Originally from Valparaiso, Indiana, Robyn and Larry Morris are high school sweethearts with a passion for community, Christ, and coffee. Following their move to LA, and Robyn’s short lived acting career, they found out they were pregnant with their first child which prompted them to move back east closer to family. After living in Fairfield, Ohio for a short while, Larry took a position at the former Addison McKey in Wilmington and the rest is history.
When the Morris family first moved to Wilmington they became members of the Wilmington Fellowship Christian Church (now called Dove Church), and began becoming active in our community by being part of local home school groups and then eventually founding the Wilmington House of Prayer (WHoP)—formerly by the Farmers Market Mural downtown.
WHoP opened their doors in 2009, coincidently as DHL left Wilmington and our community needed prayer and hope more than ever. The WHoP was a 24/7/365 prayer room where community members could pray for others or write their own prayers on the three chalkboard walls inside. While talking to Robyn, she expressed the crazy amount of support WHoP found thrust upon them after Fox News anchor, Glen Beck, visited Wilmington. “He came up to me, looked in my eyes, and said ‘Thank you for what you’re doing, and thank you for being here’, how was I supposed to respond to that?” laughed Morris as she recalled the event. She went on to explain that during the time Beck was in Wilmington, and even after, the outpour of support from the community was intense. The money raised during that time filled their donation boxes and was able to completely fund the WHoP until they closed their doors in 2018.
The idea for Kairos came while the Morris’ were on a road trip with a group of Wilmington College students in 2013. They stopped at a local coffee shop on their way back from Kansas City, MO and the students discussed the idea of opening a coffee shop in Wilmington the entire drive home. Morris said, “In that time (2013–2019), [the idea of Kairos] never left me… It happened quite suddenly, we transitioned, we closed the Prayer Room doors and opened up Kairos Coffee.” Kairos opened in February of 2019 with 5 employees and a small menu. Now, Kairos has 18 employees and expanded their menu including Crimson Cup coffee drinks, Red Bull drinks, teas, and select goodies from Cindy’s Bake Shop.
“We have had people ask if we’re going to franchise, and ‘ya know... my husband and I are in our 60’s, our kids are grown, were having fun with the shop, he was able to retire early, we’re able to work together, we have one daughter who is 20 at home who is a barista, but why would we want to take on a whole lot more?” said Morris. She expressed her gratitude for their wonderful staff that allows her and her husband to enjoy both being the owners and also their time with their family during their retirement.
Art at Kairos
There are many unique pieces of art at Kairos. Here is the story of a few and their artist...
KAIROS LOGO Jess Daulton: Jess designed the Kairos logo, and along with her barista husband, Nick, both were instrumental in establishing the coffee shop. |  |
 | PIANO TABLE Adam Shivers: Adam is the son of ‘For a Song and a Story’ former owners, Paul and Cindy Shivers. Adam designed and built the iconic piano coffee table that sits on the cowhide rug, as well as hand carved the letters for the Kairos wall clock right above the piano table. |
ARCHER PAINTING Jason Wilson, Tony Thompson, Charles Tabor: ‘The Archer’ featured on the back wall of Kairos was created by Charles using a live model, then driven from New Hampshire. Tony, of Domain Construction, along with Jason Wilson, did the entire build out of Kairos Coffee in addition to crafting the live-edge tables and menu boards. |  |
 | PLANT WALL Jessie Thompson: Wife of Tony Thompson, Jessie designed and created the plant wall when you first walk into Kairos Coffee. |
ARTISTIC STICKERS Abbey Morris: The youngest daughter of Robyn and Larry, Abbey has designed several things for Kairos Coffee and currently works there as a barista. |  |
 | GRAPHIC NOVEL Nick Daulton: In addition to being a barista at Kairos Coffee, Nick Daulton is a local writer, artist, and graphic novelist who recently released ‘You Can’t Kill the Monster’, which is available for purchase at Kairos. |