local stores, including Rouses, Tony’s Seafood, Hi Nabor, Calandro’s and Bet-R.
The business also has kiosks in Tiger Stadium, the Pete Maravich Assembly Center and Alex Box Stadium.
"I had Tiger Stadium on Leroy's vision board," Hayward said. "We were like, 'If we get in there, think of all the money we could give to the people at Children's Hospital.' So I sent an email out."
Hayward didn't have any contacts with LSU; she just sent an email to the concessions department. A few months later, she got a call from the concessions director, asking for a meeting.
"They asked us if we had a kiosk," she said. The Haywards dipped into Leroy's college fund to buy a kiosk. They've grown from one location in the stadium in 2017 to five.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the family started selling 16 ounce bottles of lemonade. “We had to stay afloat,” Hayward said. “Gallons are expensive, so we figured if we could do something inexpensive, people could get it and go all of the time.”
The family now sells about 300 gallons and 500 cases of lemonade a week. All of the drinks are made, bottled and stored in a small office off Industriplex Boulevard that’s decorated with pictures of Leroy and houses all kinds of items with lemon prints.
Leroy's lemonade is all natural, made with water, sugar and fresh-squeezed lemons. The quality of the drink, along with the business's purpose, is what has allowed it to grow. "We donate to Children's Hospital. We help children like Leroy with special needs," Hayward said. "Lemonade is the thing we are using to make this happen."
The business has grown from about $30,000 in revenue in 2019 to $213,000 in 2021, Hayward said. They're on track to do $660,000 this year. The business has grown from being staffed just by the family to 12 employees.
"We do a lot now trying to inspire parents with special-needs kids," Hayward said. "I do a lot of speaking to different organizations and tell a mom that has a special-needs child or a child on that autistic spectrum to never give up on them. I never would've dreamed I'd be doing that."
The success of the business has brought opportunities to the Haywards. The family was invited to participate in a small business pitch competition sponsored by the National Urban League. Hayward won the event last month and collected a $10,000 cash prize.
The plan is to use the money as a down payment on two refrigerated trucks. This will enable Leroy’s lemonade to be sold in New Orleans, Mississippi, Alabama and Texas. “We’ve already got some grocery stores that want it in those locations,” Hayward said. “Rouses has given us a list of some locations as well.”
That would enable the business to double the amount of lemonade it sells. Hayward said she hopes the expansion will happen early next year. Plans are also in the works to move Leroy's to a new location in north Baton Rouge.
Leroy has also been helped by the business. Hayward said he's now open to talking and interacting with people. One of the big moments was when he first went to see the kiosk in Tiger Stadium and had people approaching him.
"The crowd of people didn't treat him like he was different. I believe that's when it clicked in his mind that he said he was just like everybody else," she said. "The business has done wonders for Leroy, and if nothing else happened, that would be enough for me."
National Urban League Conference 2022
LOUISIANA'S OWN SHERILYN HAYWARD OF LEROY'S LIPSMACK'N LEMONADE WINS 1ST PLACE AT NATIONAL PITCH COMPETITION!
The Urban League of Louisiana is proud to announce that Sherilyn Hayward, Owner of Leroy's LipSmack'n Lemonade, emerged as the winner of the National Urban League's 2022 Small Business Matters Pitch Competition! The event will took place virtually on Saturday, July 23rd at 11:45am-1:15pm CST. The event was a part of the Small Business Matters segment of the National Urban League's 2022 Conference. The pitch competition was sponsored by Nationwide.
The competition featured 3 finalists from Urban League affiliates across the country:
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UAVistas (Urban League of Greater Cleveland)
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8Myes (Urban League of Philadelphia)
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Leroy's Lipsmack'n Lemonade (Urban League of Louisiana)
Judges included:
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Stefan James, AVP Marketing for Personal Lines Direct, Nationwide
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Arian Simone, Co-Founder and General Partner, The Fearless Fund
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Cy Richardson, Senior Vice President, Economics and Housing Programs, National Urban League
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Marc Parham, Director, Entrepreneurship Center, Urban League of Greater Atlanta
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Andrea & Frances Guichard, Owners, Gallery Guichard (Chicago) and Winners of the 2021 Pitch Competition
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Host: Melissa Knowles, CNN News Correspondent
Each finalist presented their plans for growth and how they would use the funds if awarded. Awards were granted at 1st Place ($10,000), 2nd Place ($5,000), and 3rd Place ($2,500). All finalists were amazing and the decision did not come easy for the judges. In the end, Sherilyn Hayward of Leroy's LipSmack'n Lemonade emerged as the 1st Place winner, 8Myles in 2nd Place, and UAVistas in 3rd Place. Congratulations to each of the participants!
Congratulations Sherilyn!
Sherilyn Hayward took home the 1st Place prize of $10,000 during the NUL 2022 Small Business Matters Pitch Competition.
Sherilyn is the Founder and Owner of Leroy’s LipSmack’n Lemonade, a lemonade beverage manufacturing company based in Baton Rouge, LA. The company is committed to suppling a clean, refreshing, freshly squeezed- thirst quenching experience for consumers across the country. Their products have no additives, no artificial flavors or colors.
The business was started in 2014 after participation in a local lemonade Day for her 6-year-old son, Leroy III. Leroy’s LipSmack'n Lemonade was created to help kids like Leroy with disabilities to understand that their special need is not a limitation, and that they can succeed at entrepreneurship and have more options. Leroy works in the business, and the company also hires special needs young adults.
Today, Leroy's LipSmack'n Lemonade can be found in 36 stores and restaurants in the Baton Rouge area including 4 Rouse's Markets and all LSU sports arenas. In addition, the Leroy's LipSmack'n Lemonade Truck can be found at local schools, businesses, and festivals year-round! Plans for expansion include offering products in other cities across Louisiana, and in Alabama, Mississippi, and Texas....just to start!
Sherilyn was nominated to apply for the 2022 NUL Small Business Matters Pitch Competition by the Urban League of Louisiana. Mrs. Hayward has been a client of the ULLA Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation since 2020. She is a graduate of the Scale Up! Louisiana Program and emerged as the winner of the 2021-22 ULLA Women-In-Business Challenge!
Baton Rouge Metropolitan Black Chamber of Commerce name Leroy Hayward as one of the 100 Most Influential Black Men in the Baton Rouge Capital Area!
This is such an honor to be the youngest on this list of Most Influential Black Men!!!
We take tremendous pride in being an influence in our community and continue to show special needs families how to never give up!!
We thank the @brmbcc for this recognition and all that you do for the city of Baton Rouge.
#SpecialNeedsRock #Lemonade #Family #Business #Love #BlackExcellence
It’s time to #MeetTheOwner Leroy Hayward III, 14-year-old CEO & Co-Owner of Leroy's Lip Smack'n Lemonade, is dedicated to making a difference with his lemonade. Growing up, Leroy really did not really socialize with others. Battling a growth hormone deficiency and hearing loss in both ears, Leroy also had to deal with being treated differently as a special needs child.
In 2012, Leroy and his parents, Sherilyn Hayward & Leroy Hayward Jr., entered into Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers’s National Lemonade Day. They set up Leroy’s first lemonade stand in the front yard and Leroy immediately fell in love with the stand because he was able to sell his lemonade to others without any fear or worry of being treated differently.
His parents knew this was an opportunity they could not ignore and Leroy’s LipSmack’n Lemonade was born! This business is much more than just a lemonade stand—with every purchase, a Children’s Hospital patient’s life is improved through a donation. These donations to the Children’s Hospital is a way to not only support the future of other children in need but as a way to give back to the doctors who had done so much for Leroy.
Leroy LipSmack’n Lemonade has continued to grow each day. His lemonade is now being sold at all LSU sporting venues and can be found in various local stores and restaurants in the community such as Memphis Mac and Bet-R Grocery.
The best way to show support is by buying some lemonade! You can also purchase a t-shirt, make a donation, or simply share their story with your friends and family. You can also follow Leroy on Instagram @leroyslemonade and Facebook at Leroy's Lip Smack'n Lemonade.
"I'm a CHAMPION! I'm a LEADER!" - Leroy Hayward III
#BlackOwnedOnYelp #BlackOwnedBusiness #SmallLocalBusiness
July 19, 2021
[225] Magazine: HOW A KID-RUN BUSINESS CAN MAKE ITS WAY TOWARD BECOMING A HOUSEHOLD BRAND
April 2, 2021
By Caroline Hebert
When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade. And Leroy’s Lip Smack’n Lemonade has been doing so since 2012.
It’s run by 14-year-old Leroy Hayward III. Along with his parents Sherilyn Hayward and Leroy Hayward Jr., Leroy came up with the brilliant idea to participate in Lemonade Day Louisiana back in 2012. The event teaches kids entrepreneurial skills by running lemonade stands. For the Haywards, it was life-changing.
Ever since, Leroy’s eponymous lemonade business has prospered. His special take on lemonade is now bottled and sold in more than 10 locations across Baton Rouge, including groceries, restaurants and stands in Tiger Stadium. The Haywards are hoping to get into the local Whole Foods and a Mississippi-owned grocery store. Next: They plan to connect with businesses across the nation.
“We are going to make Leroy’s Lip Smack’n Lemonade a household brand,” Sherilyn says. “We want it sold in every local store across the country. And I say ‘local’ because we love supporting local.”
When the pandemic threw more challenges at businesses last year, the Haywards didn’t get discouraged. They got creative. They bought a truck, and the lemonade stand went mobile. It allowed them to keep sales contactless and safe, but it also opened doors to new opportunities and ideas, like selling smaller, individual-sized 16-ounce bottles.
The dream doesn’t stop there, though. The ultimate goal for Leroy’s Lip Smack’n Lemonade is to make it to the happiest place on earth.
“It belongs there in Disney World,” Sherilyn says. “It is a child business; why not be in a child’s place?”
Plus, being involved with brands focused on children allows the business to do what it was made to do: inspire. The lemonade business serves more than just a refreshing drink—it’s a wake-up call that there are opportunities for everyone to thrive.
Leroy has a growth hormone deficiency and hearing loss in both ears.
“We want our brand to be known for what we do: helping and inspiring special needs children like Leroy,” Sherilyn says.
The Haywards’ motto is “use your difference to make a difference,” and they hope to encourage other children to not see their differences as setbacks.
The lemonade business, after all, has made a difference in Leroy himself. Before, he was more reserved and did not enjoy being around people. Now, he loves interacting with customers. He knows every location his lemonade is sold from and often even rolls the lemonade into the store himself. He’s truly found his niche.
“I am a champion. I’m a leader,” Leroy often says.
His mom adds, “The business has helped Leroy more than it has helped anyone else. It’s gotten him out of his shell.” leroyslipsmacknlemonade.com
More than a lemonade stand
What can other kids learn from Lemonade Day Louisiana? The event that inspired Leroy III to open his business was started by John Georges and Todd Graves. They recall learning about entrepreneurship running lemonade stands as kids. According to the event’s website, kids who open a lemonade stand on Lemonade Day will learn:
Financial literacy
Supply and demand, plus all those other complicated key terms from college econ classes.
College and career readiness
Teamwork, customer service, branding, and other traits they’ll want for their resumes.
Life skills
Time management, leadership and goal setting—running a stand will have them thinking about their long-term futures.
Academics
Reading, math, writing—selling lemonade will sharpen the skills they’re practicing at school.
This article was originally published in the April 2021 issue of 225 magazine. View it here.
Venture Lab Tweeted This Article!
by Kayla Randall
Whether it comes fresh-squeezed or in the form of a stellar Beyoncé album, lemonade is always a summer hit.
There are a variety of lemonade options in Baton Rouge, but you won’t find many more meaningful than Leroy’s Lipsmack’n Lemonade. Created by 9-year-old Westminster Elementary School second-grader Leroy Hayward III along with his parents, Sherilyn Hayward and Leroy Hayward Jr., Leroy’s is much more than a lemonade stand–it’s making a difference one lemon at a time.
In 2012, Sherilyn Hayward was looking for a way her son, Leroy—who suffers from growth hormone deficiency and hearing loss in both ears—could express himself. Because of his special needs, she feared he would never get the opportunity to run his own business, so she entered him in Louisiana Lemonade Day, an event that encourages youth to become entrepreneurs by running lemonade stands.
“After that first time, we thought this was something Leroy could really keep doing because he loved getting out there and selling his lemonade,” Hayward says. “We wanted to make this a real business for Leroy.”
In 2014, Leroy entered Lemonade Day again and his freshly-squeezed lemonade won the tasting contest, and in 2015, he received the Lemonade Day Entrepreneur of the Year award. Hayward knew then that the family was on to something and decided to turn it into a full-blown business.
Currently, the company is working on expansion, set to sell the lemonade inside LSU’s Tiger Stadium this upcoming football season and later hitting local store shelves. The lemonade will also be sold at Chef Chris Wadsworth’s Goûter restaurant, Hayward says.
Leroy’s also donates a portion of its proceeds to Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Hospital and the Children’s Hospital of New Orleans, which has helped Leroy and his family over the years.
How Leroy’s makes its award-winning lemonade
Hayward says the secret to the lemonade’s success is simple: It tastes really good.
The company got its name from Hayward’s husband’s exclamation after sampling the final recipe to serve at Lemonade Day. After trying it, he exclaimed, “That’s lip smacking good!”
For Hayward, there is no secret ingredient or special recipe, and there are no additives. Leroy’s is made up of just freshly-squeezed lemon juice, sugar and water.
“It’s just some good old lemonade,” Hayward says. “When we made it, we pictured someone sitting on their front porch sipping it.”
Hayward has thought about venturing into making other types of lemonade, such as strawberry or lavender. But, she says, Leroy is known for traditional, old-fashioned lemonade and plans on sticking with that for now.
To purchase Leroy’s Lipsmack’n Lemonade, call 287-4914 or visit the website.
See this article on the [225] Magazine website by clicking HERE.
March 01, 2015
by Matt Sigur
With help from his parents and Triumph Kitchen’s Sommer and Chris Wadsworth, Leroy Hayward’s Leroy’s Lipsmack’n Lemonade could be a sustainable business for years to come.
Hayward is a seven-year-old entrepreneur who was born two-and-a-half months early, weighing four pounds, seven ounces. He had contracted infections at birth and was diagnosed with slow development due to his size. He has hearing loss in both ears and a facial nerve injury. However, after going through developmental programs at Children’s Hospital of New Orleans and Baton Rouge and being put on growth hormones, Hayward’s life improved.
At four years old, he entered the Lemonade Day entrepreneur program, creating his own stand and variation on the drink to raise money for a good cause.
At this year’s Louisiana Lemonade Day contest, his Lipsmack’n Lemonade was named Baton Rouge’s best tasting. During the contest, Hayward and his family met the Wadsworths, who were judges at the event and have helped build Leroy’s business.
“When he won that contest, we said, ‘Ok, let’s see if we can take it to the next level,'” Hayward’s mother, Sherilyn, says. “That’s when we contacted Chef Chris Wadsworth.”
In working with the Wadsworths, the Haywards are trying to give back to the people who helped Leroy the most. An LLC has been created, and the families have made long-term plans, bringing the lemonade stand to events such as the Baton Rouge Food Truck Wround-Ups and Fęte Rouge, as well as businesses such as Cupcake Allie, which features the drink as an ingredient in its lemonade cupcake.
“Had we not crossed paths with [the Wadsworths], we would not be where we are today,” Sherilyn says. “The world is going to label him. Jobs will be limited for him. With him being an entrepreneur, there are no limits.”
The secret behind the drink’s success is purely in the taste. There are no special ingredients, but the balance is perfect, Chris Wadsworth says.
“It’s what lemonade is supposed to taste like,” he says. “It’s something I want him to stay true to.”
For now, those interested in trying Leroy’s Lipsmack’n Lemonade can call the Haywards at 287-4914. The lemonade is available by the gallon for $15, and the stand is available for events.
April 18, 2015
Leroy's Lip Smack'n Lemonade was awarded "Best Tasting" Lemonade for the 2015 Lemonade Day Taste Testing Contest.
See This Article on the Lemonade Day Website by Clicking HERE.
Lemonade Day empowers children to take charge of their own destinies. Of course, this means that each Lemonade Day experience is different. Organization, planning, and hard work are necessary for success but sometimes it takes a little something extra. In Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Leroy Hayward III found that little something and turned it into a whole lot more.
MEET LEROY: LEMONADE DAY ALL-STAR
Leroy’s Lipsmackin’ Lemonade Lemonade sold over 60 gallons of lemonade as part of Lemonade Day!
Leroy Hayward is a first grade student at Westminster Elementary in Baton Rouge. He loves music and sings in his church choir. He is also a budding entrepreneur with a serious dedication to building a viable, long term lemonade business. A Lemonade Day veteran, Leroy even won the Baton Rouge “Best Tasting” category in his first year of participation. With knowledge, a quality product, and hard work, Leroy entered Lemonade Day 2015 ready for his most successful year yet.
LEROY’S SECRETS TO SUCCESS
Lemonade Day uses a 14 step process to teach kids the fundamentals of enterprise. These steps are vital to success in business but every entrepreneur puts their own unique stamp on the process. In Leroy’s case, he decided to expand his product line. Along with single servings of lemonade, he also sold bulk amounts, one gallon at a time. The strategy paid off handsomely for this budding businessman.
BREAKING DOWN THE NUMBERS
Leroy had a goal of earning $500 after expenses and giving some to charity. He achieved his goal… and then some. In total, Leroy earned a whopping $535 from his lemonade stand, called Leroy’s Lipsmackin’ Lemonade. Here’s a breakdown of how he did it:
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Total revenue: $1075, including $250 from single serving purchases and $825 from gallon jugs
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Total costs: $290, including $125 on containers, $130 on ingredients, $30 on labeling and marketing
SPEND SOME, SAVE SOME, GIVE SOME
The Lemonade Day curriculum teaches kids to split their earnings into three categories: spending money, savings, and charitable donations. Amazingly, Leroy donated a $250 to the Baton Rouge Children’s Hospital, an organization that has helped him and his family over the years. This left him with $500 to spend but this future business leader has bigger plans.
“He spent $100 on himself and put $400 in savings toward the purchase of a lemonade truck which we wants to try and purchase [in the] summer of 2016,” Leroy’s mother said.
Lemonade Day is proud of Leroy Heyward and his accomplishments. He wants to thank the educators, family members and others that played a part in his success.
March 01, 2017
Groundbreaking: Children's Hospital NOLA
January 11, 2017
February 13, 2017
IT'S MUGSHOT MONDAY! Today we honor a young entrepreneur in the community... It's Leroy of Leroy's Lip Smack'n Lemonade! Three years ago, Leroy and his parents started a lemonade stand through a Raising Canes program and they worked hard to grow it into a business. From the beginning, the business has been about teaching Leroy to succeed and about giving back to the community. Leroy's Lip Smack'n Lemonade is proud to donate some of their proceeds to Children's Hospital. They already have partnerships with LSU sports and they have big plans for the future! To learn more about Leroy's story and about their delicious lemonade, visit www.leroyslipsmacknlemonade.com.