Read more: Local, State, Economy, Business, Community, Keokuk, Keokuk Iowa, Delightfully Tasteful Bistro, Julie Sonneborn, It's Your Business
KEOKUK, IOWA -- This It's Your Business story is the story of how one woman turned a loss into a win.
After working 22 year at Methode, the owner was laid off.
That's when she decided to take a risk to make her dream come true.
And in just 3 months time it's paying off in a big way.
KHQA's Stephen Johnson has the story of the Delightfully Tasteful Bistro in Keokuk, Iowa.
Delightfully Tasteful Bistro is located at 610 Timea Street in Keokuk.
Longtime residents will know it as the home of the old St. Vincents School.
Owner Julie Sonneborn, of Warsaw, transformed the kitchen and cafeteria of the old school into a restaurant that specializes in good, old fashioned home cooked food.
She says, " I think you need to supply home cooked meals, not just something you take out of the box and drop into the deep fat fryer. We offer homemade deserts, homemade soups and our sandwiches are all homemade."
Julie starts her day at 6.30 every morning and she says it's a big challenge going from cooking for family and friends to running a restaurant.
She says, " I like to cater. So I'm used to cooking for big quantities. It's just that when you go to scale down to only cooking one sandwich at a time. That was lot different than what I'm used to doing."
And speaking of catering.
Julie, who already caters all across the tri-states, says it was just natural to add that to the services of her new restaurant.
Julie says,"I like to do for them what I would expect at my own daughters wedding. Because that's a special event for somebody and I take a lot of pride in doing that."
The restaurant has been open just over 3 months and already its drawing a loyal following.
Julie says," We have a lot of people that are here at least 3 times a week. Older people love to come in. Now we're offering, we'll pick them up at the old folks home. They can come in get their hair done in the same building, come in for a meal and we'll take them back home."
This summer Julie will add a little patio garden for outside seating.
And in the future she would like to expand and get her own banquet hall for hosting parties.
