Zesty Squeeze Brings Fresh Lemonade and Big Belizean Flavor
From a Simple Idea to a Growing Business
Today’s episode of Open Your Eyes featured young entrepreneurs Jaymilee Flowers, owner of Zesty Squeeze, and Melissa Forman, her business partner, as they shared the story behind their fresh lemonade venture.
What began as an idea sparked during Carnival season in September of last year has grown into a full-time business. Inspired by their love for fresh lemonade and experiences they had while traveling, the founders decided to bring a different lemonade experience to Belize. Just one year later, Zesty Squeeze has built a growing customer base and continues to expand its offerings.
Freshly Made, One Cup at a Time
One of the main things that sets Zesty Squeeze apart is its focus on freshness and the customer experience. The lemonades are prepared fresh on the spot using real lemons, with customers able to choose their preferred flavor and sweetness level.
The business has grown from approximately 12 flavors when it first started to more than 30 options, including combinations featuring passion fruit, blueberry, dragon fruit, green apple, coconut, matcha, and piña colada.
Customers can also create their own combinations, with some of the business’s new flavors coming directly from customer suggestions and experimentation.
A Mobile Lemonade Experience
Rather than operating from a traditional storefront, Zesty Squeeze has chosen to remain a mobile business, appearing at events, fairs, pop-ups, and other community activities.
The founders explained that much of the appeal comes from watching the lemonade being prepared right in front of customers. Instead of simply purchasing a packaged drink, customers get to see the ingredients being combined and experience the preparation process firsthand.
Learning and Growing Through Customer Feedback
As the business has developed, customer feedback has also influenced its direction. One of the biggest lessons the founders have learned is the growing demand for sugar-free options.
They are now exploring additional flavors and ingredients that could allow them to offer sugar-free lemonades while continuing to experiment with new combinations and giving their products a distinctly tropical and Caribbean-inspired feel.
Celebrating Young Entrepreneurship
The journey of Zesty Squeeze reflects how a simple idea can develop into a full-time entrepreneurial venture through experimentation, dedication, and listening to customers.
During the Open Your Eyes segment, the founders also prepared a fresh lemonade combination live on set, mixing dragon fruit and green apple for April to try.
From their growing selection of flavors to their commitment to fresh preparation, Zesty Squeeze continues to carve out its own space while encouraging other young Belizeans to explore entrepreneurship and turn their ideas into businesses.