Empire Slice House Pizza: An Oklahoma Business Celebrating 10 Years

We’ve heard of the New York slice, even the Chicago-style deep dish, but if Oklahoma had a signature pizza, it would have to be Empire Slice pizza.

“It’s a good place to come hang out, and that’s what we call a lot of our restaurants, hangouts,” said Rachel Cope Founder and CEO of 84 Hospitality Group.

Cope opened Empire Slice House Pizza ten years ago. “We work on it every day, you know we’re always trying to make it better,” said Cope.

She pursued the dream with little experience. “I had never made pizza before. I know that’s always a surprise to people,” said Cope.

She had worked in restaurants as a server and even a bartender, but never as a cook. “I knew enough about the kitchen to be dangerous, but no one would call me a chef,” said Cope.

After attending some pizza schools and doing some other homework, she came up with the perfect recipe for the perfect slice of pizza. “I travel and I eat and I’m always trying to compare what we do to other places, and if I find a slice that I think is better, I get motivated and I come back, and we work and we keep tweaking things,” said Cope.

Now ten years in Empire Slice house pizza is an Oklahoma staple. “I wasn’t sure we would make it one year, and I think it would be crazy for us to be thinking about it in that way, in the beginning, it was hard, 2020 was harder,” said Cope.

For Cope, being an Oklahoma business means supporting Oklahomans. “Helping children, the houseless population here in Oklahoma is also something that we care a lot about, the LGBTQ as well,” said Cope.

When the teachers walked out in 2018, Empire was there. “We did free lunch for everybody and that lasted for two weeks and that became a big thing,” said Cope.

Now with seven locations and soon to be eight, in Oklahoma and Tulsa, it’s the latest venture that Cope is really excited about. “Paycom center that was sort of a dream of mine to be a partner with the Thunder and that came up this summer,” said Cope.

After ten years they are still just as proud to serve Oklahomans. “We love food, and we love people, and we’ll keep building things as long as you guys will have us,” said Cope.