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Patrick Dempsey Wants to Save Struggling Coffeehouse Chain
Seattle-based coffeehouse chain Tully's has hit some hard times, and the unlikely head of the movement to rescue the business is "Grey's Anatomy" star Patrick Dempsey."Through a public relations firm, Dempsey said he is leading a group to try to buy bankrupt Tully’s," reports the Seattle PI.
So why does the actor nicknamed McDreamy thanks to his popular TV doc role feel a tie to Tully's? In a statement, Dempsey gushed:
“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.”
Tully's, which has 47 company-owned stores in Washington and California as well as five franchised locations and 58 licensed locations throughout the Western US," has been around for 20 years. The vision for Tully's upon opening in 1992 was to rival the up-and-coming Starbucks. Locally, most Los Angeles-area locations have been closed down, leaving mainly those on college campuses and at the Bob Hope Airport.
The coffeehouse chain "filed for bankruptcy earlier this year, placing the company's employees at risk for losing their jobs shortly after the New Year," notes KIRO.
Tully's now up for auction as part of its bankruptcy proceedings. A judge is expected to approve the winning bid next month.
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