Cookie Cart
Cookie Cart is a Minneapolis-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit social enterprise, founded in 1988, that operates two Twin Cities bakeries to deliver first-job experience, leadership training, and credential learning to teens, funded by cookie sales, corporate gifting, and donations.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1988
- HeadquartersMinneapolis, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Cookie Cart does
Cookie Cart is a Minneapolis-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit social enterprise founded in 1988 that operates two retail bakeries in the Twin Cities (Minneapolis and Saint Paul) to deliver first-job experience, leadership training, and credential learning to teens, with a stated focus on teens of color. The organization runs an integrated classroom curriculum paired with on-the-job bakery training, and has trained more than 10,000 youth over its operating history. Operational labor is supported by school district partnerships with Minneapolis Public Schools' Transitions Plus and Saint Paul Public Schools' Focus Beyond, which together contribute approximately 100 hours per week of paid student labor and 12 currently employed students. The youth program and the bakery business are operationally inseparable: youth employees produce the cookies that the organization sells.
The commercial side of Cookie Cart is a cookie product business sold through three channels: (1) a WooCommerce-powered e-commerce storefront with nationwide USPS shipping, (2) two physical retail bakery locations in Minneapolis (1119 W Broadway Avenue) and Saint Paul, and (3) a corporate holiday gifting program targeting enterprise buyers with bulk and custom cookie orders. The product line spans Bakery Classics (Chocolate Chip, Double Chocolate Chip, M&M, Snickerdoodle, Oatmeal Raisin, Gingersnap, Peanut Butter, Confetti), sampler packs, seasonal and themed offerings (Pride, Spring, Smores, Cookies For Good), and special occasion decorated cookies (Congratulations, Happy Birthday, Thank You), priced between $18 and $30 per dozen, plus eGift Cards.
The business model combines earned revenue from cookie and corporate gift sales with philanthropic revenue from individual and organizational donations processed through the website and third-party giving platform GiveMN.org. Annual fundraising events, including the Sweet Success gallery and the 15th Annual Chefs' Dinner, serve as both community engagement and donor cultivation platforms. The organization is led by Executive Director Jacquelyn Carpenter (appointed June 2024) and is governed by a board of directors; no parent company, private equity backing, or external ownership structure is disclosed. The technology footprint is intentionally minimal and limited to a standard WooCommerce/WordPress e-commerce implementation with no proprietary platform, mobile application, or AI capabilities identified.
Cookie Cart firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Cookie Cart
- Legal name
- Cookie Cart
- Website
- https://cookiecart.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1988
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Cookie Cart is a Minneapolis-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit social enterprise, founded in 1988, that operates two Twin Cities bakeries to deliver first-job experience, leadership training, and credential learning to teens, funded by cookie sales, corporate gifting, and donations.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Cookie Cart industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Specialty Bakery
- NAICS
- Cookie and Cracker Manufacturing (311821), Baked Goods Retailers (445291), Retail Bakeries (311811)
- SIC
- Cookies & Crackers (2052), Bakery Products (2050)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Cookie & Brownie Shops (THAFAGAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Cookies, Biscuits & Crackers Manufacturing (AFAKAAAC), Online Bakery & Desserts Delivery (CRAHAIAK), Cookies, Biscuits & Crackers (CRADABAD)
Keywords
Where Cookie Cart is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Minneapolis
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Cookie Cart business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Cookie Sales: Revenue generated from direct sales of baked cookies through retail bakery locations and online storefront. Products include various cookie flavors sold by the dozen, bakery samplers, and custom decorated cookies for special occasions.
- Corporate Gifting: Corporate holiday gift packages sold to businesses for employee appreciation, client gifts, and partner recognition. Includes bulk cookie orders and custom cookie options.
- Donations: Monetary contributions from individuals and organizations supporting the youth employment mission. Accepts donations through website and third-party giving platforms.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Bakery Classics - Standard Cookie Flavors |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Seasonal Favorites |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Special Occasions |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Gift Cards |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Cookie Cart product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Cookie Cart is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit social enterprise that operates two bakery locations in Minneapolis and Saint Paul, manufacturing and selling cookies (Bakery Classics, seasonal, special occasion, and custom varieties) through retail storefronts and e-commerce. Youth of color are employed in the bakeries as paid trainees gaining first-job experience, leadership training, and a classroom curriculum with credentialed learning. Revenue from cookie sales and corporate gifting funds the youth employment program.
Product overview
Cookie Cart operates as a youth social enterprise with two interconnected offerings: (1) A cookie bakery business selling hand-decorated cookies through an e-commerce store, and (2) A youth employment and leadership training program. The cookie product line includes core Bakery Classics varieties (Chocolate Chip, Double Chocolate Chip, M&M, Oatmeal Raisin, Gingersnap, Snickerdoodle, Peanut Butter, Confetti), sampler packs (Bakery Sampler, Chocolate Trio Sampler), Seasonal Favorites (Pride, Smores, Spring), and Special Occasion cookies (Congratulations, Happy Birthday, Thank You, Cookies For Good). Add-on offerings include Corporate Holiday Gifting, Custom Cookies for events, and eGift Cards. The youth program provides teens with first-job experience, leadership training, classroom curriculum, and credential learning at bakeries in Minneapolis and Saint Paul.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Bakery Classics cookies
- Bakery Sampler
- Seasonal Favorites
- Special Occasion Cookies
- Custom Cookies
- Corporate Holiday Gifting
- eGift Cards
- Cookies For Good
- Youth Employment and Bakery Training Program
Quantifiable outcome
- Trained more than 10,000 youth over the years
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Cookie Cart
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Cookie Cart technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Cookie Cart partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Transitions PluscorePartnership with Minneapolis public school system's Transitions Plus program. Students from this program work at the Minneapolis bakery during regular business hours, providing approximately 100 hours of additional paid labor weekly. Cookie Cart staff support student employees in production and order fulfillment tasks.
- Focus BeyondcoreSaint Paul Public Schools program that partners with Cookie Cart's Saint Paul bakery. Focus Beyond students are post-high-school-age individuals with differing educational abilities transitioning into adult life. The employment partnership supports both student development and bakery operations.
- General MillsminorGeneral Mills has hosted workplace visits for Cookie Cart youth employees, providing career exploration opportunities. Includes tours of General Mills facilities and education on product lifecycle and workplace environments.
- City of Saint Paul Right TrackminorSummer youth employment program that connects Saint Paul teens with Cookie Cart job opportunities. Program provides funding and support for youth employment experiences.
- Transitions PluscoreMinneapolis school district partnership supporting approximately 100 hours/week of additional paid labor with 12 students employed. Focuses on employment transition support for students with differing educational abilities.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Cookie Cart competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Milk Bar: National bakery brand known for cookies and cakes with both retail locations and nationwide shipping. Comparable on DTC cookie e-commerce and treat-gifting product, but for-profit and broader dessert portfolio.
- Insomnia Cookies: National late-night cookie retailer with nationwide e-commerce shipping and dense urban store footprint. Comparable on the DTC cookie + delivery business model, but for-profit and not mission-driven.
- Crumbl Cookies: Large national gourmet cookie chain with rotating flavors, e-commerce, and a strong retail bakery footprint. Comparable on product category and direct-to-consumer cookie model, but operates as a for-profit franchise system rather than a youth training mission.
- Levain Bakery: Iconic NYC-based gourmet cookie and bakery brand with national shipping and multiple retail locations. Comparable on premium cookie positioning and DTC e-commerce shipping, with a similar product line (signature cookies).
- Tate's Bake Shop: Established premium cookie and baked-goods brand with national retail distribution and DTC shipping. Comparable on packaged cookie product and shipping model, but operates as a large CPG/bakery brand rather than a nonprofit.
Direct peers
- Hot Bread Kitchen: Nonprofit social enterprise that runs a commercial bakery providing culinary and workforce training to women and immigrants, selling breads and baked goods through wholesale and retail. Closely aligned with Cookie Cart's commercial-bakery-funds-mission model.
- Greyston Bakery: Open-hire commercial bakery famous for producing brownies for Ben & Jerry's, with a workforce-development mission for individuals facing barriers to employment. Same open-employment, bakery-funded-mission model as Cookie Cart, at a larger scale.
- DC Central Kitchen: A nonprofit social enterprise that uses food production (and culinary training) as a workforce-development vehicle for underserved youth and adults. Directly comparable mission-model structure to Cookie Cart's bakery-as-training-ground concept, though it operates in foodservice rather than retail packaged cookies.
Emerging players
- BakeBack: Smaller nonprofit baking social enterprise that funds youth programs through baked-goods sales. Directly mirrors Cookie Cart's mission-funding-via-bakery approach, making it a relevant small-scale peer.
Others
- Workforce Development Nonprofits (e.g., Year Up): Larger youth workforce-development nonprofits share Cookie Cart's target beneficiary (underemployed youth) and outcome metrics, providing relevant comparables for funding-model design and outcome measurement even though they do not operate bakeries.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Cookie Cart social profiles
Digital presenceCookie Cart compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Cookie Cart financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Cookie Cart leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Cookie Cart funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Cookie Cart M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Cookie Cart
What does Cookie Cart do?
Cookie Cart is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit social enterprise that operates two bakery locations in Minneapolis and Saint Paul, manufacturing and selling cookies (Bakery Classics, seasonal, special occasion, and custom varieties) through retail storefronts and e-commerce. Youth of color are employed in the bakeries as paid trainees gaining first-job experience, leadership training, and a classroom curriculum with credentialed learning. Revenue from cookie sales and corporate gifting funds the youth employment program.
Is Cookie Cart a public or private company?
Cookie Cart is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Cookie Cart founded?
Cookie Cart was founded in 1988. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Cookie Cart based?
Cookie Cart is headquartered in Minneapolis, United States, in the North America region.
How does Cookie Cart make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Cookie Sales are the primary driver. The others are corporate Gifting and donations.
Who are Cookie Cart's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Milk Bar, Insomnia Cookies, Crumbl Cookies, Levain Bakery and Tate's Bake Shop. Direct peers are Hot Bread Kitchen, Greyston Bakery and DC Central Kitchen. BakeBack is listed as an emerging player. Workforce Development Nonprofits (e.g., Year Up) is listed as an others.
Does Cookie Cart have an API?
No public API is recorded for Cookie Cart.
What industry is Cookie Cart in?
Cookie Cart's product category is Specialty Bakery. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAFAGAF, Cookie & Brownie Shops, with a secondary code of AFAKAAAC, Cookies, Biscuits & Crackers Manufacturing. Its NAICS code is 311821 and its SIC code is 2052.