Insanely Cheerful Coffee Shop La La Land Kind Cafe Pushes Kindness in Houston’s Montrose | Eater Houston

"Walking into Montrose’s new La La Land Kind Café, I was met with a boisterous welcome of cheers and customized compliments — “I love your hair!” and “Your outfit is amazing!” — and even a send-off of “We love you,” a playful, sometimes disorienting culture that’s intentionally part of the experience. The bright, Instagram‑worthy space in the Montrose Collective has yellow accents, a “happy window” for coffee service, and cheeky merch (t-shirts, hats, mugs) reading things like “Don’t be a dick” and “Just be fuckin kind.” The menu skews breakfast-forward with takeaway chia and oat puddings, strawberry toast, chilled milk dispensers for iced drinks, and signature beverages such as the Perfect Latte (espresso, milk, and a “secret sauce”) and the Lavender Bloom (iced coffee or matcha with vanilla and purple lavender syrup). Fancy toasts include the La La Classic avocado toast topped with lemon and chile flakes and a sweet hazelnut‑butter toast layered with a Nutella‑like spread, strawberries, and bananas. The kindness-first business model is sincere: beans and a small-batch, ceremonial‑grade matcha from long‑standing family farms in Japan are fair‑trade and purchased above market price, and hiring practices intentionally support foster youth through an eight‑week paid internship offering training, mentorship, and assistance with job placement, housing, schooling, and therapy (one graduate from the Heights location now works full time). With a social media footprint of nearly 6 million followers and dozens of reels that have amassed over a billion views, the brand’s kindness drive‑bys and viral content have helped fuel demand for this second Houston outpost, which has already welcomed guests ahead of its Aug. 20 grand opening and will be open daily from 6:30 to 7 p.m." - Brittany Britto Garley