BeVel’s edge on Troost: Scaling culture alongside barbershop’s executive clean up

A young Casie Murff jumped from cutting lawns to shaping lines, but it wasn’t until decades later — after embracing support from groups like The Porter House KC, Kansas City G.I.F.T. and a resurgent Troost business community — that the entrepreneur’s vision truly started buzzing.

“Sometimes as entrepreneurs, you need that reassurance,” Murff, founder of freshly faded The BeVel Barber Lounge, said of the support he felt on opening day this month when resources leaders, city officials, family, and friends filled his shop to show support. “Seeing that many people show up gave me confirmation that I’m doing the right thing. It was a blessing.”

The BeVel Barber Lounge at 4329 Troost Ave., Unit A; photo by Taylor Wilmore, Startland News

Launched along Kansas City’s Troost corridor, The BeVel Barber Lounge is built to deliver a sharp cut in a space that feels professional, welcoming, and rooted in community, he explained. The space — tucked into 4329 Troost Ave. alongside Equal Minded Cafe and Ubuntu Village — targets an impeccable “executive” style without losing approachability.

Click here to learn more about the lounge’s services.

“I wanted an environment where anybody and everybody feels comfortable,” said Murff, who also is a barber instructor. “Whether you’re a pastor, a mom with kids, or someone who just wants a clean and professional atmosphere, you don’t have to feel conflicted about being here.”

Murff’s focus sharpened after leaning on a network of small business resources, he said. Through relationships, he joined cohorts with The Porter House KC and later applied for funding through KC G.I.F.T, which invests in Black-owned businesses on the city’s east side.

“I didn’t get it the first time, which is not unusual,” Murff said. “But the second time I applied, I came back more prepared and ended up securing support.”

That investment, paired with mentoring from Porter House KC, gave him both confidence and real-world backing to bring BeVel to life.

“They brought in professionals to help us with accounting, finance, and operations,” he said. “It made me feel like I was on the right path, and if I needed to pivot, I had people I could lean on.”

Casie Murff works with an executive customer at The BeVel Barber Lounge; photo by Taylor Wilmore, Startland News

Early hustle leads to lifelong craft

Murff’s entrepreneurial drive started young. At 12, he launched a lawn care business. By 14, he was cutting his own hair with a $20 clipper set from Walmart, and neighbors soon began asking him for cuts too.

With an artistic eye, shading and design came naturally, he recalled.

“I already knew how to fade and make lines,” Murff said. “It was just about learning how to do it with clippers instead of a paintbrush.”

Even while building a career in corporate America, Murff never stopped experimenting with side hustles, from graphic design to real estate and Airbnb management.

“I’ve always been an entrepreneur,” he said. “I’ve had several different businesses before coming into this vision. It has always been in me.”

Casie Murff works with an executive customer at The BeVel Barber Lounge; photo by Taylor Wilmore, Startland News

A cut above: scaling with consistency

Murff designed BeVel with growth in mind. His long-term goal is to create a recognizable brand with multiple locations, each maintaining the same high standard of service.

“This is the footprint,” he said. “We’re working on systems and processes now so that when it’s time to scale, it’s just copy and paste. No matter what location you walk into, it’s going to have the same look, the same feel, and the same culture.”

To Murff, consistency is the foundation.

“McDonald’s looks the same no matter where you go,” he said. “That’s what we can do at our level too.”

Community ties give BeVel its edge

Since opening, BeVel has quickly positioned itself as a hub for both style and service. Murff has partnered with Vine Street Brewing, Kin Seltzer, and Big Brothers Big Sisters to give back in ways that extend beyond the barber chair.

“If a student has an interview or prom coming up, that haircut can give them confidence,” he said. “You feel different when you don’t have your haircut right.”

He also works alongside neighborhood associations and youth organizations, choosing collaboration over duplication.

“If an organization is already serving the community in a way that aligns with us, then we connect with them,” he explained. “That way, we can expand impact faster.”

Murff sees BeVel as part of a broader movement to revitalize Troost, pointing to other Black entrepreneurs like Chris Goode of Ruby Jean’s Juicery and Alan Kneeland’s The Combine as examples of progress.

“There are a lot of intelligent businessmen here creating things that uplift the neighborhood,” he said. “We see the value in showing that we can build something great.”