Black-owned business: Kid Chauffeur Express expands services to camp, other cities
Sierra Young knows the struggles of being a single mom. Since her three kids were young, she was tasked with not only providing an income, but being the sole caregiver.
As hard as she tried, she knew she couldn’t be in two places at once.
“It was always hard for me to leave work and take the kids where they needed to be,” she recalled. Young worked two jobs at the time. “I missed out on a lot.”
She wanted to make sure no parent would have to decide between feeding their child and being available to take them to school or extracurricular activities, which is why she opened Kid Chauffeur Express in 2017.
“It’s like Lyft or Uber but just for kids,” she said.
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The idea was for parents to hire her service to take their children where they needed to go — all on their own. Young’s fleet of about 15 drivers, who are all vetted and background checked, are available for random pickups — if, for example, a parent needs their kid picked up from the library — as well as set schedules.
For random pickups, parents receive the driver's and car’s information. For recurring events, such as karate lessons or school transport, Young schedules a meeting with the drivers and parents. Pricing is based on mileage.
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While the transportation business boomed, Young decided to offer more than just rides, launching an affordable, eight-week summer camp in 2019. For $500, which breaks down to less than $65 per week, children at the Kid Chauffeur Express camp receive two meals a day, a snack, activities and several field trips, including trips to roller rinks, splash pads and more.
“It can be really hard, especially in this area, for parents to pay that much for camp,” she said. “I wanted to make sure I was offering something fair and affordable.”
Young also offers discount transportation to and from the camp.
“We do nature walks, painting, you name it,” Young said. “We get off the phones and connect with each other and other skills.”
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One day during a recent summer camp session, the kids lounged in Young’s office, which was converted to a kid-friendly space with TVs, video game consoles, books and more. The day before, they took a field trip to North Canton Skate & Entertainment Center, where they played laser tag, raced go-karts and played arcade games.
“I’ve been to all her camps,” said 13-year-old Kyila Spy. “I like her, and it’s really fun. We go on a lot of field trips. I like being with friends.”
Plans to expand Kid Chauffeur Express into Cleveland and Canton
Much of Young’s business serves Sherbondy Hill and Kenmore, the two neighborhoods it straddles, but clients sprawl across the Akron area.
“I knew there was a need. I just didn’t realize how great the need was until I started doing this,” she said.
And interest doesn’t just apply to parents — there are about 60 drivers on the waiting list to work for the company.
She is working to expand to Cleveland and Canton — an endeavor she began just before the COVID-19 pandemic pressed pause on those plans.
"I am excited to see how the business will continue to grow," Young said.
This article came out of the Akron Beacon Journal’s mobile newsroom, most recently located at the Odom Boulevard Library branch in Sherbondy Hill.
Reporter Abbey Marshall is a corps member with Report for America, a national service program that places journalists into local newsrooms. Learn more at reportforamerica.org. Contact her at at amarshall1@gannett.com.
Kid Chauffeur Express
Owner: Sierra Young
Where: 1559 Vernon Odom Blvd Suite 100
Phone: 330-808-7674
Website: www.kidchauffeurexpress.com
About the series
The Beacon Journal is profiling Black-owned businesses in Summit County as part of an ongoing series. Read more of these profiles at https://bit.ly/3jb0h1e.
Have a suggestion for a business to feature? Email us at bjnews@thebeaconjournal.com.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Kid Chauffeur Express expands services to camp, other cities
