Empire Bistro celebrating 10 years

TIFFIN — Empire Bistro in downtown Tiffin is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. To celebrate their decade in business, the restaurant is planning to evolve with new menu offerings, expanded weekend hours and community programming designed to give guests even more reasons to gather in downtown Tiffin. Empire Bistro partners with The Creative AF, a local creative advisory firm led by Rachel Crooks, to help shape the restaurant's programming calendar, community partnerships, marketing initiatives and special events. The upcoming football season will also bring something new to Empire Bistro. Coinciding with home football games for Calvert High School, Columbian High School, Heidelberg University and Tiffin University, Empire will offer a special Game Day Menu, available alongside its regular dinner menu. The Game Day Menu will debut on Aug. 20, in conjunction with Calvert High School's season-opening home football game against Leipsic. It features shareable tailgate-inspired favorites and football-themed cocktails. The Game Day menu is just one piece of a much larger transformation of Empire's beverage program led by Bar Manager Eli Rousculp. An Empire Bistro press release said "through his creativity and attention to detail, Eli has elevated the cocktail menu by blending timeless classics with original creations." The new menus, developed by Chef Gavin Wasserman pair Empire favorites with original dishes, giving longtime guests and first-time visitors alike something to discover. "When we started developing these menus, we wanted every guest to find something that excited them," said Chef Gavin Wasserman in a press release. "Whether you're joining us for brunch, dinner before a show, or drinks before the game, we've created dishes and cocktails that are approachable, creative, and worth coming back for." "As we celebrate 10 years, we're proud of how deeply rooted Empire has become in Tiffin," owner Rick Reser said. "We've always wanted this to be a place where people feel welcome, and we're excited to keep opening our doors to new ideas and experiences."