In many ways, Larry’s Bakery represents an era of bake shops that has gone by. While mom-and-pop shops may have carried similar baked goods in the past, those types of bakeries are hard to come by these days. But luckily for nostalgic dessert enthusiasts, Larry’s Bakery still carries a number of menu items that it had when it opened back in the 1960s.
“A lot of the things that we have in the showcase daily are things that we had before,” co-owner Iris Yafuso says. “And a lot of times you don’t see it in other bakeries because these are all my dad’s recipes.”
Yafuso’s father is the famed Larry himself — and she says that he was behind many of the tasty treats that many remember from their youth. And thanks to Yafuso and her older brother Lance, people still can enjoy many of those treats today, as well as a range of newer items.
One example of a tasty recipe from the past that has been brought back is the Butter Log ($5), a sweet, decadent roll.
“The Butter Log is to die for!” Yafuso says.
The Jelly Roll ($5), which features strawberry jelly rolled with shredded coconut on the outside, is another tasty blast from the past.
“The Jelly Roll is really an old recipe,” Yafuso explains. “That was done in the 1960s, and it was so popular.”
Today, the treat is especially popular with people who remember it from that era.
“People from that generation would buy one and they would come back and say, ‘You are not going to believe I ate the whole thing,'” she says. “They just started reminiscing of when they had it long ago.”
That’s not the only thing the customers are raving about. Yafuso says that people have been “going crazy” for Loaf Cake ($6), which includes Pineapple Macadamia Nut, Chocolate and Lilikoi flavors. Yafuso adds that these items also can be purchased for fundraising.
Larry’s Bakery has plenty of new items, too. While keeping true to its roots, Larry’s also is up-to-date with current trends, such as decorated cookies and what cartoon character to put on your child’s birthday cake.
And when special occasions roll around, Larry’s is always rolling out new items.
In honor of Chinese New Year, Larry’s puts an innovative spin on the classic almond cookie with offerings that include the Large Almond Cookie ($3.95), Almond Cookie Takeout Box ($6.95), Almond Chinese Cookie Chinese Envelope ($5.95).
For Valentine’s Day, your sweetheart won’t want you to miss out on the Valentine Rose Push Pops ($4.95). Choose from three tasty flavors — vanilla, chocolate or red velvet.
“Everybody loves push pops, so we decided to do those this year,” Yafuso says. “And it is going to have an edible rose on it … You can get a push pop that is like a single rose, but you can eat this one.”
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- Larry’s Bakery’s sweet delights.
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- Loaf Cakes ($6 each)
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- Butter Log ($5) and Jelly Roll ($5)
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- Valentine Rose Push Pops ($4.95 each)
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- Nikki Tamashiro with a Valentine Rose Push Pop ($4.95 each)
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- Large Almond Cookie ($3.95), Almond Cookie Takeout Box ($6.95) and Almond Cookie Chinese Envelope ($5.95)
On the Side
Most mornings, the crew at Larry’s Bakery gets up at 3 a.m. in order to prepare all of the fresh baked goods for the day. Brother-and-sister team of Iris and Lance Yafuso co-own the bakery, and a large part of their dedication comes from the desire to keep their father’s legacy alive.
Their father, Larry, opened the bakery in the 1960s. The shop was a huge success then, and has continued to attract new generations of customers. When Larry passed away, the Yafusos’ mother took over the company. The Yafusos have fond memories of working in the bakery after school and during summer breaks as kids.
Although Iris went on to attend college and baking school before returning to help out with the family business, her most valuable lessons were learned right here in the bakery.
“We are still using my dad’s old recipes, giving it a flair,” she explains. “But really, a lot of the stuff is just bringing back his old stuff.
“A lot of the things that we do bring back tend to attract people who used to come here.”
As a family-run establishment, Larry’s Bakery has a tight-knit staff. “We are lucky to have our crew with us. A lot of the crew consists of family or friends, classmates of ours from high school and college,” she states.
While Larry’s maintains its foundations, it also embraces change — another trick of the trade that Larry passed down.
“I remember one thing that my dad said was, ‘you have to change with the times,'” Yafuso says.
Larry’s Bakery
4369 Lawehana St.
422.0059
Monday-Friday, 6 a.m.-1 p.m.
Saturday, 6 a.m.-noon
Honolulu, HI 96818
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