Today we’d like to introduce you to Luci Butts.
Hi Luci, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
It’s no secret! We started as a lemonade stand June 9, 2020! With 2 little girls who were 6 and 8 at the time! Our stand stood tall and small outside the East Side Unity Church of God In Christ at 5401 Mt. Elliot in Detroit. We had just experienced the greatest lost of our lives! My Father, Pastor Robert Butts Jr had recently passed from COVID and we couldn’t figure out how to move forward!
Eastside Unity was founded by Pastor Robert and Lady Juanita Butts. It was at the corner of this church that we received the order to move forward and grow. Forgetting nothing behind us but to continue to build as my Parents had done!
So we took The name Chilled Peels and we moved it from the corner , to pop up shops, farmers markets and events! But we knew that our product needed to be enjoyed by the masses!
So we entered a brick and mortar in October 2021! Leasing space from Holy Moly Donut Shop! It was there that we got state licensed and began to spread like a wildfire!
We are now located in Highland Park, where we produce , bottle and wholesale! Towne Club Soda had been our new driving Force! They make sure we are going everywhere they are!
But beyond producing lemonade, we are helping cultivate the next generation of entrepreneurs and building family wealth with a huge focus on poverty elimination!
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The road has been shaky, and have come with many pot holes! But I’m from Michigan! We’re built different in Michigan! I remember before obtaining proper license , we were inside of several locations . And on one particular day the state paid a few of those locations a visit. We were shut down immediately! But that shutdown only motivated me to get legalized. We went through testing, inspections, and training til we got it right!
After facing all these challenges we suffered another lost! After loosing my father to Covid. I thought my heart couldn’t take another hit! My 2 brothers passed away in 2021 a week apart. Reginald Butts to an unsolved accidental shooting. He was struck by vehicles randomly passing by while shooting at each other. He was 28 and a father to 3 and a husband. My oldest brother Marvin passed one week before him to a brain aneurysm! I took the little energy I mentally had left and wrapped it all into business. I named two flavors after them and they have become our top sellers! Rocking Reggieberry and Marvin’s Mad Grape Lagoon!
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
We bottle hope! And we sell it in the form of the most refreshing lemonade you will ever gulp! And what once was a lemonade stand on the corner has now employed over 25 people! What sets Chilled Peels apart is we give! We aren’t just selling and taking money. But we are taking what we make and pouring it right back into our community. This year alone we have funded $85,000 to our summer youth employment! Given away lemonade to many city events. Recently gave away 5000 lemonades at a food festival in Palmer Park that was hosted by The Hungry Black Man and Lisa Carter. And we are gearing up to do even more in 2027! We are closing out the year with over 1600 locations that are allselling Chilled Peels Lemonade .
Do you have any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
I have had many childhood favorites! But the most memorable was driving all the way to California with my parents and siblings . My parents were traveling Evangelist and I loved meeting people. My parents taught us to love with everything in us and stick together. We lost parts of our glue, but our bond only strengthened!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.chilledpeels.com
- Instagram: Chilledpeels_
- Facebook: Chilled Peels
