Meet Kelli Koonce | Entrepreneur, Owner White Elk Spicy Peanuts & Crackers

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kelli Koonce and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kelli, maybe we can start at the very start – the idea – how did you come up with the idea for your business?
I had been making the peanuts and crackers for a while and we think they are pretty special. My brother, husband and I have always dreamed of owning our own ranch and wanted to figure out a way to earn extra money to pay for a piece of land… and voila’ White Elk Spicy Peanuts and Crackers was born. We are going to purchase a ranch one peanut and one cracker at a time! Every penny we have made from our peanuts and crackers goes into a family fund that will be used to one day purchase a piece of land for our family to enjoy together. We will obviously have to name the land “Peanut Ranch” or something along those lines.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
So far I have learned that I love people more than I love money and in most cases hearing someone’s story might be more valueable than the sale you are about to make. My brother often works along beside me at the market and he has an ubelievable talent for disarming people emotionally and making them feel comfortable. I have learned so much by watching how he connects with people and it has taught me that people would rather you risk it and bond with them than stay on the safe/professional/shy/conservative road. I really think humans need the reassurance that we are all human, all a little shy and all vulnerable to insecurities. When you thrown it out on the line and are not scared be yourself I think it helps others to do the same. I don’t try to be perfect or the best at what I do but I do try to be remembered for the way I make people feel when they meet me. My husband, bother and I pray before each farmers market that our clients will be bleassed and that we might make someone’s day better and if you love our peanuts and crackers that is a really good bonus! What sets us apart from others= nothing and that is what makes us special. We don’t try to be anything we aren’t. We are your small town, small business with big dreams and we work really hard. It’s really that simple.
What are we most proud of=We just started in April 2022 and we have already been accepted as a vendor for Grapefest in Grapevine, TX for 2022 which is kind of a big deal as they have a waiting list for vendors and have upwards of 200k attendees. We also have a resident Farmer’s market at Glad Parks in Euless, TX and we were vendors at the Tomato Fest in Jacksonville, Tx this summer.

The story behind our name=we had a friend who went hunting with his uncle and his uncle came back to camp and said he saw a white elk walking around on public hunting land in Decatur, TX (Elks are not really in Texas and certainly not on public land. Especially wouldn’t be a White one). Nobody believed him but to this day he says it is true. That story tickled me and I find it to be hilarious. I guess now I look at “White Elk” as being something that may or may not be real, or hard to find or rare/unique. This is my White Elk story!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
1. Stockyards-because who wouldn’t want to go see the historical Frot Worth Stockyards and eat at some of Tim Love’s amazing restaurants? 2.Dallas Stars Hockey game
3. Sixth Floor Museum
4. mexican food at Ojeda’s off Maple Ave in Dallas, TX
5.a day at Winstar
6.Cuco’s cuban restaurant in NorthRichland Hills, TX
7. my back patio to hang out and visit (fire in the winter or ceiling fans in summer)

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My best friend Amy. She is an amazing nurse, friend, and single mother who somehow ALWAYS manages to find the time to support my crazy dreams and be the best friend anyone could ever ask for. She encouraged me to go for it when I told her I wanted to start my own business. When I met my husband she told me to “jump in head first and never look back and if you get into trouble I will get you out of it”. Amy, thank you for always supporting me. I love you enough and I love you more.

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