Shipwreck Cafe

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Asparagus is ripe in the land of the Sleeping Bear

Empire’s quirky, fun, day-long Asparagus Festival returns to Leelanau County on Saturday, June 6. The day of peace, music and food offers something for everyone in the family. Events include the Kick-Yer Ass-paragus 5K Fun Run/Walk at Empire’s public beach at 10 am; a pop-up book sale at the Glen Lake Community Library from 11 am-3 pm; a recipe contest in the Township Hall at noon (click on the story for a link to enter); open hours at the Empire Area Museum from 1-4 pm; the Ode to Asparagus Poetry Contest at the Library at 2 pm (click on the story for a link to enter); an appearance by the Asparagus Queen on Stilts from 2-4 pm, and the Magic Lady Family Magic Show from 3-4 pm.

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How to enjoy a family day with kids in Empire

How is Empire still Empire? It’s one of the main hubs for the Sleeping Bear Dunes, it has epic beaches, and it’s right along one of the most beautiful stretches of road in the entire region. Yet, the town of Empire remains solidly quaint, comfortable, and relaxed. Sure, the crowds come through, and the beaches get busy, but the town simply swells with the ebb and flow, and returns to its steadfast self. There have been small additions with big, positive impacts over the years, but it’s truly remarkable how Empire has stayed a classic northern Michigan beach town. And for families with kids, it’s a place where they can be active, get dirty, and start fostering those uniquely vibrant lakeside memories.

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Shipwreck Cafe adds pizza oven

The Shipwreck Cafe, the popular sandwich shop in Empire, has upped its game in 2021 by adding a wood-fired pizza. Owner Steve Nowicki began serving pies the first week of January. Through the month of January, Nowicki said he sold about 50 pizzas per day on Fridays and Saturdays—the days Shipwreck serves pizza. He has sold about 30 per day in February and March.

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Shipwreck Cafe

Steve and Jennifer Nowicki opened Shipwreck Cafe in June of 2017. They wanted to bring a new, alternative dining choice to Empire, the Gateway to the Sleeping Bear Dunes. Together with their daughters, Hannah (18) and Rebecca (15), they are proud of the reputation they are building of delicious food, in a friendly family atmosphere.

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The federal shutdown hit Sleeping Bear Dunes. So volunteers rushed in

The Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore enjoys a healthy relationship with a nonprofit group of local volunteers, Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes, which has pitched in to keep trails and parking lots plowed, collect trash and keep toilets clean and accessible during the federal government shutdown.

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Work for no pay: government shutdown forces Leelanau resident to tighten belt, hurts local economy

The acting president’s shutdown of the federal government, now nearly a month old, has furloughed approximately 800,000 workers nationwide. One Leelanau County resident considered an “excepted employee” is an air traffic controller at Cherry Capital Airport in Traverse City. He spoke with the Glen Arbor Sun under the condition of anonymity, citing a government “gag order”.

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Government shutdown hurts Leelanau businesses

The government shutdown, about to enter its third week, has closed all National Parks, including the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. That is hurting several Empire businesses near the National Lakeshore’s visitor center, and it’s doing so at the slow time of year when they need business the most.

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Does grocery-less Empire need municipal wastewater?

A big drawback for business in Empire is the village’s lack of adequate wastewater treatment. Amidst the specter of a shuttered grocery swirls an impassioned, at times contentious, debate over whether the village should invest in a municipal sewer system—either to benefit the core business district or to cover the wastewater needs of most residents.

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Perusing Leelanau’s best picnic stores

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Sand in your sandwich is not a nuisance, but welcomed nostalgia. If you’re ready to pack your beach bags with too much food and drink, and slap down your territorial towel flags, here’s a breakdown of some of the best places to get stocked up for your next beach picnic in “the County.”

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Shipwreck Café finds safe harbor in Empire

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“With any business, you have [worry and doubt],” said Steve Nowicki about opening his Shipwreck Café in Empire late this spring. “We had all of our eggs in one basket. We put everything into this and if it didn’t work out we didn’t know what we were going to do.”

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