The Valley is obsessed with a new coffee shop. Is it worth the wait?

On a rare grey weekday morning, it’s spitting rain in Scottsdale. People stand along the sidewalk on 71st Street in Kierland Commons, looking up at the sky. There are more than a dozen people in line, waiting to step into a La La Land Kind Cafe.

The Dallas-born coffee shop chain has amassed a huge online following, with some 6.2 million followers on TikTok. That has attracted fans to more than two dozen U.S. locations for cute cup drops, celebrity-endorsed drinks and a bubbly staff of baristas. 

When La La Land opened its doors in Kierland last weekend, videos circulated of epically long lines that snaked around the shopping center for blocks, leading to hours-long waits.

So, we had to know, why is there so much hype around La La Land, and is it worth the wait?

What is La La Land Kind Cafe?

Francois Reihani opened the first La La Land in a historic home in Dallas in 2019. The cafe notably provides paid internships to young people transitioning out of foster care. La La Land is also known for its cheery atmosphere. That started with staff sharing genuine compliments with guests. Amid the pandemic, they pivoted to sharing those compliments in videos that took off online.

Today, La La Land has 29 cafes around Southern California, Texas, Tennessee and, now, Arizona. A second Valley location, at the northeast corner of 44th Street and Camelback Road in Phoenix, is coming soon, according to the cafe’s website. 

The Scottsdale cafe is airy and modern, featuring grand chandeliers with cascading tiers of textured rods that sparkle in the light and an expansive stone coffee bar. While most of the space is bathed in cool neutrals, there are pops of buttery yellow everywhere. It’s the signature color of La La’s cup sleeves and tops, coffee bean bags and diner-inspired mugs displayed in backlit niches. The planter boxes flanking the cafe’s patio are filled exclusively with delicate yellow blooms. The space is chic, ideal for a debrief with a girlfriend.

La La Land is staffed with a large, energetic cafe team, who, in unison, shout, “Bye, we love you,” to people as they leave the cafe or “You’re welcome,” to customers who share their thanks. 

That crew cranks through a menu of coffees, espressos, matcha, chai and iced hibiscus or Arnold Palmer “coolers.” La La Land also offers toasts, a well-stocked pastry case with local bakes from JL Patisserie and a kids’ food and drink menu.

‘We’ve been seeing it all over TikTok’

During our visit, the cafe was abuzz with bubbly pop beats. Two TV news crews weaved around groups and families checking out the popular new spot for the first time. 

Victoria Meraz, of Phoenix, stood in line with her sister, holding her four-month-old nephew. Meraz is a “matcha fanatic,” who wants the grassy, herbal taste of the matcha to shine through in her drink. 

“We’ve been seeing it all over TikTok,” Meraz says of La La Land, joking that she’s “chronically online.”

The sisters had only stood outside the door for about five minutes; the line was moving better than Meraz expected. 

“I’m really excited,” she says. 

Among “La La’s Favorites” are iced lattes, available with espresso or matcha, and spiked with fresh banana or strawberry. We opt for a Banana Cloud Latte with espresso, a Strawberry Cloud Latte with matcha, the cafe’s La La Classic Avocado Toast and one of JL’s chocolate chip cookies. 

The banana latte made good on its promise of fresh banana, warm cinnamon and vanilla bean, but those additions didn’t overshadow the roasty espresso. The matcha latte, sweet and strawberry-forward at first sip, found the same balance with a stir. The massive toast, neatly packed into a yellow box, burst with bright lemon and a kick from a generous sprinkle of chili flakes on top. 

All in, it took about 45 minutes from when we got in line to receive our drinks and cookie, and the toast took a few minutes more. The team was apologetic amid the rush. The drinks and bites were tasty and satisfying, but your willingness to wait may vary. If we’re shopping in Kierland and the yen for a fresh banana latte strikes, we’ll be back, but we’ll plan to order our drinks online to skip the queue. It’s a tip we learned from another set of sisters.

Analise and Tessa Wachtel planned ahead and ordered their Banana Cloud lattes on the cafe’s app. Their drinks were ready in about 20 minutes. 

“It is worth it,” Tessa says. 

“Definitely worth it,” Analise chimed in.

She has been to La La Land cafe in Fort Worth, Texas, where she attends college. She’s excited that she can visit that cafe there, and when she’s back home in Scottsdale. The sisters lingered over their drinks at one of the two large community tables at the center of the cafe, soaking up the vibes, including the cafe team’s exclamations of “love you!”

“It’s fun to watch people react to it,” Analise says. “Seeing people start their morning on a positive note, I feel like that really makes a difference.”

La La Land Kind Cafe

15215 N. Kierland Blvd., #190, Scottsdale
Coming soon: 5039 N. 44th St.