It was all a joke, but Starbucks and authorities weren't laughing.
Television comedian Nathan Fielder opened the parody of the world's largest coffee chain this weekend in Los Angeles and it was promptly shut down Monday, according to CNN Money.
The shop was giving away free coffee until it ran out. There have not been reports on any other things offered and it doesn't look like it will ever reopen.
"Legally speaking, we're operating as an art gallery — under parody law, it only covers art — so the coffee you're buying is the art," Fielder said, explaining parody law meant he could use the Starbucks logo to make a comedic point. "Because of that we do not have a health permit so we didn't have to pay those fees and we passed on the savings to the customers."
Starbucks said in a statement that it is "glad the mystery is over." The company has not made any statements about legal action toward Fielder, who said that pursuing him legally would mean risking losing him as a customer, according to CNN Money.
The company is known for aggressively pursuing knockoffs, according to Entrepreneur, and it is likely that had the health department not closed the shop, action would have been taken.
"Last year, a federal appeals court ruled that a small, family-owned New Hampshire roaster could continue to sell a line of "Charbucks" coffee, despite the similarity in names to Starbucks. However, Sam Buck of Astoria, Ore., was less fortunate, and was forced to close her Sam Bucks coffee shop in 2005," according to Entrepreneur.
Fielder stars in "Nathan For You," a reality show known for its business-centric pranks. The show was renewed and it is likely that Dumb Starbucks will be a part of it, even with a potential legal battle looming.
