Post updated at 3:34 p.m. Monday, Nov. 28:
Grounded Coffee held a quiet soft opening Monday morning in the downtown Lawrence spot that used to house Henry’s Coffee Shop.
Mary Holt, who owns the new coffee shop at 11 E. Eighth St., said she intentionally avoided advertising the trial opening to avoid crowding.
Holt owned The Levee Cafe, which was a popular dining spot in North Lawrence before its closure in June 2020. She has owned Henry’s Upstairs, in the same building as Grounded Coffee, since September 2020.
“It’s so bittersweet to hear of all the people who say they miss The Levee Cafe,” the owner wrote in a Nov. 2 Instagram post on a new account announcing the coffee shop.
“… While we’ll be a coffee shop without a full kitchen, we’ve tried to bring back as many Levee favorites as our tiny cooking / baking abilities will allow us.”
Grounded Coffee’s regular hours are yet to be announced, but it will likely be open next week.
Menu items include traditional coffee fare, such as espresso, macchiatos and lattes. The menu also includes scones, cinnamon rolls, banana bread, protein balls, brownies and more.
John Huff on Monday ordered a latte with rosemary and caramel, which he said was delicious.
Huff said he has known Holt for years, and he helped get the space ready for customers by cleaning, touching up paint and fine-tuning the overall presentation. He said the renovations enhanced the indoor natural light tremendously. The space had previously been a bit dusky, but it feels illuminated and vibrant now, he said.
In the Instagram post, the owner wrote that since she knows that Henry’s Coffee Shop holds a place in people’s hearts and memories from the 20-plus years it was open, “we’ve changed the name to create a new journey with the same mentality of inclusion and community OG Henry’s created over the years.”
Follow @groundedcoffeelfk on Instagram for updates.
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Chansi Long (she/her) reported for The Lawrence Times from July 2022 through August 2023. Read more of her work for the Times here.
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