Jennycakes in Clarendon Hills to Close in October

Jennycakes owner Jennifer Surowiec had tears in her eyes talking about what she’ll miss most.

“I love my clients and I love my cakes,” Surowiec said. “It was really fun, you kind of felt like part of their family. And I will miss them.”

Surowiec, a Clarendon Hills resident, is closing the doors of her small Prospect Avenue bakery in October and retiring to spend more with her three kids after eight years of dedicating her mornings, nights, and weekends to her cakes.

She said the closing is not related to financial issues.

“The community has been so supportive and so awesome towards our bakery and given us so much business,” Surowiec said. “I have loved being a part of the community so much.”

The hours, though, were “brutal,” she said.

“It kind of took over my life. It took over my family’s life and I felt I was missing out on too much with my kids.

“My friend laughed the other day and said, ‘It’s like having a baby: you know it’s going to be a lot; you know it’s going to take over your life; but until you are actually in it, you don’t really know all that it’s going to take.’”

Surowiec says the final Jennycakes wedding cake is on the calendar: Oct. 13 at Medinah Country Club.

“So I will be delivering that wedding cake and closing the shop,” Surowiec said.

After five years of making cakes out of her home, Surowiec began renting the little space behind Starbucks in 2009. In 2010, she branded the space Jennycakes and turned it into the shop it is today.

In addition to weddings, Jennycakes has supplied countless tarts for birthdays, anniversaries, showers, and even gender announcements.

She said business was strong throughout the shop’s three-year run, but Surowiec said she regrets not doing more with the business.

“I think I would’ve liked to have more time to broaden into more things but I never had the time to do that,” she said.

Chef Molly Doran is Jennycakes only other employee, and Surowiec admitted it wasn’t easy to break the news to her.

“My chefs become my family; Molly is my family and my friend and it’s been very hard to have to tell her. We’ve had a lot of fun doing our cakes and it’s going to be very hard to part ways.”

Don’t expect a fuss as Oct. 13 approaches. Jennycakes didn’t have any big events when it opened, and it’s going to go out over the next month in the same quiet way.

“I’ve always just put my nose to the grindstone and done my job, and I’m going to do the same thing,” Surowiec said.

Here's how followers of Patch's Facebook page have responded:

• Josée: "I am so sad to hear this! She is very talented. She wow'ed all my guests with her amazing 7 layer rainbow cake that was even more delicious than beautiful. And her macarons are to die for... You will be missed!!"
• Sarah: "Sad to see it go!"
• Karen: "I am sorry Jennycakes is closing! We loved her delicious cakes and cupcakes on many occasions. Good luck to Jennifer!"
• Terese: "Sorry to see this shop is closing. Loved her cake pops! :^("

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