MARION, Ill. — In most towns, there is one place that feels permanent. A business people trust for birthdays, graduations and last-minute “we need something sweet” stops. In Marion and Carbondale, that place is Larry’s House of Cakes.
The bakery began in 1963, founded by Larry Clayton. Manager David Clayton said his father first opened it as a donut shop before the menu expanded into the cakes and pastries the business is known for today.
“It was founded in 1963, by my father Larry Clayton,” David Clayton said. “It was started as Larry’s Donut Shop, and then in the 1970s went to cakes. Ever since then we have made cakes, cookies, cupcakes, and donuts.”
For the Claytons, the work has always been personal. David Clayton said he grew up in the business, and when Larry Clayton retired in 2007, the next generation took over.
“Well, I worked here ever since I was young, since it was a family business, but 2007 is when Larry retired,” he said. “So me and my two brothers, Dale and Neil, took over the place. So I have been manager since ’07, but everything is, you know, a family-run business.”
That family approach shows up behind the counter and beyond it. David Clayton said the bakery tries to support community efforts in ways that are practical, consistent and local.
“It’s been excellent,” he said of the bakery’s relationship with the community. “We try to support everything we can by having fundraiser cards, or donations for community events, even if it’s just someone who just is putting on a talent show.”
Customers notice the tone, too. Jara, a customer interviewed for this story, described Larry’s as “a very welcoming and friendly place… with very tasty products I buy for special occasions.”
The business has expanded to serve both Marion and Carbondale, but David Clayton said the goal now is not adding more storefronts. Instead, he said the focus is on building the menu and continuing the work they already do.
“Well, right now we have Marion and Carbondale. We’re not planning on opening any other locations,” he said. “But we’re just trying to grow and make more variety of pastries.”
Asked what he wants people to know about the bakery, David Clayton kept it simple.
“We’re a family-run business with mostly uncles and aunts, even my son works here, my brothers,” he said. “But no, we’re just happy to be a part of the community.”
After more than six decades, Larry’s House of Cakes is still doing what it set out to do: make the classics, serve the towns it knows, and keep the ovens running for whatever celebration comes next.
