Employee Benefit Plan	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2016
Compensation and Retirement Disclosure [Abstract]
Employee Benefit Plan	Employee Benefit Plans Empire 401-k Plan Our eligible employees may participate in a Company-sponsored 401(k) benefit plan (the “Plan”). The Company established the Plan to provide employees with the opportunity to accumulate pre-tax assets, and to provide employer contributions for eligible employees for their retirement and other needs. It is intended to be administered in accordance with all applicable federal laws and regulations. The Plan covers substantially all employees not otherwise covered by plans resulting from collective bargaining agreements. The Plan permits employees to defer a portion of their compensation as a pre-tax deferral up to statutory maximums. Effective May 2011, the Company made matching contributions for eligible, other than salaried, employees as follows: 100% matching contribution for an employee contribution of up to 3% of compensation, a matching contribution of 3% of compensation for an employee contribution of 3% to 3.99%, a matching contribution of 3.5% of compensation for an employee contribution of 4% to 4.99% and a matching contribution of 4% of compensation for an employee contribution of 5% or more. Effective July 2016, the Company now makes a matching contribution for eligible salaried employees as follows: 50% matching contribution for an employee contribution of up to 4% of compensation. Eligible employees shall be 100% vested in the portion of their accounts derived from the Company’s matching contributions. Matching contributions for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014 were approximately $142,000, $96,000 and $92,000, respectively. As of December 31, 2016, the Plan had 179 participants. Deferred Compensation Plan The Company adopted a deferred compensation plan (the "Deferred Compensation Plan"), which is effective on January 1, 2017. The Deferred Compensation Plan is a non-qualified deferred compensation plan under which eligible participants may elect to defer the receipt of current compensation. Eligible participants include select employees of the Company, including its executive officers. Pursuant to the Deferred Compensation Plan and subject to applicable tax laws, participants may elect to defer up to 50% of their base salary and up to 100% of any cash bonus. In addition to elective deferrals, the Deferred Compensation Plan permits the Company to make discretionary contributions. Participants may elect to receive payment of their vested account balances in a single cash payment or in annual installments for a period of five, 10 or 15 years. Payments will be made or commence upon the earliest of a participant’s separation from service, death or disability. If a participant so elects, payments will be deferred until a fixed and determinable date. The obligations incurred by the Company under the Deferred Compensation Plan will be unsecured general obligations of the Company to pay the compensation deferred in accordance with the terms of the Deferred Compensation Plan and will rank equally with other unsecured and unsubordinated indebtedness of the Company. Because the Company has subsidiaries, the right of the Company, and hence the right of creditors of the Company (including eligible participants in the Deferred Compensation Plan), to participate in a distribution of the assets of a subsidiary upon its liquidation or reorganization or otherwise, necessarily is subject to the prior claims of creditors of the subsidiary, except to the extent that claims of the Company itself as a creditor may be recognized.

Employee Benefit Plans

Empire 401-k Plan

Our eligible employees may participate in a Company-sponsored 401(k) benefit plan (the “Plan”). The Company established the Plan to provide employees with the opportunity to accumulate pre-tax assets, and to provide employer contributions for eligible employees for their retirement and other needs. It is intended to be administered in accordance with all applicable federal laws and regulations. The Plan covers substantially all employees not otherwise covered by plans resulting from collective bargaining agreements. The Plan permits employees to defer a portion of their compensation as a pre-tax deferral up to statutory maximums. Effective May 2011, the Company made matching contributions for eligible, other than salaried, employees as follows: 100% matching contribution for an employee contribution of up to 3% of compensation, a matching contribution of 3% of compensation for an employee contribution of 3% to 3.99%, a matching contribution of 3.5% of compensation for an employee contribution of 4% to 4.99% and a matching contribution of 4% of compensation for an employee contribution of 5% or more. Effective July 2016, the Company now makes a matching contribution for eligible salaried employees as follows: 50% matching contribution for an employee contribution of up to 4% of compensation. Eligible employees shall be 100% vested in the portion of their accounts derived from the Company’s matching contributions. Matching contributions for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014 were approximately $142,000, $96,000 and $92,000, respectively. As of December 31, 2016, the Plan had 179 participants.

Deferred Compensation Plan

The Company adopted a deferred compensation plan (the "Deferred Compensation Plan"), which is effective on January 1, 2017. The Deferred Compensation Plan is a non-qualified deferred compensation plan under which eligible participants may elect to defer the receipt of current compensation. Eligible participants include select employees of the Company, including its executive officers. Pursuant to the Deferred Compensation Plan and subject to applicable tax laws, participants may elect to defer up to 50% of their base salary and up to 100% of any cash bonus. In addition to elective deferrals, the Deferred Compensation Plan permits the Company to make discretionary contributions. Participants may elect to receive payment of their vested account balances in a single cash payment or in annual installments for a period of five, 10 or 15 years. Payments will be made or commence upon the earliest of a participant’s separation from service, death or disability. If a participant so elects, payments will be deferred until a fixed and determinable date.

The obligations incurred by the Company under the Deferred Compensation Plan will be unsecured general obligations of the Company to pay the compensation deferred in accordance with the terms of the Deferred Compensation Plan and will rank equally with other unsecured and unsubordinated indebtedness of the Company. Because the Company has subsidiaries, the right of the Company, and hence the right of creditors of the Company (including eligible participants in the Deferred Compensation Plan), to participate in a distribution of the assets of a subsidiary upon its liquidation or reorganization or otherwise, necessarily is subject to the prior claims of creditors of the subsidiary, except to the extent that claims of the Company itself as a creditor may be recognized.