Several new businesses are coming to Whitehaven. The latest one is called Muggin' Coffeehouse.
The new development is possible after a $15,000 loan was secured from Edge. This isn't the first time Edge has invested in coffee shops in Memphis.
The first investment was for City and State in Midtown back in 2015.
In addition to Muggin' being one of the only standalone coffee shops in Whitehaven, the business will be one of the few coffee shops owned and operated by African Americans.
Ken Olds is co-owner of Muggin' Coffeehouse. He told us, "We saw the void… We were talking to friends and family and sure enough, you have to go Southaven or Oliver Branch to get a nice cup of coffee."
The Olds family grew up in Whitehaven – and now they're one of the three Whitehaven business owners to receive an inner-city economic development (ICED) loan from Edge this year.
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The other businesses that received ICED grants in Whitehaven include Trap Fusion, which is open, and Mystic Styles Glam Studio, which is under construction.
Muggin' Coffeehouse was approved for $15,000 – making a major dent in the overall $26,000 project.
We asked Ken how he plans to approach the challenges of making it beyond one or two years, he explained, "Main thing is sticking with our business plan. This is about family - isn't just about selling coffee to people and making it transactional - it's more interaction."
The owner said he wants this to be a peaceful environment. "We want this to be a place where people can come just have a good time and for the entrepreneur to come in and set up their laptop to have meetings."
A city spokesperson said there's only one other black-owned coffee shop registered in its database – and that's Café Lit, which will open in Downtown Memphis soon.
The owners hope their business will open the doors for other minority entrepreneurs in the coffee industry.
Co-owner Mary Olds told FOX13, "It's something that spans different cultures, and you'll find that different cultures have different ways of preparing coffee so it's something to can take a global presence."
We also found out the entire shopping center where Muggin' Coffeehouse will be located is getting a facelift. The Olds family said the owner of this property is fixing up the parking up and renovating the exterior.
The coffee shop is expected to open this November.
