Brunch Box, Rua and Minizo Closing - Portland Food Cart News

Usually, April isn't the month we hear about closures, but this year, we have a few. April is usually the month for new carts to open and work out the bugs for summer.

Brunch Box
announced this week they are being forced to close their food cart. The landlord, City Center Parking, is evicting them due to improper grey water disposal. The story goes deeper than that with a secret video and such, but in the end, the cart is closing. Brunch Box made a name for itself quickly when it opened in 2009 offering hand crafted burgers in a sea of Thai and Mexican on 5th. They expanded to open a restaurant on SW 9th and Alder which simply rocks. Hopefully they can recoup and re-launch a cart, maybe on the east side. The Portland Mercury has the whole story
.

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Rua, Jason Meyer's cart on SW 9th and Washington closed earlier this month. For fans of Jason's Saigon Fried Chicken or Pork Belly sandwich, don't fret. Jason is actively working on a restaurant at the Zipper on NE Sandy. All your favorites along with a broader menu will showcase his culinary chops and feed your tastebuds. Watch for an opening later in spring. The cart on Washington will become a new vendor soon.

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Minizo, the pet ramen project of the Shigezo restaurant, announced last week they are closing the cart at the end of the month. Minizo will truly be missed by me since it is in my neighborhood and a go to cart for ramen and noodles. Lucky for me, the restaurant is opening a ramen outpost on NE Russell this year. If you love Minizo, visit soon for that last bowl of Shoyu or Shio Ramen. Mississippi Marketplace on N Skidmore and Mississippi.

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With the closures, opportunities abound. There are currently two carts at the Alder pod on 10th for sale and I've heard of others in downtown. If you're a budding entrepreneur and are interested in owning a food cart, now may be your chance to take the leap.