Local lemonade storefront now open in Kyle

KYLE — The Main Squeeze opened its doors nearly one month ago and it's already stolen the hearts of Kyle residents.

In May 2023, Kyle resident Blanca Galvan laid in her bed, scrolling TikTok at 2 a.m., like many do, when a video about selling homemade lemonade at a festival popped up. Immediately, she nudged her sleeping husband, “Hey, I’m going to start selling lemonade.” “Go to bed,” he mumbled.

Just three days later, they were ordering all of the equipment needed to start and she began brainstorming what she envisioned her business looking like.

“I wanted it to look somewhat similar to a menu at a snow cone stand. Both [my husband and his mom] were like, ‘No. That’s crazy. Nobody does that.’ And I was like, ‘That’s exactly why I want to do it,’” said Galvan. “Really, if you find people doing lemonade, it’s mostly strawberry, mango, like, three flavors at most.”

This is how The Main Squeeze came to be. With more than 20 flavors, including cotton candy, peach, lavender, colada and the ability to mix and match, Galvan began attending local events and festivals to sell her product.

“People loved it,” said Galvan. “We had so many people all the time [say], ‘Oh my god. This is so good. Do you guys have a storefront?’ … So, when my husband’s friend offered me this spot here, I took the offer.”

The ‘spot’ Galvan refers to is 106 N. Burleson St. in Kyle and it opened on Jan. 8.  The lemonade shop shares its building with local favorite, Hays City Donuts.

Galvan stated that those who previously followed her business to various events throughout the county are pleased that they finally have a place they can regularly visit. She's also seen several new faces through word of mouth and social media.

In an attempt to continue her unique flavors, she often experiments with interesting ideas, one of which is the pickle lemonade.

PHOTO BY BRITTANY KELLEY
Galvan crushes lemons to produce her fresh lemonade. The storefront specializes in homemade lemonade, tea, Red Bull refreshers and cold brew.[/caption]

“[I was wondering] what I can add [to the menu]. People want to see different, unique, something they’ve never had. So, I was like, pickle lemonade. I searched it up on TikTok and it’s a thing in some states. A few days later, I got pickle juice … [My husband] downed it,” explained Galvan.

Her husband was not the only one fond of the combination of flavors. Community members frequently ordered it, quickly making it a fan favorite. So much so that when Galvan took it away for the wintertime, as it was going to be a seasonal flavor, the response was so overwhelming that she added it to the permanent menu.

Although there are a multitude of combinations available, Galvan would recommend strawberry-mango as that is her favorite.

Since opening, the business has expanded its menu to include Red Bull refreshers and sweet and unsweet tea, both of which have the ability to add in flavors.

Galvan has also added cold brew that has the standard flavors of hazelnut, vanilla and caramel, with milk options of almond, oat, half and half or coconut, but she is often experimenting and posting her creations on social media for customers to try. Currently, she is working on a cookie dough cold brew.

“A cool thing about our cold brew is that it’s not like your average HEB [coffee] or something you can get. We went to a local roaster out of Helotes, Texas, and we did a coffee cupping, which is similar to a wine tasting,” Galvan said. “The blend that I ended up going with is a blend of Brazil, Guatemala and Colombia … That blend is specifically made for us.”

She emphasized that the coffee is always fresh because it is ground and then immediately delivered to the shop the next day. Soon, Galvan hopes to sell the coffee grounds in-house.

Because the community has been so welcoming, she greatly emphasizes customer service and giving back, especially since this is her hometown.

One example is in October 2023, prior to the storefront opening, she created the Pink Fight drink. Galvan took to social media to ask for suggestions of those in the community who fought breast cancer and then, she gave 100% of the proceeds that came from the Pink Fight drink to one individual each week for Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

“I didn’t want to choose to donate to the Susan G. Komen Foundation or anything of that sort. I’m all for it and I know that there’s women who benefit from it, but it’s a larger corporation and I’m sure that they get donations from bigger corporations. So, my main focus was to help someone within our community,” stressed Galvan.

As far as the future is concerned, Galvan is keeping her new storefront as a priority, while still participating in local events and community outreach projects. An expansion, if any, is not planned for anytime soon, she explained, though she has gotten an offer from a nearby university to have a trailer on-campus.

“My main goal is to make the drinks and I want them to be great every single time,” she said. “Customer service is super important to me. I’ve worked customer service ever since I was 15, so that’s something I strive to have.”

For now, look out for La Ola Pop Shop ice cream to be carried inside the store and a new addition of snow cones in the coming weeks. The Main Squeeze is open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., seven days a week. To keep up with new products and specials, follow The Main Squeeze on Instagram, Facebook and Tiktok.