West Des Moines Library Cafe Closing

The cafe at the will close Friday and the 2,200-square-foot space it now occupies will be converted for yet-to-be determined purposes.

The cafe has had five owners since 2003. The current operator, Lori Miksch, is taking another job and the library board won’t replace her.

“That’s 2,200-square-feet of space we can open up for people to use all the time, not just when the cafe is open,” library director Darryl Eschete told the Des Moines Register. “The question for the board is how to use it.”

Ideas for board consideration include creating a quiet study space or turning the room into a periodicals room.

Miksch told the Register she has enjoyed working at the cafe for the past three and a half years, but it’s difficult to make a living there. The way the cafe is set up, she said, “it’s not a strong viable  business location.”

“I’ve adored them for a very long time and believe in their mission, but I determined that it’s not a strong viable business location the way it’s set up,” Miksch said.