ALL ABOUT GROOVY BEAST
In the beginning…
Owners Aaron and Carolyn Tyson originally knew each other as casual acquaintances from Roanoke College, a small liberal arts college located in Salem, VA. Long story short, after dating, marriage, and kids, Aaron and Carolyn quickly agreed that with their own pioneering spirit, they should set out to satisfy their own entrepreneurial yearning, and formed an idea and began planning for the creation of the original Groovy Beast which opened in 2017.
The Groovy Beast started out as a little gas station grill in 2017 that put fresh food, great customer service, and a positive working environment over everything else. The Groovy Beast became an eclectic local favorite quickly with its old school style service with a funky, hip vibe. But their success was not absent of struggles, a lot of sweat, and if truth be told, a good deal of tears. Aaron and Carolyn shared a foundational work ethic, solid education, knowledge and experience in the food industry. They also came to realize in the midst of starting up a new business and a new family, that supplying food sources and implementing a start-up restaurant business are two different things. Neither had a culinary background. They are self taught and experimented with branding and recipes.
Their passion about their business, their love of people, and encouragement from the community kept them trying and improving, keeping them humble and keeping them working hard to evolve into the great family experience they envisioned. The most gratifying thing about the Groovy Beast for Aaron and Carolyn is when they see that people love what they do. The long hours and hard work are worth the smiles and appreciation from their local following.
In 2020, Aaron and Carolyn realized that after several years of improving a wide range of customer experiences within the Groovy Beast, that it was time to expand and provide a more full service experience within the community. They had outgrown their original space in Gastonia, and wanted to create a more social, but still family oriented environment for their following. They found the right desired space in 2021. In 2024 the Groovy Beast moved to a full service location in Lowell, NC. Aaron and Carolyn are forward thinkers, who value their roots, their awesome staff, each other, and the community who has supported them so kindly since 2017.
