Dumb Starbucks’ Creator Nathan Fielder Shut Down By LA Health Department
The mastermind behind the Dumb Starbucks parody store has finally been revealed and Comedy Central‘s Nathan Fielder has claimed responsibility. Well, not too long after Fielder claimed ownership of the store, the Los Angeles County Health Department came and shut the place down.
Local residents have wondered for days what this Dumb Starbucks store was all about. Reports ranged from “it’s an art parody” to “it’s a knock off” of the all popular coffee-house. Well, looks like we finally got our answer. According to USA Today, Nathan Fielder, star of the Comedy Central series Nathan For You, spoke to reporters late Monday afternoon in front of the Dumb Starbucks storefront.
Fielder reportedly addressed the crowd while wearing a green apron with the mock logo on it and said that owning a small business was always his dream, and that capitalizing on Starbucks’ corporate name “really helped this one take off.”
“There have been lines around the block, and very few small businesses get that from the start,” he said according to the Los Angeles Times. Finally, Fielder admit that he had opened up the Dumb Starbucks shop as a place to shot segments for his reality show. When asked if Comedy Central was aware of the stunt, he replied with “They weren’t, but they are now.”
“We’ve been wondering what this was about for four days,” said Los Angeles resident Rebecca Metz. “I wish it was a political statement or a kooky artist, but it’s a really smart marketing stunt.”
Well, the fun was short lived as the news conference came to an abrupt end when the Los Angeles Health Department showed up and demanded Fielder stop serving any food or beverages before they finally slapped a notice on the door and officially shut down the Dumb Starbucks.
The Huffington Post stated that the Dumb Starbucks was required to shut down because it had been operating without a health permit.
THIS JUST IN: Dumb Starbucks in Silver Lake shut down by health department. pic.twitter.com/YFzz15cimh
— ABC7 Eyewitness News (@ABC7) February 11, 2014
In an earlier report by The Inquisitr, Starbucks reportedly was considering legal action against the Dumb Starbucks store for using not only their name but their trademarked logo. “We are evaluating next steps and while we appreciate the humor, they cannot use our name, which is a protected trademark,” Starbucks said in an email to USA Today.
So what’s next for Dumb Starbucks and Nathan Fielder? Well, as for now the store remains close and there is no word on when a new season of Fielder’s show will begin.
