La La Land Kind Cafe. Photo courtesy of @lalalandkindcafe on Instagram
East Dallas has loved La La Land Kind Cafe ever since it opened off Greenville Avenue in 2019.
The first coffee shop in Dallas committed to hiring young adults who have aged out of foster care is opening a second location on Oak Lawn Avenue, owner Francois Reihani said.
Set to open July 27, the new location finds its home in a former Starbucks.
Reihani is passionate about his shop and his employees. He hopes to raise awareness about the struggles young people face when they grow out of the foster care system and try to find work.
La La Land was designed to feel like “you’re walking into a dream world,” Reihani told the Dallas Morning News. “We want people to walk in here and feel how special it is just to be alive.”
The staff is not just former foster care youths. Reihani is willing to hire anyone but never chooses “serious baristas.” Where someone has previously worked is not important to Reihani.
“We’re going to push this golden heart onto people that kindness can literally change the world” he told the Morning News. “Some people actually think we’re insane. We’re one little coffee shop. How are we going to change the entire framework? But if we do it right, we could affect change.”
La La Land sells everything from matcha drinks and espresso to cookies and breakfast favorites. The cafe prides itself on making every recipe with organic ingredients.
La La Land Kind Cafe. Photo courtesy of @lalalandkindcafe on Instagram
Even though opening a second cafe during the pandemic was a challenge, coffee shops have an advantage over sit-down restaurants with their grab-and-go structure.
Both the Oak Lawn and Greenville Avenue locations will soon have a smartphone app. For now, the new shop will not permit indoor seating.
Reihani’s long-term plan is to open more shops in and out of Texas. More locations mean making more money to help at-risk young people.
“We’re on a big mission,” he told the Morning News. “We’re trying to prove a great point.”
