By KOMO-TV
SEATTLE — “Dr. McDreamy” is making a house call in Seattle today as part of his bid to buy the Tully’s Coffee chain and save hundreds of local jobs.
Patrick Dempsey, part of an investment team called Global Baristas, is one of seven groups interested in Tully’s that are making their presentations to a bankruptcy judge.
He says his plan to buy the company hasn’t been percolating long.
“It happened very quickly, in the last month or so,” Dempsey said. “Things started coming together.”
Dempsey, who stars as Dr. Derek Shepherd on ABC’s “Grey’s Anatomy” — which is set in Seattle — says his team is in good position to take over Tully’s, and he’d like to make Seattle a second home.
“I love it here — even the weather is great to me,” Dempsey said.
“I woke up this morning and looked out and saw the ferry boats coming in and out. Great people — certainly with the success of the show there’s a fondness to this community.”
He says his desire to give back to the Emerald City and possibly save hundreds of jobs is a main reason he’s trying to resuscitate the ailing coffee company.
“I think some of the players involved in this deal want to take those jobs away, and you’re looking at an economy that’s rough to get jobs,” Dempsey said. “I went by one of the stores yesterday and the employees are deeply concerned. That’s one thing we care deeply about.”
Tully’s filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in October. Quite a few of the company’s stores around Seattle have already been shut down. The company currently has 47 company-run locations in Washington and California, as well as 58 licensed stores around the nation.
The Seattle Times reports that Dempsey will have to fend off Starbucks, which wants to buy just half of the Tully’s locations.
“We have no desire to be Starbucks at all,” Dempsey said. “We have a very good plan, and I think the right person will get the sale at the end of the day.”
A judge will determine on Jan. 11 whether to accept the bid favored by Tully’s and its creditors. The deal would close later this month.
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KOMO-TV is a news partner of the Peninsula Daily News. A video can be seen at http://www.komonews.com/news/local/Patrick-Dempsey-in-Seattle-to-make-pitch-for-Tullys-purchase-185566762.html .
