Ask any restaurateur and they'll tell you that it isn't easy to build a business that can withstand the test of time, especially in a market as notoriously fickle and fractured as Dallas. When someone can manage to overcome economic uncertainty, the whims of the public and bad luck to keep their establishment open for a few decades, it usually means that something wonderful lies beyond their doors. There is no place in town that this assumption is more true than Empire Baking Company.
In the 21 years that Meaders Ozarow and her husband have operated their bakery, the food scene has changed dramatically. As food trends marched toward a simpler, less chemical-laden future, places like Empire had been keeping it simple since day one. I sat down to talk with Ozarow about how she's seen Dallas and its consumers change in the last 20 years, the gluten-free craze, and America's unique array of delicious baked goods.
Empire Baking Co. has been around for 20 years, so you've seen a lot of changes in both consumers and food trends. How have things evolved since you opened?
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