In 2019 the first La La Land Kind Cafe opened on Bell Avenue in Dallas, Texas. Francois Reihani, an SMU Cox School of Business alum, founded the coffee shop as a way to “normalize kindness.” Now there are 20 La La Land cafes in Texas and California.
MM- Growing up my mom and I would go to Dallas often for a “shopping day,” and our days always ended with a stop at La La Land for a treat before driving back to Fort Worth. I always looked forward to getting a Pop-Tart and hot chocolate, and I made an effort to stop by whenever I was in Dallas. So when I heard that La La Land was coming to Fort Worth, I was thrilled. After a few months of construction, La La Land finally opened. It opened with a bang, with lines of cars full of people anxiously waiting to get their coffee. At one point there were even police cars outside the cafe just to control the traffic. But I fought through these wait times, and it was worth it. My go-to order at La La Land is the Upside Down Latte with Oat Milk. It is sweet, light, and so good.
“I try to go to La La Land at least once a week and I usually go during my free period to grab lunch or a late breakfast,” Reagan Leo ’25 said.
Even though the coffee and drinks are great, my favorite part of La La Land is the employees. They are kind, welcoming, silly, and fun. When you walk in they ask you how you are, and as you walk out they often say, “Have a great day! Love you!” which, to most people, feels weird to hear from a stranger. But there are so many people who need to hear that, because they may not have anyone in their lives who says that to them. Reihani definitely succeeded at creating a happy and, most importantly, KIND environment.
“I love going to La La Land before school because it is on my way to school and it is easy for me to place an online order and grab it,” Sloan Howard ’25 said.
LL- I have been a lover of La La Land for years. Just like Madeline, my mom and I take frequent shopping trips to Northpark Mall in Dallas. While my mom and I shop all day, we love to sip on a nice drink from La La Land. I was driving down Camp Bowie one morning when I looked over to where I thought was the Smoothie King, but to my surprise, there was a sign saying “La La Land coming soon.” I was super excited because I loved going to Dallas, and I knew that this would be my new go-to coffee place in Fort Worth. La La Land did a “soft launch” for the first 10 days before they officially opened. I was able to go during the soft launch, and the line was not terrible. I waited around 12 minutes in the line, and the drive-thru wait time was not bad eitherr. I ordered the Upsidedown Latte with almond milk and the La La Classic Avocado Toast. Since it was the soft opening, they gave me my toast for free and my drink for half-off. My avocado toast was super delicious. The toast was perfectly toasted, and there were red chili flakes on top, which added great flavor. The Upsidedown Latte was also super good. I enjoy coffee, but I don’t usually like the harsh flavor of espresso. This coffee had just enough creamer and sugar to cover up too much of a coffee taste. After my one trip to La La Land, I knew I would want to go back all the time. Once they officially opened, Fort Worth went wild. I remember driving down Camp Bowie, and one lane would be halfway down the street because of the drive-thru at La La Land. I kept trying to go back, but couldn’t justify the almost-hour-long line. I then learned that ordering online and going to pick up in store was the way to avoid the line completely. Ever since learning this trick, I go at least once a week and still get my same order. La La Land was such a great addition to Fort Worth, and you can really tell the city loves it.
