6.5 months in review & Observations for newbies

[hamellr]

Originally Posted by asubram3

Is Portland the only city in the US with food carts? I've lived in Phoenix and Dallas, and visited Atlanta, LA, Seattle, DC, etc. Can't recall seeing one anywhere else.

Portland is relatively unique in that fact that food carts can stay in one location for a long period of time. Most other cities do not allow this, although most do allow food trucks (the ubiquitous "Roach Coach") to stay parked in a single location for a few hours.

About a decade ago, Multnomah County revised the rules for Food Carts and then streamlined the process even more in 2007. Food carts have to meet health code standards the same as restaurants, and if anything are frequently under more scrutiny then brick and mortar places. Most of that was at the insistence of a few vocal restaurant owners, who then found themselves subject to more enforcement also because the County hired extra inspectors to take on the additional work load.

The Greek Restaurant downtown is a great example. The owner was very anti-food cart, yet his own place didn't meet fire code.

San Francisco and Austin both have good food cart scenes too. I've seen single carts pop up here and there in other cities, but only SF, PDX, and Austin really have the "Food cart Pods."

[EnricoV]

I think more cities have mobile trucks, rather than stationery ones like Portland. Portland's recent appearance on the television show "Great Food Truck Race" was an interesting peek into the differences. I didn't know, for example, that all food trucks/carts have to be on private property. They can't park on a street and sell, which is what they do in most other cities, I believe.

Another thing I found interesting, in San Francisco, they called what we refer to as a cart pod a "food court." That seemed like it would be confusing, since that's what it's called in a mall.

[raindude]

Wait 5 years and then report back on the weather and your feelings. At about year 5 it sets in. I'm glad I left or I was going to become an opiate addict

[Minervah]

Originally Posted by EnricoV

I think more cities have mobile trucks, rather than stationery ones like Portland. Portland's recent appearance on the television show "Great Food Truck Race" was an interesting peek into the differences. I didn't know, for example, that all food trucks/carts have to be on private property. They can't park on a street and sell, which is what they do in most other cities, I believe.

Another thing I found interesting, in San Francisco, they called what we refer to as a cart pod a "food court." That seemed like it would be confusing, since that's what it's called in a mall.

I think so too. When I think of food trucks, I think of those I used to buy from in Chicago. They were trucks or vans that sold only one or two types of food like hot dogs, pizza slices, or Italian beef sandwiches or things like that. They didn't actually cook on the premises but just kept the food warm. Even though they were limited in what they sold, often their food was homemade and very tasty.

They drove around to schools or factories or places where there weren't a lot of food options, parked and sold their supplies of meals until they ran out. They were very popular at beaches and public parks. They were anything but permanent although they often pulled up to the same spot everyday.

I don't know if that's how they do it now, but it was very different from today's Portland food carts.

[oldtintype]

Originally Posted by raindude

Wait 5 years and then report back on the weather and your feelings. At about year 5 it sets in. I'm glad I left or I was going to become an opiate addict

I've been here 12 and still loving it.

[oldtintype]

Originally Posted by Minervah

I think so too. When I think of food trucks, I think of those I used to buy from in Chicago. They were trucks or vans that sold only one or two types of food like hot dogs, pizza slices, or Italian beef sandwiches or things like that. They didn't actually cook on the premises but just kept the food warm. Even though they were limited in what they sold, often their food was homemade and very tasty.

They drove around to schools or factories or places where there weren't a lot of food options, parked and sold their supplies of meals until they ran out. They were very popular at beaches and public parks. They were anything but permanent although they often pulled up to the same spot everyday.

I don't know if that's how they do it now, but it was very different from today's Portland food carts.

The roach coach? That's what we used to call them. They still do that--there's a construction site across from our house and a truck stops by every day around 11.

[EnricoV]

There are food trucks in other cities that serve food like Portland's food carts (more gourmet-ish)... not just roach coaches. They notify customers via Twitter as to their locations each day. At least, I know that's the way the ones in LA tend to operate.

[Yankeemama]

L.A. has amazing food trucks. I am not overly impressed the food trucks in Portland. More hype than quality, IMO. There are some stand outs but more quantity than quality.