City Hall’s lone food cart, Fuego, picked up and moved back to where it came from this week—blaming sore feelings among activists who didn’t like that it moved in after a camping protest and two religious vigils moved out but also some unexpectedly slow business.
Mayor Charlie Hales’ office had hoped to talk the cart into staying in city hall’s plaza. But it wasn’t to be—and after Fuego returned to its longtime perch outside the Portland Building, workers on Wednesday came out to pack up the nearly $4,000 worth of tables and chairs Hales’ staff had purchased for cart customers.
His spokesman, meanwhile, told us the furniture would likely stay put away until one or more carts return to the plaza. That day could be coming sooner rather than later. The Mercury has obtained the city’s pitch to prospective food cart owners, an email sent out to cart owners last night. (The city has yet to answer a request for the recipients of that email.)
It makes clear that it wants smaller pushcarts only, that carts would rotate in every three months, and that the tables and chairs would be for cart customers only, with the cart workers on the hook for keeping the furniture clean and chained up at the end of the day. The effort is being cast as a yearlong pilot project.
The City hopes to have diverse food types and styles, including those that will provide lunch and breakfast or a combination thereof. The City would like to have food carts throughout the year and is interested in seasonal offerings. To this end, the City expects to rotate food carts every three months.
Read the whole thing on the jump.
Hello Food Cart Owners –
The City of Portland is seeking food cart businesses interested in participating in a new pilot program. The City would like to place three food carts in the City Hall Courtyard, located on the 4th Avenue side at 1221 SW 5th Ave. This year long pilot, aims to activate the City Hall Courtyard with rotating food carts on a three month basis. As this is a pilot the City reserves the right to work with food cart vendors to identify the system and process that works best for the vendor and the City.
The following list includes requirements and details associated with this opportunity:
1. Food cart must be able to move off-site at end of shift. The City Hall Courtyard is open from 8am – 10pm. The food cart permit will allow use until 5pm, if desired by vendor.
2. Food Cart must be less than 16 feet in length.
3. Vendor is authorized to do business with City (i.e: City of Portland business license, food handlers card, insurance, etc…)
4. Vendor will remove any trash and debris associated with its vending.
5. Vendor will keep City provided patio furniture clean and free of trash and debris.
6. Vendor will chain and unchain City provided furniture at the beginning and end of each shift.
7. Food items sold must be easily carried by purchasers or pedestrians.
9. Polystyrene foam containers are not permitted for food sale or packaging. Vendor will use recyclable or compostable food services products and will use reusable food containers if appropriate.
10.For the duration of the pilot a no-cost lease must be signed.
The City hopes to have diverse food types and styles, including those that will provide lunch and breakfast or a combination thereof. The City would like to have food carts throughout the year and is interested in seasonal offerings. To this end, the City expects to rotate food carts every three months. Attached is a layout of the Courtyard with identified spaces for carts and City provided furniture.
If you are interested in participating please respond to this email by September 5. Please include the following information:
• Dimensions of food cart
• Type of food sold
• Hours of interest at location (i.e: 10am – 2pm)
• If applicable, the website of your companyThe City will work with potential vendors who meet the criteria above regarding any additional lease requirements to come on board. Vendors meeting the lease requirements will be selected based on maintaining a variety of food options in the courtyard and hours of operation. Depending on interest, the City may develop a waiting list based on seasonal needs and diversity of food.
The City of Portland looks forward to working with you and creating an inviting space where retail establishments can thrive. If you know of any other vendors that may be interested please pass this information along.
My God, who controls this man? Is there a managing editor in this wrag? A top five journalist in Portland wallowing for two weeks in sidewalk campers and food carts. Please Mr. Theriault, sprinkle in some journalism that is material to the other 495k Porltand citizens.
Maybe it is a issue worth covering because the Oregonian isn’t doing it?
Charlie is flip flopping again: the mayor’s office had said that the patio furniture in the courtyard during the doomed days of the burrito cart was available for public use, not just food cart customers. Now the patio furniture is to be available for food cart customers only. The message is obviously that the City Hall courtyard is accessible only to Portlanders with enough money to buy.
This policy is discriminatory according to City Council’s own “2013 Civil Rights Title VI Plan,” which states in part that “no person shall be denied the benefits of or be subjected to discrimination in any City program, service, or activity on the grounds of race, religion, color, national origin, English proficiency, sex, age, disability, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, or source of income” (http://www.portlandoregon.gov/bibs/article…).
What Charlie is proposing is discriminatory on the basis of theplan he ratified. Are discriminatory policies illegal? Beats me. Am I proud of a city that openly discriminates against its most vulnerable citizens at the bottom of the economic ladder? No.
Cart chair security guard Cartman says:
“YOU WILL RESPECT MY AUTHORITAAAY!”
Potential food carts for the City Hall cartpod:
Spicy City Balls (Meatball Cart)
Hunger Strike! (Fresh Chili and Donuts)
Caveman Hale’s Bacon ‘n’ Kale (Paleo Friendly)
Pepper Sprayed Piglet (BBQ Joint)
Bouncin’ Burrito (won’t last more than a week)
Sidewalk Soup Kitchen (self-explanatory)
The Itinerant Po’ Boy (Southern Sammiches)
Green Eggs and Go Fuck Yourself (Whimsical Breakfast Fare)