Dumb Starbucks draws the attention of the coffee chain it mocks
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}** FILE ** In this Nov. 10, 2008 file photo, a man pulls a cart past a Starbucks store inside the Beachwood Mall in Beachwood, Ohio. The allure of the value meal has long seduced penny-pinchers craving a cheeseburger. Now, as the dismal economy slurps up profits, Starbucks Corp. is hoping to find some sales salvation in its own value meal variety. (AP Photo/Amy Sancetta, file) (AP)
A new Los Angeles coffee shop called Dumb Starbucks has not surprisingly drawn the attention of the company it is trying to parody.
Starbucks said in a statement via a spokeswoman Monday that it is “aware of the store” that opened on Friday in the Los Feliz neighborhood.
“It is not affiliated with Starbucks,” Starbucks spokeswoman Laurel Harper told FoxNews.com.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Wall Street Journal reports that “Dumb Starbucks” opened this weekend outfitted with near identical signs and menus as a real Starbucks, except with the word Dumb being prefixed to the material.
The mystery shop, which drew long lines that snaked nearly two blocks, offered free drinks, with items such as “dumb Frappuccino,” a “dumb blond roast,” in sizes ranging from “Dumb Tall” to “Dumb Venti,”
Amber, one of the baristas, told the Journal that the shop's use of the Starbucks logo for marketing purposes is legal because it's a clear parody.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}But may not be so cut and dry for Starbucks.
“We are evaluating next steps, and while we appreciate the humor, they cannot use our name, which is a protected trademark,” Harper said.
Many are scratching their heads over who might be behind the shop and why anyone would go to that much trouble. Some speculate that it could be a competitor staging a hoax or a publicity stunt, albeit, an elaborate one.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Everyone agrees the place will likely not be around long.