Saline Library’s ‘Pizza Café’ Draws Students on Half Days

By midday on school half days, the line inside the Saline District Library begins to stretch.

Students in sixth through 12th grades file in, one after another, as staff quickly plate slices of pizza and breadsticks. The program, known as “Pizza Café,” now serves between 135 and 150 students at a time.

What began as a small idea has grown into a key part of the library’s role in the community.

“It’s a way of reaching out to a population that is sometimes overlooked,” said Katie Mitchell, the library’s teen librarian, who launched the program around 2015. “We want teens to feel like they have a space in the community.”

A Simple Idea That Quickly Grew

The idea came after staff noticed how many students came to the library on half days, when school does not provide lunch.

“The kids are coming over anyway,” Mitchell said. “We would rather have 135 happy, satisfied kids than 135 hangry kids.”

At the time, Leslee Niethammer was director. Mitchell proposed the idea, and the Friends of the Library agreed to fund it. The program has been supported ever since.

What started with about 60 students has more than doubled in size.

Now, students come from Saline Alternative High School, Saline Middle School and Saline High School. Some walk, some drive and others arrive by bus.

How It Works

The setup is simple but structured.

Each student receives one slice of pizza and two breadsticks. If food remains, seconds are offered. Students are also expected to clean up after themselves.

“We maintain a very strict no-bullying policy,” Mitchell said. “We want teens to feel comfortable here.”

Mitchell and colleague Evan Smale, the library’s head of adult services, work quickly to plate and distribute food as students arrive.

The program moves fast. On a recent half day, staff were already working through a second tray of breadsticks as the line extended into the teen room and beyond.

Despite the volume, the atmosphere remains calm. Students chat, eat and spend time in the library, often using computers, books and other resources before heading home.

More Than Just a Meal

For some students, the program fills a real need.

“We do see a lot of kids who wouldn’t eat lunch if it wasn’t for this program on those days,” Mitchell said.

But the impact goes beyond food.

“The kids open up,” she said. “We create relationships. Word of mouth passes around, and it becomes something they look forward to.”

For many, it’s also a first step toward independence, a place to go, meet friends and spend time outside of school and home.

“It’s seen as something cool,” Mitchell said.

Built On Community Support

The program is funded by the Friends of the Library, a volunteer group that raises money to support library programs and services.

Local pizza providers also support the effort and often provide coupons to the library. On a recent half day, the library ordered 15 pizzas and four catering trays of breadsticks from Hungry Howie’s in Saline to serve students.

“Nobody ever says no,” Mitchell said.

A Long-Term Impact

For Mitchell, the program reflects a broader philosophy about working with teens.

“Teen librarianship is a long game,” she said. “You believe in them until they can believe in themselves.”

Over the years, she has seen that impact firsthand. Former teens return to the library as adults, sometimes sharing how much the space meant to them.

“Kids come back and tell me this was their safe place,” she said.

Her guiding principle is simple.

“Be the adult you needed as a teenager,” Mitchell said. “Make them feel seen.”

Featured image: Evan Smale, head of adult services, and Katie Mitchell, teen librarian, prepare and serve pizza to students during the “Pizza Café” program at the Saline District Library. Photo by Heather Finch