A $20 griddle became the start of a real food truck business when Mariah got tired of feeling stuck during the pandemic and decided to try something different. She had spent years working in restaurants, from fast food to fine dining, but after losing a bartending job and sitting at home in a corporate role, she knew she wanted more out of life.
One day, she made tacos she saw online and posted them on Instagram. Someone commented, “You should sell these.” Instead of overthinking it, she gave it a shot. Soon, cars were lined up outside her apartment building, waiting for food she made in a small kitchen with almost nothing to start with.
Mariah realized the opportunity was real, so she moved into a ghost kitchen and kept showing up every day. No paid ads, no fancy team, just good food, consistency, and treating people right. That momentum helped her grow into one of Charlotte’s most loved food trucks.
Today, her food truck has booked major private events, including a Michael Jordan sneaker launch that brought in $20,000 in one weekend. What started as a side hustle now earns up to half a million dollars in strong years.
In this episode, Mariah shares how she started before she felt ready, why small beginnings can lead to big results, and why a simple idea might be all it takes to change your future.
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00:00 - Start 00:37 - Born out of boredom 01:58 - Entrepreneurship’s in her DNA 02:50 - What prep work really looks like 04:05 - Welp… Taco Bell who? 05:19 - One stop shop 06:17 - A costly (and messy!) mistake 06:53 - Out with the old, in with the new 10:04 - Average ticket price 11:06 - Hands on online and offline 11:49 - Food will NEVER go to waste 12:20 - Say hello to the “new hire” 13:43 - Realistic operational costs 14:28 - Let’s talk numbers 16:41 - Perks of being the best 17:44 - Crafting the city’s BEST taco 20:28 - The ultimate test 21:02 - Ghost kitchen 101 21:54 - Storefront loading… 23:41 - Real customer reviews 24:10 - $20 ain’t stopping NO one 24:48 - Keep It Stupid Simple! 25:17 - Game-changing tips from a pro 26:03 - Outro
