Food carts in Portland, Oregon
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The city of Portland, Oregon, United States, has experienced a boom in the number of food carts due to relatively low regulation compared to other North American cities.[1]
History
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In 1965, the first food cart in Portland, which sold kosher hot dogs, was set up across from Portland City Hall.[1] In 1976, Portland opened up all of its downtown parks to competitive bidding.[2]
A 2001 report in The Oregonian stated Portland was home to 175 carts, with fierce competition for the four cart spaces available since 1987 in the South Park Blocks.[3][4] A bidding war in February 2001 led to a combined price of $192,000 for the spaces.[3] There was also a large cluster, often referred to as a food cart pod, at Fifth and Stark street, and one food cart had been operating since 1980.[4]
In 2010 it was estimated that there are between 450 and 671 carts citywide.[5][6]
Regulation
[edit]Most North American cities sought to make the street for cars in the mid twentieth century, and thus imposed strict regulations on food carts, which led to few food carts remaining. In comparison, Portland has low regulation, such as having nearly no requirement for a food cart to have a particular structure, which makes the cost of entry low, and thus leading to a proliferation of carts. Many regulations are also not enforced as long as health and safety are not impacted.[1]
Notable pods and foods carts
[edit]Notable food cart pods currently operating in Portland include the Cart Blocks, Cartopia, Collective Oregon Eateries, Hawthorne Asylum, Hinterland Bar and Food Carts, Lil' America, Midtown Beer Garden, Nob Hill Food Carts, Portland Mercado, Prost Marketplace, and Springwater Cart Park (formerly known as Cartlandia).
Businesses that have operated as food carts in the city include:
- Bark City BBQ
- Bing Mi
- Birrieria La Plaza
- Birrieria PDX
- Chicken and Guns
- El Cubo de Cuba
- Deadstock Coffee
- Desi PDX
- Dirty Lettuce
- E-san Thai Cuisine
- Erica's Soul Food
- Fifty Licks
- Flying Fish Company
- Fried Egg I'm in Love
- Gracie's Apizza
- The Grilled Cheese Grill
- Jojo
- Kee's Loaded Kitchen
- Kim Jong Grillin'
- Le Bistro Montage
- Los Gorditos
- Matt's BBQ
- Matta
- MidCity SmashBurger
- Mole Mole
- Nacheaux
- Nong's Khao Man Gai
- Off the Griddle
- Paladin Pie
- PDX Sliders
- Ruthie's
- Shanghai's Best
- Smaaken Waffle Sandwiches
- Stretch the Noodle
- Sure Shot Burger
- Tamale Boy
- Tierra del Sol
- Tight Tacos
- Tokyo Sando
- Viking Soul Food
- Yoshi's Sushi
Defunct
[edit]Defunct pods include the Alder Street food cart pod (1990s–2019) and Carts on Foster, which closed in 2023.
Defunct food carts include Baby Blue Pizza, El Gallo Taqueria, Holy Trinity Barbecue, PDX671, and Sweet Lorraine's.
References
[edit]- ^ a b c Newman, Lenore Lauri; Burnett, Katherine (February 2013). "Street food and vibrant urban spaces: lessons from Portland, Oregon". Local Environment. 18 (2): 233–248. doi:10.1080/13549839.2012.729572.
- ^ "In their own words: The story of Portland's food cart phenomenon". Portland Business Journal. July 26, 2018. Archived from the original on 2022-03-25. Retrieved 2018-08-20.
- ^ a b Thompson, Courtenay (March 23, 2001). "PSU Food Cart Bidding Battle Mystifies, Stings". The Oregonian. p. C02.
- ^ a b Heinz, Spencer (April 9, 2001). "Taste the World, One Cart at a Time". The Oregonian. p. B01.
- ^ "21 top time-saving cities". CNN. March 15, 2010. Archived from the original on June 15, 2018. Retrieved August 20, 2018.
- ^ "Small Fries Unite!". The Portland Mercury. January 19, 2012. Archived from the original on June 15, 2018. Retrieved August 20, 2018.
External links
[edit]
Media related to Food carts in Portland, Oregon at Wikimedia Commons
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