A "Dumb Starbucks Coffee" shop popped up in the Los Feliz area of Los Angeles over the weekend. The mock coffee shop used the same logo and building décor as the popular Starbucks but decided to place the word "dumb" in front of it.
It's not clear who is behind the "Dumb Starbucks" but the real coffee shop told The Hollywood Reporter that they are not behind and will be investigating the shop's opening.
"We're aware and this isn't a Starbucks location and we're looking into it," a rep for the company said.
According to reports, the mock coffee shop might avoid running into any legal trouble because the business is seen as a parody. Because the word "dumb" is placed in front of the name, they reportedly can't be sued for trademark violation because it's protected under free speech.
"Although we are a fully functioning coffee shop, for legal reasons Dumb Starbucks needs to be categorized as a work of parody art," a flyer in the store read, according to The Hollywood Reporter. "So, in the eyes of the law, our 'coffee shop' is actually an art gallery and the 'coffee' you're buying is considered the art. But that's for our lawyers to worry about. All you need to do is enjoy our delicious coffee!"
The café comes complete with a mock menu which includes "Dumb Iced Espresso," "Dumb Frappuccinos" and "Dumb White Chocolate Mocha." They also had pastries and "Dumb Nora Jones" CDs. However, apart from being a "fully functioning coffee shop" and including prices on the menus, all items were being handed out for free.
According to several reports, the fake Starbucks shop was extremely busy with most people waiting in line for two hours before being able to buy a "Dumb Coffee."
"Our boss wasn't prepared for all this, that's why we're short staffed," one of the two baristas told THR. He said he applied for the job on Craigslist but wouldn't give up any more information.
