Katie Lorentz, 36, has turned a simple coffee truck into something much bigger — a place where kindness, community and family all blend together as smoothly as the brews she serves at Ground Up Coffee. As a co-owner, she pours her heart into every interaction, every event and every cup.

Ground Up Coffee’s fist brick and mortar location opened in Mount Dora on November 1.

“Now customers have the coffee truck option or the special Florida vibes of a sit-down shop,” Katie says.

Katie is obviously fond of coffee, but she also has a soft spot for animals.

“I am a huge animal lover,” she says. “From the dogs that visit Ground Up Coffee for a pup cup and turtles crossing the road I stop for, to the bear that gets in my trash multiple times a month, animals have a huge soft spot in my heart.”

Her work ethic and outlook on life were shaped early on. “Seeing my mom work two jobs and work so hard to provide for my brother and I . . . she was the strongest person I know,” Katie says. Her mother not only showed her the power of determination, she also introduced her to the world of coffee. “She worked at coffee shops as long as I can remember. She started my love for coffee.”

Katie hopes to pass that same warmth into her community. “I truly believe a smile at someone, a genuine conversation, holding a door or even complimenting a stranger can brighten somebody’s day,” she says. “You never know what someone is going through . . . kindness can be so simple.”

Starting Ground Up Coffee wasn’t easy. When Katie and her husband Jesse moved their family across the country to Florida, they hoped people would embrace their small business — but it took time. “At first it was very hard to build a customer base,” she says. They showed up at every city event, festival and game they could, at first just trying to get their name out. But the more they showed up, the more they realized what mattered most: the community itself.

Youth programs are especially close to her heart. From booster clubs to band, soccer, football and travel softball, she supports as many teams and groups as she can. “Youth programs are worth investing in,” Katie says. “If youth programs don’t have sponsors, it makes it difficult for them to excel.”

What drives her every morning is the people around her.

 “The smile on my customers faces and their continued support for Ground Up Coffee,” she says.

And her team? They’re like family. “We joke around, sing to the pop music playing, support and truly care about one another. They care about Ground Up’s customers just as much as my husband and I do.”