In the end it was the Los Angeles County Health Department—not intellectual property law—that forced “Dumb Starbucks” to close.
The satirical pop-up coffee shop opened in Los Angeles in February, garnering tons of media attention because it had the look and feel of a real Starbucks—but the word “Dumb” preceded the name on everything from a “Dumb Frappuccino” to a “Dumb Venti.” The shop turned out to be a publicity stunt by Comedy Central TV show host Nathan Fielder, whose show, “Nathan for You,” revolves around Fielder giving prank advice to small business owners.
