Steve’s Bakery has remained a local favorite in Streator, Illinois since Steve Elleson opened its doors in August, 1984. Steve has been donning that white apron coated in flour since he was a 7 year old working at his father’s bakery. The baking trade goes back far in Steve’s family, with both of his parent’s having grown up around their own family’s bakeries. His father started out with his own bakery in the Quad Cities and worked his way down Interstate 80, bringing that delicious aroma of doughnuts with him. After graduating from high school, Steve worked in a number of supermarket bakeries in Houston, Texas before he brought his family’s traditions back to Streator, Illinois. Steve says that he knew Streator always had a history of old-fashioned, family bakeries, so he decided to bring the Elleson legacy to the Illinois Valley.
Customers from all over can’t stop talking about the light, airy doughnuts that come out of the fryers at Steve’s Bakery. Steve says that addicting taste goes all the way back to the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair where the doughnut recipe he uses won a blue ribbon. Those traditions have been passed down to Steve’s own children who grew up working with their father at the bakery, just like he did. Today, Steve’s son, Mike, works with him full-time to keep Steve’s Bakery up and running. His wife, Jackie, and daughter, Katie, help out with the decorating and managing of Steve’s Bakery.
Doughnuts, cakes, cookies, breads, and pastries are all made at the Streator location and delivered fresh daily to our second location in Ottawa, IL. Steve’s Bakery is a longstanding, family establishment that can attribute much of its success to the love and devotion that is put into it by friends and family. The late Jim Mamer, who was one of the family’s good friends, devoted many years to helping Steve out at the bakery. This kind of support is what allows Steve to continue producing such high quality, made-from-scratch baked goods. Steve is always talking about expanding even further, and now that he is a grandfather, it doesn’t look like this legacy will be ending anytime soon!
Steve's Bakery 