APLINGTON - Some people are lucky to get one shot at their dream job. For Mary Meyer, opportunity knocked twice. The new owner of the Peppercorn Pantry in Aplington first set foot in the kitchen there in 1992 to say hello to a friend who worked there. Instead, she found herself hired to help prepare food based on her reputation in town as a good cook.

Meyer, who described herself as a "meat and potatoes" farmer's wife then, said the opportunity broadened her horizons.

"This kind of gave me an opportunity to work with some neater things," she said.

While working there, Meyer said, she dreamed about owning the tearoom and restaurant.

"I have a vivid imagination," she said.

She passed up her first opportunity to own the restaurant and left for the Aplington-Parkersburg Community School District to work with special-needs students.

In 2003 she returned to the Peppercorn kitchen and once again had the opportunity to buy the Aplington mainstay. This time her kids were older and the timing was better. When she took over Jan. 16, 2007, she put 15 years of planning into place.

"When I knew I was going to get it, I just put it all into place," she said.

The menu remained the same - Meyer still does much of the cooking. She changed the decor to broaden her customer base, doing away with the pinks and green floral decor.

"When I took over I wanted to offer the community something more than a tea room," Meyer said.

She sewed her own seat cushions and tableclothes and gave the Peppercorn a more Tuscany bistro look.

"The guys feel more comfortable here," she said. "It's still very classy."

An Aplington resident since 1968, Meyer and her husband run a farm outside the town. With two of her three kids done with high school - a special needs son helps at the restaurant - she doesn't mind the long hours.

"It's up to me how well I do and whether I'm successful or not," she said. "My husband is a farmer so he puts in the same hours I do. Right now it fits my lifestyle real well."

The Peppercorn is open Tuesday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. People also can have a private party or reserve the space for dinner in the evenings.

"It's kind of nice because you have the whole place to yourself," Meyer said. "You can relax and be as loud as you want."

The variety of pies, soups and other food are made fresh: "Frozen" is considered a swear word in the kitchen, Meyer said.

The Peppercorn also is a showcase for Meyer's horticulture hobby. She sells and displays flowers and plants in the courtyard. The pantry is also home to a gift and wine shop that showcases wine from two Iowa wineries, Eagle City Winery and Tabor Home.

"We really have something for everyone," she said.

Contact John Molseed at (319) 291-1418 or john.molseed@wcfcourier.com