Actor Dempsey: Coffee chain bid appears successful

(AP) Actor Patrick Dempsey says it appears his bid to buy a small coffee chain has prevailed in a bankruptcy auction that included Starbucks Corp.

Late Thursday night, Dempsey told a KOMO-TV reporter in Seattle that his investment group appears to have the winning bid for Tully's Coffee. He noted that a bankruptcy judge will have the final say on Jan. 11. Still, Dempsey tweeted We got it! Thank you Seattle!

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. He says the final certification of the winning bid won't occur until the Jan. 11 bankruptcy court hearing.