Story and photos by Wren Wampler
Coffee lover, coroner, mother, grandmother, Christian, former police officer, and self-proclaimed “matchmaker” are all terms to describe Lora Harrison, owner of Off the Ground Coffee House. Off the Ground is a microcosm of small southern town life- and that is Lora’s exact intention.
“Most of what I do here is subtle.” Lora denotes. A friendly greeting for an out-of-town customer, a hug and an extra pumpkin roll for a grieving daughter, a southern “have a blessed day” farewell for everyone who steps in the door. Lora has always known how to put others first and produce a caring act in any way she knows how, and that started with her work as a police officer in Lexington, Kentucky, where she is from, and is further continued with her second job as the County Coroner.
As the coroner, Lora is the middleman between families and police when someone passes away. She “treats every scene like a crime scene” when she gets there and makes sure to be by the family’s side, comforting them on one of the worst days of their lives. From a sleepy Monday morning to an unexpected passing, Lora is well-versed in ways to care for others, free of judgment.
The decor in Off the Ground is heavily religious, as Lora is a devout Christian. She explained that her biggest fear, as well as her biggest motivation, was God and making sure her loved ones are ready to pass and have followed their religion enough to get into heaven.
“It’s everything… everything.” She makes her belief well known in her shop, with bibles hung on the wall and various southern-style wooden signs reading phrases like All I need is a little bit of coffee and a whole lot of Jesus. This model of design in the shop is welcoming for most of the community, who also identify as Christian.
Lora loves Lawrenceburg for its southern comfort and small-town quaintness. When she opened her shop in 2016 on the main street, the strip was next to empty. Now, it’s a lively community center that no doubt was spurred by her coffee creation. Most of the clientele who enter the shop are friendly faces. The store is filled with laughing, smiling, crying, gossiping, and every latte flavor imaginable. Despite the latter part, Lora’s favorite drink to make for herself is a cup of dark roast with a little bit of half n’ half.