​Salina, Kansas is the home of SO many great experiences, businesses, and products. Just ONE example of what Salina is known for is, well, PIZZA! In fact, with some time, some effort and some very stretchy pants, you could absolutely enjoy a PIZZA PALOOZA in Salina! There are many choices, and everyone seems to gravitate to their own favorite, but we can get you started on your journey!
 
The longest standing pizza enterprise in Salina may well be The Scheme. This restaurant and full bar are known for its GREAT pizza (try the buffalo!), great service (tell Cassee hi!) and fun atmosphere. It’s open limited hours, and reservations are a really good idea! 
 
Blue Skye Brewery and Eats creates a wonderful selection of brick-oven pizza, paired with starters, salads and great craft brews. On Sunday’s there is a great brunch featuring pizza, flatbreads and featured adult beverages. Martinelli’s Little Italy has their own take on the pizza pie, and great bar (wine) service to complement. I always pair mine with the chopped salad, my favorite. And if we can, cannoli for dessert! Old Chicago Pizza and Taproom joined these local favorites downtown and offers a huge menu of both delicious food and refreshing brews, and features outdoor dining as well. Coop’s Pizzeria is near outdoor sports complexes on E. Crawford, and is proud of their homemade dough, sauces and dressings. Love the mushroom pizza! YaYa’s Euro Bistro serves incredible flatbread from their impressive menu, with sidewalk dining open.
 
To make it an official claim to pizza fame, Salina just happens to be the home of a Schwan Global Supply Chain facility, where there is more frozen pizza (Tony’s, Red Baron..) produced than anywhere else in the world! And when you are planning your Pizza Palooza days, don’t forget to check out any entertainment that might be scheduled at Tony’s Pizza Events Center – our largest sports arena, entertainment and convention venue!
 
Check out all the options for dining and fun at VisitSalinaKS.org

The travel and tourism industry is such an important part of who Salina, Kansas is as a community. The attributes that make Salina the wonderful place it is to live, are exactly the reasons that choose this place as a destination. Whether they come to take part in a meeting or convention, as a family for a sports tournament, to attend a production at Salina Community Theatre or a concert at the Stiefel Theatre, for a weekend at the Smoky Hill River Festival or KKOA Leadsled Spectacular Car Show, or have included us as a stopping point on a longer trip, visitors have long been an integral part of the Salina economy. Hotel stays are obvious, but the broader impact includes our restaurants, the attractions mentioned and others, retail stores, fuel vendors, and airlines.
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Due to the pandemic, in 2020 the entire U.S. travel industry lost half a trillion dollars in travel-related spending—10 times the economic impact of 9/11. Nationally, total travel-supported jobs accounted for a staggering 65% of all U.S. jobs lost amid the pandemic. In Salina, we saw hotels that dropped to single digit occupancy, reduce staffing to a very bare minimum, close off sections of rooms and in some cases, close entirely for a while. All while adding tremendous sanitation and mitigation efforts. Restaurants switched to delivery, curbside, and outdoor service. Entertainment venues had to adapt, but in many cases were shuttered.
 
A broader economic recovery hinges on a recovery within the travel industry. Vaccinations are providing hope that a return to normal is on the horizon, though a resurgence in travel demand is not inevitable, and certainly won’t be immediate. The travel industry’s recovery is expected to take as long as three to five years, and as things do begin to bounce back, everyone is faced with the challenge of finding people to staff back up.
 
The road ahead is challenging, but the travel industry is resilient and has an incredible ability to bounce back from difficult times. We recovered after 9/11, after the 2008 financial meltdown, after other health scares. This is the toughest challenge the U.S. travel industry has ever faced, but we know travel is one of the best-equipped industries to lead a revival.
 
As recovery efforts continue, and we get Americans moving again, then all of us in Salina, Kansas can get back to doing what we do best - providing quality job opportunities, reconnecting family and friends, providing warm hospitality, and showing the world what makes the U.S., the State of Kansas and Salina among the best places to visit!