Anyone here have a food cart?

[Minervah]

There is a fairly new pod on 12th and Hawthorne. It includes a Belgum Waffle cart and a crepe cart. There is also a soup cart and a bar-b-que cart. I have only passed by on the bus so I haven't seen what the outside carts are covering.

I think the best idea is to have something to sell no one else has thought of yet.

[philwithbeard]

Originally Posted by khyron

I think Phil has a hell of an idea there, also consider that it's not just the high rise residents who are at stake there as a potential customer base. The entire staff of OHSU has very limited eats up on top of the hill and they all get free tram rides with their ID cards...imagine if you could tap into their lunch break habits. Also, down the road, establishing a cart there could be even more profitable when the walking bridge is (in theory) built across the interstate opening a whole second neighborhood of walking traffic.

Thanks for the compliment and expansion of my basic ideas.

Originally Posted by jojo4

I think there used to be an Indonesian cart in the South Waterfront area, not sure if they're still around. Are the residents there really food cart eaters? I don't see many retiree in line at the food carts around town. The working types that live there won't be around for lunch. Maybe the OHSU crowd...

In any case, it seems the food cart scene is still expanding. The newish Mississippi pod is really cool and was very busy on Saturday lunch time. I imagine there are efforts to build up more pods around the city, more in SW and SE would be great.

OK, this is the view point of someone who has been enjoying Portland for only 9 months or so.....

Every suburban mall I go to these days, all have a Food Court. You all know what I am talking about, Been there, ate there, yada, yada, yada. Well, these Portland Food Carts, from my point of view, are just a Mall Food Court without a seating area, and well maybe not so much indoors---out of the rain as it were.

So, as far as South Waterfront, and the evolution of the Portland Cart (RV) phenomenon goes, JoJo4, you maybe got a point there, the people who live So Waterfront, would more likely want an evening meal carry-out or a sit down place to eat their meal. And even the Lunch crowd from OHSU, if they did show up, wouldn't really care to eat while standing up, as OHSU types are on their feet almost all shift long, from what I know.

So I guess what I am getting at is some developer, you know, putting the two concepts together, a blend of Mall Food Court, and raw outdoors Foodie Carts. Plus maybe adding a Farmer's Market concept area for small independent vegie vendors to sell produce and maybe fresh artisan bread place also. Seating Indoors, or maybe just under a shelter roof of some kind. Power, water, sewer hook-ups, and maybe nat-gas, or whatever, so it would be easier for the city (county?) health inspectors to do their thing, and hopefully an effort to keep the rodent population under control....

Point is,
- to get away from the "transient" look of the RV trailer,
- add some seating under cover, and some outdoor seating expansion area when it is nice,
- Communal seating area,
- Real honest refrigeration units for the food vendors,
- Each 'stall' with on-site washing up with hot running water (for utensils, hands, etc)
- A floor that can be swept, mopped, and kept clean of trash and garbage.
- Trash, dumpster, and recycling under control and so forth
- A place that could also double as a year round Sunday Farmer's Market

Well, you all get what I am driving at----
I just presume the residence's of South Waterfront would, IMHO, be more inclined to want a more "sanitary" and "safe food" place, well at least a place 'in appearance' being more 'safe food' than maybe the food cart area near Big Pink, or SE Adler and SE 10th. (not these places aren't food safe, I talking just about appearances for a customer's point of view.)

Sorry, I got carried away again, didn't mean to post such a long one.

Phil

[jojo4]

Originally Posted by Minervah

There is a fairly new pod on 12th and Hawthorne. It includes a Belgum Waffle cart and a crepe cart. There is also a soup cart and a bar-b-que cart. I have only passed by on the bus so I haven't seen what the outside carts are covering.

I think the best idea is to have something to sell no one else has thought of yet.

This pod has been here for 3-4 years. It is a late night pod and is always a great place to get some midnight snacks. Last time I went these guys were there - Potato Champion (frites), Yarp (pasta and ?), pizza cart, crepe, mexican, cajun. There was a lot of turn over about a year ago, but it seems to have stabilized. I think the Q cart moved to PSU pod. This is the coolest late night pod. I think we need more late night pods.

[Minervah]

Originally Posted by jojo4

This pod has been here for 3-4 years. It is a late night pod and is always a great place to get some midnight snacks. Last time I went these guys were there - Potato Champion (frites), Yarp (pasta and ?), pizza cart, crepe, mexican, cajun. There was a lot of turn over about a year ago, but it seems to have stabilized. I think the Q cart moved to PSU pod. This is the coolest late night pod. I think we need more late night pods.

That long? Wow! Where does the time go? I would have guessed only two years. I watched it from the bus as it grew from one place that sold soup (I think that was the first) to all the good stuff that is there now. But is it only late night? I see people there when I pass by on the bus at around 4:30 or so.

Also I like that it has covered areas. Burgerville across the street doesn't seem to mind them being there. That's my favorite place for a fast food burger type meal especially when they have sweet potato fries.

[HandsUpThumbsDown]

Thanks for discussion guys, I'm really enjoying this. It's why City-Data is great; it all but eliminates the need to make assumptions about a place.

And you know what happens when you assume: "You make an ass of yourself!" as a dishwasher in my old restaurant says.