Good News: PSU's Library Food Carts Will Remain Open

The Millar Library Food Carts on the PSU Campus. Photo credit: PSU — Photo credit: PSU

The title says it: The Library Food Carts, a pod at the northwest corner of PSU’s Millar Library, will remain open for business. Originally, the pod was slated for closure on July 1. The now continuing pod presence is great news for students, faculty, staff, neighbors, and lovers of tasty food in Portland.

Portland and Its Food Carts

Portland has a recent history of closing food cart pods, the most famous (and contentious) being the Alder Street carts, which was shut down in 2019 in order for the Ritz Carlton to build their hotel in that location. The Killingsworth Station Food Cart Pod closed in 2022; Carts on Foster abruptly shut down last summer; the pod at SE 26th and Belmont closed earlier this year.

But there are some success stories: The unnamed pod that had operated in the parking lot at SW 5th Avenue and Oak Street in downtown Portland closed down in late 2022/early 2023 and reopened as the Midtown Beer Garden; Lil’ America on SE Stark and 10th opened in spring of 2023; The Heist opened up last year in the Woodstock neighborhood. And pods like The Yard, CORE, the Barley Pod, and Eastport Food Carts seem to be doing well. The mini-pod at Upright/Junior’s at NE Prescott and 72nd Ave in Cully/Roseway also seems to be enjoying success. (I am sure I have missed some—if you have a favorite pod, let me know about it!)

And that new food cart pod I wrote about that will open on NE Fremont and 44th? I was by there the other day and the buildings slated for demo are gone, gone gone.

New Regulations: Goodbye Wastewater Cubes, Hello Sewer Connection

So why were the Library Food Carts at risk of shutting down? It has to do with new state and city wastewater regulations put in place with public health reasons in mind—essentially, carts must connect to the local sewer system instead of relying on “wastewater cubes”; new pod developments are not allowing these cubes at all. PSU was also hit with some violations at this pod, described in this KGW video. You can also read what Faisal Obeidi, owner and operator of Sheesh Shawarma, has had to say on his GoFundMe page.

Here’s what the release from PSU states:

“State and city regulations for wastewater disposal changed in January 2023, and required additional infrastructure for food cart pods across Portland. Portland State’s Facilities and Property Management department spent months looking for a cost effective solution that would allow the carts to stay, but were initially unsuccessful.” This wastewater disposal regulation also was behind the closing of the aforementioned pod at SE 26th and Belmont.

With this new set of regulations in mind, PSU will install a new grease interceptor system at the pod. Construction, with the help of a contractor that is familiar with food carts and local, county, and state regulations, will begin this summer. Happily, it will bring this pod into compliance with the wastewater disposal regulations.

How To Afford It?

You might be wondering, “Who’s going to pay for the construction and maintenance of the new wastewater system?” The answer is … the cart owners, who were made aware of this change in early May. This may—or may not—result in higher food prices. Only time will tell.

Jason Franklin, associate vice president for PSU’s Planning, Construction and Real Estate, had this to say: “The PSU community made it clear that the Library carts are an important part of our campus, and we agree. We received a lot of feedback and advocacy for the food carts and appreciate all of the support.”

He continues, “We’re happy that after careful consideration and assistance from the city of Portland’s Bureau of Environmental Services, we found a cost-effective solution that protects public health. We are pleased that we’re able to make the necessary infrastructure improvements to allow the carts to remain in place.”

The Library Food Carts

The current carts are:

Home Taste (Chinese)
Khao Niew Lao Street Food (Lao)
Sheesh Shawarma (Mediterranean)

Note: Khao Niew Lao Street Food has a presence at Cully Central and Sheesh Shawarma also has a location in Beaverton. But when you are studying or working on campus, driving a miles east and west is not practical to access the food you want. These carts serve an important role on campus for convenience—and deliciousness.

I’m happy that things have worked out for this pod and that they will remain on the PSU campus for all to enjoy.

Millar Library Food Carts
979 SW Harrison Street, Portland
pdx.edu/facilities/foodcarts