You’ve seen the yellow. If you’ve driven through 12 South lately, you literally cannot miss it. The bright, unapologetic sunshine yellow of La La Land Kind Cafe Nashville has basically become a landmark in a neighborhood that was already arguably the most "Instagrammable" spot in Tennessee. But here’s the thing: Nashville doesn't exactly have a shortage of places to get a caffeine fix. We have Frothy Monkey. We have Portland Brew. We have high-end spots where the baristas look at you with mild judgment if you ask for vanilla syrup.
So why is there a line snaking down the sidewalk for a place that looks like a Wes Anderson set?
It’s not just the matcha. Honestly, it’s mostly about the "Kindness" part of the name, though the caffeine definitely helps. Founded by Francois Reihani, La La Land isn't just another corporate chain trying to colonize the South. It started with a pretty heavy mission in Dallas: hiring and mentoring foster youth who are aging out of the system. That’s a massive deal because, statistically, kids aging out of foster care face some of the hardest uphill battles in the country regarding employment and housing.
What to Actually Order at La La Land Kind Cafe Nashville
If you walk in and just order a black coffee, you’re kinda missing the point. The menu is a chaotic, beautiful list of drinks that sound like they were named by a very happy poet.
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The Butterfly Latte is usually the one you see on everyone's Story. It’s blue. It has butterfly pea flower, wild honey, and vanilla. It tastes like a hug. Then there’s the Lavender Bloom, which is polarizing. You either love floral drinks or you think they taste like Grandma’s guest bathroom soap. There is no middle ground.
- The Mellow Yellow: This is their signature. It’s a yellow turmeric latte that actually tastes good, which is a rare feat for turmeric drinks.
- The Perfect Latte: This is what they call their secret-sauce vanilla latte. It’s supposedly "perfect." It’s very sweet. Be warned.
- Matcha Options: They take matcha seriously here. They use ceremonial grade stuff, and you can get it in a variety of ways, including the "La La Matcha," which is their standard entry point.
The food is surprisingly decent for a place that focuses so much on the beverage aesthetic. They do the "toast" thing—avocado toast, strawberry hazelnut toast, etc. The "Queen's Toast" with honey and strawberries is the crowd favorite, but let’s be real: you’re paying twelve bucks for a piece of bread. You're paying for the vibe. You're paying for the yellow umbrellas.
The 12 South Experience and Why the Vibe Matters
Nashville is changing. Fast. If you've lived here longer than five minutes, you know the "Old Nashville" vs. "New Nashville" debate is exhausting. La La Land Kind Cafe Nashville is firmly in the New Nashville camp. It’s polished. It’s bright. It’s designed to be photographed.
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But there’s a genuine warmth there that’s hard to fake. The staff are trained to be "excessively kind." Sometimes it feels a bit much if you haven't had your coffee yet and just want to exist in silence, but in a world where everyone is generally stressed out, having someone genuinely ask how your day is going while they steam your oat milk is... nice. It’s just nice.
The location in 12 South is strategic. You have the Reese Witherspoon shop (Draper James) right nearby. You have the "I Believe in Nashville" mural. It’s the epicenter of tourism and local weekend wandering. If you go on a Saturday at 11:00 AM, expect to wait. It’s a scene. You’ll see influencers in matching workout sets, families with golden retrievers, and tourists trying to figure out if they should wait in the five-deep line for a photo op.
The Mission Behind the Matcha
We have to talk about the foster youth component again because that’s the actual "why" behind the brand. Reihani started the We Are One project, which is the nonprofit arm. When you buy a $7 latte at La La Land Kind Cafe Nashville, a portion of that is feeding into a system that provides job placement, mentorship, and a stable environment for youth who often have nowhere else to go after they turn 18.
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It’s easy to be cynical about "mission-based branding" in 2026. We’ve seen a lot of companies use social causes as a mask for mediocre products. But the La La Land model has been vetted. They provide an eight-week internship program that teaches everything from customer service to financial literacy. For a kid who has spent their life being moved from house to house, having a "yellow" home base where kindness is the primary KPI is transformative.
Is it Overhyped?
Look, if you hate crowds and you think "aesthetic" is a four-letter word, you will probably hate it here. It is loud. It is bright. It is very, very millennial/Gen Z coded.
But if you actually like high-quality matcha and you want to support a business that isn't just funneling profits into a void, it’s worth the wait. The "Kindness" thing isn't just a slogan on the wall; it’s baked into the business model.
Pro-Tips for Visiting
- Parking is a Nightmare: 12 South parking is a disaster on weekends. Don't even try the main strip. Look for spots on the side streets a few blocks over and enjoy the walk.
- The App: They have an app. Use it. You can order ahead and skip the line of people who are just there to look at the menu board for ten minutes.
- The Merch: Their "Kindness" hoodies are actually really high quality. They aren't that cheap, thin cotton. They’re heavy and soft.
- The "Drive-Thru" Fallacy: People often think there’s a quick way in and out. There isn't. This is a "slow down and look at the yellow" kind of place.
Nashville has a lot of soul, and while some people worry that flashy California or Texas-born brands are stripping that away, La La Land feels like a net positive. It brings a specific kind of energy to the neighborhood that fits. It’s happy.
Actionable Steps for Your Visit
- Download the La La Land app before you leave your house to check the current wait times and browse the "Secret Menu" items that aren't always on the physical board.
- Check the We Are One website if you’re interested in the mentorship aspect; they often have ways for locals to get involved beyond just buying coffee.
- Go on a Tuesday or Wednesday morning if you actually want to sit inside and get work done. The "Kindness" vibe is much easier to soak in when you aren't being bumped by a stroller every thirty seconds.
- Try the 'Big Love' latte if you want something less sweet than the Butterfly—it's a more traditional flavor profile but still hits that signature La La Land smoothness.
- Walk the rest of 12 South afterward. You're already there. Grab a slice at Five Points or a doughnut at Five Daughters to balance out all that liquid sugar.
In the end, it’s just coffee. But sometimes, especially in a city growing as fast as Nashville, having a place that reminds you to be "kind" while you’re stuck in traffic on Granny White Pike is exactly what the doctor ordered.