Washoe County offers permit after shutting down girls’ lemonade stand

Washoe County health officials say they’re working on a permit solution for two girls whose lemonade stand was shut down at the Reno-Tahoe Open this month.

Emma Farrell, 12, and Alex Farrell, 14, were cited Aug. 3 for selling food without a permit at the event, the Reno Gazette-Journal reported (http://on.rgj.com/15rq2Lo ).

The Washoe County Health District doesn’t normally regulate children’s lemonade stands, but this one was operating inside the Montreux Golf and Country Club where the golf tournament was taking place, Health Department spokesman Phil Ulibarri said Friday.

Other food and drink vendors near the lemonade stand had paid event fees to set up shop inside, Ulibarri said.

After receiving complaints from the other vendors, the Health Department cited the girls and their parents and shut down the lemonade stand.

Ulibarri said the family was understanding and is working with the department to obtain permits for future events, which will cost $38.

“We applaud the girls and their cooperation and encourage this kind of entrepreneurship,” he said.

The family could not be reached for comment, the newspaper reported.

Health inspectors attend large public events such as the Reno-Tahoe Open to ensure vendors have paid all necessary fees and that they’re operating within the health code. Ulibarri said health officials are looking out for the general health and sanitation of the public, so even temporary vendors must have permits at events open to large crowds.

Only about one in every 10 inspections of those temporary vendors results in a citation, Ulibarri said.

“Because of our standards, we have never had a major event in Reno that has had an outbreak of a food-borne illness,” he said.