The opening of La La Land Kind Cafe’s Fort Worth location drew thousands of people, including more than 100 TCU students, in for a cup of coffee at the distinctive chain where employees tell customers, “I love you.” 

The cafe on Camp Bowie Boulevard is the latest entry into an already crowded coffee scene. However, workers and customers said the ambience sets La La Land apart from competitors.  

La La Land Kind Cafe is part of the La La Land Foundation, which focuses on aiding teenagers and young adults in the foster care system, according to the La La Land Foundation website. 

Originally named the We Are One Project, the foundation has been a nonprofit since 2017. According to the foundation website, the first La La Land Kind Cafe opened in 2019. 

La La Land does not look like the average coffee shop. Customers should expect to be transported into a haze of yellow and white. The furniture and countertops are all white, making the signature La La Land yellow coffee cup stand out. 

“Working at La La Land was appealing because there was a greater cause beyond the coffee shop,” said Mia Thompson, a TCU sophomore strategic communication major who works at the coffee shop.

At La La Land, customers are referred to as friends, Thompson said. 

During the opening, Thompson said a woman approached her for a photo in front of the La La Land sign.

“She stared crying to me and expressed how everyone was so kind to her,” Thompson said. “She wanted a photo to remember it.” 

“We have so many customers, it’s crazy,” Thompson said. “I would say from the hours I worked this weekend, I think I probably saw about 150 students.” 

TCU sophomore psychology major Jillian Lee said she saw over 100 TCU students at the opening while working her shift as a barista.

Kennedy Beaumont, a TCU sophomore psychology and child development major, spent her 20th birthday at the opening of La La Land. 

“We were in line for over an hour, but the La La Land employees made the wait really fun,” Beaumont said.

Customers waiting in line enjoyed a DJ, raffle prizes and free samples, and the La La Land employees sang “Happy Birthday,” Beaumont said. 

“If I went to Starbucks and they started singing, it would’ve felt weird,” Beaumont said. “When [La La Land] did, it felt authentic.” 

“Not only was the day a giant party and celebration, it was a perfect representation of what the company stands for,” Lee said. “Showing up for people and making them feel loved, no matter where they are coming from or where they are going.”