Actor Patrick Dempsey Becomes Latest Tully’s Suitor

Actor Patrick Dempsey, the geeky high school romantic (“Can’t Buy Me Love”) turned hunky doctor (“Grey’s Anatomy”), is the latest investor suitor of the bankrupt Tully’s coffee chain.

Bidding for the chain, which includes 47 stores and hundreds of jobs throughout the northwest, ended yesterday. Earlier this month, bikini-themed drive-through coffee company Baristas Coffee Co., made a bid for Tully’s. In late November, Tully’s CEO Scott Pearson said the chain would likely be acquired by a Colorado investment group going by the name of Kachi for $4.3 million. Dempsey is part of a group of investors hoping to revive the struggling company.

“I’m excited about the opportunity to save hundreds of jobs, give back to Seattle and become a larger part of the economic growth and fabric of the community,” Dempsey said in a statement. “I’ve always loved this city, and with the purchase of Tully’s Coffee, I plan to spend a lot of time in Seattle and at the stores connecting with the community and growing the Tully’s brand. It looks like Seattle may be my home away from home in the very near future.”