Food carts in Portland, Oregon facts for kids

Food carts in 2017

Alder Street food cart pod (2013)

The city of Portland, Oregon, United States, is famous for its many food carts! These are like small kitchens on wheels that sell all sorts of yummy food. Portland has so many food carts because it's easier to open one here compared to other big cities in North America.

The Story of Portland's Food Carts

The first food cart in Portland opened way back in 1965. It sold kosher hot dogs right across from Portland City Hall.

By 2001, a report said Portland had about 175 food carts. There was a lot of competition for good spots, especially in the South Park Blocks. Some spots were so popular that people would bid huge amounts of money to get them!

A big group of food carts, called a "food cart pod," was also popular at Fifth and Stark street. By 2010, experts thought there were between 450 and 671 food carts all over the city.

Why Portland Has So Many Food Carts

Many cities in North America made strict rules for food carts in the mid-1900s. This meant fewer food carts could operate. But Portland chose a different path.

Portland has fewer rules for food carts. For example, there aren't many strict requirements for what a food cart must look like. This makes it cheaper and easier for people to start their own food cart business. Many rules are also not strictly enforced, as long as the food carts are safe and clean. This friendly environment has helped food carts become a huge part of Portland's food scene.

Popular Food Cart Pods and Carts

Portland has many famous groups of food carts, known as "pods." These are like outdoor food courts where you can find many different kinds of food in one place.

Some well-known food cart pods include:

• Cart Blocks
• Cartlandia
• Cartopia
• Carts on Foster
• Collective Oregon Eateries
• Hawthorne Asylum
• Nob Hill Food Carts
• Portland Mercado
• Prost Marketplace

The Alder Street food cart pod was also very famous for many years, from the 1990s until 2019.

Many businesses started as food carts and became very popular. Some of these include: