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| - A rumor that Starbucks has secret locations in the underground tunnels of Los Angeles, only accessible to the most elite members of society, spread on social media in October 2024.
The claim further stated that celebrities use these tunnels to avoid traffic. Finally, it said the secret coffee shops in these hidden tunnels offer free drinks to people like Oprah, Will Smith and Jerry Seinfeld.
According to one TikTok user's video, Seinfeld's coffee order of choice is a double-shot almond milk latte.
@comedianstevenrandolph Invite only Starbucks for the elite 👁️☕️ #fyp #foryou #losangeles #starbucks #losangelestraffic #inviteonly ♬ original sound - Steven Randolph
TikTok users replied to the clip with comments like: "I always wondered why I'd never seen Seinfeld in traffic. I assumed it was because I live in New Zealand, but this makes more sense." Another asked: "Have you ever wondered why you haven't seen 1 of a few hundred celebrities on the road, in a city of 3.8 million people?"
One simply said: "They need to raise the price of podcast equipment." Most people commenting on the claim appeared to take it as a joke, which was indeed its original intention.
The claim originated on the social media accounts of comedian Steven Randolph, who posted the video on or around Oct. 16, 2024. In the footage, he purportedly interviewed a former employee of the Starbucks locations in question. The so-called employee said, in part:
There is a Starbucks ... no one's ever heard of or been to. Have you ever wondered while driving in Los Angeles, how come you've never seen Will Smith stuck in traffic on the 405? ... That's because there's a series of intricate tunnels underneath Los Angeles known as "the Actor-Bahn" ... They get access points to move through the city without ever having to be in traffic ... In those tunnels is Starbucks, set up at different locations, to allow them to get coffees while they're driving.
When asked by the host to name individuals, the guest claimed to have seen Jerry Seinfeld, Oprah and Bono in the "secret" Starbucks and recited Seinfeld's beverage of choice as "Almond milk latte, two shots." The guest claimed there was no tipping because the stars didn't have to pay for their drinks.
The interview subject, however, is comedian, actor and former "Survivor" contestant Bill Posley, who also posted the video to his social media.
Further, the duo have posted other, similar videos, including a satirical conspiracy theory about Costco stealing the DNA of its customers, with Posley, again, in the role of a former employee.
A spokesperson for the coffee company confirmed via email that the claim about a secret underground Starbucks was not true.
There is, however, truth to the claims about underground tunnels in Los Angeles dating back to the Prohibition era. According to Atlas Obscura, a self-described "global community of explorers, who have together created a comprehensive database of the world's most wondrous places and foods":
Despite prohibition laws, 11 miles of service tunnels became passageways to basement speakeasies with innocuous fronts above ground. Patrons were able to move about under the city, boozing it up without a care in the world, while the Mayor's office ran the supply of hootch… Aside from the service tunnels, there are also abandoned subway and equestrian tunnels from the days before personal vehicles began clogging up LA's city streets. There are stories of these tunnels being used by police to transport prisoners, bank security to move large sums of cash safely, and both coroners and mobsters to store bodies. Now they are mostly closed off, but some are still accessible and are used as film locations, easy shortcuts by city employees between buildings, and a place for runners to train on the rare occasion of bad weather.
Snopes has fact-checked a variety of claims about the city of L.A., including the Los Angeles freeway chickens, the L.A. math test and a rumor featuring another underground tunnel, this one leading from Diddy's home to the Playboy Mansion.
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