Charlotte Students Launch Food Truck Business Through Nonprofit Program
A bunch of Charlotte teens are turning an old school bus into “The Slide” — their food truck. The project, kicking off in the summer of 2025, brings together sixteen motivated high schoolers chasing their dreams. Thanks to The Exposure Project, these young business minds got the funding they needed. Their goal? Making amazing sliders, from hot Philly cheese steaks to tasty chicken-and-waffle combinations. Professional chefs helped plan the menu, mixing creative ideas with practical choices to help the truck succeed.
“It feels big sometimes, I’m nervous and sometimes I’m really excited because this is a teen-led food truck, and you don’t really hear that often,” said Makayla Sinclair, a Myers Park High School student, to WCNC.com news.
Working in cooking, graphic design, and marketing teams, the students learn from industry pros. Each mentor teaches them everything, from cooking basics to running a business. In hot kitchens and planning meetings, students learn their stuff. They’re not just cooking sandwiches, they’re building their future through hands-on experience. Students pick up everything from cooking skills to dealing with customers. As the first group moves on, new students will take their place.
The food truck will serve Charlotte’s “Corridors of Opportunity” — areas getting extra attention after being overlooked for years. These neighborhoods are now coming alive with new energy and potential. Local businesses are stepping up to help, backing the students’ dreams. Their truck will soon be a regular sight at community events, where these young business owners will serve their food.
Since 2015, The Exposure Project has helped teens from working-class families. Their newest project builds on what they’ve done before with photography and art. This creative bus makeover is like others happening across the country. Old buses are getting new life as moving classrooms, teaching kids important lessons.
The program tracks how students grow both in skills and as people, helping create tomorrow’s leaders ready for what’s ahead.