SW 9th and Alder Carts at Risk?

October 2, 2008

Will many of the carts on SW 9th and Alder have to move? Will these carts have to shut down completely?

The SW 9th and Alder Parking Lot, Home to Many of Portland's Popular Food Carts.


I've been hearing mumblings from the cart owners for a few weeks now and it could mean big changes for carts on that lot.

The issue concerns a recent cap on electricity use by the carts as mandated by the site's property owner, Greg Goodman. As reported in the Oregonian yesterday
, the recent large increase in the number of carts on the property means there isn't enough juice to go around. The cap, now mandated by Goodman at 20 amps per cart, is a big problem for many cart owners who need a minimum of 20 amps or more just to maintain operations. For example, Andrea Spella, owner of the popular espresso cart Spella
, needs 20 amps just to operate his espresso machine, not to mention electricity needed for his other equipment. Andrea told me earlier this week that this mandated electricity cap might put him out of business.

While Goodman indicates his company is working to increase electricity to the carts, he also stated that some carts may need to move and/or he may need to charge the carts more. This too is problematic for many of the carts since many are stating they are already paying for more electricity as part of their agreement with Goodman. Brown Bag Bunny
has already stated that as of next week they are moving to SE 12th and Hawthorne due to this issue. Who will be the next to leave?

I applaud Goodman for allowing the carts which add to an active and culturally rich street life on that block and make many many people happy and well fed on the cheap daily. The carts are certainly a much better amenity than just a big ugly parking lot filled with cars. However, I also hope Goodman and the cart owners can come to some sort of mutual agreement rather quickly. I would also suggest, if necessary, assistance from the City's Bureau of Planning who have stated they support carts in Portland and are interested in issues like this one. They might be able to negotiate some sort of city permit discounts and other incentives that would allow increased electricity but still keep the model cost effective for everyone.

In addition, I'm just going to say it: why on earth would Goodman keep adding carts without looking into the electrical capacity of his property beforehand? In addition, why on earth does one parking lot need 4 Mexican carts and 3 Thai carts? Free market is good and I figure Goodman is bringing in at least $12K per month just from cart rent alone, but thoughtful planning and safety nets incorporated into free market is better.

If you care about this issue please feel free to discuss it with any of the cart owners at the SW 9th and Alder lot who can provide you with more information. In addition, you can contact Greg Goodman directly at 503-221-1666 to tell him your opinion.
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