This month, Lauren Hill, a senior allied health studies major, opened The Lemon House LLC in Oxford, a food trailer which sells locally owned all-natural juices and protein balls. The business has been an instant hit, garnering many new and repeat customers.
Becoming a small business owner was something Hill did not anticipate.
In 2022, Hill bought a cheap juicer on a whim, regularly making and drinking celery juice as part of her daily routine. However, she admits that there was a learning curve to the juicing process.
“When I first started making them I could not nail the recipes,” Hill said. “But I started to figure out what worked and what did not and what I personally liked.”
Hill soon became fascinated with the process and now wields a vast knowledge on a range of juices and their health benefits, which she has incorporated into her current menu at The Lemon House LLC.
“If I am going to drink something for my body, … I want one to be aimed for my immune system, I want one to be aimed for my gut, I want one for energy (and) I want one (the sunshine flavor) just to taste good and get my fruits in,” Hill said. “I also do two wellness shots, too, which are really good anti-inflammatories.”
Hill’s Lemon House menu places these health-based principles at the forefront. She saw these benefits firsthand when both her father and grandmother were diagnosed with cancer in summer 2023.
The doctor recommended they both try integrating carrot juice into their diet, leading Hill to begin taking her hobby more to heart.
“We swear it has been a game changer for both of them,” Hill said. “The doctors told them that this is a great way to target the specific issues their body was attempting to fight. We just fell in love with it even more.”
With encouragement from family and friends, Hill decided to transform this passion into a business, launching the Lemon House Instagram in September 2023.
Hill began with modest ambitions by selling to friends and holding pop-ups at sorority functions, before soon developing a logo and brand name.It is no coincidence the initials in Lauren Hill’s name match the initials in The Lemon House LLC.
The initial juices included an immune booster, an energizer, a lemonade, a sunshine flavor and a green detox, most of which have remained in her current iteration of the business.
After successfully fielding mobile orders for the better part of nine months, Hill knew she wanted to expand her business further.
“I feel like something is calling me to do this,” Hill said.
She also knew her life would dramatically change.
Hill’s career ambitions were always aimed toward attending dental school upon graduation.
However, her love of nutrition and wellness, specifically juicing, set her on a new professional path, staking a permanent claim in Oxford with the introduction of a walk-up food trailer.
“I got (the trailer) on Facebook Marketplace,” Hill said. “It was a mobile bar, so I had to totally redesign it.”
Although Hill had many questions on how to start a business, she cites the Oxford community as a valuable resource in assisting her.
“All the inspectors and people handling the permits at City Hall were so helpful and willing to help me along the process,” Hill said. “I got to learn as I went when it came to starting a business.”
Hill is carrying over what her customers appreciated best from her mobile orders with aims to expand and evolve the menu over time and introduce smoothies, smoothie bowls and salads next semester.
For the time being, The Lemon House LLC has five set juices and one set protein ball on their menu. Protein balls are made of peanut butter, gluten free oats, protein powder and collagen. Coconut and chocolate chips are sometimes added for extra flavor.
Hill is also keen on integrating holiday flavors. In the fall, she sells pumpkin spice products, including popular pumpkin spice protein balls. Hill has also already planned peppermint protein balls for Christmas.
The bite-sized protein balls remain a definite favorite among customers.
“People have loved them,” Hill said. “I thought juices would be the main kind of takeover, but the protein balls have remained a major hit.”
Hill would eventually like to expand The Lemon House LLC into a storefront and hire
additional help in the process, but for now she remains content with managing the operation on her own terms as demand continues to grow.
While working independently, Hill aims to provide a feeling of home and comfort within her business, always moving about the day with a bright smile on her face and with a candid enthusiasm that customers value.
“I recently visited The Lemon House and absolutely loved it,” Rivers Bryan, a junior multidisciplinary studies major, said. “The atmosphere was great.”
Regardless of scope or scale, Hill sees Oxford as the permanent home for The Lemon House LLC.
“(Oxford) is kind of a hidden gem and a great place to start a business,” Hill said. “It truly feels like a home away from home, and I have a lot of great connections here.”
The Lemon House LLC is located at 2885 South Lamar Blvd and is open 7 a.m. – 2 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information, you can visit their Instagram.
