Love Letter Cookies and Local Charm at Marion's Kettel House Bakery and Café

The scent of orange rolls wafts from the kitchen, past the coffee pot, into an open seating area. Handmade ceramic mugs, paper journals, and jugs of honey are strewn on shelves. Lighthearted conversation can be heard at the register, near rows of cupcakes and kolaches.

This is a typical scene at The Kettel House Bakery and Café, a spot for enjoying coffee, lunch, and pastries near the heart of downtown Marion.

The owner, Cindy Kettelkamp, 53, describes the bakery as a cozy, small town spot. She wants it to be a place where people can bond over food, relax, and create memories.

“It should feel to everyone like they’ve come home,” she said.

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Kettelkamp, who lives on a farm close to Marion, keeps shop and bakes on  6^th Ave with her 25-year-old daughter, Emily Hamilton. When they opened the bakery in April 2012, they specialized in fruit-filled kolaches, cinnamon rolls, and pecan rolls. Since then, the menu has expanded to include cookies, sweet breads, and lunch options, among other items.

The Kettel House menu is flexible, Kettelkamp said. She sees this as a feature that sets them apart from corporate bakeries, such as Hy-Vee. If a customer has a request, they can usually meet it by finding and learning a new recipe.

But they don’t just do food. The bakery has a crafty vibe — in part due to Hamilton, who has a drawing degree from UNI. She sells journals and handmade ceramic mugs and bowls at the bakery, while her mom sells rugs she wove on a loom.

Currently, Kettelkamp and Hamilton are gathering recipes for spring and Valentine’s Day, including orange rolls and frosted sugar cookies shaped like love letters in envelopes. They’re also planning ahead for the Marion farmer’s market; they’ve been participating since 1990, Kettelkamp said.

Hamilton and Kettelkamp got their start selling at farmers’ markets, where their baked goods developed a following. People occasionally asked if they planned to open a bakery.

“They kept hounding us,” said Hamilton.

 Now, the bakery serves lunch Monday through friday from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.