We could all use a little more kindness these days. Starting Saturday in Richardson, you can find it without even leaving your car. 

La La Land Kind Cafe—the coffee shop chain that’s been “normalizing kindness” since it opened its first cafe in 2017 on Lower Greenville in Dallas—will debut its first drive-thru location in Richardson Saturday at 242 W. Campbell Road. Offering an array of organic craft drinks and light bites, it will be a permanent home for the brand’s Drive By Kindness initiative, which you can see play out on its TikTok videos.

Creating opportunities for youths who’ve aged out of foster care

[Photo: La La Land Kind Cafe]

It’s the eighth location for La La Land, whose We Are One project is based on hiring youths and young adults who’ve aged out of foster care, giving them the life skills and employment they need to begin building toward success after they turn 18.

In every city with a La La Land store, a flagship location runs an eight-week internship program where the foster youth acquire on-the-job training, customer service training, mentorship, and life skills. La La Land then aids them in getting help with job placement, housing, schooling, and therapy as part of its We Are One project. Special needs individuals work side by side with the foster youth, as well.

With five locations in the Dallas area, two in Houston, and one in Santa Monica, California, the brand literally looks on the bright side of everything. Even its cups are a bright, cheerful yellow.

All that positivity—and its pro-social mission—are a vision of the company’s founder and CEO, former SMU Cox School of Business student François Reihani.

Founder made the cover of Entrepreneur’s ‘Young Millionaires’ Issue

La La Land Kind Cafe Founder Francois Reihani on the cover of Entrepreneur magazine

Reihani was featured on the cover of Entrepreneur magazine’s September 2021 “Young Millionaires” issue (above). The magazine called Reihani “one of a kind,” saying his “La La Land Kind Cafe improves its staff’s lives and has driven $6 million in revenue.” 

Since then, Reihani has grown his brand even more, adding two locations in Houston and now the new one in Richardson. He’s also been featured in Forbes’ 30 Under 30 Social Impact list. 

“In a society that’s always on the go, for many, picking up a morning coffee or a bite to eat is the only time they interact with strangers,” the company says in a statement. “La La Land sees this short time as a chance to prove that all humans should be friends, to bring kindness to the forefront of humanity, and to create connections. Normalizing kindness is the mission, and coffee is the method.”

Cheering up Richardson

The brand’s mission Saturday: cheering up Richardson, one new customer at a time. Staff will hand out free flowers on the drive-thru’s opening day, and food and drinks will be 50% off. The company’s La La Truck will be parked outside (bright yellow, natch). 

You’ll be able to try drinks like the Butterfly Latte, featuring a “fruity pebbles” taste with matcha and butterfly pea blossom tea, and bites like the Truffle and Burrata Avocado Toast. 

But if you leave with a smile, that may be the best deal of all.