Today we’d like to introduce you to Kelvin Kolheim.
Kelvin, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My culinary journey started as a kid, playing sous chef to my mom and falling in love with the alchemy of flavors. That early curiosity became a lifelong habit of exploring/tasting everything, asking questions, and learning how food and drink can bring people together.
Over the years, that curiosity evolved into entrepreneurship. I launched Beale Street Brewing Co. in 2020, also completed culinary school to deepen my craft. Each step nudged me closer to building experiences, not just products, that celebrate our region’s culture.
Today, that vision lives at Groovy Greyhound Coffee & Creamery in West Memphis, Arkansas. We pour exceptional coffee and scoop super good small batch ice creams alongside some of the best pastries and quiches on either side of the Mississippi. Through Groovy Greyhound, we celebrate community through a culinary lens: honoring the legendary greyhounds that once captivated this area (I can still hear Javis Greer calling the races on the news when I was a kid) and spotlighting the sunflower fields that paint Crittenden County every summer. Our shop also shares space with an event/maker’s space, studios, offices, and co working space. Because creativity and community taste even better when they’re side by side.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
“Smooth” isn’t the word I’d use at all. It’s been a real world road, with its share of “Memphis” potholes and beautiful views. We navigated shifting timelines, construction, and the supply chain rollercoaster that affected everything from equipment to ingredients. We’ve been trying to balance multiple ventures while keeping quality high. And like many entrepreneurs, life kept happening in the background; family responsibilities, staffing realities, and the steady work of earning trust in a new community. Those challenges grounded our focus in keeping hospitality warm, standards high, and relationships a priority.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
As an experience maker, at the intersection of food, beverage, and culture. My passion is translating local stories into flavorful moments menus, pop ups, collaborations, and visuals that feel distinctly “us.” I’m privilege to partner with artists and institutions to bring those stories to life: from label art and murals to events that blend music, history, and hospitality.
At Groovy Greyhound, that looks like:
• Coffee & Creamery: a colorful, chef driven menu of dialed in espresso, thoughtful seasonal drinks, and small batch ice creams made with care.
• Design & Storytelling: playful branding that nods to greyhounds and West Memphis history, plus sunflower bright visuals and short, joyful video clips featuring greyhounds/whippets and the fields Crittenden County is known for.
• Community Programming: “Teacher Tuesdays” and “First Responder Fridays”; kid friendly promotions in partnership with Fruitful Events & Studios next door
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
So many. My parents, friends, and family have been steady anchors. I’m grateful to collaborators and artists who’ve helped shape our brands and spaces: Anthony Lee, Quantavious “Toonky” Worship, Birdcap, Khara Woods, Adarryl Jackson, Lauren Holterman, 8Ball & MJG, Naiman Rigby, Barbara Jackson, Ryan Allen and Chef Steven Leake. Institutions like STAX, the Memphis Slim Collaboratory, the Rock n Soul Museum, and the Museum of Science & History have been generous partners and inspirations.
Our vendors, roasters, bakers, builders, and photographers; the City of West Memphis; ASU Mid-South, neighboring creatives at Fruitful Studios; and most of all our team and guests deserve credit. They’ve believed in the vision, rolled with the setbacks, and celebrated the wins right alongside us.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.groovygreyhoundcc.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/groovygreyhoundcc
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groovygreyhoundcc
