DALLAS — This article was originally published by our content partners at the Dallas Business Journal. You can read the original article here.
A cheery and lively coffee shop focused on kindness is making yellow waves across Dallas-Fort Worth, especially as it opens two new stores in the region.
A new La La Land Kind Cafe recently opened at 5959 Royal Lane in the Preston Royal Village shopping center, adjacent to several upscale eateries and grocery stores, including H-E-B’s Central Market. The new coffee shop is a smaller location at around 1,400 square feet and can accommodate up to 50 people.
The Nov. 16 opening drew a line that wrapped around the building, with some people getting in line at 4 a.m. This location is open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday.
It is occupying the space of a former Public Taco, a Mexican street food restaurant that closed in 2021.
The new store is in the 75230 ZIP code, the third wealthiest in the Dallas-Fort Worth metro, according to a Business Journals analysis of income and housing data. Rents in the shopping center are considered on the higher end, ranging from $55 to $70 per square feet, according to analysis from Dallas-based Weitzman.
La La Land founder Francois Reihani said he thinks this shopping center exudes energy, with "much action and many great people." He said he’s been waiting to open at this location for more than three years.
"This has been requested for so long, and it is exciting to be able to be here and be a part of so many peoples’ lives," Reihani said in a statement.
He said the opening represents a "big step to dominating the market with yellow." It is the company's eighth location in the Dallas area and 11th overall in Texas. La La Land also operates six locations in Southern California.
The La La Land is catty-cornered from a to-go style LDU Coffee, which is another popular coffee chain in Dallas that got its start in Perth, Australia. It’s marketed quite differently from La La Land, and is known for its simple coffee menu and breakfast sandwiches with an Australian twist. LDU also plans to open at the office tower called The Quad in Uptown in 2025.
Another La La Land store is underway at Fitzhugh Avenue off U.S. Route 75. Those driving on the Central Expressway have likely already spotted the yellow building taking shape, complete with a butterfly embellishment. It is occupying the former home of Buzzbrews, a local breakfast and brunch chain that filed for bankruptcy in late 2023.
The 1,500-square-foot location is slated to open by the end of 2024, Reihani said.
According to La La Land’s website, the forthcoming store is now hiring. As part of its mission, the coffee shop emphasizes hiring young adults who have been in the foster care system.
La La Land has secured significant financial backing for a retail business. In July 2023, two high-profile investors — MSD Capital Chairman Emeritus John Phelan and angel investor Andy Teller — pumped $20 million into Reihani's vision. La La Land ranked No. 31 on the most recent Dallas 100 list of companies ranked by three-year revenue growth.
The brand has also been eyeing Nashville as a potential location for a new store, Reihani confirmed in an Oct. 1 email. If it opens, this would mark its first location outside of Texas and California.
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