Can Anyone Sell Lemonade/Snow Cones at Lake Michigan Beaches?

Can you just randomly set up a lemonade or snow cone stand on the beaches of Lake Michigan? We will look at a Reddit thread and Michigan state laws.

Lemonade Stand

It is one thing to have your kid set up a lemonade stand in your front yard. They are usually cute and most neighbors (not all) won't complain. You might want to check with your local community because you may need a permit that could risk your kid's stand being shut down.

A poster on Reddit asked the question "Could I sell lemonade and snow cones on Lake Michigan's beach? The person was looking for something to do during the summer and thought it would be a great way to meet people and make some friends since they are new to the Ludington area.

I was impressed by some of the comments from the Michigan Reddit page in answering the poster's question about the lemonade/snow cone stand. 51Flowers and mufasa1023 both had great comments on the thread.

Several people on the thread pointed out you need permits and others offered suggestions for other products to try and sell. A person whose Reddit handle is "hostileadult" pointed out that it may cost more than you will make to set up the beachside hustle. What does Michigan law say about this lemonade stand?

Read More: There's A Gator On The Loose At One Michigan Park

Michigan's Law on Lemonade Stands

So is it legal or illegal to set up a random lemonade stand in Michigan? Michigan's municipal regulations prohibit operating a lemonade stand without a permit but not always clear when a permit is required.

According to Michigan.gov, the Michigan Food Law of 2000 requires the licensing of any person or firm that processes, packs, cans, preserves, freezes, fabricates, stores, prepares, serves, sells, or offers food for sale. Sounds like the people of Reddit knew their stuff.