UPDATED: Dumb Starbucks Made Waves, Shut Down

UPDATE|Tuesday, February 11: The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health shut down the parody coffee shop Monday afternoon for operating without a valid permit. The comedian and owner of Dumb Coffee, Nathan Fielder, claimed that the store didn't need a permit to operate since the space was legally an art gallery, rather than an actual coffee shop. However, health officials disagreed placing a "Notice of Closure" sign on the front door.

ORIGINAL STORY|Monday, February 10: The new Dumb Starbucks coffee shop brews for parody, not for pay -- and on Monday, the shop was shut down for violating health codes.

The closure caps off a saga generated by a mysterious concept and social media frenzy. Hundreds of people crowded the store's entrance and formed a line down the sidewalk in order to "purchase" coffee and pastries. Despite the aesthetic and proceedings that closely resemble an authentic Starbucks, the cash register perched on the bar was merely for display purposes.

Canadian comedian Nathan Fielder was responsible for the grand hoax. Fielder is the host of the Comedy Central docu-reality show, "Nathan For You". Nathan and his staff proclaimed their business establishment to be "performance art," and alleged that they do not intend to emulate the original Starbucks company. 

While the minds behind the prank are having a laugh, Starbucks representatives were not pleased with the new shop's dumb coffee and dumb lattes. They believe that Dumb Starbucks infringed upon its trademark rights, and lawyer Lincoln Bandlow agreed. Bandlow suggested that the new establishment would receive a cease and desist notice, as the blatant copy of the Starbucks trademark is not legally protected as an act of parody.