ARTICLE
“It all started from my Granny’s recipe,” said Venny Smith, owner of Granny Mac Beverage Company in Lakeland. Granny Mac’s Beverage Co. is a local tea company that currently produces and sells sweet tea at the Lakeland Farmers Market as well as supplies local 7-Eleven locations in Lakeland. According to Smith, his grandmother has been making the brand’s most popular flavor, mango-cranberry sweet tea for over 25 years. “The first time I tasted it, I was like Ooh wee, this is good,” said Smith. That initial reaction would later became the slogan for the Granny Mac Beverage Co. He said it took a long time for his grandmother to release the recipe to him. One day, he asked her to produce ten gallons of tea, that Smith would take to a local pop-up market for customers to sample and purchase. “That pop-up market went from two to six that day…by three-thirty, we were sold out. That’s when I knew I was on to something,” said Smith. After hearing word of the high-demand for her sweet tea, Smith’s grandmother decided in 2022 to release her cherished sweet tea recipe so Venny could assist in and ultimately take over the production process. Smith said the Lakeland community has been a large factor in the growth and success of the business. “Lakeland has been amazing. Polk County has been amazing. Being at the market I meet so many different walks of life from different cities. I’m from Lakeland…people I grew up with, my friends, and my family have been supporting me tremendously,” said Smith. Smith said that he isn’t a salesman, and he doesn’t like the feeling of having a product pushed on him. He always allows customers to sample his product before they buy, allowing the tea to “sell itself.” As for the future of Granny Mac’s Beverage Co., Smith said he is currently working with a beverage production company to perfect his master formula. He plans to expand the business outside of Lakeland, and one day have the Granny Mac name on shelves in all 900 7-Eleven locations across Florida, along with other major retailers. “I want to be international…a major brand…but we don’t know where God is going to take this brand, so we are going to stay focused on what we do and give the people what they want,” said Smith. If you are interested in trying Granny Mac’s Sweet Tea, head to the Lakeland Farmer’s Market on Saturdays or visit Grannymacbeverages.com for more information.
“It all started from my Granny’s recipe,” said Venny Smith, owner of Granny Mac Beverage Company in Lakeland.
Granny Mac’s Beverage Co. is a local tea company that currently produces and sells sweet tea at the Lakeland Farmers Market as well as supplies local 7-Eleven locations in Lakeland.
According to Smith, his grandmother has been making the brand’s most popular flavor, mango-cranberry sweet tea for over 25 years.
“The first time I tasted it, I was like Ooh wee, this is good,” said Smith. That initial reaction would later became the slogan for the Granny Mac Beverage Co.
He said it took a long time for his grandmother to release the recipe to him. One day, he asked her to produce ten gallons of tea, that Smith would take to a local pop-up market for customers to sample and purchase.
“That pop-up market went from two to six that day…by three-thirty, we were sold out. That’s when I knew I was on to something,” said Smith.
After hearing word of the high-demand for her sweet tea, Smith’s grandmother decided in 2022 to release her cherished sweet tea recipe so Venny could assist in and ultimately take over the production process.
Smith said the Lakeland community has been a large factor in the growth and success of the business.
“Lakeland has been amazing. Polk County has been amazing. Being at the market I meet so many different walks of life from different cities. I’m from Lakeland…people I grew up with, my friends, and my family have been supporting me tremendously,” said Smith.
Smith said that he isn’t a salesman, and he doesn’t like the feeling of having a product pushed on him. He always allows customers to sample his product before they buy, allowing the tea to “sell itself.”
As for the future of Granny Mac’s Beverage Co., Smith said he is currently working with a beverage production company to perfect his master formula. He plans to expand the business outside of Lakeland, and one day have the Granny Mac name on shelves in all 900 7-Eleven locations across Florida, along with other major retailers.
“I want to be international…a major brand…but we don’t know where God is going to take this brand, so we are going to stay focused on what we do and give the people what they want,” said Smith.
If you are interested in trying Granny Mac’s Sweet Tea, head to the Lakeland Farmer’s Market on Saturdays or visit Grannymacbeverages.com for more information.