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Food Service Management students stand alongside Pierpont Community & Technical College leaders and community partners as Natalie Feltz cuts the ribbon to mark the official opening of student‑run Café ’74 at Middletown Commons.
Pierpont Photo. Food Service Management students stand alongside Pierpont Community & Technical College leaders and community partners as Natalie Feltz cuts the ribbon to mark the official opening of student‑run Café ’74 at Middletown Commons.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 31, 2026

WHITE HALL, W.Va. – Pierpont Community & Technical College celebrated the opening of Café ’74 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony Monday at Middletown Commons, marking the launch of a new student‑run café designed to provide hands‑on, workforce‑focused training for students in the college’s Food Service Management programs.

The event followed a soft opening earlier this month and brought together students, faculty and staff, local and state leaders, business partners and community members to formally welcome the café into the region.

Dr. Michael Waide, Interim President of Pierpont Community & Technical College, speaks at the Café ’74 ribbon cutting, describing the student‑run café as a living example of workforce education where students learn by doing.
Pierpont Photo. Dr. Michael Waide, Interim President of Pierpont Community & Technical College, speaks at the Café ’74 ribbon cutting, describing the student‑run café as a living example of workforce education where students learn by doing.

“This café is a clear example of who we are and why we exist,” said Dr. Michael Waide, Interim President of Pierpont Community & Technical College. “This student-led, lab-based café represents the very best of community college education. Here, our students in pastry and baking, culinary arts, and food service management are not just learning concepts in a classroom. They are applying them in real time.”

Café ’74 gives students direct responsibility for daily operations, including food preparation, customer service, inventory management and use of industry‑standard equipment and point‑of‑sale systems. The café is connected directly to Pierpont’s culinary teaching kitchen, allowing students to move seamlessly from instruction to service in a professional setting.

“This is workforce education at its finest,” Waide said. “It is hands-on, it is practical and it is aligned directly with the needs of our local economy.”

The café was developed with support from a $90,000 grant through the American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act State Tourism Program, awarded through the West Virginia Community and Technical College System. The investment expands Pierpont’s Culinary Academy and supports experiential learning opportunities that place students in real‑world professional settings before graduation.

David Beighley, Interim Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs, described Café ’74 as a natural and impressive next step for Pierpont’s academic programs.

David Beighley, Interim Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs at Pierpont Community & Technical College, addresses attendees at the Café ’74 ribbon cutting, highlighting the café’s role in connecting classroom instruction with hands‑on, real‑world learning.
Pierpont Photo. David Beighley, Interim Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs at Pierpont Community & Technical College, addresses attendees at the Café ’74 ribbon cutting, highlighting the café’s role in connecting classroom instruction with hands‑on, real‑world learning.

“This café is more than a place to grab a great meal; it is a living classroom,” Beighley said. “It’s where theory meets practice, where skills are sharpened and where our students gain real‑world experience that prepares them for meaningful careers in hospitality, culinary arts and food service management.”

Students rotating through Café ’74 prepare a menu that includes breakfast items, bakery selections, wraps, salads and coffee drinks, all produced under faculty supervision. The café’s name honors 1974, the year Pierpont was founded, underscoring the college’s long‑standing mission of access, opportunity and workforce preparation.

For Natalie Feltz, Associate Professor and Program Coordinator for Food Service Management, Café ’74 represents a shift toward experiential learning models that mirror how the industry operates. Feltz cut the ribbon during the ceremony as students and college leaders gathered behind her.

Natalie Feltz, Associate Professor and Program Coordinator for Food Service Management, speaks during the Café ’74 ribbon cutting, highlighting the café as a student‑run operation where experiential, workforce‑driven learning prepares students for real‑world careers.
Pierpont Photo. Natalie Feltz, Associate Professor and Program Coordinator for Food Service Management, speaks during the Café ’74 ribbon cutting, highlighting the café as a student‑run operation where experiential, workforce‑driven learning prepares students for real‑world careers.

“With a student‑run, counter‑service café, our classroom becomes a real business,” Feltz said. “Students aren’t just learning concepts from a textbook; they’re managing production, running service, engaging with customers and experiencing the pace and accountability of a real operation.”

Community leaders and partners joined Pierpont faculty, staff and students for the ribbon cutting, including members of the Pierpont Board of Governors, state and local officials, and representatives of the Marion County Chamber of Commerce. Following the ceremony, guests were invited to sample menu items and interact with students working in the café.

White Hall Mayor Jason DeFrance speaks during the Café ’74 ribbon cutting, reflecting on the role restaurants and hospitality play in building community and the importance of preparing students who care about the experience they provide.
Pierpont Photo. White Hall Mayor Jason DeFrance speaks during the Café ’74 ribbon cutting, reflecting on the role restaurants and hospitality play in building community and the importance of preparing students who care about the experience they provide.

“It’s about more than the food,” said White Hall Mayor Jason DeFrance. “It’s about what restaurants and hospitality bring to a community and about preparing people who care about that experience.”

The ribbon cutting was hosted in partnership with the Marion County Chamber of Commerce, highlighting Café ’74’s role in both education and economic development.

Dani DeVito, president of the Marion County Chamber of Commerce, addresses attendees at the Café ’74 ribbon cutting, emphasizing the importance of partnerships that create opportunity for students while supporting regional workforce and economic growth.
Pierpont Photo. Dani DeVito, president of the Marion County Chamber of Commerce, addresses attendees at the Café ’74 ribbon cutting, emphasizing the importance of partnerships that create opportunity for students while supporting regional workforce and economic growth.

“Pierpont has long been a cornerstone of education and workforce development in our region,” said Dani DeVito, President of the Marion County Chamber of Commerce. “Hands‑on learning experiences like Café ’74 build confidence, develop real‑world skills and strengthen the workforce our local businesses depend on. It’s an honor to welcome Café ’74 to the chamber and to our community.”

For students, the café offers an opportunity to apply classroom learning before graduation while serving the public.

“Working in Café ’74 has helped us understand what it really takes to operate a business,” said Rachel Baker, a Pierpont student. “We’re gaining experience we’ll carry into our careers while having the chance to serve the community.”

Café ’74 is located inside Middletown Commons, Suite 129, and is open Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. during the academic term as part of scheduled course instruction.

More information about Café ’74 and Pierpont’s Food Service Management program is available at www.pierpont.edu.

Food Service Management students stand alongside Pierpont Community & Technical College leaders and community partners as Natalie Feltz cuts the ribbon to mark the official opening of student‑run Café ’74 at Middletown Commons.
Jeffrey Powell, secretary of the Pierpont Board of Governors, addresses attendees at the Café ’74 ribbon cutting, noting the café’s evolution from an early concept into a learning space that benefits students, the college and the community.
West Virginia Sen. Joey Garcia speaks during the Café ’74 ribbon cutting, praising Pierpont Community & Technical College’s culinary programs and highlighting the importance of affordable, hands‑on education that creates clear pathways into the workforce.
Food Service Management faculty stand with students who operate Café ’74, a student‑run café at Pierpont Community & Technical College.
Café ’74 branded mugs are displayed during the ribbon cutting celebration, offering attendees a keepsake from Pierpont Community & Technical College’s student‑run café.

Pierpont Community & Technical College provides accessible, responsive, and high‑quality education to students and businesses across North Central West Virginia. With a strong focus on career readiness and workforce development, Pierpont offers academic programs and industry‑aligned training that create clear pathways to employment. Through this work, the college helps students discover their path while supporting the region’s economic and workforce needs.

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