Today we’d like to introduce you to Kristen Threatt.
Hi Kristen, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
GORILLA LEMONADE: FROM THE TRUNK TO 400+ LOCATIONS
By Kristen Threatt & Brian Burkett, Co-Founders of Gorilla Lemonade
When people ask about Gorilla Lemonade, one thing is certain: this story cannot be told without mentioning my business partner, Brian Burkett. Gorilla Lemonade was built through our collective vision, sacrifice, resilience, and faith. Every milestone we have reached was accomplished together.
Our journey began in New Haven, Connecticut, a small city with a big heart and an even bigger entrepreneurial spirit. Before Gorilla Lemonade became a recognized beverage brand, Brian and I operated a food catering business. Alongside our food, we sold homemade lemonade. We believed in our product, but we lacked the knowledge and resources necessary to operate at the level we envisioned.
In 2022, our catering business was shut down because we were not operating out of a commercial kitchen. Shortly afterward, we were informed by the local health department that we could no longer sell our beverages in stores because they were not properly manufactured or approved for retail distribution.
For many entrepreneurs, that could have been the end of the story.
For us, it was only the beginning.
Instead of giving up, we chose to learn. During the summer of 2022, we spent countless hours researching, making phone calls, and seeking guidance. One of the places where many of those conversations happened was a local spot in New Haven called Donut Crazy on Broadway. We sat there making calls to manufacturing companies, asking questions, taking notes, and figuring out how to build a legitimate beverage company from the ground up.
What started as a setback became the foundation of our success.
On September 9, 2022, Gorilla Lemonade officially relaunched as a professionally manufactured beverage brand. Our first lineup featured four flavors: Classic Lemon, Strawberry, Blueberry, and Pineapple.
At the time, we had only nine locations carrying our products.
Today, Gorilla Lemonade can be found in more than 300–400 locations across the United States.
Our footprint continues to grow throughout Connecticut, Chicago, Detroit, Inkster, the DMV region, Phoenix, and several other markets. Gorilla Lemonade is now sold in hotels, gas stations, convenience stores, restaurants, and independent retailers that believed in our vision.
One of our proudest accomplishments was becoming the first Black-owned beverage company to be featured in the Yale Alumni Magazine. For two entrepreneurs who started by selling drinks from the trunk of a car, that recognition was a reminder that persistence and faith can open doors that once seemed impossible.
But our story has never been solely about lemonade.
Our mission is rooted in representation and inspiration.
Growing up, we rarely saw products owned by people who looked like us in the stores we visited every day. We wanted to change that. We wanted young people to see entrepreneurship as a realistic path. In many communities, the most visible options are often sports, music, or the streets. While there is nothing wrong with sports or entertainment, we wanted to show another possibility.
We wanted to make ownership popular.
We wanted to make business ownership visible.
We wanted to make selling lemonade cool.
Every bottle of Gorilla Lemonade represents something greater than a beverage. It represents perseverance. It represents community. It represents the belief that ordinary people can build extraordinary things when they refuse to quit.
Nothing was handed to us. We did not come from wealth, and we are not backed by billion-dollar corporations. Every day, we continue to fight for shelf space, build relationships, and earn opportunities one account at a time. We compete in an industry dominated by companies worth millions and billions of dollars, but we are not intimidated by the size of our competition.
We know our value.
We know our story.
And we know our purpose.
Our faith in God has carried us through every challenge, every setback, and every victory. Through the uncertainty, the rejection, and the obstacles, we have remained committed to the vision that was placed on our hearts.
As we continue expanding across the country, our mission remains the same as it was when we started: inspire the next generation, create opportunities in our communities, and prove that with faith, hard work, and determination, anything is possible.
The journey is far from over.
This is only the beginning.
Keep your knuckles on the ground.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Smooth? Absolutely not.
When we entered the beverage industry, we were completely green. We had the vision, the work ethic, and the determination, but we didn’t have the experience. We didn’t fully understand how to organize and operate a beverage company at scale. There were no step-by-step instructions, and we didn’t have mentors guiding us through the process.
One of the biggest challenges was the financial commitment required to build a legitimate beverage brand. Manufacturing, labeling, compliance, distribution, inventory, marketing, transportation, and shelf placement all require significant capital. Many people see a bottle on a store shelf, but they don’t see the thousands of dollars and countless hours invested behind that one bottle.
We also faced challenges with regulations and compliance. Early on, we learned some hard lessons when our products were removed from stores because we were not properly manufactured and approved for retail distribution. At the time it felt like a major setback, but looking back, it was one of the best things that could have happened to us because it forced us to learn the business the right way.
Another challenge was simply getting people to believe in us. We were two entrepreneurs from New Haven trying to enter an industry dominated by corporations worth millions and billions of dollars. Many doors were closed. Many calls went unanswered. Many people doubted whether we could compete in such a crowded market.
There were also moments of uncertainty. As business owners, there were times when Brian and I had to make sacrifices, reinvest money back into the company, and trust the process even when the results weren’t immediate. Building a brand from the ground up requires patience, consistency, and faith.
The truth is, we still learn something new every day. We don’t claim to know everything. What has helped us succeed is our willingness to stay humble, ask questions, learn from mistakes, and continue moving forward regardless of the obstacles.
Every challenge taught us a lesson. Every setback made us stronger. Looking back now, those struggles weren’t roadblocks—they were part of the foundation that helped build Gorilla Lemonade into what it is today.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
At Gorilla Lemonade, our roles complement one another and have been instrumental in the growth of the brand. Kristen Threatt oversees sales, partnerships, and marketing, focusing on expanding the brand’s footprint, building relationships, and creating the overall vision and direction of the company. Brian Burkett leads product development and operations, ensuring the quality of our beverages while managing the day-to-day systems that keep the business moving forward.
What sets Gorilla Lemonade apart is that we are more than just a beverage company. We are a community-driven brand. While many companies focus solely on sales, we focus on impact. We are deeply committed to giving back, supporting local events, mentoring youth, collaborating with small businesses, and creating opportunities within the communities that support us.
Our mission has always been bigger than selling lemonade. We want our brand to inspire people to dream bigger, pursue entrepreneurship, and understand that success is possible regardless of where they come from. Every bottle represents resilience, ownership, and community. That’s what truly makes Gorilla Lemonade different.
We don’t just serve communities—we actively invest in them.
Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
To be honest, we don’t look at it as luck as much as we look at it as faith, preparation, and perseverance.
Have we experienced moments that others might call good luck? Absolutely. We’ve met incredible people who believed in our vision, opened doors for us, and gave us opportunities that helped accelerate our growth. Being featured in major publications, expanding into new cities, and building relationships with community leaders are all blessings we’re grateful for.
On the other hand, we’ve also experienced what many would consider bad luck. We had our catering business shut down. We were told to remove our drinks from store shelves. We faced financial challenges, lack of industry knowledge, and countless obstacles while trying to build a legitimate beverage company from the ground up.
But looking back, those setbacks were some of our greatest teachers. They forced us to learn the business properly, become more disciplined, and build a stronger foundation for the future.
If there’s one thing our journey has taught us, it’s that success isn’t about luck. It’s about what you do when opportunities appear and how you respond when adversity shows up. Through faith in God, hard work, and consistency, we’ve been able to turn both victories and setbacks into fuel for growth.
What some people call luck, we simply call being prepared when God opens the door.
Pricing:
- A case is 63.00
- Purchase of a bottle at a local store 3.50
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Gorilla-lemonade.com
- Instagram: Gorilla_lemonadect
- Facebook: Kris Eat Up
