By Sophia Pardo
Tucked away off the Katy Trail, behind the doors of a crisp white storefront on Travis Street, sits a floral wonderland. Inside, exotic arrangements burst with vibrant colors, textures and shapes—each one carefully curated.
At the heart of it all is SMU alumna Layne Tenenbaum, the founder of Le Bloom, her coffee shop–meets–florist venture that has quickly captured the hearts of bouquet lovers and $12 latte drinkers alike.
Tenenbaum never planned on running a coffee shop, yet her floral café has become one of Dallas’s most Instagram-worthy spots. After studying marketing with a minor in advertising at Southern Methodist University, she joined the traditional workforce in a 9-to-5. When she realized her creativity wasn’t being fully used at her then-current job, she looked back to her roots in Northern California, where flower shops and farmers’ markets were an oasis for her.
“I felt like the options were mainly coffee shops or grocery store flowers, so that’s what inspired me to create Le Bloom,” Tenenbaum said.
With no prior experience in floral arrangements but the guts to take a leap of faith, Tenenbaum launched Le Bloom’s first installment: a pop-up floral cart.
The pop-up cart allowed Tenenbaum to bring her business to private events, the streets of Knox-Henderson and SMU’s campus. Customers could choose from a daily spread of unique flowers, build their own bouquet and have it wrapped in Le Bloom’s signature blue-and-white logo paper. Each arrangement offered a twist on the classic bouquet and, to many customers, felt more like a beloved piece of art than just flowers.
As her brand gained buzz in the community, Tenenbaum knew it was time to take the next leap: opening a retail space.
“People kept asking, ‘Do you have a shop?’ So we started looking,” Tenenbaum said. “Coincidentally, a friend told me about a tucked-away spot that wasn’t on the main road. That turned out to be our current space.”
Since opening, Tenenbaum has fostered relationships with various brands—recently including the popular Sourdough Lane—and content creators from the Dallas, New York and Los Angeles areas.
Special drink collaborations, as well as using Le Bloom to cater floral arrangements and its iconic pop-up cart for private off-site events, have helped her stand out from competitors. These partnerships have enabled her to showcase both the coffee and floral sides of the business, creating unique experiences that attract new and loyal customers.
Through these events, she has cultivated a growing base of loyal and new customers who visit her shop daily. Tenenbaum has also expanded her team to seven baristas, who she credits with building the community at Le Bloom.
Josie Walker, one of the baristas, spearheads many of the viral latte recipes, including their seasonal guava-strawberry matcha.
“We brainstorm ideas as a team, and Layne encourages us to get creative and test different concepts,” Walker said. “I think of it like baking, where I enjoy combining flavors. We take inspiration from popular trends and customer requests, putting our unique spin on them.”
Tenenbaum’s team communicates well, and each member has a role like a moving part on a chessboard.
“The vibe behind the counter is reflective of what our customers experience,” Walker said. “We genuinely enjoy being here, which is something I think is rare. Having a supportive boss like Layne really enhances the overall vibe of Le Bloom.”
The store continues to bloom—quite literally—and plans to host several future collaborations, including one with Timeless Pearly, a Paris-based brand, for the upcoming exclusive launch of its U.S. collection in Tenenbaum’s floral shop.
When asked for advice on what to give young entrepreneurs, Tenenbaum keeps it simple: just go for it.
“I’ve learned everything through trial and error,” she said. “I didn’t know flowers before, but I went for it. Keep track of what works and what doesn’t. A lot of people get intimidated and never even begin—but you really just have to dive in.”