DES MOINES, Iowa — The Empire is set to reopen in downtown Des Moines on Thursday, almost 120 years after the bar closed.
The short-lived Empire Bar was open from April of 1905 to July of 1906. Now, a group of self-described Des Moines history enthusiasts are reimagining the bar’s name and original space, complete with original tile flooring reading ‘THE EMPIRE.’
“We wanted to recreate The Empire to have the look and feel of a bar from 1905 with updates and improvements throughout the years,” West End Salvage’s Don Short said in a release…