6:00 AM — Inventory Check 6:30 AM — Squeeze & Brew 7:30 AM — Batch QC 8:00 AM — Station Setup 9:00 AM — Doors Open 3:00 PM — Breakdown

The squeeze window is sacred. Lemons must be room temperature for maximum yield. Cold lemons lose 15% juice volume. Roll each lemon firmly on the counter before cutting — this breaks the internal membranes and increases output by ~20%.

IngredientSourceUnit CostPer-Cup CostReorder Trigger
LemonsCostco (40-ct bag)$7.99/bag$0.18< 20 lemons remaining
Cane SugarTrader Joe's$3.49/4lb$0.02< 1lb remaining
StrawberriesSaturday farmers market$4.00/pint$0.22Saturday morning only
Tea bagsCostco (Lipton 100-ct)$6.49/box$0.06< 15 bags remaining
Cups (12oz)Amazon (100-ct)$12.99/pack$0.13< 30 cups remaining
IceMom's freezer$0.00$0.00Automatic (overnight)
Signage menu-board pricing venmo-qr CUSTOMER-FACING
Prep Area pitchers cups ice-cooler POUR STATION
Register cash-box phone-venmo receipt-pad PAYMENT
Back Stock extra-lemons sugar backup-cups RESERVES
customer orders cup handoff resupply
The Taste Test

Every batch, every morning. Operator takes a 2oz sample. If it doesn't make you go "mmm" involuntarily, adjust the sugar. The refractometer confirms: target 11-12° Brix.

The Lemon Audit

Inspect each lemon. Soft spots → reject pile. Mold → immediate discard. Green tinge → acceptable if firm. Current reject rate: 3.2% (industry standard: 5%).

Ice Integrity

Cloudy ice is fine. Freezer-burned ice is not. If the ice smells like last week's fish sticks, make a new batch. Non-negotiable.

Cup Presentation

Fill to the logo line. Straw inserted at 2 o'clock. Napkin wrapped around base. Hand it over with both hands. Smile. These details compound.

ConditionActionRevenue Impact
☀️ Sunny, 80°F+Full operations. Double ice.+40% vs baseline
⛅ Partly cloudyStandard operations.Baseline
🌧️ Light rainDeploy umbrella. Reduce prep by 50%.-60% vs baseline
⛈️ Heavy rainNo-go. Stay home. Read a book.-100%
🥶 Below 60°FCancel unless sunny. Nobody wants cold lemonade in cold weather.-80%