The days are getting noticeably cooler, giving you tiny chills enough to ask for a sweater. You begin to pass sidewalks covered in gold and crimson leaves, observing more leaves dance and flutter from trees to ground. When passing by store displays and front porches, pumpkins and gourds seem to be popping up more and more. It’s becoming clear we are falling into the new season, and what you crave is a spiced drink to get into the autumnal spirit. But where do you go to get a fall drink?
To many, Starbucks is top tier. It’s a distinguished cafe where you can go for your daily sense of autumn spirit, especially for students here at Oak Park High School. It’s within 5 minutes of the school, and an easy way to get a caffeine fix. For others, Dunkin is the prime spot. It’s only 10 minutes away, and they have both great drinks and a myriad of items on their menu. However, is the time convenience enough to make these cafes reign supreme, or is there something better out there?
About 13 minutes away from OPHS, within the Westlake Promenade, lies La La Land Cafe. It recently opened in September of 2024, becoming the eighteenth store in La La Land’s chain. It has quickly become well known and beyond its pretty name and delicious menu, the cafe has benefited the community. 27-year-old owner Francois Reihani’s primary objective is normalizing kindness. Since opening his business in 2019 his dedication to helping individuals in the foster care system has been a critical point in his project.
Once individuals reach the end of their time in the foster care system they can begin a paid eight-week internship at La La Land Kind Cafe. After two months, they are offered a full-time position. Each location has a manager helping with professional development and a youth director who assists with personal matters outside of work.
Their fall menu consists of five drinks: Pumpkin Pie Cloud Latte, Pumpkin Pie Cloud Chai Latte, Pumpkin Pie Cloud Cold Brew, Pumpkin Spice Latte and Pumpkin Spice Chai. Some of these drinks can be either iced or hot, as well as matcha or espresso, depending on preference.
La La Land prizes itself on its presentation. They have carefully curated a very modern, minimalist design in their drinks. Each and every one of the fall drinks are very visually appealing.
However, looks aren’t everything, and flavor is certainly the most important part about the drink. To really delve into whether these drinks are truly worth the hype, it’s essential to assess both the presentation and flavor.
Starting off strong, the Pumpkin Pie Cloud Latte is certai
nly among the best pumpkin lattes available. Offered hot or iced, it is curated to your pumpkin dreams. While I myself am not big on espresso, I even enjoyed the drink. For espresso lovers, this drink is nothing short of elite. The La La Cloud, their signature cold foam, and “secret sauce” are big standouts. This drink is also available as a matcha. Whether you like this drink or not will be highly dependent however on if you enjoy the taste of matcha. As someone who does really like the taste, the drink is one of the best matches I’ve had. The hint of pumpkin gives you that reminiscence of fall and the cloud atop ties it all together nicely. I would rate this drink altogether a 10/10.
The Pumpkin Pie Cloud Chai is easily my favorite amon
gst the menu. The drink itself resembles fall to perfection, with a base of saffron chai. The Cloud on top and inclusion of La La Land’s “secret sauce” truly brings it over the top. I would rate this drink a 10/10 and highly recommend it.
The Pumpkin Pie Cloud Cold Brew is another for espresso lovers. It features a crisp, smoky cold brew with cold foam and that same “secret sauce”. Still, I am not the biggest fan of espresso and it was very prominent in this drink, making it not my favorite so far. I would rate this drink a solid 7.5/10.
One with mixed thought, the Pumpkin Spice Latte, I wasn’t entirely sure how I felt about it. While it has that pumpkin pie taste, I did find the base to be surprisingly milky. This drink is also offered as a matcha, and is much more enjoyable to me as one. I would give this drink a 6/10, but an 8.5/10 as a matcha.
The Pumpkin Spice Chai Latte, however I found more enjoyable. The creamy, smooth taste was done much better with this drink and I could regard this drink as “pumpkin perfection.” I would give this drink a 9.5/10.
Although La La Land is popular, competition is intense in such a small community. Smaller businesses have a disadvantage compared to large-scale corporations like Starbucks and Dunkin.
Starbuck and Dunkin, mainstream coffee businesses, also feature fall drinks on their menu. While both of these corporations focus on speed and convenience, La La Land masters quality. These drinks are meant for both coffee enthusiasts and those who despise coffee, offering the best of both worlds. With a choice of espresso and matcha, customers are guaranteed a drink to their liking.
La La Land Kind Cafe incorporates both a tasteful originality and timeless charm. The basis of their fall ideas are traditional but integrate distinctive elements setting them apart. I look forward to La La Land rightfully taking its place among the hierarchy of cafes and OPHS students recognizing it’s significance. I believe La La Land Cafe lived up to the hype.
