A PDX Food Pod Update in Portland

PDX Food Pod update: A dollhouse (overhead) view of the building that is on the site, with seating, vendor space a bar, and decorative auto elements. — Dollhouse view of the interior of the PDX Food Pod building.

Last September I reported that a new food cart pod called PDX Food Pod was going to open in outer East Portland on NE Halsey at 162nd Avenue. I hadn’t heard much about it lately, so I reached out to Roya Baradar, my contact at the pod, for more information. Here is our PDX Food Pod update.

A Recap of the Initial PDX Food Pod Details

The future food cart pod will be located on a piece of property that contains a one-story building and a parking lot. For much of its life, the building housed myriad auto-oriented businesses, including KP Automotive, K & M Auto Service, and most recently Town Center Automotive.

When the location opens as PDX Food Pod you’ll find 14 outdoor food carts, 5 indoor vendors, a bar serving local beer, wine, and cider, plus plenty of indoor seating. They also plan to have events there, and you’ll be able to watch sports on their wide-screen TVs.

Progress So Far

While transitioning this former auto site into a food pod, the pace of the journey has been slower than anticipated (9 months have passed so far), mostly due to code hurdles. Some of the work they’ve done includes seismic upgrades, and their site plan is set for submission to the city this week.

So when will we get a chance to see PDX Food Pod in all its glory? “With approval, construction should wrap in five months, putting us on track for a March 1, 2026 opening,” said Roya.

She also shared that over 30% of the pod’s cart space is already claimed. “We will feature one cart from each corner of the globe,” she said.

PDX Food Pod Update: Design Elements

Roya shared with me some renderings and plans of the building design, which she has given me permission to reproduce here. “Here’s our latest design concept and I’m sure this won’t be the final version,” she said. Below are some elements from it that I thought you might find interesting. Click to enlarge.

PDX Food Pod update: A sketch of the floor plan in the building. — Configuration of the building’s seating area.

PDX Food Pod update: the bar. — Design concept for the bar area called “Break Time.”

Seating — A couple of sketches of what the dining room looks like from a side view. Note the vehicle decorations, likely to connect the space with its history as an auto repair space.

The exterior - two options. — A couple of ideas for the look and color scheme of the PDX Food Pod building’s exterior.

“We look forward to our grand opening and bringing our community and friends together,” said Roya. Here’s to smooth sailing during the site plan submission and the rest of the preparation of the site for the arrival and opening of PDX Food Pod.

PDX Food Pod [projected opening March 2026]
16116 NE Halsey Street, Portland
pdxfoodpod.com | Instagram