Step inside the large white barn just west of Cedar Falls, with the “Barn Happy” sign out front, and you’ll be surprised — and, yes, happy — by what you discover.

That’s because Barn Happy offers a little bit of everything. It’s a bakery with made-from-scratch rolls, pies and treats. It’s a coffee shop with fresh roasted java. It’s a café with soups, sandwiches and other Midwestern lunch favorites. And it’s a gift shop with crafts, food and home décor from Iowa farmers and artists.

This mix is why Barn Happy has become a community gathering spot, a place where customers can sit around a table with friends and family, grab a cup of coffee and a slice of apple pie, and catch up on what’s been happening in their busy lives.

“It’s...