A north Minneapolis bakery that aims to help develop teenagers' business skills unveiled a new, upgraded space Thursday — and the news that it plans to put more young people to work.

Cookie Cart, located at 1119 W. Broadway, had been closed for several months as workers installed new equipment, built a cafe seating area and fixed the building's elevator. The business' reopening was marked with a speech from Mayor Betsy Hodges, an open-house tour of the facility and free cookies for dignitaries and neighbors who packed the bakery's ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Matt Halley, the Cookie Cart's executive director, said the revamped space will allow the organization to employ 200 teenagers. That's up by about 50 from last fall.

"This bakery is really our classroom," he said. "It's where we teach life, leadership and employment skills."

Hodges proclaimed Thursday "Cookie Cart Day" in the city, and encouraged people to order the business' sweet treats to take to their offices.

"This is one of the leading social enterprises in the city of Minneapolis," she said.

Keondre Jordan, a 16-year-old Cookie Cart employee, said he's been working in the bakery for two years. Once he got over a few hurdles — scooping out the cookie dough turns out to be tougher than it looks, he said — the job made him think differently about what he could do after high school.

Before he showed up at the bakery, Jordan didn't think he'd go to college. Now he's more certain it's something he could do.

"It's not just about selling cookies here," he said.

Erin Golden • 612-673-4790