PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — The Oregon Mobile Food Association says Hillsboro’s first food cart pod, Carts On Main, will shut down this summer after months of back-and-forth with the city.
According to the City of Hillsboro, Carts On Main opened in early 2021 as a collaboration between the city government, the Hillsboro Downtown Partnership, and other community partners.
OMFA Executive Director Leah Tucker says the pod was a development of the pandemic, and gave restaurateurs the opportunity to keep their businesses afloat even with the COVID-19 restrictions.
The City of Hillsboro told KOIN 6 that it had been discussing “the requirements and limitations for both temporary and permanent options” with Carts on Main owners since June 2022.
Later in September, Tucker says Hillsboro officials told pod staff that the city would no longer be extending the temporary vending permits granted during the pandemic. She says she’s offered to help the city draft a mobile food code that will allow it to properly regulate the pod several times, but she never received any response.
Hillsboro officials confirmed that the cart owners were notified that they would either need to find a permanent solution with an approved Development Review application or close by Wednesday, June 14.
“The City understands that it takes resources to meet the requirements in the code, and had hoped that the many extensions provided to Carts on Main were in the spirit of helping them find time to meet those requirements,” a Hillsboro spokesperson said. “Our goal is to support our small businesses, while making sure they are operating in a safe and profitable way in compliance with the codes and standards our community expects.”
Located on 365 E Main Street, Carts On Main currently houses three food businesses: Mexican spot Arreola’s Kitchen, Argentinian restaurant Abuela Chona and barbecue joint Chadwick’s Pit.
Chadwick’s Pit announced on social media that it’d be relocating to the Weil Arcade Food Park, one of two food cart pods that are slated to open in Hillsboro this year.
Weil Arcade Food Park is expected to open by July. Property owner Jay Weil told the Hillsboro Herald that the dining space will feature 10 diverse restaurant options.
The other new pod, named “Hillsboro Downtown Station,” is expected to open sometime this spring with a beer garden, performances from local bands and DJs, and both indoor and outdoor dining areas.
In their statement, Hillsboro officials said they recognize that other pods like Weil Arcade and Hillsboro Downtown Station have followed the established rules and they hope to find another way for Carts on Main to continue operations.
Tucker says that the industry has been leaning towards more developed food cart pods, but that isn’t realistic for every property owner or mobile food unit.
“This is literally the worst time for this pod to have to shut down,” she added. “It’s at the beginning of the busy season, so this would be when they would be making the most money and surviving the winter because of the money that they’re making in the next three to four months, and [they] are going to have to shut down right at the beginning of that.”