The Empire Village Inn

The Empire Village Inn Located on scenic M-22 just blocks from downtown Empire and the beautiful beach. The VI is a place t
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Celebrate NATIONAL PIZZA PARTY DAY with your pals at the Empire Village Inn. The VI opens at 3pm with both dine in and c...
05/15/2026

Celebrate NATIONAL PIZZA PARTY DAY with your pals at the Empire Village Inn. The VI opens at 3pm with both dine in and carry out available. 231-326-5101

Each year on the third Friday in May, millions of pizza lovers across the nation join in extolling the qualities of pizza on National Pizza Party Day. After all, is a party really a party without pizza?
Since pizza is one of America's favorite foods, it comes as no surprise we would celebrate a day that features a pizza party. Pizza parties bring friends together. They're also an excellent way to reward a team or group for a job well done. Birthdays and some minor achievements are also celebrated with pizza parties, too. Although, just about any excuse can be used for a good pizza party.

Random Pizza Facts

In ancient Greece, the Greeks covered their bread with oils, herbs, and cheese, which some attribute to the beginning of the pizza.

In Byzantine Greek, the word was spelled "πίτα," pita, meaning pie.

The Romans developed a pastry with a sheet of dough topped with cheese and honey, then flavored with bay leaves.

Our modern pizza had its beginning in Italy as the Neapolitan flatbread.

The original pizza used only mozzarella cheese, mainly the highest quality buffalo mozzarella variant. It was produced in the surroundings of Naples.

An estimated 2 billion pounds of pizza cheese was produced in the United States in 1997.

The first United States pizza establishment opened in New York's Little Italy in 1905.

The largest pizza ever made, according to Guinness World Records, weighed 26,883 pounds. It was made in Norwood, South Africa, on December 8, 1990.

As far as pizza eating contests go, the winner goes to Kelvin Medina, who ate a 12-inch pizza in 23.62 seconds on April 12, 2015.

05/05/2026

Great Lakes piping plovers are officially back on the beaches of Sleeping Bear Dunes, and honestly… the drama may already be unfolding.

These tiny beach dwellers may be adorable, endangered, and fiercely protected; but one thing they are not is committed to lifelong love. That’s right: plovers don’t mate for life, and every spring the shoreline turns into a full-on bird version of Love Island.

Will last year’s couples reunite? Will someone ditch their old mate for a fresh start on a new stretch of sand? Will a surprise new arrival turn up and cause a love triangle by the dune grass?

If you’re new to the plover fan club, each bird gets a short “nickname” based on the colored bands on their ankles.

Some former pairs are already reunited and looking solid:
• GOO and BbL (Bubble)
• OGY and LVY
• YOV and bbO (Baby‑O)
• YbB and GVb

But down in Platte Bay, things are a bit more… interesting.

bNG (Bing), who was with PRL (Pearl) last year, appears to be paired up with bVV this season. And bVR (Beaver), formerly with YOYO, seems to be spending time with a young female, ORX, who hasn’t received her adult ID yet.

The dunes are buzzing, feathers may be ruffled, and we’ll be tuning in all spring.

And while all this plover drama unfolds, here’s where you come in: these tiny birds nest right on the open sand, making them especially vulnerable. If you’re visiting the beaches, please keep dogs on a leash and off closed sections of shoreline entirely.
Even the friendliest pup can accidentally scare a nesting plover off its eggs.

Give these small but mighty birds the space they need for a successful season… drama and all.
https://www.nps.gov/slbe/planyourvisit/pets.htm

NPS Photo/Mary Lundeburg

The stars have aligned, Taco Tuesday and CINCO DE MAYO hit on the same day.Cinco De Mayo's deeply rooted history in the ...
05/05/2026

The stars have aligned, Taco Tuesday and CINCO DE MAYO hit on the same day.

Cinco De Mayo's deeply rooted history in the Franco-Mexican War influenced Mexican-Mexican American communities in the early years of the American Civil War. In the early 1860s, as the Civil War erupted, these communities took up the banner of the Cinco De Mayo celebration as a way to commemorate the cause of freedom and democracy. Today, in the United States, Americans celebrate Mexican-American heritage and pride annually on May 5th.

04/23/2026
TONIGHT TONIGHT TONIGHT!!!It's Ribs & Wings night at The Empire Village Inn 231-326-5101
04/23/2026

TONIGHT TONIGHT TONIGHT!!!
It's Ribs & Wings night at The Empire Village Inn 231-326-5101

It's Taco Tuesday at The Empire Village Inn. Tacos, Taco Salads, Chips and Dip. For more info or to place a take out ord...
04/21/2026

It's Taco Tuesday at The Empire Village Inn. Tacos, Taco Salads, Chips and Dip. For more info or to place a take out order call us at 231-326-5101

04/17/2026

Not sure where to start with native plants?

We’ve taken the guesswork out of it.

Our garden kits are designed for real places—wet areas, shady yards, shorelines—and built with plants that belong here in Northern Michigan.

Start small. Plant something that matters.

Order by May 15
Pickup May 29

visit www.leelanaucd.org

Address

11601 S Lacore Road
Empire, MI
49630

Opening Hours

Monday 3pm - 9pm
Tuesday 3pm - 9pm
Wednesday 3pm - 9pm
Thursday 3pm - 9pm
Friday 3pm - 10pm
Saturday 3pm - 9pm
Sunday 3pm - 9pm

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