Empire now open

Located at 3148 Woodward Avenue in Midtown Detroit, on the ground floor of the The Scott at Brush Park, residents will now find Empire Kitchen & Cocktails, a new American bistro that opened in May. “We wanted to serve the community that was living there and moving there as a place where you could go…A friendly, neighborhood place,” said Brian Adelman, who is co-owner along with Mike Abrams and Dave Pittaway. The food at Empire is described as contemporary American cuisine with craft cocktails in a sleek, chic environment. This isn’t the first time in the restaurant business for the three, either. The partners, called BAC Holdings, also own 30 Michigan locations of Five Guys burger chain, along with iconic Southfield sports bar Mr. Joe’s. Adelman and Abrams – who grew up in the area and have known each other since childhood – thought opening Empire would be a good opportunity to be a part of Detroit’s resurgence. Being on Woodward doesn’t hurt either.

Metro Intelligencer is a monthly column devoted to news stories, tidbits and gossip items about what's happening on the restaurant scene in the metro Detroit area. Metro intelligencer is reported/created each month by Dana Casadei who can be reached at DanaCasadei@DowntownPublications.com with news items or tips, on or off the record.