SEATTLE — Actor Patrick Dempsey says via a tweet that it appears his bid to buy a small coffee chain has prevailed in a bankruptcy auction that included Starbucks Corp.
A bankruptcy judge will have the final say on Jan. 11.
Tully's Coffee has 47 company-owned locations in Washington and California. Tully's filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in October.
After Thursday's auction, Starbucks spokesman Zack Hutson confirmed his company participated and "is currently in a back-up position" for some of Tully's assets.
Late Thursday night, the 'Grey's Anatomy' actor tweeted out that, "We met the green monster, looked her in the eye, and...SHE BLINKED! We got it! Thank you Seattle!"
Dempsey, who gained the nickname "McDreamy" on the TV show set in a fictional Seattle hospital, said last week that he wanted to rescue the chain. Dempsey and his group were among seven bidders, including Starbucks, who bid for Tully's Thursday.
