Tag: Food Cart

Construction, Food and Drink

New Hawthorne Cart Pod Operators Plan to Expand to SE 82nd Ave

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.

A street view of a food cart pod featuring several food trailers lined up, with a colorful banner strung overhead. There is a street sign indicating a pedestrian crossing and a corner lot with a 'Budget Center' sign.
RV Sales lot prior to closing and site demolition. Future cart pod location

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.

Outdoor food cart pod featuring a variety of food carts and wooden picnic tables under a shelter, with a blue connect four game nearby.
Covered outdoor seating wit hover head heaters

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.

Interior view of a bar with a countertop, shelves containing various bottles, and a chalkboard menu. Decor includes a plant, pumpkins, and wall art.

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.

Interior view of a restaurant with wooden tables and chairs, decorated walls featuring various art and signage, and a large window showing an outdoor scene.
Indoor seating finished with Mr. Plywood sourced lumber

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.

View of a food cart pod featuring a wooden seating area on the left and food trucks on the right, with a menu board visible.
The Hawthorne location has three carts facing the sidewalk with parking lane seating which will not occur on 82nd Ave

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.

Article and photos by

Jacob Loeb

Promotion: Montavilla News is supported by contributions from businesses like Otter Wax, a neighborhood producer of small-batch specialty goods handcrafted in Portland. Using only natural ingredients, they make modern care products that are steeped in tradition. We thank them for their support.

Food and Drink, Property Sale, View of Montavilla

Eastport Food Cart Pod for Sale

The half-acre property and food cart pod at 3905 SE 82nd Avenue is available to purchase for $3.6 million. Listed by Keller Williams Realty, Eastport Food Center is a fully leased 26-space food cart pod situated across from Eastport Plaza. The pod opened in 2020 on a former used auto-lot. The owner converted the 900-square-foot sales office into an indoor seating area, installed water and sewer hookups for each cart, and completely fenced the property.

The real estate flyer for the listing touts a yearly rental income of $400,000 which would offset the purchase price of this investment property. A new food cart pod across 82nd Avenue from this location opened a little over a year ago, placing the two eating destinations within three blocks of each other. That purpose build property at 3612 SE 82nd Avenue, called Collective Oregon Eateries (CORE), has added competition to the casual dining market along 82nd Avenue. However, it offers around half the cart spaces as its neighbor.

The site’s sale is contingent on the seller achieving a 1031 Exchange purchase of another property. This tax-saving maneuver is available when a person sells one investment property to buy another investment property. This requirement indicates the seller is not looking to generate cash but wants to move their investment to another location within the United States. Interested buyers should contact James Gillespie with Foundation Commercial Group (KW Commercial) by phone at 503-890-5775 or by email.

By

Jacob Loeb

Correction: A version of this article mistakenly noted annual revenue as monthly. It has been corrected, and we regret the error.

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Bar, Food and Drink, New Business, Restaurant

Thai Me Drunken Noodle at Growler’s Taproom

After an unexpected delay, Thai Me Drunken Noodle will officially open at 803 SE 82nd Avenue this Wednesday, July 13th. Cart operator Tyler Pathammavong has quietly served guests from this location over the last few days. Now, he is ready to welcome the full volume of customers looking for his Northern Thai-style fried chicken and noodle dishes. The food cart follows Growler’s Taproom operating hours of 4 p.m. to 12 a.m., Wednesday through Friday, and 2 p.m. to 12 a.m. on Weekends.

Article first published May 18th, 2022.

Later this month, Thai Me Drunken Noodle will open a food cart connected to Growler’s Taproom at 803 SE 82nd Avenue. The new eatery fills the space left vacant by Erica’s Soul Food, which relocated to 120 NE Russell Street earlier this year. Unlike previous carts working from this location, the food and beer businesses will partner to offer a unified dining destination and operate as a single location.

Tyler Pathammavong has operated the original Thai Me Drunken Noodle cart at 2810 NE Glisan Street for the past six months. That location started after Pathammavong sold his other businesses to new owners and focused on a Northern Thai-style fried chicken and noodle-centric menu. He has seventeen years of experience cooking Thai and Laotian dishes, a passion that began after his younger brother immigrated from Laos and started working in the industry. A natural hard worker, Pathammavong’s food service career paralleled his 25 years at the United States Postal Service (USPS). Now retired from the USPS, Tyler Pathammavong and his wife Leng are refocusing all efforts on their food creations.

Thai Me Drunken Noodle at NE 28th Ave and Glisan Street

The Thai Me Drunken Noodle menu takes inspiration from the owner’s appetites and the foods his mother taught him to prepare. “I just cook whatever I [would] wanna eat at home,” explained Tyler Pathammavong. The cart’s specialty is a Laotian-style fried chicken served over sticky rice with a sauce made from a family recipe. Embracing the shared culinary history of Laos and Northern Thailand, Pathammavong transforms the traditional recipes with a personal adaptation that creates a one-of-a-kind menu. Outside of the chicken, most dishes forgo the traditional white rice and instead feature noodles. “My [dishes] might not be exactly like most Thai food, ’cause I use everything noodle, even in my Curry.” Said Pathammavong.

Although the Northeast Portland cart will remain open for a while, the partnership with Growler’s Taproom is the long-term focus for the cart operator. The taproom’s owner, Joe Rodgers, explained that the new cart is an extension of his business. “It’s more of a brick and mortar kind of feel, but we are adjusting it where the kitchen is in the cart.” The food and bar service will maintain the same hours and offer a combined food and beer menu. Currently, Growler’s is open Wednesday through Sunday from 4 p.m. to Midnight. Rodgers plans to expand the hours to feature an earlier 2 p.m. start and a seven-day-a-week schedule when the food service begins.

Joe Rodgers and Tyler Pathammavong are actively working on an updated menu to pair with the beer selections. The partners are also working to integrate food service into Growler’s popular Star Trek trivia, live music, movies, and comedy nights. Look for schedules and updates at the Growler’s Taproom website. For those who want to preview some of the creations coming later this May, consider stopping by the Thai Me Drunken Noodle cart at 2810 NE Glisan Street.

By

Jacob Loeb

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Business Relocating, Community, Food and Drink, Restaurant

Food Carts on the Move

Portland’s food carts tend to stay in one place, causing patrons to forget that they have wheels. However, these mobile kitchens can change locations, and at least two local carts are on the move early next year. Although these popular dining destinations are heading out of Montavilla, they are still a short trip away.

In an Oregonian interview released last week, Erica Montgomery revealed that Erica’s Soul Food would be moving from the space next to Henry’s Market at 803 SE 82nd Avenue. “Early next year, Montgomery plans to transport her truck to the courtyard next to Lottie & Zula’s, a New England style sandwich shop in the former Toro Bravo space at 120 N.E. Russell St.” The new location is just under six miles away, near Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.

Erica’s Soul Food will share an outdoor dining space with Lottie & Zula’s at the new site. This move appears to be the next phase of a strengthening relationship between the two ventures. Lottie & Zula’s co-owner frequents Montgomery’s cart, admiring her cooking and work ethic. This year, both restaurants collaborated on a meatloaf sandwich sold as a fundraiser for Equitable Giving Circle. Later, Montgomery used the restaurant’s larger kitchen for a catering event when it exceeded the cart’s capacity. 

Just down 82nd Ave from Erica’s, La Taquiza Vegana is leaving the food cart pod at 8220 NE Davis Street. As one of the original carts from The Yard at Montavilla’s opening this summer, its time in the area was short-lived. Devyn Marie, Co-Owner and Operations Manager for La Taquiza Vegana, explained that they only planned to stay in the old location for five months. “The Yard was always just a temporary spot for us while we waited for our permanent location to be completed.” They are relocating to a new food cart pod at 2216 SE 50th Ave. Although the owners appreciated the community in the neighborhood, Marie said the team wanted to work closer to the city center. “We really enjoyed being a part of the Montavilla neighborhood for the short time we were there. The location is just too far out for us as we like to be more centrally located.”

The loss of these two neighborhood carts will likely disappoint some customers, particularly area vegans. La Taquiza Vegana only serves vegan foods. Erica’s Soul Food offers an extensive vegan menu and standard options. The other vegan food cart located at the Yard, Little Ethiopia Eatery, closed down permanently last October. With these two carts’ departure, there are very few vegan cart options in the area.

The exciting part of food cart culture is the constant change in options. People create new dining experiences, and customers rarely have the chance to become bored with the selections. Although these moves may disrupt some customer behavior, dedicated patrons will seek them out. Look for something new to arrive at the soon-to-be-vacant cart locations and visit some old friends when they settle in their new homes. 

By

Jacob Loeb

Promotion: Montavilla News has a Patreon account. We invite those who can contribute to this local news source to please consider becoming a paid subscriber or sponsor. We will always remain free to read regardless of subscription.

Community, Food and Drink, New Business

Sebastiano’s in More Places

Sebastiano’s Sicilian Deli is venturing outside the four walls of its storefront at 411 SE 81st Ave. Starting this Friday night, the restaurant will open Aperitivo Sebastiano within a food cart located in the back parking lot behind the shop. This endeavor joins Sebastiano’s inaugural participation in the Montavilla Farmers Market last Sunday. Both new locations feature unique menu items and serve expanded tastes.

Many restaurants use food trucks to spread out to new locations, but co-owners of Sebastiano’s, Elise and Daniel Gold, are taking a different approach. Their food truck is parked behind the original restaurant, enhancing that location instead of transporting the business elsewhere. “Months ago, having no sense on where things would be at with covid, we came up with the idea of a food cart for summer. As a way to continue to grow but do it outside”, explained Daniel Gold. Traditionally, the deli serves the lunchtime crowd. By adding the food truck, customers can now enjoy a pre-dinner appetizer and drink on select nights. In Italy, an aperitivo is a pre-meal drink specifically meant to whet the appetite. This cultural tradition is the concept driving Aperitivo Sebastiano’s menu. Customers can start their night at the cart and then move on to dinner at another Montavilla eatery.

According to Gold, the food truck’s kitchen opens up a host of culinary options for the nighttime menu. “We’re pretty excited to be able to offer more types of food, essentially because now we have a full kitchen. We have fryers, we have a grill, we have four burners, more refrigeration, and the space for a cook to work safely.” The Golds optimized the restaurant’s existing food-prep for a deli operation, making the most out of limited space. Baking and pan-based cooking dominate that workflow as most menu items rely on cured protein ingredients.

Daniel Gold believes that the Italian doughnuts will become a favorite item at the cart, and that is not something that they could have created without the complete kitchen out-back. The food truck’s fryer supports a focus on Sicilian street food, a cuisine that favors fried foods. Beyond sweets, the menu will offer Arancini (stuffed and fried risotto balls), Zeppole, and House-pulled fresh Mozzarella. As the summer progresses, the expanded kitchen will allow for experimentation in the menu. Vegetarian and Vegan options are prime areas that Gold wants to expand on.

Up to this point, Sebastiano’s has offered takeout only, except for reserved group events last summer. Now outdoor seating around the truck lets customers stop in and order food and drinks to enjoy onsite. They will serve wine by the glass, Spritz, Rosato (Italian rose wine), and some nonalcoholic cocktails. The tables will be open during Aperitivo Sebastiano’s hours of 3 PM through 6 PM on Friday and Saturday nights, with post Farmers Market service on Sundays from 2 PM to 5 PM. Customers can also order items to go and bring them over to Threshold Brewing and Montavilla Brew Works seating area.

The collaboration with other Montavilla businesses is core to Sebastiano’s operation. All beer sold there is from local breweries. Sourcing within the neighborhood for foods and beverages is essential to the Golds. That is what brought them to the Montavilla Farmers Market, first as buyers for their seasonal dishes and now as vendors.

Only one weekend in, the farmers market booth has already proven worthwhile for Daniel Gold. “We’re super excited and had an incredible first day at the Montavilla Farmers Market.” Just as with the food truck, some menu items are locations specific. Sebastiano’s staff bake Castelvetrano olive focaccia exclusivly for the farmers market. The market menu items feature favorite Sebastiano’s food like orange marmalade, sweet and savory brioche rolls, and a “tremendous amount” of Sicilian cookies. The Golds sold out within an hour and a half of opening at the market. They are going to double their efforts for next Sunday.

Elise and Daniel Gold

The farmers market project is pure fun for Golds. “It’s really a lovely end of our week to be outside and to be with our community and seeing a bunch of people that we now know,” said Daniel Gold. Sebastiano’s will keep a booth at the market at least through October. That coincides with the end of their food truck lease. At that point, they will reassess and see if customers enjoyed the expanded options.

The Golds started Sebastiano’s at the beginning of the pandemic. That challenge forced the couple to adjust their plans and create new ways of engaging customers. This summer, the Golds and their staff continue to push forward, with new ways to serve residents who are venturing out after an extended stay at home. Stop by behind the shop any post-work-week night for a pre-dinner visit, have lunch at the original shop on Thursday-Saturday, or wave hello at the farmers market. They would love to see you at any of their many places.

Amanda Morales at the Aperitivo Sebastiano window

Images courtesy of Sebastiano’s Sicilian Deli

UPDATED May 10th 2021 – adjusted hours listed in article to reflect a change and corrected spelling of menu item.

Construction, Food and Drink, Restaurant

82nd Food Cart Pod Construction

Demolition crews began work clearing the property that will soon become The Yard At Montavilla. Heavy equipment removed two foundations and other buried remnants from the two houses that once occupied this location. With the ground cleared, work can start on Montavilla’s newest food cart pod.

Located at 8220 NE Davis Street, the future food cart pod is across 82nd Ave from Vestal Elementary. When completed, the site will host 17 food carts. Owners Jeffrey and Kevin Dennis have many of those spaces leased already. The Dennis brothers faced an unexpected wait as the pandemic slowed the permitting process. However, those delays are behind the project, and work should complete within three to four months.

Montavilla lost a cluster of food carts with the demolition of Beets Auto Body. The Yard At Montavilla is a welcomed return of food carts for residents looking to expand their food options. The Dennis brothers share that enthusiasm. “We’re very excited to be bringing this to the Montavilla neighborhood, providing a space for 17 other small businesses to operate and thrive.” Expect to see crews onsite for the next few months, building the new dining destination’s infrastructure.

Photographs by Weston Ruter. Rendering provided by The Yard at Montavilla

Community, Food and Drink

New Cart for Erica’s Soul Food

Erica’s Soul Food has moved into a new food cart just one year after opening. Located at 803 SE 82nd Ave, work is underway preparing the new eatery for an expected Wednesday reopening. The upgraded facilities will enhance kitchen operations and customer service for the young business, driving further growth.

The owner and chef of Erica’s Soul Food, Erica Montgomery, has been patiently waiting for the new cart’s arrival. The delivery date slipped several times, creating a longer than expected closure for the business. Ultimately the wait will be worth it when the popular takeout location reopens. Erica’s needed larger space and modern equipment to serve the increasing number of customers. “I’ll have bigger, new equipment that will make cooking easier,” explained Montgomery. The expanded kitchen capacity will facilitate an expanded menu and added specials.

Beyond streamlined food prep, the new cart has separate windows for ordering and pickup. The divided customer interactions, along with a new contactless payment system, will better facilitate COVID-19 precautions. Additionally, new exterior lighting on the cart will improve customer comfort during nighttime hours.

Obtaining a new cart required some community support. Part of the downpayment for the cart came from a GoFundMe campaign that secured two-thirds of its goal. A donation from the Portland Trailblazers added the final funding that Erica’s needed to place an order with the custom cart builder. “I couldn’t have done it without the help of my community,” acknowledged Montgomery when reflecting on the support received.

Now the rush is on to move into the new cart and restock all the supplies. Montgomery cautioned that the 10th is only a tentative opening date. However, she is eager to reopen and get back to cooking for her many loyal customers. Keep an eye on Erica’s Instagram account for updates.

Original cart
Construction, Food and Drink, New Business

Food Cart Pod Underway

With approved permits expected by the year’s end, Montavilla’s newest food destination could open by Spring. The Yard At Montavilla began development over a year ago. Now, after a long wait for approval, the developers expect to break ground by mid-January.

Located at 8220 NE Davis Street, the future food cart pod is across 82nd Ave from Vestal Elementary. When completed, the site will host 17 food carts. Owners Jeffrey and Kevin Dennis have leased six of those spaces already. One of those signed vendors is Scout Beer, a veteran of beer cart operations. In 2009 Scout started as a cart vendor. A few years ago, Scout Beer opened The Lot @ Scout, a food cart pod on SE Division.

The Dennis brothers faced an unexpected wait as the pandemic slowed the permitting process. The project only recently started to gain momentum. “We just found out last week that our on-site permits were approved and are moving through the pre-issuance department at the city,” explained Jeffrey Dennis. The construction process will be relatively fast. Dennis predicts that the project will take three or four months to complete after work begins.

Montavilla lost a cluster of food carts with the demolition of Beets Auto Body. The Yard At Montavilla is a welcomed return of food carts for local foodies and the many people working in the area. The Dennis brothers share that enthusiasm. “We’re very excited to be bringing this to the Montavilla neighborhood, providing a space for 17 other small businesses to operate and thrive.” Look for work to begin in the new year and watch the business’s website for updates on carts joining the pod.

Construction, New Business, Restaurant

Food Cart Pod Coming

The two vacant lots across from Vestal could soon become a food cart pod. Back in August of 2016 Baiyok Thai Cuisine, and one other business, burnt down across from Vestal Elementary School on NE 82nd Ave. Now those two lots are being combined. A reader called our attention to a new permit application for 160 NE 82ND Ave. “Convert 2 lots to new food cart pod, including grading, paving, and installation of utilities and stormwater facility.”

According to documents, The Yard At Montavilla will likely be the name for this new cart pod. Based on the names provided on the Early Assistance application and a LLC filing. The same documents show that both Jeffrey Dennis and Kevin L. Dennis are attached to this project. They are behind a few other Portland developments, notably the The Hollywood 12 and The Hollywood 8 (Surprisingly the demolition of Baiyok Thai Cuisine and the building notice for the two Hollywood buildings, aperade in the same Star News article back in 2017). It is exciting to see a food related business return to this site. Up to this point it has been used as a parking lot or sat vacant.

With the loss of the food carts that had been part of the Beets Auto location, now demolished, this food cart pod will bring back carts to this area of Montavilla. We look forward to seeing what develops there and hopefully we can be eating there by this summer.