In 2021, two Portland restaurateurs partnered to build food cart pods that better support the local culinary entrepreneurs they host, recently opening the Hawthorne Street Food and Bar location at 4225 SE Hawthorne Boulevard. The team working under the B&U Properties name intended to open their first pod at SE 82nd Avenue and Ash Street. However, uncertainties around the former State Highway’s transformation prompted them to refocus on a second site, 40 blocks west, that officially opened in April.
Ben Bui and Uday Seelam formed B&U Properties LLC, which references the initials of their first names, and promptly used the Limited Liability Company to purchase the parking lot north of 322 SE 82nd Avenue and the RV Sales lot at 218 SE 82nd Avenue within a few months of each other, securing a large corner lot for their future venture. The restaurant operators formed the cart pod development partnership after they identified a shift in consumer preference towards more outdoor dining and takeaway food service. Seelam runs Dwaraka Indian Cuisine on SE Hawthorne Boulevard, and Bui owns Fish Sauce on NW 17th Avenue. The pandemic-era shutdown of indoor dining accelerated the previously slow-moving consumer trend away from table service, transforming behavior nearly overnight. That behavior continued beyond restrictions, and Seelam saw an opportunity to build food cart pods that better support cart operators and provide customers with restaurant-like amenities while still offering the menu diversity and fresh air experience that carts are known for.
When they bought their first property in 2021, 82nd Avenue was still a state highway under the control of the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT). However, officials were making progress transferring street ownership to the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT). Advisors to B&U Properties recommended that they wait until after the jurisdictional transfer and subsequent roadway improvements before submitting building permits on the project. “We were ready to go, but our architects said, ‘ODOT is about to hand it over. It would be a lot easier for you to deal with PBOT than ODOT,” recalled Seelam. “Some of the contractors who give us feedback built The Yard at Montavilla and a couple of other things on 82nd. They said, ‘dealing with ODOT was really painful and it will just set you back months and months on construction.'” As they waited on the SE 82nd project, a former Miller Fence property—repurposed as a personal storage facility—on SE Hawthorne Boulevard became available. When the seller lowered the lot’s price to a suitable amount, B&U Properties purchased the land, and the City approved the permits for the location transformation into a cart pod in 2024. The team reused many of its design strategies planned for 82nd Avenue on this site, focusing all efforts on its construction and launch.
The cart pod’s design stems from experience gained through conversations with cart operators and personal experience in the food service industry. Seelam opened a food cart in 2016 in the Cartlandia pod, now called Springwater Cart Park, and his two years running it helped shape how he wanted to operate his food cart pods. He explained that some older pods only provided power for tenants and did not offer water, sewer, or gas lines. “Propane was dangerous for a lot of people; they hated it, said Seelam. A September gas explosion at the site of his former cart stands as a prime example of the dangers. The Hawthorne Street Food location offers its 14 tenants gas lines with safety disconnects, along with water, power, and wastewater hookups. It also features site security for enhanced protection against theft, which can be a common burden for cart operators in more exposed locations. Bui and Seelam’s food service background makes them aware of challenges in the industry and informs their approach to making an appealing space. Even a simple choice in ground covering impacts how tenants and customers perceive the pod. “They love the concrete. In the summertime, customers can bring their pets and don’t have to worry [about their feet]. It actually keeps the area cooler compared to asphalt,” remarked Seelam. He also explained that full restroom facilities are essential. “If I’m a customer, I don’t want to go there if I don’t have hot water to wash my hands with soap. If I just have a porta-potty, it wouldn’t look appealing to even eat in the pod,” said Seelam.
Other key attributes they built at Hawthorne Street Food and Bar include indoor seating and a bar with both interior and exterior ordering options. Having a large permanent covered outdoor structure with heaters is central to the design standard they want to use at all locations. The space should feel clean, modern, and safe. Seelam said people from the neighborhood walk over regularly with their children, so his team ensures there are games to play and that it is a place guests want to stay for their meal.
Over the next two years, Bui and Seelam will concentrate on their restaurants and this first cart pod. Still, they intend to develop their property on SE 82nd Avenue into a dining destination. However, they are scaling back the project’s size to preserve some parking space. Initially, they had not planned to offer many vehicle spaces, assuming most people would walk to the future pod. However, after the adjacent retail businesses asked to rent the parking lot on their property temporarily to help with high demand, it became more apparent that they would need to support at least 15 stalls. This change will have them reduce the total number of carts to under 20 tenants. The large corner property could accommodate more vendors, but they aim to expand on the features offered at the first location by creating a spacious, covered outdoor seating area with a stage for performances. Seelam said the dedicated performing area is an aspect missing from Hawthorne, and he believes it will be crucial to the 82nd Avenue location’s future as a community gathering spot.
The design team will return to the drawing board on this project when work resumes, according to Seelam. They will bring the best features of the Hawthorne location to this space. They plan to construct the primary entrance on SE Ash Street, keeping the existing retaining wall and maintaining the elevated lot edge along 82nd Avenue. Seelam still feels this is an excellent location for a food cart pod, acknowledging there are other competitors in the area. For him, the location’s proximity to the US Foods CHEF’STORE restaurant supply center, just one block away, and Hong Phat across the street, will make it appealing to food vendors who can restock within minutes without having to drive. He also sees the growth in higher-density housing in the area as an indication that this space will help feed current and future residents in a meaningful way. Future development at the site is contingent upon managing budgets already strained by inflation and expected improvement requirements to the site’s 360 linear feet of frontage. In the meantime, people can visit the Hawthorne Street Food and Bar location at 4225 SE Hawthorne Boulevard to see what the 82nd Avenue project could look like.
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