Inspiring Conversations with Mike Cline of Carolina Crust

Today we’d like to introduce you to Mike Cline.

Hi Mike, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
We started Carolina Crust in 2019 to fulfill our lifelong passion for food and pizza. Our goal was to have a mobile eatery that wasn’t a traditional food truck, so we got to design our vision.

The end goal was a fully customized 1976 International Harvester truck outfitted with a wood-fired pizza oven, four beer taps, prep areas, and more. In essence, we are a rolling party machine that offers top-notch cuisine. Our focus is Neapolitan pizza, handcrafted from Caputo 00 flour and the best homemade San Marzano based sauce you can find in the area. Plus, we do our best to stay local as far as ingredients and things are concerned.

We’ve enjoyed every step of the ride and look forward to all the events we cater to from birthday parties to corporate gigs to weddings!

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has been an outstanding ride so far! Every business will have its ups and downs, but we have tried to mitigate any major issues through planning and having stellar employees. Like most small businesses have experienced, the pandemic has brought on additional strenuous factors, but as always, we persevere and adapt. So all in all, we are in a great place and look forward to continued growth!

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Carolina Crust?
We are a mobile eatery that is focused on wood-fired pizza and customer engagement. As a fully customized truck, we are undoubtedly different than the food trucks you’re used to. Our approach is more on the catering level and adapts to suit multiple types of events. With a plethora of pizza offerings, apps, salads, drinks, etc. we are confident that our vibe will be unlike anything you’ve experienced before. We do everything from classic pepperoni to offerings like eastern NC pork BBQ topped with housemade sauce and a sweet artisan pickle (trust me, it’s amazing). So creativity is another point of pride for Carolina Crust!

Our pride lies in being a family-owned business and always being on top of quality. That can range from our quick response times or our finished food products, everything we do has the customer top of mind.

Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs, or other resources you think our readers should check out?
Where do I start!? So many to choose from, haha.

I’d say that there are almost too many to name but some definitely come to mind. “Appetites” by Anthony Bourdain is a great book, he had a raw, unadulterated approach to food and life which I really respect. “Pizza Today” and “PMQ” are both great resources as well if you want to get pizza specific.

Also, a big shout out to ‘The Dough Doctor’, Tom Lehmann (rip), anything that man wrote was a good as gold in my book. A true pioneer of the craft!

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: www.carolinacrust.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carolinacrustpizza/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carolinacrustpizza/