You may laugh at the name of Patrick Dempsey’s alter-ego on Grey’s Anatomy, but you can’t laugh at his sense of determination. The actor most recently purchased failing Seattle-based coffee chain Tully’s, subsequently saving a multitude of employees their jobs. And it only cost his investment company, Global Baristas $9.15 million dollars! Who knew TV paid so well?
Dempsey says he beat out coffee colossus Starbucks for the smaller vendor, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection back in October of 2012. The company’s restructuring had forced the shutdown of 19 of its stores.
The television celebrity tweeted about the victory, saying Friday: “We met the green monster, looked her in the eye, and SHE BLINKED!” But the green eyed monster…er…mermaid, is singing a different tune.
Starbucks told CNN , (and wants the world to know) that it might have won the battle for Tully’s, as it did bid more. How much more you ask? 1.5 million dollars, which made their total offer $10.6 million. They also say that the final verdict won’t be made until January 11. The news does not seem to be stopping the Dreamy camp celebration.
According to E! News , Patrick Dempsey later released a lengthier official statement on the win: “I’m thrilled that we won and I’m even more excited about saving Tully’s coffee and its hundreds of jobs. Tully’s is a great company with committed employees, and with its base in Seattle, one of the world’s greatest cities, I’m confident we will be able to successfully build the brand and grow the economy.”