Murder is on the Menu at Empress Tea Room & Bistro

Patrons Suzanne Scott, Joyce Covington and Carla Isaacs dressed for a wedding on a recent evening, donning charming Sunday hats while eagerly waiting for their table.

“And how are you lovely ladies tonight?” said Improv actor RJ Pinkett, wearing black and blue leopard print hat almost purred to his guests.

“Any excuse to come to Empress Tea Room,” Covington said, as she handed over her reservation and acknowledged manager Kim Nauman, who was prepping for the evening’s main event.

“Kim is the best!" said Covington.

Since 2011, the Empress Tea Room & Bistro, 12924 N. Dale Mabry has been hosting three course Murder Mystery Dinners from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. on most Friday and Saturday evenings.

A salad, a delicious fish or chicken entrée with steamed green beans over tropical rice and a mouth-watering dessert are interrupted by a murder.

A detective is called to the scene and someone in the audience is guilty and must solve the crime to clear his name.

When asked how Nauman discovered the Murder Mystery  improv troupe, she is quick to respond.

“They discovered us," she said. "It was a phone call out of the blue. I believe that things happen for a reason.”

Neuman received a phone call  from the Murder Mystery Company in  Michigan. They found the Empress Tea Room & Bistro online, liked who they were and what they did, and wanted to set up a meeting.

“We’ve met. We loved them. They loved us,” said Nauman. “We tried it and it was successful. We’ve been sold out for over a year.”

Patrons even dress to the theme of the improv show.

“Forty percent dress, and the other 60 wish they had,” said Nauman.

The interactive game keeps guests on their toes. To keep the experience fresh for the guests and the actors, the theme changes every three months.

The current improv story “Till Death Do Us Part” revolves around a wedding that the Murder Mystery Company’s websites defines as “one Florida wedding that may not have a happy ending.”

Improv actors Pinkett, Gerald Young, Katie Thayer and Jessica Dinius delight in the audience’s reaction and unbridled enthusiasm when participating in their murder mystery game.

“You learn to deal with any possible situation,” explained Dinius who plays the bride’s cousin. “Anything and everything.”

The cast, made up of 15 different actors, travels between Tampa and Miami,  with alternating and interchangeable roles.

The cast is their “cast, crew, makeup artist and transportation,” said Pinkett, “It’s entails a lot of work but we love it.”

The troupe considers Empress Tea Room & Bistro  home and the employees family.

“We’re actors. We do this every day, but it’s really fun to see real people interact with us,” said Young. “We want them to be in our world. To see real people come out and play with us – it’s awesome!”

The murder mystery dinner costs $60 per person, but Neuman said that sites like Groupon and Half Off often have substantial discounts.

For information about the Empress Tea Room & Bistro and its sold out dinner show, click here and to learn more about the talented actors also available for private functions and team-building events, click here.