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If you weren’t one of the many people who waited in a long line outside the pop-up Dumb Starbucks Coffee in Los Feliz on Sunday, you can still get a piece of the action — but it’ll cost you.
The parody coffee shop appeared out of seemingly nowhere over the weekend as a pop-up store in a nondescript Hillhurst Avenue location. While all of the coffee was free, some opportunistic folks have now hit eBay to make a profit off branded merchandise.
MORE PHOTOS: Inside ‘Dumb Starbucks’
At press time, a grande-size paper cup was on the auction block for $50 (there are no bids as of yet).
A copy of the Frequently Asked Questions sheet — said to be “authentic” — is available to purchase outright for $75. (The sheet reads, in part: “Although we are a fully functioning coffee shop, for legal reasons Dumb Starbucks needs to be categorized as a work of parody art. So, in the eyes of the law, our ‘coffee shop’ is actually an art gallery and the ‘coffee’ you’re buying is actually the art. But that’s for our lawyers to worry about. All you need to do is enjoy our delicious coffee!”)
Another enterprising eBay user is selling a set that includes two paper coffee cups, a mug and a hat, along with two printed FAQs, for $290 (there’s one offer so far).
Also up for grabs is a grande paper cup and FAQ sheet for a whopping $299. However, that particular set is being sold for a good cause: Half of the proceeds will support Lhasa Happy Homes, a private rescue and foster care organization for homeless, sick or injured dogs, according to the listing.
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It’s unclear who was behind the parody pop-up store. One barista told The Hollywood Reporter that he was hired two weeks ago when he found the posting on Craigslist. “Our boss wasn’t prepared for all this, that’s why we’re short staffed,” he said.
In addition to the coffee being handed out, they also offered free pastries, apparently purchased from Vons. Alongside a non-functioning cash register, CDs like “Dumb Nora Jones Duets” [sic] and “Dumb Jazz Standards” were stocked.
“We are aware of the store — it is not affiliated with Starbucks,” a Starbucks spokesperson told THR. “We are evaluating next steps and, while we appreciate the humor, they cannot use our name, which is a protected trademark.”
Hilary Lewis, Brandon Kirby and Erik Hayden contributed to this report.
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