Daquiri drive-thru store opening on North St

by: John Martin

Oct. 7, 2020
martinjd4@jacks.sfasu.edu

K’s Daiquiris 2 Go storefront next to CVS and Nax Smoke Shop Photo by: John Martin

K’s Daiquiris 2 Go is scheduled to open On Sunday, Oct. 7 at 1302 North St next to the CVS
Pharmacy.
There will be nine featured flavors, including Margarita, Blue Hawaiian, Strawberry, Mango,
Pina Colada, Pineapple Express, Hurricane, Orange Octane, and Lemonade. These nine base
flavors can be blended into their own unique drinks such as K’s own “Bahama Mama,” and
“Axe’s Up.”
The stores hours are currently 11 am-10 pm every day of the week, but may close on Sundays in
the future. The store features a walk in area, as well as a drive-thru window that was previously
used by Nini’s Fresh Donuts.
The daquiris will be sold in four different sizes: 16 oz, 24 oz, 32 oz, and a half gallon.
Kendall Lisenby, the store’s owner, is based in Lufkin and currently owns a bar there called “Big
K’s Bar. Due to the COVID-19 regulations in Lufkin, Lisenby was forced to close his bar.
Regulations require a business to sell at least 51% in food sales to allow customers in and have
drink.
Without his business, Kendall started looking into other options, and stumbled upon the daiquiri
to-go model. “My girlfriend and I would travel to Lake Charles and we drove by a Daiquiri shop
and really liked it and it seemed like a good idea to start one myself,” Lisenby said.
While Lisenby has experience owning a bar and a Subway sandwich shop for 25 years, he is
fairly new to the Nacogdoches market and is excited to see what this city has to offer. K’s
Daiquiris 2 Go is sharing a building with the new Nax Smoke Shop, and Lisenby expressed an
interest to start working with them in the future, especially since their target demographic has a
lot of overlap.

K’sDaiquiris 2 Go street sign. Photo by: John Martin

Lisenby is currently holding applications to work at K’s Daiquiris 2 Go and says he is looking
for friendly, motivated, and trustworthy employees to help run his business. You can pick up
your application and set up an interview before the opening if you ask for a form at the Nax
Smoke Shop. While he has already been looking at applicants, opening a store in a different town
from which he lives means that Lisenby is looking forward to training his staff to take over while
he’s away.
In the current state of affairs, bars and breweries like Fredonia Brewery are not an option, but the
opportunity of to-go alcohol is an easier alternative with limited contact and a lower risk
contracting COVID-19. This is a fairly new development in Texas law, and K’s Daiquiris 2 Go is
one of the few more recent to-go alcohol business popping up around Nacogdoches.
Texas is one of the last states to adopt this law but advocates for the law think that this will add
one more reason for tourists to visit Texas. Gov. Greg Abbott would like to make to-go alcohol
sales legal in Texas past the COVID-19 breakout and extend it permanently. While holders of a
Mixed Beverage Permit are allowed to deliver alcohol as well, K’s Daiquiris 2 Go does not have
any current plans to incorporate a delivery service within their own staffing.
When asked about the pricing of his product, Lisenby said that he “hasn’t set anything in stone
yet,” but plans to sell his product in Styrofoam cups.
Lisenby would like to keep his bar open in Lufkin, but if sales go well at this new location, he
says that he may be inclined to close his bar indefinitely.
For any questions, please contact martinjd4@jacks.sfasu.edu