La La Land merch
The owner of La La Land Kind Cafe, a chain of coffee shops with Texas locations in East Dallas, The Pavilion on Lovers Lane and NorthPark Center, announced this week that it secured a $20 million investment from MSD Capital’s John Phelan and private investor Andy Teller. The funds will be used not only to expand operations but also to spread kindness and happiness inherent to the brand, owner and investors say.
La La Land founder Francois Reihani says he hires, trains and mentors young people who are aging out of the foster care system. He opened his first La La Land Kind Cafe location in 2019 when he was just 23, according to a press release about the investors. La La Land Kind Cafe has since opened 11 stores throughout Texas and California.
La La Land is known not only for its unique hiring practices and delightful matcha-java-juice-and-quirky-toasts-packed menu, but also fashionable “delicore” merchandise and relative fame on the feel-good side of TikTok. (The page is filled with “drive-by kindness” videos, people driving around town complimenting strangers.)
With the new investment, La La Land Kind Cafe plans to expand its operations and open new locations throughout the United States, Reihani says.
Founder and CEO Francois Reihani
“We are excited to use this investment to continue our mission of making the world a kinder, happier place,” he says. “We believe that kindness is the key to a better future, and we are committed to making a difference in the lives of our guests, employees and communities that we serve.”
According to the press announcement, Reihani over the years has hesitated to enter relationships with investors who might not fully understand his mission. Phelan’s and Teller’s investments feel more like a bond and partnership than a financial investment, he says.
Investor John Phelan says, “Francois and his team have built an incredible company. We are committed to supporting their growth and helping them achieve their financial and social goals.
“La La Land Kind Cafe is raising the standard of what we should expect from companies,” Phelan says. “A business can give back, care about the community, and serve high-quality products while being profitable.”
Reihani says that La La Land’s next phase goes beyond mere company growth.
“I believe this is a huge step into our path to bringing a deeper human connection to ‘strangers.’ It’s a long term life goal for me and as we are able to get the right backing of people who believe in what we are doing, it’s a special thing to create and run something that physically brings humanity closer together.”
He goes on to say that hospitality workers are often the only so-called “strangers” someone speaks to outside close friends or family in a given day, meaning that front-of-house staffers can “physically represent humanity.”
“We’re changing standards by not only creating the environment that brings happiness but interactions that show the power of humans being connected, and telling hundreds of thousands of humans a year that we love them,” Reihani says. “Words that are now not heard often. That’s what is exciting. To expand that power.”
