Patrick Dempsey Rescues Small Coffee Chain
From neurosurgeon to barista? Patrick Dempsey plays a doctor on Grey’s Anatomy, but he has stepped up to help a different kind of patient. The actor announced today he won an auction for Tully’s Coffee, a bankrupt coffee chain based in Seattle, where Grey’s is set. Even though the show is filmed mostly in LA, Dempsey has cultivated a fondness for Seattle. Dempsey’s Global Baristas agreed to pay $9.15 million for Tully’s. With adjustments the total is closer to $10 million, Tully’s CEO Scott Pearson said. Dempsey prevailed over Starbucks and other rivals, boasting about it on Twitter last night: “We met the green monster, looked her in the eye, and…SHE BLINKED! We got it! Thank you Seattle!” Dempsey has been visiting Tully’s shops today in Seattle. A federal bankruptcy judge still has to confirm his bid and a hearing is scheduled next week. Tully’s has 47 company-owned stores with about 500 employees plus 70 franchise locations. Dempsey’s statement said he decided to bid for Tully’s a week before Christmas, after learning that other bidders had plans to close many of the company’s stores. He’ll be spending more time in Seattle. “He plans on being very engaged and involved,” Pearson said. “This is a 20-year-old company that needed a kickstart, and Patrick’s really provided that.”
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